Best 2021 NFL breakout candidate from every team

Every year, the league has more than its fair share of breakout players. Here’s the most likely candidate from all 32 NFL teams in 2021 to become that star.

In 2020, the NFL treated us to several breakout stars. There was a first-round rookie in Justin Herbert who was on fire for the Los Angeles Chargers once he took over as the starter.

There were also other stars that were more unexpected including Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson, Eagles wideout Travis Fulgham, and Miami edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah.

Now, it’s time to look ahead to the 2021 NFL season and identify one potential breakout star from each of the 32 teams in the league.

Arizona Cardinals: Isaiah Simmons, Linebacker

Last season, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons seemed lost at times during his rookie campaign. He was torched often in Week 1 by the San Francisco 49ers and ended up starting just seven of 16 games played.

He finished with 54 tackles, a pick, and two sacks as he improved throughout the season but he still never lived up to his status as the eighth overall pick in the draft.

Part of the problem was on the coaching staff though. Simmons, who was a Swiss Army Knife at Clemson proved to be capable of playing just about every position in college. That led to the Cardinals trying to do the same during his first season in the league.

Simmons has the talent and athleticism to do this one day in the NFL but with the lack of offseason workouts and preseason games, he might have been given too much too soon. Allowing him to master one spot before taking on more would have served him better and after a full season in the league, he should be able to start taking on more.

Once he does, Simmons is going to be a star and that could happen as early as 2021.

Atlanta Falcons: Russell Gage, Wide Receiver

The news cycle around the Atlanta Falcons for much of the offseason centered around wide receiver Julio Jones. There were rumors that he wanted out and that the team was ready to make a move and get what they could for the superstar wideout.

That story got out of control when Jones was on a call with Shannon Sharpe live on air, saying he wasn’t returning to Atlanta — and that created a bigger stir once it was revealed that Jones didn’t know he was on the air.

Jones eventually got his wish and was traded to the Tennessee Titans where he’s expected to flourish. Atlanta, meanwhile, is left wondering who will pick up the slack. Rookie tight end Kyle Pitts is expected to help as Calvin Ridley takes on the No. 1 role, but another name to watch is Russell Gage.

A former sixth-round pick out of LSU, Gage started to come on in 2020 with 786 yards on 72 receptions. He showed he was more than capable of being the No. 3 wideout on the team but his continued development over the past three seasons suggests he’s ready to become a star for the Dirty Birds.

He won’t need to be the top target but with so much attention going to Ridley and Pitts, Gage should have no problem racking up the numbers in their pass-happy offense.

Baltimore Ravens: J.K. Dobbins, Running Back

It really seemed unfair when the Baltimore Ravens added J.K. Dobbins last season. They already had a star running back in Mark Ingram, an under-appreciated workhorse in Gus Edwards, and a young prospect in Justice Hill.

Oh, and there’s also quarterback Lamar Jackson who won the NFL MVP Award the season prior when he ran for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns on top of his 3,127 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air.

So with that all-star rushing attack already one of the most dominant in the league, Baltimore decided to get even more dangerous by taking Dobbins out of Ohio State. As a rookie, he primarily came off the bench as he had one start in 15 games but he proved he belonged.

Dobbins had 805 yards and nine touchdowns for the Ravens. They have since allowed Mark Ingram to leave but they did give Edwards an extension which means they expect to continue to have a running back by committee approach. In his second season, there’s no reason not to expect Dobbins to get even more touches — and he’s likely in line to be the starter as well.

Should that happen, he should cross the 1,000-yard mark and announce himself to the league as one of the better young runners in the game.

Buffalo Bills: Gabriel Davis, Wide Receiver

Quarterback Josh Allen ended up being the breakout star for the Buffalo Bills last season when he went from a young quarterback with some questions about his game to being an MVP candidate. Allen didn’t win the award but he did receive votes after throwing for 4,544 yards with 37 touchdowns and just 10 picks.

One of the biggest reasons for his ascension was the arrival of Stefon Diggs who was added in the offseason when Buffalo made a trade with the Minnesota Vikings. Diggs finished with 127 receptions for 1,535 yards and now has another veteran wideout joining him in Emmanuel Sanders.

The only question is whether or not they needed Sanders. Buffalo already had Diggs and Cole Beasley and saw rookie Gabriel Davis play well in his first season in the NFL. Davis, a fourth-round pick from Central Florida gave the Bills some much-needed size at 6-foot-2 and 216-pounds and made the most of his opportunities by bringing in 35 passes for 599 yards and seven touchdowns.

