Every season, the NFL spotlights its superstars. Mahomes lighting up scoreboards, Micah Parsons terrorizing quarterbacks, Justin Jefferson making gravity look optional. But behind all the highlight reels are the unsung heroes: the workhorses, the quiet technicians, the guys you never see on the front of a Madden cover but who quietly keep their teams afloat. This is for them. From the tackle who erases pass rushers every Sunday to the punter flipping field position like it’s nothing, we’re breaking down the most underrated player at every position, because it’s about time these hidden gems got the credit they deserve.
QB: Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Trevor Lawrence might not have turned into a football superhero overnight like expected, but he’s quietly become one of the NFL’s most effective quarterbacks (and way more reliable than people give him credit for). The former Clemson star and 2021 No. 1 overall pick arrived with “generational talent” expectations hanging around his neck like a neon sign, and some critics still can’t let that go. But look closer: he’s steadily grown into the kind of franchise quarterback teams spend decades searching for. In 2022, he piled up over 4,100 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, then backed it up with another strong campaign in 2023. Even in 2024, when he battled a sprained shoulder, a concussion, and ultimately landed on injured reserve after just 10 games, he still managed more than 2,000 yards and 11 scores. Sure, he hasn’t shattered every record out of the gate, but he’s delivered top-10 production behind an offense that often leans entirely on him. If anything, Lawrence is the perfect example of a player who’s underrated not because he fell short, but because the bar was set sky-high from day one
RB: James Connor (Arizona Cardinals)
Now 30, Conner overcame cancer in college at Pittsburgh and was drafted in the third round by the Steelers before joining Arizona in 2022, where he emerged as the Cardinals’ workhorse despite running behind a consistently below-average offensive line. Over the past two seasons alone, he posted career highs, rushing for 1,040 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2023, then topping that in 2024 with 1,094 yards and 8 touchdowns on 236 carries, while also adding 74 receptions for 579 yards as a reliable checkdown target. Pro Football Focus ranked him 5th among running backs with a 90.4 overall grade in 2024, reflecting his consistency and impact. While he doesn’t have the highlight-reel speed of flashier names, Conner quietly ranks 8th in total rushing yards since 2020 (ahead of stars like Christian McCaffrey and Nick Chubb) and his production has only improved with age. Signed for about $8 million per year, he’s a bargain for a true bell-cow who just delivered back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
WR: Jakobi Myers (Las Vegas Raiders)
Undrafted out of NC State in 2019, Meyers fought his way onto the Patriots before signing with Las Vegas in 2023, where he immediately emerged as a go-to option. In his first season, Meyers put up a solid 807 yards and 7 touchdowns, but he leveled up in 2024, hauling in 87 catches for 1,027 yards without a single drop all year, a stat that says everything about his reliability. When the Raiders traded Davante Adams midseason, Meyers stepped into the spotlight, kept the offense afloat, and became the go-to target on third downs and critical drives. Sure, he doesn’t have blazing speed, but he makes up for it with A+ hands, savvy movement, and the knack for converting clutch catches. Meyers rarely gets headlines or Pro Bowl votes. But make no mistake: he’s one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL, proving every week that you don’t have to be flashy to be elite.
TE: Cole Kmet (Chicago Bears)
Let’s be honest: the Bears haven’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut lately, but that hasn’t stopped Cole Kmet from showing up every week and doing just about everything short of playing quarterback himself. Drafted out of Notre Dame in 2020, Kmet has become Chicago’s all-purpose safety blanket: blocking, catching, and bailing out a passing game that often looks stuck in the Stone Age. Even when the offense sputtered again in 2024, he still managed 47 catches at an absurd 85.5% catch rate, all while logging nearly 90% of the snaps. Even with the Bears drafting TE Colston Loveland in the first round, Kmet remains the steady veteran presence who does all the little things right. He’s not flashy or fast, but his combination of size, toughness, and sure hands has made him one of the Bears’ most reliable weapons. And with Chicago finally (hopefully) poised for a breakout year in 2025, don’t be surprised if Kmet becomes a big piece that helps the offense finally turn the corner.
