1 NFL Player Who Will Make or Break Every Super Bowl Contender in 2024
While football is a team sport, certain players have the potential to lift a squad above the rest to help them become champions. The 2024 NFL season will be no exception.
If these players fare well, it will be much easier for their respective teams to capture a Lombardi Trophy. If they fail to do so, the season could end well before they reach the Superdome for Super Bowl LIX.
Quarterbacks almost always determine the fate of a contender in any given season. But players at other positions will play key roles in shaping this year's Super Bowl race, too.
With that in mind, take a look at one non-quarterback who will make or break every Super Bowl contender—the teams in the top quarter of the title odds at DraftKings Sportsbook—during the 2024 season.
Baltimore Ravens: RB Derrick Henry
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Quarterback Lamar Jackson has led the Baltimore Ravens in rushing yards in each of the past three seasons. That likely won't be the case in 2024 after the Ravens signed four-time Pro Bowler Derrick Henry in free agency.
While the dynamic Keaton Mitchell will be back as the lightning to Henry's thunder, the bulk of Baltimore's rushing load should fall mostly to the latter. If Henry can stay healthy, the Ravens will gain an edge they haven't had in recent postseason trips.
Baltimore hasn't had a running back top 1,000 rushing yards since Mark Ingram did in 2019, and its backfield has been even less impactful in the playoffs. Justice Hill led the team with 69 yards on 16 carries in two postseason games last year, while J.K. Dobbins had a team-high 62 yards on 13 carries in the Ravens' 2022 Wild Card Round loss.
Across his career, Henry has averaged more than 100 rushing yards in the playoffs and has scored four rushing touchdowns in seven postseason games. He has a track record of coming up big when it matters most, too.
Henry almost single-handedly ended the New England Patriots dynasty in 2019 when he gashed the defending champs for 182 yards and a score on 34 carries in the Wild Card Round. The following week, he punched the Tennessee Titans' ticket to the AFC Championship Game by going off for 195 yards on 30 totes.
No Ravens running back has scored a playoff touchdown since Dobbins did in the Wild Card Round after the 2020 season. A healthy and driven Henry could be the piece that Baltimore needs to win its first title since Super Bowl XLVII over a decade ago.
Buffalo Bills: WR Keon Coleman
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The Buffalo Bills will have a new-look passing offense in 2024 after parting ways with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason. While the Bills didn't sign any marquee free agents to replace Diggs or Davis, they did spend an early Round 2 pick on Florida State wideout Keon Coleman.
The B/R NFL Scouting Department ranked Coleman as the No. 5 wideout and No. 22 overall prospect in the 2024 class. While he isn't a burner, he has great size at 6'4" and 215 pounds, along with elite ball skills, play strength and the ability to pick up yards after the catch.
Coleman will have some big shoes to fill. Diggs was a massive part of Buffalo's game plans over the past four years, generating a whopping 644 targets in total. That was the second-highest number of looks in the NFL behind Davante Adams in that span.
While it won't be easy for Coleman to replicate Diggs' production, Diggs did fade in the back half of last season and notably disappeared in Buffalo's playoff losses. In those four games, Diggs averaged only four receptions on 8.75 targets for 35 yards and zero touchdowns.
Coleman doesn't need to put up huge regular-season numbers like the 445 catches for 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns that Diggs had during his tenure with the Bills. Instead, the Bills need him to be more consistent on the biggest stages.
If Coleman can accomplish that early in his Bills career and help the team finally reach the Super Bowl, he would be an even better No. 1 wideout than his predecessor.
Cincinnati Bengals: OT Trent Brown
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After Joe Burrow went down with another season-ending injury last season, the Cincinnati Bengals made a renewed commitment to protecting their quarterback. Not only did they spend the No. 18 overall pick in the 2024 draft on offensive tackle Amarius Mims, but they also signed Trent Brown in free agency to shore up the offensive trenches.
Mims has a high ceiling, but he's an exceedingly raw prospect who will likely spend the 2024 campaign as a backup. Brown is projected to bookend with incumbent blindside protector Orlando Brown Jr. in 2024, forming one of the league's largest tackle duos.
Brown is taking over for Jonah Williams, who departed in free agency after struggling with a move to right tackle last season. Williams recorded a lowly 58.5 Pro Football Focus grade and allowed eight sacks, which Brown should improve upon.
Although Brown has been far from consistent during his nine NFL seasons, he is coming off one of his better years in the league. Injuries limited him to 11 appearances and only eight starts for the New England Patriots last year, but he recorded a stellar 80.2 PFF grade and allowed only three sacks across his 579 offensive snaps.
Given that Burrow seemingly suffered his season-ending wrist injury on a hit from Jadeveon Clowney—who was torching Williams in that contest—it will be a massive boon to have a quality pass protector like Brown covering that side of the line.
