Bryce Young, Jaxon Smith-Njigba headline 10 NFL breakout candidates for 2024

It is not strange in NFL for players to turn up for training camp and then be considered exceptional players all of sudden.

It was only last year that La Rams receiver Puka Nacua and running back Kyren Williams, the Houston Texans receiver Collins, and the Dallas Cowboys cornerback Bland who were virtually unknown exerted themselves to become some of the league’s top talents.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at 10 players that could make a leap this year. Some names on the list are the quarterbacks that used to be selected as top three picks, there are pass-catchers willing to make a leap and some names that you may not know at all. But you will.

1. Bryce Young, QB, Panthers

The young player from Alabama university could not have the best year last year and is actually needed to return to form this year for Carolina. and new head coach Dave Canales is now in the position of having to make that happen.

Canales has not only displayed what he is capable of doing with pitchers but also how he can resurrect Baker Mayfield’s season last year in Tampa Bay. Canales was the quarterbacks coach during Geno Smith’s come back season with the Seahawks and was also part of Russell Wilson been with Seahawks early years.

Canales will attempt to establish an offense which capitalizes on Young and his strengths, that is, running with the football, improvisational play action, and roll out.

2. Drake London, WR, Falcons

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, the new guy in Atlanta, enjoyed the process of designing threats for the talented wideouts during his time in the Rams’ team where Nacua and Kupp were significant targets when facing McVay.

Next Gen Stats says the Rams used 11 personnel (3 WRs, 1 TE) on offense for a league-high 1,043 snaps last season. Despite the fact that tight end Kyle Pitts could arguably be classified as a receiver, Robinson should look for further ways of getting both London and Pitts the ball on the fly patterns similar to the ones used in Los Angeles.

But this year the passes London will be receiving in the NFL team are likely to be from Kirk cousins ( or Michael Penix Jr. ) not Desmond Ridder.

3. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills

Playing last season as a rookie, he displayed extraordinary play-making skills for the position catching 73/91 passes for 673 yards and two touchdowns. Now, with WR1 Stefon Diggs in Houston, Kincaid should get more targets in got-to-have-it moments on third down and in the red zone. In such circumstances, Kincaid made a total of 28 targets the previous year.

4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks

Smith-Njigba is the first receiver drafted in the 2023 draft who was unusually bad to start the season but got better the second half. In the from week six, he had 51 receptions for 566 yards and 4 touchdowns on seventy-five targets.

The latter was expected to increase it to another level this season. The change in manager should be of advantage to Smith-Njigba; the presence of Ryan Grubb as the Seattle’s offensive coordinator. Last year at Washington University with the Washington Huskies he co-ordinated one of the finest passing means in the collegiate land.

5. Sam Darnold, QB, Vikings

Indeed, yes, Minnesota chose the Michigan QB J. J. McCarthy in the draft with the tenth overall pick. Still, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is a former NFL quarterback and he knows that the 21-year-old McCarthy still has to grow.

Yes the veteran Darnold does know Minnesota’s offense after playing under Kyle Shanahan with the 49ers. He did not have much chance to play in San Francisco last year and week by week he showed flashes with the ball, which indicates that with the help of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the perimeter, and tight end T. J. Hockenson as soon as he gets back into the field Darnold could show a great result in his starter status.

6. Zamir White, RB, Raiders

Now with the Green Bay Packers, Josh Jacobs hands the silver and black’s lead back position to White. Last year he had low but effective playing time where he scored one touchdown and had 451 yards.

White measures 6-foot and 215 pounds – he is strictly a between the tackles back, but has the ability to push the defense for that extra yard in short yardage situations, though he has some speed to generate big gains. He will likely have several opportunities as head coach Antonio Pierce prefers to establish the running game to shield the young signal caller, Aidan O’Connell.

7. Steven Avila, C, Rams

Taken by Los Angeles in the second round of last year’s draft, Avila was the most viewed rookie player of the 2023 season playing 1,148 snaps. Avila was durable, too, and a producer for the New Orleans Saints, which led him to be on the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team.

Alternative, Avila who played the role of left guard in the previous season will shift to the inside and play as center and he did that same for TCU. They are able to cover high-priced guards Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson to give aging quarterback Matthew Stafford a defensive line to rely on.

There will possibly be flaws in the description of early occasions of the new season since Avila seems to have to adapt to playing in the center in NFL; however, he may prove useful in the future for concentrated play in the center.

8. Yaya Diaby, LB, Buccaneers

Claimed by Tampa Bay by the third round last season, Diaby actually performed fairly well with 7. 5 sacks while pressuring the quarterback 26 times. Diaby stands tall and weighs approximately 6-foot-3, 263 pounds; the man players fast as a 4. The player is measured at 51 40 and recorded a vertical jump of 37 inches.

The Buccaneers were successfully able to get 48 sacks which tied them for the 7th in the league last season with a 33. 8% pressure rate. An increase in diaby’s development should lead to an enhancement of both of those numbers.

9. Daiyan Henley, LB, Chargers

The second-year pro out of Washington State should get more of an opportunity to situate himself out there and demonstrate his speed and play-making abilities in new DC, Jesse Minter’s 4-3 front. In Henley’s rookie season, he had 16 tackles and participated only in 53 defense snaps this past season.

This year, he is projected too prepare for the starting position, though he is a native of Los Angeles. Barely able to cover his man, he has this opportunity to stay on the field when his team passes the football.

10. David Ojabo, LB, Ravens

Another task of new defensive coordinator Zach Orr will be the development of the hitherto unbeaten Ojabo.

The Michigan product was able to record at most only two sacks in five games in his first two seasons because of several injuries; he suffered a torn Achilles among others. But make no mistake: Ojabo has raw pass rushing skills and must have more chances in his third season in teams that require constant pressure.