NFL Players Who Will Still Break Out in 2021 as Midseason Nears

The first half of the NFL season is still underway, but it won't be long before we reach the midway point.

Some players have yet to reach their full potential this year, whether that's because they have failed to produce up to their usual standards, haven't lived up to their draft hype or simply haven't had the opportunity to showcase their skills.

These talented players can still turn things around. With three months remaining before the regular season ends, there is ample time to put together a breakout campaign.

With that in mind, here is a look at the top candidates to shrug off a poor start and finish the season strong.

TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

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After a slow start to his NFL career, Kyle Pitts finally appears on his way to having a much-anticipated break-out year.

The rookie tight end had only 15 receptions for 189 yards during the first four games of his career, but the No. 4 overall pick exploded during the Atlanta Falcons' trip to London last week.

Pitts had easily the best performance of his career, going off for 119 yards and a score on nine catches against the Jets. The 119 receiving yards were the third most by a rookie TE in the last two decades.

NFL.com's Gil Brandt pointed that Pitts is nearly on pace to break Mike Ditka's longstanding rookie tight end receiving record.

Veteran quarterback Matt Ryan believes there will be plenty more big games from Pitts in the future, per ESPN's Michael Rothstein:

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I think there's going to be a lot of those in the future for him. He's done a great job of focusing on growth and development day-in and day-out and just trying to get better.

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Pitts, who just turned 21 this past week, claimed that his patience was rewarded with a big day.

It took a month, but the Florida product is living up to the hype and ready to have a huge finish to the 2021 campaign.

TE Jonnu Smith, New England Patriots

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Jonnu Smith was one of the New England Patriots' marquee free agency signings, but the veteran tight end has thus far been a disappointing pickup.

The Pats struggled to get production from the tight end spot last year—Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene and Ryan Izzo combined for 254 yards and one touchdown—making it a priority to overhaul the position for 2021. The club dished out a four-year, $50 million deal to Smith and also inked fellow veteran TE Hunter Henry to a three-year, $37.5 million contract. 

Henry has been the far more productive tight end this season. He's established an early rapport with rookie quarterback Mac Jones, catching 22 balls for 241 yards and three touchdowns.

Smith hasn't developed that same chemistry, catching just 16 of his 24 targets for 124 yards and one touchdown since donning a Pats uniform.

Despite the current usage trends, Henry predicted in a recent interview with WEEI that it's only a short matter of time before his fellow tight end breaks out.

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He's going to come on. I'm excited to see him break out. … He works extremely hard at what he does, so I think he's going to continue to keep coming.

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The 26-year-old Smith is getting enough run to eventually produce, seeing the field for 55 percent of the team's offensive snaps over the first five games. While Henry has been benefitting from a larger share of the workload—he's been on the field for 71 percent of the offensive plays—Smith has the talent to take on more volume. 

Smith recorded a career-high eight touchdowns with the Tennessee Titans last year. The 6'3", 248-pounder still possesses the size and speed to create mismatches in the red area should eventually score more for his new offense. Once he finds his footing in New England, Smith will finish the season strong.

TE Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

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The Philadelphia Eagles traded longtime tight end Zach Ertz to the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend, opening the door for Dallas Goedert to shine. 

Prior to dealing Ertz, Philadelphia had mostly split the workload between their top tight ends. Goedert was seeing nearly 59 percent of offensive snaps, while Ertz was only slightly behind at 56 percent. However, the higher snap count didn't favor Goedert in regards to volume, with Goedert drawing a mere 19 looks this season compared to Ertz at 25.

Ertz only had a 56 percent catch rate, turning 18 receptions into 189 yards and one touchdown through five games. Goedert has been the far more efficient player, boasting a catch rate of 78.9 percent and amassing 216 yards and a pair of scores on his 15 grabs.

Goedert will benefit from a much higher volume of passes heading his direction. Head coach Nick Sirianni confirmed that Goedert would soak much of Ertz's workload moving forward (via Josh Tolentino of Inquirer.com):

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No doubt the majority of the looks are going to go to Dallas. So look forward to his role growing.

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Goedert has a lot riding on his potential successes this year. The 26-year-old is playing out the final year of his rookie deal after he failed to come to terms on a contract extension this offseason.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said he wants to see Goedert prove himself as the top tight end before doling out a new deal that pays him as such (via Dave Zangaro of NBCSports.com):

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From our perspective, the opportunity to see Dallas and to see Dallas in a larger role. And obviously he's a free agent. And there's no secret that that's obviously something here going forward that we have to address. Getting him a role where it's not just sharing time and he's the guy.

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Expect big things with Goedert in a contract season and getting a chance to shine as one of Philadelphia's primary pass-catchers.

