New England Patriots Report

Connolly lands on underrated list

July, 13, 2012

7/13/12

10:35

AM ET

By Mike Reiss | ESPNBoston.com

Pro Football Weekly puts together its top five list of underrated players in the NFL (video here), and uses the following criteria:

1. Award recognition
2. Draft position
3. Name recognition
4. Salary
5. Years in the NFL

Patriots center/guard Dan Connolly ranks second on PFW's list, with draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki explaining the choice.

"He stepped in at guard in 2010 and did a very good job, and last season, he was outstanding for the Patriots," Nawrocki says. "You look at their history of centers -- Dan Koppen, Damien Woody -- they've always had centers that are very quick and very good in pass protection. He definitely fit the bill. He played as well as anyone last season and I consider him an elite player at that position. I think he's very under the radar around the league in terms of recognition."

Mike Reiss

Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com

Covered Patriots since 1997
Blogging on Pats since 2004
Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Mike Reiss

Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter (@MikeReiss).

Mike Rodak

Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010. A native of Grafton, Mass., Mike attends Providence College, where he assists the athletic department in game management, facilities, and logistics. Follow him on Twitter (@mikerodak)

Field Yates

Field Yates begins his contributions to ESPNBoston.com in 2012 after having written for a number of football-related sites around the web. Field began his professional career after college with the Kansas City Chiefs, working in both the scouting and coaching departments of the franchise before redirecting his focus to a career in media. He also interned for four summers in the coaching and scouting departments with the Patriots. Follow him on Twitter (@FieldYates).