NFL's 10 Most Underrated Quarterbacks

The quarterback is the most important player on the field. He touches the ball almost every snap and when he prepares to throw, every fan (whether they know it or not) has their own preconceived thoughts of how the pass will end up. The possibilities are almost endless and unpredictable, but fans do this because so many are among the media's guinea pigs. 

These days, fans do not do enough of their own thinking. When ESPN says Mark Sanchez is going to have a great season and looked good in the preseason, many buy into this sort of hype. One by one, more people begin to believe this because those who are not educated tend to follow the majority.

The following quarterbacks may not be who the majority feel are the most underrated quarterbacks either, but before you post, think about how the words that you are about to type were formed. Have you watched all of these players closely? Are you truly forming your own opinion? 

No. 10 Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills

Edwards has seen his share of struggles since his breakout season in 2008, but he is still a very capable starter. He is a prototypical pocket-passer, but his offensive line's troubles led to a decline in his production. 

Many perceive Edwards as a one-year wonder, but he is more than that. He has a big arm and while inconsistent, he can be very accurate when given adequate time to get the ball out of his hands. 

No. 9 David Carr, San Francisco 49ers

Carr has had an up-and-down career. His biggest mistake was leaving Houston, where he was beginning to find success. He moved on to Carolina, where he struggled to replace the injured starter, Jake Delhomme. 

For the past two seasons, he has backed up Eli Manning in New York. Despite a small sample, it is easy to see that he still has the physical abilities that made him the 1st-overall pick in the 2002 draft.

No. 8 Jake Delhomme, Cleveland Browns

Delhomme was struck by bad luck in 2007 after leading the league in QB rating through three games. While he was out for the season, he made a great comeback in the 2008 season until he imploded in the playoffs. 

Ever since that playoff game, Delhomme has been unable to find the same confidence in Carolina, so he made an emotional goodbye and then signed on with the Browns. 

Thus far, he has had a great season and looks to have his confidence, and gun-slinging attitude back. This is great for Cleveland, which is currently one of the most depressed sports cities in the country. 

No. 7 JaMarcus Russell, Free Agent

Russell was never truly given a chance. In his first full season as a starter, he passed for a very respectable 77.1 QB rating, about 15 points higher than sophomore quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Matthew Stafford recorded in their rookie seasons. Although, they both had solid group of receivers, while Russell was left to work with no reliable targets. 

Russell still has one of the strongest arms in the NFL, and if he can fight his way back to a starting job, he has the talent to prove all of the doubters wrong. 

No. 6 Tarvaris Jackson, Minnesota Vikings

Jackson is a very improved player. He looked excellent in the 2008 season, before Brett Favre entered in 2009 and stole his job. 

The Vikings still know that Jackson is their future and it may be a bright future. He is very athletic, has a strong arm, and he has produced in the past, posting a 95.4 QB rating in 2008. 

No. 5 Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks

Hasselbeck is a very smart quarterback whose production has fallen off in the past two seasons as his team's talent declined. Many viewed this as Matt just getting old and his skills fading away, but he is still capable of managing a team that has quality talent. 

The Seahawks' time is running out with Hasselbeck and they might just be running up his mileage until they can find a young starter to replace him. He is not finished yet though. 

No. 4 Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders

Campbell is still young and improving, but the Redskins were impatient and decided to go in another direction with Donavan McNabb, a move that will prove costly for their future.

Campbell is one of the premier young quarterbacks in the game. He has a good arm and moves around well in and out of the pocket. The Raiders have brought in a quarterback who has succeeded without a good group of receivers. We'll see if he can succeed with a talented group of inconsistent and unproven receivers. 

No. 3 Matt Moore, Carolina Panthers

Matt Moore has had two strong seasons where he replaced Jake Delhomme. The most recent season was just this past one, where he stepped in for the troubled Panthers' quarterback. After assuming the starting role, he led the Panthers to a 4-1 record with dominant victories of the Vikings, Giants, and Saints. 

The Panthers record with Moore was not the only stat that surprised football fans. His 111 QB rating was tops in the league over the last 4 games of the season. 

While Moore is not as talented as many quarterbacks on this list, he is a fiery leader and an adequate starting quarterback who has the competitive drive to steer the Panthers into the playoffs. 

No. 2 David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars

In 2007, Garrard shocked the world by recording a 102.2 QB rating. Since that season though, his numbers have declined. But at the same time, he is improving. 

Overshadowed by the great running back, Maurice Jones-Drew, Garrard has quietly fallen into the shadows. This is through no fault of his own though. As the Jaguars defense talent has been depleted, they have fallen out of contention and Garrard's media attention has lowered tremendously. 

No. 1 Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos

When the Broncos traded Jay Cutler away for Kyle Orton and two first-round picks, fans did not realize how lopsided this trade was. Denver was taking two first round picks in order to accept a quarterback relatively even to the one that they traded away. 

Orton has a good arm and while fans wondered how he would fit in with the Broncos at first, those questions were laid to rest when he was boasting one of the top QB ratings in the league through six games. 

Orton has once again descended into the shadows as the media has directed all of their attention towards rookie Tim Tebow. I'm sure he doesn't mind though, because he is the unquestioned starter of the Broncos, as evident by the wealthy contract extension he signed this offseason.