Some of the players from the 2013 NFL draft came onto the scene and took the league by storm, but there are those players that were on the verge of breaking out. Looking toward 2014, who will be the players to break out in their sophomore campaign?
ESPN’s Field Yates offered his choices for breakout stars, but some hit and some miss. Lets look at who I believe will breakout on his list and some guys of my own.
Yates:
Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Ertz is a prime candidate to breakout as any due to Chip Kelly’s offensive system. Ertz is the next generation of the jack of all trades player that will create matchup nightmares regardless of where he lines up. He took his rookie season as a live-and-learn season and now he should be primed to breakout as the Eagles secret weapon.
D.J. Hayden, CB, Oakland Raiders
Hayden was the feel good story of the 2013 NFL draft, but he didn't translate well in his first season. Bear in mind that he was never at full strength and was recovering from open heart surgery. Hayden now has a year of experience under his belt and should see vast improvement over his rookie season. He accomplished his dream of being an NFL player, but now it's time to become a good one.
Dion Jordan, OLB, Miami Dolphins
Jordan was the other half of that Hayden deal with Oakland and he didn’t pan out too well in his rookie season either. There were rumors that Jordan wouldn't even be Dolphin by the 2014 draft due to his plummeting stock. The Eagles were suitors for Jordan, but a trade never came to fruition. Jordan has his chance this season as the Miami defense is one to be feared.
My Own:
Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee Titans
Hunter stepped up huge in 2013 as Kenny Britt plummeting into oblivion and, with Britt gone, Hunter should make more strides in the right direction. The Titans receiving corp is one of the more underrated groups in the league and Hunter could soon be it’s featured player along with Kendall Wright.
EJ Manuel, QB, Buffalo Bills
Manuel now has all the weapons any player could ask for. He has Robert Woods, Mike Williams, CJ Spiller, Fred Jackson and rookie Sammy Watkins. If Manuel can’t put it together in 2014, not only does it spell doom for him, but also for the Bills who do not have a 2015 first round pick anymore.
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