“Underrated” is a term that has become loosely used over the past decade. Players who hardly fly under the radar have been given that label unjustly, resulting in overuse.
So, what does “underrated” actually mean? And what NFL players, past or present, are actually underrated?”
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Our NFL Wire colleague, John Sigler of Saints Wire, recently set out to redefine the word and restore it to its roots. In doing so, he compiled an all-time team of players who are and have been genuinely underrated.
First up was the offense, and three former members of the New York Giants found themselves on the “All-Time Most Actually Underrated Team.”
Who drew the initial nod? One-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion David Diehl (left tackle, Second Team).
Diehl did really well for himself as a former fifth-round pick; he won the New York Giants’ starting job at left tackle in his second season and held onto it for several years before he was asked to move around, splitting time at both guard spots and right tackle. He started 160 of his 164 games in the NFL, all with New York, and he won a pair of Super Bowl titles, too. He was a key piece of those Giants teams everyone wrote off before they played a single snap.
Diehl was a key part of a Giants’ offensive line that became one of the very best and most consistent in football. And for that reason, it’s fitting that the next Giant on Sigler’s list is fellow offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie (First Team).
How many guys can they spent all 161 games playing for two different teams in the same city? McKenzie was a third-round pick by the New York Jets in 2001, but he went across town to sign with the New York Giants and ended up winning two Super Bowls there. He did a great job protecting Eli Manning all those years and anchoring the right side of the line. The way some Giants fans tell it, their team never did get around to replacing him at right tackle.
Last up for the Giants is an active player who wasn’t part of those offensive lines. Rather, he was a solid piece for what were some of the worst offensive lines in football. He now calls Tennessee home: Kevin Zeitler (right guard, Second Team).
At one time Zeitler was the highest-paid guard in the NFL, which feels like a nice consolation prize for being recognized at just one Pro Bowl in his 13-year career. Zeitler is on to his sixth team in his 198-game career. But he was picked in the first round, so we’re putting him behind Garza, who was a fourth rounder when he entered the league.
Sigler also considered several other Giants, including running back Jonathan Stewart and wide receiver Golden Tate, for his list, but they did not make the cut.
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This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 3 ex-Giants named to ‘The All-Time Most Actually Underrated Team’