NFL Execs, Coaches Identify 10 Breakout Players to Watch in 2026

Every year, there are a handful of young stars who swing the NFL season. Last year, rookie defensive back Nick Emmanwori of the Seahawks was a prime example. In 2024, corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean helped the Eagles win their second Super Bowl as rookie starters. In 2023, rookie receiver Rashee Rice and second-year corners Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson helped the Chiefs confirm their dynasty.

Of course, not all great performances come in a championship season. Most don’t. In 2025, we saw myriad fantastic campaigns from first-year talents, including Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III in Chicago, Tyler Warren with the Colts and James Pearce Jr. for the Falcons, just to name a few.

This summer, I traveled around the East Coast as part of my training camp tour for Sports Illustrated and noted the best rookies I watched. I also reached out to more than a dozen sources on coaching staffs and in front offices to get their opinions on first- and second-year players who they believe are set to have breakout seasons.

Here’s the list of 10 names to earmark, starting with one in Gotham.

David Bailey, DE, Jets

Bailey was taken No. 2 by the Jets, who selected him over other options, including linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles. The move was risky for general manager Darren Mougey, but early returns say he won’t regret it.

During a joint practice with the Buccaneers, Bailey was so dominant in one-on-one reps that right tackle Luke Goedeke got into a fight with him. They got into another skirmish, again mostly because Bailey kept winning his reps.

Goedeke shouldn’t feel bad. Coming out of Texas Tech, where he led the nation in 2025 with 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, Bailey has looked the part of a top draft pick. Against Pittsburgh, Bailey grabbed his first sack, while recording two tackles throughout the preseason.

Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Buccaneers

Bain has spent most of August putting offenses on notice. Bain, who was maligned throughout the draft process for his 30⅞-inch arms, is showing he might be an outlier to a normal rule decreeing pass rushers need to have more length.

Against the Chiefs in Tampa Bay’s second preseason game, Bain showed his power, using an inside “hump” move to put right tackle Kahlil Benson on skates. It reminded fans of his Miami days, where he recorded 9.5 sacks as a junior. In that aforementioned joint practice with the Jets, Bain was routinely in the backfield during both individual and team drills.

Currently dealing with a sprained MCL, Bain is projected to start on one edge with YaYa Diaby and Al-Quadin Muhammad rotating in on the other.

Josh Cameron, WR, Jaguars

Cameron is an intriguing name, and one that has flown under the national radar with the Jaguars having better-known receivers, including Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr.

Still, the sixth-round pick from Baylor has turned heads in Jacksonville’s facility. While Cameron will likely start as a special teams contributor who can rotate in offensively, the 23-year-old is a big-bodied target at 6'1" and 223 pounds with the ability to wall off defenders, particularly in the red zone. At Baylor, Cameron had 121 catches for 1,626 yards and 19 touchdowns over his past two seasons.

At times this summer, Cameron ran with the first team when Thomas and Meyers were nursing injuries and performed well. Should Jacksonville need to reach into its depth during the season, the rookie might have his name called after an impressive camp.

Charles Demmings, CB, Vikings

The Vikings are looking for players who can help in the secondary. Talking to people in the building, they may have found one in Demmings.

A fifth-round rookie from SF Austin, Demmings has shown potential in the early going. While he’s not projected to start with veteran Isaiah Rodgers ahead of him, Demmings could emerge into a larger role as he gains more trust. At 6'1" and 193 pounds, Demmings can play the physical brand of man-to-man football that coordinator Brian Flores loves, something that showed up throughout camp.

With Minnesota trying to find stability at the position, both in the short and long term, Demmings is a player to watch moving forward.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr — Bills linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr showed flashes this preseason playing on Buffalo's second-team defense. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kaleb Elarms-Orr, ILB, Bills

In Buffalo, the talk has been about the new coaching staff led by Joe Brady and an offense infused by veteran receiver DJ Moore. But the other story at camp was Elarms-Orr, a fourth-round rookie trying to force his way into the linebacker rotation.

As a senior with the Horned Frogs, Elarms-Orr posted 110 tackles, including 11 for loss and four sacks. Throughout his first few months with the Bills, the 23-year-old continued to show flashes of a productive pro while primarily playing on the second team. Still, expect the rookie to earn time in coordinator Jim Leonhard’s 3–4 scheme, likely getting snaps in a rotation with Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams.

