As the Colts begin their season with a home matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, who do the experts predict will win the game?
ESPN's Mike Clay, Benjamin Solak, Seth Wickersham, Jason Reid, Dan Graziano, Jeremy Fowler, Matt Bowen, Eric Moody, Pamela Maldonado, Kalyn Kahler, Lindsey Thiry: RAVENS
NFL Network's Bucky Brooks, Colleen Wolfe, Nick Shook, Grant Gordon, Kevin Patra, Lance Zierlein, Tom Grossi, Brandon Perna: RAVENS
NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman, Brooke Cersosimo, Bobby Kownack, Dan Parr: RAVENS
NFL.com's Gennaro Filice: COLTS

#colts #jeremy #clay #solak

Who is the Washington Commanders' X-Factor for the 2026 NFL season? A common, correct answer is quarterback Jayden Daniels. After all, it was Daniels who put the Commanders on his back during his 2024 rookie season, leading the franchise to its best season in 33 years.
Then, injuries happened last year, costing Daniels 10 games. The Commanders struggled, going 5-12. Daniels' injuries can't be blamed for Washington's downfall, but they were the primary factor.
This summer, Daniels was 100% and had an outstanding training camp. And while there are concerns about the offensive line, there is excitement about Daniels in new coordinator David Blough's offense.
So, while Daniels is Washington's most important player, Ben Solak of ESPN did not name him his X-factor. Instead, Solak picked the X-factor for all 32 NFL teams, but did it a little bit differently. He did not name quarterbacks, coaches, or rookies in this exercise. Who did Solak choose as the Commanders' X-factor?
Solak named center Nick Allegretti as the X-factor.

#Commanders #washington #david

Chiefs can take pressure off Patrick Mahomes if this defender steps up originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
This is obviously a huge year for the Kansas City Chiefs. They're trying to come back for a season where they didn't even make the playoffs. That's just not like them, but it happens.
The good news is that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been rehabbing from his ACL and LCL tear, and should be able to help take this team to where it's used to being: on top. But, he can't do it alone. Sure, it's great for a quarterback to have offensive targets around him to toss to in the heat of the moment, but he needs a good defense, too, to hold points from the other team.
On Friday, Ben Solak of ESPN released a feature with the X-factor for each NFL team going into the new season. For the Chiefs, it's cornerback Nohl Williams.
"Williams isn't just tight in coverage, but he also creates on the ball," Solak says of his abilities, adding that 20% of the player's targets "ended in a pass defensed or interception, well above the league average for outside corners" of 14.3%. He says that this is "compelling evidence that Williams isn't just a sufficient corner, but an impactful one."

#sporting #take #good

Good morning, Chargers fans!
There's likely a number of different players and/or coaches you could name as an X-factor for the Chargers this year. From an interior offensive lineman, to offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, to one of the team's intriguing tight ends, there's almost more than you can count.
However, it was wide receiver Quentin Johnston that was deemed the team's biggest X-factor by ESPN's Ben Solak due to his potential inside McDaniels' offense alongside Ladd McConkey.
Here's everything Solak had to say about why QJ was too good of a choice for this exercise:
"Johnston is once again an enormously high-leverage player in the Chargers' offense. Though much of the fantasy football attention is rightfully on Ladd McConkey, whom I anticipate leading the Chargers in targets, Johnston could benefit most from coordinator Mike McDaniel's offense."

#chargers #johnston #offense

The Baltimore Ravens have spent years building one of the NFL's most recognizable football brands. They've been at this for three decades, and they are truly a class organization.
These days, they're home to one of the league's best quarterbacks, and there's no shortage of talent and swagger around him. Sometimes, the on-field product is breathtaking. Sometimes it's frustrating. Often, it's a mixture of both.
No matter how fans feel about the occasional fourth-quarter collapse or missed opportunity, some things can never be questioned. Baltimore is usually worth watching. Their fans are some of the most passionate, and they won't miss any opportunity to fill M&T Bank Stadium or settle around a television on game days.
That belief recently surfaced when ESPN's Ben Solak released his annual NFL watchability rankings. He placed the Ravens 11th overall entering the 2026 season. His rankings weren't based strictly on projected wins and losses. Instead, he evaluated teams based on big-play ability, star power, competitiveness, and their capacity to keep viewers glued to a second screen on Sundays. For Baltimore, the biggest selling point was obvious.
"If the Chargers are atop my list for offense that could be first in everything this season, then the Ravens are a close second. Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP and still the league's preeminent dual-threat quarterback, has never had an offensive coordinator like Declan Doyle in his NFL career."

