Yes… The NFL is increasingly becoming a star-driven league… BUT—we are reminded every year that football is the ultimate team sport and if a team wants to be a serious Super Bowl contender, they need to have depth 1 to 53. That said, it is human nature to focus on the top NFL guys, so we typically end up seeing star players get the bulk of the attention.
Which results in some extremely talented individuals getting severely underrated by the media and fans alike.
It is time to pay them their dues! Time to dig in and highlight the 10 MOST underrated players in the game today!
Who are the top ten most under-the-radar players in the NFL today?
D.J. Reader, Defensive Tackle, Detroit Lions
When it comes to players who are wildly underrated around the NFL—D.J. Reader is a great place to start.
The good news for Reader, however, is that his departure from the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was a cornerstone in their defense for the last four years, to the Detroit Lions may finally highlight his true value.
Reader was not just a key defensive leader on the Bengals. He made his teammates better with his leadership… It was also his dynamic play in the trenches that changed the entire structure of the Bengals’ defense and opened up a ton of opportunities for teammates and optionality in terms of the scheme.
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His sack numbers might be modest… just 9.5 in his career… which, I suspect is why he his importance has been criminally underrated thus far in his career.
But life as an interior defensive lineman isn’t all about stats—especially not sack totals. Not everyone is going to be Aaron Donald and racking up double-digit totals from that spot on the field, especially not in the system that they were running in Cinci.
Reader excels at clogging gaps and making it extremely difficult for opposing offenses to run the ball.
His mere presence allows his teammates to make plays on a regular basis—and in an era where such defensive stalwarts are becoming rare, Reader’s contributions cannot and should not be overlooked.
Andrew Wylie, Offensive Tackle, Washington Commanders
Wylie’s story is one of grit, determination and growth. He started off undrafted out of Eastern Michigan and bounced around practice squads before he finally landed with the Chiefs, where he eventually earned a chance to start.
In Kansas City, he became a crucial part of the Chiefs’ offensive line that protected Patrick Mahomes and contributed to their explosive offense, but there were plenty of bumps along the way.
He was moved all around the line due to injuries and, at times, struggled, but he was able to rise to the occasion for Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII against a tough Eagles defensive front.
Wylie parlayed this performance into a new contract with the Washington Commanders, joining his OC in Kansas City, Eric Bieniemy. He struggled early in Washington, but he really rounded into form as the season went on. He is a big part of what they are trying to build in D.C. around Jayden Daniels.
Even if no one in the media ever says his name!
Trevor Lawrence, Quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars
While some folks are clamoring to slap a big, old bust label on Trevor Lawrence—but in reality—he is actually underrated.
It is easy to look at his rollercoaster journey in the NFL, particularly the cliff that he and the Jaguars fell off in the second half of the 2023 season, and pick apart the young quarterback’s game…
And, yes… There is no denying that that was particularly challenging for both Lawrence and the Jags. And it was extremely disappointing to see after the way that they started their season!
But! Let’s call a spade a spade… The issues down in Jacksonville extended far beyond Lawrence, who was also battling and downplaying a serious back injury during that span.
Lawrence faced numerous dropped passes and poor protection from his offensive line, both serious contributors to a lack of consistency we saw out of the Jacksonville offense.
It is hard not for that to affect a young QB’s rhythm and confidence… Especially when he was forced to make hurried decisions under duress more often than not!
2024 is for sure a pivotal moment in his young career, but by the looks of it, this NFL team have finally put the right pieces of players in place for Lawrence to really thrive! He won’t be underrated for long!
Zach Tom, Offensive Tackle, Green Bay Packers
Zach Tom might not be a household name, in fact… he almost definitely is not! But such is life when you play in the trenches—especially in a tiny, tiny market like Green Bay.
In any case—the lack of shine that he gets nationally is not indicative of his performance on the field… Far from it!
The offensive tackle regularly takes on some of the best pass rushers in the game and does so with relative ease. Packers Offensive Coordinator Adam Stenavich is spoiled by Tom, who doesn’t require additional scheming or support to execute. He can line up the helmet on the helmet with the best of them and protect their newly highest-paid asset, Jordan Love.
Tom not only does a great job of protecting Love, but I’d go as far as to suggest that he is a BIG part of why Love has been so successful early on in his career as a starter. The stability and game-changing consistency that he brings to that Green Bay o-line has been instrumental in Love’s development!
He is steady, reliable, and… he is a bruiser too! When he lines up a defensive lineman right and makes contact, the impact is impressive.
The point being: Tom is an unsung hero of this Packers team and lowkey one of the top linemen in the game. His consistency and ability to handle top-tier pass rushers make him a rising star who deserves much more attention.
Isaac Yiadom, Cornerback, San Francisco 49ers
Isaac Yiadom is another name that has somehow managed to fly under the radar amongst NFL players, but his impact is hard to ignore.
2024 will be his first season in San Francisco, as he was brought in to help sure up a 49ers’ defensive backfield during a transitionary period. But there are high hopes for him inside the facilities at Santa Clara. Yiadom had an underappreciated but very impressive season last year with the Saints, where he allowed fewer than 50% of passes thrown his way to be completed and held receivers to just 6.9 yards per catch.
