Tag: breakout

Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey on the verge of a breakout

Commanders’ rookie WR Luke McCaffrey is on the verge of a breakout.

Wide receiver Luke McCaffrey was one of the more unheralded members of the Washington Commanders’ 2024 NFL draft. The final pick of the third round in April’s draft was overshadowed by quarterback Jayden Daniels, cornerback Mike Sainristil and others.

McCaffrey is accustomed to being overshadowed. The son of former NFL wide receiver Ed and the younger brother of 49ers running back Christian, Luke McCaffrey played quarterback at Nebraska and Rice before transitioning to wide receiver for his final two collegiate seasons.

McCaffrey quickly developed into a legitimate wide receiver prospect, catching 71 passes for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns. This offseason, McCaffrey, along with Daniels, were often the first players to arrive at the Commanders’ Ashburn headquarters for offseason workouts, impressing teammates and coaches.

McCaffrey was quiet in the preseason, but former NFL scout and Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy called McCaffrey “this year’s Puka Nacua.”

Through five games, McCaffrey has yet to make that type of impact, but he does have 10 receptions for 98 yards and has been open often in each of Washington’s games, which could mean a breakout is coming.

McCaffrey routinely ranks among the NFL’s best in creating separation each week, which is impressive considering he’s a rookie with only two years of experience as a wide receiver.

While we await McCaffrey’s breakout regarding numbers, he’s making an impact. He’s one of several players who have embraced Washington’s team-first mindset.

Check out McCaffey on this block:

If you think this was a one-off, think again. There are plays like this all over McCaffrey’s film this season.

When you go back and watch Washington’s Week 5 win over Cleveland, you’ll see plenty of McCaffrey being open. Daniels has already found McCaffrey during some clutch moments through five weeks. Once the two are completely on the same page — and that time will come — McCaffrey will reward general manager Adam Peters’ faith in him and become the Commanders’ unquestioned No. 2 receiver opposite Terry McLaurin.

 

Bleacher Report predicts Paulson Adebo will break out in 2024

Bleacher Report predicts Paulson Adebo will break out in 2024. But hasn’t the New Orleans Saints cornerback already arrived?

Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder recently published a piece where they predicted one breakout player from each NFL team. It can be incredibly difficult to predict a breakout player, let alone predict one for 32 NFL teams.

For the New Orleans Saints, B/R settled on cornerback Paulson Adebo as their breakout player in 2024. Here is Holder’s reasoning for the former Stanford Cardinal as the pick:

In a way, Adebo “broke out” last season by recording four interceptions, 18 passes defended and a 69.9 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus, to earn an 80.5 coverage grade from PFF. However, that didn’t result in any post-season recognition, making the corner eligible for this column.

Look for the 2021 third-round pick to continue to build on that strong performance, especially with the addition of pass-rusher Chase Young which should make the entire secondary’s life easier, and become a Pro Bowler or All-Pro this fall.

Holder essentially admitted that Adebo took a huge step forward in his individual play in 2023, but because he wasn’t yet recognized on one of those all-star lists, it didn’t matter. He has already broken out. Teams know that and, if Adebo can maintain his level of play, it’ll be reflected in his next contract once he becomes a free agent in 2025 — assuming the Saints don’t re-sign him sooner.

The Saints have plenty of players who are ready to take the next step and would’ve been better candidates. Linebacker Pete Werner and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed are two good players who have the potential to take the next step this season. Two dark horse options are Nick Saldiveri and Trevor Penning, and it would mean a lot to see either (or both) offensive lineman make a big impact. As far as Adebo is concerned, he’s already a known quantity.

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2 Steelers defenders named to All-Breakout team

Keeanu Benton and Joey Porter Jr. both made Bucky Brooks’ All-Breakout team.

Looking over the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, there are several young players who we are expecting huge things from in the upcoming season. Two of those young players made the cut on NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks All-Breakout team.

Brooks listed defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. as defenders on his squad. Benton and Porter were both second-round picks for the Steelers in the 2023 NFL draft.

Porter came on stronger as a rookie and finished as one of the best young cornerbacks in the league. Benton saw more limited reps and while he didn’t light up the boxscore, his skills are evident, and he could rack up the numbers in a full-time role.

If the Steelers are going to be successful, it will mean both of these players improve over last season. Porter has a chance to ascend to a truly elite coverage player. For Benton, it is more about maximizing his reps. The Steelers use a heavy rotation of players up front so Benton needs as many winning reps as possible, especially on passing downs.

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A.T. Perry picked as a potential breakout candidate for 2024

All eyes are on Rashid Shaheed as a potential breakout candidate for the Saints, but Pro Football Network says don’t sleep on A.T. Perry:

All eyes are on Rashid Shaheed as a possible breakout candidate for the New Orleans Saints in 2024, even if his performance last season arguably meets the criteria. Shaheed finished with 46 receptions for 719 yards, scoring 5 touchdown catches. He also chipped in 339 punt return yards while picking up 384 return yards on kickoffs.