It’s not a stretch to think he can win the No. 2 job opposite Diggs and if he does, he could see his targets increase — and in turn, so too would his numbers. He won’t be challenging Diggs for the top spot, but Davis could become a household name that makes defenses pay for focusing too much on his veteran counterpart.

Carolina Panthers: Sam Darnold, Quarterback

It’s no secret that Sam Darnold hasn’t lived up to his draft status. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of USC was expected to go first overall that season until Cleveland showed everyone they weren’t throwing out “smokescreen” by showing interest in Baker Mayfield.

Of course, the idea of a team with the first pick trying to trick everyone is confusing anyway because it’s not like they need to worry about being leap-frogged but for some reason, people thought the Browns were kidding about Mayfield and the Arizona Cardinals were only playing around with their Kyler Murray hype the following year. Anyway, that’s for another article entirely.

Darnold lasted three seasons in New York and it was a mess. That led to his departure this offseason as he now starts for the Carolina Panthers. There’s concern that he will continue to disappoint but there’s also a chance that he will prove that the issue in New York wasn’t him — something that could be very believable since he worked with Adam Gase.

One example of a quarterback getting better when they leave Gase was when Ryan Tannehill went to Tennessee after playing for Gase in Miami. Darnold could have just as bug of a leap now that he has a coach who doesn’t run players into the ground with his overbearing style.

Chicago Bears: Cole Kmet, Tight End

Making the transition from the NCAA to the NFL is an incredibly hard thing for any player to do and one of the hardest positions to make the leap at is tight end. It seems as though tight ends can get by due to their mismatch in size over defensive backs and speed over linebacker with ease at times in the collegiate world, but then things change in the NFL.

That athletic advantage can still be there but it’s not as pronounced. Not only that, but there’s much more work asked of the players in-line as blockers once they get to the NFL. Throw all that together and it means even the best tight ends often need a full season under their belt until they really begin to show off their potential.

All of that being said, the Chicago Bears should be excited about what they saw from Cole Kmet as a rookie. He was solid in both the pass-catching aspect of the job as well as with his blocking. He wasn’t great, but he did what was asked of him and was able to start nine games for them.

Kmet, who was a second-round pick out of Notre Dame, finished with 243 yards receiving on 28 catches with two touchdowns while playing second fiddle to veteran Jimmy Graham. With Graham turning 35 this season, there should be more of a transition toward Kmet as the primary target in the passing game, and as long as he improves there — and continues to do his job as a blocker — he should be given plenty of chances to prove he was worthy of his status as the 43rd overall pick last year.

Cincinnati Bengals: Chidobe Awuzie, Cornerback

With the 60th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys took Colorado cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. And after years of playing cornerbacks in unfamiliar roles — like Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne who were press-man corners that Dallas played in zone coverage — they decided to try that again with Awuzie.

Dallas put Awuzie into a defensive scheme where they wanted him to play press coverage when he doesn’t have the length to do so — also ignoring that he was always at his best playing off coverage.

There were reports that Awuzie was also limited in what he was allowed to do by former defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. Unfortunately, nothing changed for the young corner with Mike Nolan who expected him to play in the same style of defense.

Needless to say, when Awuzie hit the open market, he headed to a new home. He wound up signing with the Cincinnati Bengals on a three-year contract worth $21.75 million. Now in Cincy, the expectation is that he should be able to play to his strengths for the first time in his career.

If that’s the case, expect to be pleasantly surprised. Awuzie got a bad rap due to the way he’s been utilized so far in his career but he’s a much better player than he gets credit for. This could be the year he shows that.

Cleveland Browns: Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wide Receiver

Heading into 2021, there’s this strange feeling around the Cleveland Browns — that feeling is the sense that they’re contenders. And it’s not just hopeful fans either, because this team is for real.

After going 11-5 in 2020, general manager Andrew Berry added even more talent and there could be eight new starters on defense this season. That’s huge since their defense was atrocious in 2020 — and the new starters include potential Pro Bowlers such as John Johnson III and Jadeveon Clowney.

On offense, they’re hoping that the team can carry over their success from a year ago with nearly the same team. They will get Odell Beckham, Jr. back from a torn ACL and added rookie Anthony Schwartz in the third round but for the most part, this is the same roster they entered 2020 with on offense.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be improvements though, especially if players such as Donovan Peoples-Jones take a step forward, and there’s reason to believe he could based on what he did as a rookie.