The Bengals are a legitimate contender when Burrow is healthy. They lost a Super Bowl and AFC Championship Game by only three points apiece in the two seasons that he stayed upright. In the two seasons that Burrow got hurt, the Bengals missed the playoffs entirely.
Due to their ability to keep Burrow on the field, Brown—and the rest of Cincinnati's offensive linemen—are the make-or-break factor for the team's title chances in 2024.
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Dallas Cowboys: RB Ezekiel Elliott
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The Dallas Cowboys are going on nearly three decades since their last NFC Championship Game appearance, let alone a Super Bowl. Following yet another early playoff exit, they've responded with a shockingly quiet offseason.
One of Dallas' most notable moves was bringing back running back Ezekiel Elliott. The aging veteran spent the 2023 season with the New England Patriots after the Cowboys released him well before his blockbuster six-year, $90 million contract extension ran out.
Elliott is much more affordable now that he's back on a one-year, $2 million deal, but it remains to be seen if can return to form in his ninth NFL season. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seems to be confident that the 28-year-old still has enough gas left in the tank to lead the team's backfield.
"I saw him play his last games with New England," Jones said of Elliott, per CBS Sports' Garrett Podell. "I thought he played well enough to be a starter."
Elliott rushed for only 642 yards and three touchdowns on 184 totes last year, all of which were career-low marks. He did fare better as a pass-catcher, picking up 313 yards and a pair of scores on 51 receptions, which were his best marks since 2020.
Dallas doesn't have many options if Elliott continues to regress. After letting incumbent starter Tony Pollard walk in free agency, the team has only inexperienced or ineffective backs like Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman behind Elliott.
Barring a late signing, the Cowboys are placing a ton of trust in Elliott to rejuvenate his career and lift this unit. Given that Dallas was barely better than league average in rushing yardage last year and Elliott's Patriots ranked 26th, it's a tough ask.
That could ultimately be Dallas' downfall in 2024.
Detroit Lions: CB Terrion Arnold
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The Detroit Lions are one of the NFL's most exciting up-and-coming teams, but they have suffered from poor cornerback play in recent seasons. While that didn't stop them from reaching the NFC Championship Game last year, it did play a big part in keeping them from making their first-ever Super Bowl.
Detroit's defense has made some strides since ranking 30th in passing yards allowed and 28th in points allowed in 2022. However, it still finished 27th in the former category and 23rd in the latter last season.
To help address that, the Lions spent the No. 24 pick this year on Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold, who has all the tools to become an impactful starter right away.
Arnold was ranked No. 11 overall on the B/R Scouting Department's final big board. B/R scout Cory Giddings highlighted his smooth athleticism, explosiveness, speed and IQ as defining traits that made him stick out as a slam-dunk first-round prospect.
Expectations will be high for Arnold, but rookie corners have been making an immediate impact in the NFL in recent years. Sauce Gardner was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 and has been arguably the league's best cornerback since the New York Jets took him with the No. 4 pick two years ago. Patrick Surtain II and Trent McDuffie have also made All-Pro appearances shortly after entering the league in recent seasons.
Arnold could be the next cornerback who changes his team's fortunes from the jump. The Lions need him to be great, especially after their defense got surgically dissected by Brock Purdy during their brutal 17-point collapse in the NFC Championship Game.
If Arnold can lock down some of the league's best wideouts, Detroit will have an inside track to avenging that painful NFC title game defeat and reaching the Super Bowl.
Houston Texans: Edge Will Anderson Jr.
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The Houston Texans' offense looks to be set after they brought in proven stars like wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Joe Mixon this offseason to augment breakout rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. But the defense needs Will Anderson Jr. to make a sophomore leap for Houston to reach its lofty potential.
While Anderson earned some significant accolades as a rookie—including Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors—he still has developing left to do. His seven sacks were impressive for a first-year edge-rusher, but he'll need double-digit marks in that category to justify the high price that Houston paid to trade up for him at No. 3 overall last year.
Anderson recorded a strong Pro Football Focus grade of 81.8 as a rookie, but he has the ceiling of a perennial All-Pro. He was the No. 1 overall prospect on the B/R Scouting Department's big board last year due to his ability to become a dominant defensive talent.
With a first-year stat line of 45 tackles (including 10 for a loss), 32 pressures, 22 quarterback hits, 15 knockdowns and 10 hurries, Anderson showed he could be a terror for opposing signal-callers. However, he did go six straight games without recording a sack from Weeks 2 through 7. He'll need to improve upon his consistency in 2024.
Anderson struggled a bit in the playoffs as well, generating only two quarterback hits, two pressures, one knockdown and one sack across the Texans' two games. He notably failed to sack Lamar Jackson in the divisional-round loss to the Baltimore Ravens, generating only pressure and one quarterback hit in his 29 defensive snaps.
