NFL Predictions: 10 Under-the-Radar Studs Who Will Impress in 2012

This was a particularly busy offseason with some big names changing allegiances. That, coupled with the first full training camp for two rounds of draftees, means that there are some athletes out there flying under the radar. 

These are players that you may have never heard of who will be household names less than nine months from now.

Whether it is due to a change of scenery, the full training camp, new teammates, coaches or just a plain, old breakout year, you may want to shove these 10 guys' names in the back of your memory bank for later. 

Greg Little, WR Cleveland Browns

It took Greg Little 11 weeks to find paydirt last season as a part of the Browns' anemic offense.

Mike Holmgren has made no secret of his attempts to find an answer at the quarterback position, but it is looking more and more like Colt McCoy will remain the starter in 2012.

However, Little is still the Browns' most dynamic offensive weapon, and with a full training camp with his coach and QB, there is no reason not to expect improvement out of the sophomore.

Cleveland will likely draft Trent Richardson, who will be able to take some of the heat off of Little and maybe open up some lanes for him to exploit.

The talent is there; it is just a matter of the team utilizing it correctly.  

Stevan Ridley, RB New England Patriots

Stevan Ridley will benefit in 2012 as much as a result of who isn't there as who is.

He will be once again be a part of the most dangerous offense in the NFL. It is always a benefit to look around the huddle and see a Pro Bowler behind virtually every face mask.

Missing from the huddle this year will be BenJarvus Green-Ellis, last year's "feature" back. 

In New England, the running game takes a back seat to Tom Brady and his receivers. However, Ridley is a dynamic back that the Patriots have not had at their disposal in many years. If he can get over his late-season "fumble-itis," Ridley can become an explosive weapon next to Danny Woodhead in the Pats' backfield.

Brady's game includes a ton of short dump-offs and screen passes. Ridley is shifty and showed flashes of brilliant speed last season.

If he finds himself on the receiving end of some of those passes, he can cause some trouble downfield.  

Vincent Brown, WR San Diego Chargers

Like Stevan Ridley, Vincent Brown will reap the benefits of a departed star.

Vincent Jackson has taken his talents to Tampa Bay, leaving an open receiver slot in his wake. Brown will need to improve in his second season to earn a starting spot over either Malcolm Floyd or free-agent Robert Meachem.

Brown gave Charger fans hope during a disappointing season, showing them flashes of home-run potential. Three of his 19 catches went for 30-plus yards, and he averaged more than 17 YPC.

Perhaps the biggest hope for Brown is that QB Philip Rivers has a bounce-back year to his pre-2011 numbers. If Rivers rights himself, expect to hear a different Vincent from San Diego making SportsCenter this year. 

Joe Haden, CB Cleveland Browns

Joe Haden was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2010 draft, and he wasn't a bust. So why is he on this list? 

Quite simply, people still haven't heard about him because he was playing for the futile Browns last season. If 64 tackles and six interceptions in his rookie season wasn't breaking out, then I'm looking forward to seeing what the Florida project has in store for his 2012 campaign. Haden put up another solid, but under-the-radar season in 2011.

He will start getting a lot more attention—or lack thereof from opposing quarterbacks in 2012—on a Browns defense that was sneaky-good in 2011 and will improve this season.

Another Top 10 pick in the draft should help the offense in Cleveland, and that will raise the stature of Haden, a name you will know come 2013.  

Eric Decker, WR Denver Broncos

Let me be the first to say congratulations to Eric Decker. He may be the luckiest man in the NFL this offseason. 

No longer will he run 15-yard outs only to turn and see the ball landing 11 yards from scrimmage. A math equation for the third-year man out of Minnesota: Subtract Tim Tebow and add Peyton Manning. What do you get?

A breakout season. 

Based on sheer volume alone, Decker will improve. Tebow averaged 19 pass attempts per game last season. Manning, in 2010, was throwing 28 times a game.

That is more targets for Decker, which can only mean good things for the talented wideout. 

Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta, TE Baltimore Ravens

When it comes to young tight ends in the AFC, Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson are playing in the shadows. These two studs can't be enjoying the attention that their New England counterparts are receiving.

Dickson showed remarkable improvement in year two of his career. He upped his catches and yards from 11 and 152 to 54 and 528. He was also a factor in the red zone, with five scores. 

Pitta also came on strong last season as Dickson's teammate. After a silent rookie campaign, he hauled in 40 catches for 405 yards in 2011. Twenty-eight of his 40 receptions earned first downs. 

If they continue to improve and mature along with Joe Flacco and the Ravens' offense, look for one or both of these men to try to one-up Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in 2012.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR Pittsburgh Steelers

Emmanuel Sanders was one-half of the duo that got Steeler fans so excited last preseason. During the year, however, it was Antonio Brown who got all the attention, and deservedly so, as Brown topped 1,000 yards receiving on the year. 

Coming out of camp, it was Sanders who was supposed to impress. This season, with a healthier Big Ben slinging it and no more Hines Ward swiping playing time, the third-receiver slot is his. 

Sanders will benefit from the increased focus on Brown and Mike Wallace on the outside. Few teams have a passing attack at their disposal as versatile and speedy as the Steelers.

Expect Sanders to be a big part of the Black and Yellow offense. 

Denarius Moore, WR Oakland Raiders

Denarius Moore is the phrase "big-play potential" incarnate.

Possibly the fastest receiver in the league, Moore averaged over 18 YPC in 2011. He also caught those passes from three different quarterbacks throughout the season.

Moore was a rare bright spot in a somewhat disappointing Raiders season that started off with great promise. In only 13 games, he found the end zone six times (one rushing) and managed 932 all-purpose yards. 

With Jason Campbell out of town, Carson Palmer will hopefully be a steadying influence on the young receiver. With his big arm and Moore's speed and hands (zero fumbles), the sophomore, fifth-round pick could be poised for a big year in the AFC West 

Joe McKnight, RB New York Jets

Joe McKnight has been almost criminally underutilized by the Jets in his first two seasons.

How much of that is New York's fault as opposed to his own, I can't be sure. However, if he is going to fulfill his massive potential, it has to be this year.

The Jets are in turmoil right now and aren't sure what the answers are at almost all of their skill positions. For McKnight to come in and help Shonn Greene sew up the backfield would be huge for his confidence and his coaches' confidence in him.

Tony Sparano loves versatile players like McKnight. He will be coming in and trying to put his own stamp on the Jets' offense. That could mean utilizing McKnight's unique skills and forging a breakout season for the third-year back.  

Laurent Robinson, WR Jacksonville Jaguars

It has taken some time, but Laurent Robinson appeared to finally put it all together last season, as he led the Cowboys in touchdowns with 11, while gathering 54 catches for 858 yards—all career highs.

He signed a deal with the Jaguars in the offseason and will presumably be the No. 1 or No. 2 receiver in Jacksonville's offense. 

Robinson took full advantage of injuries to Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, registering three 100-yard games and three multiple-touchdown games in 2011. He will be transitioning to an offense that has been as one-dimensional as they come for the past few years. 

If Robinson can remain patient with QB Blaine Gabbert, their offense will slowly improve as it matures.

He will have a lot of open area to play with as defenses key on Maurice Jones-Drew. That can help Robinson, as he is at his best in the open field.

He will be looking to prove himself to a new fanbase in Florida, and after tasting success last season, he should be hungry to make a name for himself there.

So let me know; who did I miss?