Carolina Panthers: Curtis Samuel
You’ll have to grant me leeway with this name. I know Curtis Samuel is much more well-known than any other name on this list, but he is one of the most underrated players at the wide receiver position and deserves more credit than he is getting.
Samuel was forced to play with an injured Cam Newton and backup quarterback Kyle Allen for most of the season. Despite his incredible breakaway speed and ability to get behind the defense, his quarterbacks continually missed him on deep passes, which made his stats look underwhelming for a WR2.
Samuel caught 54 balls off of 107 targets for 627 yards and six touchdowns; he also ran 19 times for 130 yards and one score. Samuel was one of the league’s best wide receivers in terms of target distance, as he was mainly used as deep threat. He would get open behind the defense, but Newton and Allen missed him time and time again. His catchable target rate and target quality rating ranked outside of the top 100 for wide receivers, meaning his low catch percentage was mostly a product of horrific quarterback play.
Under Matt Rhule and Joe Brady, Samuel should see more quality targets and succeed in catching deep passes. His 4.31 speed and ability to stop on a dime give me cause to believe he could be a 1,000-yard receiver next year with an adequate quarterback at the helm. Samuel is an extremely talented offensive weapon and may have a breakout year in 2020 for the Carolina Panthers.