#baltimore

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry knew he needed to rebuild the wide receiver room and add talent after it struggled in 2025. Jerry Jeudy showed some ability but had a bad year holding onto the football, and Isaiah Bond had an up-and-down rookie season, though he showed promise.
ESPN's Ben Solak noted in an article that another wide receiver, rookie Denzel Boston, has shown his physical traits and ability are worth taking note of so far in camp.
"The biggest box for a rookie to check is one of physical benchmarks. Wide receiver Denzel Boston smashes it in this regard. He has clear pro size at 6-foot-4 with a well-built frame, and he knows how to use it. He pushes off with strength, and he attacks throws away from his frame with length and hand size. But it's the smoothness with which he's in and out of his routes that truly stands out. He has shorter strides for a taller receiver, which allows him to gather himself more quickly and sink his weight more easily than other jump-ball specialists. You can tell he'll be a great possession receiver on quick-breaking routes (think Michael Pittman Jr. or Drake London) because of his ability to snap into routes and box smaller corners out from the catch point."
Berry spent two of his top three picks at the position to upgrade the room and help whoever the quarterback ends up being. KC Concepcion was taken in the first round and has shown he is a dynamic playmaker, especially in the preseason opener, but the second guy, Denzel Boston, has really stolen the show at camp.
The Browns are hoping they can step into larger roles than many outside the organization are expecting, especially Boston.

#boston #denzel #room

The Browns' quarterback battle is the lone one left among NFL teams, but it seems to be over after one week of the preseason. Head coach Todd Monken announced last week that Deshaun Watson would start the first preseason game while Shedeur Sanders would start the second.
Despite the plan being laid out, ESPN's Ben Solak does not have high hopes for the situation as a whole.
In a recent column posted to ESPN, Solak laid out what he deemed to be the most cursed camp battle, and the winner was the Browns quarterback battle. He writes, "Sanders might have a higher ceiling than Watson, in that he's a younger player about whom we know less. But Watson, who is in the final year of his deal, carries a (pre-June 1) dead cap hit of $86 million in 2026. That's a pretty penny. If the Browns can get palatable play from Watson, they're financially incentivized to keep him for another season and spread the cap hit out even further. So this competition might end up being decided not with on-field performance but rather on financial ramifications."
After the first preseason game, it seems that Watson is in the driver's seat in a solid fashion. Shedeur Sanders will have a chance on Saturday, but that might not even be him getting to play with the same players as Watson did. A lot could happen over the next week, but it seems Watson is going to get the nod based on both the financials, as Solak pointed out, and the play on the field.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: ESPN labels the Browns QB battle as 'cursed'

#watson #solak #seems

The San Francisco 49ers' short-term future doesn't look great, according to ESPN. An expert panel consisting of ****** ysts Louis Riddick, Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak, and Seth Walder ranked the 49ers No. 14 in ESPN's Future Power Rankings.
ESPN's methodology evaluates how well all 32 NFL franchises are set up for sustained success over a three-year window spanning the 2027 through 2029 seasons. The panel rated each team's quarterback situation, non-QB roster makeup, front office, and coaching staff on a 1–100 scale. Those grades were then calculated into a weighted overall score: roster makeup (30%), coaching staff (25%), front office (25%), and quarterback (20%).
The 49ers earned an overall score of 82.4, placing them behind NFC West rivals Seattle (No. 1, 88.7) and Los Angeles (No. 5, 85.3). San Francisco's category breakdown features elite respect for their coaching staff (93.5 score, second in NFL) and a top-10 quarterback rating (87.0 score, 10th in NFL). However, lower marks for their non-QB roster (77.0 score, 16th in NFL) and front office (74.0 score, 23rd in NFL) pulled down their overall grade.
The primary reason for optimism centers around head coach Kyle Shanahan's play-calling brilliance and a young defense. Solak noted that as long as Shanahan remains at the helm printing high-caliber offensive schemes, San Francisco will stay dangerous regardless of offensive line inconsistencies or playmaker injuries.
Conversely, Riddick highlighted roster age and durability as major causes for concern. Crucial veterans like Trent Williams (38), Kyle Juszczyk (35), Mike Evans (32), and George Kittle (32, returning from an Achilles tear) face steep longevity questions. Paired with a history of significant annual injury bug issues, the 49ers will lean heavily on Shanahan and his staff to continuously develop unheralded talent to remain in contention over the next three-year cycle.

