Under-the-Radar Players Who Could Become Big Names in NFL Training Camps

NFL training camps are almost here, with the first starting on July 22.

This time of the year means different things for different people. Established veterans still enjoying the prime years of their careers are likely just looking to gain conditioning and sharpen any area of their skill set that softened over the long offseason.

It's the players at either end of the spectrum who need to do more work at this time of the year. Older veterans must re-establish their ability and prove that physical decline isn't limiting their effectiveness. Younger players who are still on their rookie deals are trying to establish themselves for a first time, earning a roster spot, a backup position or a full-time starting job.

Older players and younger players are tied together in this sense, because they are often competing with each other for those roles with the team.

Identifying the players who are ready to take advantage of their opportunities in training camp can be very difficult, but it's not impossible to figure out who is more likely than the others. As such, here are nine players who have the talent to expand their roles with their respective teams moving forward.

Chris Matthews, Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks

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Had the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl in February, the name Chris Matthews would have been much more prominent during the offseason.

Matthews was arguably the Seahawks' strongest MVP candidate in the game itself. He has just four career receptions, and all four came against the New England Patriots that day. Those receptions accounted for 109 total yards, including a crucial touchdown at the end of the first half and two 40-plus-yard plays.

Despite his breakout display on the biggest stage of them all, Matthews is still not being considered much by outsiders looking in at the Seahawks. The addition of Jimmy Graham and the focus on Russell Wilson's contract situation have overshadowed any potential attention he would have received.

Standing at 6'5" and 218 pounds, the 25-year-old receiver offers the Seahawks offense something it doesn't have out wide.

He can comfortably work his way downfield before using his huge, fluid frame to adjust to the ball in the air against tight coverage. Graham's arrival offers the Seahawks a second deep threat who can bully defensive backs, but Matthews showed off more flexibility to help his quarterback at the catch point in the Super Bowl.

Of course, comparing Matthews and Graham is unfair to Graham because the tight end has established himself in the league whereas Matthews is still trying to earn his roster spot. Speaking to 710 ESPN Seattle, via Terry Blount of ESPN.com, Matthews outlined his understanding of the obstacles in front of him:

"

My expectation is to compete and play as hard as I can and give a great effort for the team and help us win. …

Last year was a lot of ups and downs for me. I was just trying to figure out what was best for me. How can I fit in? The biggest thing was when I understood practice means a lot here. You practice hard, you play hard, is what a lot of people say here. I picked that up and embraced it.

"

Matthews could easily bust before the season even begins. He didn't make the roster out of training camp last season, so there is precedent here. However, if Matthews does carry over his breakout display from the Super Bowl, his upside is huge.

He could be the final piece in a much-improved Seattle passing game.

Owa Odighizuwa, Defensive End, New York Giants

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There is some irony in Owa Odighizuwa benefiting from an injury to a player ahead of him as the New York Giants enter training camp.

Obviously, that player is defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul's damaged hand will prevent him from participating in training camp and will likely keep him sidelined into the regular season. Odighizuwa won't assume his starting role, but he will become a greater part of the rotation.

It's ironic that Odighizuwa would benefit from the pain of another because he fell far in the 2015 NFL draft due to his hip problems.

From a sheer talent perspective, Odighizuwa should have been a top-five or top-10 pick in the draft. Instead, he fell to the third round because of his health. He landed with the Giants in position to be a depth player behind Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers while competing for playing time with second-year player Damontre Moore.

Even though Odighizuwa wasn't initially in position to be a major contributor for the Giants this year, he is a pro-ready prospect with the potential to compete for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Odighizuwa will be able to be effective immediately in the NFL because of his hands. Much like James Harrison during his prime, the former UCLA defensive lineman has a rare combination of violence, quickness and strength in his hands.

He powered through bigger offensive guards in college when working from the inside and thrusted offensive tackles aside when working from the outside. Odighizuwa won't expect to immediately dominate professional athletes the way he did amateur ones, but his strength should translate.

Bending the edge isn't something that Odighizuwa appears capable of, but he won't need to do that to take over practices against teammates and be effective in preseason games before becoming a key cog in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's rotation upfront.

