Every season, players improve their game and take the NFL by storm. Who will these players be for the 2015 season? Over the next few weeks, I’ll provide you with one player for every team.
Previously done: AFC East and AFC North
Houston Texans: WR DeAndre Hopkins
By many accounts Hopkins has already had his breakout season. However, the situation has aligned for him to have an even bigger season in 2015 and burst onto the national scene.
For the past two seasons, he played second fiddle to Andre Johnson in Houston. Now that Johnson has departed via free agency, the door is wide open for Hopkins.
In 2014, he hauled in 76 passes for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. Despite these excellent numbers, the 23-year old hasn’t been receiving the attention that he should.
A lack of a quality quarterback in Houston seems like the only thing that can hold Hopkins back from capturing the attention of NFL fans around the league.
Texans’ fans know exactly who Hopkins is and know that he was already better than Johnson last season. Now it is time for everyone else to see.
Indianapolis Colts: OLB Jonathan Newsome
The focus in Indianapolis this offseason has been on the veterans added in free agency, but young players like Newsome are just as important to the Colts’ success.
In terms of name value, Newsome is probably the least known outside linebacker in Indianapolis behind Robert Mathis, Trent Cole, Bjoern Werner and Erik Walden.
Despite relative obscurity and a lack of snaps, Newsome led the AFC runner up in sacks with 6.5 (and another one in the postseason) as a rookie fifth-round pick. These 6.5 sacks came on only 397 snaps, of which 201 were spent rushing the passer.
As the 2014 season went on, he received more and more playing time, culminating with starts in week 17 and the AFC Championship Game.
If the Colts are to take the next step and reach the Super Bowl, they need to see improvements on the defensive side of the ball and Newsome is likely a big part of their plans for the upcoming season.
Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Allen Robinson
Rookie wide receivers were the talk of the league last year and with how many great performances there were, it is easy to overlook a few players.
One of the overlooked players is Robinson, most likely because he plays in Jacksonville and missed the last six games of 2014 due to a foot injury.
In 10 games (eight stars), the 21-year old caught 48 passes for 548 yards and two touchdowns and was on a roll before his season ended prematurely.
Fully healthy, the 2014 second-round pick is the number one receiver in Jacksonville and could lead the team in targets. The addition of free agent tight end Julius Thomas will help keep coverage away from Robinson.
Quarterback Blake Bortles clearly trusted Robinson last season and the team is likely going to be passing a lot again this year after they fall behind other teams. All of this is good news for Robinson, who could put up very good statistics.
Tennessee Titans: G Chance Warmack
No position in football is less glamorous than an interior offensive or defensive lineman, but poor play there can easily lose a game for a team.
The 10th overall selection in 2013, Warmack is known for being a high draft pick, but hasn’t lived up to expectations yet. This should change in his third year as a pro.
Having started all 32 games the last two seasons, he is now fully adjusted to the NFL game and seemed to flip a switch halfway through the 2014 season, becoming the mauler Tennessee expected to see.
From week 11 through the end of the season (seven games), he was Pro Football Focus’ fourth-best guard in the league. His most significant improvement came in pass protection, where he allowed zero sacks and quarterback hits with just five quarterback hurries. In the prior nine games, he allowed two, two and 20, respectively.
Warmack truly was one of the best guards in the league down the stretch last year and he achieved this while the rest of the Titans’ team was falling apart.
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