#overall

Now that we're in August, training camps are in full swing, and the NFL is about to start its next regular season. Depth charts will shuffle, waivers will be used, and it will all lead to new visions for teams in development.
Until then, we get to look at some more power rankings before all that shuffling begins. The latest we are looking at is from ESPN, which takes a unique spin by giving future power rankings that project teams out over the next couple of years.
They discussed several topic and stories related to the teams coming out of the rankings. While they ranked the Vikings 18th in the piece, they also discussed a reason as to why Vikings fans should be hopeful for the future. According to ESPN's Ben Solak, it comes down to the coaching staff.
He writes, "They have elite coaches. Kevin O'Connell remains one of the league's preeminent schemers, and his history of elevating quarterback talent bodes well. On the defensive side, Brian Flores is the most unique playcaller in the NFL; his blitz-happy approach consistently puts the best offensive schemers on their backfoot. It's hard to imagine a bad long-term future with both of those coaches secured."
The Vikings have almost two head coaches on the staff at the moment due to having Flores there still. He is deserving of another head coaching chance, but the Vikings will enjoy their spoilment of riches. Also, not to be forgotten, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and special teams coordinator Matt Daniels, who also deserve praise.

#future

The Cincinnati Bengals have spent the bulk of the offseason upgrading toward the idea of getting back into the playoffs and contending.
But other accolades come with such a push, including major award chances for the likes of Joe Burrow.
That's a topic that made the rounds recently at ESPN, with Mina Kimes and Ben Solak attempting to predict next year's award winners and providing some pretty interesting thoughts on Burrow in the process.
Bengals fans will find themselves nodding along with the commentary, especially when Solak noted that the MVP award is all about narratives and Kimes highlighted some positives for the Bengals.
"My feeling about Burrow was this—one, he's never won it," Kimes said. "…I just feel that, everything is in place. There's no contract drama with the wide receivers."

#award #solak #espn #spent

The Los Angeles Rams continue to earn high praise from national ******* ysts, this time securing the No. 5 spot in ESPN's Future Power Rankings that predicts how teams will look in the not-too-distant future.
ESPN's methodology evaluates how well all 32 NFL franchises are set up for sustained success over a three-year window spanning the 2027 through 2029 seasons. An expert panel consisting of ******* ysts Louis Riddick, Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak and Seth Walder rated each team's quarterback situation, non-QB roster makeup, front office, and coaching staff on a 1–100 scale. Those grades were then calculated into a weighted overall score: roster makeup (30%), coaching staff (25%), front office (25%), and quarterback (20%).
The Rams earned an overall score of 85.3, placing them firmly in the elite tier of NFL organizations projected for long-term competitiveness. Los Angeles finished behind the Seattle Seahawks (88.7), Philadelphia Eagles (88.1), Detroit Lions (86.2), and Denver Broncos (85.6).
A major catalyst behind the high rating is head coach Sean McVay's offensive innovation alongside general manager Les Snead's scouting. Solak noted that the Rams are in one of the more unique positions because of Matthew Stafford, but still have the makings of a long-term elite team.
The Rams are tricky to rank because we don't know for certain whether coach Sean McVay, who has contemplated retirement, will stay in Los Angeles after quarterback Matthew Stafford hangs up the pads. The team is well positioned with so many good young players, and the duo of McVay and GM Les Snead duo has worked so well for so long. Even if the Stafford era ends soon, it'll likely end only on a Super Bowl run.