Those hip injuries will likely shorten his career, but Odighizuwa should burn bright early on.

Bruce Ellington, Wide Receiver, San Francisco 49ers

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Save for a two-touchdown performance (one rushing, one receiving) against the San Diego Chargers in Week 16, Bruce Ellington was largely contained to a special teams role during his rookie season.

Ellington didn't touch the ball much during that game, either, but the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver was able to show off different elements of his skill set—elements that blur his positional distinction between wide receiver and running back.

While the 23-year-old has always played wide receiver, Ellington's short stature and bulky frame make him most similar to running back Darren Sproles.

Against the Chargers, Ellington repeatedly broke tackles and hit contact aggressively despite his 5'9", 197-pound frame. The 49ers weren't looking for a receiving back like Sproles or even a slot receiver last season. Instead, they relied on veterans such as Frank Gore, Brandon Lloyd and Stevie Johnson as complementary pieces in the passing game.

Now that each of Gore, Lloyd and Johnson have moved on, a clear path exists for Ellington to get on the field. It appears unlikely that Ellington will actually line up in the backfield regularly, but he is in line to be the team's third receiver behind Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith.

Ellington is a small receiver without added length to compensate for his size. Instead, he makes up for his smaller stature with precise routes, quick feet and impressive ball skills. Playing with Colin Kaepernick won't get the most out of him, because Kaepernick can't throw him open or anticipate his routes.

Despite his situation, Ellington should still be able to establish himself as a quality receiver and a potentially dangerous runner on end-arounds and screen plays.

Richard Rodgers, Tight End, Green Bay Packers

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Andrew Quarless' off-field actions this offseason don't appear to be affecting his status with the Packers, but his presence won't deter Richard Rodgers from competing for the starting tight end spot in what is a high-powered passing game.

Rodgers was impressive as a rookie in a limited role. He caught 20 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns while playing limited snaps.

Quarless and Rodgers were sharing the starting role last season, so Rodgers should have an opportunity to take some of the veteran's snaps with strong play through training camp and the preseason. Quarless won't be easily pushed aside, though.

During his rookie season, Rodgers showed off natural ball skills, soft hands and an understanding of how to get open against different coverages. At 6'4" and 257 pounds, Rodgers can comfortably run in space while still showing off the balance and quickness required to run routes in tight spaces.

Since Jermichael Finley's career was brought to an end by injury, the Packers haven't had an established pass-catching tight end who could legitimately intimidate the defense. Quarless is a good receiver with more value as a blocker. In the Packers offense, that versatile skill set is valuable.

In spite of Quarless' value as a blocker, Rodgers' upside as a receiver could add another layer to an already stacked passing attack. His athleticism and natural receiving ability are simply too dangerous to be constrained to a limited role.

Scott Crichton, Defensive End, Minnesota Vikings

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Scott Crichton was a third-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft. He joined head coach Mike Zimmer's defensive line group as a defensive end. Although he barely played as a rookie, it was primarily due to the quality of players ahead of him rather than him lacking talent.

Instead of featuring during his rookie season, Crichton spent his time adjusting to the NFL and learning the defensive scheme—a concept that is not unusual in a Zimmer defense.

The former Oregon State prospect isn't expected to start during his second season. That is because Brian Robison and Everson Griffen still sit atop the depth chart. Corey Wootton, the team's third defensive end last season, has moved on in free agency, though. Crichton should be the favorite to assume his role.

Danielle Hunter, a third-round pick in 2015, is Crichton's primary competition, but Hunter is expected to assume Crichton's role as the inactive, developmental rookie.

With Robison sidelined during offseason activities this year, Crichton has been getting more opportunities to work with the first team. Robison told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "I think Scott Crichton has made huge strides. I think he's done a lot of tremendous things so far with the way he's playing the run and rushing the passer."

As a prospect, Crichton offered a versatile skill set—he can be effective both against the run and the pass. His pass-rushing ability was more narrowly defined, as he excelled converting speed to power coming off the edge or shooting gaps between the tackles.

