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You cannot overstate the impact a breakout player can have on the fortunes of an NFL team.
Just ask the Kansas City Chiefs, who rode the breakout to end all breakouts by quarterback Patrick Mahomes to within one drive of a trip to Super Bowl LIII.
Damn you, Tom Brady. Damn you and your infernal goodness.
There are a number of factors that have to come together in order for a breakout to happen. The first, of course, is talent—the skills, tools and development have to be there for a player to go from afterthought to key contributor. However, situation plays a key part, too—the table has to be set for that player to come in from the shadows and step into the light.
Whether it’s a quarterback or an edge-rusher, a tailback or a safety, every team in the NFL has one player for which those factors appear to be coming together—one young player who could be set for a coming-out party in 2019.
And with 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams done for the season, fans far and wide could use a little hope for the future right about now.
Where to Watch: NFL playoff games, studio shows and more are available through fuboTV.
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Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
Quarterback Josh Rosen
There isn’t a more obvious breakout pick in the NFL in 2019 than Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen.
Rosen had a rookie season to forget—a completion rate of just 55.2 percent, 2,278 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a miserable 3-10 record in 13 starts.
Most assuredly not what the Redbirds were hoping for from a top-10 pick.
But despite Rosen’s performance last year, progress from the young signal-caller is going to be the driving force behind everything the Cardinals do this offseason.
The ability to work with young quarterbacks like Rosen is the main reason the Cardinals hired new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who is already talking up his new protege.
“Josh Rosen is incredibly talented, one of the most talented throwers you’ll see,” Kingsbury said, via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. “A young player, obviously, that I’m excited to work with and develop. But as a pure thrower, it’s hard to find a guy that throws it better.”
Whether it’s skill position talent around him or O-line help in front of him, every personnel move Arizona makes this offseason will be made with Rosen in mind.
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Cornerback Isaiah Oliver
Isaiah Oliver may not have much of a choice in 2019—if the Falcons are going to make it back to the postseason, the young cornerback may have to break out.
Oliver, who was the team’s second-round pick out of Colorado in 2018, saw his playing time increase down the stretch—at the expense of veteran Robert Alford. With Alford set to count for over $9 million against the cap in 2019, the 30-year-old could be a cap casualty.
As Matt Winkeljohn wrote for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn lauded Atlanta’s rookie class this year and the flexibility it offers the franchise in the offseason.
“This was a really mature group that took to it quickly,” Quinn said. “You’d love to keep everybody as long as you can all the time, but knowing that’s not the case, it kind of challenges you to … push it on to the development of some players.”
Oliver certainly looks the part of a shutdown corner—with the size, long arms and wheels that NFL teams covet. But like many young corners, Oliver needed some time to develop.
If he can continue the progress he showed late in the season over into offseason workouts, the Falcons could find themselves with quite the duo in the secondary in Oliver and Desmond Trufant.
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Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press
Quarterback Lamar Jackson
And we’re back to downtown obvious.
There’s no shortage of people who will argue that Lamar Jackson has already broken out after the former Heisman Trophy winner went 6-1 as a starter for the Ravens and led Baltimore to the AFC North title.
Per Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun, Jackson insisted that last year was only the beginning. “I already said it when I got drafted,” Jackson said. “I wanted to bring a Super Bowl to Baltimore. So I’m going to try to bring as much as I can. … I want to bring the Super Bowl here. I want to be the [Tom] Brady [of Baltimore]. I want to be the Brady. Bring multiple, if I could.”
However, as electrifying as Jackson was as a rookie, there’s little question he remains a work in progress throwing the football. And great though he may be at scrambling, Jackson isn’t going to realize those championship aspirations until he gets better as a passer.
Greg Roman’s first, second and third priorities as Baltimore’s new offensive coordinator will be making that improvement happen.
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Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press
Quarterback Josh Allen
Is there an echo in here? Because everything seems to sound like quarterbacks so far.
Josh Allen wasn’t able to get the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs. Or even close to the playoffs. But just like Lamar Jackson, the seventh overall pick did more damage with his legs than with his arm. For the season, Allen gained over 600 yards on the ground, averaging 7.1 yards an attempt.
As Kyle Silagyi reported for the Bills website, NFL Network Analyst Brian Baldinger went so far as to say Allen might just be the most athletic quarterback in the NFL.
