NFL Players We Can't Wait to See This Season

Football may be the ultimate team sport, but the NFL is very much a star-driven league. While a well-executed trap block may get some of us excited, most fans are eager to see the highlight-reel plays.

We're talking about the deep bombs, the no-look passes from quarterbacks at a full sprint, the one-handed catches in the end zone, the diving interceptions and the dynamic 60-yard runs. Thankfully, the NFL has the elite players needed to provide plenty of these moments in its 100th season.

Are you excited? We sure are.

But which of the league's stars are we most excited to watch in 2019? Who are the rising stars, the promising rookies and the comeback candidates we absolutely can't wait to see? Let's take a look.  

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Who wouldn't be excited to see Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes back in action? The Texas Tech product was absolutely electric as a first-year starter in 2018, passing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns.

We can't wait to see what he does for an encore.

Sure, Mahomes' production may fall back to earth just a bit as defenses focus more on stopping him. But even if he only throws for 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns, he's still going to combine the improvisational skills of vintage Brett Favre with the touch and accuracy of a major league pitcher.

Yeah, he's going to remain fun to watch. And if Mahomes is actually better? Watch out.

It's not like he doesn't have the weapons. With guys like Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, Darwin Thompson and now LeSean McCoy, Mahomes will have the tools at his disposal to again slice and dice opposing defenses with the best of them.

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

Steven Senne/Associated Press

While we're on the topic of follow-up campaigns, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has to be mentioned. In 2018, the Penn State product put together one of the best rookie seasons ever for a running back, amassing 2,028 combined rushing and receiving yards to go with 15 touchdowns.

Barkley is truly a generational talent, and he immediately becomes the face of the Giants offense with Odell Beckham Jr. gone.

How will Barkley perform when everyone in the stadium knows he's the go-to guy? That's the big question, but his combination of power, vision, speed and burst should allow him to rise to the challenge of leading this team.

Are we ready for more electric runs from Barkley? You bet we are.

Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland Raiders

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

We didn't get to see a whole lot of Josh Jacobs at Alabama, but what we saw from the running back was special. Though he only carried the ball 120 times in 2018, he racked up 640 yards and 11 touchdowns with a 5.3 yards-per-carry average. He also added 247 yards and three scores on 20 receptions.

Jacobs can and should be a three-down back for the Oakland Raiders this season.

"He's trying to prove that he's the best back in the NFL," quarterback Derek Carr said, per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "That's his mindset."

Jacobs gave everyone a glimpse of what he could be as a pro in Week 2 of the preseason when he averaged that same 5.3 yards per carry. It's always exciting when a young featured back comes into the league, and the Raiders appear to have a talented one in Jacobs.

Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Arizona Cardinals' marriage between new head coach Kliff Kingsbury and new quarterback Kyler Murray will either become a masterpiece or a train wreck. Watching it unfold will be exciting either way.

On paper, Kingsbury's up-tempo offense and Murray's unique skill set are a great combination. Murray can light up defenses with his arm, his legs and his instincts, as he proved during his Heisman campaign in 2018. Kingsbury's system will allow him to play to his strengths.

Of course, the college-inspired system may also be a little too gimmicky to dominate the NFL.

"It's pretty-boy football," Raiders defensive back Lamacus Joyner said after facing Arizona in the preseason, per Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic.

We can't wait to see if and how Murray is able to make it all work.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns and Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns

Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

Quarterback Baker Mayfield was a lot of fun to watch as a rookie, and not just for Cleveland Browns fans. Though his brash personality doesn't agree with everyone, his confidence translated to the field, where he repeatedly attacked defenses deep. The end result was a rookie-record 27 touchdowns passes in 14 games.

Mayfield could be significantly better in his second season, which is something we cannot wait to see.

"Baker is substantially better at reading coverages, deciphering blitzes, fixing the protections and recognizing the blitzes," head coach Freddie Kitchens said, per Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram "He is better in a lot of areas."

We can't wait to see how Mayfield utilizes his new deep threat, Odell Beckham Jr. We also can't wait to see how Beckham performs with a pinpoint deep-thrower on the other end of his passes.

This is a combination that could dominate Monday morning highlight reels in 2019.

Earl Thomas, FS, Baltimore Ravens

Nick Wass/Associated Press

When he's healthy and on the field, safety Earl Thomas is one of the most exciting defenders in all of football. He's fast, he's physical, he has a nose for the football, and he has a knack for making big plays.

Unfortunately, we only got to see Thomas for four games before a broken leg ended his 2018 campaign with the Seattle Seahawks.

Well, not only is Thomas healthy, but he's also now a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He'll be the center fielder in a secondary loaded with talented players such as Jimmy Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Tony Jefferson.

When you also consider the aggressive and physical playing style of defensive coordinator Don Martindale's system, it seems like Thomas couldn't have landed in a better place— both for him and for us.

We can't wait to see this safety in one of Baltimore's brutal clashes with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers this season.

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

When it comes to potential, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has it in spades. It's why the Niners originally traded a second-round pick to acquire him and why they quickly signed him to a five-year, $137.5 million contract.

When it comes to tangible results, though, Garoppolo doesn't have a lot to lean on.

He's started just eight games in San Francisco and two more with the New England Patriots. He's played well when he's been on the field—he's completed 65.4 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions—but he does not have a large body of work.

Garoppolo is also returning from the torn ACL that cut his 2018 campaign short after just three games.

So can he really be San Francisco's franchise quarterback? Is he just another former Patriots backup full of promise? We don't know yet, but we can't wait to find out.

Josh Gordon, WR New England Patriots

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

The NFL is at its best when its top players are on the field, which is why the return of New England Patriots wideout Josh Gordon from suspension was one of the biggest storylines of the entire preseason.

Gordon is one of the league's best receivers even though we've only gotten to see him for stretches. He led the league with 1,646 receiving yards back in 2013—in only 14 games, no less—but he's only appeared in 22 games since then because of repeated violations of the league's substance-abuse policy.

Gordon played 11 of those games with the Patriots last season, catching 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns in the process. In Year 2 with Tom Brady, he could be even more dangerous. He will almost certainly be Brady's most talented target on the outside and will likely replace Rob Gronkowski as New England's biggest mismatch.

We should get to see Gordon back in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions and Noah Fant, TE, Denver Broncos

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Ever since Rob Gronkowski first burst onto the season with a 1,327-yard season in 2011, fans have been waiting to see who would be the "next Gronk." Now that he's retired, we're definitely eager to see which tight end emerges as the biggest mismatch in football.

That's why we can't wait to get a look at rookie tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant. The pair was virtually unstoppable at Iowa last season. The former tallied 760 yards and six touchdowns, while the latter racked up 519 yards and seven scores.

That was while they were splitting time and targets. They'll now be on separate teams, as the Detroit Lions drafted Hockenson eighth overall while the Denver Broncos took Fant with the 20th pick.

Both players should become reliable go-to targets early in their rookie seasons, and it's going to be a lot of fun to watch the two former teammates develop as solo acts.