#well #long #sean #matthew

Ravens' Lamar Jackson already 'aggressively' showing his stuff at training camp originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has something to prove. He's certainly one of the strongest quarterbacks in the league, but last year was tough.
During the 2025 regular season, Jackson played 13 games, passing for 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 103.8 passer rating. He also rushed for 349 yards and two touchdowns, according to NFL research.
It was good but not good enough to get the Ravens to make noise in the postseason. Now, Jackson is already out to prove that he's still one of the hottest players in the league.
Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano and Ben Solak of ESPN are reporting from NFL training camps this month. Their latest report shows that Jackson means business.

#jackson #sporting #training #league

The Vikings' defense has enjoyed the presence of Harrison Smith ever since he was drafted back in 2012. The team enjoys his presence on and off the field, but at 37, some things are just not the same as they used to be. As a result, the unsigned veteran is sitting on the side waiting for something to change or to retire.
Meanwhile, the team is in the middle of training camp and preparing to move on from Smith, unless, of course, he wants to come back. They are preparing for the future by drafting Jakobe Thomas out of Miami (FL), and they will lean on the remaining veterans.
None of this seems to matter, though, based on the recent work done by ESPN's Benjamin Solak. He wrote about his takeaways from Vikings camp, which did include some thoughts on Smith and the Vikings' safety position.
He writes, "There's no way to replace safety Harrison Smith. . .That's if he retires. It isn't formalized yet, and the Vikings are hoping he returns despite drafting safety Jakobe Thomas in the third round. While I was at camp, Thomas was not yet taking many first-team reps, but that's understandable, given how complex this defense is. . .My sense in watching practice and speaking to folks on the ground is there's no one winning idea for how to replace Smith just yet."
There has to be some faith placed on the shoulders of Brian Flores with the trio he has in place. Led by Josh Metellus, the Vikings' safeties have played well under the tutelage of Flores. Losing Smith will be a heavy hit, but time will tell how tough a transition it is.

#jakobe #defense

Southampton's sporting director has indicated the club is prepared for a potential Football ******* ociation ban for manager Tonda Eckert after the 'Spygate' scandal, while still hoping for a positive resolution.
The Saints have already faced severe penalties, including expulsion from the Championship play-off final and a four-point deduction for the upcoming season.
These sanctions followed the club's admission of three EFL regulation breaches for illicitly monitoring semi-final opponents Middlesbrough and two other teams.
Eckert accepted full responsibility for the affair, a position publicly backed by Southampton owner Dragan Solak.
The German manager now faces three FA charges under Rule E3.1 for "misconduct".

#final #Football #spygate #saints

To the surprise of almost no one, the Cleveland Browns quarterback competition has not been the star of the show in Day 1 or Day 2 of training camp. Week 1 of Browns training camp still has two more practices, and the decision on whether Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders will be the team's starter is not required until Week 1 of the season, as both HC Todd Monken and GM Andrew Berry have noted during the first two days in Berea.
Berry also noted that the only variable that matters in deciding the competition is production, not Sanders' age and developmental arc, Watson's contract and history, or any other thing.
According to Ben Solak of ESPN, Sanders' lack of "elite size to shrug off contact" and lack of "special arm talent," along with being a "below-average mover for the position," means he needs to be able to make sure he has perfected one specific throw:
If Sanders is to succeed at the NFL level, he needs this throw in his bag: the quick-release vertical ball against one-on-one coverage. It will be hard for him to create explosive plays otherwise.
The type of throw that Solak is describing Sanders needs is similar to the deep throws Russell Wilson often threw down the sidelines, which were often described as "moon **** ." Those throws do not require a big arm, per se, but great timing and placement are key attributes that can lead to big plays.

