These five football players are underrated heading into the 2024 NFL season.
The season is drawing near. We are very near the start of preseason action and I, for one, cannot wait. Part of the excitement is seeing the stars shine. Nothing is going to hit quite like the first Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce touchdown, or when Derrick Henry bowls over three defenders off an RPO handoff from Lamar Jackson. What is great about the NFL, though, is that even amongst arguably the highest level of star power we have seen there are always underrated football players that we miss.
These underrated players bring some of the most best football stories every year. Last year we had Nico Collins, Trey McBride, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Justin Madubuike jump from relatively lesser-thought-about names into conversations amongst the best in the game. This year will be no different as players will emerge as big-time contributors for their teams seemingly out of nowhere. With that said, here are five underrated football players in 2024.
Khalil Shakir
Khalil Shakir is a savvy name to know amongst dynasty players but he still is flying under the radar at the moment. A fifth round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Shakir had a mini break out last year with 39 receptions for 611 yards and two touchdowns. He added 10 more receptions for 75 yards and two more touchdowns in the playoffs. With Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone, those numbers are bound to rise. Add in the new kick return rules and Shakir seems primed to break out for the Buffalo Bills.
As a Receiver
Shakir is not only in a good spot to succeed, but his displayed talent also seems to have fallen under the radar. Shakir is an after-the-catch merchant adding 7.2 yards after the catch on average last year. He does not break many tackles, but Shakir displays a level of shiftiness in his game that helps him navigate traffic to gain those yards. He was reliable for Josh Allen last year also.
Allen had a 133 QB rating when targeting Shakir last year. PFF graded Shakir a very respectable 75.2 as well. Add in the fact that Shakir did not drop a single pass and you have a nice, reliable target.
As a Return Man
The last piece of the puzzle is the new return rules. While I won’t go too in-depth here, this article highlights how the new return rules will increase return touchdowns. Shakir is lined up to be the primary kick returner for the Bills this season, on top of being a top target in this offense. The new return rules are likely to lead to more kick return touchdowns for returners. While the data suggests return yards might go down, more teams are likely to attempt returns which could ultimately bring return yards to neutral or even higher. And while Shakir is not the best at breaking tackles, he is quick and navigates space well which should suit him well in the return game.
Final Thoughts
The all-around game that Shakir brings is going to elevate him from a deep-league darling into the mainstream view. Shakir has as good a chance as anyone to step up despite being overlooked right now. Shakir is going to go from an underrated player to one of those players you want in Madden.
Tre Tucker
Tre Tucker is primed to bring an interesting all-around game to the Las Vegas Raiders this year. Much like Shakir, Tucker should step up as a receiver and will also be returning kicks this year. The hybrid role should provide Tucker ample opportunity to show out. The target share might be lower but considering how under the radar Tucker is I think how involved he is going to be will be a surprise.
Coach Speak
Don’t just take my word for it, though. His head coach Antonio Pierce had this to say: “One guy really stood out this offseason, Tre Tucker … He had a hell of an offseason … Everything that we talked about working on, he took that to another level.”
Coach speak might be at play here, but the rave reviews at least show he’s making an impact.
Tre Tucker’s Skill
As for who Tucker is as a player, he is a fast, undersized, slot merchant. He ran a 4.40 40-yard dash with a 1.48 10-yard split – which is incredible. The Raiders took him near the end of the third round last year, but despite the speed and capital, his profile was lacking.
Tucker’s biggest issues were his hands and route running coming into the league. DeAndre Carter blocked him largely in the return game as well, which limited his impact. In college, Tucker had over 1,600 return yards and two return touchdowns over five years. His limited receiving work last year was promising also. Tucker had 19 receptions for 331 yards and two touchdowns with an additional 10 carries for 77 yards. With Carter gone Tucker is lined up to be the primary return man where his speed and experience should help him shine.
Final Thoughts
Tucker should be able to become a more consistent receiving option on the Raiders this year. His value in the return game along with their need for playmakers will make him stand out beyond what we expect. He probably will never be an 1,000-yard receiver but don’t let that stop you from seeing Tucker as one of the sneakier underrated football players heading into 2024.
Jerome Ford
Jerome Ford had a good season last year when Nick Chubb went down and Kareem Hunt faded from existence. Ford went from a fifth round rookie in 2022 who only saw eight opportunities to a full-time starter for the Cleveland Browns in 2023. He flourished in a hybrid rushing/pass catcher role managing reasonable productivity. Now, in 2024 he seems to be all but forgotten about. That is a mistake.
Jerome Ford’s Game
Ford’s game is speed and grit. He is not a big yards after contact player, but did manage to break 26 tackles while rushing last year, good for fifth in the NFL. This is more than players such as Derrick Henry, Kyren Williams, and Christian McCaffery. His attempts per broken tackle numbers are even better ranking third in the league last year.
Ford broke an additional four tackles in the receiving game as well while adding 44 receptions for 319 yards and five touchdowns. His pure rushing numbers are merely average but his tackle-breaking acumen is a positive sign for him.
Jerome Ford’s Role
“But Spencer, Nick Chubb is coming back!” Yes, I know. I am very high on Chubb this year also and think he comes back strong. That does not preclude Ford from having a big role that complements his skill set even better.
