Which player had the biggest breakout for each team last season?

Green Bay Packers DE Mike Daniels

Jarrett Boykin was a very tempting pick, but I decided to go with somebody who asserted himself as one of the three best players on an otherwise underwhelming Green Bay Packers defense. In fact, Daniels was the Packers best player on that side of the ball last year with stud outside linebacker Clay Matthews slogging through injury, and the jump Daniels made from his rookie season to his second year was as impressive as anyone else’s. He was a nuisance for interior offensive lineman as a pass rushing 3-4 DE, as he recorded 6.5 sacks and also made his presence felt in the running game. Not only is Daniels an active, disruptive presence, but he’s also the model of consistency both when it comes to avoiding mistakes and constantly making an impact.

Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffery

This one is pretty easy, and there really isn’t a need to explain why Alshon Jeffery gets the nod here. I mean, you could definitely make a compelling case for Josh McCown here, but he’s also a journeyman quarterback whose rise could be as fluky as Polumbus’s play last year. More importantly, Brandon Marshall and Jeffery (among others) allowed McCown to attain the degree of success he did last year, and Jeffery’s breakout was critical for the offense as a whole. The Bears offense was always good, but they became an elite juggernaut last year with the addition of another ridiculously talented WR. Jeffery caught 89 passes for 1,421 yards and seven touchdowns, showing elite explosiveness, ball skills, and downfield ability.

Detroit Lions OLB DeAndre Levy

Another WILL cracks the list (Trevathan and David are the two others), and there’s no doubt that DeAndre Levy belongs here. It seems a bit weird to call him a breakout player after he recorded 109 tackles in 2011 and had a nice total of 81 in 14 games in 2012, but Levy broke out in my eyes last season. His coverage was phenomenal, as the stats jump of the page: six interceptions and an even more impressive 15 passes defended. Maybe just as importantly, Levy looked better as a run defender, notching a career-high 117 tackles and getting blocked out less. He still needs to cut down on his missed tackles after 12 of them last year, per PFF, but his pass defense made him an invaluable player at the heart of the Lions defense. Stephen Tulloch is the better player, but he’s been great ever since he was dominating in the AFC South.

Minnesota Vikings RG Brandon Fusco

I had a bit of a rough time finding the right breakout guy for the Vikings here, but I decided to go with right guard Brandon Fusco, who became a steady presence on the inside for the Vikes after once being something of a liability on a very talented offensive line. And by “once” I mean “2012”, as weak links have a way of sticking out more readily when they are playing around the likes of John Sullivan, Matt Kalil, and Phil Loadholt. Fusco became a top starter in his own right last year, mostly thanks to his work as a run blocker.