- Melvin Gordan: In his rookie campaign, Gordan, the 2015 no.15 overall draft selection by the San Diego Chargers didn't look too impressive. Injuries, bad player after bad play, and just looked like he hadn't played football in years. This is just showing that the NFL is much different than college football. In College Gordan was a Heisman finalist and an All-American, while also breaking the record for most rushing yards in a single game before having that record broken soon after. The Chargers had an awkward stage of trying to make the Gordon work in their system than trying to get their system to work for Gordon. In 2016-17, look for Gordon to get a lot more touches, having a healthy Keenan Allen and the addition of Travis Benjamin to the team should take an enormous amount of pressure off of Gordon and the other running backs.
- Phillip Dorsett: After a very forgetful rookie season in 2015, I think Dorsett has a chip on his shoulder. Don't forget that the Colts had a lot of offensive line issues, Andrew Luck was injured for a major portion of the season, and most rookies have growing pains. Dorsett was already at a disadvantage for playing time; the young receiver was fighting for snaps with TY Hilton, Andre Johnson and Dontae Moncrief. With Luck coming back, hopefully healthy, I'd expect for all of the receivers to see a 'spike' in their stats, Dorsett maybe more than any of the other receivers. One thing I like most about this young receiver is the fact that he can play on the outside or in the slot, a lot of people compare him to his teammate Hilton, maybe even more explosive - He was drafted no.29 overall in the 2015 draft for a reason, it'll show in the 2016-17 season.
- Shawn Williams: This is NOT just a list for offensive player! The Bengals will be entering the 2016 season missing a major piece of a defense that has been so dominant over the past several years. Free-Agent Safety Reggie Nelson, explored his options, choosing to sign with the Oakland Raiders after reviving his career in Cincinnati. Nelson tied for the most interceptions in 2015 and helped lead the Bengals to the postseason and one of the most successful regular seasons in the past 20 years. Now, let's talk about who could fill his shoes. Safety Shawn Williams, third-round draft selection in 2013, looks ready to do just that. I believe he'll be a big-time player. If you go back to the week 7 game vs the Steelers, Williams got a big-time interception late in the fourth quarter when the Bengals needed it, they were trailing 10-6 with a little over six minutes remaining, the Bengals ended up scoring on the next drive and getting the win 16-10. With Williams sure to get more snaps as a starter in 2016, look for him to emerge as one of the best safeties in the AFC in the next two years.
- DeVante Parker: The only word that I can think of to describe Parker is dominant. I don't think he'll be a top 5 receiver in the next two or three years, no. However, I think that putting him in an offense that just lost their starting running back, has Jarvis Landry (who is one of the most talented receivers in the league), has an offensive minded head coach in Adam Gase, and has something to prove as the no.14 overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft. In the final six games of the 2015 season, Parker had 22 receptions, over 400 receiving yards, and got all three of his receiving touchdowns. In 2016 Parker will pick up where he left off. With an offense that'll surely look more vertical, look for Parker to benefit the most of any other player, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
- Jeremy Langford: With Matt Forte our of Chicago they need someone to hand the keys over to in the backfield. Langford saw his fair share of carries and opportunities to play in 2015, as a rookie. In 2016, he'll more than likely be the guy. If Langford plays the same as he did in 2015 he should be a great replacement for Forte. Not as dynamic of a runner, but he is a great pass-catching running back like Forte and has great vision, running through the holes. The Bears are going to be fairly young on offense and the best chance they have to be competitive is to lean on the running game. Jay Cutler will have his hands full this years trying to adjust to a life with no Martellus Bennett or Matt Forte. But I think that Cutler and Langford will develop a great chemistry through camp and it'll transfer to the regular season.
Every season we see players emerge and shine bright under the big lights on Sundays, 2016 won't be any different. We all ask ourselves at the beginning of every season, who will be the next player to tear up the field and make that splash throughout the league? The 2016 NFL season looks to be another great one and I'm sure these five players are sure to make their mark on it.
