Ranking the 3 Most Underrated Players on Denver Broncos' Roster

The unexpected success of the Denver Broncos in 2011 was heavily attributed to Tim Tebow by both the media and the fans. Outside of the spotlight is a group of hard working guys on both sides of the ball who have been overlooked.

Here are three Broncos whose high level of play wasn't always in the conversation:

Britton Colquitt

At the start of this season, no one would have anticipated punter Britton Colquitt being as valuable a member of the Denver Broncos as he proved to be.

He managed to have 33 punts downed inside the 20 yard line, the second best in the NFL. This allowed Denver to keep their momentum and focus in many of their close games.

Colquitt also finished the season with an impressive 47.4 yards per punt average, allowing the defense to take the field from a favorable position: deep.  

Chris Harris

Though a majority of Broncos fans know his story and followed his impressive rookie season, Chris Harris is overlooked nationally.

Harris became a Bronco in July, 2011 as an undrafted free agent from Kansas. He made an impact on special teams and played his way to the starting nickel corner.

In his rookie season, Chris had 72 tackles, 62 of them solo, and an interception.

With the way this guy showed up in his first season, I don't think he will be under appreciated for much longer.

J.D. Walton

The center, as a position, tends to be underrated. J.D. Walton is a second-year player who has made an impact on the Broncos' Tebow-led offense.

Walton became the starting center from day one after being drafted in the third round in 2010. During his rookie season, he allowed only three sacks in 619 pass plays.

With J.D's help, Tim Tebow was able to create winning plays both on the ground and through the air. Look for him to be an important part moving forward in the development of this offense.