Young NFL Stars

Nate’s 9 NFL Future Stars

I decided to do this a little differently from that of the NFL Network and ESPN.  They pretty much decided to rank the 9 best youngsters regardless of success and considered all comers under the age of 25.  I tried to eliminate as many 24/25 year olds as possible, just because I believed that their future is now, and I also tried to rate it on how much better I think they’ll become other than where they are at in their youth.  That’s why you won’t see Keenan Allen or Gio Bernard on this list, only because I don’t really see them exceeding the numbers they are already putting up.  Fantastic players in their own right, it’s hard when I only get nine options.  After getting it down to about 20, I went with the guys I personally like the best.  Here are my 9:

#9 – TY Hilton WR.  A friend once told me that he would be in the class of a Reggie Wayne or Marvin Harrison.  I laughed that off, as he usually finds many players to be boastful about.  I didn’t think Hilton was going to even reach the Pierre Garcon level, and he has one of the better QB’s in the league.  Needless to say, whoops.  I was way off.  He runs precise, silky routes and is able to gain yardage after the catch. All very impressive, considering his size. While I never believe he’ll reach the class of a Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones, he definitely has the credentials to reach that 2nd class of receivers.

#8 – Eddie Lacy RB.  For the most part, I believe that the running game is going to be a thing of the past, at least of the dominant running games of the 80’s and 90’s with the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.  Outside of Adrian Peterson and possibly Jamaal Charles, Lacy is one of the few running backs today that could be asked to carry it 400 times a year and thrive.  He’s got the body to do it for years, isn’t afraid of contact, and plays in an explosive offense.  While his injury history might keep him from being complete, he’s still the best young back in the league.

#7 – Tyrann Mathieu S.  His rookie year was incredible.  He came in with tons of question marks including his size, strength and character.  He was a first round talent that went in the 3rd round, albeit to a good situation in Arizona.  And he came out firing!  I couldn’t tell you how many tackles he missed, because I never saw any.  He blanketed receivers and wasn’t afraid to cover backs out of the backfield.  While he’s been a little slow recovering from his injury, he’s a huge reason that the Cardinals might win the whole thing this year.

#6 – Sylvester Williams DT.  I’m surprised the Broncos were able to get him as late as they did.  I know he was seen as a little bit heavy and not very disruptive in the passing game, but any time I’ve seen him he dominates on the line.  He’s about as close to a Kevin Williams, Warren Sapp type I think we’ll see in this generation of NFL defensive lineman.  He can get into the backfield, and he can also generate turnovers.  I know it’s the Broncos offense that gets all the pub, but he’s part of what could be a special defense this year in Denver.

#5 – Ziggy Ansah DE.  Talk about coming out of nowhere.  I usually don’t care for the guys that play 1-2 years of organized sports as there is so much to learn, and you really have to have a feel for the game in order to reach the top.  But his raw skills can’t be ignored.  He’s had moments this season for the Lions where he has been entirely unstoppable. He’s in the backfield chasing the quarterback before receivers can get out of their breaks, and he’s been decent in the run game.  There’s no doubt it helps having Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley inside, but he could be a key compenent of what might be the league’s best defensive line over the next few seasons (no disrespect to the only skilled group on the Jets roster).

#4 – Kenny Vaccaro S. While my first impressions were that of the next Earl Thomas, he still has yet to completely let me down.  Both were tremendous safeties while playing for the University of Texas.  Vaccaro is a little different though.  While Thomas has a knack for making big plays and offering jaw-dropping hits over the middle, Vaccaro is more of your cover guy.  He doesn’t give receivers room, and he can pretty much cover any size.  Guys like Randall Cobb and Golden Tate have given him problems, but as far as safeties go, he’s one of the best shut-down guys in the game.

#3 – Brandin Cooks WR.  The next breed of wide receiver.  He can catch the tough passes over the middle, he can beat you deep, he can run the WR screen, and catch from the tough corner routes.  I like Sammy Watkins the player more, but I think that because of Cooks situation, he will become the better player, at least while Brees is still in New Orleans.  I’m not sure why Mike Evans and Odell Beckham Jr. were drafted before Cooks got taken, but I know that it’s the Saints gain, and the Buccaneers & Giants decisions to rue. He should be the new Isaac Bruce if the Saints continue to rack up points and make big plays.

#2 – Larry Warford OL. While I think that there are 3 studs currently playing along offensive lines on a team near you, I thought it wasn’t a sexy enough position to include more than one of them in the nine.  So with no disrespect to Tyron Smith and Kevin Zeitler, the next dominate lineman should be Mr. Warford.  He went from being a solid offensive lineman in his rookie season, to being an absolute rock on this year’s division leading Lions.  For years, Detroit had always had issues with their line, and it’s hindered a group of skill talent that could certainly be among the league’s best.  Now, with Stafford getting time, and with more weapons everywhere, Warford could be a big reason that the Lions are hosting the trophy next February.

#1 – Andrew Luck QB.  For the second blog in a roll, Luck gets his due.  I have only seen this type of talent once before, and that’s the man he got sent to Denver, although in a roundabout way.  For Luck though, even in his worst games do we still see glimpses of greatness.  It’s hard to say that about any other quarterback in the league, Rodgers and Brady included.  He has certainly thrown a high number of interceptions in his first 2 ½ seasons in the league (36), but if he continues at the pace he is at this season, he may realistically be the only current quarterback that has a shot at Manning’s brand new touchdown record.  Numbers notwithstanding, he’s also a leader at 24, the face of the Indianapolis Colts just 3 years after Manning left, he avoids the rush extremely well, and can gain yardage through the air or with his legs.  I still think he’s one more year of good drafting and development away from a Super Bowl challenge, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he got there one year too soon.  In his eyes, he may already be one year behind.