The offseason is a time to dream, and dream big. Dream about Super Bowls, about unexpectedly good seasons where things go right. Dream about a player "in the best shape of his life," a team's new "culture" and all the other cliches we'll hear in the coming months.
The offseason and preseason do provide plenty of opportunities for individuals to make their jumps from relative unknowns -- at least to casual fans -- to standouts. This time last year, Drew Dalman and Aaron Brewer were average offensive linemen. By the end of the season, they were All Pros. Brian Burns was more well-known, but the super-athlete EDGE hadn't taken the jump after joining the Giants. Then, he recorded 16.5 sacks and became a second-team All-Pro.
These sorts of jumps happen every year. After Tyler Sullivan took care of the AFC candidates, we project NFC's breakout candidates.
NFC East
LB DeMarvion Overshown
Amid a dismal 2024 season for Dallas, DeMarvion Overshown was a bright spot, registering 90 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks, and a pick-six in just 13 games. The third-round pick from 2023 looked to be coming into his own and then some after missing all of his rookie year with a torn ACL. Then he suffered another brutal injury -- torn ACL, MCL and PCL -- near the end of the year. He returned for six games last year. Perhaps the injuries have taken too much of a toll, but a year-plus removed from the injury, he can be the athletic, talented playmaker the Cowboys desperately need at linebacker.
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Quick! Name the three Giants to record at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of their first two NFL seasons. Saquon Barkley, yes. Odell Beckham Jr., yes. The third? That's right: Tyrone Tracy Jr. He watched Cam Skattebo take over the lead role in the backfield last year before Skattebo got hurt, and then Tracy came back and showed his talent as a runner and a pass catcher. He had 269 yards from scrimmage in a two-game span when the Giants played the Packers and the Lions tough, and he finished the year with a 159-yard day against the Cowboys. Mostly a wide receiver in college, Tracy is continuing to improve as a runner. He'll get to show that, especially if Skattebo's recovery from a gruesome leg injury leaks into the season or limits him in general.
CB Riq Woolen
One of my favorite signings of the offseason, the Eagles nabbed Riq Woolen on a one-year, $12 million deal. An impressive size/speed combination, Woolen recorded six interceptions as a rookie. He has just six since and has dealt with some inconsistencies. But the talent has never been a question. The floor in Philadelphia is that he makes too many poor plays to justify his being on the field, and the Eagles' CB2 problem remains unsolved. The median outcome is several good plays and some head-scratchers. But the ceiling? The ceiling is that the Eagles have the best cornerback trio in the NFL, and Woolen is a Pro Bowler again. He could flourish in his new home.
TE Chig Okonkwo
The Commanders' need to add speed and athleticism mostly focused on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, but they also added a player with both attributes to the tight end room in Chig Okonkwo. The former Titan is very good after the catch and has the burst to beat linebackers and safeties down the field, too. He set career highs in catches (56) and yards (560) last year in Tennessee. He's only 26, and he should fit well in David Blough's system, which will have more play-action rollouts and opportunities for Jayden Daniels to hit Okonkwo on the move, where he's at his best.
NFC North
WR Luther Burden III
Luther Burden III was already a popular breakout candidate before Ben Johnson said he's "buying Luther Burden stock right now." As Jared Dubin noted in the linked story, Burden averaged 2.71 yards per route run, third-highest out of the 152 wide receivers who ran at least 100 routes. Burden is speedy and shifty and, ultimately, uber-talented, as he showed as a sophomore at Missouri before a down junior season caused his draft stock to drop. With DJ Moore gone to Buffalo, Burden will see his role expand -- and could see his numbers explode -- in Year 2.
DT Alim McNeill
Alim McNeill looked to be one of several Lions' mid-round success stories in 2023, when he was PFF's No. 6-graded interior defensive lineman (and No. 5 in its run defending grades). He was having a solid 2024 before suffering a torn ACL, an injury that kept him out until October 2025. Though he flashed here and there, it was clear he wasn't fully back. But if he can get back to his 2023/2024 pre-injury self, it would be a massive boost for Detroit. He's a monstrous space eater who also provides some pocket disruptiveness (five sacks in 2023). He's only 26 years old. If he can command attention in the middle, that will help Aidan Hutchinson ... not that he needs much help, anyway.
LT Christian Darrisaw
If you ask Vikings fans, they'd probably say it's past time for Christian Darrisaw to become a star. The left tackle showcases elite talent when he's on the field. The issue is he hasn't been on the field enough: zero full seasons. He has played in just 17 games total the past two seasons after signing a four-year, $113 million extension in July 2024. He then tore his ACL and MCL in October and struggled with knee issues for seemingly all of 2025. He's an absolute road grader in the run game; since Darrisaw arrived in 2021, the Vikings have a 46% rushing success rate with him on the field and a 41% rushing success rate without him. In 2025, that would have been the difference between the NFL's 17th-best rushing attack and its 31st-best rushing attack.