#throw #berry #solak #training

According to ESPN's Ben Solak, the Indianapolis Colts won't realistically regain their 2025 first half form, citing starting quarterback Daniel Jones' uncertain health and the loss of a number of key veterans as the realistic reasons for the continued regression:
2026 outlook: Repeat of early '25 success seems unlikely
It's tough to expect anything close to a repeat performance from Jones in 2026, even before we consider the effect of the Achilles injury.
It's also worth noting that the Colts endured another offensive line departure (Braden Smith) and saw a key offensive weapon (Michael Pittman Jr.) leave the building to boot. Veteran defenders Nick Scott and Zaire Franklin both departed this offseason, leaving Day 2 rookies A.J. Haulcy and CJ Allen in line to fill their big shoes.
The sheer number of departures, along with uncertain health for Jones, makes them a tough horse to back in 2026. — Ben Solak

#jones #colts #uncertain #line

The Atlanta Falcons have been strangely quiet in the days leading up to training camp, but those around the NFL continue to churn out content at an alarming rate. Thanks to the Falcons' quarterback battle between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa, the team has been a frequent topic of training camp preview lists.
In today's Falcons Wire Recap, ESPN and Bleacher Report weigh in on the quarterback competition, The Athletic ranks Atlanta among the NFL's most underrated teams, and second-year safety Xavier Watts makes CBS Sports' under-the-radar players list for 2026.
Bleacher Report's Alex Kay feels the Falcons' QB competition is leaning heavily in Tua Tagovailoa's direction as the team prepares to kick off training camp next week.
"While Miami was understandably ready to move on from Tua after two straight down years, the quarterback is still just 28 years old and should have plenty left in the tank for 2026," wrote Kay. "Tagovailoa gives new head coach Kevin Stefanski his best chance to hit the ground running and make Atlanta a top contender in a wide-open NFC South race. If Tua can avoid injury and establish a rapport with the likes of Drake London and Bijan Robinson in camp, Penix will be relegated to the bench in 2026."
ESPN's Ben Solak shared his two cents on Atlanta's QB1 battle, and despite predicting Tagovailoa would win the job, he feels Penix has the better chance at being the team's long-term starter.

#penix #team

The Los Angeles Rams made a series of aggressive offseason trades to overhaul their defense, sending multiple first-round picks and rising young edge rusher Jared Verse to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for star pass rusher Myles Garrett, while also acquiring cornerback Trent McDuffie from Kansas City and signing free-agent corner Jaylen Watson.
The moves were clearly a direct response to how the Rams' defense unraveled in the playoffs, and ESPN's Ben Solak explains that the Garrett-for-Verse swap directly targets a finishing problem and opens up new avenues for defensive coordinator Chris Shula in 2026 and beyond.
A wonderful bull rusher, Verse often demolished the pocket and created pressure but was unable to finish his rushes under control. He has a career pressure-to-sack ratio of 8.4%, which is fourth worst among all edges over the past two seasons. Garrett's recent pressure-to-sack ratio was obviously ballooned by his record-setting season, but over his career, he has a 19.3% conversion rate -- more than double that of Verse.
Because Verse was such a wrecking ball, Shula would wisely use him as the crasher on stunts, twists and other defensive line games. With a runway into a tackle, Verse could break pocket integrity and flush out the quarterback, where a waiting looper or blitzer could clean him up. It was Shula's way of converting Verse's pressures into team sacks, as Verse couldn't easily convert them into individual sacks. Cody Alexander of Match Quarters charted stunt rate last year and had the Rams running more defensive line games than any other team in the league by a pretty large margin.
With Garrett, Solak suggests Shula will lean into more straightforward four-man rush opportunities, often overloading the line away from Garrett to isolate him in one-on-one matchups. Still, Shula is expected to retain some stunt packages to maximize interior rushers like Byron Young and Kobie Turner, using Garrett's presence to draw extra blocking attention and open lanes elsewhere on the line.

NASHVILLE - Tennessee ****** ans tight end Gunnar Helm has been named the franchise's 2026 breakout candidate by NFL ****** yst Ben Solak. The piece, featured on ESPN.com, predicted one such player for all 32 clubs.
Helm earned the nod over other candidates such as quarterback Cam Ward or veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley. It speaks to what Helm could mean for an offense desperate for reliable pass-catching options beyond its wide receiver room.
Helm possesses "the tools of an NFL starter, the length, the size, speed, ball skills above the rim, away from his frame, and toughness through contact," according to Solak.
That was on display during the former fourth-round pick's rookie season. Helm was one of the few bright spots that Tennessee fans had to watch as the team finished with a regular season record of 3-14 for the second consecutive year. The tools Solak describes of Helm are critical for a player with Ward's skill-set.
The ****** ans quarterback's style drew comparisons to franchise legend Steve McNair and Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes throughout Ward's pre-draft process. Few tools have served those players better during their respective careers than the tight end position.

