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Phelan Ebenhack/Associated Press

The hype train often careens out of control once it gets moving. Professional athletes can get by on their reputation even if they're overrated.

How each NFL star fits into this sliding scale of subjectivity depends on their situation.

No one is safe. Arguments can and have been made about some of the game's all-time greats and how good they really were.

For example, Barry Sanders vs. Emmitt Smith is still a hotly contested subject for those who enjoyed professional football during the early 1990s. Some consider Smith the greatest running back of all time. Others believe he benefited from one of the most dominant offensive lines in NFL history, while Sanders' uncanny ability to create yardage despite an inferior front five made him the better back.

In order to determine today's most overhyped performers, their production could not meet their outsize expectations. Everyone on the list is a talented individual, yet their reputations precede them.

The NFL is a "What have you done for me lately?" league, and an individual's play should speak for itself—without their hype overshadowing achievements.