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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Doug Farrar

Touchdown Wire’s 2019 NFL All-Underrated Team

What does it mean to be underrated in the NFL?

There are many different paths to this particular designation. Perhaps the NFL got your initial evaluation wrong, you were drafted low or not drafted at all, and observers are still catching up to your potential. Maybe you came into the league with more hype than your talent deserved at the time, and when you did figure it out, those in the know were gun shy.

It could be that your gifts are wasted in a bad system or with a coaching staff in need of an IQ boost. Or, it’s possible that you’re playing a position so loaded with talent, it’s just going to take a while for everybody to see your place in the world.

Regardless of the reasons, there are all kinds of NFL players who deserve more recognition than they’re getting. Here’s my list of those players by position:

Gardner Minshew, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Minshew was selected with the 178th overall pick in the sixth round out of Washington State due to concerns about everything from his height (6-foot-1) to his arm strength to his ability to handle an offense that didn’t have Mike Leach’s fingerprints all over it. All he’s done this season is define Jacksonville’s passing game in his name in a way we haven’t seen from any Jaguars quarterback since David Garrard’s salad days. Minshew ranks 11th in DYAR and 13th in DVOA this season among qualifying quarterbacks. His 13 touchdown passes ties him with Kirk Cousins and Tom Brady, his 129.2 passer rating on passes of 20 or more air yards ranks fourth in the league (ahead of Patrick Mahomes), and his 84.3 passer rating under pressure ranks sixth, ahead of Lamar Jackson, Carson Wentz and Aaron Rodgers. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Minshew’s game in his first half of an NFL season is that with all the big plays he’s created, he has just two interceptions on the season. The Jaguars may have signed Foles to a four-year, $88 million contract with $50.125 million guaranteed in the offseason, but how can they pull Minshew when Foles is healthy? It’s a nice problem to have.

Jacoby Brissett, QB, Indianapolis Colts

(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

When Andrew Luck announced his surprise retirement in late August, the Colts weren’t all that worried. They had traded receiver Phillip Dorsett to the Patriots for Brissett in September, 2017, when it was clear that Luck would miss that entire season with a shoulder injury. Brissett took his lumps and grew a lot, and he learned more on the bench under first-year head coach Frank Reich in 2018 as Luck enjoyed his final NFL season. By the time the 2019 season came around, Brissett had a clear grasp of Reich’s offense — everything from the timing of multiple quick passing concepts to the intermediate and deep openings presented by Reich’s creativity with multiple tight ends. And now, through seven games in his first season as a clear starter with no competition, he’s completed 64.5% of his passes this season for 1,590 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. And though he’s less inclined to create explosive plays downfield in Reich’s offense (the same could be said of Luck last season), Brissett can still uncork ridiculous passes like this:

Good morning from Jacoby Brissett and T.Y. Hilton. pic.twitter.com/lRcCGW9O5d

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 28, 2019

Expect more of this in the future, as the 26-year-old Brissett is still getting his skill set together.

Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

In the end, Melvin Gordon’s holdout may have been the best thing that happened to the Chargers’ offense in a while, as it gave head coach Anthony Lynn and (now former) offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt a good look at what Ekeler could do as a starter. In September, Ekeler carried the ball 56 times for 220 yards and three touchdowns, adding 24 catches on 25 targets for 270 yards and three more scores. Lynn and Whisenhunt crowbarred Gordon back into the offense when his holdout was over, which ruined the balance and versatility of the offense. But that’s not Ekeler’s fault. As Pro Football Focus points out, his 51 receptions are the most for any NFL running back, and he also leads all backs in first-down catches (23), broken tackles after the catch (16) and explosive receptions (10). The Chargers would do well to put him back in a role where he’s more than a flex option for Philip Rivers.

Plus, the guy does his homework in an original fashion.

