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Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

The NFL is a star-driven league. Marketable players like Odell Beckham Jr., Patrick Mahomes and Antonio Brown sell tickets, merchandise and video games and largely drive television programming.

Yet, football is also the ultimate team sport. Having an MVP-caliber player is terrific, but it won't lead a team to the playoffs without strong performances from the other 52 guys on the roster. Oftentimes, there are key contributors who go largely unnoticed.

Here, we'll examine one critical player from each franchise who fails to receive national attention—we're talking about young players coming into their own, unheralded veterans and role players. Sure, individual fanbases know these players well, but they're not likely to top jersey sales or pop up in pregame promo reels.

Today, they'll get a little time in the spotlight.