“I think he’s a better athlete than Cam [Newton], than [Mitchell] Trubisky, than Lamar [Jackson], than [Deshaun] Watson, than [Marcus] Mariota,” Baldinger said. “Give me a great athlete at quarterback, I’ll put Josh Allen up against any of those quarterbacks.”
However, while Allen was impressive scrambling, he wasn’t drafted because of his legs. He was drafted because of a cannon of a right arm.
The same accuracy issues that dogged Allen at Wyoming surfaced in Buffalo. He completed just 52.8 percent of his passes and threw two more interceptions than touchdowns.
Like the other young quarterbacks in this piece, most of what the Bills do in the offseason will be geared toward Allen’s improvement.
An entire team being invested in his success doesn’t hurt Allen’s chances one bit.
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Chris Keane/Associated Press
Wide Receiver Curtis Samuel
The 2018 campaign is a season the Carolina Panthers would just as soon forget. A 6-2 start gave way to a seven-game losing skid that knocked Carolina from Super Bowl contender to watching the postseason from home.
However, as Bryan Strickland wrote for the team’s website, second-year wideout Curtis Samuel provided a rare bright spot amid the darkness and gloom.
“Despite ranking fourth on the team among wide receivers with 39 catches, Samuel paced the group with five receiving touchdowns and also scored twice on run plays. Perhaps he only scratched the surface of what he can do, but that type of per-play production will help the Panthers regardless of how many snaps Samuel earns in the future.”
Samuel was a 2017 second-round pick out of Ohio State because of his versatility and ability to rack up chunk plays—two qualities that have been sorely missing on the Panthers in recent years.
This year the big story in Charlotte was the emergence of tailback Christian McCaffrey, but with Samuel sure to be a bigger part of the offense next year, the 2019 season is going to be his time to shine.
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Adrian Kraus/Associated Press
Outside Linebacker Leonard Floyd
It’s rather difficult to peg a breakout player for the Chicago Bears—if only because so many of the team’s young players have already broken out. In just one season Roquan Smith has already established himself as one of the game’s best inside linebackers. Wide receiver Anthony Miller led the team with seven touchdown catches as a rookie.
However, the Bears are still waiting for rush linebacker Leonard Floyd to realize the potential that got him drafted ninth overall in 2016. Floyd finally made it through a 16-game season in 2018 and played relatively well, but his four sacks represented a career low.
Per Matt Eurich of 247 Sports, Floyd insisted that his best football remains ahead of him.
“It’s been a season full of adversity, but I just took it one day at a time, kept working on my craft, working with the trainers, working with the coaches, and just took it one game at a time,” Floyd said. “Now it’s time to work on my craft and get better and come in next season even stronger.”
If the Bears were to decline Floyd’s 2020 option this year, that would set the young edge-rusher up with the supreme motivation that is a contract year. But even if the Bears pick that option up, Floyd’s financial future will be based in large part on what he does in 2019.
And playing on one of the most stacked defenses in the NFL, Floyd’s going to have a ton of single-team opportunities.
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Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
Defensive End Sam Hubbard
It’s a time of great transition in the Queen City. After 16 years with the Bengals, another disappointing season led to the dismissal of head coach Marvin Lewis. Quarterback Andy Dalton isn’t standing on the thickest of ice himself.
But it wasn’t all bad news for the Bengals in 2018. As the season progressed, rookie third-rounder Sam Hubbard saw his playing time increase. The versatile former Ohio State standout made the most of those added snaps, finishing the year with 39 tackles and a respectable six sacks.
As Mike Dyer reported for WCPO, in Hubbard’s opinion his rookie success is all about setting a baseline for the future.
“Everything is setting the standard for next year,” he said. “Personally, me, I had a good rookie year, but more importantly I set the foundation for where I want the rest of my career to go.”
With veteran end Michael Johnson set to hit free agency (and more likely than not head out of town), Hubbard could be set for what amounts to a full-time role in 2019.
If Hubbard can build on last year’s success, that bump in playing time could lead to the youngster leading the team in sacks in 2019.
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Rick Scuteri/Associated Press
Wide Receiver Antonio Callaway
You aren’t going to find another second-year quarterback listed here.
After breaking the NFL record for touchdown passes by a rookie, it’s safe to say Baker Mayfield has already broken out—and that the Browns were wise to draft Mayfield No. 1 overall.
