Predicting NFL Breakout Players in 2015

zimbio.com

zimbio.com

Every year, we see players breakout and become household names with outstanding plays and seasons. For example, we saw Odell Beckham Jr. go from a player who only people in the New York/New Jersey really knew about, to someone who was known around the country thanks to his incredible catches and great statistics that he put up all year.

With that being said, here are 5 players that have the potential to break out and become Pro Bowlers this upcoming season:

1. De’Anthony Thomas, KR/PR/RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Thomas is incredibly fast. The former Oregon Duck posted a remarkable 40 time of 4.34 at his Pro Day, and the way he weaves through traffic on returns just makes him look even quicker. He has the potential to break out in a Darren Sproles type of way, as he is mostly used for returns and doesn’t run often thanks to sharing a team with Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles.

2. Cecil Shorts III, WR, Houston Texans

Shorts was very inconsistent during his time on the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, you cannot blame him too much for his inconsistency, as throughout his first few years he has had to catch passes from many different quarterbacks, such as Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne. If he can stay healthy, which has been a problem throughout his career, he could post tremendous numbers for the Texans and become a deadly number two option next to DeAndre Hopkins.

3. Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Moncrief was a solid receiver during the playoffs for Andrew Luck’s Colts, and I can easily see him bringing his playoff success with him to the regular season. It may be hard for him to get a ton of receptions, as he is part of a receiving group that contains Andre Johnson, T.Y. Hilton and first round pick Phillip Dorsett, but if he can use his speed and elusiveness to get open for down field targets, those yards and touchdowns will start to add up. 

4. Malcolm Butler, CB, New England Patriots

In case you do not remember Butler, he was the one who made the Seattle Seahawks pay for passing the ball on the one yard line in the Super Bowl, as he picked off Russell Wilson for the eventual game ending interception. In a depleted Patriots secondary that is missing Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner as well as many other players, I can see Butler starring as the number one corner back for the Patriots in 2015.

5. Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Without Jeremy Maclin, Matthews should be seen as the top receiver in Chip Kelly’s offense. He stands tall at 6’3″ and he brings solid speed with him, posting a 40 time of 4.46 at the 2014 NFL Draft Combine. He can win jump balls and will be a solid deep threat for Sam Bradford to look to. Look for Matthews to have a 1,000 yard season and have somewhere between 9-12 touchdown catches.