Enjoying this peaceful victory Monday 📖🎶🎵 pic.twitter.com/8K68uhlntA

— Austin Ekeler (@AustinEkeler) October 28, 2019

Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

Recency bias will not be kind to Chubb and his two-fumble performance against the Patriots last Sunday, but it should be noted that Chubb gained 131 yards on 20 carries in the game. And through the 2019 season, it’s possible to argue that he’s been as effective as any back in the league — certainly as a sustaining power back. Chubb leads the league in yards per game (105.4) and yards after contact per carry (3.5). Only Dalvin Cook has more runs of 15 or more yards than Chubb’s 11, and only Leonard Fournette has more yards on such plays than Chubb’s 329. The second-year man from Georgia is doing all this behind a subpar offensive line, with a highly inconsistent quarterback in Baker Mayfield, and a set of offensive schemes that really aren’t working.

DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

In Chark’s rookie season of 2018, with Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler as his quarterbacks, the second-round pick out of LSU, didn’t start a single game and caught just 14 passes on 32 targets for 174 yards and no touchdowns. What a difference a year (and a new quarterback in Gardner Minshew) makes. This season, Chark already has 39 catches on 61 targets for 660 yards and six touchdowns, tied for the league lead. He’s been Jacksonville’s leading deep receiver, and one of the best in the NFL, now that he’s got a quarterback who isn’t afraid to wing it deep into tight windows, and can do so accurately. Chark is tied with Amari Cooper for the league lead in receptions on passes of 20 or more air yards (10), and only Stefon Diggs has more total yardage on such passes than Chark’s 352. With size, downfield speed and a nice knack for getting open in defensive holes, Chark should continue to shine in Jacksonville’s vertical passing game.

Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay’s passing game hasn’t worked out the way everybody hoped it would with Bruce Arians in charge, primarily because Jameis Winston is throwing picks at a career-high (and league-leading with 12) rate. But Godwin has been crucial in keeping any element of consistency together. Boom-or-bust quarterbacks such as Winston need first-read options they can trust, and Godwin has been that this season — especially in the slot, where he’s caught 28 passes on 37 targets for 434 yards and two touchdowns. Godwin is especially effective when topping off his routes on crossing patterns, and if Winston could hit him more consistently on deeper stuff, Godwin would be even more effective.

Darren Waller, TE, Oakland Raiders

Selected in the sixth round of the 2015 draft by the Ravens, Waller went through his share of substance abuse issues, which led to several league suspensions. He’s put his life together, was signed to the Raiders’ practice squad in 2018, and 2019 has been his best season to date. Waller has 46 catches on 58 targets for 496 yards and three touchdowns this season, and he’s particularly effective at taking quick passes from Derek Carr and blasting through enemy defenses to create yards after the catch. Waller leads the Raiders in receptions and receiving yards, and it’s great to see that he’s recovered his NFL opportunities after a rough patch.

Ronnie Stanley, LT, Baltimore Ravens

Stanley isn’t talked about nearly enough when the subject of the NFL’s best left tackles comes up. That’s a shame, because he’s easily in the top five at this crucial position. Stanley really started to get attention from line play connoisseurs in 2018, when he worked seamlessly in the midseason transition from Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson and the run-heavy attack Baltimore’s coaches installed when Jackson replaced Flacco. Now, with Jackson firmly established as the starter and offensive coordinator Greg Roman bedeviling defenses with a balanced and highly multiple set of schemes, Stanley has settled into his stance as a plus run-blocker and perhaps the best pass-protector in the league. He’s allowed just four total pressures and no sacks in 503 snaps, which is especially impressive with a quarterback who moves out of the pocket as much as Jackson does.

Joe Thuney, LG, New England Patriots

Thuney gave up 10 total sacks in his first two seasons with the Patriots, but he became one half of the league’s best guard combo along with Shaq Mason in 2018, when he allowed no sacks in 1,370 total snaps and helped New England develop the NFL’s most effective power running game in the second half of the season. That run game hasn’t been as effective this season, but Thuney has maintained the kind of balance and lower-body burst that allows him to play with more power than you’d expect from his 6-foot-5, 308-pound frame. And this season, he’s allowed just one sack and five quarterback hurries in 579 snaps.

Erik McCoy, C, New Orleans Saints

When veteran Saints center Max Unger retired in March due to injury concerns, it left Sean Payton’s team in a bind that it hoped would be resolved with the selection of McCoy in the second round out of Texas A&M. So far, McCoy has stepped up as well as anybody could have expected. He has allowed no sacks, one quarterback hit, six quarterback hurries, and he’s been an exceptional run-blocker both at the line of scrimmage and upfield at linebacker depth.

