Every NFL team's unsung hero

It has been a disappointing season in Arizona, but the Cardinals have found a new rising star in their secondary with Tony Jefferson. The 24-year-old safety is second on the team with 90 tackles and has proved to be effective both in pass coverage and blitzing the quarterback. With room to grow, expect Jefferson to turn into a Pro Bowl player in the years to come.

As a rookie, Deion Jones has had an incredible impact on the Atlanta defense. The second-round pick out of the LSU is a tackling machine and superb in pass coverage as a linebacker. Jones has three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns for a Falcons team that looks primed to win the NFC South.

A rookie out of Temple, Tavon Young has needed just 13 games to establish himself as the Ravens' best cover corner. Usually tasked to defend the opposing team’s best receiver, Young has recorded 43 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defended so far in his career.

Now three years removed from his infamous “bullying” scandal, Richie Incognito has re-established himself as one of the best run-blocking linemen in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. Incognito routinely creates space for LeSean McCoy and Mike Gillislee to blast through and is strong enough to hold his ground in pass protection as well. The 33-year-old is easily one of the best guards in the NFL.

Little has gone right on defense for the Carolina Panthers in 2016. That being said, the team’s struggling defense would be much worse off if it didn’t have Kurt Coleman in its secondary. Coleman isn’t a flashy player, but he has been the Panthers' only reliable player in pass coverage this season, recording three interceptions and five passes defended from his free safety position.

Prior to being suspended in November by the NFL for a drug violation, Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman was in the midst of a Pro Bowl-caliber season on defense. The 30-year-old linebacker had been Chicago’s best defender, recording 91 tackles in 10 games. 

Year after year, Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth proves he is one of the best linemen in the NFL. 2016 has been no different. Even at the age of 35, Whitworth hardly ever misses a beat on offense and seemingly never lets opposing pass rushers get a finger on quarterback Andy Dalton.

Although the Browns are in the midst of a winless season, Cleveland does have at least one rising star on the defensive side of the ball in Briean Boddy-Calhoun. An undrafted rookie out of Minnesota, Boddy-Calhoun has been the Browns' best player in the secondary this season, recording two interceptions, nine passes defended and one sack. Boddy-Calhoun has the look of a true No. 1 cornerback.

With two sensational rookies and the best offensive line in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys' improved defense in 2016 has hardly been noticed. For the 11-2 Cowboys, the major reason their defense has held its own has been middle linebacker Sean Lee. Lee has easily been the team's best player on defense and is a candidate to be named to his first All-Pro team, as the 30-year-old has garnered 130 tackles already this season.

While Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Aqib Talib may capture most of the headlines on the Denver defense, safety Darian Stewart has emerged as vital part of the D. A hard-hitting safety who is also agile enough to be effective in pass coverage, Stewart is responsible for creating four turnovers so far in 2016 and has five passes defended too. The Broncos signed Stewart to a four-year contract extension in November.

The Detroit Lions are on the verge of winning their first division title since 1993, and defensive end Kerry Hyder has quietly been a major reason why. A second-year player out of Texas Tech, Hyder has been the Lions' best pass rusher, as he has registered a team-high eight sacks in 13 games and another four tackles for loss.

In a league full of poor offensive line play, Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari has developed into one of the NFL’s better linemen. A fourth-round pick in 2013, Bakhtiari seldom gets beaten off of the edge, commits few penalties and looks to be in line to make his first Pro Bowl this season.

An undrafted player in his fourth year, Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye has climbed his way up the depth chart in Houston to become a starter on defense. Despite having first-round pick Kevin Johnson and veteran Jonathan Joseph on the roster, it has been Bouye who has been Bill O’Brien’s most reliable cover corner.

Even at the age of 33, Indianapolis Colts running back Frank Gore remains one of the most consistent runners in the NFL. His numbers aren’t gaudy, but his tough running in the trenches allows the Colts and quarterback Andrew Luck to achieve a level of balance on offense that they cannot win without. The Colts are in position to win another division title, and Gore is a major reason why.

Although Malik Jackson and Dante Fowler Jr. were expected to be the impact players on the Jaguars' defensive line coming into the season, instead, that player has been Yannick Ngakoue. A third-round pick out of Maryland, Ngakoue has been the Jags' best pass rusher, recording a team-high six sacks and four forced fumbles thus far in 2016. He is just 21 years old and already looks like a Pro Bowl pass rusher.

It’s hard to call the starting quarterback of a 10-3 team an “unsung hero.” However, in the case of Chiefs starer Alex Smith, that’s exactly what the veteran QB is. Smith is one of the NFL’s most reliable signal-callers week after week, and although he doesn’t air it out a ton, the 32-year-old almost always seems to find a way to put his team in the win column after every game.

The Rams' first season back in Los Angeles has been a disaster, with their feeble offense frustrating fans. That being said, wideout Kenny Britt has proved that he is a legitimate starter on the outside for Los Angeles. Despite subpar quarterback play, Britt has 63 catches for 937 yards and five touchdowns in 2016.

