2022 NFL Draft: 7 Players Poised For Second-Year Breakout

Breakout Candidate No. 4: Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Falcons

Anyone who followed my 2022 NFL Draft coverage knows how much I love Arnold Ebiketie. The former Penn State pass rusher is relatively new to the sport, but you would never know by watching him play.

As a rookie, Ebiketie played in less than half of the defensive snaps for Atlanta. Most of this can be chalked up to his rawness in the run game, keeping him off the field on obvious rushing downs. Nevertheless, Ebiketie still forced two fumbles and recorded two-and-a-half sacks in Year 1.

The 256-pound defender is poised to break out in his sophomore campaign. The Falcons are begging for someone to approach the 10-sack plateau, and Ebiketie is the man for the job. Especially when factoring in the additions to the defensive line, including respected veteran Calais Campbell.

Breakout Candidate No. 5: Treylon Burks, WR, Titans

The Titans are undergoing a roster retool rather than a full-blown rebuild. In doing so, there has been constant turnover in the wide receiver room for the past 12-ish months. After trading away A.J. Brown, Tennessee used the pick it acquired to snag Treylon Burks in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft.

Burks and Brown share a similar build and a few traits, but the NFL world unfairly labeled the Arkansas wideout as a one-for-one replacement. As we all know, Brown elevated himself to the top of the position in Philadelphia, while Burks struggled through growing pains as a rookie.

As Burks enters his second season in the league, uncertainty persists across the roster, namely at quarterback. Regardless of who takes snaps behind center, I expect the versatile weapon to grow into his role and serve as the top option in the passing game. He has the game-changing ability to carry an offense on any given day.