With mandatory minicamps underway and training camps looming in the not-too-distant future, optimism is high across the NFL. All teams have the same record in the offseason, while reporting and social media clips from workouts are largely positive.
Of course, not every offseason standout will go on to match the hype in the regular season. For example, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, drew plenty of praise during his first offseason.
“Mentally and physically, (he) looked the part in every way,” former Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich said last May, per the team’s official website.
However, Young had a forgettable rookie campaign, and Reich was fired in-season.
The adage that the tape doesn’t lie does not always translate to unpadded practices. However, plenty of NFL players use offseason success as a launching point for strong regular-season performances.
Here, we’ll examine veterans and rookies who have received their fair share of 2024 offseason hype and are poised to live up to it based on factors such as player potential, past performance, supporting cast and opportunities.
While Young struggled in his inaugural NFL campaign, No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud had a rookie season for the ages.
The Houston Texans signal-caller passed for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also made the Pro Bowl, delivered a division title and helped his team win its first playoff game since 2019.
While it could be difficult for the 22-year-old to make a major Year 2 leap given his rookie success, he’s showing growth in his second offseason.
“Just with the command of the huddle, he has definitely gotten more comfortable. He has taken that next step of being that vocal guy, that vocal leader that quarterbacks around the league have to be,” tight end Dalton Schultz told reporters.
Stroud isn’t just receiving hype from his teammates, though. He’s among the offseason MVP favorites, behind only Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. His status on the unofficial awards watch list isn’t unwarranted.
Quarterbacks often assume more of a leadership role as they enter Year 2, and the Ohio State product will benefit from another offseason under head coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
Stroud will have an even stronger rapport with pass-catchers like Schultz, Tank Dell and Nico Collins, while veteran additions Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs will further boost his supporting cast.
Nothing about his first season felt fluky, and the Offensive Rookie of the Year has all the pieces needed to be even better in Year 2. Barring injury, Stroud should be in the MVP running in 2024.
The New York Giants made one of the splashiest moves of the offseason when they traded for pass-rusher Brian Burns. They then quickly signed the former Carolina Panthers star to a five-year, $141 million extension.
The two-time Pro Bowler is already making a strong impression with his new team. According to John Schmeelk of the Giants’ official website, the 26-year-old was already getting into the backfield and disrupting pass plays on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp.
Burns’ presence is likely to impact the rest of New York’s defense in a positive way.
“Makes my job a lot easier,” linebacker Bobby Okereke told reporters (beginning at the 43-second mark). “Quarterback’s gotta get the ball out quicker.”
Burns’ 2023 numbers (eight sacks, 21 QB pressures) were solid, but he should be even more productive in New York. The Giants offense carries plenty of questions—Saquon Barkley is gone, and Daniel Jones is still recovering from a torn ACL—but the defensive front is stout.
Carolina didn’t have a second high-end pass-rusher to complement Burns, but the Giants will partner him with edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Opposing offenses will find it impossible to double-team all three defenders, and the Florida State product should see his fair share of one-on-one opportunities.
The trade for Burns was big. His first season with the Giants could be even bigger.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love showed steady growth throughout his first season as a full-time starter. He had a few rocky games early on, but he was playing like one of the NFL’s top signal-callers by the end of the campaign.
This offseason, the 25-year-old is widely viewed as a quarterback who can enter the ranks of the elite this year.
“Having all that film to watch from last year, just cleaning up some of the simple things. Being a little more consistent. If he can do that, the sky is the limit,” former NFL QB Matt Ryan told reporters.
Love will have to deal with some variables in 2024, though. Rookie first-round pick Jordan Morgan is expected to earn a starting job along the offensive line, while Josh Jacobs will replace long-time running back Aaron Jones.
However, the Utah State product will also have more experience with budding young Packers receivers such as Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks.
The Packers are also entrusting Love with the responsibility to call his own plays in specific situations.
“It just helps to be able to understand the play calls, be always thinking about that next play. …just knowing the situation,” the quarterback told reporters (3:06).
Expect Love, who has the fifth-best odds for league MVP this season, to make a strong push for his first career Pro Bowl.
Former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was one of the top free agents available this offseason.
While the 28-year-old has never appeared in a Pro Bowl, he was a standout defender in Miami, both against the run and the pass—he had nine sacks and 30 quarterback pressures in 2023.
The Las Vegas Raiders signed Wilkins to a massive four-year, $110 million contract, making him the league’s second-highest-paid defensive tackle behind Chris Jones.
What the Raiders are getting in the Clemson product is a player with wholly impressive numbers—355 tackles, 43 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks in five seasons—and an even more impressive skill set.
“He’s so athletic and he plays with so much passion he’s like a linebacker in so many ways,” linebackers coach Mike Caldwell said.
While the Dolphins defense certainly wasn’t devoid of talent, Wilkins could have a truly special season in 2024 while playing alongside three-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. The two are already working hard to become one of the NFL’s most disruptive tandems.
“There’s two gentlemen in this building every day before coaches. Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins,” head coach Antonio Pierce told reporters. “…Don’t worry about our quarterbacks, buddy, worry about yours.”
With Crosby, Wilkins, Malcolm Koonce and 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson in the lineup, Las Vegas could have one of the NFL’s top defensive fronts this season.
Expect Wilkins to cash in with his first career Pro Bowl nod.
Wide receiver Marquise Brown wasn’t one of the biggest names to change teams this offseason, but he could have a major impact because of the situation in which he’s landing.
The Oklahoma product has signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he’ll now catch passes from Patrick Mahomes.
According to the star quarterback, Brown is poised to be a difference-maker.
