Every NFL Team's Biggest Breakout Player After 5 Weeks

Now that we're fully into October football, we have a decent feel for who has begun to break out this NFL campaign. 

A lot can change, but every team has had at least one player who has made more of an impact than many expected. 

Let's hit on one per squad through five weeks.

AFC East

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Dalton Kincaid

Buffalo Bills: TE Dalton Kincaid

The 2023 first-round pick has already set a new career high with three touchdown catches in five games, and he has zero drops while hauling in 20 of the 24 passes thrown his way. He's also coming off a career-best 108 yards against the Patriots and is Buffalo's leading receiver thus far.

Miami Dolphins: OT Patrick Paul

A top-10 pass-blocker at Pro Football Focus, the sophomore second-round pick has been responsible for just six quarterback pressures in five games. Miami has had a brutal year, but Paul's been a bright spot at left tackle.

New England Patriots: OT Will Campbell

New England's rookie left tackle has done an impeccable job with 10 pressures allowed thus far, and he's been exceptional in recent victories over Carolina and Buffalo. The No. 4 overall pick already looks like the real deal. 

New York Jets: OT Armand Membou

The same goes for the guy picked three spots later. Membou has allowed just one sack and one QB hit in five games at right tackle for the Jets.

AFC North

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Quinshon Judkins

Baltimore Ravens: OT Roger Rosengarten

Building off a solid rookie season, the 2024 second-round pick has surrendered zero sacks and zero quarterback hits through five games at right tackle in Baltimore. He hasn't exactly exploded and still lacks consistency, but it's also slim pickings here considering the Ravens' struggles. 

Cincinnati Bengals: LB Demetrius Knight Jr.

The rookie second-round pick has done a superb job in coverage while becoming a steady tackling presence for the struggling Bengals. 

Cleveland Browns: RB Quinshon Judkins

Another rookie second-round pick who has flashed for a sluggish AFC North team, Judkins ranks fifth in the NFL with 86.8 rushing yards per game. He's scored twice, has yet to turn the ball over and is coming off a 128-scrimmage-yard performance in Week 5.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Edge Nick Herbig

Meet the only player in the NFL with an interception and at least eight QB hits (he had just 14 in his first two seasons combined). The third-year fourth-round pick also has 2.5 sacks in just three games. 

AFC South

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Cedric Gray

Houston Texans: G Ed Ingram

The Texans line has been through plenty of trials and tribulations, but Ingram has come over from the Vikings and shined at right guard. In fact, the 2022 second-round pick has the highest qualified PFF grade at the position. 

Indianapolis Colts: G Matt Goncalves

Goncalves ranks No. 1 among that group when it comes to pass-blocking, as the second-year third-round pick has allowed just two pressures in four outings at right guard. He beats out quarterback Daniel Jones, who has been awesome outside of a rough outing in Los Angeles. 

Jacksonville Jaguars: LB Devin Lloyd

This could go to the entire Jaguars defense, which has exploded with a league-high 14 takeaways out of the gate. Four of those have been generated by Lloyd, who has four picks, 25 tackles and a fumble recovery. The 2022 first-round pick is on track to become a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career. 

Tennessee Titans: LB Cedric Gray

Hardly a factor as a rookie due to a shoulder injury, the second-year fourth-round pick ranks behind only Bobby Wagner, Jack Campbell and Fred Warner among qualified linebackers in terms of run-blocking PFF grades. 

AFC West

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Tre Tucker

Denver Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins

The offseason pickup is the league's fifth-leading rusher, with 180 of his 402 yards coming in the last two weeks alone. Nobody in the NFL has more 10-plus-yard runs (14). Dobbins is well on track to become a Pro Bowler for the first time at age 26.

Kansas City Chiefs: WR Tyquan Thornton

This is a toss-up between Thornton and the team's first-round rookie left tackle, Josh Simmons, but fewer expected the former to be such a big factor. Injuries have paved the way, but the fact is the 25-year-old ex-Patriot is averaging a league-high 20.9 yards per catch.

Las Vegas Raiders: WR Tre Tucker

The third-year third-round pick exploded with eight catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns against Washington in Week 3. He now has nearly as many touchdowns (four) as he did in his first two campaigns (five). 

