Every NFL season is a wild ride—a rollercoaster of touchdowns, heartbreak, and occasional “what did I just witness?” moments.
And on that wild ride, there has been no shortage of surprises… including breakout players!
Whether it is a standout rookie or a revitalized vet, every team has had at least one player who has shattered expectations.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the most surprising player from every NFL team in the 2024 season.
Who is the most surprising player from every NFL team this season?
Arizona Cardinals: Garrett Williams, CB
Garrett Williams has been a revelation in the Cardinals’ secondary this season. After coming back from a torn ACL, the 2023 third-round pick has stepped up in a big way. He’s breaking up passes, locking down receivers, and playing with the kind of confidence you love to see in a young corner. In a season where Arizona’s defense needed a spark, Williams has been a bright spot and looks like a future cornerstone of the secondary.
Atlanta Falcons: Tyler Allgeier, RB
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While Bijan Robinson grabs the headlines, Tyler Allgeier has quietly been the engine of Atlanta’s ground game. He’s been grinding out tough yards, breaking tackles, and keeping defenses honest. Allgeier’s consistency has been a pleasant surprise for the Falcons in an otherwise uneven season.
Baltimore Ravens: Derrick Henry, RB
When the Ravens brought in Derrick Henry, some wondered if the King still had gas left in the tank.
Well, to put it simply, Henry answered his critics with a resounding yes. He’s been a perfect fit in Baltimore’s smash-mouth offense, bulldozing defenses and racking up yards like he’s back in his prime. His physical running style has opened up the passing game for Lamar Jackson and kept defenses guessing in a meaningful way.
Buffalo Bills: Terrel Bernard, LB
Terrel Bernard has been a tackling machine for the Bills in 2024. After taking over for Tremaine Edmunds, Bernard has shown excellent instincts, making key plays all over the field and helping to add stability to a defensive unit that desperately needed it.
Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB
This year has been tough, but one bright spot for Carolina has been the late-season resurgence of quarterback Bryce Young, the former NFL number-one overall pick.
After looking utterly lost to start the year—a continuation of his 2023 struggles, the former Alabama standout has really found his groove and is flashing the playmaking ability that had the Panthers ready to mortgage the farm to move up and grab him.
Chicago Bears: Darrell Taylor, Edge
While the Bears’ season has not exactly been sunshine and rainbows… Darrell Taylor has been a pleasant surprise.
When the Bears traded for Taylor in August for just a sixth-round pick, the move barely registered on the radar amid all of the other ill-fated offseason moves. Fast forward a few months, and Taylor has turned that deal into an absolute steal.
Taylor’s relentless motor and pass-rushing prowess have been one of the few assets that Chicago can count on this year.
Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown, RB
Chase Brown has quietly emerged as a difference-maker in the Bengals’ backfield following Joe Mixon’s departure from Houston.
He wasn’t handed the job coming into the year, but there is no doubt that Brown seized his opportunity and showed off his explosiveness, vision, and pass-catching skills—and it is his to lose going forward.
The second-year back’s ability to break off big runs and contribute in the passing game has added a much-needed degree of balance to Cincinnati’s offense, which can get overly reliant on Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and co, at times.
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Cleveland Browns: Jerry Jeudy, WR
When the Browns brought in Jerry Jeudy in the 2024 NFL offseason, the move raised some eyebrows because few expected the former first-round pick to shine the way he has in 2024 after his struggles to establish himself in Denver.
Despite a horrendous season otherwise in Cleveland, Jerry Jeudy has become a reliable target, finally living up to his potential, which had scouts screaming he couldn’t miss coming out of Alabama. Whether it’s making tough grabs over the middle or stretching defenses deep, Jeudy has given the Browns’ passing attack a much-needed boost—especially with Jameis Winston under center.
Credit to Jeudy for sticking to the process… He’s living proof that sometimes a change of scenery is all a talented player needs to thrive.
