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. Up first are the teams in the AFC East.
Buffalo Bills: LB Preston Brown
A third-round pick of the Bills last season, Brown was a 14-game starter for one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Playing strongside linebacker in the Bills’ 4-3 defense last year, he will move inside for 2015, as new head coach Rex Ryan brings his 3-4 defense into town.
It seems like Ryan’s inside linebackers always produce big stats and Brown looks ready to improve on a great rookie year that saw him record 109 tackles and one interception.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him as the 15th-best 4-3 outside linebacker on the strength of his pass defense, which was the third best for his position.
Buffalo traded away linebacker Kiko Alonso this offseason, so the team clearly thinks a lot of Brown and running mate Nigel Bradham.
Brown quietly amassed over 100 tackles as a rookie, but his play won’t be so quiet this year.
Miami Dolphins: RT Ja’Wuan James
Like most first-year players, James’ rookie season was filled with ups and downs. Now that he has a full season under his belt, there should be many more positive moments.
When Miami selected the Tennessee product with the 19th overall pick, many observers believed the team reached for the offensive tackle.
As a rookie, James started from day one and ended the season as PFF’s fifth-worst offensive tackle. This ranking doesn’t tell the whole story though.
Through the Dolphins’ first eight games, he was PFF’s ninth-best right tackle and on his way to a successful rookie campaign. However, things changed after week nine. He had a disastrous week 10 and the ensuing week saw the collegiate right tackle move to left tackle due to a season-ending injury to left tackle Branden Albert.
At left tackle, James severely struggled and was clearly in over his head. Given that he has been exclusively a right tackle for years, this was no surprise.
Back on the right side of the offensive line, James should be in for a big second year in Miami.
New England Patriots: CB Logan Ryan
After winning the Super Bowl with the help of a strong secondary, the Patriots’ cornerback corps underwent major reconstruction this offseason and leaves Ryan in prime position for a great season.
Entering his third season in the NFL, Ryan has started 13 games in his career and has moved all around Bill Belichick’s defense, playing both outside and slot cornerback.
In these two seasons, he has allowed just 55 percent of passes thrown his way to be completed, while allowing six touchdowns and intercepting seven passes.
Ryan is one of just two returning cornerbacks in New England and has much more experience than the other––Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler who has just 220 snaps to his name.
Belichick has always been able to get the most out of his defenses and with Ryan now the top cornerback for the Patriots, he is sure to be in for a successful season.
New York Jets: SS Calvin Pryor
We round out the AFC East with our third 2014 draft pick, two of whom went in the first round.
This offseason, the Jets invested heavily in four new players for their secondary (safety Marcus Gilchrist and cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine). The only remaining starter from last year’s secondary is Pryor and these new additions will help him reach the next level.
Pryor started 11 games as a rookie, but was forced to play out of position for most of the year, playing free safety instead of strong safety. Despite this, he recorded 60 tackles, two passes defensed and 0.5 sacks, while grading as PFF’s 29th-best safety.
A physical safety who isn’t as natural in coverage as others, he is best fit as a playmaking strong safety and new head coach Todd Bowles should slot him nicely into this role. Bowles made great use of his safeties in Arizona last season.
Like James, Pryor is moving back to his natural position for the 2015 season, meaning his play should improve.
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