Donald Brown and 4 Scrutinized NFL Players Proving Their Legitimacy

Donald Brown was a highly-touted first-round draft pick by the Colts in 2009. His first two seasons were forgettable, which led to the Colts having to re-sign Joseph Addai this past off-season.

Many folks thought that Brown may even be cut at the end of preseason. He never seemed to get any better at pass-blocking and he didn't seem to see the field very well.

His solid play this season has quieted many of his doubters, however.

Who else is proving their legitimacy this season? Here are four others in addition to Brown.

Alex Smith Has Been a Revelation for the 49ers

As the No. 1 pick in the draft in 2005, Alex Smith came to the 49ers with high expectations. For his first five seasons, he underperformed and failed to gain traction as the starter.

Now, with a new head coach and a better scheme in place, Smith is performing very well. His completion percentage is the highest of his career, his passer rating is up and his interceptions are down. Most importantly, he has led his team to a 9-2 record through his effective play.

Not only has Smith stepped up to show that he's a legitimate starter in the NFL, but he's proven that his lofty draft status wasn't totally misbegotten.

Carson Palmer Has Shown That He Still Has It as a Starting QB

In the wake of his hold-out with the Cincinnati Bengals, many pundits thought that Palmer had lost his edge. His statistics had been tailing off after an excellent first three years in the league, and the Bengals were stuck in a rut.

Since signing with the Oakland Raiders a month and a half ago, Palmer has steadily improved. It took him a few games to shake off the rust and learn the playbook, but once he did, he has proven his legitimacy as a bedrock quarterback.

The Raiders currently hold a two-game lead in the AFC West and Palmer has developed a nice rapport with the stable of young and speedy receivers in black and silver.

Cam Newton Has Shown Flashes of Greatness in His Rookie Campaign

Scads of experts predicted that Cam Newton wouldn't make a good transition to the pros. Although most folks thought he had the athleticism to be a dynamic playmaker, many folks thought that he didn't have the tools to stand in the pocket and deliver accurate passes.

He has proved his doubters wrong so far this season by throwing for over 3,000 yards, completing over 60 percent of his passes and running for another 464 yards. While these gaudy stats haven't led to many victories, his success has given Panthers fans hope for the future.

He needs to protect the ball better and sometimes makes rash decisions, but the concerns about his accuracy and pocket presence have been proven to be baseless. Newton will be a foundational player for a Carolina team that will only improve as they add talent on defense in the coming years.

Tim Tebow Doesn't Play Pretty, but He Wins

The always-polarizing Tebow entered into his second season in the NFL with speculation that he might be the fourth-best quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Even after he has reeled off five wins in six games, experts continue to contend that he doesn't have the accuracy and mechanics to make it as a starter in the NFL.

But wins mean a lot in the NFL, and Tebow has produced those when other Broncos quarterbacks have struggled. Despite the knock on him as "not a real NFL QB" who has ridden on the coattails of an improved defense, he has shown that he is an efficient quarterback.

A fascinating article by Kerry J. Bryne came out on SI.com yesterday about how Tebow has actually stacked up very well statistically against other quarterbacks. With only one interception and one fumble on the year, he protects the ball better than most guys. In addition, his ability to move the ball either through the air or on the ground makes him a threat for which other teams need to game-plan.

While the re-energized and suddenly-punishing Broncos' defense has certainly played a large role in Denver's revival, the energy that Tebow brings to the team has sparked a previously moribund squad.

With Kyle Orton under center, the Broncos were 1-4 and a berth in the playoffs seemed like a farcical idea. Now the Broncos sit at 6-5 and are only two games behind the Raiders in their division.

Tebow still doesn't complete many passes per game and sometimes looks wretched and inaccurate for the first three quarters, but he gets it done when it counts and has shown that he can be a legitimate option (that was a pun) at quarterback.  

Donald Brown Has Shown That He Can Be a Starting Running Back

As I mentioned in the opening slide, Donald Brown had been excoriated by fans and the media as unable to block well in the passing game and as not possessing the requisite field vision to make good decisions cutting with the football.

Although playing with wretched quarterbacks and a slapped-together offensive line, Brown has been an effective runner this season. He has improved in pass-protection and his yards per carry is up significantly this year.

In addition, he seems to be running with a purpose in a way that he didn't in his first two years in the league. Brown is showing that he could be more than a change-of-pace guy. If he could firm up his pass-catching skills and continue to show that he can block well when he needs to, Brown could end up as a feature back in the coming years.

For more information about Palmer and Tebow (and a few other guys) who are proving the haters wrong, check out this article I wrote a few weeks ago!