8 Under-the-Radar NFL Players Set for Major Roles in 2026

Fans tune in to NFL games to watch stars. They want to see Lamar Jackson rip passes and evade pass-rushers, Jahmyr Gibbs turn a simple counter play into a touchdown, Ja'Marr Chase leap over a defender and haul in a score, and Myles Garrett chase down a quarterback.

Stars are important in the NFL, but there are 22 players on the field on any given play. For teams to have success, under-the-radar names need to come up big as well. In Super Bowl LX, Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner caught Sam Darnold's only touchdown pass. Linebacker Derick Hall had a pair of sacks.

You don't need to have a big name to make a big impact in the NFL. Sometimes, the former follows the latter.

And all the players listed here have the potential to do that this season.

WR Darnell Mooney, New York Giants

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Back in 2021 while with the Chicago Bears, veteran wide receiver Darnell Mooney had the best season of his six-year career—81 receptions, 1,055 yards and four touchdowns.

That career season came with Matt Nagy as the head coach for the Bears, and now the two have been reunited after Nagy signed on as John Harbaugh's offensive coordinator in New York and Mooney inked a one-year deal with the Giants in free agency.

While speaking to reporters, Mooney said familiarity with Nagy's scheme can only help his transition to a new team:

"Oh, he's expanded a lot. There are some things that we did in the past when I was with him. There are some new things he has brought onto his thing, and there are some things that I'm good at that I have learned on my way. My role is to make plays and dominate. There is not much that's been talked about."

Mooney hasn't been able to duplicate that 2021 success since, although the 28-year-old came close in 2024, catching 64 passes for 992 yards and five scores in his first season with the Atlanta Falcons. But that could change out of necessity in 2026—the Giants remain optimistic that Malik Nabers will be ready for Week 1, but his early-season availability may be in question.

If Nabers can't go or starts the season slowly, Mooney could find himself as the de facto No. 1 option in the Giants' passing attack.

LB Dee Winters, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

The Dallas Cowboys had one of the NFL's worst defenses in 2025, and the team took a buzzsaw to the unit in the offseason.

There are new edge-rushers in veteran Rashan Gary and rookie Malachi Lawrence, Two new starting safeties in Jalen Thompson and first-round rookie Caleb Downs. And a potential new "green dot" linebacker in Dee Winters.

Winters, who made a career-high 101 tackles last year filling in for an injured Fred Warner in San Francisco, came to Dallas in a draft day trade.

The 25-year-old told reporters that last year's experience as a starter was invaluable, and he looks forward to seeing what Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker has in store for him in 2026:

"I think just the attention to detail last year, and just kind of understanding what offenses like to do. I feel like I started to pick up on it more as I got reps. Just that experience each and every game getting better and trying to use that motto, I think that really helped me have a decent year last year. He wants to get me in space. He feels like one of my assets is me being in space and being able to make tackles in space. Just run and hit with my physicality and speed that I bring to the game. Him and I both are excited to see what that looks like and go from there."

Winters isn't an elite talent, but he was a steady producer for the 49ers last year. He also provides some badly needed stability for a Cowboys linebacker corps that was something of a carousel last year.

RB Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

The Jacksonville Jaguars won 13 games and the AFC South last year, in part because of 1,107 rushing yards and seven touchdowns from running back Travis Etienne Jr.

However, Etienne signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency, leaving a massive hole in the Jaguars backfield.

The 2025 campaign was a quiet one for rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten in Jacksonville—he carried the ball just 83 times for 307 yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry.

However, the 23-year-old told reporters that he believes having a full offseason to prepare has set him up to take a major step forward in Year 2 of his NFL career:

"The difference for me is just being mentally prepared and understanding the playbook. I think last year, I really couldn't play fast and free like I'm used to, because I'm thinking a lot and attacking a new playbook. But here, I got a year under the playbook, so I can go out there and be myself and be fast, and play how I know I can play. But just harping on a playbook and coming out here, and not having to second-guess myself, in a sense, it feels a lot better, and it helps you play better."

The Jaguars also signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency, but he suffered a foot injury in the offseason that required surgery. The door is wide open for Tuten to open the regular season as the lead back for a Jaguars team with aspirations of a deep playoff run this season.

Edge Myles Murphy, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

When the Bengals drafted Myles Murphy in the first round of the 2023 draft, the hope was that he'd be anything but an under-the-radar player at this point in his career. But Murphy's first three seasons have been relatively quiet—just 8.5 sacks.

However, 5.5 of those sacks came a year ago in a season where Murphy played a career-high 682 snaps.

While talking to reporters, Cincinnati defensive coordinator Al Golden said Murphy seemed to have something of a "lightbulb" moment as the 2025 campaign progressed, and he believes that growth will continue in 2026:

"Really, from midseason last year on. He just made the game really small. [He] wasn't ping-ponging in presnap; he knew exactly where his technique was, where he needed to be, he executed at a really high level in the plays that came. He knows he left a couple [of plays] out there. And I think this year, we're seeing another level of him this spring, and obviously, just continue that path. And those plays, he's too talented. He's too long; he's too strong for those plays not to come if he continues this positive trend that he's on right now."

