This season there have been some major breakout players yet some are going underappreciated. These players have had spectacular years so far but are still underappreciated. It’s time to break down each of those players and finally give them the appreciation they deserve.
One- DeShon Elliot, Safety Detroit Lions
Deshon Elliot has been one of the main reasons for the Detroit Lions’ defense making such a big turnaround in the past six weeks. He has been in and out of their lineup and is still near the top of the league in tackles among safeties, adding three pass deflections and an interception to that stat line. He has been all over the field for Detroit, which has largely contributed to the success of players like Jeff Okudah and Jerry Jacobs when he helps to away players over the top and not allowing a big play very often.
He and Kerby Joseph have been a dominant safety duo this year because they complement each other perfectly. Kerby Joseph is a ball-hawking player that can get sideline to sideline with ease to cover the field, and Deshon Elliot is a hard-hitting safety that doesn’t miss tackles often and is an excellent run defender. The impact Deshon Elliot has doesn’t just affect the secondary though, what he does creates opportunities for the defensive line to make plays as well. His ability to keep his eye on pending routes and take them away from the quarterback gives the defensive line more time to get to the quarterback and make a momentum-changing play. He has been doing this every game he’s been healthy and has still gone underappreciated all year.
Two- Quinnen Williams, Defensive Tackle New York Jets
This may seem like an obvious one because everyone already knows how good Quinnen Williams is, but it is going extremely under the radar just how well he is playing this season. He has been without a doubt the best defensive tackle in all of football this year and is the main reason for the Jets’ defensive success this year, yet people still look at him as only a top ten defensive tackle in the league. Quinnen Williams is mostly known for being a run-stopping defensive tackle, which is fair because he has also been one of the league’s best at that this year, but at the moment he is sitting at 11 sacks on the years as a defensive tackle.
His dominance on the line has made it so they’ve allowed very few rushing yards to some of the best backs in the league and creates opportunities for his secondary. Sauce Gardner has been one of the best corners in the league this season not only due to his play, but because Quinnen Williams gets to the quarterback so fast that Gardner doesn’t need to cover his receiver for very long. He deserves to be first team all-pro this year, yet people still underappreciate him.
Three- Brandon Graham, Defensive End Philadelphia Eagles
Brandon Graham was counted out at the beginning of the season due to his age, and people still aren’t looking at his impact on the year but are trying to find his replacement. All this year, however, Brandon Graham has been proving age is just a number and he still has what it takes to be an elite defensive lineman in this league. He has eight and a half sacks on the year and is near the top of the league in pressures, and he is one of the main reasons for the Eagles’ success this year. He is doing all of this at the age of 34 at is still going underappreciated
2 Comments
Zach Wilson Will Be The Starter Against The Detroit Lions · December 16, 2022 at 11:45 am
[…] was and be the reason they lose this game. The Jets will also be without Corey Davis, and possibly Quinnen Williams so Zach Wilson will have to step up big time for the Jets to still be in playoff contention. […]
One Player From Each Team That Deserves To Make The Pro Bowl · December 18, 2022 at 12:28 pm
[…] Williams has been the anchor to this stifling Jets defense, as he affects the running defense and the pass rush greatly. Not only does he have one of the best run-stop rates, but he has 11 sacks as a defensive tackle, which is unheard of. […]
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