The 2020 regular season of the NFL presented fans with several promising newcomers, but others started late. The defensive tackle of the Quinnen Williams jets is the perfect example of a player who needed a little more time. Who are these players who can become household names in 2021 and beyond? Find out below:
An Achilles injury stole Delpit from his first professional season. Cleveland desperately needed help in high school, but LSU’s former defense was unable to provide it. His return should be a boost to the Browns’ defense. With an athletic ability that tests off the charts, the biggest concern with Delpit was his ability to tackle. Cleveland – who has had some of these problems this season – needs more athleticism from the position.
Dobbins was 18th in yard racing in 2020, but 35th in race attempts. Baltimore chooses to implement a committee running approach and this is likely to continue. However, the Ohio state product is likely to become a rumor after veteran Mark Ingram’s release. His 6.0 yards per load was the third best in the NFL. The Ravens have had a hasty dominant attack since the arrival of Lamar Jackson.
Although it was a small sample, Dotson did very well when put into action. Pittsburgh has bigger concerns at the edge, but some change could be needed with Matt Feiler changing positions or someone taking on the role left by Maurkice Pouncey. Entering the draft, I was a big fan of Dotson and he didn’t let me down. Your star could shine even more with a greater workload.
Lamb is a bit exaggerated to include on this list because he ended the year with 74 receptions and almost 1,000 reception yards. However, he was an afterthought as the best rookie receiver because of Justin Jefferson’s game. If Dak Prescott hadn’t been hurt, there’s a good chance that Lamb’s name would be mentioned in a Jefferson-like light. In the first five games of the season with Prescott, he recorded two games of more than 100 receiving yards. He had none of those games in the final 11 games.
McKinney was my best security in last year’s draft, so I’m optimistic, maybe stubborn, about his potential. The former Alabama defender lost 11 games, but ended the season on a high with an interception against Dallas. One would think that updating the rush pass is a priority for the Giants in this off-season, and that just means more churn opportunities for McKinney.
Mims lost seven games and didn’t really get a chance to get used to the NFL before seeing his first action game. Meanwhile, New York had one of the worst teams in the league and was marked by questions from the quarterback and the head coach. Mims showed great potential for play, accumulating 15.5 yards per reception in 23 receptions. If the Jets can build a stable situation, the Baylor product could be more successful in 2021.
Mooney was primarily thought of as a major threat to his speed and that was certainly true. However, another element of your game can be unlocked with a stable quarterback game. It looked like the Tulane product was producing a big move per game, but that wasn’t born in the statistics. He averaged just 10.3 yards per reception on 61 receptions. If Chicago manages to discover his position as a defender, it would be reasonable to expect Mooney to take the next step in his development.
Pittman averaged 7.9 yards per reception during the first four games of the season. He averaged 14.7 yards per reception for the rest of the season. The California native is expected to be a primary weapon for Carson Wentz. With that said, he had only one touchdown reception in his Colts career. TY Hilton is scheduled to reach the free agency, so his departure may lead to more opportunities.
Sneed made some moves for the Kansas City defense in the first three weeks of the season, before the 24-year-old suffered an injury. He lost seven games before returning to the end of the regular season and the postseason. The Louisiana Tech product registered a sack against the Bills and Browns in the playoffs after registering three interceptions in the regular season. The Chiefs have no cornerback with a long-term secure role, so Sneed must capitalize.
Detroit hired Anthony Lynn, a former running back trainer, to be the offensive coordinator and persuaded Duce Staley to stay away from the Eagles. There is every reason to believe that they intend to run the ball more often this season, and last April they took one of the first running backs off the board – D’Andre Swift of Georgia. Lions managed Swift’s workload for most of the season, but when healthy, he provided a spark for the attack. The previous choice of the second round produced 4.6 yards per load and 7.8 yards per reception, but was easily overshadowed by the outstanding debut game of Jonathan Taylor and James Robinson throughout the league.