Brandon Brooks, RG, Philadelphia Eagles

With the Texans from 2012 through 2015, and with the Eagles from 2016 through 2019, Brooks has allowed just six sacks in 7,128 total snaps. That’s exceptional enough, but Brooks has upped his game over the past couple seasons to truly become one of the NFL’s best guards. At 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds, Brooks has the size and root strength to absolutely erase any defensive tackle at the line of scrimmage, and he uses surprising agility at the second level. He’s given up just four total pressures and no sacks this season, and he’s been a rare bastion of consistency in an offense in desperate need of it.

Ryan Ramczyk, RT, New Orleans Saints

Ramczyk gave up a total of nine sacks in his first two seasons, but he still presented himself as one of the league’s best right tackles in short bursts. This appears to be the season in which it’s all come together for him. Through a bit of time with Drew Brees and six games with Teddy Bridgewater, the Wisconsin alum has allowed no sacks, one quarterback hit and 13 quarterback hurries. Ramczyk fires out with aggressive power in the run game; the difference this season seems to be that he’s able to better move through the arc against speed rushers all the way to the back of the pocket, without losing his place.

Kenny Clark, DI, Green Bay Packers

When the Packers signed Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith in the offseason to bolster their pass rush, they already knew what they had in Clark, the first-rounder out of UCLA in 2016. Clark has been raising his game through the past three seasons, increasing his pressure totals and stops, but he’s played at a different level through the first half of this season. It helps that the increasing focus on the “Smith Brothers” gives Clark more single-focus blocks, but Clark is perfectly fine splitting double teams and combo blocks from the one-tech tackle position, or head-up over the center. His 29 total pressures and 14 stops this season speak to his ability to rag-doll centers right out of the way, or roll all the way down a slide protection to wreck an outside run play.

Matt Ioannidis, DI, Washington Redskins

When the Redskins selected Ioannidis in the fifth round of the 2016 draft out of Temple, they certainly didn’t expect to get one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the game out of it, or they would have taken him much higher. Thought to be a stationary block-eater at the NFL level due to a lack of athleticism, Ioannidis has proven his detractors wrong with a great ability to not only bull-rush tackles from the inside and outside shoulder, but to also run right around blocks and close quickly to the pocket. Ioannidis would be a hybrid guy who could get lost in some defenses with his 6-foot-3, 310-pound frame, but he’s proven to be a perfect fit for what Washington runs, in base or sub-package options. His 15.5 sacks over the last 2 1/2 seasons proves the point.

Shaquil Barrett, EDGE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hidden behind other Broncos edge-rushers through his first five years in the NFL, Barrett went distressingly unwanted through the 2019 free-agency process. The Bucs eventually signed him to a one-year, $4 million contract, which will turn out to be perhaps the bargain of this league year. Barrett leads the NFL in sacks with 10 and forced fumbles with four, and he’s amassed 27 total pressures and 17 stops through seven games. Barrett turns it loose against enemy tackles with a frightening burst off the snap, and he also possesses impressive speed to and through the pocket. If he’s stonewalled at the point of attack, he’s great at disengaging and using counters and movement to disrupt. He also has a nasty spin move that’s very difficult to plan against. Someone’s going to pay a lot more for Barrett’s services after the season, and it’ll be well earned.

Dante Fowler Jr., EDGE, Los Angeles Rams

Selected with the third overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Florida by the Jaguars, Fowler struggled early on to live up to any of his monstrous potential as his raw athleticism was taken to task by more experienced blockers, and injuries and off-field issues affected his growth as a player. He was a pretty decent disruptor at times, but after missing his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, he never managed more than eight sacks in a season. Perhaps the best thing that could have happened to Fowler was a 2018 midseason trade to the Rams, where he was given one task by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips: Pin your ears back and go get the quarterback. In 2019, Fowler has done that better than at any other point in his career, with 6.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, and 33 quarterback hurries. Now, Fowler has become a fully loaded pass-rushing monster, able to take blockers apart with speed and force at the edge, or a quick inside move to demolish on stunts and twists.