Much has been made of all the moves the Bengals made on the defensive line this offseason, whether it was the signing of veteran free agents Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen or the trade that brought Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to town.

But Murphy's maturation on the edge opposite Mafe is another important piece in turning a Bengals defense that was a glaring weakness last year into a strength in 2026.

WR Christian Kirk, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

There was a time when Christian Kirk was anything but under the radar—in 2022, the ninth-year veteran topped 80 catches and 1,100 receiving yards and scored eight times.

Three injury-marred seasons later, though, he now finds himself on his third team in as many seasons and trying to resurrect his career after signing with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency.

Kirk told the In Good Company with Mitch Morse podcast that he welcomed the opportunity to play in Kyle Shanahan's offense.

"There's just so much space when guys get the ball in their hands, and the way (Shanahan) is able to scheme different guys open, you know, playing off of play-action pass, run game, screens, the whole nine, right? Like, it's just all about integrating yourself in that, and he does a great job of using guys to their skill set. So, I'm really excited about it."

The Niners also signed Mike Evans in free agency, but he's coming off the worst season of his 12-year career. Youngster Ricky Pearsall has missed 14 games over his two years in the NFL. Veteran tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles in the postseason last year.

The passing attack for the 49ers contains a whole lot of "maybes" in 2026—Kirk included. But if the 29-year-old can stay healthy, Kirk should see 100-plus targets for the first time since that career season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

CB Donte Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Donte Jackson will be entering the ninth season of his professional career this year and his second with the Los Angeles Chargers. But while he has spent much of his career as a starter, he is hardly a household name.

However, as Gennaro Filice wrote for NFL.com, the 30-year-old could be the linchpin in 2026 for a pass defense that ranked fifth in the league against the pass a year ago:

"A seasoned veteran who's made 106 starts in eight NFL campaigns, Jackson might have just enjoyed his best season yet, logging four interceptions and 12 pass breakups (both team highs) while Pro Football Focus credited him with a sparkling 58.5 passer rating against. That's prime production at a premium position, making last offseason's two-year, $13 million deal look like highway robbery for the Chargers. The 30-year-old's vast experience could prove even more crucial in the wake of Jesse Minter's departure to become head coach of the Ravens, with 34-year-old Chris O'Leary coordinating an NFL defense for the first time."

Outside of safety Derwin James Jr., the Los Angeles secondary is short on star power. And while youngsters Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still have flashed at times, both have growing to do entering their third seasons.

Jackson is the foundation of the team's cornerback room. And if the Bolts are going to make noise in 2026, he needs to play like the team's best cover man again.

OT Aireontae Ersery, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

The Houston Texans have seemingly been overhauling the offensive line for years, and the 2026 season is no different.

This year's O-line features three new starters: guard Wyatt Teller, tackle Braden Smith and rookie center Keylan Rutledge.

However, left tackle Aireontae Ersery has been impressed by what he has seen from the new-look unit:

"I think the sky's the limit. Last year was last year. We put that to bed already. We are more focused on what this unit can do and what this unit can be. I think our unit can be very, very special, led by Cole [Popovich]. I think it all kind of trickles down. We have young guys flying around, making plays, wanting to hit people in the mouth. I know a couple guys probably mentioned it, [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans] pulling the offensive line back, which typically doesn't happen. It's usually on the defensive side. It's been refreshing."

Ersery will be the key to whether this latest rebuild sticks.

He was pressed into the starting lineup off the jump as a rookie, playing almost 1,100 snaps. Per Pro Football Focus, it was an uneven year, with seven sacks allowed and 11 penalties.

But the Texans saw enough that they made no real effort to upgrade at the position. And given that most offensive lines are as good as the player protecting the quarterback's blind side, C.J. Stroud is no doubt hopeful that Ersery takes a big step forward in 2026.

The signal-caller has quite a bit riding on it.

LB Divine Deablo, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

For most of his NFL career, Atlanta Falcons linebacker Divine Deablo has been either a part-time player or secondary option.

He has topped 100 total tackles in a season just once, and his first season with Atlanta last year was the first time he ever logged a snap share north of 90 percent.

If Deablo doesn't have the best season of his career in 2026, it will be difficult for the Falcons to win the NFC South.

For the past three seasons, Kaden Elliss made the defensive play-calls in Atlanta, but he will now be fulfilling that role for the rival Saints.

That leaves the "green dot" duties in Atlanta to Deablo, and head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters he has every confidence the 27-year-old is up to the task:

"He is wired the right way. Very, very intelligent. I don't think you can overstate how important it is to have that intelligence right in the middle of your defense, right in the nerve center. To have somebody like Divine—who can run sideline to sideline, can tackle, can affect the pass game, can align your defense—it's a calming influence on your defense, and your head coach, when you have a guy in the middle of the defense where everybody understands their role and what their responsibilities are because he is clear in how to deploy the defense."

He will have to be. Atlanta's No. 2 linebacker, Christian Harris, made one start and had 11 tackles last year, and the depth chart behind them is unproven at best.