5 NFL Stars Set to Deliver Even Better Seasons in 2023
The 2023 NFL season may still be a couple months away, but it's not too early to start speculating on how some of the league's top stars will fare during it.
While some established talents will surely begin to fade due to injuries, age and myriad other factors, others will shine. Even some of the league's top players could further raise their ceilings and have career-best showings this coming year.
With that in mind, here are five stars who could deliver their best seasons yet and why they are likely to have such special performances.
A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
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A.J. Brown's first season with the Philadelphia Eagles couldn't have gone much better.
The wideout, who was traded to the City of Brotherly Love on the first night of the 2022 NFL draft, proved to be the missing piece in an offense that sorely lacked talented pass-catchers.
The 25-year-old finished the campaign with career-best marks in receptions (88), targets (145), receiving yardage (1,496) and matched his all-time high with 11 touchdown catches.
While this was a special season by any metric—Brown made his second Pro Bowl appearance and earned a second-team All-Pro nod—he should be even better in 2023, especially if the Eagles throw the ball more in the fourth quarter.
There was plenty of meat left on the bone in a Philadelphia offense that tended to grind out wins on the ground, with starting quarterback Jalen Hurts throwing a mere 60 passes in the final 15 minutes of regular-season games last year.
To put that in comparison, Tom Brady led the league with 219 fourth-quarter passing attempts and even Patrick Mahomes' 124 attempts were more than double that of Hurts, who had the fewest fourth-quarter throws of any full-time starter last year.
Other factors including the developmental trajectory of Hurts and fellow receiver DeVonta Smith should also assist Brown in building on his strong 2022 showing with an even better year in 2023.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Pittsburgh Steelers should be set at the tight end position for years to come thanks to the development of Pat Freiermuth.
Despite tight end being a notoriously difficult position to successfully make a leap from college to the pros, the Penn State product found himself becoming a key part of the offense as a rookie in 2021.
Freiermuth racked up 79 targets that season and continued to serve as a safety net last year, when first-year quarterback Kenny Pickett relied on him heavily to the tune of nearly 100 targets.
While the 24-year-old's 63 receptions in 2022 were only three more than his rookie amount, his receiving yardage went from 497 to 732. His touchdown contributions fell from seven to two, but that should tick back up in an offense set to make considerable strides this coming season.
The 6'5", 258-pounder has earned Pickett's trust and will remain a key pass-catcher as the team opens up the playbook more for the young signal-caller.
It's worth noting Freiermuth's volume increased noticeably after the Steelers dealt Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears. From Week 9 onwards, he was Pittsburgh's leader in targets per route run rate (23 percent) and ranked No. 6 in the league at his position for targets per game. He accomplished this despite ranking outside the top 20 in TE snaps per game over that span.
Given the Steelers didn't make any notable additions to the receiving corps outside of a dice roll on fading veteran Allen Robinson II, Freiermuth's usage should only continue to trend upward in 2023.
Jevon Holland, S, Miami Dolphins
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Jevon Holland put the league on notice as a rookie.
The Oregon product had an impressive debut season for the Miami Dolphins in 2021, racking up 69 tackles, defensing 10 passes, recovering three fumbles, notching 2.5 sacks and recording a pair of interceptions while earning a Pro Bowl alternate nod.
Unfortunately, Holland wasn't able to follow up on that remarkable showing—one that earned him a strong 84.7 PFF grade—with an equally dominant 2022 performance.
The 23-year-old was forced to play closer to the line of scrimmage after a rash of injuries hit the Miami defense, especially after fellow starting safety Brandon Jones went down for the year with a torn ACL in Week 7. Playing out of position resulted in some regression, with Holland earning a middling 65.5 PFF grade for his efforts.
With Jones on his way to a full recovery and superstar defensive back Jalen Ramsey joining the secondary to augment fellow outside corner Xavien Howard, Holland will be able to line up deep again in 2023.
He should capitalize on this return to his natural position by rewarding the Dolphins with a true breakout season that cements his status in the upper echelon of NFL safeties.
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Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Trevor Lawrence was considered a generational talent when he was taken No. 1 overall in 2021. While it took a little time for him to deliver on that promise, he had his breakout season in 2022 and should only improve on that in Year 3.
The 23-year-old showed that the stink of the Urban Meyer era would not linger, finishing his sophomore campaign under Doug Pederson having completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns.
It was a huge improvement over his first-year 59.6 percent completion rate, 3,641 yards and 12 scores. Lawrence's turnovers came way down as well, dropping to just eight interceptions after he threw 17 to the opposing defense in 2021.
Despite the Clemson product's strong finish last year—only Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow earned a higher PFF grade from Week 9 onward—that included delivering Jacksonville its first playoff victory in a half-decade in the most stunning fashion, many quarterbacks have truly blossomed in their third season.
The best is still ahead for this emerging superstar who already made the first of what should be many Pro Bowl nods last year.
The Jags have surrounded Lawrence with even more weapons and improved his protection this offseason. Calvin Ridley is returning from a season-long suspension and is set to assume the No. 1 receiver role in the offense, while first-round pick Anton Harrison and veteran free-agent Brandon Scherff are shoring up the trenches.
Third-round running back Tank Bigsby will augment a backfield that already included one of the NFL's best young talents in Travis Etienne Jr., giving Lawrence all the firepower he needs for a special 2023 showing.
Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
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After tantalizing Dallas Cowboys fans with his potential over the last few years, Tony Pollard is finally ready to take on his biggest role in the offense yet.
With Ezekiel Elliot's release earlier this offseason, the path is finally clear for the once-unheralded backup to assume a full-time starting role.
Pollard hadn't been unproductive by any means while working behind Elliott. He carved out his own niche in the offense in recent seasons, a part-time rushing and part-time receiving role that resulted in a career-best showing in 2022.
The 26-year-old finished the campaign having breached the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his four NFL seasons while adding 371 yards on 39 receptions. He scored a total of 12 touchdowns for the Cowboys, obliterating his previous high of five scores.
Already fantasy football's No. 8 overall running back in PPR scoring formats, the Memphis product could challenge for the No. 1 spot in 2023. Elliott's departure has left a major amount of volume up for grabs—the veteran led the team with 231 totes last year and was targeted 23 times in the passing game—with Pollard the clear-cut choice to assume the lion's share of that vacated workload.
Malik Davis, Ronald Jones and rookie Deuce Vaughn are the only competition he will have for touches if the Cowboys don't add another back to the mix.
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