One of the best safeties in football a year ago is Pro Football Focus’ pick for the most underrated player on the roster of the Green Bay Packers.
It would be hard to argue against safety Adrian Amos, who finished last season with the second-best overall grade among safeties at PFF, as the team’s most underrated player.
A lack of splash plays no longer registers as a valid excuse. Since joining the Packers in 2019, Amos has created four interceptions, 15 pass breakups, 3.0 sacks and eight tackles for losses. He added another interception during the 2020 playoffs.
According to PFF, Amos delivered 24 stops – or tackles constituting a failure for the offense – and produced the highest overall coverage grade among NFL safeties in 2020. He played over 1,000 snaps and gave up a passer rating of 71.7.
He’s one of only a handful of NFL safeties to produce at least 20 stops, allow an opposing passer rating under 85.0 and play at least 1,000 snaps during each of the last two seasons.
Since 2017, Amos has received two “elite” overall grades and three “elite” coverage grades from PFF. The lowest overall grade he’s ever received from PFF is 69.6 during his rookie season.
A reliable, consistent safety who can cover and create negative plays is worth its weight in gold in today’s NFL. The position is taxed throughout a game like few others. Safeties must be able to cover any position on the field, protect against more and more vertical passing games, and be a willing contributor against the run.
Last season, Amos played over 100 snaps in the box (387), in the slot (108) and free safety (590). He was on the field for almost 99 percent of the Packers’ defensive plays.
While he landed on PFF’s All-Pro team, Amos did not earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors during the 2020 season, highlighting how underrated he still is outside Green Bay.
The Packers defense hasn’t been consistently dominant as a group, but the unit isn’t lacking individual talent. Amos, who is maybe the most reliable player at his position in football, must be included among the best the Packers defense has to offer entering 2021.