Jamie Collins, LB, New England Patriots

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The list of players who have benefited from the Patriots’ specific acumen as to what they do best is a very long one, and few players fit that description more than Collins. A second-round pick for the Pats in 2013, Collins had four good seasons in Foxborough before he was traded to the Browns and played in Cleveland with less distinction for three more seasons. Re-signed by New England in May after the Browns released him, Collins has found his groove all over again in everything from coverage to pass rush. He’s been especially effective as a multi-gap blitzer in conjunction with fellow linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Dont’a Hightower, and though his drop speed isn’t nearly what it used to be, he’s been savvy enough to move into short coverage areas and help the best pass defense in the modern era with three interceptions and an opponent passer rating allowed of 49.9 on 19 targets.

Eric Kendricks, LB, Minnesota Vikings

Kendricks isn’t the most talked-about player on Mike Zimmer’s defense, but he’s among the most important. The Vikings have a few interesting schematic wrinkles, but for the most part, they run an execution-based defense that places a ton of responsibility on its linebackers to react quickly and intelligently with great range. Kendricks reminds me of Bobby Wagner in his ability to do everything a modern linebacker is supposed to do — blitz, crash through run fits, and cover everything from quick curl/flat stuff to tight ends and slot receivers up the seam. He would be an asset in any defense, but the kinds of things Zimmer wants to run wouldn’t work nearly as well with a less-consistent talent in the middle of the defense.

Quinton Dunbar, CB, Washington Redskins

Through eight weeks of the 2019 season, there are two cornerbacks with three interceptions and an opponent passer rating allowed of 37.9. One is Richard Sherman, whom you may have heard of. The other is Quinton Dunbar, an undrafted receiver out of Florida who started playing cornerback in his rookie season of 2015. Dunbar’s done a lot of work on his technique over the years, and it’s really paid off in 2019. Not only has he become a shot-caller in the Redskins’ secondary, he can play both inside and outside, and is adept at both aggressive and off-coverage. Dunbar signed a three year, $10.5 million contract extension in 2018, and the Redskins would be wise to lock him up to a longer, more lucrative deal before he becomes a free agent following the 2020 season.

James Bradberry, CB, Carolina Panthers

Bradberry became the Panthers’ primary cornerback when Josh Norman left for the Redskins after the 2015 season. As 2016 was also Bradberry’s rookie season, he had his share of rough spots, learning the Panthers’ advanced zone coverage concepts on the fly and allowing four touchdowns in his first year as a pro. But he’s been one of the league’s better cornerbacks since, and he’s really come into his own in 2019. This season, he’s allowed just 22 receptions on 41 targets for 294 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opposing passer rating allowed of 46.2. Much has been expected of the Samford alum, and he’s delivered impressively throughout his career.

Devin McCourty, S, New England Patriots

At one point earlier this season, McCourty had four interceptions, despite being targeted just three times. That gives you a reasonable idea of his range. As much as any safety in the game today, McCourty will read the routes, align himself to the quarterback’s reads, jump to disrupt the pass, and blow things up more often than not. Though the Patriots have the best cornerback in the NFL in Stephon Gilmore, there’s no way New England could run as much straight-up Cover-1 (man coverage outside with a single-high safety) as they do without McCourty’s speed to the play and impressive diagnostic skills. He’s a game-changer and a tone-setter at a position of increasing importance.

Justin Simmons, S, Denver Broncos

It’s getting lost in Denver’s dismal season, but Simmons, the fourth-year man out of Boston College, is having his best season to date. Playing everything from slot to deep thirds in Vic Fangio’s defense, Simmons has been a plus run defender and absolutely outstanding in coverage. He’s allowed 15 catches on 28 targets this season for 129 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and an opponent passer rating of 48.1. Simmons will be a free agent after the season unless the Broncos extend him — if they don’t, someone’s going to get one heck of a multi-position defender.

Touchdown Wire editor Doug Farrar has also covered football for Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, the Washington Post, and Football Outsiders. His first book, “The Genius of Desperation,” a schematic history of professional football, was published by Triumph Books in 2018 and won the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Nelson Ross Award for “Outstanding recent achievement in pro football research and historiography.”

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