Welcome back to Loose Feathers, where we catch you up on recent news and ***** ysis about the Baltimore Ravens. Let's get into the latest updates!
ESPN's Ben Solak named second-year cornerback Keyon Martin as his 2026 breakout candidate for the Ravens, a surprising inclusion among a group that included better-known names like Terry McLaurin and Nolan Smith. Solak admitted that Martin was "perhaps the deepest cut of this entire list" and noted his explosiveness before writing:
Martin is undersized for an NFL corner (5-foot-9, 170 pounds), but new coach Jesse Minter was comfortable playing smaller corners during his time as the Chargers' defensive coordinator. Quick eyes and even quicker feet in zone coverage are Minter's preferred traits, and Martin has those.
At his size, Martin likely can't play anything but the slot. The Ravens do love three-safety sets with Kyle Hamilton in the nickel, but when they want a quicker cover man, Martin has a chance to supplant Chidobe Awuzie as the third corner on the field, keeping Marlon Humphrey on the outside.
Martin impressed as an undrafted rookie last year and could benefit from the Ravens' infusion of secondary coaching talent, including Minter and defensive pass game coordinator Mike Mickens. However, the Ravens' cornerback room has gotten more crowded with the addition of fifth-round pick Chandler Rivers, a strong spring from 2025 UDFA Marquise Robinson, and returns from injury by 2025 Day 3 picks Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam.

Broncos may be able to answer huge question after encouraging prediction originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Denver Broncos re-signed nearly every player from last season's roster that could have gotten away this season, with the exception of John Franklin-Myers.
Franklin-Myers was an impactful piece of the defense for the Broncos. Unfortunately, it seemed to become clear last season that the team would lose him in free agency when contract extensions were given to multiple players, but not him. More or less, JFM just became too expensive for the Broncos to keep him around.
This offseason, Franklin-Myers signed with the Tennessee **** ans as a free agent.
Whether or not the Broncos have adequately replaced has been questioned at length this offseason, despite the Broncos using their first pick in the 2026 draft to select Tyler Onyedim out of Texas A&M in the third round. However, the answer to who could sufficiently replace Franklin-Myers may have already been on the roster, at least according to a recent prediction from Ben Solak of ESPN.

With training camp drawing closer, we will be highlighting the one big question that faces each Indianapolis Colts' position group.
Up next are the running backs. While we could focus on the battle for RB2, our attention will instead be on Jonathan Taylor and how Daniel Jones' return could provide the run game with a jolt.
A big part of the Colts' red-hot start to the season in 2025 was the play of Taylor. As ESPN's Ben Solak noted recently, through 10 games, Taylor had rushed for 1,139 yards -- or 114 yards per game -- and he was on pace for nearly 2,000 yards. He also rushed for 15 touchdowns.
But during the two games that Jones played with a fibula injury and then after his season ended with the Achilles injury, the Colts' run game didn't have the same juice.
From Weeks 12 through 18, Taylor didn't eclipse the 100-yard mark once. He also averaged below 4.0 yards per carry in six of those seven games, per PFF.

In two weeks, the Detroit Lions' rookies will report to training camp.
From there, veterans will report just three days later and then the Lions will be off and running with their 2026 training camp from the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, Mich.
As training camp nears closer, ESPN is making some of its final predictions for the 2026 NFL season. ESPN's Ben Solak picked a breakout candidate for all 32 NFL teams.
The Lions' projected breakout candidate comes at a position of great need. Solak picked cornerback Roger McCreary as his breakout candidate in Detroit.
Tons of cornerback snaps were already up for grabs in Detroit before Terrion Arnold was cut following his arrest in Florida on felony charges of armed robbery and kidnapping. Now, starting jobs are available in both the slot and on the outside. The contenders for the jobs: Rock Ya-Sin, Keith Abney II, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and McCreary.

