There are plenty of superstars across the NFL that have established themselves as household names. But as fans of each team will tell you, there are under-appreciated gems on all 32 rosters that deserve more attention. The criteria for making this list is simple – none of the players can have been voted to the Pro Bowl, nor have been selected as an All-Pro at any point in their NFL careers. Here are the most underrated players on every NFL team entering the 2022 season.
Arizona Cardinals – Markus Golden, EDGE
Golden might never have been an elite pass rusher but he’s been consistently productive throughout his career. In 2021 he had the second most pressures of any Cardinals defender, narrowly behind Chandler Jones. His 163 pressures since 2019 rank 12th across the NFL in that time period, putting him ahead of players like Trey Hendrickson and Khalil Mack. He also ranks seventh amongst edge defenders in run stops over the same period with 56.
Atlanta Falcons – Chris Lindstrom, IOL
The Falcons’ offensive line isn’t great, but Lindstrom is the exception. In his three years in the NFL he has developed into a plus starter at guard and is coming off a hugely impressive 2021 season. Lindstrom was one of just four offensive linemen who didn’t allow a single sack on 500+ pass blocking snaps. His biggest impact came in the running game though. Lindstrom earned an 87.6 PFF run blocking grade, which ranked fifth amongst all guards.
Baltimore Ravens – Kevin Zeitler, IOL
Zeitler is entering his 11th season in the NFL and has somehow still never made the Pro Bowl or been voted as an All-Pro. He has quietly developed into one of the league’s best pass protecting interior linemen. He has played for three teams over the last four seasons but has maintained a level of consistency few can match. Zeitler has conceded a pressure on just 2.8% of his snaps over that period. For context, that is a lower rate than seven-time All-Pro Zack Martin.
Buffalo Bills – Devin Singletary, RB
Singletary doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his production since entering the league in 2019. Amongst running backs with 200+ carries over the last three seasons, Singletary ranks 12th in yards per carry at 4.7. His advanced statistics are also incredibly impressive. He ranks eighth in explosive run rate and third in breakaway run rate, behind only Raheem Mostert and Nick Chubb. Singletary’s 0.23 forced missed tackles per carry is tied for fourth best in the NFL too.
Carolina Panthers – Jeremy Chinn, S
The Panthers drafted Chinn in 2020 to be the swiss army knife on their defense and he has delivered on those expectations. His versatility is truly rare, logging over 100 snaps on the defensive line, at free safety, and in the slot in 2021, as well as over 500 snaps in the box. Chinn is a reliable tackler in the open field who is also comfortable playing in space as a coverage defender. He even offers versatility as a blitzer, with 10 pressures on just 58 pass rushing snaps in 2021.
Chicago Bears – Khalil Herbert, RB
Finding an underrated talent on a Bears roster this thin on talent isn’t easy, but it has to be Herbert. Whilst he remains firmly the RB2 behind David Montgomery, there is an argument to be made that he was the better back in 2022. He averaged 0.4 yards per carry more than Montgomery, whilst also logging more yards after contact, a higher forced missed tackle rate, and a higher breakaway carry rate.
Cincinnati Bengals – Chidobe Awuzie, CB
2021 saw Awuzie take the next step with his game after landing in Cincinnati. He quietly produced one of the best seasons of any cornerback as the Bengals made it to the Super Bowl. He allowed a paltry 5.6 yards per target whilst producing a 12.9% forced incompletion rate, giving up a passer rating of just 74.6 all season. Awuzie gave up just 182 yards in man coverage in 2021 at an average of 13 per game.
Cleveland Browns – D’Ernest Johnson, RB
This was a close call between Johnson and Donovan Peoples-Jones, but the running back just edges it. He has a limited sample size, but he’s been hugely productive whenever he has been on the field. Johnson has averaged 5.3 yards per carry throughout his career, with 62% of that coming after contact. His 16% explosive run rate in 2021 was the second highest mark amongst running backs, behind only his teammate Nick Chubb.
Dallas Cowboys – Tony Pollard, RB
Ezekiel Elliott might earn the big money in Dallas, but Pollard has been the better running back through recent seasons. He is one of just six backs to average over five yards per carry since 2019. He also ranks sixth in forced missed tackle rate, explosive run rate, and breakaway run rate during that period. Pollard’s 90.7 Elusive Rating is the third highest amongst running backs, behind only Nick Chubb and Javonte Williams.
Denver Broncos – Tim Patrick, WR
Patrick will unfortunately miss the entire 2022 season after tearing his ACL, but he is the most underrated player on Denver’s roster when healthy. Patrick has put up a very respectable 1,476 yards and 11 touchdowns over the past three seasons. This has been in spite of consistently below-average quarterback play. He shows consistently reliable hands too, with just five drops on 109 catchable targets over that period.
