Every NFL team is looking for young players to step up and accelerate their timeline for contention in 2025, but which players are actually going to do the stepping up? Which players are set to break out across the league in the 2025 season?
Every year, there are breakout players both of the expected and unexpected variety around the NFL. Guys take advantage of opportunities, whether they win a competition or get a shot because the guy ahead of them got hurt, and change the way rosters are being built everywhere.
As teams continue on with training camp all over the NFL, which players are the most likely breakout candidates on every AFC roster in 2025? Some teams may have multiple good candidates, but we tried to pick players who have a chance to be starters and become cornerstone pieces for their respective teams.
NFL Predictions: 2025 breakout candidates for every AFC team
Kansas City Chiefs: Kingsley Suamataia, OL
After trading Joe Thuney, the Chiefs really have no choice but to hope for the best with someone like Kingsley Suamataia, a second-round pick out of BYU last year. They tried him at left tackle last year, but the results led to them adding Jaylon Moore in free agency and spending a first-round pick on Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons. If he can slide in at left guard, this pick will look like a steal.
Los Angeles Chargers: Junior Colson, LB
It was a bit surprising, given his connections to both Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, that Junior Colson wasn't immediately one of the most impactful rookies in the NFL last year. As a second-year player, the Chargers are going to be looking for him to break through in a big way and become a tackling machine at the NFL level.
Denver Broncos: Devaughn Vele, WR
You could almost pick and choose any number of young receivers on Denver's roster right now to be breakout players, but Devaughn Vele led the group in snaps behind Courtland Sutton last season and made a lot of plays. He's earned the trust of head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix, and could be the team's WR2 in 2025.
Las Vegas Raiders: Decamerion Richardson, CB
The Raiders desperately need someone to step up at the cornerback position. They took a calculated risk by signing former Packers first-round pick Eric Stokes, but a young corner like Decamerion Richardson stepping up would be huge. He's got great size at 6-foot-2, and had three passes broken up last season. If he can break out, it will be huge for a Raiders team that desperately needs pieces to emerge defensively in-house.
Tennessee Titans: T'Vondre Sweat, DL
Between Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat, the Titans have a little something cooking on the interior defensive line, even if they don't have much else to write home about defensively. Sweat had 51 tackles as a rookie last year and was much better than expected, even as a second-round pick. He can take another step forward in his dominance this coming season.
Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu, EDGE
We don't always want to go with the low-hanging fruit for these types of exercises, but Laiatu Latu is too easy of a pick for the Colts. The top defensive player off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft could emerge as one of the most feared young pass rushers in the NFL this season. He had 12 QB hits, 4.0 sacks, and three forced fumbles as a rookie for the Colts.
Houston Texans: Blake Fisher, OT
This might be more of a "manifesting" situation than anything else. Fisher has all of the ingredients of a breakout player. He was a second-round pick last year and is supposed to be stepping into a key starting role this coming season. The Texans are going to have to be patient, because they're the ones who decided to blow up the offensive line and create this opportunity for the former Notre Dame star.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Brenton Strange, TE
You could argue that with 40 catches last season, Brenton Strange already had his true "breakout" year. But this year, there will be no doubt about who is TE1 in Jacksonville after Evan Engram was cut in the offseason. Strange was a second-round pick in 2023 out of Penn State, and has all of the makings to step up and become the type of all-around tight end the league is lacking right now.
Baltimore Ravens: Tavius Robinson, EDGE
As impressed as we all are with the way Kyle Van Noy has managed to be something of an ageless wonder as his career has progressed, the Ravens are going to want some of their younger guys off the edge to really start developing in the near future. Tavius Robinson was a 4th-round pick in 2023 who had a quiet 12 QB hits and 3.5 sacks last season. He could be a player on an upward trajectory to watch.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 3/5 of the offensive line
More specifically, from the middle to the right tackle spots. The Steelers got some young guys some much-needed experience last year with Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick playing the majority of snaps, but 2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu is going to be a full-time starter for the first time. The Steelers have a young, talented, almost entirely home-grown offensive line at this point. It's going to be fascinating to see how they work together as the year goes along.
Cincinnati Bengals: Kris Jenkins Jr., DL
The Cincinnati Bengals are going to be praying to the football gods for a variety of breakouts on the defensive side of the ball this coming season, especially up front. As bad as this defense was last year, it's not exactly for lack of trying in the NFL Draft. The Bengals have a bunch of guys on that side of the ball taken in the first three rounds of the draft, and Kris Jenkins Jr. has a chance to be a stud for them after racking up 3.0 sacks as a rookie.
Cleveland Browns: Isaiah McGuire, DE
At some point, a young player opposite Myles Garrett on the Cleveland Browns' defensive line is going to come through and become another staple piece for the organization. There are a couple of options for the Browns but Isaiah McGuire had 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and nine QB hits last year. This could be the big breakthrough season he needs in 2025.
Buffalo Bills: Keon Coleman, WR
Again, we don't always love to go with the low-hanging fruit for every team, but Keon Coleman is a pretty obvious breakthrough candidate this year for the Buffalo Bills. Josh Palmer, oddly enough, could also be an interesting breakout player as a free agent signing, but Coleman showed some nice flashes last year as a rookie and should be an even more featured weapon in 2025.
Miami Dolphins: Storm Duck, CB
Pressure will either make diamonds or draft needs out of the cornerback position group this year for the Miami Dolphins. They're putting a ton of faith in their young guys, and Storm Duck is one of the most promising. He's got the best name of anyone on this list and after playing 358 snaps as a rookie, this young player is ready to spread his wings in year two.
New York Jets: Olu Fashanu, LT
The New York Jets got themselves a steal in last year's draft when they selected offensive tackle Olu Fashanu. After playing right tackle last year with Tyron Smith on the roster, Fashanu is kicking back over to his more natural left tackle position after the departure of Smith and the arrival of 2025 first-round pick Armand Membou on the right side. I think it's going to be a huge year for Fashanu.
New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB
Part of the problem with the Patriots' roster right now is the lack of potential breakout candidates beyond Drake Maye. But Maye is the most obvious breakout player candidate in the entire NFL, so we can't not put him here. The honorable mention section will matter almost as much for the Pats, who need guys to step up on both sides of the ball. If the Patriots have to manifest a breakout player this year, maybe that becomes wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk, who has been disappointing as a 2nd-round pick so far.