The NFL's 10 Most Underrated Offensive Players

When you think of the top-three players at each offensive position on the football field, who comes to mind first?

Terrell Owens? Peyton Manning? Tom Brady?

Sure, those guys are great and deserve to be known by everyone, including your girlfriend, who doesn't even like football.

NFL superstars get the most attention and are usually recognizable to everyone, whether sports fans or not.

But what about the guys who don't get all of the ESPN attention?

The guys with consistent numbers that are critical to their respective teams?

There will always be polarizing figures that rule every sport, and that's okay. But we must not forget about the other guys who may not receive the critical acclaim but are still very good players.

Just because someone gets all of the attention, that doesn't mean that others don't deserve it, and they usually do.

Everyone talks about Stewie on Family Guy, and rightfully so, but what about Peter? We all laugh at Zach Braff on Scrubs, but what about his nemesis, the Janitor? Joey from Friends?

There are always going to be the Matthew Perry's, Zach Braff's, and Donald Faison's of the world, but we must show respect for the Peter's, Sarah Chalke's, and David Schwimmer's of the world that are great, too.

In respect to that, I've compiled a list of the NFL's top 10 offensive players that don't get the press time that LaDainian Tomlinson gets.

10. Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White

Nobody talks about this guy, and I mean NOBODY. His team did finish 4-12 last season, and after the turmoil that was Michael Vick, everyone seemed to turn their heads on this team.

I didn't. Roddy White played very well for a team that saw Joey Harrington, Byron Leftwich, and Chris Redman at QB. He was basically a security blanket for the underachieving QB corps, hauling in 83 receptions for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns.

In his previous two seasons, he started only 13 out of 32 games. With the run-first offensive regime of Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn, and Jim Mora Jr., Vick seemed to only look for TE Alge Crumpler when he back-pedaled, and the Atlanta receiving team was blamed for his passing woes.

After his 2007 campaign, nobody will blame Roddy White.

9. Detroit Lions WR Roy Williams

In this era of, "what have you done for me lately" in the NFL, Roy Williams followed his huge 2006 season of 82 receptions for 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns with an injury-shortened year, missing four games.

He has now seemed to fall off of the top-WR pedestal and not for good reason. Even though he missed four games last season, his numbers were still good. Williams caught 64 balls for 838 yards and five touchdowns.

The underachieving Lions have a superstar in Roy Williams when healthy, and the combination of Williams and Calvin Johnson will be big for the Lions' passing game. If Kitna can minimize his turnovers, Williams will be back in the top WR talk in a big way.

8. Cincinnati Bengals WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh

When the Cincinnati Bengals are brought up in conversation, the first name to be mentioned is usually Carson Palmer. Next is Chad Johnson. Some will even mention Rudi Johnson's name next. Then comes T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

A man who catches 112 receptions for 1,143 yards and 12 touchdowns shouldn't go that far down the "mention" list. Chad Johnson is a really good receiver, but T.J. should be mentioned at least in the same sentence as Chad.

No, he isn't boisterous and he doesn't get on the radio, talking nonsense, but Housh is a quality receiver that doesn't get his due. He flew under the radar two seasons ago when he caught 90 passes for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns. Some will even say he gets that because of the attention Chad gets.

If that's true, then look at Crayton's numbers in Dallas aside Owens, or Joe Jurevicius aside Braylon Edwards. T.J. is just good.

7. New Orleans Saints WR Marques Colston

Who are the NFL's top-five receivers? Does this answer look familiar?

Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Larry Fitzgerald.

That's a great list, and those guys are all deserving, but Marques Colston hardly gets brought up. His numbers of 98 receptions for 1,202 yards and 11 touchdowns are really good, and this is just his second season.

I know he's young and has to stay consistent, but he has shown that he has what it takes to be a great receiver in this league. With Drew Brees passing him the ball, another underrated star, he will continue to rip defenses as long as he stays healthy, and maybe he will take the reigns soon as the next top WR.

6. Washington Redskins TE Chris Cooley

This guy finally got a Pro Bowl bid last season, but Cooley has been doing it for a while now and has been as consistent as any other TE in the NFL over the past few years. Clinton Portis and Santana Moss get all of the hype in Washington, but maybe Cooley deserves it.

Last season, he caught 66 passes for 786 yards and eight touchdowns, not far from Santana Moss' 61 for 808 and three touchdowns. This isn't Cooley's first big season, either. In 2006, he caught 57 balls for 734 yards and six touchdowns, and 71 for 774 yards and seven TDs the year before.

