Green Bay Packers: 10 Nationally underrated players of the 2000s

8. Najeh Davenport

2005 was Najeh Davenport’s last season with the Green Bay Packers. He appeared in five games, collecting two touchdowns on 30 rushes — averaging 3.5 yards per carry. That was the only time in his four-year career with Green Bay that saw him average less that 4.7 yards per carry.

Davenport was never the feature back for the Packers. This was due to the unlucky fact that he was with the team from 2002-2005. Those were prime Ahman Green years.

The only season that didn’t see Green rush for 1,000 yards in that time was 2005, due to injury. Davenport also suffered an injury though. That was also the year Samkon Gado (remember him) came out of nowhere as an undrafted free agent.

Although Davenport never exceeded 77 carries in a season, he played an important role for the Packers. Serving basically as a breather for Green, the running back averaged 4.9 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns during his career in Green Bay.

Davenport was also a very important piece to the special teams unit. He averaged 24.1 yards per return in his Packers’ career, including a 2003 season that saw him average 31.6 yards. Meanwhile, he had 17 tackles during his time with Green Bay. Again, 2003 was his standout year — picking up 13 tackles as a key part of the kickoff unit.

It’s easy to overlook the backup of a star running back. Green stole most of the attention thanks to the fantastic numbers he put up as a member of the Packers.

Keeping the star fresh and healthy is important though, and to do that you need reliable relief. Najeh Davenport gave more than that to the Green Bay Packers for four years, as he was a legitimate threat every time he was handed the ball.