His aggressive, fearless playstyle makes him a perfect fit for the 49ers. From the moment he was tested by top receivers, he showed he could handle the pressure and deliver when it counts, which is pivotal for S.F. — considering they are very much in Super Bowl or bust territory—and was we’ve seen in years past—all it takes is one blown coverage to turn the tides of a playoff game.
The 49ers defense has been one of the top units in the game over the last few seasons, but 2023 was a little bit up and down.
Still… you can’t deny that they have the potential to be special this season… especially with the addition of Isaac Yiadom, who fills a much need role for the 49ers and is very much on an upward trajectory within his own career.
He is just a little bit of a secret amongst fans and hasn’t gotten the shine he’s deserved from the media because he didn’t enter last year as a starter, but rather he came in as an injury replacement a few weeks into the season—and he passed every test along the way. The only reason he hasn’t gotten more credit is because he basically did all of this in a vacuum for an extremely mediocre and uninteresting Saints team.
Don’t be surprised if Isaac Yiadom is a name we hear talked about a whole lot more this season now that he has the spotlight on him in San Fran. He may not be underrated for long!
Also Read: 10 Undrafted NFL Players That Will Make A Splash In Upcoming 2024 Season
D.J. Reed, Cornerback, New York Jets
The Jets roster is filled with high-profile NFL players that have flocked to the Big Apple to play with Aaron Rodgers during the twilight of his career… but even on star studded teams, there are always underrated guys that are critical to the success of the team.
D.J. Reed definitely fits that bill.
He has quietly been one of the league’s most consistent cornerbacks, dating back to when Seattle acquired the little-known former fifth-round pick. Reed immediately made an impact, showcasing his versatility by playing both outside and in the slot.
It is understandable that in New York, he ends up getting overshadowed by Sauce Gardner, but make no mistake about it—he deserves just as much credit for the impressive output that the Jets secondary constantly delivers.
Teven Jenkins, Offensive Guard, Chicago Bears
Teven Jenkins’ transition from tackle to guard has been seamless, to say the least!
Despite battling injuries and the inherent challenges of the aforementioned positional shift, Jenkins finished the 2023 season as PFF’s 14th-highest-graded guard.
He is going to have a very important task ahead of him this season with protecting the Bears’ number one overall pick, quarterback, Caleb Williams…
So, we may start to see his profile rise.
Jenkins, like many of the talented offensive linemen out there—has really not gotten the national credit he deserved for his exceptional play thus far in his young career. This is in part due to the battles with injuries he’s had… and, well, the Bears being a dumpster fire.
But expectations are up in Chicago—meaning 2024 should be a great opportunity for Jenkins to start to prove to the rest of the league what Bears fans have known since he came into the league as a second-round pick in 2021.
Jaylen Warren, Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jaylen Warren might be the Steelers’ best-kept secret. Despite being overshadowed by Najee Harris, Warren has shown he’s plenty capable of a featured NFL role as one of the team’s best players.
Even if the Steelers, for some bizarre reason, continually elected to give the ball to the plodding Harris instead. 106 more times to be precise!
This is particularly surprising because the explosive Warren averaged over five yards a pop—and proved to be an effective pass catcher coming out of the backfield. His 61 receptions last season finished fifth among running backs.
With a big, physical front leading the way, featuring a power runner like Harris doesn’t really make sense… And unfortunately for Warren—until the Steelers figure that out for themselves, he is going to continue to fly under the radar.
Kyle Pitts, Tight End, Atlanta Falcons
It is hard to see a fourth overall pick, who was selected to the Pro Bowl during his rookie season in the NFL, “underrated,”… but with the way that the former Florida standout’s last two seasons have gone in Atlanta, I think it is fair to say that people have begun to overlook what a rare talent Pitts is.
The man is 6’ 6” and 250 pounds with 4.4 speed and bigtime leaping ability… and yes… I know none of this suggests “underrated” per say… but the reality is that the shocking lack of usage that he got in Atlanta in his second and third NFL seasons has changed the entire narrative around Pitts.
People have simply forgotten that he has all of the makings of a bonafide star at tight end.
When healthy, Pitts is a matchup nightmare for defenses, thanks to his size, speed, and incredible catch radius. He can stretch the field and make contested catches with the best of them.
Once he actually gets showcased in the offense, particularly now that the Falcons have an actual quarterback with Kirk Cousins getting brought into town—along with a new coaching regime and offensive system—things should be trending upward for Pitts!
But for the time being, it is still hard to call the tight end anything other than underrated and underappreciated.
Leo Chenal, Linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs
Leo Chenal is just entering his third NFL season, all of which has been with the Kansas City Chiefs. The young linebacker originally entered the NFL as a third-round pick, and he’s proven to be a very important rotational piece on a defense that—as a whole—you could argue is underrated.
And after the way he played during the Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime win in last year’s Super Bowl over the San Francisco 49ers, don’t be surprised if Leo Chenal really starts to come into his own this year. Because under the brightest lights and on the biggest stage—he did it all—notching six tackles, one tackle for loss, forcing a fumble, and delivery a quarterback hit and a blocked extra point.
He hasn’t been an every-down player yet, obviously, which is part of the reason he has been overlooked, but it will be interesting to see if a big, physical linebacker starts to be featured in a more prominent role for the Chiefs D.
Also Read: 10 Current NFL Players That Are BORDERLINE Hall Of Famers Right Now