WR Christian Watson
The Packers are certainly expecting a star turn for Christian Watson, judging by the four-year, $110.5 million extension the talented, game-breaking wide receiver got last week. Watson has never surpassed 41 catches or 620 receiving yards in a season, and he has an injury history, but the Packers have cleared the way for him to break out. Seemingly always rotating their wide receivers, Green Bay let Romeo Doubs leave in free agency and traded away Dontayvion Wicks. Watson's 2.54 yards per route run in 2025 was sixth out of 293 players who ran at least 100 routes. If he carries that efficiency into a larger role, he's a surefire star.
NFC South
S Xavier Watts
The Falcons have an underwhelming quarterback competition between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa on their hands, and there's a chance the awesome trio of Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts is held back again by their surroundings. But on the defensive side of things, Watts is one of a few intriguing young talents. The 2025 third-round pick notched five interceptions, made 92 tackles and defended 11 passes, finishing fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
CB Mike Jackson
Out of all of the pleasant surprises in the Panthers' surprising NFC South title-winning season, Mike Jackson was arguably the biggest. The veteran cornerback nabbed four regular-season interceptions (he had three in his entire career entering the year) and also picked off Matthew Stafford in the playoffs. Jackson's 19 passes defended were tied for the league lead, and his 55.4 passer rating against as the primary defender ranked 14th out of 134 players who were the primary defender on at least 50 passes. In fact, Jackson was right behind his ballyhooed teammate Jaycee Horn in the metric. Individual coverage stats can be notoriously finicky year-to-year, but the Panthers just might have found a late-blooming standout here.
LT Kelvin Banks Jr.
Kelvin Banks Jr. not only held down the left tackle spot for the entirety of the 2025 season as a rookie, but he did so in impressive fashion, too. The No. 9 overall pick was the No. 27 tackle in football according to PFF's grades, well ahead of highly regarded veterans Dion Dawkins and Ronnie Stanley as well as the player who was selected five spots ahead of Banks last April, Will Campbell. Banks also trended upward during the second half of the season. His play will be crucial as Tyler Shough looks to show he's the answer at quarterback.
WR Emeka Egbuka
Emeka Egbuka entered the league absolutely on fire, averaging 89 yards per game and catching five touchdown passes across his first five games. Then he averaged 41 yards per contest and caught just one touchdown the rest of the season. Drops plagued him during the rough patch, a disappointing development for a player whose biggest calling card coming out of Ohio State was his ability to always make the right play. The Buccaneers lost Mike Evans in free agency, and Chris Godwin's age and recent bill of health will give even the most diehard Tampa Bay fan pause. It's fair to say Egbuka hit a rookie wall of sorts, but it's also fair to say he has the major talent to get right back on track in 2026.
NFC West
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
"Maserati Marv" has been "Mitsubishi Marv" in the NFL, with the son of the Hall of Famer having yet to live up to his nickname ... or his No. 4 overall pick status from 2024. Last year, Marvin Harrison Jr. suffered a concussion, appendicitis and injuries to both heels, and his numbers from what was considered a solid but not outstanding rookie year fell across the board in Year 2. Harrison and Kyler Murray never got their chemistry down pat, but now Murray is gone. Mike LaFleur, who comes in from the Rams, will put Harrison in spots where he's a better fit to succeed. With Murray and the old staff gone and Harrison confident his injury issues will be behind him, there are no more excuses.
EDGE Byron Young
It can be difficult to find an under-the-radar star on a team with so many very much on-the-radar stars, but Byron Young fits the bill here. He has already played very well -- PFF had him as the No. 10 EDGE in the NFL last year -- and now he'll get a ton of one-on-one opportunities with Myles Garrett on the opposite side. Last year, Young notched 12 sacks and made his first Pro Bowl, but he probably wouldn't come to mind if you had to list the Rams' top stars. Still, he appears to be on his way to becoming one. His 16.8% pressure rate last year was 11th in the league.
RG Dominick Puni
After an impressive 2024 debut -- especially for a third-round rookie -- Dominick Puni wasn't quite as good in 2025 according to PFF, but he still only gave up one sack. He has started every game at left guard for Kyle Shanahan's club since he arrived, which is no small feat considering how many 49ers have been injured recently. At his best, Puni is a physical mauler in the ground game who can really move people. If there's a leap to be made in his pass protection in Year 3, he could ascend to one of the league's more well-regarded interior linemen.
S Nick Emmanwori
The reigning Super Bowl champs had a ton of talent across their defense, but one could argue Nick Emmanwori helped them unlock their finest form last year. The Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up played significant snaps as a box safety, as a nickel corner, and even along the defensive line. He added big-time physicality and athleticism everywhere he went. A strong presence in the run game, Emmanwori hits like a linebacker, runs like a cornerback, and has the size of a safety. The Seahawks lost a few notable pieces from their defense, and in Emmanwori's case, the departures of safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Riq Woolen have the biggest impact. But Emmanwori has all the tools to be an absolute star for Mike Macdonald.