Dallas Cowboys: Damone Clark, LB
In a season where Dallas’s defense has struggled to find its rhythm under Mike Zimmer, Damone Clark has quietly been having a great year—both in coverage and wrapping up ball carriers in the open field.
He has seen his usage dip a little bit in recent weeks and has unfortunately been in and out of the lineup with injuries, but for all of the negative surprises in Dallas this year—the former fifth-round pick breakout season has been a much-needed breath of fresh air.
Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB
Bo Nix was one of the most controversial prospects coming out of the 2024 NFL draft, but, man, has he developed into a solid NFL quarterback under Sean Payton’s tutelage.
Both Payton and the Broncos were under fire coming into the year for putting all their eggs in the Bo Nix basket, but to put it simply, the kid has delivered in a big way.
His athleticism has proven to be wildly underrated, and he has turned the Broncos from a laughing stock into a contender.
Detroit Lions: Tim Patrick, WR
After a tough couple of years in which Tim Patrick endured season-ending injuries, he has been a difference-maker in that high-powered Lions offense this year.
Patrick is finally healthy and thriving in a complementary role, especially in the red zone when Jared Goff needs a big, reliable target to look for.
Green Bay Packers: Josh Jacobs, RB
When the Packers signed Josh Jacobs in the offseason, some wondered if he could regain his All-Pro form, but there is no doubt that the running back has been the precise kind of difference maker that Green Bay wanted him to be when they rescued him from Sin City.
Jacobs has had a couple of monster games and has been a reliable source of offense that has taken a lot of pressure off Jordan Love.
Houston Texans: Derek Stingley Jr., CB
After a couple of years battling a series of injuries, Derek Stingley Jr. has been solid all season—and in the second half of the year, he’s been on an absolute tear.
He’s living up to his draft pedigree and giving the Texans a true shutdown corner in a defense that was in need of a reliable playmaker in the secondary.
Indianapolis Colts: Will Fries, RG
Will Fries has gone from an unheralded seventh-round pick in 2021 to one of the better offensive guards in the NFL in 2024.
Fries’ consistency, power, and technique really solidified the Colts’ offensive line in the first half of the year, giving them stability on the right side, which is critical in their run-heavy scheme.
Unfortunately, they have since lost him to the IR, and no shocker—but their offense hasn’t looked the same.
At least they know that they have a real piece that they can build around going forward.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Tank Bigsby, RB
Tank Bigsby has been a bright spot in an otherwise brutal year for the Jaguars offense. The former Auburn standout has emerged as a powerful, relentless runner, posting a number of big games, and has proven to be a better option than the incumbent, Travis Etienne Jr.
Kansas City Chiefs: Tershawn Wharton, DL
Tershawn Wharton has quietly become one of the most surprising contributors to a strong Chiefs’ defense.
Wharton’s relentless motor and gritty play have made him an unsung hero and a crucial part of Kansas City’s defensive dominance thus far in 2024.
Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers, TE
In an otherwise dismal season for the Raiders offense, Brock Bowers has arrived in a big way.. The first-round pick had high expectations coming into the year, but no one believed he would be this polished this soon. The rookie tight end hasn’t just lived up to the hype — he’s shattered it.
People expected him to be a difference-maker coming out of Georgia—and Bowers has done that and then some… he’s already established himself as one of the top receiving big men in the game—and that’s on an otherwise horrendous offense.
Los Angeles Chargers: Ladd McConkey, WR
The NFL rookie wideout has quietly become Justin Herbert’s go-to guy in clutch moments, running crisp routes and making defenders look silly after the catch.
McConkey was supposed to be a solid piece, but emerging as one of the most reliable targets early on caught many people by surprise.
Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse, Edge
Maybe if the Rams recognized that first-round picks could perform the way that Jared Verse has, they wouldn’t have given them away all those years!
He has been a difference-maker on that D-line in year one!