The Miami defense took a major blow early in the season when it lost starting safety Reshad Jones for the year to a torn rotator cuff. But Isa Abdul-Quddus has been able to step up in Jones' absence and has been an impact player for Miami on D. Abdul-Quddus is second on the team with 70 tackles and has nabbed two interceptions this season. Those numbers aren’t too shabby for a career backup.

With first-round pick Laquon Treadwell floundering and Stefon Diggs' health constantly in question, Adam Thielen has become the Vikings' most trusted wide receiver from game to game. A third-year player out of Minnesota State, Thielen is one pace to record over 1,000 receiving yards in 2016, as his crisp route running has made him Sam Bradford's most reliable target.

A rookie out of N.C. State, Joe Thuney may already be Bill Belichick’s most trusted offensive lineman in New England. Simply put, Thuney has been fantastic in his first season a pro, opening up holes for running back LeGarrette Blount and picking up blitzers on a consistent basis. The Patriots could be Super Bowl bound once again, and Thuney’s play in the trenches is a big reason why.

The New Orleans Saints had the worst defense in the NFL in 2015, and a major reason why was they couldn’t cover anyone. In 2016, the defense is improved, and cornerback Sterling Moore is a big reason why. Moore has been the Saints' best cover corner, recording two interceptions and 11 passes defended to date.

After looking lost at times in his rookie season, Giants safety Landon Collins appears to have it all figured out in 2016. Collins has made plays all year for a much improved New York defense, as he leads the team in tackles, interceptions (five), defensive touchdowns and even has three sacks. Simply put, Collins has quietly become an All-Pro level player in the New York secondary.

It’s been a year of regression for the New York Jets, but the team appears to have a viable dual-threat running back going forward in Bilal Powell. Powell has 42 catches out of the backfield for the Jets, and his 5.8 yards per carry average suggests the Jets need to feed him the ball more in the future.

Signed to a five-year, $60 million contract in the offseason, Raiders guard Kelechi Osemele has been worth every penny of his contract so far in Oakland. Osemele is a lineman who moves opposing defenders with ease and a big reason why running back Latavius Murray has a career-high 12 rushing touchdowns so far this season. The Raiders are poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001, and Osemele’s play cannot be understated in that process.

Although the Eagles are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, offseason free agent acquisition Rodney McLeod has quietly been one of the better summer pickups around the league. The free safety has recorded 71 tackles and three interceptions in his first season in Philadelphia and should be a mainstay in the secondary moving forward.

A first-round pick out of Miami, Steelers cornerback Artie Burns has quickly become Pittsburgh’s best cover corner in his rookie season. Burns leads the Steelers with three interceptions and is second on the team with 10 passes defended. If the Steelers hope to close out the 2016 season with a division title, they’ll need Burns to continue his solid play on outside.

After losing starter Manti Te’o early in the season to an Achilles injury, rookie linebacker Jatavis Brown stepped in to his place and has quickly proved to the San Diego coaching staff that he’s a keeper. Brown is a versatile linebacker who can wrap up opposing ball carriers with ease, blitz the quarterback and drop back into coverage. The 22-year-old out of Akron has been a pleasant surprise for the Chargers in 2016.

Admittedly, it’s been an awful season for the San Francisco 49ers. The team has not won a game since Week 1 and doesn’t have many exciting young players. That being said, the 49ers do have one of the best kickers in the NFL in Phil Dawson. Dawson has made 18 of 21 field goals this season and has not missed an extra point.

An already poor Seahawks offensive line would be completely lost if not for center Justin Britt. A third-year player, Britt transitioned from tackle to center in the offseason and has easily been Seattle’s best lineman. His ability to call out blitzes and make adjustments at the line of scrimmage has helped Russell Wilson avoid countless sacks already this season and gives Seahawks fans hope that the team just might be able to put together a postseason run.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dealt with an abnormal amount of injuries to skill players in the 2016 season. Fortunately for Dirk Koetter’s squad, third-year tight end Cameron Brate has emerged as a tremendous receiving threat for the team. Outside of Mike Evans, Brate has become quarterback Jameis Winston’s most reliable target, evident by the fact he has recorded 51 catches and six receiving touchdowns in 13 games.

A major concern coming into the 2016 season for the Tennessee Titans was whether or not they had a single quality receiver on the roster. Free agent addition Rishard Matthews has answered the call. Matthews leads the Titans in receiving yards, touchdowns and first downs, and provides quarterback Marcus Mariota a legit weapon outside of the numbers. If the Titans win the AFC South, Matthews will be a major reason why.

On a team that boasts skill players like Jordan Reed, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, second-year wideout Jamison Crowder has actually been the Redskins' most reliable receiver. Easily the most precise route-runner on the team, Crowder has become Kirk Cousins' most steady target, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns while playing primarily out of the slot.