Each and every year, there's a list of usual suspects who go out and dominate the NFL -- e.g., primo quarterbacks, dominant running backs, electric wide receivers, wrecking ball pa s rushers and ballhawking defensive backs we all expect greatne s from. The challenge is identifying who might be a sleeper on every roster, because one or more players flying under the radar will inevitably break out and send a me sage to the league that they've finally arrived. In looking at the list of NFC potentials in this category, there were many players who have the talent to be a force for their respective teams in 2021, but a few stood out in a major way; and they'll likely be the difference in how far their club goes this coming season.And when/if they do, the will be turned on its head a bit, with parity fully unleashed.With OTAs wrapping up around the NFL and training camp only a few weeks away, let's take a look at each NFC team and who has a great chance of stealing headlines while no one's looking. Remember these names, because you'll see several -- if not all -- of them do something special a few months from now. DEN DE #5 Some get knocked off of their path and give up on trying to finish the journey. That's never been the case with Randy Gregory, who fought to return to the NFL in 2020 and was again met with adversity, this time
Kyrie Irving Jersey from within the defensive coaching staff -- one that saw his coordinator and D-line coach refuse to unleash him fully as he and Jerry Jones had hoped. With coaching changes again made, Gregory is e sentially the starter opposite , setting him up to finally be what the Cowboys wanted when they used a second-round pick on him. Revisions to the CBA also help pave the way for a matured, focused and serene Gregory, who has already become a favorite of Mike McCarthy -- -- and new coordinator Dan Quinn (who's had interest in coaching him since Gregory was at Nebraska). To s in a contract year in 2021 and Gregory is basically standing in a pool of gasoline while holding a lit match in his teeth. GB
Joe Harris Jersey QB #10 OK, I'll admit this is very tongue-in-cheek, but I'd be remi s if I ignored the fact was absent from mandatory minicamp and appears dug in on never taking another snap in Green Bay. That means, unle s he budges, it's the Jordan Love show in 2021, and while the verdict is out on if Love can be a franchise QB in the NFL, he's getting the offseason reps and has weapons like and to help set him up for succe s. So maybe he'll surprise with Matt LaFleur molding him, and maybe he won't, but he's clearly facing a mountain of doubters in a situation wherein he's also potentially trying to replace a legend; and there are few on this list who are between this same rock and a hard place. The Packers are hoping that rock is a diamond, though. TB WR #10 With so many starters returning in 2021 to defend the championship earned in Super LV, it's not easy figuring out who might break out for the Buccaneers this coming season, but Scott(y) Miller definitely fits the bill. A sixth-round pick in 2019, Miller was tasked with sharing the load with talent like , , , and
Brooklyn Nets Hats more. He was still able to carve out a niche for himself en route to producing 501 receiving yards with three touchdowns -- a 300-yard increase in production over his rookie season. It's unknown what will happen with Godwin in contract talks, but it feels like Miller takes the next step and makes the Bucs think that much harder before handing Godwin a multiyear deal. MIN TE #84 To this point, the tight end position in Minnesota has gone mostly through , but no more. Rudolph has now taken his ball and signed on with the , and it's time for the Vikings to look for the next big thing at the position. That could very well be Smith, who has been quietly producing behind Rudolph the last two seasons. Having earned a national championship from his days with the Crimson Tide, Smith is no stranger to the bright lights and that's what led the Vikings to use a second-round pick on him -- for this very moment. He's produced 676 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons with 14 starts under his belt, but it's expected he'll blow past both of those marks in 2021. Pencil him in as TE1 in Minnesota, and for a potential breakout season in complement to and . NO WR #10 You'll often hear about offensive superstars like and in New Orleans, and rightfully so, but it feels like Smith is entering 2021 with a whole lot to prove and the talent to do it. A former third-round pick of the Saints in 2018, there's no fifth-year option for Smith, and that means he's walking right into a contract year. That's more than enough motivation to continue improving has he has been, bounding back from a bout with injury in 2019 to post his second season with more than 400 yards receiving to go along with four TDs (14 total in three seasons). His ability to break out will largely be predicated upon the abilities of and/or and/or , but with no more interference from veteran free agent signings, the stage is set. CIN TE #88 How can a former first-round pick fly under the radar? Easy, when he's on the same team as a rookie fourth overall pick who happens to play the same position. Thus is the situation
Garrett Temple Jersey with Hurst and the Falcons, after the team traded away and welcomed in collegiate phenom -- a player who has what many to believe to be generational talent. Hurst isn't exactly a throwaway though, having become a key offensive piece in 2020, when he grabbed 571 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Now in Year 4 of his rookie deal, he's not naive to what lies before him in order to secure big money from either the Falcons or another club in free agency to come in 2022, considering Atlanta declined to exercise his fifth-year option. A very talented offensive weapon, if he gets the targets that will allow him to have a breakout season, he will do just that: break out.
Buck Williams Jersey SEA DT #97 It's known what Ford means to the Seahawks on the defensive interior, but two things here: It's not well-known outside of Seattle and he has not reached his full potential yet. To climb the ranks from an undrafted talent in 2018 to starter shows what he's capable of, but busine s is about to pick up in a major way, presumably. Ford was entering the final year of his rookie deal before getting a two-year extension from the Seahawks. It's not a big-money deal, however, nor does it provide the long-term security he's ultimately chasing, and Ford wants nothing more than to use this extra time to both cash in soon and to prove to every he should've never gone undrafted in the first place -- two very powerful motivators for any NFL player. Having started every game for Seattle last season, he's prepped for a level up. SF WR #11 There's been a ton of talk about who'll be throwing the ball in San