As pointed out by Sam Penix of Dawg Pound Daily, DPJ was the top rookie when it came to yards per receptions, hauling in 14 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cleveland wide receiver room is crowded with OBJ, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, and Schwartz but that doesn’t mean Peoples-Jones can’t find a role. He brings something to the table this offense desperately needs, which is the ability to get deep on man coverage.

That limitation cost them their game against Kansas City in the Divisional Round which is why they should give as many opportunities as possible to the players who can stretch the field.

Dallas Cowboys: Trevon Diggs, Cornerback

The Dallas Cowboys needed to draft a defensive player in the 2020 NFL Draft and there was no way they were going to go in a different direction with their first-round pick. Well, at least it seemed that way until they were on the clock at No. 17 and CeeDee Lamb was there.

Dallas took the Oklahoma wideout which gave them three potential stars at the position — but it also left them thin on the other side of the ball. That proved to be their downfall as their defense was an absolute mess. They were still losing games even before Dak Prescott was hurt and that wasn’t changing.

This doesn’t mean they didn’t add some potential game-changers in the draft because they did. The Cowboys picked up Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs in the second round and he showed positive development throughout the season. He was thrown into the fire too early but in the end, that could help him become a star as early as this year.

Diggs, who never saw his confidence shaken at all during his early growing pains, finished with 58 tackles and had three picks as well as 14 pass defenses. He now enters 2021 ready to be the No. 1 cornerback with Kelvin Joseph serving as this season’s rookie to groom.

The younger brother of star receiver Stefon Diggs, Trevon knows what it takes to succeed in the NFL and this could be his breakout campaign for Big D.

Denver Broncos: Jerry Jeudy, Wide Receiver

It’s not really Jerry Jeudy’s fault that he wasn’t a breakout star as a rookie in 2020. He joined a Denver Broncos team that was supposed to be dangerous on offense since they had a strong finish to 2019 and then added Jeudy and K.J. Hamler to an offense that already had Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant.

The problem is, Sutton was injured and played in just one game meaning Jeudy was receiving all the attention from defenders every week. He also had some pretty rough quarterback play. Drew Lock took a step backward and they had to turn to Jeff Driskel for one start and Brett Rypien for another.

There was also a lost week when wide receiver Kendall Hinton had to start with all the other quarterbacks on the COVID reserve list. With all that happening, it’s a wonder that Jeudy put up the 856 yards he did as a rookie.

Looking forward to 2021, he should be able to take a step forward especially with Sutton returning to take away some of the double-teams. They also have a quarterback competition with Teddy Bridgewater coming in, but at the absolute worst, he offers a better backup for them to turn to. All that should be positive for Jeudy.

Detroit Lions: D’Andre Swift, Running Back

It seems as though the Detroit Lions are cursed at running back. Ever since Barry Sanders left them while still in his prime, they’ve struggled to find a long-term answer at the position. They hoped they had found that in Kerryon Johnson who was taken 43rd overall out of Auburn in 2018.

Johnson even started out strong with 641 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie. But then, his numbers dropped as he missed eight games in 2019, and then in 2020 he fell down the depth chart and had just 52 carries in 16 games.

One of the primary reasons for that was the arrival of D’Andre Swift from Georgia who was the 35th overall pick. Swift had 521 yards and eight touchdowns and proved that he’s ready for more after spending much of the season playing behind veteran Adrian Peterson.

Detroit appears set to turn the ball over to Swift as the bell cow and they added Jamaal Williams in free agency to serve as the primary backup. The Lions also released Johnson, proving that they believe in Swift as the top guy.

Should he continue on the path he was on in 2020, there’s no reason not to expect him to finally be the guy for the Lions at running back. The question is whether or not he can break the curse and stay in the role for the next several seasons.

Green Bay Packers: Kamal Martin, Linebacker

What the Green Bay Packers really need in order to find success in 2021 is for Aaron Rodgers to show up ready to play and lead the team back to the postseason. Right now, it’s a bit cloudy when trying to predict whether or not that’s going to happen.

Rodgers’ frustration with the team has been well-publicized but the team is banking on him coming back and allowing them to work out their differences. If he does, they should be the favorites once again in the NFC North.

Looking over the rest of the roster, they’re going to need to have some others step up as well in order to get past the NFC Championship Game. One player who could go from a role player to a key contributor — and potential star — is linebacker Kamal Martin.