In a system that starts Antwaan Randle-El and Santana Moss at receiver, QB Jason Campbell's best option may very well be at the TE position, and Cooley may very well be in the top-three TEs in the league. So why is it that all we hear about is Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, and Jeremy Shockey?

5. Green Bay Packers WRs Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones

We all heard about it time and time again, Brett Favre and his resurgence last season for the Green Bay Packers. He was fun to watch, but where's the love for the receivers he threw the ball to? Donald Driver, James Jones, and Greg Jennings were much better than expected (with the exception of the proven Driver).

From the Monday-night barnburner to the playoffs, this trio was an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses.

Driver caught 82 receptions for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns, while Jennings had 53 catches for 920 yards and 12 TDs. James Jones chipped in with 46 catches for 676 yards and two touches. That's a whopping 161 receptions for 2,644 yards and 16 TDs between them.

Aaron Rodgers is somewhere, praying for similar production this year. He can only hope.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Joey Galloway

Isn't Joey Galloway like 45-years-old?

Okay, honestly, this guy is still ripping up defenses at the tender age of 36, catching 57 receptions for 1,014 yards and six touchdowns. Always synonymous with speed, Joey has shown over his career to be a viable deep threat with hands, while the Bucs have played musical QB.

Whether it was Bruce Gradkowski, Chris Simms, or Jeff Garcia, Galloway has been the same deep-threat receiver and always seems to find a way to burn teams.

In 2006, Galloway caught 62 receptions for 1,057 yards and 7 TDs, and he has been a really good receiver that has never really gotten his due. When's the last time you heard someone bring up Galloway in a fantasy conversation? Every year it seems he may be too old, yet he has another good year.

Better pick him up in 2008.

3. St. Louis Rams WR Torry Holt

What can't you say about Torry Holt?

He is in the top-three wide receivers active today, and his numbers are right there with any receiver you mention, whether it be Moss, Owens, or Harrison.

Relatively small, Holt is a deceptively-quick receiver, who knows just how to beat opposing defenses and has been consistent in every way the last eight years.

He's started at least 14 games the past eight years and has caught over 80 balls for over 1,000 yards every one of those eight seasons. How's that for consistency?

He's won a Super Bowl and remains one of the best in the game after a 93 reception, 1,189 yard, and seven-touchdown season in 2007. Still, he seems to get left behind in many conversations about the best wide receivers of today.

Holt is a sure Hall-of-Famer that doesn't need to be the biggest star.

The numbers talk for him.

2. Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck

Matt Hasselbeck started out as a no-name QB, much like the way Brett Favre did.

While Hasselbeck may not be as successful as Favre, he's more than made a name for himself in the NFL. He and RB Shaun Alexander combined to have a stranglehold on the lowly AFC West the past four seasons, and Hasselbeck led the Seahawks to an improbable Super Bowl XL match up against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they nearly won that game.

His numbers last year were again at the top of the NFL, with 3,966 yards, 28 TDs, and a 91.4 QB rating. Once again, his Seahawks were in the playoffs, and they defeated the Washington Redskins in the wild-card round. Matt Hasselbeck has been what many QBs that enter the league wish to be:

Consistent, progressively better, and not decimated by injuries.

Not many other QBs, besides Manning "A," Brady, or Favre can say that. As Lil' Wayne said, next time you mention the best, be sure to mention me. Or Matt Hasselbeck.

1. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees

Remember when Drew Brees tore his labrum, and the San Diego Chargers were fighting to get rid of him? I bet they've questioned that decision many times, and no disrespect to Philip Rivers, but imagine if Brees and L.T were still together, with a receiver like Chris Chambers?

Decisions, decisions.

Brees not only came back, but he returned healthy and greater than before for the Saints. With young players like Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, and Devery Henderson around him, he was still able to lead the Saints to an inspiring season in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina.

After a slow start to 2007, he finished with 4,423 yards off of a record 440 completions, 28 TDs and a 91.4 OB rating. All of this while losing Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush and suffering a sophomore slump. Watch out for Drew this season, as he looks to permanently enter the conversation with the Mannings and Bradys of the roundtable.

Drew Brees is Samuel Bell Jr.'s 2008 preseason winner as the most underrated offensive player in the NFL.

Next time you talk about the best players on offense, don't forget these 10 stars. You won't when they burn your favorite team, unless, of course, they play on it.