Miami Dolphins: Aaron Brewer, C
When the Dolphins brought in center Aaron Brewer this offseason, it didn’t make the headlines, but he’s been playing at an extremely high level all season—and provided a stabilizing presence to an offense that has been in shambles all year.
Minnesota Vikings: Sam Darnold, QB
With Kirk Cousins gone, Darnold was supposed to be a placeholder, but he’s quietly looking like more than just a stopgap—and the Vikings now have a great problem on their hands in terms of figuring out what to do with their first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy who has been watching from the couch this season as Darnold continues to shred opposing defenses.
New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB
Patriots fans were highly skeptical when the team drafted Drake Maye near the top of the 2024 NFL draft, which is understandable considering the post-Brady Patriots have been a carousel of disappointment, particularly at quarterback…
But Drake Maye might be the guy to stop the spinning. The rookie hasn’t been perfect — far from it — but there’s something different about him. He’s got poise, a cannon for an arm, and that fearless mentality Foxborough’s been missing under center.
New Orleans Saints: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR
During his NFL career, MVS has always been a “what if” kind of guy… Everyone saw the potential, but at this point, no one expected him to put it all together.
Valdes-Scantling is now giving the Saints the vertical weapon they’ve desperately needed. And while the offense is still hit-or-miss, his ability to stretch the field has opened things up for the rest of the squad.
New York Giants: Tyrone Tracy, RB
While all of the running back talks in New York have been about Saquon Barkley, who, I need not remind you, is no longer with the Giants… But amid all the chatter—Tyrone Tracey has emerged as a legitimate workhorse back for the G-men.
New York Jets: Jamien Sherwood, LB
Jamien Sherwood wasn’t supposed to be the guy leading the Jets linebacker corps, but here we are. Injuries forced him into a bigger role, and he’s responded by flying around the field, racking up tackles, and playing with the kind of energy that makes defensive coaches drool—even as the rest of the Jets D struggles!
Philadelphia Eagles: Saquon Barkley, RB
Obviously, there was excitement when the Eagles brought in Saquon, but after his last couple of years in New York, many in the media questioned the decision to pay a running back—even one of Barkley’s caliber.
But he has surprised many people with what a game-changer he has been for this NFL team! Barkley has completely revitalized this offense and made the Eagles a legit Super Bowl contender again.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Russell Wilson, QB
The word on the street coming into this year was that Russ was… cooked—and no longer cooking—and that the offense should be handed over to Justin Fields.
And those murmurs got louder with the way that Fields played early in the year while Wilson recovered from injury, but since Wilson stepped back on the gridiron, the voices have gotten mighty quiet as he has stunned everyone, showing how much he has left in the tank!
San Francisco 49ers: Jauan Jennings, WR
While many of the 49ers’ surprises this year have been negative, the emergence of Jauan Jennings has been the exact opposite!
He has been one of their most consistent options all year in what has otherwise been a very frustrating year for this supposedly high-powered offense, as he threatens to break the 1000-yard receiving threshold for the first time in his career.
Seattle Seahawks: Charles Cross, OT
Year three has been a revelation for Charles Cross. After two unspectacular NFL seasons, the former ninth overall pick has finally arrived — and in a big way, as Cross has emerged as one of the top tackles in football for Seattle.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Zyon McCollum, CB
From afterthought to elite, McCollum’s rise has been one of the biggest surprises in Tampa Bay this season. The 25-year-old corner has been rock solid for the Bucs defense all season!
Tennessee Titans: Darrell Baker Jr., CB
After a shaky 2023 with the Colts, Baker has stepped up in a big way for Tennessee, locking down receivers and providing a security blanket in the secondary, wrapping up ball carries with extreme efficiency.
Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB
Jayden Daniels isn’t just good — he’s already one of the better quarterbacks in football. The second-overall pick has taken the league by storm, using his athleticism and arm talent to propel the Commanders to one of their best seasons in recent memory.
Also Read: Ranking 5 Best And Worst Moments In The NFL 2024 Season