RB Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts

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Despite getting a breakout performance from rookie running back Jonathan Taylor last year, the Indianapolis Colts elected to retain veteran Marlon Mack on a one-year deal this offseason. It's a decision the franchise may be regretting as Mack has not been utilized with any consistency in 2021.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported last month that the Colts and Mack "agreed to mutually seek a trade" and have been exploring their options.

Mack missed all but one game last year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon, never getting a chance to build on a career-best season in 2019.

Despite being "100 percent" going into training camp, Mack has only seen limited action. He has worked behind Taylor and Nyheim Hines in four games while being a healthy scratch in two contests. Mack has earned just 25 totes and generated 97 yards on the season.

The Colts haven't found a trade partner yet, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler highlighted the Chiefs as one potential landing spot for the back.

Whether Mack ends up in Kansas City or elsewhere, the 25-year-old can still shine if given the opportunity. Mack is less than two years removed from a 1,091-yard, eight-touchdown campaign and recently gained 47 yards on five carries against the Ravens.

While he hasn't been used much as a pass-catcher by Indianapolis, Mack does have the potential to contribute as one. He caught a career-high 21 passes and averaged over 10 yards per reception as a rookie but ceded most of the third-down work to Hines after the back was drafted a year later.

Mack would be a perfect fit for a team desperate for all-around production in the backfield.

The six-foot, 210-pound RB has the speed and athleticism to make plays on the outside and possesses the size to take on defenders between the tackles.

Mack averaged a respectable 4.5 yards per carry and scored 18 total touchdowns in his previous two healthy seasons. He is in line for another quality campaign if he gets the opportunity following a trade.

WR Allen Robinson II, Chicago Bears

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Despite getting hit with the Chicago Bears' franchise tag this offseason, Allen Robinson II has not been playing like a franchise player in 2021.

The skilled wideout has taken a major step back this season with Andy Dalton and Justin Fields under center, securing a pedestrian 21 passes on 36 targets while gaining only 234 yards and a touchdown.

It's a significant drop in production from Robinson's last two seasons, an elite span in which he averaged 100 receptions, 1198.5 yards and 6.5 touchdowns. He accomplished this despite having a less-than-stellar situation under center, catching passes from the likes of Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles.

With Darnell Mooney looking like Chicago's top receiver—he leads the team with 25 catches for 306 yards—Robinson has become the focus of several trade rumors.

The Bears could struggle to return full value for the wideout due to his contract situation. Should a trade go down, Chicago may end up settling for a mild return, a slightly more palatable option compared to outright losing him in the offseason.

If the Bears are taking calls, there should be no shortage of contending teams inquiring.

The rival Green Bay Packers are one club that should be interested in Robinson. With little in the way of proven receiver talent outside of Davante Adams, Robinson would immediately slot in as the No. 2 pass-catcher if the team could somehow convince Chicago to ship him over.

Regardless of where he ends up, Robinson could see a massive bump in production to coincide with the change of scenery. It's readily apparent he's not a great fit with Fields and isn't likely to stick around long enough to develop chemistry with the young QB.

If the Bears do deal Robinson, he should quickly regain his star form and break out of his slump.

WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

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Jaylen Waddle started his NFL career out hot, reeling in four of his five targets for 61 yards and a score in Week 1. Unfortunately for the Miami Dolphins, the No. 6 overall pick cooled off significantly in the following month.

After Tua Tagovailoa landed on injured reserve with broken ribs, Waddle failed to eclipse 60 yards or find pay dirt during the nearly four full games the starting quarterback was sidelined for. The 22-year-old wideout hit a low in Week 5 when he caught just two of his six targets for 31 yards.

With Tua back on the field this past Sunday, Waddle's production improved drastically. He immediately reestablished chemistry with his former collegiate quarterback, going off for a career-best 70 yards and had his first multi-touchdown day after scoring twice on his 10 catches.

Although the Dolphins ultimately lost to the Jaguars on a last-second field goal, Waddle stepped up when the club needed him most. Fellow wideouts DeVante Parker, William Fuller V and Preston Williams were all out with injuries in Week 6, leaving the cupboard almost bare at the position.

Waddle still found a way to put up huge numbers with the Jacksonville secondary keying in on him. It wasn't a major surprise, as even when he wasn't putting up big numbers these last few weeks, the Alabama product was still a difficult mark for cornerbacks.

PFF noted that Waddle's quarterbacks had the highest passer rating in the league when targeting a rookie receiver leading up to Week 5.

The Tagovailoa-Waddle battery will be one to watch going forward. If the quarterback can stay healthy, Waddle will have a fantastic finish to his rookie year.