Most underappreciated player on each NFC team

Believe it or not, a former No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft is flying under the radar in the NFC. So is a Dallas Cowboys defender, whose play also isn't fully appreciated nationally. Here's the most underappreciated player on each NFC team as determined by Yardbarker NFL writers:

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | Cornerback DaRon Bland: Since taking over for injured Trevon Diggs, Bland leads the team with five interceptions and all NFL defensive players with three touchdowns. He has played so well that it’s easy to forget he led the Cowboys with five interceptions as a rookie in 2022. Why he’s not mentioned with the likes of corners Sauce Gardner of the Jets and Darius Slay of the Eagles is anybody’s guess.

NEW YORK GIANTS | Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux: Know who does appreciate Thibodeaux? Giants legend Carl Banks. The former Giants linebacker recently quit his job at WFAN over what he thought was unfair criticism of Thibodeaux, who has 8.5 sacks. The Giants have massive problems, but he's not one of them.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Linebacker Nicholas Morrow: With four sacks in his first four NFL seasons, Morrow hardly moved the needle when he came to Philadelphia as a free agent, but he’s the team’s best linebacker. Against Washington in Week 4, he became the first Eagle with at least 10 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble in a game. With fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean done for the season with a Lisfranc injury, Morrow’s value can’t be underestimated.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Running back Brian Robinson Jr.: He is a top-20 rusher (485  yards), but it seems we’ve all been sleeping on Robinson’s skills as a receiver. The second-year back had a career-high six targets against the Seahawks in Week 10, catching them all for 119 yards and a touchdown. With teammate Antonio Gibson, also a RB, nearing free agency, Robinson couldn’t have picked a better time to learn a new skill. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | Tight end Trey McBride: A bright spot on an otherwise dismal offense, he has emerged as one of the top young tight ends in the league. He showed flashes of being a big contributor as a rookie but has taken a big step forward in his second season. Through 10 games, he has 36 catches for 418 yards (and a touchdown), skyrocketing past numbers he posted as a rookie in six fewer games.

LOS ANGELES RAMS | Outside linebacker Byron Young: The Rams desperately needed to improve their pass rush and may have hit a home run with this third-round rookie. He is an impact player and one of the team’s best pass-rushers. In nine games, Young has five sacks (trailing only Aaron Donald’s 5.5 for the team lead), two forced fumbles, two tackles for loss and a team-leading 14 quarterback hits.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk: The offense is loaded with playmakers, with QB Brock Purdy, RB Christian McCaffrey, WR Deebo Samuel and TE George Kittle getting most of the attention. But when it comes to overall production, Aiyuk has been one of the team’s most consistent players the past two years and by far its leading receiver (over both Samuel and Kittle). Since the start of the 2022 season, he has 1,690 receiving yards and 11 TD catches.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Cornerback Tre Brown | The Seahawks have one of the best young secondaries in the NFL, with rookie star Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen (rookie Pro Bowler in 2022) locking down the starting spots. Their success has allowed Brown, a fourth-round pick from 2021, to sneak under the radar. In eight games, he has two interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), six passes defensed, two forced fumbles and a sack. — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS | Linebacker T.J. Edwards: Although he led the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in tackles (159) last season, Edwards jumping ship to join the Bears in free agency didn't attract much notice. However, he has played like a player worthy of the attention during his short time in the Windy City, becoming the first Bears player in franchise history to record 110 tackles or more through the first 10 games of a season. The three-year, $19.5 million contract he signed during the offseason looks like a massive steal for the Bears. 

DETROIT LIONS | Running back David Montgomery: The Lions signed Montgomery to a three-year, $18 million contract in free agency in the offseason to replace 2022 breakout star Jamaal Williams. Through only six games in Detroit, Montgomery has impressed, complementing heralded rookie Jahmyr Gibbs perfectly and winning over the Lions faithful. Then again, what's not to like when your first impression includes averaging 83.5 yards per game rushing and scoring seven rushing TDs?

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Wide receiver Jayden Reed: Entering the year behind starters Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, the rookie is well on his way to surpassing them before the season is over. Reed has dispelled the belief that it takes a while for rookie wideouts to bloom. The 2023 second-round pick quietly leads the Packers in yards receiving  (417).

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Linebacker D.J. Wonnum: While Danielle Hunter gets most of the attention, Wonnum has largely flown under the radar among the linebackers. A fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Wonnum is coming into his own this season. He is second on the Vikings in sacks (five) and tackles for loss (five). Like his Pro Bowl-making teammate, Wonnum will be a free agent at season's end and has likely earned himself a decent payday with the Vikings or someone else. — Mike Santa Barbara

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS | Cornerback Jeff Okudah: The No. 3 overall pick in 2020 out of Ohio State may have found a home. Atlanta, in desperate need of a corner to pair with A.J. Terrell, traded a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Lions for Okudah, who fell out of favor in Detroit but is thriving with the Falcons. Per data from Pro Football Focus, Okudah has allowed completions on only 50 percent of his targets. Quarterbacks have a 69.6 passer rating when targeting him, lowest on the team among players targeted at least 10 times.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | Running back Chuba Hubbard: Underappreciated by his own team during the offseason, Hubbard has earned a bigger role as the season has progressed after outperforming struggling 2023 free-agent signee Miles Sanders. During Weeks 1-3, Sanders had 41 carries compared to only 12 for Hubbard. Those numbers flipped from Weeks 8-10, with Hubbard earning 41 carries to 10 for Sanders. Carolina signed Sanders to a four-year, $25.4 million contract in free agency despite Hubbard averaging 4.9 yards per carry in 2022. 

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Cornerback Paulson Adebo: While certainly not underappreciated in New Orleans, Adebo flies under the radar on the national stage. That could change after the Saints bye in Week 11 should 2017 Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year Marshon Lattimore (ankle) miss time. Adebo has the second-most passes defended (13) in the league. Per Pro Football Focus, he grades as the NFL's best coverage cornerback.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Quarterback Baker Mayfield: The No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2018 is keeping the Bucs afloat in the miserable NFC South. Compared to Saints quarterback Derek Carr, who signed a four-year, $150 million contract this offseason, Mayfield (64.6% completion percentage, 14 TD passes, five picks) is a far better buy. He's on a one-year, $4 million deal. — Eric Smithling