Potential Breakout NFL Stars Nobody Is Talking About

Part of the appeal to the new NFL season is the potential for a number of players to break out as stars. 

Every year produces a new crop. While some breakout players can be seen from a million miles away, others are less apparent.

In the following slides, we will look at the potential breakout stars no one is talking about. These are your breakout sleepers for the 2015 NFL season. 

Everyone Is Already Talking About...

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WR Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers: No young receiver has received more buzz this offseason. The Packers just keep pumping out star pass-catchers. 

QB Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings: The best rookie quarterback from a season ago is now leading an offense returning Adrian Peterson. Can the offensive line hold up? Teddy is the real deal. 

RB C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos: He could lead the NFL in rushing. No, really. Watch him rush for 1,600 yards.

WR Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars: His otherwise promising rookie season was cut short by injury. Now, everyone in Jags camp can't stop talking about him. Blake Bortles will feed him targets.

RB Joseph Randle, Dallas Cowboys: His 51 carries in 2014 netted 343 yards, good for a ridiculous average of 6.7 yards per carry. If he wins the No. 1 job and starts 16 games, huge numbers should follow.

QB Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins: His "breakout" probably came last season, but with all the talent surrounding him in Miami, there's no reason why he can't start scratching elite status in 2015. 

DE Ziggy Ansah, Detroit Lions: No Suh, no Fairley, no problem? Ansah—who led all 4-3 defensive ends in combined sacks and quarterback hits a year ago—is now the star along the Detroit line. He could hit 15 sacks. 

WR Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers: Eight of his 26 receptions as a rookie ended in the end zone. This touchdown monster should increase his other volume numbers as a sophomore. 

CB Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota Vikings: He is physically talented, ideally sized and coached by Mike Zimmer. That's the perfect combination for producing an elite cornerback. 

LB Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh Steelers: Injuries ruined his rookie season. Expect physical development to help him thrive within Pittsburgh's diverse system. 

RB Carlos Hyde. San Francisco 49ers: He should have a real chance at 1,000 yards while filling Frank Gore's shoes in San Francisco.  

QB Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars: His offense is loaded with young talent. The third overall pick in 2014 should make a huge jump in Year 2. 

WR John Brown, Arizona Cardinals: The sophomore speedster looks like a budding star. There's no reason he can't produce in the same ways Antonio Brown and T.Y. Hilton have. 

QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders: Threw 21 touchdowns as a rookie but needs to throw for more yards per attempt and complete a higher percentage of his attempts. Adding Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Rodney Hudson, Roy Helu and Clive Walford on offense should help. 

TE Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions: Both Ebron and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi are entering Year 2. Experience should help both get the most out of Ebron's physical talent. 

G Chance Warmack, Tennessee Titans

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Warmack hasn't been the immediate star guard many pegged him to be coming out of Alabama, but don't sleep on his Pro Bowl potential in 2015. Only three guards graded out better than Warmack over the final seven weeks of the 2014 season. He looks ready to dominate. 

TE Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

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Say hello to the game's next big thing at the tight end position. Ertz increased his reception total from 36 as a rookie to 58 in 2014, and it wouldn't be at all surprising if he matched—or bettered—the 22-catch jump in 2015. Playing more snaps should mean more targets for a tight end so consistently capable of getting open. 

LB Pernell McPhee, Chicago Bears

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McPhee earned a big deal in free agency ($39 million) by emerging as a versatile and productive backup behind Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil in Baltimore. Now in Chicago, McPhee will have a chance to be a featured player in a rebuilt 3-4 front under highly respected defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Expect Fangio to unleash his best attacking weapon. Finishing 2015 with 10 or more sacks is certainly in reach for the 26-year-old pass-rusher. 

CB Bene Benwikere, Carolina Panthers

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Carolina's fifth-round pick from a season ago emerged as the team's go-to cover corner down the stretch, starting the final eight games (including the postseason). During Weeks 13 through 17, only Chris Harris of the Denver Broncos posted a higher overall grade among cornerbacks at Pro Football Focus.

Teams will have had an offseason to break down his game, but Benwikere looked up to the challenge as a surprising rookie. 

WR Brandin Cooks, New Orleans Saints

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Cook was on pace to see 112 targets and tally almost 1,000 total yards when a thumb injury ended his season early. He still led all rookie receivers in receptions through 10 weeks. Now, with Jimmy Graham in Seattle and Marques Colston slowing down, Cooks figures to be the focal point of the Saints passing attack. He's a sneaky good candidate to catch 100 passes in 2015. 

S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Green Bay Packers

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Green Bay's first-round pick in 2014 had some rookie blunders early, but the game appeared to slow down for him late. Overall, opposing quarterbacks posted a combined passer rating of just 30.3 when targeting him last season, including the playoffs. Clinton-Dix now just needs to cut down on the missed tackles (15) and increase the splash plays. The Pro Bowl isn't out of his reach in 2015. 

DE Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys

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All the buzz in Dallas remains centered around the additions of Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory. The two figure to add some much-needed punch to the Cowboys pass rush.

But what about Lawrence? His seven regular season games as a rookie produced zero sacks, but he also stepped up to the plate with two sacks and a forced fumble during two playoff games. He's the best bet to tally double-digit sacks in Dallas in 2015. 

S T.J. McDonald, St. Louis Rams

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2014 was a tale of two seasons for McDonald. A disastrous first half that saw him allow four touchdowns and a 153.1 opposing passer rating was followed by an encouraging final eight games in which he graded out as the top overall safety at Pro Football Focus. If he can carry over the momentum of last season's finish, McDonald could emerge as one of the game's best young safeties.

LB Telvin Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Impressive in a rotational role early on as a rookie, Smith all but forced his way into the starting lineup late in 2015. Once a starter, he proved to be a football magnet. From Week 12 on, 35 of Smith's 53 tackles were considered "stops" by Pro Football Focus.

An improved defensive line in Jacksonville should only increase the impact of the run-and-hit linebacker with both instincts and speed. 

DL Timmy Jernigan, Baltimore Ravens

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The Ravens were fine shipping All-Pro defensive lineman Haloti Ngata to Detroit this offseason, in large part due to the emergence of Jernigan.

A second-round pick for Baltimore, Jernigan looked like a terror as a situational pass-rusher in 2014. His 25 quarterback pressures over just 330 snaps last season would equate to roughly 60 pressures over an 800-snap season. He has opportunity on his side.

OLB Aaron Lynch, San Francisco 49ers

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The best pass-rusher in San Francisco last season wasn't Aldon Smith or Ahmad Brooks, but Lynch. He excelled as a third-down rusher before flashing as a full-time player late in the season. A full offseason of development should help produce the potential for 10 or more sacks from Lynch in 2015. He's earned the opportunity. 

WR De'Anthony Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs

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Thomas received five or more touches on offense only once as a rookie, but expect the Chiefs to get this electrifying youngster more opportunities in 2015. He brings too much speed and too much playmaking ability to be a gadget player. A switch to receiver could allow the Chiefs to feature him as a difficult matchup in the slot. Production inside combined with his special teams impact could make Thomas a star.