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, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West and NFC East.
Chicago Bears: FS Brock Vereen
At this point, Vereen isn’t even the most famous football player in his family. Brother Shane has almost 2,000 career yards from scrimmage and signed a contract worth about $12 million with the Giants this offseason. Shane won the Super Bowl last year with New England and it is now time for younger brother Brock to strike back.
A fourth-round pick out of Minnesota, Brock Vereen started four games as a rookie in what was a forgetful season for the Bears.
Filter Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) rankings to just the games he started (weeks seven, 15, 16 and 17) and we can see how he performed. Ranking 23rd out of 81 safeties, the soon to be 23-year old played well. For the entire season, he recorded 39 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble.
Pass coverage is the primary responsibility of free safeties and he was rarely tested in his limited playing time. When he was in primary coverage, he was targeted just five times and allowed two of these passes to be completed.
Vereen has been running with the starting unit so far during training camp. Assuming he holds of competition for the job, he could be the solution to the safety problem that has plagued the Windy City for years.
Detroit Lions: DE Ezekiel Ansah
Ndamukong Suh has headlined Detroit’s defensive line for years, but now that he is in Miami, a new star is needed. Enter Ansah, the fifth overall selection of the 2013 NFL Draft.
The 26-year old has only played football for a few years after moving to America from Ghana, but he has displayed immense talent.
As a rookie, he recorded eight sacks in a limited role. He became a full-time starter in 2014 and while his sack total diminished (7.5), he became a more complete player, becoming stout against the run.
He was a top five 4-3 defensive end last year, according to PFF, but playing next to Suh, Ansah was never going to receive the credit and attention he deserved.
Since Ansah didn’t start playing football until college, he was still a very raw player when he entered the league. Despite this lack of refinement, he still performed very well in his first two seasons. After recording 15.5 sacks in his first two seasons, a year with 15.5 sacks isn’t out of the question.
Green Bay Packers: WR Davante Adams
Green Bay already possess the best best one-two punch at wide receiver in the NFL with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, so the last thing the rest of the league wants to see is another talented pass catcher for Aaron Rodgers.
We got a taste of Adams’ talent when the Packers defeated the Cowboys in the playoffs, as he hauled in seven passes for 117 yards and one touchdown.
In the regular season, the second-round pick out of Fresno State caught 38 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns. With the Packers utilizing plenty of three-receiver sets, he started 11 games.
Cobb plays in the slot, so Adams will almost exclusively play on the outside for Green Bay.
In most offenses, there would be serious questions about the sustainability of quality statistics for three wide receivers. Green Bay isn’t like most offenses though, with the best quarterback in the league under center and talented players filling in at all the other spots.
Minnesota Vikings: QB Teddy Bridgewater
Selected after Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel on draft day, Bridgewater was the best rookie quarterback in 2014.
In order to secure Bridgewater, they traded back into the first round to select him with the last pick of the round. After sitting on the bench for the first two games of the year, he played in week three as an injury replacement and then stayed on as the starter.
For the season, he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,919 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a quarterback rating of 85.2. Considering the state of the Vikings’ offense around him (star running back suspended and a weak offensive line and receiving corps), it is impressive that he led the team to a 6-6 record in games he started.
From week nine to the end of the season, he was PFF’s third-best quarterback (tied with Tom Brady) and was the best in the final four weeks.
There is plenty of optimism in Minnesota right now, with the team hoping to surprise and earn a playoff berth. If the Vikings are to do this, they will need a good season from their 22-year old quarterback.
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