The Minnesota Vikings experienced a rough season from veteran cornerback Jeff Okudah in 2025, so much so that the club put its foot down in free agency and signed James Pierre, a 29-year-0ld from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And don't look now, but Pierre is somehow the top "breakout" candidate for the Vikings, according to ESPN.
Ben Solak: Vikings Breakout Player Is Pierre
Pierre isn't young, but Solak didn't care, picking the veteran corner as his breakout prediction: "The Vikings like to rotate cornerbacks on cheap contracts, as coordinator Brian Flores' zone-heavy and blitz-happy approach requires fewer snaps of prolonged man coverage than most other defenses."
"This offseason, they snagged Pierre in free agency after he made some strong spot starts with the Steelers. Pierre had only 219 coverage snaps last season, but his passer rating allowed of 49.8 was second only to Jamel Dean among cornerbacks last season. (Dean, ironically, is who the Steelers signed in free agency)."

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't make many moves in the offseason, but one addition is being looked at as a potential breakout candidate for 2026.
Before the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jaguars traded Maason Smith to the Atlanta Falcons for Ruke Orhorhoro. Orhorhoro not only provides more depth at pass rush, but he was a more productive option last season than Smith, whose role diminished throughout the 2025 season.
Since being drafted in 2023, Orhorhoro saw his playing time steadily increase, ending 2025 with 121 defensive tackles, 30 pressures, and four sacks. It's widely ******* umed he will benefit from a fresh start in Jacksonville.
It's not surprising, then, that ESPN's Ben Solak named Orhorhoro as the Jaguars' breakout candidate for 2026.
"Orhorhoro hasn't had enough splash plays yet to even call him an exciting developmental player," Solak wrote. "But the new opportunity in Jacksonville comes with a thin depth chart. Nose tackle DaVon Hamilton and aging veteran Arik Armstead are the only players clearly above Orhorhoro on the depth chart in what figures to be a rotation anyway. If he is freed up to play a penetrating, disrupting style, he should become an important player with the Jags."

Do the Seattle Seahawks have a secret weapon in their offense? For those faithful watchers of Seattle football it may not be much of a secret, but the rest of the country may not be aware of what tight end AJ Barner represents. To ESPN ****** yst Benjamin Solak, Barner could very well be on his way to being one of the very best at his position in the entire NFL. Solak even went as far as to directly compare him to one of the standard bearers of tight ends: the San Francisco 49ers' own George Kittle.
Normally, calling someone or something a "discount" when compared to something else, it's often used as a negative. However in this context, I think the 12th Man is fine with the definition. I know general manager John Schneider certainly is, since Barner's on the third year of his rookie deal which will pay him just north of $1 million dollars. Compared to Kittle who will count for more than $14 million against San Francisco's cap? Yeah, discount is a positive here.
Financials aside, the comparison between Barner and Kittle is an interesting one. Both are of a similar build, with Barner being two inches taller. Both are physical players who aren't afraid to throw down some blocks in the run game, as Barner was actually drafted as a blocking tight end. Actually, at the time he was drafted, we at Seahawks Wire reported there were those who believed he had untapped potential as a receiving threat. Boy, did those takes age well!
Barner may not have yardage totals that blow anyone away (245 and 519 in each of his first two years, respectively) but his impact is found in the end zone. Through his two years in the league, Barner has scored 10 touchdowns in the regular season, and even had the only offensive one in the Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots.
Barner's increase in production from years one to two, as well as becoming a clear security blanket for quarterback Sam Darnold, bode well for his ascension in this league. I would not be surprised at all if I see more No. 88 jerseys around Lumen Field next season.