That wasn’t the only savvy pick the Browns made in 2018. In fact, John Dorsey hit more picks out of the park than not—including the fourth-rounder he invested in, mercurial wide receiver Antonio Callaway.
Callaway’s numbers as a rookie weren’t jaw-dropping (43 catches for 586 yards and five touchdowns), and like many young receivers, Callaway was inconsistent and struggled a bit with drops.
But those five touchdowns led the team. He ranked second on the team in receiving yards. And among the four Browns who topped 40 catches, Callaway’s 13.6 yards per grab also paced the club.
Callaway was a Round 1 talent who fell to Day 3 last year because of his off-field troubles. And while he was cited for marijuana possession last summer, Callaway made it through his first season without any dustups.
With a full offseason to work with Mayfield and head coach Freddie Kitchens, Callaway has the tools to be a No. 1 receiver at the professional level.
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Ron Jenkins/Associated Press
Wide Receiver Michael Gallup
Here we go again with the echo.
When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Michael Gallup, the team’s receiving corps was one huge question mark. The Cowboys filled their need for a No. 1 wideout with their in-season addition of Amari Cooper, but Gallup was relatively quiet as a rookie—33 catches for 507 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The former Colorado State standout got quite a bit louder in Dallas’ last game of the campaign, though.
In the Cowboys’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, Gallup hauled in six passes for 119 yards. No rookie receiver for the Cowboys has ever had more in a postseason game.
The season may not have ended the way they wanted, but Gallup told Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News that he’s confident that loss wasn’t an end at all. It was a beginning.
“We’ve just got to come out clicking a little bit harder at the beginning of the season and then just carry that momentum all the way,” Gallup said. “We’ve got the right guys in the locker room. Everybody in there plays hard for each other. Everyone in that locker room believes we have a team that can win a championship.”
With Cooper on board, Gallup’s going to see a lot of single coverage next year.
That sets up his second act as a doozy.
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Inside Linebacker Josey Jewell
It would be easy enough to spotlight one of Denver’s many young wide receivers here—especially with Emmanuel Sanders a potential cap casualty in the offseason.
But targeting which Broncos wideout will have the biggest impact next year isn’t an easy exercise. At least not as easy as pinpointing who is going to lead a Broncos defense that will be tasked with carrying the team in tackles in 2019.
That player is going to be Josey Jewell.
Coming out of the University of Iowa, Jewell was the Big Ten’s leading tackler, the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and the Jack Lambert Award winner. But Jewell ran a terrible 4.82-second 40-yard dash at the 2018 combine, which helped spur a free-fall to the fourth round of last year’s draft.
However, as Jewell’s rookie season wore on, his playing time increased. Partly that was due to injury, but partly it was because Jewell displayed the same nose for the football as a Bronco he had as a Hawkeye. By season’s end, Jewell had made nine starts and was leading the team’s inside linebackers in snaps per game.
With Vic Fangio (who has coached a who’s who of NFL linebackers over his career) now in charge in Denver, major progress in Jewell’s second season shouldn’t be a stretch.
That puts him in position to pace the team in stops.
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Rick Osentoski/Associated Press
Running Back Kerryon Johnson
Had Kerryon Johnson been able to finish the 2018 season, the rookie tailback wouldn’t be eligible for this list. Of the 49 tailbacks in the NFL who tallied more than 100 carries last year, only one averaged more yards per carry than Johnson’s 5.43.
Just getting through the whole season healthy is the biggest hurdle facing the former Auburn star, but Detroit RB coach David Walker expects a big jump forward from Johnson in 2019.
“What he has shown this year is his game is pretty well-rounded,” Walker said, via ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. “He’s been able to factor, really, in all facets in terms of running the ball, receiving the ball and blocking for the ball. So, you know, he’ll make strides because he’ll be a smarter player. He’ll see things, it won’t be the first time of him seeing things.”
With a new offensive coordinator in town in Darrell Bevell who has long been known as a fan of a strong run game, if Johnson can stay healthy and is anywhere near as effective on a per-touch basis as his rookie year, then a lot more than a 1,000-yard season could be in the offing.
Like, say, a rushing title.
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Matt Ludtke/Associated Press
Wide Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The Green Bay Packers would just as soon put the 2018 season far behind them. The Pack missed the postseason for the second year in a row—a performance that ended head coach Mike McCarthy’s reign.
