Year 2 Breakout Candidates: One Player From Each NFC Team Primed To Take A Leap

One request lone beryllium reminded of the information that backmost Sam Darnold conscionable won the Super Bowl to recognize that erstwhile it comes to the NFL, patience genuinely tin beryllium a virtue. 

Darnold was successful his eighth NFL play and the Seattle Seahawks are the 5th squad of his nonrecreational career, but the constituent is the aforesaid with second-year breakout candidates. It is truthful casual to get caught up successful the excitement of the latest draught people and place different young players acceptable to pop. 

With that, present are my picks for which 2025 draught picks I judge volition instrumentality the biggest leaps successful their sophomore season.

NFC EAST

Coming disconnected a torn ACL, Revel didn’t spot the tract until Week 11 of his rookie season. Now that he’s afloat healthy, I’m expecting large things from the long-armed 6-foot-2 corner. Revel is big, carnal and aggressive. With helium and 2026 rookie Caleb Downs starring the way, I judge the Cowboys volition amusement monolithic betterment successful their secondary this season, positioning the squad for a postseason run. 

Given the downhill moving crippled John Harbaugh prioritized successful Baltimore, determination astir apt wasn’t a subordinate connected the Giants’ roster much excited astir the accomplishment of the longtime Ravens caput coach. Skattebo flashed past twelvemonth anterior to sustaining a horrific little limb wounded that abruptly ended his rookie run aft conscionable 8 games. He scored 7 times, showing not lone bruising moving quality but besides brushed hands retired of the backfield. He’ll beryllium Harbaugh’s doorbell cattle with a accidental to astatine slightest treble his accumulation successful 2026 — if helium tin enactment healthy. 

Cam Skattebo could beryllium to beryllium a cleanable lucifer with John Harbaugh's violative ethos. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

Admittedly, listing Campbell present is beauteous low-hanging fruit. He’s a erstwhile first-round prime who started 10 games arsenic a rookie and is slated to play adjacent much successful Year 2 with his superior contention of a twelvemonth agone — Nakobe Dean — present connected the Raiders. But I don’t deliberation Campbell is conscionable going to commencement — I deliberation he’s going to star. He is simply a singular jock astatine 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, offering Vic Fangio each sorts of flexibility with however to usage him. He has the size and burst to excel arsenic a pass-rusher with the velocity to pursuit down backs successful the moving game. His walk sum was outstanding astatine Alabama and adjacent amended successful his rookie season, erstwhile helium ranked eighth among each NFL linebackers (with astatine slightest 200 snaps) successful completion percent allowed, per Pro Football Reference. Campbell is simply a blue-chip chess portion that has the endowment to go 1 of the faces of a fierce Eagles defense. 

Scoring 8 touchdowns and being named the NFL’s Rookie of the Week 4 times past play suggests that Croskey-Merritt has already arrived. His relation should grow this year, however, with his imaginativeness and burst a bully acceptable for the wide portion concepts caller violative coordinator David Blough is implementing. I’m expecting a committee attack astatine moving back, akin to what Blough utilized successful Detroit. But I spot Croskey-Merritt arsenic the front-runner to pb the position. He runs with deceptive velocity and powerfulness and is not acrophobic of traffic. 

NFC NORTH

I judge past year’s accumulation (47 catches for 652 yards and 2 touchdowns) is lone the extremity of the iceberg for Burden. He caught astatine slightest 3 passes successful each of the Bears' last 10 games (regular play and playoffs) aft snaring that galore successful conscionable 2 of his archetypal 7 games. With seasoned D.J. Moore present playing successful Buffalo and Rome Odunze warring done recurring ft pain, Burden is simply a bully stake to go Caleb Williams’ astir trusted wideout successful 2026. 

One could reason that aft hauling successful six touchdown receptions arsenic a rookie, TeSlaa already enjoyed his breakout campaign. With 4 of those scores coming successful the last six games of the season, however, TeSlaa whitethorn lone beryllium warming up. He’ll request to people a batch much of them earlier opponents volition commencement shifting their coverages toward him alternatively than Detroit’s much established playmakers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Fantasy shot enthusiasts should hole for immoderate imaginable TD regression, arsenic fewer receivers were much businesslike successful the reddish portion than TeSlaa, who scored six times contempt catching conscionable 16 full passes. 

Golden is the 3rd receiver from the NFC Central listed arsenic a breakout candidate, and due to the fact that he’s the fastest (and was the archetypal of the trio selected successful the NFL Draft), helium volition apt participate his 2nd NFL play with the astir hype. His endowment and anticipated workload warrant it. Golden’s opportunities volition leap with Romeo Doubs present playing successful New England, and helium boasts the run-after-catch quality and breakaway velocity to rapidly go Jordan Love’s favourite big-play target. 

Don't beryllium amazed if Matthew Golden emerges arsenic a unsafe downfield people for the Packers. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Along with first-round defender Donovan Jackson, Price was 1 of the fewer impactful rookies for the Vikings successful 2025 — which speaks to wherefore the squad hired a caller wide manager (Nolan Teasley) during the offseason. The erstwhile undrafted escaped cause from Texas Tech generated a whopping 1,777 all-purpose yards arsenic the Vikings’ starting punt and kickoff returner, finishing 3rd among each NFL players. Minnesota has respective prime candidates pushing Price for the returner occupation — including 2025 third-round wideout Tai Felton and 2026 sixth-round moving backmost Demond Claiborne. But the vision, elusiveness and burst Price demonstrated arsenic a returner could besides marque him a unsafe people retired of the slot, though he’d request to instrumentality existent strides successful this country aft seeing conscionable a fewer snaps astatine receiver arsenic a rookie. 

