Super Bowl Predictions 2012: Patriots vs. Giants and Under the Radar Players

It's no surprise that when Super Bowl XLVI kicks off, so many eyes will be on Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Victor Cruz, Wes Welker, Hakeem Nicks and Rob Gronkowski.

Even secondary-tier players such as Aaron Hernandez and Mario Manningham will get solid face time. In addition, the biggest matchup appears to be the Giants' front four versus the Patriots' offensive line and even Chad Ochocinco is considered a "sleeper."

Well, he's not much of a sleeper now with the possibility of him having a big day on Super Sunday. That being said, here are four players who are legitimately going overlooked.

Jake Ballard: TE, Giants

So much attention is going towards Eli Manning and rightfully so, because he's legitimately carried the team for most of 2011.

With Eli's receivers dominating all year, it's no surprise that tight end Jake Ballard isn't getting nearly as much recognition.

He finished third on the team with 604 receiving yards, fourth with 38 receptions and had four touchdowns. Ballard is also an excellent run-blocking tight end in which he acts as a sixth offensive lineman for Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

Against the Patriots in Week 9, he had four catches for 67 yards including the game-winning score with 15 seconds left.

This time around expect Ballard to have a big day over the middle and up the seams, because the safeties are New England's weakest link on defense.

Linval Joseph: DT, Giants

When we think of the New York Giants' front four, it's always Justin Tuck, Chris Canty, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora.

Then again, two of them (Tuck and Umenyiora) are from the 2007 team and Pierre-Paul led all four in sacks this season. Canty is the seasoned veteran and also arguably the most vocal of the group.

That doesn't leave much room for defensive tackle Linval Joseph to get some face time.

On the year, Linval has recorded 49 tackles, two sacks and four passes defended while also playing in all 19 games thus far. He's arguably the most underappreciated defensive player on the Giants and has the opportunity to really shine this Sunday.

With much of New England's blocking schemes needing to be geared toward the other four players, Joseph has to expect mostly one-on-one situations.

Therefore, he can really make a big impact by forcing any running play his way outside or to cut back across the field. Causing pileups, drawing double-teams and being unblockable when singled up is how Linval can make his presence felt.

Kyle Arrington: CB, Patriots

One of the better and yet underrated corners in the NFL, New England's Kyle Arrington led the league with seven picks in 2011 despite not playing full-time early on.

Still, Arrington stepped up and defended a team-high 12 passes, finished second with 88 tackles and was vital to perimeter run support.

In the regular-season meeting he picked off Eli Manning and was rarely challenged outside of that. So, if you don't hear Arrington's name much in Super Bowl XLVI, it's because he's locking the coverage down once again.

Elsewhere on the Pats defense, Arrington goes overlooked because of Vince Wilfork controlling the trenches and 2010 All-Pro corner Devin McCourty also shutting down receivers.

Plus, after forcing two fumbles and recording 11 tackles against Denver in the divisional round, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco rarely looked in Arrington's direction. Otherwise, Sterling Moore doesn't break up that final pass to prevent Baltimore from scoring late.

In this game, Arrington will likely be responsible for a lot of man coverage but should also provide some support in press coverage. That way he can read the run and force plays back inside.

Danny Woodhead: RB, Patriots

Mainly because he's not your prototypical NFL running back, Danny Woodhead is going under the radar in Super Bowl XLVI.

It's not so much that he's underappreciated, because Woodhead is a serviceable player for the Pats. The thing is, most of the attention simply goes to those who contribute more via the passing game.

Therefore, it's not surprising to see much more attention going to Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez. Plus, BenJarvus Green-Ellis was the team's leading rusher with only 667 yards but scored 11 touchdowns.

As for Woodhead, he only compiled 351 yards on the ground and 157 receiving yards on 18 receptions. His ability to help as an extra pass-protector is the key, because Brady will need that extra 0.5 seconds to dice the Giants.

In the game though, expect Woodhead to contribute a little more on offense than expected because he can beat any linebacker who's covering him and is a great threat on screens and draws. He'll mostly play in two-back/third-down situations, but still keep an eye on him.

Woodhead can slither his way through a defensive front thanks to his quickness, size and keeping a low center of gravity.

John Rozum on Twitter.