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San Francisco – Sam Darnold, Drake Maye, Stefon Diggs and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have garnered much of the attention during Super Bowl week. That’s expected, considering their importance to their respective offenses on game day.
Here, I take a closer look at those potential breakout players who could make a splash, emerging as X-factors we could be talking about after Sunday’s big game.
DTs Milton Williams and Christian Barmore
Williams, a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles last season and one of the top free-agent additions for the Patriots during the offseason, lived up to lofty expectations in his first year with his new team.
Per Next Gen Stats, New England has a 39.2% pressure rate with Williams on the field and 33.0% when he’s off the it. Williams also posted two sacks in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl win last year, so he plays well in big games.
[Related: How ‘Elite Ballplayer’ Milton Williams Quickly Guided Patriots to Super Bowl]
The second of New England’s dynamic pass-rushing duo at defensive deal with, Barmore has the second-most quarterback stress charge at his place (13.6%) and 56 complete quarterback pressures this season, in line with Subsequent Gen Stats. Williams and Barmore have mixed for the fourth-most quarterback pressures by a defensive deal with tandem in 2025 (67).
That’s an necessary quantity as a result of the 2 face one of many worst pass-blocking offensive guards in Seattle’s Anthony Bradford, who tied a profession excessive with eight quarterback pressures allowed within the NFC title sport in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams. Bradford additionally allowed 13 fast pressures through the common season, fifth-most amongst proper guards.
In the course of the common season, Sam Darnold dedicated a turnover on a league-high 7.2% of his pressured dropbacks, per Subsequent Gen Stats, together with six interceptions and 5 fumbles misplaced. Determining easy methods to comprise Williams and Barmore will likely be crucial for the Seahawks.
Barmore (left) and Williams. (Winslow Townson/Getty Pictures)
The rookie first-round decide has struggled in cross safety this yr, permitting seven sacks through the common season. Maye was sacked a league-high 15 instances through the postseason and accounted for 3 turnovers.
Now, Campbell faces among the best pass-rush teams within the league within the Seattle Seahawks.
[Related: Inside Maye’s bond with his O-line]
In keeping with Subsequent Gen Stats, six Seattle defenders generated a minimum of 35 pressures this season, essentially the most within the NFL. What makes the Seahawks harmful is their capacity to create stress with out blitzing. Seattle generated a 35.8% stress charge utilizing simply 4 rushers, No. 3 within the NFL.
Search for the Seahawks to focus on Campbell with veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence early and infrequently.
TE Hunter Henry
The Arkansas product has developed into Maye’s safety blanket within the passing sport. Henry completed with 60 receptions for 768 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns through the common season. Maye seems for Henry at an important moments of the sport.
Within the pink zone, Henry has 13 catches for 123 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. It’s the third-most receptions amongst tight ends through the common season. Henry’s 26 landing receptions over the past 5 seasons are the fourth most amongst tight ends. If Maye is beneath duress, count on him to search for Henry as a stress launch valve.
Seattle Seahawks
WR Rashid Shaheed
The San Diego native has been one of many greatest midseason commerce acquisitions in latest reminiscence. He has three touchdowns for returns this season.
As Seahawks particular groups coordinator Jay Harbaugh advised me, it’s not simply Shaheed’s velocity.
“He fields the ball tremendous clear, which is hyper-important,” Harbaugh stated. “Not simply catching it, however how clean he can catch it, so he can transition and get operating. I’d say after that, he’s bought imaginative and prescient. He is aware of easy methods to arrange blocks and defenders, after which after that he has the velocity to make it rely in the event that they do put the ball the place it’s imagined to be and take all of it the best way.”
As Harbaugh stated, we all know Shaheed could make an affect within the return sport. Will Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel kick it to him? If not, Seattle should discover a significant option to get Shaheed concerned within the offense, just like the 51-yard deep shot to open the sport in opposition to the Rams two weeks in the past.
Shaheed completed with simply 15 passes for 188 yards through the common season with no touchdowns.
The Michigan State product has gotten extra snug within the offense through the backstretch of the yr. Since Week 16, together with the postseason, Walker’s 423 yards and 5 touchdowns are the second most within the NFL over that point. Walker completed with the third-highest missed tackles pressured charge on carries through the common season of 30.3%, per Subsequent Gen Stats and 67% of his rushes have been exterior the deal with field.
“He’s extra decisive and trusting what he sees,” Seahawks GM John Schneider advised me about Walker’s improved play.
Walker creates stability on offense by successfully operating the soccer and taking stress off Darnold to hold the offense together with his arm. The Seahawks had a league-high 48.7% known as run charge by offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, in line with Subsequent Gen Stats.
S Nick Emmanwori
The rookie second-round select of South Carolina has been a key piece for Mike Macdonald’s protection due to his versatility.
However, will Emmanwori play? It appears probably after he was a full participant in observe on Friday, however he suffered an ankle sprain in observe earlier within the week. Not perfect timing for a participant whose breakout began within the second half of the common season.
Nonetheless, Emmanwori is one among Seattle’s greatest cowl guys within the secondary. He allowed simply eight passing yards in protection and completed with three cross breakups in Seattle’s NFC Championship Recreation win over the Rams. Emmanwori additionally helped Seattle maintain groups to 4.56 yards per carry, No. 2 within the NFL.
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