Detroit Lions – Taylor Decker, OT
Good offensive linemen have a habit of going under the radar and nowhere is that more true than Taylor Decker. Whilst he has never made the Pro Bowl he has established himself as a consistently reliable left tackle in recent seasons. Decker has allowed just 78 pressures across his 1,643 pass blocking snaps since 2019. He has also given up a sack on just 0.6% of his pass sets during that period.
Green Bay Packers – Adrian Amos, S
Adrian Amos has been one of the best safeties in the entire NFL since his move to Green Bay, but he still fails to get the recognition his play warrants. Amos has allowed just 0.48 yards per coverage snap since 2019, which is the second fewest amongst safeties. He has also proven himself to be an outstanding ball hawk, with 27 forced incompletions on his 147 targets. Amos’ passer rating of 84.3 when targeted ranks sixth at the position over the last three seasons.
Houston Texans – Brandin Cooks, WR
Cooks always seems to be cited as one of the NFL’s most underrated players, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Despite playing for four teams in eight seasons he has managed to produce six 1,000+ yard seasons. In the last decade only Mike Evans and Julio Jones have had more. He has logged a drop rate of just 5.1% throughout his career and averaged a passer rating of 107.2 when targeted. Despite all of this, Cooks has never made the Pro Bowl or All-Pro rosters.
Indianapolis Colts – Braden Smith, OT
Smith has been a key part of the Colts’ dominant offensive line since he was drafted in 2018. A big part of his game is his prowess as a run blocker. In 2021 Smith earned the seventh highest PFF run blocking grade amongst tackles. He also led all tackles with a 90.7 grade on gap scheme runs. He isn’t too shabby in pass protection either, allowing pressure on just 3.5% of his career pass sets.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Marvin Jones, WR
It is slim pickings when trying to find an underrated player on the Jaguars’ roster, but Jones fits the bill better than most. Whilst he has never been a top tier talent at the position, his ability to be consistently productive is commendable. Jones has racked up almost 7,000 yards over the last nine seasons and has 55 touchdowns. He is excellent at the catch point too, with a career drop rate of just 5.9% and a 55.4% win rate in contested catch situations.
Kansas City Chiefs – Rashad Fenton, CB
Fenton isn’t a household name, but he has been a consistently reliable presence in Kansas City’s secondary over recent seasons. He ranks eighth in yards per target amongst cornerbacks since he was drafted in 2019. He also ranks 10th in yards allowed per coverage snap over that span. His passer rating of 83.5 allowed is lower than players like A.J. Terrell and Marlon Humphrey, both of whom have earned All-Pro honours in recent seasons.
Las Vegas Raiders – Kolton Miller, OT
Over the last two seasons, Miller has quietly ascended to be one of the better pass protecting left tackles in football. He has given up just six sacks on his 1,319 pass blocking snaps since 2020, whilst also allowing just 10 hits. Miller was always seen as something of an athletic project coming out of college and he has now managed to harness that into a polished and refined game. He has also progressed as a run blocker, earning the 10th highest PFF grade amongst left tackles.
Los Angeles Chargers – Bryce Callahan, CB
Callahan has joined the Chargers are plying his trade in Denver, where he went under the radar as one of the very best slot cornerbacks in football. Since 2019 he allowed a passer rating of just 68.8 from the slot, ranking fourth across the NFL. He also led all cornerbacks in both yards per target and yards per coverage snaps over the same period, whilst giving up a single completion of 30+ yards.
Los Angeles Rams – Darrell Henderson, RB
Henderson has never had a true RB1 workload in L.A. but he has still been consistently productive. He has averaged 4.5 yards per carry, with 60.9% of that coming after contact. He has forced an impressive 51 missed tackles on his 326 career carries and has the sixth highest explosive carry rate amongst running backs since 2019. His ball security is excellent too, with no fumbles in his NFL career.
Miami Dolphins – Christian Wilkins, IDL
Wilkins might not yet have lived up to his draft capital after being taken 13th overall in 2019, but he has shown himself to be a very solid presence along the defensive line for Miami. His biggest impact has come as a run defender, where he has logged the second most run stops of any defensive linemen since 2019. Wilkins is no slouch as a pass rusher either though, with 31 pressures on his 381 pass rushing snaps in 2021.
Minnesota Vikings – Brian O’Neill, OT
O’Neill has steadily developed into a plus starter at right tackle for the Vikings since he was drafted in 2018. He has started since his rookie year but has managed to allow just five sacks on his 2,345 career pass blocking snaps. In 2021 he was particularly impressive, conceding a single sack and allowing pressure on just 1.8% of his pass sets.
