Tag: NFL underrated players

Dallas Cowboys’ most underrated player: DL Osa Odighizuwa

Micah Parsons may be the star of the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive line, but don’t sleep on Osa Odighizuwa’s impact.

Micah Parsons is the superstar of the Cowboys’ defensive fronts, but it’s unwise to underestimate Odighizuwa, who Dallas selected in the third round of the 2021 draft out of UCLA. Odighizuwa has never had a season in which he’s created less than 38 total pressures, which he did in each of his first two NFL seasons, and he upped that to 44 pressures (along with three sacks) last season.

Whether he’s playing in the B-gaps or over the tackles, Odighizuwa has become a consistent, dynamic pressure creator who’s especially conversant with taking interior offensive linemen, walking them back into the pocket, and dumping them on the ground on the way to the quarterback.

Buffalo Bills’ most underrated player: CB Rasul Douglas

Cornerback Rasul Douglas has been an underrated player for years, and the Buffalo Bills discovered his true value in 2023.

Throughout most of his career since he was selected in the third round of the 2017 draft out of West Virginia by the Eagles, Rasul Douglas has been a good-to-great cornerback. His best season to date came in 2021 with the Packers in his first year there, when he allowed 34 catches on 66 targets for 360 yards, 114 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, five interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 46.3.

Things started to go south with the addition of defensive coordinator Joe Barry, and that was true for most of Green Bay’s defense. So, when the Bills acquired Douglas in a Halloween trade, they must have known that Douglas had a lot left in the tank despite a brutal start to the 2023 season, and that certainly bore out on the field and in the metrics.

2024 is the final year of Douglas’ three-year, $21 million contract with the Packers that he signed in 2022, and if he plays for the Bills in 2024 as he did in 2023, that’ll be a big bargain. As is so often the case, all it takes for a player to show his best work is the ideal home.

Secret Superstars: The underrated players for Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season

From Baker Mayfield to Zack Moss to Ivan Pace Jr. to Deommodore Lenoir to Geno Stone, here are the NFL’s Secret Superstars for Week 2.

Not every great NFL performance is given by a well-known player. Just as often as you see the league’s marquee names ball out, there are those under-the-radar guys who rise up at the right time to add weight to their own names.

It happens every week, and we have collected this list of the most prominent Week 2 performances from those players whose deeds outweighed the import of their reputations.

Here are the NFL’s Secret Superstars for Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions). 

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The NFL’s All-Underrated Team: One Secret Superstar for all 32 teams

From Matt Milano to Denico Autry to Tyler Lockett to Tony Pollard, here are the NFL’s most underrated players by team.

Why are great players underrated in any sport?

There are all kinds of reasons. In football, it could be that the guy playing your position is even better than you are, and he’s been doing it longer. Maybe we only have the attention span for one great player at your position Maybe you’re on a team that doesn’t get much national praise, or you’re part of a unit that… well, stinks… and you’re one of the few bright spots. Or, you’re just getting started on the ascent, and the world hasn’t quite caught up yet.

No matter the reason, there are many NFL players who ply their trade at an exceedingly high level, and they’re not given their proper due. Here, we look to rectify this in 32 individual instances with the most underrated player for every NFL team. Some of these guys have been doing it the right way in the shade for a long time for their teams; a few are new in their uniforms.

No matter why, all 32 of these NFL players deserve more love than they get, and here’s why. Here is every NFL team’s most underrated player.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise indicated). 

Secret Superstars for Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season

Taysom Hill, Rhamondre Stevenson, Daymi Brown, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Baron Browning are among Doug Farrar’s Secret Superstars for Week 5.

There are all kinds of reasons that NFL players are underrated and unsung.

Perhaps they’re in systems that don’t best show their skills. Maybe they’re buried on a depth chart. Or, they’re in somebody’s doghouse, and their coaches can’t see their potential. Or, their efforts are relatively unnoticed among their more celebrated teammates. Sometimes, young players haven’t quite put it all together, but there are enough flashes to make you sit up and take notice, and when it does work, it’s all good.