As a rookie in 2020, Martin played in 10 games and had six starts. He finished with 24 tackles and one sack but showed enough that they were comfortable moving on from Christian Kirksey who they signed last offseason.

A standout for Minnesota, Martin has shown a knack for playing well in coverage which could help him as he looks to make a splash in his sophomore campaign.

Houston Texans: Charles Omenihu, Defensive End

This might be the toughest team in the NFL to select a breakout star for. The Houston Texans roster is pretty bleak right now. It could be even worse if they truly don’t have Deshaun Watson in 2021 — which has been suggested by many credible sources.

And now a new report surfaced on The Ben Maller Show on Fos Sports where Maller says that Watson might not be back until 2023 at the earliest.

"“If you look at the timeline on this, barring a drastic sea change, Deshaun Watson will not be playing in an NFL game until the very minimum 2023. That’s the EARLIEST. How did I get to that point? He’s going to be put on the Commissioner’s Exempt List – that’s going to happen likely in the next month before training camp opens up.” — Fox Sports Radio’s Ben Maller on Watson’s future in the NFL via Grant Seth of Texans Daily"

This is the last thing this team needed but this is where they are. And they have to field the team they have regardless of what’s going on with Watson.

Chances are, they won’t be good at all in 2021 but some players could still find individual success. One could very well be defensive end Charles Omenihu. With J.J. Watt in Arizona, Omenihu has a chance to become the leader of their front line and he has the talent to do so. If so, it would be a huge boost for a team that needs many, many huge boosts to be competetive.

Indianapolis Colts: Michael Pittman, Jr., Wide Receiver

This year, the Indianapolis Colts are putting their hopes in a former No. 2 overall pick, Carson Wentz. Taken by the Eagles in 2016, the North Dakota State product was solid early in his career and even looked to be the favorite to win the NFL MVP during his second season.

Those hopes went out the window when Wentz tore his ACL late in the season. He also had to sit and watch as his team won the Super Bowl without him — which was the beginning of the end for him in Philly.

Fans doubted Wentz from that point on and the team even drafted Jalen Hurts after signing Wentz to an extension. He was finally traded to the Colts this offseason and is now reunited with Frank Reich who was his play-caller early in his career while he was having success.

Should Wentz regain his old form working under Reich, the entire Colts offense should be better. That includes the pass-catchers with Michael Pittman, Jr. the most likely breakout candidate in their receiving corps.

As a rookie, Pittman had 40 receptions for 503 yards but just one touchdown. The second-round pick flashed plenty of potential and should be able to take the next step in his progression this year.

Jacksonville Jaguars: K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE

Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars were just a bad team. They ended up with the No. 1 overall pick for a reason, which was used to add Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Now, Lawrence has a lot of pressure on him as the Jaguars are going to ask him to save their franchise.

It won’t be easy for him but at least he won’t be alone. Jacksonville has had more than their fair share of first-round picks in recent years. That includes two in 2020 which were both used on defenders.

First was C.J. Henderson, the cornerback from Florida. Their second pick, which came at No. 20, was used to bring in LSU pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson. A physical freak for the Tigers, Chaisson was nearly non-existent as a rookie.

He finished with only one sack on the season and had 12 quarterback pressures. Of course, not all of the issues were on him. As it was stated earlier, the team as a whole was an absolute mess. They now hope the added talent, as well as a new coaching staff (again), could help turn things around.

Defensive coordinator Joe Cullen has been on record saying the team will attack much more than they did in 2020 and that could play right into the hands of Chaisson who has the explosive abilities needed to make an impact as a pass-rusher.

Kansas City Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Running Back

When the Kansas City Chiefs used their first-round pick in 2020 on running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, it just made sense. He might not have been the most well-rounded running back in the class but he was arguably the most explosive. Also, his ability to make plays in the passing game fit perfectly with the Chiefs.

As a rookie, he missed three games but had 803 yards rushing and 297 receiving. He proved he can get it done but it seems as though he should have done more as a receiver. Edwards-Helaire appears to agree as he said he wants to get better in that regard.

He also said that new running back coach Greg Lewis, who has a background as a receiver, is helping him get better in that regard.

