We are now mere weeks away from the start of the 2024 NFL season. Before long, 31 teams will be vying to dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. To get there, they'll all need players to step up and be better than they ever were before.

Those are the guys we're here to talk about today: The breakout players. One for each team, to be exact. For the sake of adherence to the strict definition of "breakout," we are making rookies ineligible for this exercise. So, everyone is in their second season or later.

Here we go ...

NFC East

Overshown missed his entire rookie season after suffering a torn ACL during last year's training camp, and then Dallas' linebacker corps was the team's major weakness a year ago. He's back in camp and flying around, and has a chance to be the best player at the position group this season. 

Pinnock is now the old veteran in a secondary that has seen fellow safeties like Julian Love and Xavier McKinney exit over the past couple of offseasons. With the benefit of their experience, along with his athleticism and instincts, he should be able to take a step forward in his second year as a starter.

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It was difficult to narrow down whom to choose for the Eagles, so we went with the player who would benefit the team the most if he had a breakout year. Jurgens is taking over for a future Hall of Famer in Jason Kelce, and how he performs as the pivot man in the offensive line will play a huge role in whether or not the team can carry over its consistent run-game success.

Luvu got a decent-sized contract in free agency, but it didn't come near getting him into the top tier of off-ball linebacker salaries. In Dan Quinn's defense, he has a chance to really shine as a versatile second-level playmaker -- especially if Quinn gets creative with his abilities as a blitzer.

NFC North

Stevenson had a really strong debut season -- especially during the second half of the year. Cornerback is one of the least consistent year-over-year positions in the NFL, but his size-length-strength combination and high-level coverage skills point to the former Miami Hurricane taking a Year 2 leap across from All-Pro Jaylon Johnson.

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We went with Williams for the Lions last year, and well, here we are again. This is the year, folks! His first two seasons have not gone as planned, what with the ACL rehab and a gambling suspension; but Williams' skill set brings something to the Detroit offense that nobody else can offer, and there's a big opportunity here for him to make an impact.

Really, you could have chosen almost any of Green Bay's young pass catchers for this spot, but Wicks has the most impressive profile. He finished last season 18th in the NFL in adjusted yards per route, via TruMedia, and is one of only (here's that number again) 18 rookies in the last five years to top 3.00 adjusted yards per route.

Pace came out of nowhere as an undrafted free agent rookie to have a fantastic season for Minnesota's defense. With Brian Flores scheming things up, the second-year pro should be even better now that he's had time to settle in.

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NFC South

London's counting stats from his first two seasons don't look that great -- mostly because the Falcons almost never threw the ball under Arthur Smith. He earned volume at a top-15 rate during that time, being targeted on 25.2% of his routes -- just ahead of Ja'Marr Chase. With Kirk Cousins under center, he has a chance to finally put up a stat line commensurate with his talent.

Everybody knows how talented Horn is. The question is whether he can stay on the field for enough time for us to see him truly break out. After he played just 22 games in his first three seasons, here's hoping that happens.

Shaheed has made splash plays as a rotational player for the Saints, totaling 74 catches for 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns while playing only 42% and 58% of the team's offensive snaps. He should be locked into an every down role, and in the new offense, he should have more opportunities to hit for big gains down the field.

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Diaby suffered what looked at first like a scary injury earlier in training camp, but recently said that he will be ready to go for Week 1. After a 7.5-sack debut season that saw him finish fifth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, he should play an even larger role and have a chance to push for double-digit takedowns.

NFC West

The future Mr. Sophia Smith posted a strong debut with 38 grabs for 565 yards and three scores last year, and now appears locked in as the Cardinals' No. 2 wideout across from Marvin Harrison Jr. With Kyler Murray under center for the whole season, Wilson should be able to generate much more consistent production in Year 2.

Young was a bit overshadowed on L.A.'s defensive front last year by both Aaron Donald and Kobie Turner. But he finished with eight sacks as a rookie, and should again operate as the team's top edge rusher. Donald isn't there, but Turner, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske should at least allow him consistent opportunities to rush one on one.

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Brown only started five games for San Francisco down the stretch of last season, but he acquitted himself really well in those opportunities. Playing next to Talanoa Hufanga from the jump should allow him to play at a high level right away in his second NFL season.

JSN didn't necessarily have the kind of rookie season many expected of him, though much of that is owed to a wrist injury suffered in training camp and then the Seahawks' bizarre insistence on using multiple tight ends rather than getting their first-round pick on the field. With a more wide-open offense, Tyler Lockett a year older and Smith-Njigba entering the season healthy, it's wheels up this time around.

