Tag: breakout candidates

PFF predicts Steelers WR Diontae Johnson as 2020 breakout player

Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson is a breakout candidate for 2020, per Pro Football Focus.

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breakout
[ˈbrākˌout]
ADJECTIVE informal
1. suddenly and extremely popular or successful.

Pro Football Focus revealed their annual breakout player predictions for every NFL team, and — surprise, surprise — they selected wide receiver Diontae Johnson as the Steelers candidate for breakout player.

In his predictions, PFF’s Anthony Treash writes:

Johnson has been high on several PFF analysts’ radars dating back to his days at Toledo, and he showed glimpses in his 2019 rookie year (particularly down the stretch) that verify our projection of him. Four of his five best games of the year came in his final four games, and that led to him being the sixth-highest graded player at the position in that span.

He’s tough to bring down after the catch, too; Johnson broke 18 tackles on 59 catches, tying for the most in the league with Deebo Samuel. If he keeps up his play from late in 2019, he’s in line for a big 2020 campaign.

Treash included a 2019 Tweet from PFF’s Sam Monson highlighting Johnson’s play versus the Buffalo Bills.

In May, Monson selected Johnson as one of two Steelers (linebacker Devin Bush) among eight potential breakout second-year players for 2020.

Johnson’s encouraging rookie season has set him up nicely for a remarkable forthcoming campaign. With Ben Roethlisberger back at the helm for Pittsburgh, there’s no reason why he can’t make that sophomore leap into breakoutdom.

Nursing a foot injury, Johnson is expected to play Monday night versus the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

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2020 Packers breakout candidates: OLB Rashan Gary

Highlighting breakout candidates for the Green Bay Packers in 2020, starting with second-year edge rusher Rashan Gary.

Although Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary had a quiet rookie campaign in 2019 (he totaled just 21 tackles and two sacks in 16 games last year), his talent suggests that he will become a much more impactful player in the future.

The former No. 12 overall pick didn’t get much playing time last year in large part because he was buried on the depth chart behind established veterans Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. As a second-year player, though, his role should grow significantly.

Year 2 might not be the year Gary takes the league by storm and becomes a legitimate NFL superstar, but there’s reason to believe he can make a significant leap in 2020.

Why he’ll break out: Gary clearly has all of the physical talent needed to become an NFL star. His size, speed, power and length could prove to be a lethal combo once he learns how to read pass sets and figures out how to really weaponize his physical gifts with technically-sound pass-rush moves.

Gary has had a year to learn defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s playbook, and he has two great veterans to learn the tricks of the trade from in Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. The benefit of NFL experience and mentorship should lead to some improvement.

Surrounding talent is another reason Gary will be in a position to succeed. Being on the field with one or both of the Smiths as well as Kenny Clark should lead to some favorable matchups.

Scheme versatility will also aid Gary. He can line up at defensive end, defensive tackle, 3-4 outside linebacker or inside linebacker (for blitzes) to exploit favorable matchups, and Pettine will put him in position to succeed.

From Weeks 14-16, Gary registered five pressures and a sack (good for an 18.5 percent pressure rate on 27 pass-rush attempts, per Pro Football Focus). In the NFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, he also had some flashes. Although it’s a small sample size, it appears that he was starting to make strides late in the year.

If the last few weeks of the 2019 season and the NFC Divisional Round game were a sign of what’s to come, then Gary might be ready to take the next step in his development this season.

Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Why he might not break out: Gary only saw the field on 14.3 percent of defensive snaps in 2019, and while that figure is likely to increase in Year 2, the presence of Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith is still an obstacle to his playing time.

Pettine concocted a few subpackages last year to get all three players on the field at once, but playing three sub-280-pound front-four defenders together regularly is not a viable strategy for stopping the run, and therefore, cannot be overused.

Additionally, Gary might not break out because of his limitations as a pass rusher. He never showed consistent pass-rush ability in college and didn’t show a lot as a rookie. With his lacking technical prowess, it might take longer than a full NFL season and offseason for him to develop consistent pass-rush moves and become a three-down impact player.

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