AFC breakout candidates: A new potential star for every team
It's breakout season.
Whether you're hoping to find the deciding factor in the division standings or trying to win your fantasy league, there's incredible value in finding the next young NFL stars.
This week, we're looking for those guys. Wednesday, we took a look at a breakout candidate for each team in the NFC. Today, we follow suit with the AFC.
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills: TE Dalton Kincaid
Kincaid's name is bigger than most of the guys on the list. He was the first tight end drafted last year and had a strong rookie season.
I still think he'll be on another level by the time we get to 2025. Josh Allen lost 42% of his targets from last year, and Kincaid is the surest option returning, with room to grow from his first season. The Bills will need a wide receiver or two to step up, but I think Kincaid is going to be the focal point of their offense.
Miami Dolphins: RB Jaylen Wright
Hard to see how Mike McDaniel finds touches for another speed demon skill player, but I trust him to find a way. After all, why would the Dolphins trade up to draft Wright with Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane already on the roster? He might not have a huge role, but here's guessing Wright will make the type of plays that turn heads.
New England Patriots: DE Keion White
I'm not sure how much Patriots football the general public was watching by November of last year, but White was a bright spot on an otherwise lousy team. The stats weren't impressive, but his power and motor jumped off the screen. A big Year 2 jump would go a long way for the New England defense — especially now that the club has traded Matthew Judon.
New York Jets: DE Jermaine Johnson
The Jets might have no choice but to continue churning out badass pass-rushers. Bryce Huff is off to Philadelphia, John Franklin-Myers is in Denver now and apparently Haason Reddick might not show up this season. Fortunately, New York has another budding star in Johnson. Maybe it's fair to say 2023 was a bit of a breakout, as Johnson managed 7.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl nod in Year 2. But 2024 looks like it's going to bring added opportunity — and with it, maybe a chance for Johnson to become a true household name.
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens: LB Trenton Simpson
Call it an experiment on Roquan Smith's effect on a defense. Smith showed up midway through 2022 and immediately helped Patrick Queen raise his game. With Queen now playing for the rival Steelers, can Smith help Simpson make the same leap? We don't have much to go off of, but playing next to one of the game's very best linebackers can't hurt.
Cincinnati Bengals: OT Amarius Mims
This prediction has already taken a bit of a hit, unfortunately, as Mims is now sidelined with a pectoral injury for the next month. But the massive rookie looked awfully impressive in his preseason debut. If the injury doesn't derail his development too much, it's not hard to imagine Mims starting — and excelling — early in his career.
Cleveland Browns: RB Jerome Ford
It's hard to identify unsung talent in Cleveland, as the Browns boast one of the most talented and veteran-heavy rosters in the NFL. Ford fits the bill, though, due to the unfortunate injury to Nick Chubb. The Browns lost Chubb for the season in Week 2 of last year, and Ford saw the most carries in his absence. Hopefully, Chubb is back in the lineup early this season. In the meantime, Ford has a big opportunity to build on his 813 rushing yards last fall.
Pittsburgh Steelers: DT Keeanu Benton
A stout nose tackle who contributes to the pass rush is one of the rarest gems in football, and that's what the Steelers are hoping they've found in Benton. The guy managed 22 pressures from that position while playing just 270 pass rush snaps last year. Considering the horses already on that line, an uptick in production would mean big things for Pittsburgh.
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans: CB Kamari Lassiter
Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans spent their offseason loading the Houston defense with veteran talent — with one very obvious exception. Lassiter, the second-round pick out of Georgia, is the obvious favorite to land the starting corner job. He's even listed as a starter on the team's official depth chart. What's more, if he earns the job, he'll be starting across from a burgeoning star in Derek Stingley Jr. That sounds like a lot of opportunities at targets, and a big chance to either sink or swim.
Indianapolis Colts: WR Adonai Mitchell
Indy's destiny is clearly in the hands of Anthony Richardson. If the Colts' talented young signal-caller is good, they'll be good. If he struggles or deals with further injuries, we can guess how it will go. If we can assume for a second that Richardson is available, the next-best variable might be his newest pass catcher. We know Michael Pittman Jr. is a good player, but the Colts' offense has long been looking for some added ability. Even if he's a rookie, Mitchell has the natural ability to make an instant impact.
Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Anton Harrison
It was an encouraging rookie season for Harrison in Jacksonville, particularly as a pass protector. After struggling in the early going, he didn't allow a sack in the final nine games of 2023, per PFF. If he can maintain that while improving as a run blocker, we'll be talking about him as a star tackle.
Tennessee Titans: OG Peter Skoronski
Hard to blame Skoronski for the mess that was Tennessee's offensive line in 2023, but it's a new day. Skoronski is now sandwiched between a proven veteran center in Lloyd Cushenberry, and a mammoth left tackle in J.C. Latham. More importantly, offensive line wizard Bill Callahan is coaching the whole crew. It shouldn't be a surprise if Skoronski is a big part in returning the Titans' offensive line to its former glory.
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos: LB Baron Browning
Is the general public aware that Browning has 9.5 sacks over the past two seasons despite missing 10 games? It doesn't feel like it. The guy has been a bright spot for a Broncos team without a lot to be excited about the last 2-3 years. What's more, he's entering a contract year, which should give him that much more motivation to make sure people take notice.
Kansas City Chiefs: OT Kingsley Suamataia
The rookie is going to have to beat out Wanya Morris, but I have to imagine that's the Chiefs' preferred outcome from their second-round draft pick. It's got to be a surreal feeling earning a starting job for the back-to-back champs, but if Suamataia pulls it off, he will have earned it.
Las Vegas Raiders: DE Malcolm Koonce
Slightly ironic that a third-round draft pick has so thoroughly taken the edge spot intended for a top-10 draft pick in Tyree Wilson. That's not Koonce's problem, though. The guy balled across from Maxx Crosby last year, and now he'll have Christian Wilkins making his life even easier. Another jump from Koonce could help the Raiders stake their claim as the best pass rush in the NFL.
Los Angeles Chargers: RB J.K. Dobbins
Dobbins would already be a star if not for a ridiculous rash of injuries. Hopefully, those problems haven't sapped him of the explosiveness he showed as a rookie out of Ohio State, all the way back in 2020. He enters the season at just 25 years old, with a revamped Chargers offensive line and a head coach in Jim Harbaugh who loves to pound the rock. Maybe this is (finally) the year.
David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team's official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback's time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.
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