In the preseason, Elarms-Orr was relatively quiet with only three tackles, but after enjoying a productive summer, the TCU product should be on your radar.

Matthew Golden, WR, Packers

The first non-rookie on our list, the Packers are giving rave reviews of their 2025 first-round selection.

This offseason, Green Bay remade the receiver room by trading Dontayvion Wicks and allowing Romeo Doubs to leave for the Patriots in free agency. They did so because they believed in their other options, including Jayden Reed, Christian Watson and Golden, the latter of whom posted only 29 catches on 44 targets for 361 yards and zero touchdowns in his first year.

Now poised for a bigger role, Golden has been one of Green Bay’s standouts in camp. With running back Josh Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list, the Packers are likely to throw even more than normal, giving Golden plenty of chances to show his improvements from a year ago.

Romello Height, DE, 49ers

Height, the No. 70 pick in April, took the long road to reach the NFL. In college, the defensive end spent time over six years at Auburn, USC, Georgia Tech and Texas Tech, playing in 50 games and amassing 16.5 sacks.

Now at 25 years old, the Niners believe he can be an impact player, even if the preseason numbers haven’t been impressive. Considering he’s been dealing with an ankle injury throughout much of August, he hasn’t been able to showcase his best. He’ll have an immediate opportunity in Week 1 when the 49ers take on the Super Bowl-favorite Rams in Australia on Thursday night of the opening week.

If things go well, both on a healthy and production front, San Francisco is hoping Height becomes a complement to Joey Bosa and Osa Odighizuwa on the line, helping the Niners improve on what was a league-worst 20 sacks.

Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Titans

Hill has been all over the field for former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in Tennessee.

A second-round pick out of Texas, Hill has shined. In the Titans’ final preseason game against the Bears, he was asked to play inside linebacker and repeatedly flashed, totaling a team-high six tackles, including five solos. For the preseason, Hill recorded 13 tackles and an interception coming off a collegiate career that included 31.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks over three seasons.

With the Titans completely revamping their roster, Hill projects to be a long-term answer while competing for snaps against veterans Cedric Gray and Cody Barton. While Gray is a budding star and Barton is a steady, experienced tackler, Hill’s upside will make it tough to keep the former Longhorns star off the field.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'kobi Lane and Minnesota Vikings cornerback Charles Demmi — Two of the more impressive rookies this preseason were Ravens wide receiver Ja'kobi Lane and Vikings cornerback Charles Demmings. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, Ravens

Few, if any, rookies have enjoyed more hype this summer than Lane, who comes in from USC to give Lamar Jackson another weapon in Baltimore’s passing attack.

With Zay Flowers and little else on the perimeter to be excited about in recent years, the Ravens might have struck gold with their third-rounder. Lane has impressed throughout the offseason, and this summer caught four passes for 47 yards and a touchdown, including 38 yards with a score against the Eagles in the preseason opener.

At 6'4" and 200 pounds, Lane can sky for the ball while making acrobatic catches, something he’s done repeatedly in training camp. When I was in Baltimore to watch a joint practice between the Ravens and Commanders, Lane ran with the first team (Flowers didn’t participate that day) and looked the part, consistently running crisp routes to gain separation.

If Lane develops into a weapon for Jackson, the trajectory of the offense could change under new coordinator Declan Doyle.

R Mason Thomas, DE, Chiefs

With the No. 40 pick, the Chiefs did something they never do: draft a small edge rusher.

Thomas, who weighs 239 pounds, is about 25-30 pounds lighter than the defensive ends coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has employed in Kansas City, including Frank Clark, Carlos Dunlap and George Karlaftis. However, early results say the Chiefs should have considered this path much sooner.

Thomas has been destructive throughout the preseason. In three games, he’s racked up four tackles, three quarterback hits, two passes defensed and a sack. It’s early, but the Chiefs believe they may have found someone who can push the pocket and create havoc from the opposite side of Karlaftis, with perennial All-Pro Chris Jones working on the interior.

While Kansas City is typically hesitant to start rookies over veterans, look for Thomas and fellow rookie corner Mansoor Delane to buck that trend.

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