NFC SOUTH

It's worthy noting the Falcons had lone a five-man draught people successful 2025, and 4 of those players — borderline rusher Jalon Walker (ACL), borderline rusher James Pearce Jr. (legal), antiaircraft backmost Billy Bowman (Achilles) and violative tackle Jack Nelson (waived) — are tracking to miss extended clip this season. The lone objection is Xavier Watts, who led each NFL rookies with 5 interceptions past season, finishing 4th successful Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. So portion helium may, successful fact, proceed playing a starring relation successful 2026, his breakout was last year. 

Conversely, arsenic an undrafted escaped cause who spent fractional of past play connected the signifier squad, Bryant isn't a fastener to adjacent marque Atlanta's roster again. But the trash-talking 6-foot-1, 185-pounder punches supra his value people arsenic a tackler, offers morganatic man-to-man screen skills and is simply a cerebral peculiar teams performer, giving him a coagulated accidental to physique upon past year's accumulation (10 combined tackles, 1 walk breakup, 1 TD allowed) successful 7 games.

The NFL is the eventual copycat league, truthful I expect we’ll spot galore teams utilize the 3 information look that the Seahawks utilized truthful successfully successful past year’s Super Bowl run. Ransom, the 122nd wide prime successful 2025, moonlighted successful this relation arsenic a rookie down veterans Nick Scott and Trevon Moehrig. With Scott present 31 and ne'er a accordant turnover producer, don’t beryllium amazed if Ransom forces his mode onto the tract sooner alternatively than later. 

After signaling 10 walk breakups implicit conscionable 5 starts arsenic a rookie, Riley appears acceptable to measurement into the immense vacuum near down by departed standout Alontae Taylor. Riley is simply a prime athlete, but his instincts are what stood retired astir betwixt his rookie play and six seasons successful college. This acquisition has taught Riley above-average way anticipation and poise erstwhile the shot is successful the air. He led each cornerbacks from the 2025 people with 15 vocation interceptions and I deliberation helium mightiness apical the Saints successful this class this season. 

Quincy Riley had a productive archetypal season, contempt not playing much. He present has a large accidental to carve retired a bigger role. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

I americium arsenic excited arsenic anyone astir Rueben Bain Jr., but my enthusiasm for the Bucs’ gathering disconnected of past year’s 37-sack show doesn’t extremity with the club’s first-round prime successful 2026. Walker missed each of his rookie play aft suffering a torn ACL during grooming camp. He’s backmost healthy, and each reports suggest that his trademark twitch remains. Playing astatine a stumpy 6-foot-1, 263 pounds, he’ll beryllium a spot of a pass-rush specializer this season, but I deliberation he’ll beryllium to beryllium an effectual 1 with astatine slightest a fistful of sacks. 

NFC WEST

Little went close for the Cardinals successful 2025 and that included their prized first-round prime — Nolen — suffering done an injury-plagued rookie run that constricted him to conscionable six games. The burst and agility that warranted the No. 16 wide pick, however, was obvious. Now that he’s steadfast pursuing country to repair a torn meniscus, I expect Nolen to look arsenic 1 of the NFC’s amended young walk rushing antiaircraft tackles.

Given that the Rams pulled disconnected the biggest commercialized of the offseason by prying Myles Garrett distant from Cleveland, suggesting different pass-rusher is astir to interruption retired for them should terrify opponents. Garrett’s specified beingness volition bid other attention, opening opportunities for his teammates. Stewart doesn’t request overmuch assistance. His operation of quickness and compact spot marque him a pugnacious block. The erstwhile third-rounder apt won't commencement this year, but I deliberation Stewart volition beryllium a prime sub enactment who mightiness conscionable treble past year’s accumulation (22 tackles, 3 sacks). 

The 49ers were arsenic snakebitten by injuries arsenic immoderate squad successful the NFL past year, with Martin (as good arsenic first-round prime Mykel Williams) among the galore to miss important time. Martin was placed connected injured reserve midseason pursuing a concussion, finishing with conscionable 11 tackles aft being selected No. 75 overall. The portion suggests he’ll beryllium a aboriginal standout. Martin is an agile and highly assertive downhill defender with positive closing velocity and power. The 49ers brought backmost Dre Greenlaw, but lone connected a one-year deal. Don’t beryllium amazed if Martin is starting (and starring) by December. 

Nick Martin's rookie play was marred by injury, but helium has each the tools to beryllium a prima for San Francisco. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

A singular rookie people led by first-round near defender Grey Zabel and Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist Nick Emmanwori played a immense relation successful Seattle winning the Super Bowl. Mills recorded a sack successful the rubric crippled but different recorded conscionable 3 different tackles connected the play aft missing astir of his rookie run to rehab a torn ACL suffered successful college. While playing clip volition beryllium a situation fixed Seattle’s endowment up front, manager Mike Macdonald perpetually rotates his antiaircraft linemen. A steadfast Mills would’ve been drafted a mates of rounds earlier than wherever Seattle stole him — successful the fifth, astatine No. 142 overall. He should beryllium arsenic overmuch this year, with 30 tackles and 5 sacks being realistic goals.