1 NFL Player at Each Position Who Will Explode into Stardom in 2023

Every year the NFL sees several exciting players break out and establish themselves as stars early in their careers. While true superstars may not come around as often, there are plenty of new Pro Bowlers and high-level contributors emerging on an annual basis.

That won't change this coming season, especially after so many promising talents have entered the league in recent years. For many reasons—including a projected increase in playing time, developmental trajectory, improvements to the roster around them and health—2023 looks to be a breakout year for the following players.

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't have to wait long to find their next franchise quarterback following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. While the team went into the 2022 campaign with free-agent acquisition Mitchell Trubisky as its starter, it found a spark and went on a late-season run with rookie Kenny Pickett leading the offense.

Pickett—the lone quarterback selected in the first two rounds of last year's draft—may not have posted big numbers in his first NFL season, but he showed he's a capable signal-caller who can lead his team to wins. With a full offseason to prepare as the starter, he should see his stats significantly improve while he pushes to take the Steelers back to the playoffs following a one-year layoff.

With quality pass-catchers like Diontae Johnson, Pat Freiermuth and fellow sophomore George Pickens surrounding him and an improved offensive line bolstered by the addition of first-round pick Broderick Jones, expect Pickett to greatly improve on the 2,404 passing yards and seven touchdowns he posted in 13 games last year.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not be competitive without quarterback Tom Brady under center next year, but the team could be a bit dangerous on offense thanks to Rachaad White. The promising young running back split time with Leonard Fournette as a rookie last year and is now in line to become the team's lead back for the upcoming campaign.

White, a third-round pick out of Arizona State, is both an excellent rusher and pass-catcher who at 6'2", 210 pounds has more than adequate size to shoulder a high volume of touches. He was only on the field for 39 percent of Tampa's offensive snaps last year, but still contributed 771 yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage. His playtime and workload should see a massive increase in 2023, as veteran journeyman Chase Edmonds is the only real threat to assume more than a couple touches per game.

Given the Bucs are likely to start either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask under center, White will likely be the focal point of their offense until a viable starter can be unearthed. It may not result in many wins, but the 24-year-old will at least become a fantasy star and be a fun player to watch.

Garrett Wilson defied the odds by becoming last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year award despite being paired with Zach Wilson—arguably the worst starting quarterback in the NFL last season—for much of the campaign. With Aaron Rodgers now assuming the New York Jets' QB1 role, Wilson should emerge as one of the league's very best receiving threats.

Wilson was already on his way to superstardom after a scintillating 83-catch, 1,103-yard, four-touchdown rookie showing. Although it took a large amount of volume to reach those numbers—only five wide receivers saw more targets than Wilson's 147 last year—much of the blame for that falls on ineffective quarterback play. With a four-time league MVP now running the show, the Ohio State product should see a huge boost in production given a similar amount of looks.

There may be plenty of mouths to feed in the Big Apple after the Jets added veterans Mecole Hardman, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb to augment incumbent wideouts like Corey Davis and Denzel Mims, but Wilson will be the alpha of this pass-catching unit. He'll be a nightmare for opposing defenses to deal with and should be close to unstoppable once he gets in sync with Rodgers.

The Tennessee Titans appear to have a special tight end in Chigoziem Okonkwo. While he didn't get much playing time as a rookie—seeing just over a third of the offensive snaps—the position is notoriously tough to have instant success at and often takes time for prospects to fully grasp the intricacies of performing the job at a high level in the NFL. With another offseason soon to be under his belt, the Maryland product should make a noticeable leap in 2023.

Despite the learning curve and having veteran Austin Hooper contending for playing time, Okonkwo still managed to shine in his limited opportunities last year. He recorded 32 receptions for 450 yards and three scores. He had an especially strong finish to the year, tallying more than half his receptions and two of his touchdowns over the last five weeks of the campaign.

If Okonkwo can pick up where he left off while seeing the field far more often, he'll quickly become a favorite target for whoever winds up under center for the Titans.

The Seattle Seahawks revamped their offensive line during the 2022 draft and now seem set for years to come at the offensive tackle position due to it. While left tackle Charles Cross earned most of the attention and praise after the team drafted him at No. 9 overall, the Seahawks also found a diamond in the rough with the selection of Abraham Lucas in the third round.

Lucas started 16 games at right tackle during his rookie season. While he was inconsistent in regards to penalties taken (seven) and sacks allowed (nine), he displayed enough promise and played well enough across many of his 975 snaps to earn a respectable 68.5 PFF grade. It was a step above the 63.7 that the more well-regarded Cross scored in 2022 and sets the Washington State product up well for the future.

The 6'6", 315-pounder has all the tools to be an elite anchor in the offensive trenches for the foreseeable future. Should Lucas lock in and perform more consistently, he'll be a star-caliber tackle in short order.

The Baltimore Ravens have a long history of drafting and developing elite pass rushers in-house. The team has been reticent to splurge on pricy free-agent veterans at the position for good reason, given how well so many of their prospects have fared early in their careers. Odafe Oweh appears to be the next in line to emerge as a game-changer on the edge after his strong rookie campaign in 2021 and respectable follow-up last year.

