The 2015 NFL season gave us a few breakout players, and also left us with several players right on the precipice. Fortunately for those players, there is always next year.
So, who are the 10 players who we can expect a big breakout from in 2016? The only thing to note here is that we’re looking exclusively at players currently in the NFL — no pending rookies.
While 2016 will certainly give us some stud rookies, we don’t know who’s going where, so we can’t quite make those judgments or predictions yet. These 10 guys are already in the NFL and are ready to break out.
1. Vic Beasley, Atlanta Falcons, defensive end
While the Falcons had a bitterly disappointing 2015 season, Vic Beasley showed up well for the Dirty Birds in his rookie campaign. He recorded four sacks, including two in the final month of the year, and registered two forced fumbles.
The numbers may not seem overwhelming, but news broke towards the end of the season that Beasley had played the 2015 season with a torn labrum.
Beasley was a terror at Clemson, recording 13 sacks in his junior season of 2013 and 12 as a senior in 2014. Given the fact that he dominated in college and played reasonably well through injury as an NFL rookie, we feel confident saying that he’ll break out in a big way in 2016.
2. Jeremy Langford, Chicago Bears, running back
For the last eight years, Matt Forte has been a stalwart for the Bears. But he also turned 30 during the 2015 season, which doubled as the last year of his contract. It’s highly possible that he’s played his final game with the team.
Enter Jeremy Langford. As a rookie in 2015, Langford put up solid numbers backing up Forte. His best game came in Week 10 against the St. Louis Rams, when he had 20 carries for 73 yards and caught seven passes for 109, scoring once on the ground and through the air.
In total, Langford rushed for 537 yards and six touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 279 yards with the one touchdown. That’s more than enough evidence to think that he can take another big step as Chicago’s featured back in 2016.
3. Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings, quarterback
The Vikings had a solid season in 2015, but any further progression will depend on the success of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Fortunately, Bridgewater’s 2015 season does give reason for optimism.
- 2015, Games 1-8: 149-for-232 (64.2%), 1670 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT, 83.4 RAT
- 2015, Games 9-16: 143-for-215 (66.5%), 1561 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT, 94.4 RAT
While the yardage is indeed slightly less in the second half, everything else points to progression, which is what a quarterback should be doing in his second year entering his third.
The Vikings were also incredibly dependent on Adrian Peterson throughout 2015. He led the league in rushing, but also had significantly more carries than any other player. Peterson will also turn 31 in March, which is ancient for running back standards.
If the Vikings are going to continue to challenge for (and win) in the NFC North, they’ll need to trust the development of Teddy Bridgewater and let him throw more.
4. Kony Ealy, Carolina Panthers, defensive end
Logically speaking, the 2016 season will be a natural time for the Panthers to work Kony Ealy into more defensive plays. Both of their starting defensive ends, Charles Johnson and Jared Allen, are under contract for the 2016 season, but will both be on the wrong side of 30.
On top of that, Ealy has given Ron Rivera and company plenty to be optimistic about during his two NFL seasons. He started only nine games between the 2014 and 2015 regular seasons, but recorded as many sacks. Ealy also had a sack in five straight games between Weeks 8 and 12 in 2015.
The Panthers have enjoyed a great deal of success over the last three seasons. They have a fantastic defense, which forces many third-and-longs, and they often play with the lead.
Even if we allow for some regression in 2016, the Carolina defense figures to be in many passing situations, which will only give Ealy more chances to sack opposing quarterbacks. Even if Allen and Johnson remain starters, Ealy is a name to circle.
5. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers, running back
After a dominant Week 1 performance against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, it looked as though Carlos Hyde would break out in 2015. Unfortunately, the 49ers never got on track, and it didn’t help that injuries kept Hyde from playing all but seven games.
It’s a pretty safe bet that Chip Kelly will run the ball quite a bit with the 49ers, which will only bode well for Hyde. Additionally, Kelly has stated that he is a fan of Hyde’s, so we should expect to see a lot of the running back.
Hyde is a talented player, and even under a completely lost head coach showed signs of how good he can be. Under Chip Kelly, expect Hyde’s talents to be more prevalent.
