The summer months generally fuel talk of potential breakouts and bounce-back seasons around the NFL. With that in mind, I'm spotlighting a series of players who are poised to improve in 2026.
Murray’s shift from Arizona to Minnesota isn’t quite the discovery of an oasis, but it’s certainly a better situation for the former No. 1 overall pick than the one he inhabited in the desert. After dealing with injuries and logging just five games in 2025, Murray is now playing under quarterback expert Kevin O’Connell and has the privilege of throwing passes to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings and T.J. Hockenson in a stable offensive scheme that helped Sam Darnold post a career year in 2024. Yes, he’s going to win the job over J.J. McCarthy, and I believe he’ll form a beautiful partnership with O’Connell, the coach of a team that is a reliable quarterback away from a return to the playoffs. Expect Murray to become that quarterback and rebuild his reputation along the way.
I could select a proper running mate like Byron Young for this exercise, but why not include the entire pass-rushing unit? It's fitting after the Rams added a player of Myles Garrett's magnitude and will likely be visible in the numbers very soon. Consider this: L.A. owned the 19th-ranked passing defense last season but finished ninth in sack percentage at a rate of 7.1, per Next Gen Stats. The Rams routinely pressured QBs but didn't always get home. Meanwhile, Cleveland landed at second in sack percentage with a robust figure of 9.4, thanks to Garrett's record-setting sack total of 23. The next two players on the Browns' sack leaderboard? Maliek Collins (6.5) and Alex Wright (5.5). Garrett carried this metric, much like he'll lead the Rams' attack, which is more talented than the Browns' unit and undoubtedly will benefit from the presence of No. 95.
The only hurdle that stood in the way of Nolen making an instant impact as a rookie in 2025 was health, as he played in just six games. A calf injury suffered before training camp landed Nolen on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, then he saw the campaign end prematurely due to a knee injury. When Nolen did play, he was every bit of the first-round talent the Cardinals believed they were getting when they spent the 16th overall pick on the Ole Miss product. Armed with quickness, power and instincts, Nolen just needs to be healthy consistently. The rest will take care of itself.
Accuse me of cherry-picking if you must, but Ward showed enough as a rookie to convince the majority of the population that he’ll make positive strides in his second NFL season. He’s now playing under the direction of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll -- the same play-caller who supervised Josh Allen’s blossoming in Buffalo -- and will take the field with both a year of NFL experience under his belt and two upgrades at receiver in free-agent signee Wan'Dale Robinson and No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate. Ward made the most of the Titans’ below-average roster as a rookie and emerged with optimism after one year. In Year 2, he’ll truly bloom.
Greenard’s inclusion might seem misplaced to those who already understand how good he is. At 29 years old, how much better can he get? Well, after Greenard posted just three sacks in an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, Minnesota sent him packing for Philadelphia, where the Eagles were happy to welcome one of the most consistently underrated edge rushers in the NFL. Greenard’s third team in four seasons presents him with one of the best opportunities of his career. He joins a front that includes Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, and he will rush opposite the incredibly athletic Nolan Smith. He’s playing for defensive mastermind Vic Fangio. All of the ingredients are there for Greenard to produce a remarkable rebound season in a defense that saw Jaelan Phillips make a difference as a midseason acquisition and eventually cash in on a nine-figure deal with the Panthers. With all due respect to Phillips, Greenard is an upgrade. You’ll see why this season.
Pearsall’s career has known nothing but unexpected interruptions. Before he even took the field for a regular-season game, Pearsall suffered a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery in San Francisco, forcing him to miss the first six weeks of his rookie season. In 2025, Pearsall battled a hamstring injury that landed him on PUP and later sustained a PCL injury, limiting him to nine games. San Francisco’s receiving corps certainly could have used more help in 2025 and the club acted accordingly in 2026, luring Mike Evans away from Tampa, adding Christian Kirk and spending the first pick of the second round on De'Zhaun Stribling. Consequently, Pearsall will operate in a deeper receiver room that won't allow opposing defenses to key on him, setting up the 25-year-old for a breakout season -- provided he can stay on the field.
Watts had an excellent rookie season, racking up five interceptions and 11 passes defensed on his way to finishing fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. That's a high bar to exceed, but it's also indicative of how much faith I have in Watts, a player I could not believe was still available in the latter portion of the 2025 NFL Draft's third round. Watts is an animal and the perfect fit for Jeff Ulbrich's defense, which he demonstrated as a rookie. Now, he's poised to build upon that sparkling debut. Circle back to this nugget when he posts even better numbers in Year 2.
Look, I'm still a believer in Mitchell. He needed to grow up, the Colts didn't have patience for it and he got airdropped into one of the worst offensive situations in the NFL last season with the Jets. Things are better there now, though, starting with the arrival of veteran quarterback Geno Smith and the experience of a full offseason with a team that might actually incorporate him into its plans. I know the talent we saw on display at Texas wasn't an apparition. Some stability and veteran leadership (plus more field time shared with Garrett Wilson) should do him wonders.
2025 was a difficult year for Detroit, a team that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations and ultimately learned just how important a quality offensive line is to a contending formula. Lost in those trials and the Lions' disappointing finish was the steady improvement of Ratledge, a second-round pick who was thrown into a rebuilt interior trio and playing alongside a teammate, Graham Glasgow, who wasn’t a full-time center for most of his career and was adjusting back to the position. Like many rookies, Ratledge found his time in the crucible to be challenging, to say the least, but he didn’t let the adversity consume him. By the end of the season, he was playing his best football, setting up for a strong 2026. Now teamed with free-agent center Cade Mays, Ratledge is walking into a better situation in Year 2. It won’t attract headlines, but if Detroit’s offense improves, you’ll know Ratledge is playing a key part in the unit's growth.
This is a choice some might describe as an eyes-closed dart throw, but stick with me for a moment. Burks has never walked into an advantageous situation in his NFL career. He was selected after Tennessee traded away A.J. Brown and was immediately sold as Brown's replacement, an unfair expectation to place on a rookie. He then carried that pressure through three seasons in Nashville, as the Titans concurrently disintegrated and Burks encountered his own injury-related challenges. His half-season spent with the Commanders in 2025 offered some brief glimpses of the talent -- against Philadelphia, the one-handed highlight grab for a touchdown against Denver -- that made him a first-round pick in 2022. A full offseason of stability, a decrease in pressure and a role in a corps headlined by Terry McLaurin might be just what Burks needs to start flirting with fulfilling his potential.
