Sport
5 under the radar NFL stars for 2021
With the NFL season back on our screens from last week, there is a lot of talk about the usual suspects. We want to change pace though and put some of those lesser known names in the spot light. Here we look at five under the radar NFL stars to watch out for in the season ahead.
5 under the radar NFL stars
5. Anthony Firkser
Kicking off our under the radar NFL stars is Anthony Firkser who is a tight end for the Tennessee Titans. Firkser isn’t getting enough attention right now, which is perhaps to be expected, but most people are focused on Julio Jones being added to the roster. What they seem to be overlooking is that the team did part ways with their starting tight end, Jonnu Smith, in the offseason.
Firkser impressed in limited outings throughout the 2020 season; now he will now be the starting tight end for a team that loves to get them involved. Given how much attention is going to go to the other star players of this roster, Firkser could end up dominating in the red zone and putting in some seriously impressive stats. He could become the next big tight end.
4. Marquise Brown
For some reason people have seemingly forgotten about Marquise Brown. That’s probably because the Baltimore Ravens man hasn’t been ripping up the stats ladder of late. Make no mistake about it though because Brown is still an elite talent in the league. This season is going to be his third in the NFL and after averaging four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in the final six games of the 2020 regular season he’ll arrive full of confidence.
His form didn’t end in the regular season though; he also picked up 16 targets and 200 yards receiving in two playoff games. Lamar Jackson has had some struggles throwing the football at times but him and Brown are showing signs of a good relationship. If it all comes together then it could be a big season.
3. L’Jarius Sneed
L’Jarius Sneed isn’t the hottest up and comer around but he does have star potential and is certainly one of the under the radar NFL stars in the making. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in the fourth round of the 2020 draft and quickly earned his place in and around the starting line up.
He performed well at the nickel corner spot and amassed three picks and a 59.6% allowed completion percentage in nine games. With the Chiefs needing to improve their secondary this season, Sneed may end up moving towards the top of the depth chart. Nobody has seemed to pay attention to a player who may just be the next lockdown cornerback; we suggest that you should.
2. Bryan Edwards
Next up in our list of under the radar NFL stars is Bryan Edwards. This is going to be the second campaign running where Edwards arrives with little recognition. Coaches had raved about his route running abilities when he first came into the league as a rookie in 2020. A variety of injuries have hardly helped his development but now he’s had an entire off season under his belt and is coming into the new season fit and healthy.
Coaches are back to bigging him up talking about his talent during training camp and fans have high hopes. It’s expected he’ll be back better than ever and is in pole position for a starting berth come game week one. With his speed, route running abilities and height Edwards could become one of the better receivers in the NFL. That is something the Las Vegas Raiders have been in desperate need of since they decided to give away Amari Cooper.
1. Myles Gaskin
The final man on our list of under the radar NFL stars to watch out for is Myles Gaskin. Gaskin was given a big chance to prove himself as a capable running back with the Miami Dolphins last season. This year even more opportunities will be extended his way; he looks set to be given the nod as a starter and given that his team desperately need a playmaker in his role it’s a chance he must grab with both hands.
In 2020, Gaskin averaged 5.1 yards per touch and picked up 972 total yards from scrimmage in just 10 games. If he avoids fitness issues and, as expected, he gets the nod to start then come this time next year we could seriously be chatting about a NFL star.
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