The Packers made Matt LaFleur the new head coach in Titletown because of his offensive acumen, but if LaFleur’s going to get the Packers back in the postseason, the team needs a wide receiver not named Davante Adams to step up.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling had his moments as a rookie, including four catches of 40 or more yards—a number that tied for the NFL lead among rookies. For the season, Valdes-Scantling hauled in 38 catches for 581 yards and two scores. But Valdes-Scantling struggled some with consistency, and he admitted to reporters (via Josh Tolentino of The Athletic) that he still has a lot to learn.
“I think it’s about a constant level of improvement,” he said. “You’ve got to get better each and every week in the NFL. We’ll lock and load and be ready for next season.”
Given a full offseason with an offensive-minded coach and a Hall of Fame quarterback, Valdes-Scantling is as well-positioned as any first-year receiver in the league to make a leap heading into Year 2.
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Matt Patterson/Associated Press
Wide Receiver Will Fuller V
In some respects, the Houston Texans are in a similar boat as the Packers—at least at wide receiver. The Texans have a superstar at the position in DeAndre Hopkins, but the team badly needs someone to complement him.
The trade that brought Demaryius Thomas to town produced disappointing results, but the solution to Houston’s problem actually lies in the player Thomas was brought in to replace.
Over the past couple years, Will Fuller has shown flashes of being one of the more dangerous vertical threats in the NFL. In both 2017 and 2018 Fuller averaged over 15 yards a reception, and last year Fuller was on pace to top 1,000 receiving yards before tearing his ACL against the Miami Dolphins.
“Will Fuller is obviously a very dynamic player,” Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said, via Drew Dougherty of the team’s website. “Great speed, great route runner, all those things, but we need him for a full 16-game season. So, we’ve got to figure that out.”
Fuller will have had about 10 months to recover by the time the 2019 season opener rolls around, and if he can stay on the field, the 24-year-old is a good bet for a career year filled with highlight-reel bombs.
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Defensive End Tyquan Lewis
Tyquan Lewis’ first NFL season neither began nor ended with anything that would lead one to believe the defensive lineman is going to break out in 2019. The 6’3″, 269-pounder didn’t play for the Colts until Week 10 due to torn ligaments in his toe. Lewis also missed both playoff games with a bad knee.
However, when Lewis was on the field, he showed flashes of the havoc-wreaking talent that led the Colts to spend a second-round pick on him in last year’s draft.
The highlight of Lewis’ first season no doubt came in Week 15—a four-tackle, two-sack effort in a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys that caught the eye of inside linebacker Anthony Walker.
“Definitely plays with a lot of passion, a lot of energy,” Walker said, via Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “His rushes are always good. He’s always pointing to the quarterback, getting the quarterback off his spot.”
At the very top of Indy’s needs entering 2019 if the Colts are going to build on last year’s playoff trip is a consistent pass-rusher at end opposite Jabaal Sheard.
If he can stay healthy, Lewis is more than capable of being that guy.
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Wide Receiver DJ Chark Jr.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are no doubt hopeful that the team’s biggest breakout in 2019 will be at the quarterback position. But it’s highly unlikely the Jaguars’ starting quarterback next year is presently on the roster.
Looking at you, Nick Foles.
Regardless of who the team’s starter at quarterback is next season, the Jaguars are going to need better production at the wide receiver position. Outside of Dede Westbrook (66 catches, 717 yards, five scores), the Jags’ pass-catchers didn’t do much in 2018. That includes DJ Chark, who had just 14 grabs for 174 yards in 11 games in his first NFL season.
However, Chark was a much bigger threat the year before at LSU, averaging over 21 yards a reception. The youngster has the size (6’3″) to high-point passes and the speed (4.34 40-yard dash) to get behind the defense for a big play.
With Marqise Lee returning from a significant injury and Donte Moncrief about to hit free agency, there’s room for Chark to carve out a much larger role in 2019.
He has all the tools to take advantage of those increased opportunities.
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Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Running Back Damien Williams
It could be argued we already saw Damien Williams break out before our very eyes this postseason. And it’s entirely possible the Chiefs could draft a tailback early in 2019 and muddy the waters in the backfield.
But right now, we’re trending toward Williams having easily the best season of his five-year career come next year.
Thrown into a starting role after the release of Kareem Hunt and an injury to Spencer Ware, Williams has stepped up in a way few could have imagined. He’s gained over 100 total yards in three of seven games, he averaged over five yards a carry in the regular season, and he has shown to be adept in all stages of the game, whether it’s running between the tackles, catching the ball out of the backfield or pass protection.
