Sportsnaut
Now that NFL rosters are set (for now), 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 NFC 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 NFC East tomorrow after publishing the NFC West yesterday.
Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter was the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Some might say he already enjoyed a breakout season last year when he recorded five sacks, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this 6-foot-6, 326-pound behemoth. Now joined by Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, Dexter should have an easier time pushing the pocket, and it could lead to a big year.
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Terrion Arnold already had a good year in his rookie season by many measures, earning 15 starts for a team that won 15 games. But we believe this 2024 first-round pick can take the next step and emerge as a Pro Bowl player in 2025. After deflecting 10 passes as a rookie, watch him be one step quicker, which will help him record his first NFL interception, plus a few more.
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We initially had Lukas Van Ness, the 13th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft selected. But after the Micah Parsons trade, he won’t get nearly as many snaps. Meanwhile, the addition of Parsons could make things easier on the Green Bay Packers‘ defensive interior. If so, we’re picking 6-foot-3, 296-pound defensive tackle Karl Brooks, who’s played in all 34 games of the past two seasons, but he’s never started a game. With 7.5 sacks across two seasons, don’t be surprised if Brooks puts forth a career year.
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Typically, if you’re a player who’s now on his fourth team in as many seasons, it means you’re running out of chances. That may be true for Jeff Okudah. However, in this case, it could be a case where a bright defensive mind like Brian Flores sees something in the third overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. Still just 26 years old, Okudah may be entering his prime, and having a strong pass-rush up front will only make life easier on the twitchy athlete.
Related: Minnesota Vikings Predictions 2025
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