AFC East

The choice for the Bills came down to Kincaid and third-year wideout Khalil Shakir. We went with Kincaid because of his unique skill set in the context of Buffalo's other options, and because he has shown more of an ability to earn volume to date. The former first-rounder has every opportunity to be Josh Allen's top target.

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It will extremely tough to choose a breakout player for the Dolphins. De'Von Achane already broke out as a rookie. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert are known commodities. We know the major players on defense, and the best bet for a true superstar leap (Jaelan Phillips) is unfortunately coming off a torn Achilles. So we're going with Kohou, who should have a chance to shine as the nickel corner in Anthony Weaver's Ravens-esque defensive system.

Gonzalez was on his way to a huge rookie season before suffering a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum in Week 4. His rise was a year delayed, but he's going to make the best of every ounce of his skill season.

Wilson is already considered a star-level player, but we're talking stratosphere levels of leap here. The No. 1 receiver in Aaron Rodgers offenses always puts up monster receiving lines, and Wilson is as talented as anyone Rodgers has ever played with. He could have a Davante Adams-type season.

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AFC North

Remember what playing next to Roquan Smith did for Patrick Queen's career? Simpson is next in line for that kind of bump.

Brown didn't get a ton of opportunities as a rookie, but when he did, he should a knack for making big plays. Four of his 44 carries and three of his 14 receptions gained at least 15 yards. That's a much higher explosive-play rate than Cincinnati has gotten from its running backs in recent years, and he should have a chance for considerably more action in Year 2.

Delpit played some of the best football of his career over the second half of last season and earned himself a contract extension. Playing for Jim Schwartz clearly agrees with him, and the aggression he can show from the back end should lead to his continuing to make plays on the second level.

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Benton played a rotational role as a rookie and flashed as both a run defender and even a pass rusher. He generated 18 run stops in 235 snaps and 24 pressures on 281 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. With more consistent playing time, he can become a true force on the interior.

AFC South

As we wrote in our story on the NFL's top cornerbacks: Stingley has missed time due to injury in each of his first two seasons, but when he was on the field last year, he was one of the most effective corners in the NFL. He allowed just 21 completions on 39 targets, via Pro Football Focus, with a 71.6 passer rating on throws in his direction. He had great ball production with six pass breakups and five interceptions in just 11 games as well.

Richardson showcased his outrageous skill set during the few opportunities he got on the field last season. Colts coach Shane Steichen has shown a consistent ability to milk every ounce of talent out of his quarterbacks, and Richardson may be the most physically talented quarterback he's ever had.

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Cisco has already become a solid starter on the back end of Jacksonville's defense, but he can be even better than that. With his range and instincts, he can become a true center-field type that erases the deep part of the field. Under new coordinator Ryan Nielsen, he should take a step forward.

Spears surprisingly outsnapped Derrick Henry during his rookie season, and looked electric whenever the Titans got the ball in his hands. Now splitting the backfield with Tony Pollard, and with coach Brian Callahan talking up each of their respective abilities in the passing game, Spears should have significant runway to emerge as a major two-way threat.

AFC West

McLaughlin had a mini-breakout early in his rookie season, generating 235 yards on just 31 touches in a three-game stretch from Weeks 4 through 6. But then he curiously never topped a 28% snap rate the rest of the season. Sean Payton shouldn't make that mistake again. The Broncos have to get this guy involved as both a runner and a receiver.

Karlaftis' 2022 draft-mate, Trent McDuffie, has already become an All-Pro. That may not be in the cards for Karlaftis, but after racking up 16.5 sacks in his first two seasons, he's clearly got more pass-rush juice than some people initially thought -- and he's also a really good run defender. Steve Spagnuolo will put him in consistent position to succeed.

White is going to get an absolute ton of carries under Antonio Pierce, who has talked about the importance of rushing volume and round numbers. In four games as a starter down the stretch of last season, White got 84 carries and 13 targets. That's a 357-carry, 55-target pace for an entire season. Even if he doesn't show elite efficiency, that's a recipe for a huge year.

It took him a while to get there, but Gilman became a full-time starter last season and fared well. With a new defensive coordinator in Jesse Minter, Gilman should have a chance to thrive in the Michigan/Ravens-style defense that always makes good use of multiple safeties.