“You see the energy he brings, the way he runs, the physicality,” tackle Mitchell Schwartz said, via Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star. “He’s got some juice to him, too. He’s able to break some tackles out in space … The stuff he’s doing on screens is awesome, pass protection. He’s telling guys where to go.”
The Chiefs may well still draft a back. But Williams has alleviated most of the pressure on the team to do so. His 96 total yards and three scores in the AFC Championship hammered that home.
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David Zalubowski/Associated Press
Outside Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu
Outside llinebacker Uchenna Nwosu didn’t have a huge rookie season for the Bolts, but the youngster told Hayley Elwood of the team’s website he feels fortunate to have gotten the intro to the NFL he did.
“I was on a really good team that most people don’t really get to be on (in) their first year,” Nwosu said. “Being around lot of good veterans, a lot of good players, being able to learn a lot. I was able to experience two playoff games, so I know this is a blessing. This doesn’t come often. I was just blessed to be in this position.”
Nwosu didn’t light it up on the stat sheet, amassing just 28 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 268 snaps. But he demonstrated some of the athleticism and quickness off the edge that got him drafted inside the top 50 overall.
This is as much a numbers game as it is about Nwosu himself. Derwin James has already most assuredly busted out. Ditto for wideout Mike Williams after a 10-touchdown season.
That leaves Nwosu as the likeliest player to improve markedly next year.
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Bill Feig/Associated Press
Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp
I can see you looking at me like that. Knock it off. It’s unsettling.
To be fair, in his two NFL seasons, Kupp has shown to be a more than capable NFL receiver. When Jared Goff needs to get a completion, it’s Kupp he looks to first—and with good reason.
He may not be the Rams’ biggest receiver. Or L.A.’s fastest. But Kupp gets open and doesn’t drop the rock.
However, in each of his two seasons, Kupp hasn’t caught 65 passes or hit the 900-yard mark. He may well have been on pace to do so in 2018, but an ACL tear cut those aspirations short.
The timing of that injury is probably the biggest question mark facing Kupp in 2019. But if he’s available for Week 1, there’s little reason to think Kupp won’t slide right back into his prominent role in one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses and log his first 1,000-yard campaign.
Should that happen, a delayed breakout that once seemed all but inevitable will finally take place.
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Jeff Haynes/Associated Press
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick
This one involves a little hair-splitting.
Minkah Fitzpatrick had a pretty good rookie year in Miami, piling up 80 total tackles and two interceptions—including a pick-six. As the season wore on, the Alabama star’s role in the Miami defense grew—by season’s end he was playing full time.
But Fitzpatrick didn’t have the sort of difference-making year the Dolphins imagined when they made him the 11th overall pick in 2018, and even he admitted via Mark Inabinett of AL.com that there’s plenty of room for improvement.
“Ups and downs, been learning a lot, been growing as a player, been moving around, so, like I said, been learning a lot, been having fun,” Fitzpatrick told reporters. “Definitely going to use this year as a learning experience, as a humbling experience.”
Fitzpatrick truly is a difference-maker—an incredibly versatile defensive back capable of playing any position in the secondary. He is absolutely going to be a full-time starter in 2019 and the anchor of the back end of the Miami defense.
By the end of his second season, Fitzpatrick will be a Pro Bowler and considered one of the best young safeties in the game.
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Jose Juarez/Associated Press
Running Back Dalvin Cook
Depending on which Vikings fan you ask, people are either eagerly awaiting a breakout season from tailback Dalvin Cook or tired of hearing about it.
After all, 2019 will mark the third time it was supposed to happen.
On a per-carry basis, Cook’s been solid over his first two NFL seasons. The 5’10”, 210-pounder has averaged 4.7 yards a pop on 207 career carries. Cook has also caught 51 passes for 395 yards. His 15-game stat line of over 1,400 total yards and six scores would actually look pretty good…if it was all in the same season.
Cook’s problem has been injuries. An ACL tear ended his rookie season a month in. In 2018 a hamstring pull cost Cook five games and limited him in several more.
Per Anthony Brooke of 247 Sports, Cook said he’s been assured by new OC Kevin Stefanski that he’s going to be a big part of the offense in 2019.
