(Photo by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images)

One of the hardest things to do in the NFL is predict, before the season, which teams will earn the right to keep playing on through the winter months.

Making the playoffs requires a lot of things of a football team: determination, hard work, skill, management of egos, and luck.

The last one plays a particularly pronounced role in one facet of NFL life: injuries.

They strike early and often (just ask Tom Brady) in the league and, at any moment, a player's career can be dashed in one play. It's the sad truth of the NFL.

But an injury to even the most important player does not necessarily doom a team's season. (again, ask Tom Brady's replacement, Matt Cassel)

Great teams are always preparing for the worst, and while no team, player, or fan should ever wish for an injury, a team must always be prepared by stocking every roster spot with as much talent as possible.

With that, I'd like to point out who, in my opinion, are the most talented players in the league who wait in the wings, ready at a moment's notice to step into the limelight. 

The idea of a "backup" in the NFL is never really set, though, especially as "platooning" has taken hold across the league. For instance, some of the most successful backfields in the game today are comprised of not even one or two star backs, but a whole group who share the load.

Many hands make light work, as they say. So I've tried to take that into account as much as possible and go with players who also do their work on special teams, only in specific game situations, or have to make the most of limited touches on the ball.

But that just makes the list more debatable, which is half the fun.

1. Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints

While Reggie Bush has proven to be as explosive and athletic a player in the NFL as he was in college, he has yet to really find success is a running back in the NFL.

Yet behind him is Pierre Thomas, a supremely talented back out of Illinois who has yet to really see a great deal of time in the NFL.

Thomas went undrafted out of college and was signed by the Saints to fill out camp, but performed so well that they kept him on the roster, where he's been ever since.

The last two years he has entered the season behind Bush on the depth chart, and as training camp is set to begin hasn't quite supplanted his more esteemed teammate.

But Reggie's injury last year allowed Thomas to earn much more time behind center, where he outperformed Bush's career yards-per-carry mark by a full yard (4.8 vs. 3.8) and managed nine rushing touchdowns in just 129 attempts.

His coming-out party was really Week 17 of the 2007 season, though, when he got the start and ended up with 226 yards from scrimmage (105 rushing, 121 through the air) and caught a touchdown.

It put Thomas on the map...and lost me a fantasy football title. But I don't hold a grudge or anything...I swear.

Also displaying some very soft hands, reeling in 32 receptions, Thomas could find a lot more work on first and second down this season, even if Bush is healthy.

While Bush is still one of the most exciting athletes in the game, and might be the league's best punt returner, it's unlikely that he'll keep his hold on the mantle of starting running back much longer with Thomas performing so admirably in limited time.

And then it might be Thomas getting the Subway promotions.

By the way, I was watching Happy Gilmore not too long ago and there's the part where he gets the Subway sponsorship, and he mentions they gave him a card to get free Subway for the rest of his life along with his sponsorship money.

I've always wondered if a restaurant would do that. Like is Mr. Submarine still mailing coupons to Scottie Pippen? Is Larry Bird still rocking Chardon Jeans free of charge?

I know some people who do contracts like this for pro athletes, but I'm always embarassed to actually ask them. I think I'd just prefer to go on pretending that somewhere in Tiger Woods' house is a fountain spouting free Gatorade.

2. Lawrence Timmons, LB, Pittsburgh

I wasn't originally going to put Timmons on this list, for the obvious reason that the guy who was in front of him on the depth chart, Larry Foote, is no longer with the team, so Timmons should get the chance to show the world what he can really do.

But when you think Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker in 2008, you think James Harrison. You think LaMarr Woodley. You think James Farrior.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?