Top 10 NFL players who came from obscure colleges

theScore's NFL Top 10 is a two-week series in which editors take a look at football's best, worst, and most interesting players, highlighting everything from the overpaid to the most versatile and marketable.

While most NFL stars were four- or five-star high-school recruits who attended the best colleges in the country, that certainly isn't the only path to stardom.

You may not have heard of the schools below, but you definitely know these players.

Here are the 10 best small-school (outside of FBS) NFLers:

10. Brent Grimes, CB, Buccaneers

College: Shippensburg

Despite his modest size and advanced age, the 34-year-old Grimes is still one of the game's better cornerbacks. He's recorded at least three interceptions in each of the past five seasons.

9. Trumaine Johnson, CB, Jets

College: Montana

Johnson is a Stockton, Calif., native who made his way to Missoula, Mont., for a successful collegiate career before going pro. The former Ram and current Jets cornerback is one of the NFL's best contested-catch defenders.

8. Delanie Walker, TE, Titans

College: Central Missouri State

An old-school tight end, Walker is handy as both a receiver and blocker. He's come into his own since joining the Titans in 2013, posting 800-plus receiving yards four years in a row.

7. Terron Armstead, OT, Saints

College: Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Armstead is the only active player on an NFL roster hailing from Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Saints left tackle is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the game, excelling in pass protection and pulling in the run or screen game.

6. Malcolm Butler, CB Titans

College: West Alabama

Butler has become a bona fide starter since his heroic Super Bowl-winning interception in 2015. Despite some ups and downs last year, he inked a five-year deal worth $61 million with the Titans as a free agent in the offseason.

5. Damon Harrison, DT, Giants

College: William Penn

Harrison is one of the league's best stories. He was overlooked by college scouts and wound up without an NCAA scholarship offer before enrolling in community college. After a stint with William Penn and six NFL seasons, Harrison has emerged as a top-tier run defender.

4. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers

College: Eastern Illinois

Garoppolo boasts a 7-0 record as a starting quarterback in the NFL and appears to have his 49ers on the brink of playoff contention. He threw for 1,560 yards with seven touchdowns in six games (five starts) after being acquired by San Francisco last season.

3. David Johnson, RB, Cardinals

College: Northern Iowa

Despite missing most of the 2017 season, Johnson is still one of the NFL's top running backs. He rushed for more than 1,200 yards in 2016 and has accumulated 122 receptions in just 22 career starts.

2. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings

College: Minnesota State

Thielen finished fifth in the NFL in receiving yardage last year, emerging as the Vikings' No. 1 option in the passing game. He's among the hardest covers in the league.

1. Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles

College: North Dakota State

Before an ACL tear ended his 2017 season, few were playing at a higher level than Wentz. The MVP candidate helped lead the Eagles to the top seed in the NFC, displaying above-average football IQ for a second-year quarterback and producing a number of jaw-dropping plays.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)