NFL Insiders Predict Top 7 Breakout Stars of 2020

Patrick Mahomes broke out in the 2018 season. Mitchell Trubisky was supposed to in 2019. 

In other words, it's hard to predict breakouts in the NFL, even when you poll coaches, trainers (both private and team-employed) and fellow players. We're all reading the same tea leaves.

Sometimes, like with Mahomes, it's seeing glimpses of talent in practice and/or a late-season charge that leads you to believe the player will produce once given more reps. With Trubisky last summer, there was hope that after Mahomes and Deshaun Watson broke out—the two quarterbacks selected immediately after him in the 2017 NFL draft—that he was next.

To pick the top breakout candidates in 2020, I spoke with scouts and coaches, but I also factored in my own evaluations after spending a long, quarantined summer wearing out my NFL Game Pass subscription. So what you'll see here are my picks for breakout players, with supporting or contradicting comments from NFL sources.

A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

2019 stats: 52 catches, 1,051 yards, 8 TD

Scout's Quote: "They're always going to be a ball-control, tough-defense team, but there's no reason Brown shouldn't have 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in his sophomore year."

You might say A.J. Brown broke out as a rookie last year, but the 2019 second-rounder has even more ability waiting to be unleashed. And with Ryan Tannehill firmly entrenched as the team's starting quarterback from the jump this year, the Titans passing game will be much more productive and explosive.

Brown stands to gain the most.

The Titans tried throwing early picks (Corey Davis) and money (Adam Humphries) at the wide receiver position, only to find their WR1 in Round 2. Davis has not lived up to expectations and is likely on the way out, while Humphries never got going early last year as the Titans passing game struggled before Tannehill took over. Brown, however, showed his talent early on with a 100-yard outing in his first NFL game.

More is expected, but Brown looks like one of the NFL's best young receivers.

Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

2019 stats: 59 catches, 680 yards, 5 TD

Scout's Quote: "All you need to know is that Ben (Roethlisberger) is back, and the deep shot has returned to Pittsburgh. Diontae will flourish."

Diontae Johnson's rookie season was good, but it could have been better. And that isn't on him, but on the lack of consistency at quarterback once Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending injury. Backups Devlin Hodges and Mason Rudolph weren't suited for the type of offense Johnson was drafted to play in—a vertical, aggressive set that would stretch the field with his burst and elusiveness.

With Big Ben back, Johnson should have no trouble besting his rookie-season stats. The big-play ability he displayed at Toledo—without game-breaking deep speed, mind you—bodes well for his chances to become a legitimate top target in Pittsburgh.

Johnson showed his talent and toughness by snagging 59 catches as a rookie, but look for him to improve upon his yards per catch with the strong-armed Roethlisberger leading him down the field and giving him more run-after-the-catch opportunities.

JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington will get their targets, and rookie Chase Claypool is promising, but don't be surprised if Johnson leads the Steelers in catches this season.

Marquise Blair, S, Seattle Seahawks

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

2019 stats: 32 tackles, two forced fumbles

Scout's Quote: "He was one of our favorite guys in that [2019] draft, then you see him go to Seattle and you're just like, 'Yep, he's going to dominate there.'"

Marquise Blair is a hitter and a playmaker who could perhaps lead the next iteration of the Legion of Boom. Scouts and coaches in Seattle believe he's ready to break out.

As a rookie, Blair forced a fumble with a big hit on San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel on a crucial Week 17 red-zone play. As he enters his second season, he's ready to become more than just a special teams standout and sub-package player.

In a defensive backfield with Quandre Diggs and Shaquill Griffin, Blair's ability to play either safety position and work in a three-safety set makes him incredibly valuable. Coaches believe the game started to slow down for him late last season, and that should propel him to an even bigger role in 2020.

Vita Vea, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

2019 stats: 2.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, 35 tackles

Scout's Quote: "He's not as flashy as the D-tackles who get recognition for sacks, but I'd argue he's one of the most important players to his team's success. He sets the table for everything they do."

We're all prone to focusing on stats to evaluate players. But when you peel back the layers of Vita Vea's game and evaluate his performance, it's easy to see that he's one of the NFL's best young defensive tackles.

Now that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the hottest teams in the league, Vea should break out and become a household name in 2020.

A massive run-stuffer, Vea showed his ability to collapse the pocket and make life rough on opposing quarterbacks last season. That developed into more outside pass-rushing opportunities for teammates like Shaquil Barrett as Vea routinely flushed the pocket with his penetration.

The numbers didn't show up on his stat sheet, but Vea's assists (a stat we need to start keeping) look like one of the NFL's best from an interior rush standpoint.

Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

2019 stats: 69 catches, 734 yards, 3 TD

Scout's Quote: "Year five is a late time to break out, but it really does seem like he'll enter that second tier behind [Travis] Kelce and [George] Kittle this year."

Tyler Higbee is a good tight end, but he isn't considered among the top tier at his position.

That will change after the 2020 season with new offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell coming to Los Angeles with a renewed interest on a timing-based passing game.

With the passing game set to expand, and the departure of Brandin Cooks (72 targets) and Todd Gurley (49 targets) this offseason, Higbee has the talent and the tools to put up TE1 numbers with the Rams. 

He flashed his upside with four straight 100-yard games last season, and he smashed his previous career highs in catches and yards. In 2020, he's expected to become widely known as a top-five tight end.

Marcus Davenport, Edge, New Orleans Saints

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

2019 stats: Six sacks, three forced fumbles, 16 QB hits, 31 tackles

Scout's Quote: "The flashes have been there—in games and practices—it's just about getting that in games on a consistent basis. But this does feel like a make-or-break year for him. Is he a starter, or will he always be a rotational guy?"

Two years after trading up in the first round to select Marcus Davenport, the New Orleans Saints are ready for him to become one of the league's premier pass-rushers. He showed flashes of that in 2019, but the team wants those 16 quarterback hits to become sacks.

With Cameron Jordan on one end and Davenport on the other, the Saints defense could be prolific in 2020 with a good secondary behind the front line. Against Carolina and Atlanta in Weeks 12 and 13 last year, Davenport put out the kind of film that should have fans and coaches excited if they can generate more consistency from the former small-schooler.

Staying on the field is key—he's missed six games in two seasons—but Davenport has the goods to become a household name as a sack artist. Entering year three, that's the expectation for a player the Saints gave up a future first-round pick to move up and acquire.

Drew Lock, QB, Denver Broncos

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

2019 stats: Five starts, 4-1 record, seven touchdowns, three interceptions, 1,020 yards

Scout's Quote: "He's living in the massive shadows of [John] Elway and Mahomes, which is unfortunate because I do think he takes a giant step this year and is the best of the Year 2 quarterbacks."

Predicting a quarterback breakout can be risky, as so much about his success is driven by the situation around him. You need good coaches, a competent offensive line and enough weapons that the young signal-caller isn't doing it all on his own.

Drew Lock has that now. There are no excuses for the quarterback who engineered a 4-1 finish to the season to not take the next step after team president John Elway spent the offseason giving him a Christmas wish list worth of gifts on offense.

Adding to a roster that already featured Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay and Noah Fant, the Broncos signed running back Melvin Gordon and drafting wide receivers Jerry Jeudy (Round 1) and K.J. Hamler (Round 2). They also selected Lock's former college tight end, Albert Okwuegbunam, in Round 4.

The Broncos offensive line is a question mark, particularly at the tackle spots, but Lock has the weapons and talent to lead this offense to heights not seen since the early 2010s.