NFL Offseason 2015: Identifying the Best Breakout Candidates at Every Position

Every team is looking for its players to play to their full capabilities.

For some, it takes longer than others based on their college experience as well as opportunity in the NFL. Sometimes, this is a right-place-at-the-right-time kind of league.

Here are 10 players we feel will come into their own and possibly wind up garnering some Pro Bowl honors in 2015. That would a first-time accomplishment for each of these performers.

We touched on basically every position, and while there are a lot of worthy candidates, we feel that these players are in the best position (no pun intended) to make some major leaps this upcoming season.

Keep in mind that we haven’t even gotten to the NFL draft yet, and there you may be able to find some rookie sensations. For now, we’ll settle for some big-time improvement from a group that has shown some flashes of stardom to date.

Quarterback: Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings

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One year ago, Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman traded back up into the first round to select University of Louisville star signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater.

When you look at the young quarterback’s final statistics from 2014, they hardly jump off the page. As a rookie, Bridgewater completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,919 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also added 209 yards rushing and one score on 47 attempts.

Perhaps the most impressive number of them all was the fact that while being sacked 39 times, Bridgewater committed only three fumbles and did not lose any of them. And his pocket presence should only get better with more experience.

Armed with a receiving corps that includes wideouts Mike Wallace, Charles Johnson, Jarius Wright and Cordarrelle Patterson, as well as former Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Rudolph, don’t be stunned if Bridgewater doubles those 14 touchdown passes in 2015.

Running Back: Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

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We tried this one year ago, and perhaps we were just a little anxious.

In 2013, the Atlanta Falcons finished dead last in the NFL in rushing yards. That ranking improved to 24th in the league this past season, but that was hardly anything to get excited about.

This offseason, the team released running back Steven Jackson, while Jacquizz Rodgers signed with the Chicago Bears. That opens the door for Devonta Freeman, a fourth-round pick from 2014 who finished with 248 yards and one score on the ground and another 225 yards and a touchdown on 30 receptions.

New head coach Dan Quinn knows a little something about a potent ground attack during his days with the Seattle Seahawks. Freeman runs big and will have to if the team is to jump back into playoff contention after a two-year absence.

Wide Receiver: Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

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With all the weaponry the Green Bay Packers have on offense, is it any wonder that they have led the NFL in scoring two of past four seasons?

With two-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers pulling the trigger, all is well on that side of the ball in Titletown.

Already armed with wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, the Packers watched 2014 rookie Davante Adams emerge as an important part of the offense as time wore on. The second-round pick from Fresno State finished his debut campaign with 38 catches for 446 yards and three touchdowns and then added eight catches for 124 yards and one score in two postseason games.

Could the Packers be the first team since the 2004 Indianapolis Colts to feature a trio of 1,000-yard pass-catchers? Don’t rule it out if Adams continues to improve.

Tight End: Jace Amaro, New York Jets

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Trying to come up with something positive to say about the New York Jets offense in 2014 is quite a chore.

However, 2014 second-round pick Jace Amaro had some moments during his rookie season. Although he wound up missing two games, he finished tied for second on the team with 38 receptions, good for 345 yards and two scores.

Yes, 10 of those receptions and one of those touchdowns came in an October loss to the Denver Broncos. There were also three games in which Amaro was not targeted as a receiver. But don’t be surprised if that changes in 2015 regardless of who is playing quarterback for new head coach Todd Bowles and new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.

Offensive Lineman: G David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Steelers

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After a shaky start to what was thought to be a promising career, things have started to come together for guard David DeCastro as well as the offensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Back in 2012, the team made him the 24th overall pick in the draft. But injuries marred his rookie campaign, and he wound up playing in only four games.

Fast forward to 2014 as DeCastro has steadily improved over these last two seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the top 20 guards in the league each of those years, and his play was one reason that running back Le’Veon Bell had such a huge season.

It wouldn’t be any surprise at all if DeCastro earned his first Pro Bowl invite in 2015.