And while we’re all excited to see what Shaheed can do with Klint Kubiak calling plays (he was our pick for the Saints’ potential breakout), Pro Football Network’s Tony Catalina reminds us not to overlook another Saints wideout: A.T. Perry. Last year’s sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest made some plays down the stretch, and Catalina sees a great opportunity opening up for Perry with Michael Thomas moving on:

The days of Michael Thomas dominating secondaries for the Saints are over. However, while they have some young intriguing pieces in the room, second-year WR A.T. Perry should be talked about as a breakout candidate more often. The hope is still there that Perry could become one of Derek Carr’s most trusted weapons when it’s all said and done this season.

On their surface, Perry’s rookie-year stats aren’t that great: 12 receptions for 246 yards doesn’t move the needle for many fans. But look a little deeper. Perry converted a first down on 10 of his 12 catches, and four of those grabs scored touchdowns. That’s doubly impressive when you see that he didn’t take his first snap on offense until Week 8, and he didn’t record a catch until Week 10. He finished the season by catching all three passes thrown his way against the Atlanta Falcons, gaining 53 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a blowout win.

That certainly suggests he’s someone Derek Carr wants to work with. Unlike Shaheed and Chris Olave (both of whom measure in at 6-foot and under 190 pounds, with 73-inch wingspans), Perry has a more imposing stature at 6-foot-5 and a listed 205 pounds with an 82 5/8-inch wingspan. We saw him win on contested targets and outmuscle opponents downfield last season. If he can continue to play with such physicality on a heavier workload, Carr and Kubiak will give him as many opportunities as he can handle.

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Luke Musgrave is PFF’s breakout player pick for Packers in 2024

Can second-year tight end Luke Musgrave break out for the Packers in 2024?

A year after correctly predicting offensive lineman Zach Tom as a breakout player for the Green Bay Packers in 2023, Pro Football Focus has identified tight end Luke Musgrave as a top candidate for Matt LaFleur’s team in 2024.

What are the ingredients of a breakout player? Talent, potential and opportunity. Musgrave, who was threatening the Packers’ rookie record for receptions by a tight end before suffering a kidney injury in 2023, checks all the boxes as a second-round pick entering Year 2 as a primary target in a top offense.

From PFF’s Bradley Locker on Musgrave: “It’s hard not to be extremely excited about the Packers’ boatload of young receiving options, and Musgrave is verifiably part of that. He played in just 13 games because of a lacerated kidney, but he was elite at the end of 2023: his 91.9 receiving grade between Week 18 and the divisional round led all tight ends. Musgrave is a player to buy stock in entering 2024.”

Musgrave, the 42nd pick in the 2023 draft, caught 34 passes for 352 yards and a touchdown over 11 games as a rookie. He added six catches and a touchdown in the postseason.

Big and athletic, Musgrave could emerge as a legitimate pass-catching weapon for LaFleur and Jordan Love in 2024. Tight ends often need time to develop at the NFL level, and Musgrave got a crash course as a first-year starter in 2023.

Musgrave will be competing for snaps with Tucker Kraft, who ended his own rookie season with a surge. And the Packers are not lacking for mouths to feed in the passing game entering 2024.

But Musgrave’s breakout candidacy has a lot to offer: He’s as long and fast as any tight end in football, and he’ll be playing with an ascending starting quarterback in an offensive scheme with a long and established history of getting players open.

Tom’s breakout season included becoming a rock-solid right tackle in 2023. If Musgrave can stay healthy and take a similar  leap, there’s no reason why he can’t catch 60 or more passes and be a consistent big-play threat and touchdown scorer for the Packers in 2024.

2023 midseason awards: Saints MVP, Comeback Player of the Year (so far)

2023 Saints midseason awards: Our picks for Team MVP, Most Improved, and Comeback Player of the Year (so far):

The New Orleans Saints are on bye this week, so it’s a good opportunity to take a look back at the first half of their season — well, the first 10 games. Honestly we’re past the midpoint on their schedule, but there are still seven games left to play (plus the postseason, hopefully), and the bye week is a great time to practice a little retrospection.

With that in mind, here are our staff picks for the Saints’ 2023 midseason awards:

  • Most Valuable Player
  • Breakout Player of the Year
  • Most Improved Player
  • Comeback Player of the Year
  • Rookie of the Year.

Packers WR Romeo Doubs building up breakout potential to start preseason

Packers WR Romeo Doubs has been a standout to start the preseason, supporting his status as a true breakout candidate in 2023.

Through two preseason games, Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs has done nothing to hurt his status as a top breakout candidate for Matt LaFleur’s team in 2023. In fact, Doubs has provided even more evidence of his breakout potential through two games.

The sample size is, of course, small. Doubs has played all of 19 snaps in games against the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots.

But the numbers are worth considering as the regular season approaches. Doubs has caught all four of his targets, including three contested targets, and Jordan Love has a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeting him.