"“He brings in that receiving coaching aspect as far as the routes that we are implementing and putting in,” said Edwards-Helaire when speaking about Lewis via Ed Eason, Jr. of Chiefs Wire. “So, just those little things that you don’t get taught from a running backs coach, but you get it from a receivers coach. Then also, it’s not like he hasn’t been in the league eight years and seen some good backs and then also coached some great receivers, so he’s kind of seen it all.”"

Kansas City already has a lot of weapons on offense and Edwards-Helaire has the talent to become one of their most dangerous.

Las Vegas Raiders: Clelin Ferrell, EDGE

To this point in his young career, Clelin Ferrell has been labeled a bust. It’s not 100 percent his fault, however, since he was over-drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders regime. Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock have been the kings of taking players far too early, especially when they come from a championship program —‚ take Alex Leatherwood for example.

Leatherwood is an extremely talented player and will likely start for the Raiders from day one but since he was taken at No. 17, there will be those who pick on the selection. That’s exactly what’s been going on for Ferrell who was taken fourth overall in 2019.

In two seasons, Ferrell has played in 26 games and started every one of them. He has 65 career tackles with 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for a loss. Those numbers aren’t pretty but they don’t tell the entire story.

During his second season, Ferrell played much better overall. He showed progress as a pass-rusher, generating 21 pressures in 11 games after recording just 15 in 15 games during his rookie season. He also showed growth as a run defender as well.

Having said all that, he needs to do more than generate pressure if he wants the bust label to go away. Ferrell has to get home and as he enters his third season, he’s the best candidate for the Raiders to break out — and the addition of Yannick Ngakoue could help in that regard considering he’s going to draw a lot of attention to his side of the defensive line.

Los Angeles Chargers: Nasir Adderley, Safety

Entering his third season in the NFL, Nasir Adderley is still developing into the player the Los Angeles Chargers were hoping he would be when they took him 60th overall out of Delaware in 2019.

As a rookie, he missed 12 games and ended up making just two tackles on the season. Last year, he played in 15 games and put up much better stats with 59 tackles and one pick but he still needs to round out his game.

The Chargers now have defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill who has high hopes for Adderley, saying that he’s starting to become a leader in the secondary.

"“The great thing about it is he’s healthy,” said Hill via Fernando Ramirez of Charger Report. “He’s moving around. He asks great questions in the meeting. He’s able to take the meeting to the field. You see a leadership role from him. He’s taking control in the back end, making all the adjustment calls. We’re happy where Nas is at right now, and we’re going to continue to put him in spots where he can express those things so that he can develop those things as we move forward.”"

As long as he stays healthy, Adderley should start to turn into the player he was expected to be. Having a new coaching staff that’s known for being great defensive minds will surely help as well.

Los Angeles Rams: Jordan Fuller, Safety

Traditional team building is out the window when it comes to the Los Angeles Rams. This front office is all about trading picks away and they did so again when they added Matthew Stafford this offseason. In addition to giving up Jared Goff, the Rams gave Detroit two first-round picks for the veteran quarterback.

They’ve also made trades in recent years for Jalen Ramsey, Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib, and Dante Fowler, Jr. Some of the deals have worked whereas others have not. Overall, the Rams are good with the results they’ve seen as they already made one trip to the Super Bowl and Stafford’s arrival has hopes of a return on their minds.

Of course, the downside to such trades is that they don’t have a lot of young, affordable talent. Being cap-strapped can be a problem which is why Los Angeles had to watch as safety John Johnson III and Troy Hill both left and signed with the Cleveland Browns on contracts that seemed very affordable — as long as you aren’t at the limit that is.

The good news for the Rams is, they do believe they have one player in the secondary ready to step up and become a star in Jordan Fuller. A sixth-round pick last season, Fuller had 60 tackles, five pass defenses, and three interceptions.

He could help replace Johnson and is proof that L.A.’s team-building motto can work — especially if you knock the late-round picks out of the park.

Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback

There could be a case made for defensive tackle Raekwon Davis who was solid as a rookie with 40 tackles in his first season. There’s also Robert Hunt, who played well at right tackle last season as well. Hunt and Davis were two bright spots as rookies but it was their first two picks who left the team really wanting more.

Austin Jackson, the left tackle from USC, had his growing pains and was one of the lowest graded at his position. He’s got the physical tools but probably wasn’t “plug-and-play” ready as some believed. The other rookie who struggled was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The Alabama product led the Dolphins to a 6-3 mark as the starter for them but he wasn’t the reason for those wins. He wasn’t terrible by any means, completing 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards with an 11-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. But he also wasn’t great and even had two games with fewer than 100-yards passing.