Seahawks 24-year-old TE called 'discount George Kittle' by ESPN amid breakout prediction originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl 60, beating the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, and New England Patriots en route to the NFL ***** le.
While the focus was on the defense for much of the year and in the Super Bowl, and Kenneth Walker III, Sam Darnold, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba earned their flowers, there was another key player who deserves some praise.
This player received some significant praise from ESPN's Ben Solak, who said this Seahawks 24-year-old right end is a "discount George Kittle" and is the team's breakout candidate this year. That player? 2024 draft pick AJ Barner.
"We somehow made it through the entire Seahawks Super Bowl run without calling Barner what he is: a rising top-10 TE," Solak writes. "... Barner really is a discount George Kittle..."

ESPN ***** yst names 5-foot-9 DB as 49ers breakout candidate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of interesting players on both sides of the ball worth getting excited about during the upcoming 2026 NFL season.
While Mike Evans and the rest of the new-look wide receiver room will draw plenty of attention, as will new defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa, there's another player who is drawing some big attention despite being 5-foot-9.
ESPN ***** yst Ben Solak identified each team's breakout candidate for 2026 and named defensive back Upton Stout, the 2025 third-round pick, as the 49ers' breakout candidate for this upcoming season.
"Stout got burned plenty as a risk taker, but he didn't make the same mistakes over and over again," Solak writes. "He'll never dominate with pass breakups given his 5-foot-9, 181-pound size, but he has stopping power as a tackler and creates opportunities for his teammates to finish off run plays by penetrating and disrupting."

The San Francisco 49ers endured a turbulent defensive stretch last season, relying heavily on an inexperienced unit that frequently found itself outschemed and physically overmatched.
Amid those growing pains, however, the coaching staff unearthed a resilient playmaker in the slot. Cornerback Upton Stout battled through the quintessential rookie learning curve to establish himself as a foundational **** et after going in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. And, as the 49ers map out their 2026 campaign, ESPN's Ben Solak identified the young defensive back as the team's ultimate diamond in the rough.
The 49ers' defense was young, raw and outmatched for much of last season, so it can be tough to find the diamond in the rough. But that diamond is Stout, a third-rounder who started in the slot — a taxing position to master mentally—- and kept his head above water.
Stout got burned plenty as a risk taker, but he didn't make the same mistakes over and over again. He'll never dominate with pass breakups given his 5-foot-9, 181-pound size, but he has stopping power as a tackler and creates opportunities for his teammates to finish off run plays by penetrating and disrupting. He'll stick around in the league for a long, long time as he fully gets up to the mental speed of the game.
Stout’s rookie numbers reflect his high-variance style of play, mirroring the trials of a young defender thrust into the NFL's toughest coverage **** ignment. He logged 43 solo tackles, 82 combined tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and five pass deflections over the course of the season. His aggressive, downhill mentality translated to an exceptional presence against the run, where his block-shedding and spatial awareness routinely forced ball-carriers back inside toward reinforcing defenders.

ESPN’s Benjamin Solak went through breakout candidates for each team. For the San Francisco 49ers, he chose second-year cornerback Upton Stout:
The 49ers’ defense was young, raw and outmatched for much of last season, so it can be tough to find the diamond in the rough. But that diamond is Stout, a third-rounder who started in the slot — a taxing position to master mentally — and kept his head above water.
Stout got burned plenty as a risk taker, but he didn’t make the same mistakes over and over again. He’ll never dominate with pass breakups given his 5-foot-9, 181-pound size, but he has stopping power as a tackler and creates opportunities for his teammates to finish off run plays by penetrating and disrupting. He’ll stick around in the league for a long, long time as he fully gets up to the mental speed of the game.
Stout allowed nearly 78 percent of his targets to be completed. And there was no shortage of those, as he was targeted 18.2 percent of the time last season. According to Next Gen Stats, he allowed an average of 3.8 yards of separation. Stout also allowed a 103.2 rating and an additional 4.8 yards after the catch. It goes without saying that there’s room for improvement in the coverage aspect.
Stout will make his presence felt as a pass rusher in his second year. He only rushed the passer 39 times as a rookie. That number should triple under Raheem Morris. He generated a 23.1 pressure percentage. Eight of those were of the quick variety. Stout’s average time to pressure was 2.13 seconds. That’s a weapon that needs to be used more. Despite the low blitz volume, Stout finished eighth in quick pressures as a rookie.