NFL's Best Players Flying Under the Radar This Season

In this day and age of 24/7 coverage of sports is there such a thing as any pro athlete flying under the radar?

Still, when it comes to this NFL campaign, we feel there are at least eight players that fit the bill here. You may know these performers are having productive seasons, but you may not know exactly how good they have been to date.

From free-agent additions to trade acquisitions to a rookie or two, here’s the short list of a few standouts that really haven’t gotten the credit they may deserve early in this 2014 NFL season.

Is there a wrong name here? That’s perhaps impossible considering the subjective nature of the topic. But feel free to add No. 9 (or 10, 11, etc.) to the group.

RB Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns

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It’s been no secret that the Cleveland Browns have been one of the league’s worst teams for quite a spell.

Last season, the club boasted one of the NFL’s worst ground attacks, tied for 27th in rushing yards per game.

That’s not the case in 2014. Only the Dallas Cowboys are running the football more often per game and only the Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks are averaging more yards per game on the ground.

While the talk all summer in terms of the starting running back job was the battle between free-agent pickup Ben Tate and third-round draft choice Terrance West, it’s been unheralded Isaiah Crowell that leads the team with four touchdowns. Tate (243), Crowell (237) and West (235) have combined for 715 of the club’s 732 rushing yards and all eight rushing touchdowns.

And it may not be easy to ignore Crowell’s 5.4 yards-per-carry average much longer as well.

RB Branden Oliver, San Diego Chargers

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While Mike McCoy’s team hasn’t lost a game since Week 1 at Arizona, it doesn’t mean that the San Diego Chargers haven’t lost some good football players to the injury bug this season.

Sidelined these days are running backs Ryan Mathews and Donald Brown, while Danny Woodhead is out for the season.

Enter rookie free-agent Branden Oliver, who ran for 161 yards and a touchdown during the preseason. Now after six weeks, the University of Buffalo product leads the Chargers with 249 yards on the ground, the vast majority of that coming in the last two games.

Against the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, Oliver has totaled 45 carries for 215 yards and a pair of scores, plus caught eight passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.

With the Bolts atop the AFC West and riding a five-game winning streak, the young running back is quickly making his way above the radar.

RB Antone Smith, Atlanta Falcons

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Forrest Gump?

In six games this season, Atlanta Falcons running back Antone Smith has touched the ball just 23 times, and on five of those occasions, took the ball the distance for a score.

And what distance. Smith has amassed 346 yards on those plays, with 255 of those yards coming on his five touchdowns (two rushing, three receiving). The former Florida State University product has scored a touchdown in five of six contests and those plays have covered 54, 38, 48, 74 and 41 yards.

Life is certainly like a box of chocolates for Mike Smith’s unpredictable team these days. But Smith has been a huge and somewhat overlooked bright spot for the struggling Falcons.

And stupid is the defensive coordinator that doesn’t account for Smith when he’s on the field these days.

WR Terrance Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Enclosed for your viewing pleasure are the Top 5 Catches of Week 6, courtesy of NFL.com.

Be patient. You won’t see Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams until the very end…and with good reason.

Yes, talented teammate Dez Bryant (36) has exactly twice as many receptions as Williams (18) this season. But it’s the second-year pro that is not only making the highlight reels (see his Week 5 touchdown catch versus the Houston Texans), he leads the club with five touchdown receptions—tying his season total from a year ago.

As was the case last season, Williams currently ranks fourth on the team in catches. But he’s catching on fast as an emerging star for the surprising 5-1 Cowboys.

TE Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

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Last offseason, the Tennessee Titans added free-agent tight end Delanie Walker, who they signed from the San Francisco 49ers. The veteran performer quietly, finishing second on the club with 60 receptions for 571 yards and led the team with six touchdown grabs—all career highs.

The nine-year pro is getting harder to ignore. This season, he paces the team in catches (29) and receiving yards (421) and is tied for the team lead with three touchdown receptions. And via Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Walker not only grades out as the second-best run-blocker at his position, but he ranks as the league’s top tight end after six weeks of play.

In what’s been a disappointing start for Ken Whisenhunt’s club, Walker may be on his way to a Pro Bowl campaign.

C Jeremy Zuttah, Baltimore Ravens

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In 2013, the Baltimore Ravens failed to reach the playoffs for the first time under head coach John Harbaugh.

The franchise is apparently determined not to let that happen again.

One of the culprits last season for the then-defending Super Bowl champions was an ineffective running game and poor pass protection. The results were a franchise-low 1,328 yards on the ground while quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked a career-high 48 times and threw a career-high 22 interceptions.

Hence general manager Ozzie Newsome went out to retool an offensive line that was substandard. This offseason, he made a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to acquire center Jeremy Zuttah, who has been solid in his first season with the Ravens.

The solid performer, according to Pro Football Focus, not only grades out as the league’s eighth-best center after six weeks, but he’s listed in the top five when it comes to his run-blocking prowess.

And that’s good news for Flacco and the much-improved Ravens offense.

DE Willie Young, Chicago Bears

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You had a feeling this could happen. But seeing always adds up to believing.

In four seasons and a total of 48 games with the Detroit Lions, defensive end Willie Young totaled a combined six sacks, three each in 2011 and 2013.

These days, as a member of the Chicago Bears, Young ranks fourth on the team with 24 tackles and leads the NFL with seven sacks. He’s been a huge boost for a club that totaled just 31 sacks in 2013, tied for the fewest in the league last season.

Add in one forced fumble and a blocked field goal in Week 4 versus the Green Bay Packers, and the former seventh-round pick from North Carolina State has been a bright spot for an erratic Bears defensive unit.

FS Malcolm Jenkins, Philadelphia Eagles

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In some people’s eyes (some), safety Malcolm Jenkins was a disappointment as a member of the New Orleans Saints. A first-round pick in 2009, he played his share of positions for Sean Payton’s club and totaled only six interceptions in five seasons. He did ring up 4.5 sacks and recovered five opponent’s fumbles but never played all 16 games in any season.

This season, Jenkins is tied for third on the team with 29 tackles, second on the club with six passes defensed and tied for the NFL lead with three interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus, he has graded out as the league’s seventh-best safety in this early season.

For what it’s worth, Jenkins ranked 146th in the NFL at the position during his last season with the Saints.

Enough said.

Some statistical support provided by Pro-Football-Reference, NFL.com and ESPN.com, as well as Pro Football Focus.