To be a dominant pass-rusher in the NFL, you must have a varied skill set. However, to be a valuable starting defensive end and pass-rusher, you just need to be very effective with what you do well.

Crichton projects forward as a player who can be a long-term starter in Zimmer's defense. He has the size, strength and explosiveness to beat professional offensive linemen on a regular basis. With Zimmer's guidance to help him better his technique, he may be able to force Robison out of his starting spot sooner rather than later.

Josh Huff, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles

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Chip Kelly has dramatically altered the appearance of his offense this year. From releasing Evan Mathis, to trading for Sam Bradford, to trading away LeSean McCoy, the Philadelphia Eagles head coach hasn't been shy about attempting to improve his personnel.

At the wide receiver position, Jeremy Maclin departed in free agency, and rookie Nelson Agholor is likely to replace him. Agholor, a first-round pick out of USC, is a versatile, athletic, natural receiver who should immediately become a key cog in the team's passing game.

Agholor's arrival shouldn't be the only change atop the team's wide receiver depth chart, though.

Having struggled to sustain his form from the 2013 season last year, Riley Cooper's playing time is under threat—under threat from second-year receiver Josh Huff. Huff struggled a lot as a rookie, dropping passes and fumbling while being mostly limited to a special teams role.

The former Oregon prospect proved to be a very talented player in college, though, and the coaching staff has identified him as a potential star. In fact, PhillyVoice writer Jimmy Kempski reported that the Eagles think Huff has a higher ceiling than teammate Jordan Matthews.

As the slot receiver, Matthews occupied the role that Huff best fits in the Eagles offense last year. He is expected to remain there moving forward.

That will put more pressure on Huff to beat out Cooper for the outside role across from Agholor. Agholor is being made to work for his repetitions with the first team, so both Huff and Cooper will get plenty of opportunities to showcase their talents in training camp.

Huff is significantly more talented than Cooper. Cooper is bigger but not necessarily stronger. At 5'11" and 206 pounds, Huff is a resolute receiver with the quickness and subtlety to create separation against tight coverage. He won't let defensive backs lean on him, and he has the ball skills to make catches against tight coverage.

Huff has worked hard on his conditioning and releases this offseason with his cousin, Rischad Whitfield, who said Huff is primed for a breakout season, via Tim McManus of Philadelphia magazine:

"

Last year, Josh had a problem getting off press coverage at the line. When he was lining up out wide, defensive backs were jamming him and it was taking him forever to get off the line. …

I've been working on a lot of press releases. I've been working on a lot of different footwork moves for Josh that can help him get open because once he gets open and gets that separation from the DB, everything else is history because he is so explosive and fast. …

He is shredded. Shredded. Weight-wise he is still around the same weight [between 200 and 207] but he is a lot more explosive.

"

In an offense that has a large number of new pieces to watch, it would be no surprise if Huff quickly stole the spotlight away from his teammates.

Billy Turner, Guard, Miami Dolphins

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The Miami Dolphins guard positions have been problematic for a long time now. At left guard, one of Dallas Thomas, Jamil Douglas or current free agent Evan Mathis should be the starter. However, at right guard, it appears to be one man's job.

Billy Turner didn't play as a rookie. At least, he didn't play as a guard, and he only played a handful of snaps as a fill-in right tackle in Week 17.

Entering his second season, Turner is expected to be the team's starting right guard between Ja'Wuan James and Mike Pouncey. Turner played offensive tackle—left tackle, to be precise—in college for North Dakota State. Despite playing in the FCS, the Dolphins thought enough of Turner's potential to select him in the third round in 2014.

Transitioning from the FCS to the NFL is very difficult at any position, but considering the change in physical size and athleticism of defensive linemen, it's especially difficult on offensive linemen.

Having already selected James in the first round of the draft, the Dolphins were never looking to play Turner at tackle. Instead, they envisioned him as a starting guard in their zone-heavy blocking scheme. Turner is an impressive athlete who can move laterally—this makes him a perfect fit in coordinator Bill Lazor's offense at guard.

