The Emerging Stars Team
by Dave Gardner
While this year’s rookie class steals all the highlights in August, it is the young veterans who contribute the most in the season.
Note: The Emerging Stars Team does not include any rookies, nor any players who have been in the league for more than five seasons.
Offense
Quarterback: Jay Cutler, Denver
Anyone could tell last year that Jay Cutler was improving, completing 63.6 percent of his passes and throwing for a passer rating of 88.1. With a strong running game and a good group of receivers, Cutler will crack into the 90s this season. He will be the best quarterback of his draft class (which includes Vince Young and Matt Leinart) for a long time.
Running Back: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
A player with enough talent to have gone pro straight of high school, Peterson lived up to his hype last season with the Vikings. His bruising running style and elite speed led him to the brink of the rushing title with 1,341 yards on just 238 carries (5.6 ypc). He also scored 12 touchdowns. If he starts all 16 games, no one has a chance at beating him out for the rushing title.
Fullback: Greg Jones, Jacksonville
It’s hard to get any love as a fullback these days, unless you’re the personal escort of the most potent running back tandem in the league. Jones has emerged as a premier blocking fullback and as a reliable goal-line threat. A fan-favorite in Jacksonville, he has scored nine touchdowns in his four seasons there.
Wide Receiver: Marques Colston, New Orleans
It is amazing that Colston is not a household name yet. He had no hype coming out of Hofstra and ended up as a seventh-round pick in New Orleans. Just two seasons later, he is now their No. 1 receiver. He has a jaw-dropping 168 catches for 2,240 yards and 19 touchdowns in his two NFL seasons. He should finally earn a Pro Bowl berth this season.
Left Tackle: Joe Thomas, Cleveland
Although he may be the obvious pick, he is the logical pick. In his rookie season, Thomas emerged as one of the three-best players at the second-most important position in the game. He should be the leader of the offensive line this season, and he should be a staple of it – and the Pro Bowl – for the next decade.
Left Guard: Logan Mankins, New England
A first-round pick of the Patriots in 2005, Mankins made his first Pro Bowl last season. He is an excellent pass blocker who has started every game of his 48-game career. He should be a Pro Bowl-caliber player every year that he is helping to protect Tom Brady’s blindside.
Center: Nick Mangold, New York Jets
Considered to be the best center prospect in 15 years when he entered the 2006 according to Mike Mayock of NFL Network, Mangold was one of two first-round picks of the Jets that season. His play was good enough to garner him Rookie of the Year honors that season, although he didn’t take home the trophy. His play dropped off last season, but he should look much better with Alan Faneca next to him.
Right Guard: Davin Joseph, Tampa
The Buccaneers have been investing a lot of picks in their offensive line over the past three drafts, and Joseph has been the best of them. He is already the leader of the offensive line and a team captain. A powerful run and pass blocker, Joseph should garner more national attention this season. He is out of commission with a broken foot for the first part of the season, but he will return for the playoff push.
Right Tackle: Jeremy Trueblood, Tampa
Selected in the round after Joseph in the 2005 draft, the two have been starting right next to each other since training camp in their rookie season. He was known more as a run blocker in his tenure at Boston College, but he has become more well-rounded in his three NFL seasons. He guarded the blindside of Chris Simms, a left-handed quarterback in 2005.
Tight End: Zach Miller, Oakland
Miller was a second-round pick in 2007, but didn’t make much noise in his rookie season. That should change as he becomes the security blanket for young quarterback JaMarcus Russell. He is a huge target, and he should be the team’s primary red-zone target.
Wide Receiver: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City
It says a lot that a rookie wide receiver pushes for a 1,000-yard season these days; only two players have accomplished that feat this decade. It says a lot more when he is playing for the offensively challenged Kansas City Chiefs. Bowe was the only home-run threat on the team last season, and he should be the centerpiece of their offensive attack this season.
Defense
Right Defensive End: Mario Williams, Houston
Williams is another obvious, but logical pick. After pundits everywhere lambasted Houston for taking him with the first-overall pick in the 2006 draft (over Reggie Bush and Vince Young), time has proven the team correct in selecting him. He had a slow rookie season, but blew up in 2007 to the tune of 14.5 sacks. He accounted for 15 percent of his team’s sacks last season, more than any other player.
Defensive Tackle: Mike Patterson, Philadelphia
Patterson has been solid in his three years with the Eagles, but he has never emerged as the game-breaking defensive tackle on whom the Eagles burned a first-rounder. In his rookie season, he led all Eagle linemen in tackles (38) and rookie defensive tackles in sacks (3.5). He should break five sacks for the first time in his career.
Defensive Tackle: Haloti Ngata, Baltimore
After a somewhat slow rookie season in which he was thrown into the starting lineup from the first day, Ngata steadily improved in 2007. He commanded more double teams, but the team struggled to get sacks more so than in years past. The Ravens need him to be a consistent disruptor in the pocket, and he will be this season.
Outside Linebacker: Leroy Hill, Seattle
Drafted in the same year and a round after Lofa Tatupu, Hill has been largely outshined by Tatupu. Scouts agree, however, that Tatupu is just as good as his teammates in the linebacking corps (Tatupu and Julian Peterson). He has 245 tackles and six forced fumbles in three NFL seasons. Look for him to crack the 100-tackle mark for the first time in his career.
Inside Linebacker: Patrick Willis, San Francisco
Willis is already a star after just one year in the league, after winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, earning a Pro Bowl trip and leading the league in tackles – the next closest player was 34 tackles behind Willis. He should be in the conversation for best linebacker in the league this season.
Outside linebacker: Omar Gaither, Philadelphia
A relatively unknown, young linebacker, Gaither will be the leader of a Philly linebacking corps that includes two first-time starters. Gaither started last season and recorded 102 tackles, forced a fumble and grabbed an interception.
Corner: Aaron Ross, New York Giants
Ross was a star at Texas, and he continued his big play in New York last season. He was not a starter at the beginning of the season, but he emerged as one throughout it and ended up as a key component in their Super Bowl run. He should be the team’s top corner this season, and he will take the pressure off of some young safeties.
Free Safety: Reggie Nelson, Jacksonville
Had it not been for Patrick Willis’ outstanding season last year, Nelson would have been in serious consideration for Rookie of the Year honors. A playmaking safety from Florida, Nelson recorded five interceptions last season. He should be in the Pro Bowl this season, and he could even earn All-Pro honors for a strong Jacksonville secondary.
Strong Safety: Chris Harris, Carolina
The Bears traded Harris to the Panthers for a sixth-round pick in training camp last year when they thought they had a surplus at the position. A year removed, the Panthers are set at the position with Harris, and the Bears have yet to announce a starter. Harris was a huge part of the defense last season, and he should surpass his outstanding numbers from last season. He had 96 tackles, eight forced fumbles and interceptions.
Corner: Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee
Finnegan received a contract extension recently, rewarding him for his outstanding play. He entered the league as a seventh-round pick but quickly earned a starting job. Last season, he recorded 95 tackles, and most of them hurt. He should come down with more interceptions this season than the one he had last year.
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