Having said all that, Tua looked like a rookie. The only problem with that is the fact that Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert did not look like rookies. So that meant the Dolphins signal-caller took more than his share of criticism.

The good news is, Miami added a lot of talent to the passing game to help him grow. Will Fuller and Jaylon Waddle will be two new targets for him which should help him start to shed some of the doubt that’s hovering over him right now.

Minnesota Vikings: Irv Smith, Jr., Tight End

It was the end of an era this offseason for the Minnesota Vikings when they said goodbye to Kyle Rudolph. Of course, tight ends don’t get the same type of send-off that quarterbacks do but Rudolph still deserves a lot of respect for what he did in Minnesota.

A second-round pick out of Notre Dame back in 2011, Rudolph played in 140 games in 10 seasons and had 435 receptions for 4,448 yards with 48 touchdowns. He wasn’t in the same tier as a player such as Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz but he was a model of consistency for a decade and did everything asked of him.

Now with the New York Giants, Minnesota will look to replace Rudolph by giving more time to former Alabama star Irv Smith, Jr. Entering his third NFL season, Smith is a more athletic player than Rudolph — and comes in with a smaller frame at 6-foot-2 and 242-pounds.

He’s able to use that athleticism to his advantage in the passing game and in two seasons has 66 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. He took a big step forward last year, increasing his touchdowns from two to five despite missing three games. He also went from 8.6 yards per catch as a rookie to 12.2 in year two.

Smith should be full unleashed this season and if he is, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see him top the numbers he has for his career in 2021 alone.

New England Patriots: Damien Harris, Running Back

When the New England Patriots took Sony Michel in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, it seemed as though they found their running back of the future. Michel spent his time at Georgia behind Nick Chubb (who went in the second round that same season) but he really came into his own during their final season in Athens.

As a rookie, Michel started out strong with 931 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. But then, he started to drop in effectiveness, gaining just 3.7 yards per rush in his second campaign. Then in 2020, he missed much of the season and had just 449 yards.

This opened the door for Damien Harris, who had 691 yards on the ground in his second season. The former Alabama running back was taken in the third round of 2019 and as he enters his third season in the NFL, he looks ready to take on even more responsibility in the running game.

New England will continue to use a committee as they always have but Harris has been separating himself from the rest of the pack. He’s the most complete runner and that should help him become the top dog in the committee that will still include Michel and James White.

New Orleans Saints: Adam Trautman, Tight End

One of the many teams facing huge changes this season is the New Orleans Saints. Since 2006, they’ve entered every season with Drew Brees as their starting quarterback and face of the franchise but that changes now.

Brees retired following the 2020 campaign and New Orleans will now turn to either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill as the starter. Both have major questions, especially Hill who is turning 31 before the season begins and has 134 career passing attempts — 121 of which came last season.

Whoever wins the job will at least have some help around them. Michael Thomas is one of the better wideouts in the game and Alvin Kamara is as dangerous a running back as there is in the NFL. There’s also Latavius Murray and Tre’Quan Smith who can also help move the chains.

Still, the Saints will need more help and one player who could really step up and become a weapon is tight end Adam Trautman. Chosen in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Dayton, Trautman was taken with the expectation that he would be a project player. As a rookie, he hauled in 15-of-16 pass targets for 171 yards and a touchdown.

Now with more time in the offense, look for him to get more opportunities — and he’s already proven that when the ball comes his way, he’s likely bringing it in. That should help him as he looks to become the Saints breakout star in 2021.

New York Giants: Xavier McKinney, Safety

Despite a terrible 6-10 record, the New York Giants had a shot at the playoffs in 2020. The Washington Football Team ended up winning the division at 7-9 — thanks in large part to the Eagles punting on the season which enraged Giants fans — but when New York needed to win in Week 17, they did just that.

The Giants took out the Dallas Cowboys, who were also trying to sneak into the playoffs, and rookie safety Xavier McKinney was a huge reason why. McKinney, who says he takes it personally against Dallas since they didn’t draft him, intercepted a pass from Andy Dalton that sealed the win — and helped him shake off a slow start to the season which included him missing 10 games.

