As the 2024 NFL season approaches, it's not hard to identify big names expected to dominate conversation: Think Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson and T.J. Watt. For every superstar, however, there are just as many under-the-radar breakout candidates -- players who may have already teased All-Pro potential, but enter the new season without nearly as much recognition as they might warrant.
With that in mind, here are 12 of the NFL's most underrated players going into 2024:
Maybe it's because of this offseason's especially busy running back market, but Cook has gotten curiously little buzz for a 25-year-old coming off 1,500 scrimmage yards as a full-timer. Averaging 5 yards per carry through two seasons, he's got the juice to become one of Josh Allen's top counterparts.
Caleb Williams' star-studded arrival has rightly commanded most of the attention surrounding the Chicago Bears, but Swift looks just as, if not more, explosive in camp as he did during a 2023 breakout with the Philadelphia Eagles, when he hit 1,000 yards as a turbo-boost starter despite streaky usage.
Any running back going on 30 tends to get overlooked, and Jones has an injury history. Still, the ex-Green Bay Packers star retains top-flight speed. Even if he splits carries with Ty Chandler, he should have plenty of scoring opportunities thanks to the upside of Kevin O'Connell's well-stocked passing offense.
Big-money wide receiver deals were all the rage this offseason, and while Olave isn't yet eligible for an extension, he soon will be. Despite iffy quarterback play and lingering injuries, the Ohio State product has totaled 2,165 yards in two NFL seasons, and he arguably hasn't even hit his prime as a downfield No. 1.
Injuries were a nagging issue in 2023, but Freiermuth had 60 catches in each of his first two NFL seasons, growing quickly as a tough-yardage safety valve for multiple quarterbacks. As long as he stays upright, he has the build and the pass-catching acumen to be a breakout target for their new signal-caller room.
Windy City has gotten lots of love for its makeover of the wide receiver spot, but the acclaim for D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze has partially robbed Kmet of his due. The former second-rounder is durable (zero missed games) and emerged as a true over-the-middle threat with 73 catches in 2023.
A quiet free- agent addition compared to more high-profile newcomers like Tyron Smith, Simpson has started all 17 games twice in his four-year career, but both times he was an above-average interior man. His pass-blocking skills could be critical to keeping Aaron Rodgers healthy with the New York Jets.
Did you know that only nine players have logged more sacks than Floyd since 2020? That's right. By that metric alone, this man is a top-10 edge rusher. And now, fresh off a career-high 10.5 sacks with the Buffalo Bills, he's set to work alongside Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins in the Bay Area. Look out.
The Jacksonville Jaguars' secondary was hit or miss in 2023, but Williams was always around the ball, finishing with four picks and a career-best 19 pass breakups. That followed a solid run as Jalen Ramsey's running mate with the Rams. Now back in L.A., he profiles as one of the steals of spring free agency.
The former New England Patriots fourth-rounder is on some people's radars after an early-preseason pick, but he's still a man looking to redeem a tumultuous on- and off-field start to his career. With four pass breakups and two picks in just seven games with the Raiders in 2023, he's emerging as a ballhawk.
Once considered a developing, if unspectacular, partner for longtime Vikings leader Harrison Smith, Bynum may be Minnesota's most rangy defensive back at this point. With four picks and 17 pass deflections the last two seasons, including in some critical spots, he's a high achiever on the back end.
The second-year Alabama product certainly isn't a no-name, drawing Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration in 2023. But he's poised for a more expansive impact after primarily manning the slot in his NFL debut, taking his top-level instincts to the back end, behind new cover men like Terrion Arnold.
