Underrated Players position-by-position in the NFL

Fred Taylor: Running Back Jacksonville Jaguars

"Fragile Fred" is a term that haunted Taylor for years, but in recent years he has been healthy and has been productive in seasons full and shortened.  Taylor has missed 33 out of a possible 176 games.  Despite his injury history he has rushed for nearly 11,000 yards and currently has 69 total touchdowns.  Taylor made the Pro Bowl for the first time after the 2007 season, even though he has rushed for 1,000 yards 7 times in his career and has had 2 seasons with 10+ touchdowns, including his rookie year in which he had 17 total touchdowns.  Taylor has had only one season in which he has averaged less than 4 ypc, and in his 11th year his career average is 4.7!  Maurice Jones-Drew has certainly stole some of Taylor's thunder in the last few years, but Taylor has proved to be essential for the Jaguars offense, and when healthy, one of the most productive backs in the NFL.

Edgerrin James: Running Back Arizona Cardinals

Surprised to see Edge on here?  He's on here because in the past couple of years people have been saying he's running out of gas for the tank.  Quite frankly I think this is untrue as Arizona has a horrible offensive line in terms of run-blocking.  That line simply cannot create effective running lanes.  In Indianapolis Edge averaged 4.2 yards a carry, and in his time with Arizona he has averaged only 3.5 yards a carry.  At "only" age 30, I do not believe a player of James' caliber to be out of gas.  Despite his offensive line, he has still managed to rush for 1,100+ yards for the past two seasons.  A player that has amassed 88 total touchdowns in 9 seasons simply cannot be ineffective just because he is 30 years old.  He may not be as fast as he once used to be but he is still a great player, and given the right pieces on offense, he could still be a pro bowl caliber player.

Terrence McGee: Cornerback Buffalo Bills

McGee has long been known as a great return man and a "solid" defensive player.  But McGee just may be one of the better corners in the NFL. No he isn't excellent by any means, but he is a great player for the Bills.  He is a very durable player, missing only 5 games out of a possible 82.  McGee has averaged 70 tackles throughout his first 5 years.  Of those 70 tackles, he averages 58 solo tackles.  In his second year he had a career high 92 tackles.  In 2007 he defensed 21 passes, while tying a career high with 4 interceptions.  He also has two defensive scores, one on an interception, the other a fumble recovery.  For his career he has 3 sacks, 15 interceptions and 62 passes defensed.

Cortland Finnegan: Cornerback Tennessee Titans

 Cortland Finnegan, so far in 2008, is proving why the rumors are true about him being the next big playmaker at cornerback.  In two games he has 3 interceptions and they were from quarterbacks Carson Palmer and David Garrard, highly regarded players.  In his first year as a starter he played every game and amassed 95 tackles, a sack and an interception, along with 13 passes defended.  Finnegan proved that he's more than capable of replacing Adam Jones, and is playing very solid in a division in which he plays against stars such as Peyton Manning and David Garrard twice a year.

Karlos Dansby: Linebacker Arizona Cardinals

Karlos Dansby opened alot of eyes last season when he recorded 3 interceptions in two games, which is pretty darned good for a linebacker.  Dansby can play multiple linebacker positions and is a highly effective player inside or out.  In his first 4 seasons he has recorded 20.5 sacks and 7 interceptions.  In 2007 against the Rams he had a career high 15 tackles, only 1 of which was assisted.  Dansby has 4 multisack games in his career.  At the age of 26, Dansby is in his prime.

Nick Barnett: Linebacker Green Bay Packers

For 5 years Nick Barnett has proved durable, consistent and a valuable leader for a young defense.  For 5 consecutive seasons he has had 100+ tackles, never recording less than one interception and sack per year.  In his 3rd year he had a career high 138 tackles.  In his rookie year he had a career high 3 interceptions, and last year he had a career high 3.5 sacks and 102 solo tackles.  Nick Barnett is the glue to the Packers linebackers, playing mentor to A.J. Hawk.  He is a valuable leader for the defense as a whole also.  Considered undersized at inside linebacker at only 236 pounds, Barnett has proved he has no trouble tackling and making plays.