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This is a continuation to yesterday's post of Underrated Offensive players. I used the same methodology as previous blogs to determine these.

Defensive Tackle- To me this position almost doesn't have anyone who is underrated. The guys who deserve the attention get it. Last year you could have said Big John of Jacksonville, but he went to the Pro Bowl (finally). Every DT who is good gets his credit, so I'm not going to rate anyone as the most "underrated" and my honorable mention has made so many underrated lists I almost can't put him as an honorable mention. This is one of the toughest positions to cultivate a "dominant" player. Just look at all the draft busts that come from this position. In my opinion, this position has the second highest failure rate of 1st round draft picks (next to QB). The position either has dominant forces that everybody knows, or def. coordinators use a platoon system to at least have a fresh mediocre player in there.

Honorable Mention- Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots. He is the prototypical 2 gap DT. He demands double teams and completely clogs up the middle freeing the LB's up to make plays. Were it not for Casey Hampton, John Henderson, and Jamal Williams he would have been in the pro bowl last year.

Defensive End- Brett Keisel, Pittsburgh Steelers. The guy had 5.5 sacks last year as a DE in a 3-4 defense. That is like having 12-13 in a 4-3. He is excellent against the run and has a great ability to shed blockers on passing downs. Most people outside the steel city have never heard of this guy. He has been overshadowed by his big name teammates.

Honorable Mention- Chike Okeafor, Arizona Cardinals. Playing in the desert Chike has quietly been a very consistent pass rusher, averaging around 8 sacks the past 3 seasons. Also solid against the run.

Linebacker- Keith Bulluck, Tennessee Titans. This guy is just a tackling machine. Great nose for the ball. Excellent lateral speed. Good against the run and above average at dropping back into coverage. He anchors the Tennessee D.

Honorable Mention- Zach Thomas, Miami Dolphins. Yes I know Zach has been to 6 pro bowls, but I put him in this category becasue he is every bit as good as Ray Lewis, over his career, yet isn't spoken of as highly. Is Zach as explosive, or as vocal a leader as Ray? NO, but he has anchored a Fins D that has consistently ranked well, because of this guy. He has succeeded, despite lack of prototypical MLB size and speed. He makes up for it because he is one of the smartest guys to ever play the position.

Defensive Back- Dunta Robinson, Houston Texans. He is quickly emerging as one of the best young DB's. He has had an extremely consistent career. He is good at dropping into coverage, and good at supporting the run. He's a solid tackler with decent hands. He's been this consistent and is still learning the position (he didn't switch to DB till his JR yr of college). If he continues his progression I see a pro bowl in his near future.

Honorable mention- DeAngelo Hall, Atlanta Falcons. I made this pick just based on seeing this guy on so many Overrated lists. I don't think he is... the kid is blazing fast, an incredible athlete with good hands. With good coaching (like learning how to play zone pass defense,  how to read a pass pattern, and how best to work cooperatively with the safeties for deep help) he could be one of the best in the league (Champ Bailey and McAlister aside). He just has to start playing smart and stop thinking his speed can get him out of trouble.

Safety- Sean Jones, Cleveland Browns. Finally earning the starting job last year, Jones had a great year. Unfortunately he played on a terrible team, on a terrible defense in the division that has the 2 best safeties in the league. If you weren't paying attention, it's very easy to overlook Jones. Look for Jones to improve even more this year.

Honorable Mention- Dawan Landry, Baltimore Ravens. If you thought it was easy for Jones to get lost in the shuffle, it was even easier to lose this guy. When you play on a team with so many HUGE names and you are just a rookie, it's tough to get noticed. Those who watched this kid play knows he is a star in the making. From a CBA compensatory bonus system this guy got over $366,000 for his on the field accomplishments(the highest total EVER given to a rookie) . Not bad for a kid that got picked in the 5th round and was expected to be used sparingly, if at all.....Not, that his brother LaRon wouldn't have been a first round pick this year, but Dawan's play definitely elevated his stock... LaRon make sure you buy Big Bro something nice, he helped you get probably $8 million more in your 1st contract...