Second-year NFL players primed for breakout seasons in 2024: Broncos’ Marvin Mims, Lions’ Jack Campbell, more

If one NFL player does not appear something in Year 2, there is a problem and we can, in almost all cases, accept that this player will not become a star at the professional level. Patience is already running out because, nowadays, stars usually emerge in the second season, if they didn’t already do so in the first year.

These are the second-year pros poised to debut in 2024. I didn’t include those I considered to have already emerged as stars as rookies. And this list features deeper selections, not just Year 2 pros who were really good as rookies but didn’t get much playing time. For most picks, I trust my evaluation process/system for when all of these players were draft prospects.

Can’t leave Johnston after a disappointing experience NFL season with what we perceive to be an inept coach in charge of Los Angeles. While I certainly understood this wasn’t a route-running master entering the league in 2023, I figured the team that drafted Johnston would have made a concerted effort to get him the ball in space and move him up and down the field. line before the snap to give him clean releases on his routes.

Matt Harmon of Reception Perception perfectly identified everything wrong with Johnston’s debut season In this video, saying “he was doomed to fail” and later mentioning that Johnston lined up on the outside on 91.3% of his snaps with the Chargers in 2023. Harmon also said “he was rarely put in motion.” Essentially, the Chargers were very static with a big, tall, raw route runner who excelled after catching in college, essentially asking him to be a classic “X” receiver to run a variety of different routes and get open without help from scheme. of the gate.

Now, with Jim Harbaugh, a coach who saw up close the damage Johnston can do when he exploded for 163 yards and scored six grabs in the 2023 CFP semifinal against Michigan, hopefully using Johnston will be more sensible.

Do I expect Johnston to become an 85-catch, 1,400-yard receiver? No. But his escape will represent a return to respectability and a move away from the territory of bankruptcy.

Campbell had an up-and-down rookie campaign. In over 600 snaps for the Lions, he racked up 95 tackles, with five tackles for loss. In coverage, an area where he thrived at Iowa, Campbell showed plenty of room for serious improvement. While linebackers can be “charged” for receptions in their zone coverage on something as simple as a harmless checkdown, Campbell “allowed” a 124.2 passer rating with two touchdowns, no interceptions and two pass breakups.

This year with the Lions, he will take a leap in coverage. The size and athleticism are there for him to do this – Campbell is nearly 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds with above-average speed, explosiveness and elite level agility for the linebacker spot. Additionally, counting the postseason, Campbell has gotten nearly 350 moments of experience dunking in pass coverage.

I also love what the Lions did in front of him. After finishing fourth in defensive pressure creation rate a season ago at 41.6%, the Lions added hulking nose tackle DJ Reader in free agency to pair alongside Alim McNeill in a front anchored by Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson, who has 21 sacks in two pro seasons.

Why Mims wasn’t a major part of the Broncos offense in 2023 will forever be a mystery. Damn, coach Sean Payton essentially admitted the coaching staff was responsible for holding him back — although Payton didn’t exactly say that in a recent press conference.

He averaged over 17 yards per reception with four missed forced tackles on 22 receptions with just one drop as a rookie. He was named to the Second-Team All-Pro as a kick returner after averaging over 27 yards per tote and hauling in a kick for a 99-yard touchdown.

This is a 4.38 burner with impeccable hands and craftiness after the catch. Sure, the Broncos traded for Jerry Jeudy and didn’t move Courtland Sutton this offseason. But Mims has the explosiveness and shined enough in Year 1 to have earned starting duties in his second pro campaign. I expect great things.

The Packers are loaded with young talent at skill positions, and Wicks isn’t the most recognizable name among this emerging group in Green Bay. But he may be the most naturally talented. At 6-1 and 206 pounds, Wicks has just 4.62 speed, but had a vertical and broad jump at the 2023 combine that put him in the 85th and 91st percentiles, respectively.

Thrust into a critical rotational but understated role as the Packers advanced to the playoffs last year, Wicks emerged. In a six-game stretch late in the season, Wicks caught 22 passes for 341 yards with two touchdowns. He also scored in Dallas’ dominant, playoff-silencing victory over the Cowboys. For the year, 30 of his 41 total catches were for first downs

This is a long, explosive player who gained the trust of rising quarterback Jordan Love late in the 2023 season. Even with Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and two dynamic young tight ends, I expect Wicks to climb the target ranks as a borderline weapon for the Packers.

When you are on defense with Derrick Henry, you will be the second option. And that’s exactly what Spears was as a newcomer. Ironically, after years of trying to find a serious complement to Henry, the Titans finally found one in Henry’s final season with the team.

Spears averaged 4.5 yards per carry with a respectable 26 missed tackles forced on 100 attempts. He made impressive contributions as a receiver – Spears caught 52 passes for 385 yards with just two drops and 27 forced missed tackles. Once Spears got the ball on defense, he became a problem for defenses.

The Titans added Tony Pollard as a free agent, and he and Spears should formulate a near 50-50 division of responsibility, and Spears has the energy and vision to sustain his effectiveness as a multi-dimensional threat on what should be an improved Titans offense. in 2024 with Will Levis in Year 2 and the addition of Calvin Ridley.