Even if an NFL team’s roster isn’t strong overall, a promising young duo will provide hope for the future.
The most competitive squads, however, may have already seen that pairing as a key part of postseason runs. For example, the San Francisco 49ers leaned on quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk during a run to the Super Bowl last season.
Each duo mentioned is comprised of players who are 26 years old or younger, as of the opening week in 2024.
Additionally, rookies are not considered. Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze certainly have high-end potential with the Chicago Bears, but they are unproven at the NFL level.
Yes, we haven’t officially seen Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the field together with the New York Giants.
But they might a devastating tandem.
Although he’s entering his sixth NFL season, Burns is still just 26 years old. He’s posted 7.5-plus sacks and at least 21 pressures in every campaign so far. New York acquired the edge-rusher from the Carolina Panthers this offseason and signed him to a five-year extension.
Burns is certainly the more proven defender at this point, but Thibodeaux is a rising star. After a solid rookie year, he broke out with 11.5 sacks and 35 pressures last season.
New York’s roster is loaded with questions, yet a defensive line including Burns, Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence—who’s also 26 years old, by the way—is very strong.
The alternative title of this section is “the players who surprisingly helped you win a fantasy football championship in 2023.”
Kyren Williams managed only 44 touches in his rookie year but emerged in a big way last season. Despite missing five games, the second-team All-Pro rushed for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns while catching 32 passes for 206 yards and three more scores.
Williams was a fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, and they found Puka Nacua at the same place in 2023.
Nacua amassed 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns, also earning second-team All-Pro honors.
Cooper Kupp theoretically will return to his starring role in 2024, but Williams and Nacua are excellent complements.
During the 2010s, the Seattle Seahawks assembled the iconic “Legion of Boom” secondary that played a key role in the franchise winning one Super Bowl and appearing in a second.
We might need to start thinking of nicknames again.
Seattle found a Day 3 diamond in Riq Woolen, a fifth-round pick in 2022. He yielded only 6.3 yards per target with six interceptions as a rookie, then ceded just 5.4 yards and snagged two picks last season.
The team invested a 2023 first-round selection in Devon Witherspoon, and it was another wise decision. While collecting 79 tackles (three sacks), he surrendered only 5.4 yards per target and rapidly established himself as one of the league’s best nickelbacks.
If the Seahawks bolster the rest of the secondary a little more, the unit could be dominant once again.
Once in awhile, these guys will get toasted. That’s the nature of playing an aggressive style in coverage.
Nevertheless, the Dallas Cowboys won’t complain much about a handful mistakes because of the rewards. Trevon Diggs nabbed 11 interceptions in 2021, and DaRon Bland snagged nine in 2023—and broke an NFL record with five returned for a touchdown, too.
Diggs and Bland are absolute playmakers on defense.
Unfortunately for Dallas, an early ACL injury sidelined Diggs for much of last season. His recovery is on track, however, and the Cowboys are poised to showcase a pair of All-Pro corners in 2024.
Justin Jefferson is now the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history, which seems like a pretty decent starting point, no?
Through four seasons, he’s averaged 98 receptions, 1,475 yards and 7.5 touchdowns. That’s a pretty ridiculous stat line, as is Jefferson topping the 1,000-yard mark in only 10 appearances last season.
His absence helped Jordan Addison emerge, too.
Addison looked comfortable in a featured role (when Kirk Cousins was healthy), closing his rookie campaign with 70 catches for 911 yards and 10 scores. Addison snared a touchdown in all three games with Cousins on the field and Jefferson unavailable.
Minnesota must adjust to the post-Cousins era, but Jefferson and Addison are a luxury for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy—and, yes, probably Sam Darnold initially in 2024.
Well, it’s a tentative pairing, at least.
Brandon Aiyuk is actively seeking a well-deserved raise, though the question is whether the San Francisco 49ers will be paying it. He surpassed 1,000 yards in 2022 before an All-Pro campaign with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
While that situation develops, the Niners are certain that Brock Purdy will be leading the offense again.
The last pick of the 2022 draft—Mr. Irrelevant, if you hadn’t heard—Purdy has ascended from a third-stringer to the Super Bowl starter. He finished fourth in MVP voting after throwing for 4,280 yards at a league-best 9.6 yards per attempt with 31 touchdowns to 11 picks.
As long as San Francisco settles Aiyuk’s contract, the Niners should be among the NFL’s most effective offenses yet again.
Throw in running back Jahymr Gibbs, and the Detroit Lions inarguably have three impressive young players.
From a duo perspective, though, the focus is on pass-catchers.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has developed into a star at receiver, earning first-team All-Pro honors after posting 119 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He parlayed that massive production into a recent four-year, $120 million contract extension.
Sam LaPorta, meanwhile, enjoyed a tremendous rookie campaign. The tight end reeled in 89 passes for 889 yards and 10 scores, landing second-team All-Pro recognition.
The core of Detroit’s skill-position group is outstanding—and should be together for a long time.
One fantastic season does not quite earn the No. 1 spot, but CJ Stroud and Nico Collins have a convincing case anyway.
Stroud, the second overall pick of the 2023 draft, immediately sparked a franchise that had endured three straight 12-loss seasons. He passed for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns to five interceptions, guiding the Houston Texans to an AFC South title and a playoff win.
Collins pieced together a greater breakout year than expected, amassing 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight scores.
Stefon Diggs may elevate the offense in 2024 and possibly beyond, but Stroud and Collins are fixtures of Houston’s future.
Check back next year, and they absolutely could be atop the list.
Longevity offers a boost for Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle, who have shared the field on the Miami Dolphins since 2021.
And that doesn’t even include their overlap at Alabama.
The college-turned-pro teammates have played vital roles in the Fins securing back-to-back playoff trips. It was the first time the organization has accomplished that in two decades.
Tagovailoa paced the league with 9.2 yards per pass attempt in 2022 and did the same with 4,624 passing yards in 2023. Waddle has crossed the 1,000-yard barrier in all three seasons, also leading the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception two years ago.
Tyreek Hill’s presence is undeniably helpful, but Tagovailoa and Waddle represent the long-term foundation in Miami.
One rough stretch to close the 2023 season does not outweigh the upside of Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith.
Hurts assumed control of the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense in 2021 and guided the franchise to an unexpected playoff bid. The next year, he finished as the MVP runner-up while taking Philly to the Super Bowl.
Smith has provided a steady hand at receiver, tallying 900-plus yards in each of his three seasons.
Yes, the Eagles have plenty to prove after such a disappointing finish last year. But they can be confident that Hurts and Smith—with A.J. Brown and now Saquon Barkley alongside them—are keys for long-term contention.