To stand out as an offensive lineman in Miami, you need only to be consistent and competent.

Lazor's scheme helps athletic guards by consistently moving the point of attack for the running game and not using traditional quarterback dropbacks. If given the full workload of snaps with the first team as the right guard, Turner should be able to establish himself as a viable solution for the Dolphins in the trenches.

Of course, that is presuming the Dolphins don't simply line him up against Ndamukong Suh on every snap and expect him to be effective.

Travis Kelce, Tight End, Kansas City Chiefs

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At 6'5" and 260 pounds, it's difficult to overlook Travis Kelce.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end is entering his third season in the NFL, but he has only been active for 17 games to this point in his career. Kelce missed most of his rookie season because of microfracture surgery that became necessary when he couldn't get out of his stance in training camp.

Microfracture surgery is a severely limiting procedure that takes a long time to recover from. Players often don't ever truly recover from it. Kelce did return and enjoyed an effective season in 2014, when he caught 67 passes for 862 yards and five touchdowns.

Kelce's production was largely overlooked because Alex Smith's inability to throw touchdown passes to his receivers drew most of the focus. Since then, Jeremy Maclin has been added to the wide receiving corps, drawing more of the attention away from Kelce.

Considering what Kelce overcame to just get on the field in 2014, his raw statistics were very impressive. When you look further into his season, they become exceptional.

Although he played in 16 games, Kelce caught 67 passes while playing just 688 snaps. Only 402 of those snaps were passing plays. Furthermore, he achieved that production with a quarterback who repeatedly turned down opportunities to throw down the field.

Kelce may be a known name and a player who is receiving a lot of praise in fantasy circles, but he is having a relatively quiet offseason for a player of his talent.

His situation will continue to limit him once regular-season games begin, but Kelce is one of the few tight ends in the NFL who can be compared to Rob Gronkowski without it being nonsensical. He has the size and unnaturally fluid athleticism to dominate both in space and in tight. With another year away from knee surgery, he should be able to close in further on his full potential.

Once training camp begins, Kelce will get his first opportunities to prove his dominance in a full-time role. The tight end himself is excited about that, as he told Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

"

Nobody puts more expectation on me than myself. That's just the heart of the competitor. That's how I was raised. My father taught me that you can buy a man's back, but you can't buy his heart. With that being said, I come out here and make sure I put all my effort and focus into being the best player I can be.

"

Michael Bennett, Defensive Tackle, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Michael Bennett's slide on draft day was one of the more surprising developments of the whole event.

The Ohio State defensive tackle had been thought of as a potential first-round pick by many analysts but instead fell to the sixth round. Typically, players who fit that description fall because of health concerns, but none have emerged since Bennett was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Instead, it appears that Bennett simply fell because of his inconsistent performances against college offensive linemen. Teams that put a greater emphasis on size requirements for defensive linemen will point to that inconsistency as evidence against his skill set translating to the NFL.

But when Bennett was good in college, he was great.

He is a penetrating defensive tackle who can beat slower guards and centers off the snap with his initial burst. He showed off impressive strength and a willingness to be violent and precise with his strong hands in tight spaces. Despite being a penetrator, Bennett also showed off good gap discipline against the run.

Sliding in the draft hurt Bennett financially, but landing with the Jaguars should help him early in his career. As general manager David Caldwell said after the draft, via Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com, Bennett is a fit in coach Gus Bradley's defense:

"

Guys slip through and sometimes teams draft for needs. I can't tell you what other teams are thinking or why it wasn't a great fit for some schemes. He is a scheme-fit type of player and fortunately for us he fits our scheme.

"

Landing with the Jaguars isn't just about landing in a scheme that will allow him to be a penetrating interior presence. The other benefit of playing in Jacksonville is the absence of Sen'Derrick Marks.

Marks was the Jaguars' best player last season. He will start over Bennett moving forward, but entering training camp this season, Marks is sidelined as he recovers from a torn ACL. Bennett has an opportunity to earn significant playing time.

Bennett's playing style lends itself to impressing in shorts, so it's no surprise that he's already earning rave reviews from teammates and the coaching staff.