OT: Bernhard Raimann (Indianapolis Colts)
If you’re not paying attention to offensive line play, you’ve probably never heard of Bernhard Raimann. But Colts fans sure have, because this Austrian import has quietly turned into one of the NFL’s best left tackles. Drafted in the third round in 2022 after playing tight end at Central Michigan, Raimann has spent the last three years proving he was an absolute steal. In 2024, he broke out with a stellar season, posting an 85.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 8th among all tackles, while allowing just 4 sacks and 20 pressures on nearly 500 pass-blocking snaps. Even though the offense around him was hit or miss, Raimann graded top-12 in both run and pass blocking, one of only six tackles in the league to pull that off. And with Raimann’s rookie contract set to expire after the 2025 season, I think he is in store for a massive payday.
OG: Quinn Meinerz (Denver Broncos)
Drafted in the third round by Denver in 2021, Meinerz has quietly turned into one of the league’s absolute best guards, even if most fans still couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. In 2024, he flat-out dominated: earning First-Team All-Pro honors, playing nearly every snap, and giving up just one lonely sack all season while racking up an 88.2 PFF grade that ranked third among all guards. Even though guard play rarely makes headlines, Meinerz has earned every bit of respect coming his way and he deserves every penny of his four-year, $80 million extension.
C: Connor McGovern (Buffalo Bills)
You won’t find Connor McGovern on many highlight reels, but without him, the Bills’ high-flying offense might look a whole lot more chaotic. After bouncing from Dallas then to the Jets, McGovern landed in Buffalo and immediately became the rock in the middle of the line. In 2024, he started every game, played nearly 1,000 snaps, and didn’t surrender a single sack all season. At 6’5” and 318 pounds, he’s a mountain in the middle, calmly handling blitzes, calling protections, and opening lanes for the Bills’ running backs to gash defenses. While he’s not the fastest guy out there, his brute strength and no-nonsense technique make him a nightmare for nose tackles. Even though fans are usually too busy watching Josh Allen bombs to notice, McGovern quietly earned a Pro Bowl nod and the respect of coaches who know exactly how important he is. He might not be a household name, but when your center allows zero sacks and keeps your MVP quarterback clean, you’re doing something right.
DT: Zach Sieler (Miami Dolphins)
Zach Sieler is living proof that you don’t need to be a high draft pick to wreak absolute havoc in the NFL trenches. Drafted in the seventh round by Baltimore and scooped up by Miami in 2020, he’s gone from afterthought to the Dolphins’ not-so-secret wrecking ball. Over the past two seasons, Sieler has put up numbers that would make any edge rusher jealous, racking up 16 sacks and piling up more than 70 tackles each year. If you’re wondering who the Dolphins’ defensive anchor really is, look no further than No. 92 bulldozing his way into the backfield every Sunday.
EDGE: Carl Granderson (New New Orleans Saints)
Carl Granderson might have entered the league as an undrafted long shot, but he’s turned himself into a full-blown quarterback menace. After years quietly sharpening his game in New Orleans, where he led the Saints in sacks in 2023 and racked up another 5.5 in 2024, Granderson signed a 4 year, $52,000,000 contract with the New Orleans Saints. He’s the classic bull-rushing end who doesn’t bother with finesse when he can just forklift offensive tackles straight into the pocket. Now he’s out to prove that an undrafted powerhouse can anchor a defensive front. And judging by his career trajectory, you’d be wise not to bet against him.
