Five NFL Receivers Who Deserve More Credit

With the likes of Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco soaking up all the face time they can get, a number of productive receivers around the NFL are quietly posting big numbers without expecting much love from the press. Some of these guys have been producing for years, while others have just burst onto the scene in the last few seasons. They are the players every coach would love to have; they are quiet professionals in a sport full of noise.

While these players might not get much respect from the national media, most of them are local heroes in their team's city. The following five receivers, in no particular order, are considered by many to be among the most underrated in the game.

All statistics are according to ESPN.com

Donald Driver and Greg Jennings - Green Bay Packers
Now in his mid thirties, Driver (a former 7th round draft pick) has led the way in Green Bay for eleven years. He was lucky enough to catch passes from Brett Favre for much of his career, but with the addition of Greg Jennings at receiver, the press seems to have pushed him to the wayside. In 2008, he hauled in 74 balls for 1012 yards and 5 touchdowns; not exactly bad numbers considering his teammate Jennings was able to catch 80 balls for almost 1300 yards and 9 touchdowns. While a lot of fans might be familiar with these player's names, very few outside of Green Bay realize just how valuable they are to the team.

Andre Johnson - Houston Texans
Andre is one of the best and most humble receivers in the league, yet his demeanor and the Texans' lack of success hasn't allowed for a large amount of national attention. Johnson has been arguably the single best receiver in the NFL over the past few seasons, but the casual fan isn't likely to put him in their top five simply because he is so quiet off the field. Even though he was able to reel in a staggering 115 catches for 1575 yards in 2008, he is still a relatively unrecognizable face in the NFL. Judging by his demeanor and lack of endorsements, I would be willing to bet that he enjoys being out of the spotlight.

Lee Evans - Buffalo Bills
With the addition of the talented Terrell Owens to the Bills roster, Lee Evans has been left out of much of the conversation regarding the team's future success. This former first round draft pick has amazing speed, and it showed in 2008 when he had his second 1000+ yard season. While Evan's numbers might not jump off of the page like those of Jennings or Johnson, he has been able to catch for nearly 5000 yards in his career with some very questionable talent under center.

Vincent Jackson - San Diego Chargers
This player was able to work his way into the conversation with a big 2008 season. While he did manage to post 6 touchdown receptions in 2006, Jackson never really had a breakout year until 08'. During that season he caught 59 passes for almost 1100 yards and seven touchdowns. You can bet Philip Rivers is excited about tossing the ball to this guy for years to come. Look for him to get more recognition if he can have similar success in future seasons.

"Greg Jennings Stats" ESPN.com
"Andre Johnson Stats" ESPN.com
"Donald Driver Stats" ESPN.com
"Lee Evans Stats" ESPN.com
"Vincent Jackson Stats" ESPN.com