Week 5 of the 2022 regular season featured players at just about every position who showed up and showed out despite their underrated statuses, and here at Touchdown Wire, it’s our job to point them out.

Rhamondre Stevenson, Dameon Pierce, Daymi Brown, Taysom Hill, Ethan Pocic, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Matt Judon, Baron Browning, Osa Odighizuwa, Teair Tart, Dre Greenlaw, Camerson Dantzler, and Caden Sterns are our Secret Superstars for Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season.

Here’s why each of them made the cut.

Secret Superstars for Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season

From Jacoby Brissett to Khalil Herbert to Christian Darrisaw to Jevon Holland, here’s Doug Farrar’s Secret Superstars for Week 3 of the NFL season.

There are all kinds of reasons that NFL players are underrated and unsung.

Perhaps they’re in systems that don’t best show their skills. Maybe they’re buried on a depth chart. Or, they’re in somebody’s doghouse, and their coaches can’t see their potential. Sometimes, young players haven’t quite put it all together, but there are enough flashes to make you sit up and take notice, and when it does work, it’s all good.

Week 3 of the 2022 regular season featured players at just about every position who showed up and showed out despite their underrated statuses, and here at Touchdown Wire, it’s our job to point them out.

Here are the Secret Superstars for Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season.

The NFL’s most underrated defensive players

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar reveals his All-Underrated defense heading into the 2022 NFL season.

In the NFL, players are underrated for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes, they’re second banana to a superstar whose deeds take up all the oxygen. Other times, it may be that the player has to climb up the depth chart as a little-regarded contributor, and the media hasn’t caught up yet. It’s also possible that the player has an incandescent talent that’s hidden by an unfavorable scheme. And it could also be that the player has had one great season, and everyone’s waiting to see if it’s a fluke.

We’ve already assembled our list of the NFL’s most underrated offensive players; it’s safe to say that a matchup between those players and these underrated defenders would be quite something.

The NFL’s most underrated offensive players

The NFL’s All-Underrated defense in the first half of the 2021 season

Touchdown Wire’s mid-season All-Underrated Defense features four Titans, two Patriots, and several other difference-makers around the league.

In every season, there are those players who, for whatever reason, do not receive the recognition their talents deserve. Perhaps they’re languishing on bad teams, or they’re doing their best in less than optimal situations, or it’s just that their positions aren’t the ones that get noticed.

But these players — Touchdown Wire’s All-Underrated team in the first half of the 2021 NFL season — have all earned notice as among the best at what they do, and it’s our job to help bridge the talent/recognition gap.

Here are the most underrated defensive players in the first half of the 2021 season.

You can see the All-Underrated offense here:

The NFL’s All-Underrated offense in the first half of the 2021 season

The NFL’s All-Underrated offense in the first half of the 2021 season

From Matt Ryan to Deebo Samuel to Rodney Hudson, here are the NFL’s most underrated offensive players in the first half of the 2021 season.

In every season, there are those players who, for whatever reason, do not receive the recognition their talents deserve. Perhaps they’re languishing on bad teams, or they’re doing their best in less than optimal situations, or it’s just that their positions aren’t the ones that get noticed.

But these players — Touchdown Wire’s Secret Superstars of the first half of the 2021 NFL season — have all earned notice as among the best at what they do, and it’s our job to help bridge the talent/recognition gap.

Here are most underrated offensive players in the first half of the 2021 season.

The NFL’s Secret Superstars of Week 9

Every week, there are players whose performances don’t get the praise they deserve. Here are the NFL’s Secret Superstars of Week 9.

Every NFL season features a certain number of players who come out of nowhere to surprise and entertain at a level we did not expect. Perhaps they’re veterans for whom everything finally clicks. Perhaps they’re rookies who show that the NFL curve can be navigated at a quicker pace by some more than others.

Whatever the circumstances, there were several players who either expanded their 2019 performances, or came into the NFL as first-year players in 2020 and showed that they didn’t need a preseason to ball out at a professional level.

Here are the NFL’s Secret Superstars of Week 9.