As we preview the NFL season, there's a natural urge for us to point to potential breakout players in 2023. It's a process our experts begin a week after the Super Bowl and through the opening game, which is less than a month away.
Breakout, though, isn't a term that fits every NFL player. A starting quarterback's breakout season might see him contend for MVP votes. For a player bouncing around the bottom of NFL rosters and practice squads, though, breaking out might be earning 17 game checks. We often focus on players at skill positions and their chances of breaking out in larger roles, but there are players who don't ever touch the football who take huge strides forward and help their teams advance to the postseason.