OLB: TJ Edwards (Chicago Bears)
T.J. Edwards might not be the flashiest linebacker in the league, but if you look at the stat sheet (or better yet, turn on the tape) it’s obvious he’s everywhere the ball goes. After going undrafted out of Wisconsin, he spent years quietly proving himself in Philadelphia before landing in Chicago and instantly becoming the heartbeat of the Bears’ defense. In 2023, he flat-out stuffed the box score with a league-best 155 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 2.5 sacks, and he followed that up in 2024 by racking up 94 more tackles and 4 sacks for good measure. He’s basically the guy cleaning up every mess and calling the shots, playing nearly every defensive snap like he’s got somewhere urgent to be. Sure, he doesn’t have track-star speed or superhero wingspan, but he’s got instincts that make offensive coordinators lose sleep. Whether he’s blowing up a run, picking off a pass, or dragging down a tight end on third down, Edwards does it all.
MLB: Daiyan Henley (Los Angeles Chargers)
In just his second NFL season, Daiyan Henley went from promising prospect to the Chargers’ tackling machine and defensive tone-setter. Drafted in 2023 out of Washington State, Henley erupted in 2024 with a monster stat line: 147 tackles (8th-most in the league), 8 passes defended, 7 tackles for loss, an interception, and a sack. While he still flies under the national radar, Henley has quietly become a rising star who makes life miserable for opposing offenses. And he’s doing it all on a cheap rookie contract that makes him one of the biggest steals in the AFC.
CB: Christian Benford (Buffalo Bills)
Christian Benford has been one of the NFL’s biggest sleeper success stories, going from a sixth-round flier out of Villanova to the Bills’ lockdown corner opposite Tre’Davious White. In just three seasons, he’s blossomed into a bona fide problem for opposing wideouts, snagging four interceptions, racking up 134 tackles, and ranking among the league’s best in coverage. In 2024 alone, Benford allowed just a 63.1 passer rating when targeted and pulled down an elite 87.6 PFF coverage grade, sixth-best of any cornerback. Despite all this, Benford somehow keeps flying under the national radar without a Pro Bowl invite, which is wild considering he’s outplaying a bunch of corners making triple his paycheck. When Buffalo’s defense looks nasty on Sundays, odds are Benford is a big reason why.
S: Brandon Jones (Denver Broncos)
Brandon Jones came to Denver in 2024 and wasted zero time proving he was the best-kept secret at safety in the NFL. After years of solid work in Miami, he absolutely erupted for the Broncos with a career-best season: 75 tackles, three picks (including a pick-six he waltzed into the end zone against Chicago), and the lowest passer rating allowed by any safety in the league. His film was a highlight reel of smart positioning and bone-jarring hits, and PFF labeled him as the second-best coverage safety in football. If you’re a QB scanning the field, Jones is the guy lurking just out of frame, ready to turn your throw into six the other way.
K: Chris Boswell (Pittsburgh Steelers)
If you ever doubt that kickers can be stone-cold assassins, meet Chris Boswell. At 34, Boswell is still drilling bombs with ease. He led all NFL kickers in scoring last year with 158 points and nailed 41 of 44 field goals. From 50-plus yards, he’s been historically lethal, connecting at an absurd 82% clip since 2021, the best rate in league history. Mike Tomlin calls him a “big-time asset,” and the stats back it up. And if you had him on your fantasy football roster in 2024, you know exactly how good he is (and probably owe him a steak dinner).
P: Corey Bojorquez (Cleveland Browns)
If you’ve never been impressed by a punter, you clearly haven’t watched Corey Bojorquez do his thing. The Browns picked him up in 2023, and he basically turned every stalled drive into a field-position masterclass. Bojorquez boomed an 84-yarder (tied for the longest punt in the NFL) and averaged nearly 50 yards a kick while leading the league with 89 punts (mostly because the Browns offense kept giving him plenty of reps). He’s not just a big leg, though; he pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 36 times, quietly suffocating any hopes of a short field. His Aussie-style technique and hang time (a whopping 4.38 seconds) made returners think twice about even trying to bring one back. If you care about field position, Bojorquez was as good as it gets in 2024, even if the rest of the country was too busy ignoring punters to notice.
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