Chuck Levy Madden Career 1995-1999 - Peak 94 OVR

Chuck Levy was a second-round pick out of Arizona in 1994, a running back and kick returner whose NFL value ended up being almost entirely on returns. His career stalled early, including a full season lost to a substance-abuse suspension, and he resurfaced in San Francisco for two years in 1997 and 1998 as a return man.

Madden's cards of him tell a familiar story. His best number was a 94 for his 1994 rookie season with the Cardinals, a wildly generous grade for a second-round back who never produced much, and his 49ers cards settled into the high 70s and low 80s, closer to the return specialist he actually was. The rookie 94 was hope; the later numbers were reality.

Levy ran for just 217 yards in his NFL career but piled up nearly 1,700 kick-return yards, the trace of a player who made his living bringing the ball out of the end zone. He later played in the CFL and arena leagues. A high pick who became a return man is a disappointment on paper, but the returns kept him in the game, and the grades followed the same fade the career did.