"“McKinney missed the first 10 games of the 2020 campaign because of a foot injury. But with the New York Giants needing a victory in their regular-season finale to have a chance to make the NFL playoffs, the former Alabama defensive back picked off Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton in the end zone with 1:15 to play. McKinney’s first NFL interception sealed a 23-19 victory.” — Mark Inabinett on McKinney’s pick vs. Dallas in 2020 via AL.com"

McKinney was widely considered the best safety in the class last season and there’s no doubt he’s only going to get better, as long as he stays healthy.

New York Jets: Denzel Mims, Wide Receiver

Adam Gase was a disaster for the Miami Dolphins. He tore that team apart from the inside and shipped their best players out of town. He also destroyed Ryan Tannehill’s confidence and the Dolphins ended up trading him to Tennessee, where he has since had a career resurgence.

Even though the New York Jets played in the Dolphins’ division and had a front-row seat to the destruction that Gase brought upon them, they thought it would be a great idea to bring him in and have him work with Sam Darnold.

Now, Darnold is on a new team after playing terribly inconsistent for three seasons and Gase is out. In their place is rookie quarterback Zach Wilson and rookie head coach Robert Saleh. It remains to be seen if these two can be successful but someone inclined to bet would have no problem putting their money on Saleh to be better than Gase.

Wilson, on the other hand, needs to prove he can make the transition from BYU and handle the bright lights of New York. What will help him is the fact that the Jets added Corey Davis but one receiver won’t be enough. He’s going to need another to step up and the best option on the roster for a breakout season is Denzel Mims.

As a rookie, Mims had just 23 receptions for 357 yards and no touchdowns but the offense was a mess. He’s got incredible size at 6-foot-3 and 207-pounds and with a better staff, he should be able to take a huge step forward this season.

Philadelphia Eagles: Dallas Goedert, Tight End

There have been some major changes to the roster for the Philadelphia Eagles who decided to move on from starting quarterback Carson Wentz in the offseason. Wentz was benched late in the 2020 season in favor of Jalen Hurts and then found himself being shipped to Indianapolis not long after the front office fired head coach Doug Pederson.

Also out were Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson as the Eagles looked to get younger in the passing game. That youth movement led to plenty of speculation that veteran tight end Zach Ertz could be on the way out.

Ertz had a huge dip in production last season with his yards per reception falling to a career-low 9.3 and he scored just one touchdown in 11 games. He could still be moved and if so, that opens the door for Dallas Goedert to become the No. 1 option at tight end.

In three seasons, Goedert has 137 career receptions for 1,465 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s provided a spark as a second tight end but there’s no denying that he has the skill to do even more if he would get the targets that have been dedicated to Ertz.

This could very well happen in 2021 and if it does, Dallas Goedert could become one of the best at his position in the game.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Alex Highsmith, EDGE

Outside linebacker Bud Dupree had a breakout campaign for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 when the former first-round pick had 68 tackles and 11.5 sacks. The Steelers weren’t ready to give him a big contract though since he hadn’t been playing at that level for very long which led to him being slapped with the franchise tag.

Playing on that one-year deal, he had 31 tackles and eight sacks in 11 games before tearing his ACL in Week 12 which prematurely ended his final season with the team that drafted him back in 2015. With him out, the Steelers saw Alex Highsmith step in and play at a high level.

The third-round pick from Charlotte did enough to convince Pittsburgh to allow Dupree to walk in free agency — as did their proximity to the ceiling of the salary cap — and he signed a massive deal with the Tennessee Titans. There will be concerns for the Titans with Dupree since he’s still recovering from the injury and he didn’t truly take off until T.J. Watt arrived and took the majority of the attention.

Pittsburgh won’t have to worry about that, however, as they can simply slide Highsmith into the starting spot. He should be able to take advantage of the one-on-one opportunities afforded to him by Watt as he becomes a favorite in the Steel City.

San Francisco 49ers: Javon Kinlaw, Defensive Tackle

The San Francisco 49ers had one of the most dominant defensive lines in the entire NFL during the 2019 season. Joey Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, and Dee Ford were a great force, and their ability to control the defensive side of the ball led the Niners to the Super Bowl.

With Buckner ready to sign an extension, the 49ers elected to trade him to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a first-round pick. Buckner landed a four-year, $84 million extension. San Francisco then used the pick they acquired in the trade on Javon Kinlaw from South Carolina.

Kinlaw was a starter for the majority of his rookie season but he wasn’t anywhere near as effective as his talent suggests he should be. Of course, that’s often the case for rookie defensive linemen as they aim to make the transition to the NFL.

In his second season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kinlaw start to come into his own and improve as a pass rusher. He’s also still got a lot of help around him that should help him get after the quarterback.

