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

6. Blake Martinez

We get to the first active player on this list. Blake Martinez is already the anchor of the Green Bay Packers defense, and for good reason. Martinez ended 2017 tied for the NFL lead in tackles with 144. That wasn’t all he did though. He also picked up one sack, as well as one fumble and one interception. The middle linebacker deflected eight passes and recorded 10 tackles for loss.

Martinez got no Pro-Bowl or All-Pro nod to show for it in 2017.

In 2016, Martinez showed plenty of promise as a rookie. It’s no surprise he turned into a star. However, it’s incredible how little recognition he got last season. Sure, some might say that it’s simply because he only has two years under his belt — that hasn’t stopped the media before though.

This especially doesn’t make sense when considering Martinez is the head of the defense. It would be one thing if he was being overshadowed by multiple players on his own team, but this simply isn’t the case.

It’s not hard to find proof that he’s the leader of the Packers’ defense either. Last season, Martinez led the team in tackles in 11 different games. Seeing as there are only 16 games in a season, that was clearly the team-high.

The Stanford product can do it all. His 6-2, 237-pound frame help him shadow tight ends, and he has solid coverage skills as well. The size also helps him in the run game, where Martinez is one of the more sure-tacklers in the league. If there’s an area where he lacks, it’s raw speed. Martinez masks that well in games though, as he has great instincts plugging holes and knowing where he needs to be.

Blake Martinez won’t be under appreciated for much longer. For now, however, he’s one of the most underrated players in the NFL.