Bills underrated star earns massive praise from NFL MVP voter

Jarrett Bailey

Bills underrated star earns massive praise from NFL MVP voter image

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills have many noteworthy names on their roster. Obviously, Josh Allen is the one who rightfully gets the vast majority of the credit for the Bills' consistent success, but several role players fly under the radar with how well they fit the team and do their job. 

One of those players is safety Taylor Rapp, whose absence against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game was noteworthy as the Bills' secondary struggled. And while he isn't necessarily a household name, there are those who recognize his talent, specifically FTN Fantasy Chief Content Officer and AP NFL MVP voter Aaron Schatz, who named Rapp as one of the most underrated players in the league.

"Although many have described the Bills' safeties as underwhelming, they were an important part of a defense that finished 11th in DVOA last season," Schatz writes. "They ranked seventh in defensive DVOA on deep passes (16 or more air yards), and Rapp was most frequently in the role of deep safety. He also had a strong season as a tackler, with only four missed tackles compared to 48 solo tackles -- one of the lowest broken tackle rates in the league. And despite mostly playing back from the line of scrimmage, he ranked among the top 20 safeties with 48 run plays (tackles and assists)."

While Buffalo hopes to see Cole Bishop take the leap and eventually become the team's No. 1 safety, Rapp has done well for himself going from No. 3 rotational piece to No. 1 guy on the depth chart, and is a great veteran to have in place.

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Jarrett Bailey

Jarrett Bailey is a freelance NFL writer for The Sporting News. He previously wrote for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, The 33rd Team and Pro Football Network. Enjoyer of chocolate milk, metal music, Batman, pasta salad, and pro wrestling. There is nothing more breathtaking than a Jeff Hardy swanton bomb.