Love’s stats through two preseason games:

— 4 targets
— 4 catches
— 3/3 contested catches
— 1 TD, 3 first downs
— 18.3 yards/catch
— 3.84 yards/route run
— 158.3 passer rating when targeted

Doubs caught two more passes over three series during Saturday’s preseason showdown with the Patriots. LaFleur described both as “big-time catches,” including an impressive snag in traffic to convert 3rd-and-7.

Here are all four of Doubs’ targets and catches this preseason:

PFF predicts breakout season in 2023 for these 3 Packers

Pro Football Focus envisions breakout seasons from Christian Watson, Josh Myers and Devonte Wyatt in 2023.

Pro Football Focus believes a trio of Green Bay Packers players on are about to craft a breakout season in 2023.

Wide receiver Christian Watson, center Josh Myers and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt all made PFF’s “All-Breakout Team” for 2023.

Here’s a quick look at what PFF said, our take on the picks and what a breakout season would mean for the three players:

Peter Schrager makes bold choice for Chiefs’ breakout wide receiver

Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager is buying the hype behind #Chiefs’ second-year wide receiver Justyn Ross.

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Kansas City Chiefs WR Justyn Ross has an unstoppable train of hype surrounding him this offseason. It’s so prevalent within Chiefs Kingdom, that his name is now picking up steam at the national media level.

Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager recently revealed his top-5 breakout wide receiver candidates for the 2023 NFL season. Ross came in at No. 5 on his list.

“Number five is Justyn Ross,” Schrager said. “I’ve got practice footage of No. 8 Justyn Ross making a play. Ross was an undrafted free agent out of the University of Clemson a couple of years ago. He had the injury and yet everyone has spoken about Justyn Ross for two years in Kansas City circles. Like, ‘Just wait until we get Ross on the field.’ This was the one play you saw last week and it was from the Chiefs’ (Twitter) account and you were like, ‘Ah! He’s coming! It’s Justyn Ross time.'”

The aforementioned practice footage shows Ross beating second-year CB Nazeeh Johnson on a deep route in team drills. There seems to be a good blend of internal excitement from the team and hype for the fans with Ross — who spent last season on injured reserve following surgery to repair a foot injury after signing with K.C. as an undrafted free agent.

There’s some legitimate concern about his ability to stay healthy and on the field long-term. However, should he stay on the field, opportunity is an area that Schrager thinks could benefit Ross.

“When you look at this roster at the wide receiver position, they lost JuJu (Smith-Schuster), they lost (Mecole) Hardman. In years past they lost other players,” Schrager said. “Who is going to step up? (Marquez) Valdes-Scantling was the guy against the Bengals. (Kadarius) Toney was awesome in the Super Bowl. (Justin) Watson, we know his name. You’ve got the second-round pick (Rashee) Rice. You got (Skyy) Moore last year. Richie James from the Giants. Justyn Ross just might be a guy to watch.”

At the same time, he recognized just how bold this claim is. Ross is a virtual unknown in the NFL, which would make a breakout all the more exciting.

“He’s never played in an NFL regular season game,” Schrager said. “He was not drafted. When you talk about breakout players, guys who are not getting buzz nationally, but may be getting buzz locally. And (they) could be a player like, ‘Where did this guy come from?’ Justyn Ross.”

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PFF picks Rashid Shaheed as an early Saints breakout candidate for 2023

Pro Football Focus picked Rashid Shaheed as an early Saints breakout candidate for 2023. The former undrafted free agent has a big encore ahead of him:

It didn’t take long for Rashid Shaheed to earn his place in the New Orleans Saints receiving corps — once his coaches let him get out on the field, anyway. Rasheed played at least 43% of the team’s snaps starting in Week 11 last season and seemed to make impressive catches more of a routine. He was the team’s biggest source of big plays, and those efforts in 2022 are enough to have Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson picking Shaheed as an early breakout candidate for 2023:

“Andy Dalton played quite well this season, but a true high-end quarterback would unlock something special in Rashid Shaheed based on the play we saw from him this season.

Shaheed led the Saints in yards per route run this season (2.59) and had 12 explosive plays from just 34 targets and four carries.”

Shaheed is one of six receivers under contract for 2023 along with Chris Olave, Tre’Quan Smith, Kirk Merritt, and Kawaan Baker, plus Michael Thomas, who is likely to be released with a post-June 1 salary cap designation this offseason. That leaves little competition for him over the summer and a big role to play in the team’s aerial attack this fall. He doesn’t exactly stand out from the pack at a listed 6-foot-flat and 181 pounds, but he hasn’t let those size limitations keep him from making plays.

And that’s bad news for New Orleans’ opponents if Shaheed can build off of his 2022 success. He wasn’t just an effective weapon on shot plays. He converted a first down on 18 of his 28 receptions as a rookie and caught 82.4% of the passes thrown his way. By the end of the season he had earned his quarterback’s trust as a surehanded possession receiver on critical downs. Let’s see if his encore performance can live up to the hype.

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