San Francisco had a down year in 2020 but hopes to bounce back this season. Having Kinlaw start to move toward his potential would go a long way in helping them achieve that.

Seattle Seahawks: Jordyn Brooks, Linebacker

Jordyn Brooks was a solid prospect coming out of Texas Tech last season and many expected him to be able to develop into a starting linebacker somewhere down the road. What wasn’t expected was for him to sneak into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

That’s what ended up happening when the Seattle Seahawks took him at No. 27 overall, but that’s kind of become the norm for Seattle. They have been reaching in the first round for a while but they make up for that with solid moves in the rounds that follow.

As for their reaches, it’s not often they hit. Rashaad Penny has yet to live up to his status and L.J. Collier has just three sacks in two seasons after they took the TCU defensive end at No. 29 in 2019. As for Brooks, he seems as though he will end up working out, which makes reaching for him not feel so bad.

During his rookie campaign, Brooks started six games while playing in 14. He recorded 57 tackles and broke up two passes, showing enough for the Seahawks to feel comfortable letting K.J. Wright walk. Now slated to start this season, Brooks could be a player to watch as he tries to take the next step in his development.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vita Vea, Defensive Tackle

The defending Super Bowl champions are returning all their starters from their championship season, which makes them one of the favorites entering the 2021 campaign. It also makes it hard for anyone to really “break out” as a star since the majority of the key contributors are already set.

But when you look a little deeper, you can find one player who could go from a solid contributor to a star for them — and that player is defensive tackle Vita Vea. A former first-round pick, Vea missed 11 games in his third NFL season but he was playing at an All-Pro level before going down says Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus.

"“Through the first five games of the season, Vea was playing at an All-Pro level for the Bucs, dominating as a pass rusher as well as maintaining his typical run-defense performance. Vea had 16 total pressures and a PFF pass-rushing grade of 90.3 at the time he was shut down for the season. If he comes back playing at that kind of level, he’ll immediately be one of the best all-around defensive linemen in all of football in 2021.” — Monson, PFF"

Calling for Vea to be one of the best all-around linemen in the game is some high praise but the Washington product is more than capable of achieving such status. And 2021 feels like the year for him to do just that.

Tennessee Titans: Kristian Fulton, Cornerback

All eyes will be on the Tennessee Titans offense this season. There’s no reason for that not to be the case after they traded for Julio Jones, which gives them an insane trio of offensive superstars. Starting opposite Jones in the receiving corps is A.J. Brown who had his second-straight 1,000-yard season for Tennessee in 2020 — which was just his second season in the NFL.

The third member of the trifecta is running back Derrick Henry, who is making a strong case for being the best in the NFL at his position. Henry ran for 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2019 which made him the league’s leading rusher. His last season was even better as he again won the rushing title, this time with 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns.

While everyone will expect big things from them, the Titans defense needs to improve if they hope to take the next step in 2021. One player who can really help in that regard is cornerback Kristian Fulton, a second-round pick last year out of LSU.

Fulton struggled early during his rookie campaign and played in just six games before suffering a knee injury that landed him on the injured reserve. This season, there will be a lot put on his shoulders now that Adoree’ Jackson and Malcolm Butler are gone.

The second-year cornerback has the athletic ability and the talent. If he puts it all together and gets used to the speed of the NFL game, he should become a great player for the Tennessee secondary to build around.

Washington Football Team: Antonio Gibson, Running Back

While playing at Memphis, Antonio Gibson was listed as a wide receiver but played a little running back. During his final season, he had 38 receptions for 735 yards and eight touchdowns. He was an impressive deep threat, averaging 19.3 yards per catch.

He was also dangerous in his 33 rushes for 369 yards which was an average of 11.2 per attempt — and he added another four touchdowns. In all, he had 71 touches for 1,104 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Even with all that production, he was considered a project player as a third-round pick who would be moving to running back full-time. As a rookie for the Washington Football Team, he performed well with 795 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, and 36 receptions for 247 yards.

He had a very good season but it feels as though he’s hardly scratched the surface of what he can do in the NFL. Throw in the fact that Washington is expected to be better in the second year under Ron Rivera and there’s no reason not to bank on a bigger campaign from Gibson.

With him set as the feature back, he should get enough carries to top 1,000-yards and with better quarterback play expected now that Ryan Fitzpatrick is in town, he should also add more as a receiver as well.