Los Angeles Chargers: WR Quentin Johnston

Like Tucker, only four players have caught more touchdown passes than Johnson. The third-year third-round pick has also yet to drop a pass, after dropping seven in 2024. 

NFC East

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James Houston

Dallas Cowboys: Edge James Houston

By no means has the 26-year-old journeyman replaced Micah Parsons, but he's got 3.5 sacks in his last four games and his impact has gone beyond that on the edge in Dallas. 

New York Giants: TE Theo Johnson

The sophomore fourth-round pick has tripled his career touchdown total with three in the last two weeks, easing the burden associated with a career-ending injury to Malik Nabers in the Giants' pass-catching corps. Jaxson Dart is vibing with Johnson.

Philadelphia Eagles: DL Moro Ojomo

This is basically a tie between two 2023 draft picks for the Eagles, as both Ojomo and guard Tyler Steen have come out of nowhere-ish to play huge roles this season. Ojomo had zero sacks in his career before recording two in the last four weeks, and he has the 11th-best qualified PFF grade at his position.

Washington Commanders: G Chris Paul

Veteran linebacker Dorance Armstrong Jr. deserves a shoutout for his shockingly strong start with five sacks in five games, but Paul has a top-five pass-blocking grade at his position in what will be his first season as a full-time starter in Washington. 

NFC North

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Romeo Doubs

Chicago Bears: WR Rome Odunze

Quarterback Caleb Williams has also taken a big step forward in his second season, but it's another sophomore first-round pick who gets the nod here. Odunze has five touchdown grabs in just four games, after scoring just three times as a rookie in 2024.

Detroit Lions: Edge Al-Quadin Muhammad

So many Lions have broken out in recent years that there aren't a lot of good options here. Still, Muhammad has a top-10 pass-rushing grade at PFF thanks to 3.5 sacks on just 135 snaps. 

Green Bay Packers: WR Romeo Doubs

Jordan Love has also made strides in his third year as a starter, but it's Doubs who already has four touchdowns in four games as the quarterback's top target in that receiving corps. The fourth-year fourth-round pick is likely to set career highs across the board in 2025. 

Minnesota Vikings: DL Jalen Redmond

The undrafted third-year Oklahoma product hardly contributed to the Vikings in 2024 but now has three sacks in his last four games, and his impact goes well beyond that. 

NFC South

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Rico Dowdle

Atlanta Falcons: S Xavier Watts

The eighth-highest-graded qualified safety at PFF has two interceptions just four games into his rookie season. Not bad at all for the 96th overall pick in April's draft.

Carolina Panthers: RB Rico Dowdle

Yes, Dowdle went over 1,000 yards last year in Dallas. But he's upped his yards-per-attempt average from 4.6 to 5.7 this year and has already matched his 2024 rushing touchdown total of two. He's yet to fumble, and he is coming off one of the best offensive performances of the year (234 scrimmage yards in a victory over Miami).

New Orleans Saints: S Jonas Sanker

Yet another third-round rookie in the NFC South with a top-five PFF grade among those qualified at the safety position. Watts and Sanker are on similar paths. The latter has been superb in coverage and has registered a pick and a fumble recovery the last two weeks. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Emeka Egbuka

Third-round sophomore Tykee Smith almost landed this spot to make this a division loaded with young breakout safeties. Alas, Egbuka has five touchdown catches in five games while ranking fourth in football with 445 receiving yards. The 22-year-old has become the clear front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

NFC West

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Nate Landman

Arizona Cardinals: S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson

Yet another middle-round safety who has exploded early in his career. This time, it's the 2024 fourth-rounder who has two picks in his last three games after playing just 258 snaps in a quiet rookie campaign. 

Los Angeles Rams: LB Nate Landman

Landman has become the heart and soul of the Rams defense, pretty much overnight. The former Falcon has already recovered two fumbles while posting the third-best tackling PFF grade among qualified off-ball linebackers. 

San Francisco 49ers: TE Jake Tonges

George Kittle's injury has, of course, paved the way, but the fact is the undrafted 26-year-old already has three touchdowns and has yet to drop a pass on 27 targets. 

Seattle Seahawks: RB Kenneth Walker III

We could have gone with another tight end in AJ Barner considering his four touchdowns, but Walker has been a huge factor in four consecutive games while improving his YPA from 3.7 in 2024 to 4.9 in 2025.