“Coach came to me,” Cook said after the news of Stefanski’s full-time hire with the Vikings. “He’s hands on, so he came to me and said, ‘We’re going to get you the ball. Make a play.’ When your coach looks at you and tells you that, you’re going to go out and give 110 percent and run through a wall or something.”
Cook may want to skip that wall thing.
His breakout’s all about staying healthy—for once.
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Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Defensive End Derek Rivers
At first glance, Derek Rivers might seem an odd choice for a breakout player. Two seasons into his NFL career, Rivers has two tackles and a single sack—total.
However, Rivers’ first two seasons weren’t exactly two seasons. The first was wiped out by a torn ACL. As Henry McKenna reported for Patriots Wire, Pats head coach Bill Belichick also had a quantification for the second—along with a vote of confidence for the small-school standout.
“He’s worked hard every day,” Belichick said. “Last year we had a ton of injuries at that position. This year, we’ve been totally healthy there so the opportunities — we have more people for the same number of opportunities. … When he’s had an opportunity, he’s done well with it, both in practice and in games. I think he’s got a really good future. I’m glad we have him. He could be a good player. I think he is a good player. It’s just kind of a little bit of a situational thing right now.”
Rivers was a favorite of the draftnik community in 2017 because of his quickness off the edge. But we knew there would be a period of adjustment as he moved from Youngstown State to the NFL.
Heading into what is essentially Rivers’ second season, the youngster should see substantially more playing time—especially if Trey Flowers departs in free agency.
Take a heaping dose of potential, add in some tasty opportunity, and you have the recipe for breakout stew.
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Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Defensive End Marcus Davenport
The New Orleans Saints demonstrated the high expectations they had in edge-rusher Marcus Davenport when they traded their 2019 first-rounder to move up in last April’s draft to select the small-school standout with the otherworldly athleticism.
That athleticism has manifested in flashes this season. Playing as a situational pass-rusher, Davenport logged 4.5 sacks in 13 regular-season games. He told ESPN’s Mike Triplett that as his first season wore on he began to feel more and more at ease.
“I feel like this has been a total difference [since the beginning of the season], especially with confidence,” said Davenport. “I feel like my team has built me up, and I feel like I’m finally starting to show it. … I feel like my peak is still to come.”
It’s not at all unusual for a young pass-rusher’s career to begin on this trajectory, even when they aren’t making the leap from UTSA to the NFL. There’s a relatively quiet first season as they acclimate to the pros, and then in Year 2 they blow up and have a huge season.
Blow up. Break out. Tomato, um, tomato.
That really works better when you say it as opposed to write it.
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Tight End Evan Engram
New York Giants tight end Evan Engram got something of a head start on a potential breakout in 2019. After an injury-marred start to his second season, Engram came on strong down the stretch, racking up 22 receptions for 320 yards and a score over the last four games of the year.
Per Dan Salomone of the Giants website, quarterback Eli Manning was impressed by the resolve Engram showed when the season didn’t start out the way he’d hoped.
“He got off to a little slow start during the year,” Manning said. “I thought he had a great camp and was doing a lot of things. He got off to a slow start and had the injury that kept him out a few games. Same deal, second half he came back and has played great. … We know he is a playmaker. He was making those plays, felt confident and stepped up his role. Just knew what to do and became a leader of this team and this offense.”
The Giants have one of the best receivers in the NFL in Odell Beckham Jr. and one of the league’s best young tailbacks in Saquon Barkley. Both attract a lot of attention from opposing defenses. And that means lots of single coverage for complementary receivers like Engram.
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Steven Senne/Associated Press
Quarterback Sam Darnold
Like it was going to be anyone else.
Just like new head coach Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona, there is one overriding reason why Adam Gase was hired as the new head coach of the New York Jets.
It wasn’t, um, his intensity.
Gase was brought in because of his reputation for developing quarterbacks. Per Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Gase said he’s looking forward to getting down to business with the third overall pick in the 2018 draft.
“I’ve been able to, especially in the last few days really hammer out as much tape as I could on him and start looking at the things that I’ve seen him do really well, some of the things we could possibly work on,” Gase said. “And really it’s gonna start with him. That’s an obvious statement. I’m excited because this is the first time I’ve been able to get with a guy this young, this early in his career. We’re going into Year 2 and he’s hungry for knowledge. He wants to be coached, which, when you have that type of player that does have the physical traits, this is an exciting thing for me to go through.”
