NFL: 2020 Breakout Candidates

Every year in the NFL, new star players come and take the league by storm. Last year, one of them was Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, an oft-criticized player who proceeded to win the league’s second ever unanimous MVP. Who will be this year’s Lamar Jackson? Who else will come out of the woodwork and make a name for themselves? We examine the NFL’s 10 biggest breakout candidates for this coming season.

10. John Ross III, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Ross has been in the league for three seasons, but thanks to a rash of injuries, he’s only played in 24 games. Last season, he went off for 158 yards and two scores in the first week, and then followed up with another 100-yard performance and a score. It appeared as if Ross was finally ready to have his production match his draft position. Unfortunately, injuries cost Ross half of the season, halting his potential breakout season. This led Cincy to decline his fifth-year option. Ross, the man with the fastest forty-yard dash time in NFL history, can be more than just a combine speedster. He runs crisp routes, and scored seven touchdowns in the only season where he played more than eight games. With Joe Burrow coming to town, a perfect opportunity for Ross to revive his young career is in store.

9. Isaiah Oliver, CB, Atlanta Falcons

I was high on Oliver coming out of Colorado, but his NFL career has been a disappointment so far. This season is the perfect time for the third-year man to turn things around. Atlanta’s 2019 draft pick, Kendall Sheffield, figures to be the #1 CB heading into the season. They also drafted CB A.J. Terrell in this year’s first round, meaning the attention on Oliver should decrease dramatically. Although he started off last season terribly, Oliver was a far different player by the end of the year. With expectations lowered and a chance to battle for a spot, Oliver can finally showcase the talent that led to him being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft.

8. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen’s rookie season was extremely shaky. He finished the year with a 5-6 record, a 52.8 completion rate, and an abysmal 10:12 TD-INT ratio. The next year, Buffalo provided Allen with some viable weapons in John Brown and Cole Beasley. It seemed to work: his completion percentage shot up six points, and he led the Bills to the postseason. His accuracy was still an issue, but there were signs of promise. Entering his third season as a pro, the Bills finally provided him with a #1 receiver in Stefon Diggs. Now boasting three viable targets and exceptional scrambling ability, it’s time for Allen to take another leap. He’s supported by an elite defense and another breakout candidate in RB Devin Singletary. With Tom Brady defecting to the NFC South, the division is Buffalo’s for the taking. It’s up to Allen to lead them to the top.

7. Devin Bush, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bush had an impressive rookie season, tallying 109 tackles and nine tackles for loss. He had 10 games with 7+ tackles and was selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Bush is already a very good player, but issues in pass coverage hurt him during the season. Another year of development will do wonders for the second-year player. His athleticism is exceptional, and his speed will disguise any lingering technique issues in coverage. Expect him to become one of the NFL’s very best in a short time.

6. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Redskins

McLaurin burst onto the scene with a 5/125/1 statline in his very first NFL game. He added another 5+ catches and a score in each of the next two games. He finished the season with 919 yards on an average of 15.8 yards per catch. He may have been overshadowed by his rookie counterparts in A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf, but he was every bit as good as either. McLaurin won’t be a DeAndre Hopkins-like player who can thrive with any passer, though; his potential breakout is tied to the success of QB Dwayne Haskins. As long as Haskins takes a leap under the tutelage of coach Ron Rivera, McLaurin will be a 100-yards-per-game receiver for years to come.

5. Mecole Hardman, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

KC has been searching for a third receiver to complement their dynamic duo of TE Travis Kelce and WR Tyreek Hill. Sophomore receiver Mecole Hardman is the perfect man for the job. With a 4.33 forty time to his name, the blazing Hardman fits right into the Kansas City Chiefs track star offense. He averaged a shade under 21 yards per reception last year, scoring six touchdowns. Look for him to usurp WR Sammy Watkins’ role as the WR3 this year.

4. Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Sanders may have already had his breakout. Originally the backup behind Jordan Howard, Sanders struggled early in the season. There were many Trent Richardson-like moments, leading to a low 3.5 yards per carry mark over the first seven weeks. After injuries tore through the Eagles offense, Sanders became a focal point, finishing the year with over 1,300 total yards and 4.6 YPC. His biggest weakness, pass blocking, eventually became one of his biggest strengths. Sanders is now first on the depth chart, and will see a huge role in this redesigned Philly offense. Prime LeSean McCoy-esque numbers are within reach for the Penn State product.

3. Drew Lock, QB, Denver Broncos

The Broncos clearly believe in Drew Lock as much as I do. After he went 4-1 during the last five weeks of 2019 (his only starts), the Broncos added two receivers in the first two rounds of the draft. Instead of having to wait for weapons, Lock enters his second year with receivers Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and KJ Hamler at his disposal. Denver also boasts an impressive backfield duo of Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon. Further reason for a potential breakout is the low expectations from around the league. Lock isn’t facing the same amount of attention as Baker Mayfield did after his rookie season. With all the attention on the Chiefs, Denver’s potentially explosive offense could steer them to a wildcard spot.

2. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

With longtime QB Ben Roethlisberger missing basically the entire season, the Steelers elite defense still managed to carry the team to an 8-8 record. With Roethlisberger back, the offense has to carry their part of the load this year, and Johnson will be crucial to their production. JuJu Smith-Schuster is best fit as an extremely high-end #2 receiver, but with Antonio Brown gone, someone else has to be the 1. Johnson had a respectable 59/680/5 statline his rookie season, but this came in only 12 starts with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at QB. During those twelve starts, he showcased almost all of the traits required to be a star. It’s not crazy to expect a large jump with a healthy JuJu across from him and a healthy Big Ben throwing it to him. Johnson also had a nagging groin injury of his own that won’t be a problem this season. He may not be Antonio Brown, but half of that could be enough to propel Pittsburgh back into the postseason.

1. Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets

Aside from a brilliant showing against Dallas in his first game back from Mono, Sam Darnold had an underwhelming start to his sophomore season. There was no offensive line to speak of, and free agent RB Le’Veon Bell did not produce. But things changed over the second half of the season. In those eight games, Darnold led the Jets to a 6-2 record, threw for nearly 2,000 yards, threw 13 touchdowns to only four picks, and had a 93.3 passer rating. The skillset that made him the top QB prospect in 2018 was on full display. His stellar stretch went unnoticed, but it was exactly what the Jets needed to see. New York proceeded to tune up the line and receiving core, setting up Darnold for a breakout season. As I mentioned earlier with Josh Allen, the AFC East is wide open. Here is New York’s time to strike.