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#3 Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns)
It's difficult to gauge just how valuable an offensive line is to a team that doesn't have a franchise quarterback. Even though Joe Thomas played on some truly awful Cleveland Browns teams, he was still able to become a great player.
His career prospects were killed by the Browns' inability to draft effectively in key positions, and his loyalty to Cleveland cost him a shot at a championship.
Thomas was voted to the Pro Bowl 10 times, yet his NFL record stood at 48 wins and 128 losses by the time he retired. This is staggeringly bad. A player who was arguably the best in his position never played a single snap in the playoffs because the Browns never made the postseason with him.
To put into context how good Thomas was, he made 6,680 pass-blocking attempts, and only 30 ended in sacks. No other offensive lineman has ever been voted to 10 successive Pro Bowls.
If he hadn't been stuck with the Browns, Thomas could have won a championship.
#4 Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions)
Calvin Johnson was an elite receiver, and when paired with Matthew Stafford, he should have been able to make deep playoff runs. Instead, "Megatron" is simply remembered as being a highlight package on a Detroit Lions team that was poor for so many years.
The Lions simply ignored their defense in offseason moves, relying on Stafford and Johnson to ensure things didn't get too embarrassing. But this was a waste of the receiver's natural talent.
Johnson had such a good frame for a receiver; he was tall, quick, and physically strong in 1-v-1 battles. He could catch virtually anything.
Johnson was part of the Lions team of 2008, which went 0-16, and he had caught for over 10,000 yards before he was even 30.
For a player as talented as "Megatron" was, the fact that he played just two playoff games is a crime. The Lions lost both of those games as the franchise struggled, and Johnson retired without the fanfare his play deserved.
#5 Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts)
Andrew Luck makes this list purely because of the physical toll he went through in Indianapolis.
Drafted as the heir-apparent to Peyton Manning, things began well for Luck, as he reached the playoffs and the AFC Championship game that has since become known for 'deflategate.'
However, the Colts simply refused to do anything about their struggles on the offensive line, leaving Luck with virtually no protection. A string of hard hits and brutal treatment from defenders left Luck with injuries that some have compared to those suffered by car-wreck victims.
A constant stream of rehab and recovery work prevented Luck from ever fulfilling his talent in the NFL. He retired after just six seasons in the league when he was supposed to be the natural successor to Manning and Tom Brady.