Oweh was the second-to-last pick in the 2021 draft and immediately established himself as a key member of the team's edge-rushing rotation. He appeared in 15 games as a rookie, notching an impressive stat line that included five sacks and three forced fumbles to go along with 15 quarterback hits and five tackles for a loss. While his contributions dipped slightly in 2022, he still mustered up a trio of sacks and a forced fumble in addition to 11 quarterback hits and seven tackles for a loss.

The 24-year-old admitted that he missed several sacks last year after reviewing film and is planning to use the down year as motivation. He sounds confident he'll make major strides in 2023 (as per Clifton Brown of the team's official website):

"A lot of times I was close, but it lets me know that when it does click and when everything goes how I want it to, I'm going to soar. You've got to look at it that way, not the negative way. So, that's how I view it."

When the 6'5", 258-pound Oweh finally harnesses his immense athleticism and hones his raw talent, he'll be a menace for opposing quarterbacks to deal with.

The door is open for Khyiris Tonga to emerge as one of the NFL's top interior defenders. With Dalvin Tomlinson out of the picture, the unheralded nose tackle has a major opportunity to capitalize on a big increase in playing time with the Minnesota Vikings.

Few could have projected the impact that Tonga would make last year. After getting signed off the Atlanta Falcons practice squad in October, he went on to appear in the final 11 games of the season played an unexpectedly sizable role. He finished the campaign having logged 36 percent of the defensive and 17 percent of the special teams snaps in those contests. While the BYU product's stat line doesn't jump off the page—he recorded 28 tackles and a half-sack—he earned a commendable 77.9 PFF grade for his quality run-stuffing efforts and sneaky ability to create pressure.

Tonga could now earn a starting nose tackle job alongside Harrison Phillips in the defensive trenches. The powerful 6'4", 338-pounder can move mountains with his strength and will help shore up a defense that was amongst the league's most vulnerable in 2022. If he can perform at the same level or better than he did last year with a bigger workload, Tonga will be a star-in-the-making.

The Philadelphia Eagles appeared to get one of the true steals of the 2022 draft when they landed linebacker Nakobe Dean at No. 83 overall. Considered by many to be one of the best prospects at his position in the entire class—including the Bleacher Report Scouting Department, which ranked him No. 21 overall on their big board—the Georgia product slipped significantly due to injury concerns.

Despite the pectoral issue, Dean did manage to participate in every regular season game and all three of Philadelphia's playoff contests as a rookie. While his impact defensively was minimal—he only logged three percent of the Eagles' defensive snaps compared to being on the field for 75 percent of the special teams plays—he should be a much larger factor in Year 2.

With both Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards exiting in free agency, Dean will be thrust into a far more prominent role this coming campaign. He's already earned the green dot on his helmet as the defensive play-caller, showing this coaching staff is placing an immense amount of trust in the 22-year-old and has large expectations for Dean to be a fixture on the field going forward. Based on his unanimous All-American campaign for the national championship-winning Bulldogs two years ago, there should be little doubts about the 5'11", 231-pound linebackers ability to thrive in the pros.

After witnessing Sauce Gardner's meteoric rise to becoming one of the NFL's top cornerbacks in his rookie year, the Houston Texans may be having some regrets about making Derek Stingley Jr. the first defensive back off the board in the 2022 draft. Stingley's rookie year was far from notable, with the No. 3 overall pick participating in just nine games before a hamstring injury cut his campaign short. Stingley only recorded 35 tackles, five pass defenses and a single interception in those contests.

While his rookie display left much to be desired, Stingley could bounce back in a big way in 2023. The LSU product is blessed with world-class athleticism and more than enough size to be a shutdown corner in the modern NFL. He showed as much during a fantastic true freshman season in 2019, but has since been marred by injuries that have limited his ability to get on the field and be a consistent defender when he's actually active.

If Stingley can finally get and stay healthy, he'll be in for a breakout year. He should excel with more man-to-man assignments under new head coach DeMeco Ryans, a role that could result in a high volume of takeaways and game-changing plays. He still has a long way to go before he can rival Gardner, but it should at least be a more interesting discussion at the conclusion of next season.

The Cleveland Browns unearthed a true gem in the form of 2020 second-round draft pick Grant Delpit. While the safety's career got off to a slow start due to an injury that cost him his entire first NFL season, he's become an integral part of the club's secondary over the last two years.

Delpit is coming off his best season yet, recording 103 tackles, 10 pass defenses and four interceptions while starting 15 of the 16 games he appeared in. He's clearly becoming comfortable in his unique role within the defense and should continue to show immense growth over the next few seasons. His best asset is his versatility, as the 6'3", 208-pounder can be used as both a center fielder or in the box.

The 24-year-old never came off the field last year and should continue to log 100 percent of the defensive snaps going forward. With that type of workload and his ability to contribute in all facets of the defensive scheme, Delpit may earn his first Pro Bowl nod as early as the 2023 campaign.