Darnold had moments both good and bad as a rookie, throwing for 2,865 yards, 17 scores and 15 interceptions.
With a full offseason with Gase and improved weapons around him, bettering those numbers by a sizable margin should be doable.
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D. Ross Cameron/Associated Press
Defensive End Arden Key
The biggest breakout player for the Oakland Raiders in 2019 may well not even be a member of the team yet. The Raiders have cap space and draft capital galore, and the team’s transition into whatever Jon Gruden has envisioned for the Silver and Black is no doubt about to accelerate exponentially.
However, we’re only dealing with players who are on the roster at present, and among those, a defensive line that was long on youth but short on results in 2018 seems a good place to start.
Fourth-round rookie Arden Key had just a single sack in his debut campaign. But as Scott Bair reported for NBC Sports Bay Area, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther believes the potential is there for much, much more.
“Arden has been doing a tremendous job and, to his credit, we drafted Arden as a nickel rusher, to go in there on third down,” Guenther said. “He has played first, second and third down, and he’s lasted through the season doing it. It not only was a great educational year for him, now he understands like what is in there every down.”
Key is an immensely athletic young player who fell in the NFL draft due to character concerns. He’s not the first such player to be whisper-quiet in his first year as a pro.
If the 6’5″, 238-pounder can improve his technique and maybe add a little size, the talent’s there for Key to emerge as a viable edge threat and draft-day steal.
Lord knows the Raiders could use a little good news.
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Cornerback Sidney Jones
The professional career of Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts.
Jones’ rookie year was essentially a redshirt after he tore his Achilles tendon at Washington’s pro day. After winning the starting job as the team’s nickel corner in 2018, Jones again had trouble staying on the field over the second half of the season.
Per Dave Spadaro of the team’s website, Jones allowed it’s been a frustrating road so far.
“It was a frustrating season. I could just never get my leg where I wanted it to be,” Jones. “All I can do now is look forward. Everybody is going to have their share of adversity. It’s how you handle it that separates you as a person and as a player. I am going to work hard in the offseason, get healthy, get stronger, and come back here and play my best football.”
It’s that last part that’s interesting. Jones’ talent is undeniable—had the Achilles tear not happened, he would all but certainly have been a first-round pick. Some of that talent shined through last year in camp.
If he can stay healthy, Jones has the potential to be the team’s best cover man. And with Ronald Darby set to hit free agency, the Eagles may well need him to be.
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Don Wright/Associated Press
Wide Receiver James Washington
There isn’t a team in the NFL that needs young players to step up and break out in 2019 more than the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A year ago at this time, the Steelers had the most dangerous core of skill position talent in the NFL. So much has changed since then. Le’Veon Bell is a goner after sitting out the entire 2018 season in a contract dispute. Antonio Brown‘s future with the team is in dire straits amid reports of a relationship between player and team that’s damaged beyond repair.
In September, the Steelers were a Super Bowl favorite. In January, the team’s reeling.
Luckily, in the interim, Juju Smith-Schuster did a little breaking out of his own, catching 111 passes for over 1,400 yards. But just as Brown had Smith-Schuster, Juju needs a running buddy.
James Washington didn’t have much of a rookie season. The former Oklahoma State standout managed just 16 catches on 38 targets and was called out by Ben Roethlisberger in November.
But it’s worth pointing out that Oklahoma State doesn’t exactly ask its wideouts to learn an elaborate route tree. Or a route tree at all. It’s essentially just…”go.”
That might work OK in Stillwater. But it’s not going to cut it in the NFL.
By the time the 2019 season rolls around, Washington will have had another full offseason to hone his technique. The Steelers saw enough talent with Washington to make him a second-round pick. And he’s all but certainly going to see a huge spike in targets.
By my math, that adds up to a breakout.
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Josie Lepe/Associated Press
Running Back Jerick McKinnon
For the San Francisco 49ers, the theme of the 2019 season is hopefully going to be “better late than never.”
The 49ers headed into training camp last year with more than a little postseason buzz after a flurry of offseason acquisitions—including the signing of tailback Jerick McKinnon to a lucrative free-agent contract.
McKinnon was an early darling of the fantasy football community last summer. They developed a group case of the vapors wondering how much damage McKinnon could do in Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme—a scheme that favors smaller, quicker backs who catch the ball out of the backfield.
