The 2014-2015 NFL season is quickly approaching. Preseason football will be here before we know it. Minicamp and training camp sessions are in the books and you can start to get a feel of what to expect from some players this upcoming season. The AFC South division is starting to rise with their level of competition and it is fun to watch these teams play now.
Here are my players to keep an eye on for each team in the AFC South that are primed for a breakout season.
Houston Texans
DeAndre Hopkins: With all the hype and talk about the defense and rookie Jadeveon Clowney, many are overlooking the offense. Hopkins posted a solid rookie season last year producing 52 receptions and 802 yards. He has no choice but to build on that with more focus coming to him this year.
His production could depend on the status of star WR Andre Johnson. We’ve all heard by now that Johnson apparently wants out of Houston, but Houston claims they won’t trade him. Either way, Hopkins will be a focal point of the offense. Look for his numbers to jump to the 70-80+ reception range and 1200-1300 yards.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Toby Gerhart: The Jaguars drafted Blake Bortles high in the draft and expect him to be the future face of the franchise, but the future isn’t today. Justin Blackmon is going to miss more time and they hope to have his replacement in Marqise Lee. Maurice Jones-Drew is no longer on the team, but I believe his replacement will rise to the challenge.
Gerhart finally gets his time to shine after backing up Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. I expect to see him break free and return to the form that got him drafted out of Stanford. He will be a workhorse for the Jaguars this season where he should easily have career highs across the board. With a young Bortles and Chad Henne at QB, I believe they will lean on Gerhart to carry to load. I’m projecting around 280+ carries and 1200 yards rushing.
Tennessee Titans
Bishop Sankey: The Titans best player is no longer on the team and it’s time for someone else to step up. Sankey has all the tools to be extremely successful in the NFL. He was my top ranked RB prospect coming into the draft. Although he doesn’t have the speed of Chris Johnson, he has the potential to have a better career.
The uncertainty of the production at the QB position will give Sankey many opportunities. He’s scheduled to share carries with Shonn Green, but I see Sankey taking the job and having a bigger role by season’s end. I’m not going to predict some crazy statistics, but I will say he’ll have a big impact on the team this year.
Indianapolis Colts
Hakeem Nicks: Nicks is coming off back-to-back sub par seasons. He just hasn’t lived up to the production of the previous two years. Personally, I think some of the blame could go towards Eli Manning, because he hasn’t been that great in that same time span. Now Nicks has moved on to the Colts and has a chance to flourish in another system.
Nicks gets to play in a pass happy offense with Andrew Luck throwing the ball. In Indianapolis, there are plenty of balls to go around and I feel that Nicks is playing with a chip on his shoulder after being a disappointment in New York. Reggie Wayne is getting up there in age and Nicks could become the next big WR for the Colts. Nicks should easily break back in to the 1000 yard receiving club.