6. Preston Smith, Washington Redskins, outside linebacker
The Redskins won their final four games of the 2015 season to win the NFC East. It can safely be said that Preston Smith was one of the big reasons why.
During that four game stretch, Smith notched five quarterback sacks and forced a fumble. His best game came in Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles, when he sacked Sam Bradford three times. In total, he tallied eight quarterback sacks during the 2015 season, and added another (for a safety) in the playoffs.
That’s a great rookie season, and Smith only improved as it grew longer, which would be a fantastic development for anyone in the NFL.
Washington has a good defense, and fellow edge rushers Trent Murphy and Ryan Kerrigan are under contract for the 2016 season. Quite simply, that means that opposing offenses will not be able to put all of their focus on Smith. With his pass rushing skills, don’t be surprised if Smith doubles his impressive rookie sack total in 2016.
7. Lamar Miller, Free Agent, running back
Over the last two seasons, the Miami Dolphins have gone an underwhelming 14-18. Lamar Miller has gotten 20 or more touches only seven times in that stretch. In those seven games, Miami went 6-1, while they were 8-17 in the other 25 contests.
That’s a pretty stark difference. While a 6-1, or 86 percent winning clip, may not be indicative of what would happen if Miller gets 20 touches per game all season, the Dolphins might have been able to earn at least one playoff berth if they used him more. Alas, we’ll never know.
Whether Miller leaves Miami or stays with the Dolphins and new coach Adam Gase, one has to hope that he’ll be utilized more in 2016 than he was under Joe Philbin and Dan Campbell in 2014 and 2015.
During his career, Miller has averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He also proved to be a more than capable pass catcher in 2015, hauling in 47 receptions. If he goes to a team that uses him more, Miller has the kind of talent to rush for over 1,000 yards and catch for over 500.
8. Shaquil Barrett, Denver Broncos, outside linebacker
It’s very possible that the Denver Broncos defense will look very different in 2016. Demarcus Ware is under contract but will be 34 by the time next season starts. Conversely, Von Miller is in his prime but is a free agent, and the Broncos could have a hard time keeping him around.
That’s where Shaquil Barrett comes in. Barrett was undrafted in 2014 but emerged in 2015 as a playmaker on Denver’s defense. He started only six games but managed 5.5 sacks.
Given Barrett’s emergence, the Broncos could reluctantly choose to let Miller go or have Ware be a cap causality in their bid to bring Miller back.
Whatever happens, it’s likely that Barrett will end up seeing a huge uptick in play. It’s also likely that whichever one stays (Ware or Miller) will get the bulk of the attention from offensive lines. A few pass-rushers are on this list, but none are poised to have quite the season that Barrett is for Denver.
9. Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks, running back
In many ways, Rawls has a similar situation to Carlos Hyde, only Rawls has it on a much better team. Rawls had some big moments for the Seattle Seahawks in 2015, but an injuries and inconsistent playing time kept him from breaking out in a big way. Marshawn Lynch might well be on his way out, but Rawls is the perfect back to replace him.
Lynch and Rawls have similar rushing styles. Both are built very well, but both are under 6-foot-0, and as such, they’re incredibly hard to tackle. For Rawls, the best proof of that is his staggering 5.6 yards per carry in 2015.
On top of that, defenses can no longer stack the box against the Seahawks like they did against Lynch. Russell Wilson is too good a passer, and his receivers, namely Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin, are too much of a threat downfield.
Don’t be surprised if Rawls leads the NFL in rushing in 2016.
10. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals, running back
Throughout most of 2015, the Arizona Cardinals used David Johnson sparingly, as he was behind Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington on the depth chart. Injuries forced Johnson into the starting role for the last five games of the season, and he made quite an impact.
Over those five games, Johnson had 90 carries for 442 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. He also contributed to the passing attack, catching 17 passes for 216 yards and another touchdown.
The Cardinals also have one of the best vertical passing games in the NFL, featuring Carson Palmer’s deep ball skills and the threats brought by Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, and Michael Floyd.
Like Rawls, Johnson is a serious contender to be the NFL’s rushing champ in 2016. Even if that doesn’t quite happen, 2016 promises to be a big year.