The honeymoon didn’t last long. Just before the season began, McKinnon went down in a heap on the practice field. His ACL was torn. His first season in San Francisco was over before it started.
Reports regarding McKinnon’s rehab have been positive, though, and by the time McKinnon plays his first regular-season game for the Niners, it will be a full year since he got hurt.
Time to ratchet back up that optimism.
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Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Cornerback Tre Flowers
It’s difficult enough for young cornerbacks to make the jump from college to the pros. Many a first-round pick has struggled in his rookie season. Some are never able to make the leap.
Tre Flowers faced an even more difficult challenge in 2018. Not only was Flowers making the jump to the NFL, but he was also moving from safety to corner.
Flowers piled up 67 tackles and three forced fumbles last season. His coverage technique improved as the season wore on, and while speaking with TJ Cotterill of the Tacoma News-Tribune, Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin singled out Flowers when asked which youngsters impressed him.
“I love the progression that Tre Flowers has gone through during the course of the season,” Baldwin said. “He’s always had the physical tools. I think it was just a mental part of him getting the confidence necessary for him to be out on an island.”
There’s a good reason the Seahawks switched Flowers to corner—a tantalizing blend of speed and 6’3″ size that he can use to body up receivers.
With another offseason to improve his technique, Flowers could be primed to take a run at a Pro Bowl nod in his sophomore season.
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Al Pereira/Getty Images
Tight End O.J. Howard
Had ankle and foot injuries not cut O.J. Howard’s season short, he wouldn’t have been eligible for this list.
Despite a carousel at quarterback in Tampa, Howard was well on his way to breaking out last year. Howard’s 565 receiving yards put him on pace for just over 900 for the season, he found the end zone five times, and the former first-round pick averaged a jaw-dropping 16.6 yards a catch…for the second season in a row.
Howard’s the prototype for what NFL teams are looking for at the tight end position—a wildly athletic 6’4″, 251-pounder who presents opposing defenses with all kinds of matchup problems. He’s too fast to cover with most safeties and linebackers, and too physical for many cornerbacks.
New Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians has long had a reputation for pushing the ball down the field vertically. And with quarterback Jameis Winston and a deep cadre of pass-catchers at his disposal, the Buccaneers are going to be doing so early and often in 2019.
It’s not difficult to imagine Howard joining the ranks of the NFL’s best at his position in his third year.
Not difficult at all.
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Mark Zaleski/Associated Press
Linebacker Rashaan Evans
The Titans drafted Rashaan Evans with the 22nd overall pick last year in the hopes that the former Alabama star would become the heir apparent to veteran Wesley Woodyard inside.
Evans’ ascension didn’t go exactly as planned, but by season’s end, head coach Mike Vrabel indicated he liked what he saw from Evans in spot duty as a rookie.
“(Rashaan) has a great attitude … and we want to give him enough where he can help us because there’s stuff we like with his skill set,” Vrabel said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. “Hopefully that can continue to expand and he can help us on all three downs.”
Evans’ snaps were up and down as a rookie, but in the regular-season finale, he was on the field for 62 percent of the defensive plays—his most since Week 6.
That Evans experienced a bit of a learning curve making the jump to the NFL isn’t news. But he’s a first-round talent who improved as the season wore on.
The coming-out party is coming—soon.
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Charles Krupa/Associated Press
Running Back Derrius Guice
I considered defensive end Jonathan Allen here, but after piling up 61 tackles and eight sacks in 2018, Allen has already more-or-less arrived.
Tailback Derrius Guice is another story altogether given he has yet to receive a single touch in a game that matters.
Washington’s second-rounder in the 2018 draft tore his ACL in the preseason, missing the entirety of his rookie season as a result. But as the Redskins enter an offseason rife with uncertainty, there are multiple reasons to believe much will be asked of Guice in 2019.
Required of him, actually.
Yes, Adrian Peterson is coming off a resurgent season in which he topped 1,000 yards and scored seven touchdowns. But the reality is that Peterson is about to turn 34 years old. Backing up that feat is even more unlikely than Peterson pulling it off the first time.
There’s also the matter of the situation at quarterback in Washington. It’s more likely than not that Alex Smith’s gruesome leg injury will cost him all of next season—if not his career entirely.
If the Redskins are going to have any sort of success offensively next year, the ground game is going to have to carry the day.
And that means Guice stepping up.
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