NFL: Selecting the best player in each franchise’s history

Cincinnati Bengals – Anthony Munoz 

Given the position that he played, the general public has absolutely no idea how dominant and fantastic Anthony Munoz was during his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. If he had played in the current era of non-stop sports talk and analysis, it is likely that Munoz would have received more credit (a la Joe Thomas and others), but it is entirely possible that Cincinnati’s greatest player doubles as the best offensive tackle in NFL history.

He was that good.

Munoz was selected as a first-team All-Pro on nine different occasions, and he helped to lead the Bengals to Super Bowl appearances in both 1981 and 1988. While Munoz played at “only” about 280 pounds at 6-foot-6, he was the rare example of a tackle was also utterly dominant in the running game, mauling the opposition off the line of scrimmage, while still maintaining the flexibility and craftiness to act as a deterrent against all kinds of pass-rush techniques.

Even if Munoz played for an organization with more history and prestige, he would be firmly in the mix for this distinction. Given that he was a mainstay for the Cincinnati Bengals, this is a no-doubt choice for a perpetually underrated player.

Next: Cleveland Browns