Sportsnaut
Now that the NFL preseason is over, it’s time to predict which players are set for a big year. While all athletes spend the offseason fine-tuning their craft, not everyone returns as an improved player ready to make a bigger impact.
Below, you’ll find a player from each AFC North team who is most primed to have a breakout season. Stay tuned, as we’ll continue releasing one division each day, resuming with the AFC East tomorrow after publishing the AFC West yesterday.
Set to open the season as a backup, there’s no immediate path to playing time in the Baltimore Ravens‘ offense for Devontez Walker. However, he may only be one play away, and it’s not like 33-year-old DeAndre Hopkins is getting any younger.
Walker, a 2024 fourth-round pick, only saw action in nine games a season ago. But when he was targeted, he hauled in his lone reception for a 21-yard touchdown. That brief glimpse, plus a strong offseason of work, could have Walker primed for a bigger season in Year 2.
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Even before Trey Hendrickson got a raise, Myles Murphy entered the year as a prime breakout candidate. The 2023 first-round pick has yet to make his mark in the NFL, despite having played in 30 games. Murphy has recorded just three sacks, and they all came in his rookie year.
Yet, with increased playing time comes more opportunities to make an impact. Murphy may admittedly not have been ready for the NFL as a 21-year-old rookie, but he’s had a couple of offseasons now to make changes. We’ll see if he’s ready for the year ahead.
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If Joe Flacco remains the Cleveland Browns‘ starting quarterback for the bulk of the season, then their pass-catchers could be in for a big year. The 40-year-old gunslinger never hesitates to give his receivers chances to make plays, especially downfield.
Cleveland may prefer to have a run-based approach, but they could give Flacco a few game scripts that are littered with passing plays. If so, someone like 2023 third-round pick Cedric Tillman could be a big beneficiary. The 25-year-old 6-foot-3 receiver tallied a career-high 339 yards and three touchdowns last year, and that was with an inconsistent QB situation.
Yet, now that Tillman is locked in as a starter, he should be able to make an even bigger impression in his third season of play.
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When the Pittsburgh Steelers somewhat surprisingly traded George Pickens after previously acquiring DK Metcalf, many wondered who the new No. 2 receiver would be in Blitzburgh. Early reports suggested that role would go to former Michigan man Roman Wilson.
The shifty 2024 third-round pick has the profile of a slot receiver at 5-foot-10, yet his...