With a little fine-tuning and steady improvement, Anderson should follow in J.J. Watt's footsteps as Houston's next generational edge-rushing star. He could even do something Watt never accomplished—lead the Texans to their first-ever AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl titles.
Kansas City Chiefs: TE Travis Kelce
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Travis Kelce is unquestionably one of the greatest tight ends of all time. He's set countless records and has been an instrumental part of three Super Bowl championship.
However, it remains to be seen if he has enough left in the tank to help guide the Kansas City Chiefs to a historic three-peat. Kelce may be showing signs of slowing down now that he's in his mid-30s.
After reeling in career-highs of 110 receptions and 12 touchdowns in 2022, Kelce's output waned considerably last season. While he still finished the regular season with 93 catches for 984 yards and five scores to earn his ninth consecutive Pro Bowl nod, he fell short of the 1,000-yard mark for the first time since 2015.
An injury kept him out of the season-opener, and he sat out a meaningless Week 18 contest, which helps explain some of that decline. However, Kelce was on the field for only 77 percent of the offensive snaps in games that he played. That was his lowest snap-share percentage since he became a full-time starter in 2015, and it was the only time since 2014 that he played fewer than 872 offensive snaps.
Kelce did receive a sizable two-year extension this offseason, but he isn't likely to set any more single-season records from here on out. He figures to see his playing time continue to dip as the team tries to keep him healthy and fresh for a deep playoff run.
That would be the prudent decision for an offense that largely lacks experienced pass-catching weapons. The team did bring in Marquise Brown on a one-year deal to help pad out a thin receiving corps, but Kansas City won't be able to compete for another championship if Kelce can't continue defying Father Time and stay healthy enough for a fifth Super Bowl appearance in six years.
Philadelphia Eagles: LB Nakobe Dean
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Nakobe Dean's career hasn't panned out the way the Philadelphia Eagles hoped after they landed him in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, but there's still time for him to get on track.
The B/R Scouting Department had a first-round grade on Dean, but he barely saw the field as a rookie outside of special teams due to a stacked group of veterans at the top of the depth chart. Injuries limited him to only 182 defensive snaps last season, and he had a middling 61.7 Pro Football Focus grade while recording just 30 tackles and a half-sack.
Dean has a prime opportunity to shed the bust label in 2024. He's not only penciled back in as the Eagles' starting off-ball linebacker, but he'll be playing in a new defense orchestrated by venerable defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
The Eagles desperately need Dean to make a leap and rejuvenate a linebacking corps that was among the NFL's worst in 2023. In an April interview with Chris McPherson of the team's official website, Dean spoke about how the unit—which added a key free agent in Devin White and drafted a legacy linebacker in Jeremiah Trotter Jr.—plans to approach the upcoming campaign.
"We [are] all kind of high-energy guys who love ball, who [are] going to take whatever is thrown at us and we don't complain about it," Dean said. "We're just going to take it for what it is and push through it. We're going to be oak trees and not pine trees. We're going to stand strong in the wind."
If Dean makes good on his potential and reaches his ceiling, the Eagles defense will be much more formidable than it was during their epic meltdown in the back half of last season. Dean will be the linchpin for the defense and could make or break the team's playoff fortunes.
San Francisco 49ers: C Jake Brendel
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Pro Football Focus highlighted pass protection as the San Francisco 49ers' biggest weakness in 2023, noting that the team ranked 24th in the NFL with an unsightly 57.2 grade in this area. Center Jake Brendel earned a mediocre 63.9 PFF grade in his second season as San Francisco's starting snapper.
While Brendel isn't the only player who needs to pass-protect at a higher level going forward, he hasn't been very reliable since earning his current role. He's committed a whopping 13 penalties and allowed three sacks over his 2,102 offensive snaps, per PFF.
He'll need to get better for the 49ers to finally get over the hump and win a championship. One of the key reasons for the team's last Super Bowl defeat was the inability of the offensive line to keep quarterback Brock Purdy adequately protected.
The 49ers' O-line looked gassed in the latter stages of their Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Purdy was constantly under siege from Kansas City's defensive front in the second half and overtime. While the rising star signal-caller was sacked only once in the contest, he was pressured 18 times on 38 dropbacks, per Nicholas McGee of A to Z Sports.
Although stalwart left tackle Trent Williams made some rare mistakes and was even pancaked by Kansas City's relentless rushers at one point, the interior pass protectors looked the most susceptible in the contest.
San Francisco declined to heavily prioritize their O-line during the 2024 draft, instead selecting wideout Ricky Pearsall on Day 1 and cornerback Renardo Green in the second round. The Niners did select a pair of developmental O-line prospects in the latter rounds, but it will be up to the current crop of starters like Brendel to raise their games.
Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless noted.
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