Dan Pompei

There are plenty of overrated players in the NFL who get more than their share of headlines and highlights. But there also are many players who don’t get enough credit.

Here are the most underappreciated players in the league.

QB Chad Pennington, Dolphins
OK, so his throws wouldn’t exactly crumble concrete. He gets the job done quietly but efficiently. Pennington had the second-best passer rating in football last season. Blitz him at your own risk. He completed 67.9 percent of his throws against the blitz last season and had a 93.5 passer rating in blitz situations, according to Stats, Inc.

RB Kevin Smith, Lions
It’s easy to get overlooked in Detroit, and Smith has been. As a rookie, he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and averaged 4.1 yards per carry. The Lions expect more out of him this season because he has been integrated into the passing game and now is seen as a four down player.

WR Lance Moore, Saints
He came in as an undrafted free agent, and sometimes he is still treated like an undrafted free agent. Moore isn’t supposed to be big enough or fast enough, but he is productive enough because of his intelligence, quickness, consistency and free agent mentality.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Vikings
He is best known for being caught with his towel down by Fox cameras during a postgame locker room celebration. But he should be known for his decent route running, catching and blocking. He is an overlooked player who has the potential to produce more in the future.

T Donald Penn, Bucs

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Warren Sapp calls him one of the top five offensive linemen in the league. Although Sapp might be overrating Penn, most everybody else underrates him. Penn is a scrapper who plays through the whistle and helps give his offense an element of toughness.

G Justin Blalock, Falcons
Without Blalock and his linemates, Michael Turner and Matt Ryan can’t work their magic. Blalock has the size and power to match up with almost any defensive tackle. He has Pro Bowl potential.

C Casey Wiegmann, Broncos
The 35-year-old played for 13 seasons and was given up on by four teams before he finally made his first Pro Bowl last season playing in Denver. He is a perfect fit for the Broncos offense, and the best thing about him is his consistency.

DE Alex Brown, Bears
He never is one of the league leaders for sacks, but Brown can get to the passer in a variety of ways, and he also is tough against the run. When he gets on a tear, he can change games.

DT Tony Brown, Titans
Although Albert Haynesworth has gotten most of the attention in previous seasons, Brown has been a been a solid role player. He often wins his battle and he doesn’t blow assignments very often. Now that Haynesworth has moved on, Brown should become more of a playmaker.

LB London Fletcher-Baker, Redskins
He calls himself “the Susan Lucci of the NFL,” and he makes an excellent point. He makes tackles like Mars makes M&Ms. Fletcher-Baker is the leading tackler in the league this decade, yet never has made a Pro Bowl.

S Chris Harris, Panthers
If a primary function of a safety is to come up with takeaways, Harris is among the best in the league. Over the past two seasons, he has 10 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Not only does Harris have a nose for the ball, but he also has the ability to take it away from an opponent.

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CB Kelvin Hayden, Colts
There is good reason Colts president Bill Polian made re-signing Hayden the team’s top offseason priority. Hayden is an excellent fit in the Colts’ defense, which asks its corners to play a lot of zone. He is physical and instinctive, and he rarely falls for a fake.

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