2 Cardinals Voted Most Underrated in NFL

There's nothing quite like having players that are overlooked by the rest of the league, especially because more often than not those players are helping your team win games -- hopefully a lot of them.

The Arizona Cardinals have had guys like that throughout the last several years. Garrett Williams is quickly becoming one of those players, and even Budda Baker took a few years before he was fully beloved by the NFL.

Still, the Cardinals, who haven't made the playoffs since 2021 or won the NFC West since 2015, have those overlooked or rather "underrated" players who keep them competing in games.

New coaching and structure for the team is turning them around quickly, and it helps when you have players that simply make you better -- whether they're media darlings or not.

James Conner, Budda Baker Voted Underrated

I mentioned that Williams is trending that way, but CBS Sports' Jared Dubin put together a list of the most underrated players at each position and did not include Williams. That's completely understandable, but I expect him to make his debut next season on such a list.

But don't worry, Cardinals fans, because Dubin mentioned not one, but two Cardinals players and one from each side of the ball.

On offense, Dubin highlighted James Conner as the league's most underrated running back:

"There's something about Conner's playing style that invites people to underrate his impact. Maybe it's because he's such a big, bruising-looking player at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, but his efficiency on a per-carry basis and especially his impact in the passing game often go overlooked. He just had his two best rushing seasons of his career at age 28 and 29 and doesn't look like he's slowing down."

I find this analysis to be quite a consensus opinion for those of us who watch him every week and have come to consider Conner a recent fan-favorite. The big man runner is coming off consecutive 1,000 yard rushing seasons, but he's done more than just that since joining the franchise in 2021.

Conner has scored 37 touchdowns over 57 games with 48 starts with a healthy yards per carry average of 4.4. In addition to being a downhill runner with a nose for the endzone, Conner is quietly a good pass catcher with 157 catches for 1,254 receiving yards and seven more scores.

He may only have a single Pro Bowl selection, but he's been as steady as they come and seems to get better with age.

Defensively, a new face to this team gets the nod, although he's been here before and will one day have his day in the team's Ring of Honor. The mighty Calais Campbell made Dubin's list as the NFL's most underrated defensive lineman:

"Campbell just keeps plugging along late in his 30s. He plays both inside and out and defends against both the run and the pass. Even while playing only 58% of Miami's defensive snaps last season, he found a way to 5.0 sacks and 39 pressures, along with 12.0 tackles for loss -- his most in a season since 2018. The 17-year veteran will play his age-39 season for the team that originally drafted him, and he'll make the Cardinals happy they brought him back after eight years away."

Yeah, if you thought that Conner has aged well then you should watch some of Campbell's highlights since leaving the desert. It wasn't a departure that fans wanted nearly a decade ago, especially after he went on to have some of the best seasons of his career with other franchises, namely the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Campbell has long been a great player and that dates back to his first stint in the desert. He's a decorated player who has found late-career success where the majority of sports players, not just in football, would be hanging up the cleats.

Nope, he continues to play at an above-average level. It's truly special to see how good he plays over and over again while denying father time his claim to the old man's career.

But it's likely the twilight of the (probable) future Pro Football Hall of Famer. Still, he was brought in by the Cards to help fix their defensive line between sacking the quarterback and stuffing the run. Even with his AARP membership around the corner, he's still getting it done.

Between him and Conner, it's not a wonder why they made Dubin's list for most underrated at their respective positions. If you add in the factor of them playing for a franchise that no one pays attention to, it becomes that much more understandable to include them.

The two will once again have that chance to show their worth as overlooked contributors on a Cardinals team that has its eyes set on a playoff appearance.

Arizona believes they aren't far off and many, including myself, would agree with that. The best way for them to get there is with good play across the board from players that will fill specific roles or more.

Another good year from both Conner and Campbell would very seriously improve the Cardinals chances of playing football in January once again for the first time in a long time.