“I’ve seen it the entire offseason, from working in Texas to here,” Mahomes told reporters. “…I’m giving him chances down the field, and he’s making the plays happen. The more plays he makes, the more we’ll continue to give him those chances. [He’s] a good addition to our offense.”
Had Brown landed with a different franchise, it would be easy to ignore the hype. He had just one 1,000-yard season with the Baltimore Ravens and largely underwhelmed after being traded to the Arizona Cardinals. His speedy skill set also overlaps a bit with rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy.
However, Brown’s ability to stretch the field and create space on crossing routes, along with his veteran experience, will add new elements to the Kansas City offense in 2024.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid remains one of the league’s most creative play-callers, and he’ll know how to take full advantage of what the 27-year-old can offer.
Having Mahomes under center certainly won’t hurt. Neither will building trust with him during the offseason. Brown could be in line for a career year.
No player has received as much hype this offseason as Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The USC product was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, was widely viewed as the best QB prospect since Joe Burrow and was named the starter before organized team activities even began.
While offseason workouts haven’t gone flawlessly for Williams, he has impressed teammates with his progress.
“You could tell it’s natural to him,” running back D’Andre Swift said. “…You stand in the huddle with a whole new set of faces, new group of guys, so it takes time for somebody to get comfortable and for that to be repetition-like. He’s doing a great job so far.”
The Bears and their fans should be excited about Williams. He might not quite replicate the rookie success Stroud had last year, but he has the physical and mental tools to quickly become an NFL sensation.
Unlike Young, the 22-year-old won’t be asked to elevate a lackluster supporting cast. Chicago boasts a strong offensive line and an even stronger skill group—one now headlined by Swift, D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, Khalil Herbert and rookie first-round pick Rome Odunze.
The Bears have laid enough groundwork to support Williams through any rookie struggles he may face. While the team and its new quarterback will face high expectations this season—he is the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year—it has the overall talent to exceed them.
No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels isn’t walking into a situation quite as favorable as Williams’. The Washington Commanders “earned” the second pick in the draft—Chicago had the top pick gifted by Carolina—and their offensive line remains a project.
The Commanders allowed an alarming 65 sacks in 2023.
However, the LSU product is a tremendous dual-threat quarterback with the arm strength, mobility and escapability needed to have an impressive first season in the NFL.
“Daniels has an exciting floor as a prospect. He is a veteran-like presence in the pocket, and he’s far and away the best athlete in the class at the position,” Derrik Klassen of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote.
According to veteran receiver Terry McLaurin, Daniels isn’t about to rely solely on his physical tools.
“I don’t think I’ve had a young quarterback that really has come in and within the first week be like, ‘Hey, can we get this rep?’ or ‘Can we get this rep after practice?'” McLaurin told reporters. “It’s exciting for me, because that opens the door … There’s an open door of communication, and he’s not afraid to get that work in.”
The LSU product’s combination of traits, leadership, big-game experience and work ethic will help him tremendously in his transition to the NFL. So will seasoned and productive veterans such as McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Zach Ertz, Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler.
While Chicago is probably closer to playoff contention than Washington, Daniels could be even more productive and exciting to watch than the quarterback drafted one spot ahead of him.
If there’s a player who might have matched Williams in terms of pre-draft hype, it was Marvin Harrison Jr, Coming off a 1,211-yard, 14-touchdown season, he was regarded by many as a “can’t-miss” receiver prospect.
The Ohio State product was the top-ranked player at any position on the B/R Scouting Department’s final draft board.
Coming in behind only Williams and Daniels in the early Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, Harrison will enter Year 1 with extremely high expectations. And the talented pass-catcher is ready to meet them.
The 21-year-old has already been spotted making tough catches look easy in drills. According to teammate and fellow receiver Michael Wilson, the rookie’s work ethic has commanded attention.
“I mean he really hasn’t had any busts in the playbook and I think he’s very perspicacious and always seeking information and very self-aware,” Wilson said.
Harrison, a 6’3″, 209-pound pass-catcher with sure hands and smooth footwork, is almost too gifted to fail as a pro. His workmanlike mentality should allow him to succeed early, and an underrated offensive group should help him thrive throughout 2024.
Kyler Murray may not be a truly elite quarterback, but he can buy time in the pocket and create big plays down the field. Harrison can take advantage, and Arizona has enough other offensive threats—namely Trey McBride and James Conner—for the rookie to command all of the defensive attention.
Don’t be shocked if Harrison ends up with the rookie hardware instead of Williams or Daniels this year.
Minnesota Vikings pass-rusher Dallas Turner might not have been the first defender off the board in April, but he’s the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
That’s partially because of the situation in which he’s landed and partially because of his skill set.
“Turner has plenty of tools to work with to warrant a top-15—and maybe even a top-10—selection in this year’s draft class,” Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.
The rookie is already impressing veteran teammates with his abilities.
“Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw said Dallas Turner is going to be special,” Alec Lewis of The Athletic posted on X. “Said Turner put a spin move on someone last week, and CD said the Turner spin move was ‘quicker than Danielle’s.'”
Darrisaw was referring, of course, to Danielle Hunter, who produced 16.5 sacks and 41 quarterback pressures under defensive coordinator Brian Flores last season but departed in free agency.
While Turner might not completely replicate Hunter’s production, he might come close. Flores is a seasoned play-caller who knows how to maximize an aggressive pass rush. The rookie will also benefit from playing opposite free-agent addition Jonathan Greenard, who had 12.5 sacks with the Texans last season.
While it would take a historic rookie season for Turner to be considered better than Hunter—Jevon Kearse’s 14.5 sacks in 1999 is still a rookie record—he may well be considered the best defender from the 2024 class come January.
*Contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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