NFL Sunday Debate: Breakout Sophomores at Each Skill Position
Mark Morales Smith and Brendan Pignataro will be debating a different topic each weekend. This week will feature a debate revolving around breakout second-year players in 2016.
Happy Sunday fellows, it’s once again time for me to slaughter Brendan in our weekly debate. After last week’s clear-cut victory, I’m now going for two in a row, which I assure you will not be a difficult task. In this week’s addition we will be debating the top breakout sophomore at the RB, WR and TE positions. As always we’d love you to weigh in in the comments section.
Wide Receiver
DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins
Heading into the 2015 NFL Draft I ranked Parker as the second best wide receiver just behind Amari Cooper and well ahead of the rest of the pack. Unfortunately, things didn’t exactly start off well. Early in camp it was discovered he needed a simple cleanup surgery to replace a screw from a previous injury in his foot. While this wasn’t a huge deal, he missed all of camp and wasn’t ready to make an impact at the start of the season. As he rounded into shape he tore scar tissue in his foot Week 8. None of those issues are long-term concerns, but they did hinder him as a rookie.
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He began to put those issues behind him down the final stretch of the season. Heading into Week 12 he had totaled four receptions, 49 yards and no touchdowns. Then Rishard Matthews went down and Parker was called upon to step up over the last six games of the season. He answered the call. Parker caught 22 passes for 445 yards and three TDs during that span showing off soft hands and outstanding athleticism.
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Parker reminds me a lot of a younger A.J. Green, he has those kinds of gifts. Now that Matthews signed with the Tennessee Titans, Parker will slide in as the primary wideout on the outside. He has the skill set to be a superstar in this league and he and Jarvis Landry complement each other perfectly. As great as Landry is, he isn’t much of a red zone threat. At 6-foot-3, 218 pounds I fully expect Parker to take over as the primary target in the end zone. I’m projecting him to catch about 70 passes for 1,150 yards and seven TDs in 2016.
Running Back
David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
This was an easy one for me. Melvin Gordon is no comparison to Johnson. Granted, Gordon was great at Wisconsin and did rush for more yards than the Johnson last season, but Johnson is going to pull away in 2016. First and foremost, I put very little stock in Badger running backs. Let’s not forget the Ron Dayne who broke Ricky Williams’ all-time NCAA rushing record and Montee Ball who broke Barry Sanders TD record. Both were massive busts. Every concern about Gordon was realized last season. To the point that Danny Woodhead was clearly the superior option.
Johnson wasn’t given the starting job on a silver platter, he was forced to sit behind Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington because his head coach Bruce Arians isn’t so fond of playing rookies. Once injuries struck, Johnson was ready to roll. Once December hit, Johnson exploded. In just the month of December he rushed for 417 yards and four touchdowns and caught 14 passes for an additional 182 yards and a TD. While it’s a small sample size, it’s a sign of things to come.
The main concern most people have with Johnson is what happens once Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington is back and healthy. To them I say, Ellington is almost a non-factor to me. If he gets enough carries to have a significant impact on Johnson’s production, he will inevitably get injured. He’s nothing more than an occasional change-of-pace back to me. CJ2K was outstanding last season, nonetheless, he’s still going to be a 31-year-old back with almost 2,400 career touches and coming off injury. He’ll get his touches, but this will be a passing of the torch season.
Johnson skill set actually reminds me a lot of Ellington’s. The only difference is he’s 6-foot-1, 224 pounds and can take a pounding. He’s going to be a duel-threat nightmare for opposing defenses. Melvin Gordon is only going to be a nightmare for his own offensive coordinator.
Tight End
Clive Walford, Oakland Raiders
Prior to being drafted in 2015 I ranked Walford as far and away the best tight end in his class. He was and is so much better than every other TE in that class including Maxx Williams and Will Tye. I get it with Tye. Eli Manning makes bad tight ends mediocre. That’s cute and all, but Walford is a superstar in the making.
Walford is another guy that started off last season with injury being a virtual non-factor for the first four weeks of the season. He ended with 28 receptions, 329 yards and three TDs. Nothing special, but he showed flashes of his potential. While at the University of Miami he broke major receiving records for TEs. He’s their all-time leading receiver. This is a school that has produced guys like Jimmy Graham, Greg Olsen, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow and Bubba Franks, and that’s just since the year 2000.
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He’s the final key piece on the Raiders young blossoming offense. With Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray already establishing themselves, Walford will take that offense to the next level into the future. Not only do I anticipate him breaking out in 2016, I expect him to be considered an elite TE by 2018.