The NFL is a league of constant change, and every year, new stars emerge. With training camps underway, let’s predict a breakout candidate for each NFL team. Here’s a breakdown of promising players from both the AFC and the NFC:
AFC
AFC East Roundtable Week 3 PREVIEW 🔥 🏈
AFC
- AFC East:
James Cook – The younger brother of Dalvin Cook, James has shown flashes of potential and could see a significant increase in carries. After playing college football at Georgia, Cook was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft. - AFC North:
Dax Hill – A versatile defensive back, Hill could emerge as a key contributor in the Bengals’ secondary. He played college football at the University of Michigan where he earned All-Big Ten honors. He was drafted by the Bengals in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. - AFC South:
Will Anderson Jr. – William Anderson Jr., a talented defensive end for the Houston Texans, played college football at Alabama where he won numerous awards, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy twice. He was also a key member of Alabama’s national championship team in 2020. A highly touted rookie edge rusher, Anderson could make an immediate impact. - AFC West: Jakobi Meyers – Meyers, a wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders, played college football at NC State. He began his NFL career with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He is quite promising as a young star.
NFC
- NFC East: Daniel Jones – Daniel Jones, also known as ‘Danny Dimes’, is a professional football quarterback for the New York Giants. He played college football at Duke University and was drafted by the Giants in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. A quarterback on the rise, Jones could have a breakout season.
- NFC North: Justin Fields – A quarterback with a lot of talent, Fields could have a breakout season. After playing college football for Georgia and Ohio State, where he excelled and earned accolades, Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. During his time with the Bears, he set a single-game regular season record for quarterback rushing yards and achieved the rare feat of rushing for over 1,000 yards in a season. In 2024, Fields joined the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- NFC South: Chris Olave – A talented wide receiver, Olave could have a breakout season. He played college football at Ohio State, where he set the school record for most career touchdown receptions with 35. The Saints selected Olave in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
- NFC West:
Kyler Murray – A quarterback with a lot of talent, Murray was drafted first overall by the Cardinals in the 2019 NFL draft. Notably, he was also selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics, making him a unique athlete.In his rookie season, Murray’s impressive performance earned him the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He continued to excel in the following seasons, receiving Pro Bowl selections and leading the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021. Murray holds the sixth-highest completion percentage among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts.
Last year, the two most sought-after players on championship-winning teams were running back Kyren Williams and wide receiver Puka Nacua, making them arguably the most valuable football picks.Unlike Christian McCaffrey and CeeDee Lamb, who were highly drafted, Williams and Nacua were unexpected stars discovered on the waiver wire. Their incredible performances solidified their status as top-tier players.