New England Patriots – Michael Onwenu, IOL
There are very few sixth rounders who look as good out of the gate as Michael Onwenu did in 2020. He proved that was no fluke in 2021, registering his second season of dominance in New England. Onwenu has allowed pressure on just 1.9% of his career pass blocking snaps. This is all the more impressive given the fact that he has played a large number of snaps at tackle. He is also a road grader in the running game, with back-to-back 80+ PFF grades.
New Orleans Saints – C.J. Gardner-Johnson, CB
Slot cornerbacks are increasingly important in the modern NFL and there are not many better than Gardner-Johnson. His record in coverage speaks for itself. He has allowed the second lowest passer rating in man coverage of any cornerback since he was drafted in 2019. His 2.4 air yards per target is also the third best mark at the position. Gardner-Johnson is a ball hawk too, contributing 26 forced incompletions over the last three seasons.
New York Giants – Xavier McKinney, S
Injuries limited McKinney’s opportunities as a rookie in 2020, but he showed why he is one of the league’s most talented young safeties last season. He excelled as the free safety for the Giants, allowing just 376 yards on his 47 targets. His ability to produce at the catch point was also spectacular, logging five interceptions and four pass breakups for a 19.1% forced incompletion rate. He allowed a passer rating of just 79.2 in coverage all season.
New York Jets – John Franklin-Myers, EDGE
Franklin-Myers might have signed a sizeable four-year, $55 million deal with the Jets last season, but he still doesn’t always get the love he deserves. He has been the Jets’ best pass rusher over the last two seasons, racking up 104 pressures. He has generated pressure on 13.3% of his snaps since 2019, which is a higher rate than players like Za’Darius Smith and Demarcus Lawrence. His 17% win rate ranks 14th amongst edge rushers.
Philadelphia Eagles – Jordan Mailata, OT
Mailata was the embodiment of an athletic project when the Eagles took him in the seventh round in 2018. Coming from Australia he had never played the game before. In a few short years he has ascended to become one of the better left tackles in football. 2021 saw Mailata allow just 20 pressures on his 461 pass blocking snaps. His real impact came as a run blocker though, where he earned the third highest PFF grade amongst left tackles.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Levi Wallace, CB
Wallace is now in Pittsburgh after four seasons with the Bills, where he proved himself to be one of the game’s most underrated defensive backs. Wallace’s numbers are excellent in virtually every department. He has allowed a completion rate of just 59.6% since joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has produced six interceptions and 22 pass breakups over that period, allowing a passer rating of just 86.1 throughout his career.
San Francisco 49ers – Brandon Aiyuk, WR
Deebo Samuel gets most of the limelight in San Francisco, but Aiyuk could compete with him to be their WR1 in 2022. He actually posted a higher success rate against man coverage than Samuel did in 2021. Over the past two seasons, Aiyuk has hauled in 115 catches for 1,564 yards. He has logged a drop rate of just 6.5% and is also a nightmare with the ball in his hands, averaging 5.4 yards after the catch.
Seattle Seahawks – Rashaad Penny, RB
Injuries have limited Penny’s ability to stay on the field in Seattle, but his production has been elite when given the chance. He has averaged 5.6 yards per carry throughout his career, with an incredible 3.7 yards after contact. His 14.3% explosive career rate puts him ahead of the likes of Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey. Penny’s average of 1.33 rushing yards over expected is almost twice as high as any other back since he entered the NFL in 2018.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jamel Dean, CB
It is rare to see mid-round cornerbacks hit out of the gate, but Dean has been excellent for the Bucs ever since he was drafted in 2019. He has allowed a catch rate of just 55.4% on his 175 career targets. He also ranks fourth and sixth amongst cornerbacks in yards per target and yards per coverage snap respectively. Dean shows up at the catch point, with a 14.3% career forced incompletion rate and a passer rating allowed of just 76.3.
Tennessee Titans – Ben Jones, IOL
Derrick Henry might be the star in Tennessee, but Jones is the glue that holds their notoriously punishing running game together. Jones is set to enter his 11th season in the NFL and seemingly shows no signs of slowing down. He is one of the league’s better centers, with the ability to consistently displace defenders in the running game as well as be a force in pass protection. Jones has allowed a single sack across his last 1,186 pass blocking snaps.
Washington Commanders – Chase Roullier, IOL
Offensive line talent is often overlooked by fans and Roullier is the perfect example of that. He has been rock solid for Washington ever since he was drafted in 2017 and can be an impact player as a run blocker and a pass protector. Injuries limited him to 490 snaps in 2021, but he still managed to post the fifth highest run blocking grade amongst centers. His pass protection is excellent too. Roullier has allowed pressure on just 1.5% of his career pass blocking snaps and has never allowed more than 20 pressures in a season.