For this exercise, I wanted to take a different approach to defining "underrated." Often, NFL fanbases have an unduly harsh or favorable disposition toward a certain player without the necessary context to properly evaluate them relative to the alternatives. If you polled only Bears fans, Mooney might actually be a little overrated, but they have good reason to be optimistic about their speedster receiver and he does appear to be a lot lower in everybody elses consciousness. The start to Williams NFL career in Baltimore was bumpy, but he has five straight years of consistently above-average PFF grades in almost every facet. A resurgence could be right there in the ailments can be avoided. By virtually any measure, Cousins has vastly outperformed any reasonable expectations the Vikings could have had for him when they signed him from Washington. Dan Benton. Moore is a very tough player to beat and has a knack for making plays from the slot. Despite seeing how well the signal-caller has played since taking over as the Titans' starter, nobody really believes he is the driving force behind that play. Ward doesnt generate a ton of turnovers which is why he hasnt gotten a ton of shine, but hes very versatile, a good tackler and San Franciscos best defender in man-coverage. Tucker has never made the Top 100, which is wild considering hes the most accurate kicker in NFL history (six consecutive seasons over 89.7% on field goals) and holds the league record for longest made field goal (66 yards). But he was a force in 2020 after coming over in free agency (much to the annoyance of J.J. Watt in Houston, which said a lot). And he still hasnt made it to the Pro Bowl. When youre a seventh-round draft pick out of Ferris State, youre going to face an uphill battle for recognition in the NFL. He can play up in the box as a dime linebacker or back at the strong safety position, offering plenty of positional versatility as well. Theres a chance given his size and ability that Dillon could emerge as a Derrick Henry-like player once he has a full-time role. Carlson was money at the games, make four game-winning kicks during the 2021 season. A third-round pick out of Kentucky in the 2019 NFL draft, Edwards was targeted by the Bucs because of his knack for creating turnovers and big plays. He isnt, however, bad. However, it is Roullier, the one constant on Washingtons offensive line since 2017, who flies under the radar. Overall, Williams has been a phenomenally consistent player in the NFL, earning an overall PFF grade of at least 74.0 in each season of his career. Greenard earned a bigger role going forward, which might generate him more recognition. Darnell Mooney With any luck, Darnell Mooney won't be underrated for that long. Despite being a rotational player, Edwards has lived up to those expectations over his first three years in the league. Brandin Cooks is underrated every season, and 2022 is no different, even though he finished the 2021 season as the WR20 (WR22 points per game). As pointed out by, , he ranked second when it came to their CROE metric (catch rate over expected) with a 9.4% figure, which signals he made a lot of difficult catches in 2021 with the Arizona Cardinals. He forecasts to be a big help this year, as well, serving as an anchor between New England's two young guards. Mills 2-9 record is viewed as part of the Texans 4-13 disaster last year that got first-year coach David Culley canned. NFL Network's "Top 100 Players of 2022" -- voted on by the players themselves -- kicked off on Sunday, Aug. 14. I also love this note from PFF: Higgins had eight receptions of 15-plus yards on inaccurate targets in 2021 -- fifth-most in the NFL. He allowed 25 pressures on 737 pass-blocking snaps and helped pave the way in the running game on a weekly basis. You wont hear Roullier mentioned as one of the best centers in the NFL but he is one of the best. Over the past three seasons, including the playoffs, Davis has the best PFF grade of any linebacker in the league and the only one above 90.0 overall (90.1). But, the man still deserves his flowers. He can play up in the box as a dime linebacker or back at the strong safety position, offering plenty of positional versatility as well. 2022 NFL Free Agency: Most underrated free agent at every position Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell (93) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Yes, its only camp -- and a teeny sample size, at that -- but I'm looking for clues here! Thats a big plus for a young quarterback like Trevor Lawrence, who already seems to be connecting with Kirk and referred to the veteran as. Kevin Hickey, Colts Wire, The Jags received a lot of criticism for the four-year deal worth $72 million they gave Christian Kirk, but it actually might pay off in the end. eight games), and he was CB7. He often loses as a pass protector, surrendering five or more sacks in each of the past four seasons. Since the former rugby player was picked in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, hes become the Eagles starting left tackle and earned a four-year, $64 million extension in 2021. Pro Football Focus shows that he allowed a league-best 0.37 yards per coverage snap. Simmons had a career year in 2019 and received the franchise tag a couple times before finally getting a long-term deal last year, but I feel like we dont see a ton of lists that show hes continuing to perform at an elite level. Hes grabbed five interceptions over the past two seasons, including multiple pick-sixes in last years Week 2 win over the Atlanta Falcons, proving to be a valuable asset whenever hes on the field. Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire, Reader, unfortunately, will probably never get the respect he deserves because he doesnt get to put up the eye-popping stats. Five players made their "Top 100" debuts -- David Montgomery, Jimmie Ward, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Tucker and Kyle Pitts -- in Episode 1 (Nos. For the best local Columbus news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to The Columbus Dispatch. Meyers moved the chains. 50-41? Arizona Cardinals. Mac Jones favored three pass-catchers in 2021: Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Henry and Bourne. The former sixth-round pick has a chance to explode in his third season as he competes for a starting role in nickel packages. 259/390 C/A. Three of his five years of play have seen him earn an 84.3-plus coverage grade, and now he goes to a defense in Baltimore with the potential to maximize his coverage skills and overall impact. Since joining the Raiders in the 2018 season, hes made 89 percent of his kicks and has only improved each season with the team. Theres only so much you can discount that because of the offense around him. Which 10 players make up Nos. Hes now the top guy for Justin Fields, which will bring its own set of challenges as hell be the subject of double teams. It's that time of year again, when NFL players cast their votes to identify the best in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. #5 - D.J. He is a good player, but not a great one, and thats enough to draw the ire of a certain section of the fanbase that isn't interested in anything short of elite. Jon Heath, Broncos Wire, Decker rarely gets mentioned with the top tier of offensive tackles. AJ Dillon. He might not be the NFL's flashiest pass catcher, with gaudy YPC and TD totals to boast about, but his impact on the Chargers' offense is indisputable: Allen's off-ball win share (when he wasnt targeted, but drew away coverage to create better situations for other pass catchers) ranked sixth-best in the league. Hes an eraser on the 49ers defense and a big part of the reason that unit allowed only three touchdowns of more than 30 yards last year. According to Pro Football Focus, Rodgers allowed just a 72.2 passer rating and 10.7 yards per reception on 61 targets. 10-1? Yet, hes ridiculously underrated by many in the league, who belittle his ability as a WR1 following the departure of Allen Robinson in free agency. He was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week four times last season, but because his name isnt Justin Tucker, he didnt quite receive the attention and national coverage that he deserved. Episode 8 of the "Top 100 Players of 2022" airs on Sunday, revealing notable NFL siblings in the players' list between Nos. Last season, Franklin-Myers put together an impressive campaign with six sacks, 14 QB hits and six tackles for a loss by far his best season to date. Furthermore, he is only improving every year. Jeremy Bergman provides five items that he believes should have been handled differently by the "Top 100 Players of 2022" voters. Since coming over in a lopsided trade with Detroit, Diggs has posted 13 interceptions in 38 games in Seattle. Which team boasts three representatives? Underrated players | Overrated players. Run-stuffing defensive tackles hardly get the credit they deserve in the NFL, but Nnadi has been particularly good at his job. 22 pick overall for Miami in 2017 and notched just three sacks for the Dolphins. After losing several defensive linemen in free agency, the Saints did a great job of making up the difference with Clemson's Bryan Bresee. Donald doesnt just rival any edge rusher in the league for pressure, he exceeds them all. Learn more about NFL+. Donald is the best pass-rusher the NFL has seen over the past 16 seasons of PFF grading and is in another world compared to any player at his position. Cooks has finished worse than the fantasy WR20. Much of his impact on the game cant be seen on the broadcast angle on TV and doesnt make it into the box score. 94 in Episode 1 of the Top 100 Players of 2022. And he was great in 2021 as well, dominating in the running game and the trenches as a whole. Houston Texans: Zach Cunningham, LB. A strong case can be made here for WR Tyler Lockett, but Ill go with Diggs, who is one of the most underappreciated defenders in the league. 8-ranked Oklahoma State on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. In the final eight games of the season, Carlson made all 23 of his kicks. By virtually any measure, Cousins has vastly outperformed any reasonable expectations the Vikings could have had for him when they signed him from, Over the past three seasons, including the playoffs, Davis has the best PFF grade of any linebacker in the league and the only one above 90.0 overall (90.1).