Ford, like Hunt, is great in space and attacking big gaps on outside runs. He was forced to operate somewhere in between the tackles last year and he simply was not good at power running. Fortunately, Chubb is the best in the league at this. Ford should get to see the Hunt role now which is a high-opportunity role.
From 2021-2023, Hunt saw a 175+ opportunity pace over 17 games each year. This included 120-190 rush attempt pace and 40-50 target pace. Ford also performed better than Hunt ever did in the receiving game last year, showing a sign of his talent.
Final Thoughts
Ford is in a prime position to see the role that suits his game perfectly. He is likely to see around 150-200 opportunities this year, including valuable targets and split carries with Chubb. While his success last season might be good at best, under the hood this is a player with great upside in an offense that suits what he does well. As such, Ford is flying under the radar and will surprise a lot of people this season once again.
Daniel Bellinger
Daniel Bellinger has had a rough go of it in his NFL career so far. He suffered a gruesome eye injury after a promising start to his rookie campaign, and like much of the New York Giants‘ offense, simply struggled to get going last year. Bellinger also struggled with small nagging injuries along the way as well. He did not miss time but dealt with a rib injury, a knee injury on the infamous Giant’s tush push, and an illness. That said, his athleticism is criminally underrated.
With the addition of the fun but unpolished Theo Johnson and the departure of rapper Darren Waller from the team Bellinger is poised to make the year three jump as the starter for this team.
The Little Tight End Skills
Beginning with the player, Bellinger is talented in almost every facet of the tight end position. Bellinger posted a 9.69 RAS according to @mathbomb, and was virtually identical athletically to Travis Kelce in combine metrics.
Building on that foundation, Bellinger was an okay run blocker, finishing top fifteen as a rookie in PFF run block grade at TE, but wasn’t as good last year. When you watch him play, though, the run-blocking skills are evident. His pass blocking unfortunately has been inconsistent. His issue is consistency. At his best, Bellinger pancakes would-be tacklers and is always willing to fight his man to get a block in. Yet at his worst, he completely whiffs on an assignment.
Bellinger as a Pass Catcher
As a receiver, Bellinger is exciting and reliable. Through two years, Bellinger has seen 63 targets catching 55 of them, good for an 87.3 percent catch rate. He’s averaged ~ five yards after the catch both years as well as seeing a low aDot around 4.5 YPT. Bellinger not only makes the routine plays but he has highlight-level tools too. Just check out this catch and run, where he makes the first guy miss like a running back would and powers through two defenders for the first down.
The next step is for the Giants to challenge him and get him more engaged downfield. With the additions of Malik Nabers and the hopeful development of Jalin Hyatt and Wan’dale Robinson along with steady Darius Slayton, Bellinger should have plenty of room to operate underneath still as well.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, Bellinger has a clean bill of health this year. He will be serving as the Giants’ primary tight end. With an improved offense this season he should see more opportunities to succeed. Coming into the league Bellinger’s best tool was his blocking and he has shown ability as a receiver and blocker in the NFL. Due to health, a need for refinement, and the Giants themselves, Bellinger is still one of the more underrated football players in the league. This year he will put it together and emerge as a legit tight-end talent.
Jack Gibbens
Jack Gibbens is one of the more underrated linebackers in the NFL. He has played well for the Tennesee Titans defense since enterring the league and his role continues to grow. With the departure of Azeez Al-Shaair, Gibbens is set to take another step forward and become one of the premier linebackers in football.
Statistical Output
Gibbens earned a 71.2 PFF grade last year which was the third highest grade for the Titans defense last year. Gibbens operates mostly as a field general, racking up tackles but not impacting the game much in terms of sacks and pass deflections.
He racked up 95 tackles last year with a 5.9 percent missed tackle rate, including three tackles for loss. Gibbens defended three passes as well, and on 16 blitzes produced four pressures and a sack. He did this while playing 66 percent of the snaps. Not bad for a former UDFA.
Opportunity on the Titans
The stats lay out who Gibbens is: a good, not great, all around player. After building up trust in his first two years Gibbens now has the role as field general to himself barring a Cedric Gray takeover.
Gibbens athleticism will always hold him back from being a 10 sack player, or a 200 tackle contender. However, his awareness and feel for the game will allow Gibbens to fill a major role for the Titans.
Al-Shaair played 96 percent of the snaps for the Titans last year, racking up 168 total tackles. Gibbens technically outplayed him in every facet of the game though, garnering higher rates of pressure, a better rating when targeted, less missed tackles, and a better PFF grade. Gibbens now steps into that role most likely or at least absorbs a chunk of that loss setting him up to rack up huge numbers this year.
Final Thoughts
On a whole, Gibbens is not a player that will wow you. His intelligence, feel for the game and leadership has earned him a substantial role in the Titans defense after joining as a UDFA in 2022. Now with a leg up on the linebacker competition Gibbens will build off a good 2023 into a great 2024. While he may be one of the underrated football players in the NFL now, he soon will not be.
Spencer Buckley
Hi Everyone! I'm happy you read this far to see my bio. I am a full time football and baseball enthusiast who would have "100% made the show if I didn't get injured...". Also do some Lawyer stuff in my free time.