Defensive End: Ezekiel Ansah, Detroit Lions

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With former first-round defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley moving onto greener pastures, another top selection by the Detroit Lions may be ready to seize opposing quarterbacks by their shoulder pads.

Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah was the fifth overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft by general manager Martin Mayhew. In 30 regular-season games, he’s totaled 15.5 sacks and five forced fumbles—respectable totals for a player who is still learning his craft.

More significantly, Pro Football Focus ranked Ansah as one of the best overall 4-3 defensive ends in the NFL and a player who was impressive against the run as well as the pass.

With the changes up front in the Motor City, the former BYU product is getting ready to emerge as the leader of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s front four. And a dozen or more sacks by Ansah is certainly not out of the question.

Defensive Tackle: Johnathan Hankins, New York Giants

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Defense was a four-letter word for Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants in 2014. Despite the fact that the club bounced back when it came to rushing the passer, the unit did little else well.

When you finish 29th in the league in total yards allowed and 30th in the NFL against the run, changes are coming. One was the dismissal of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and the return of Steve Spagnuolo, a pivotal part of the team’s Super Bowl success in 2007.

Another part of the team’s performance this upcoming season that could be different is the play of two-year defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, who graded out as one of the best performers at his position by Pro Football Focus. While he tailed off a bit in late December, he finished 2014 with 51 tackles and seven sacks and knocked down three passes.

Spagnuolo’s work with defensive lines is noteworthy, and he could be getting ready to turn Hankins from a good player into a Pro Bowl performer.

Linebacker: Telvin Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars

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There haven’t been a lot of positives when it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars in recent years.

While the team has scored the fewest points in the league in each of the past two seasons, the defense hasn’t been much better.

In 2014, Gus Bradley’s team ranked 26th in the league in total yards allowed, but a once-dormant pass rush finally awoke to the tune of 45 sacks. Still, the Jaguars were near the bottom of the NFL versus the run.

It was hard to fault rookie linebacker Telvin Smith. The fifth-round pick from Florida State played in all 16 games and made a combined nine starts at middle and outside linebacker. He finished second on the team with 104 tackles and also totaled two sacks, four passes defensed, one interception, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

While pass coverage was hardly his forte, according to Pro Football Focus, that figures to come in time. And that time may just be in 2015.

Cornerback: Kyle Fuller, Chicago Bears

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During the early stages of the 2014 NFL draft, then-Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery used his first three picks on the defensive side of the ball.

His first selection was cornerback Kyle Fuller, who responded with a solid rookie year and one that gives new defensive coordinator Vice Fangio some hope as he and new head coach John Fox look to rebuild a woeful unit.

Fuller finished fourth on the team with 64 tackles, led the club in both passes defensed (10) and forced fumbles (three) and tied for the club lead with four interceptions.

There hasn’t been a lot to cheer about on the defensive side of the ball in the Windy City the last two years. However, the former Virginia Tech product offered a glimpse of what could be a promising future.

Safety: FS Da’Norris Searcy, Tennessee Titans

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Our one and only performer on this list who will play for a new team in 2015 joins a club that could desperately use his help.

The Tennessee Titans come off a 2-14 season in which they ranked 27th in the NFL in total yards allowed; only two teams in the league gave up more points. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s unit also finished next-to-last in the NFL in rushing defense.

Enter new assistant head coach Dick LeBeau to lend a hand. Enter free safety Da’Norris Searcy, late of the Buffalo Bills, to hopefully lend a lot more. On a defense that has totaled an imposing 111 sacks over the past two seasons, the four-year pro thrived. His combined numbers over that stretch include 136 tackles, four sacks, 12 passes defensed and six takeaways.

While his play over that stretch took a back seat to the likes of Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes, the feeling here is that Searcy is about to make a name for himself on Ken Whisenhunt’s club—with a little assistance from LeBeau and Horton.

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com.