Twitter: @gusmartin321
Over the past decade, the NFL has made stars of many different players who play many different positions. The superstars of the NFL, however, have generally stayed the same, with a few new guys here and there who make a splash for a couple seasons.
Generally, it is hard for a player, especially in a sport like football where the average career is only 3.3 years, to be highly productive long enough to become one of the premier cornerstones of the NFL. Special players like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Brown, Adrian Peterson and others throughout the past several seasons have reached a level of success and stardom seldom matched by even the most talented of prospects.
But the NFL currently has a few young players on the rise who could be the headliners of the league for years to come, and below are my top five players most likely to become the next faces of football.
1. Carson Wentz
This one should be obvious. Wentz was the second overall pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL Draft and is fresh off a Super Bowl victory, even though he tore his ACL and LCL near the end of the regular season. Regardless, in 13 games Wentz threw 33 TD's and recorded a league-leading 74.4 QBR in 2017, which helped give his team the confidence and swagger they needed to get the championship.
Wentz would have been the favorite to win the MVP last season had he stayed healthy, but that just means he'll come back even hungrier to win it in 2018. All indications are that his recovery is going smoothly he'll be ready to start the season off better than ever against the Atlanta Falcons. With Wentz's huge arm, big-playmaking ability and the team's strong supporting cast, he and the Eagles look like the favorite to win it all again.
Wentz has the charm to win fans across the country over and the potential to be one of the best QB's for years to come, and if the Eagles continue to have success, there's no reason why he can't be the brightest of the NFL's stars.
2. Jimmy Garoppolo
"Jimmy G", they call him, was finally unleashed at the end of last season after being traded from being backup to the G.O.A.T. Tom Brady on the New England Patriots to the front man of the rebuilding San Francisco 49ers, and boy if he didn't hit the ground running.
Garoppolo has never lost a game in his seven NFL starts and has been extremely efficient in brief career. He's went 5-0 with a previously 1-10 49ers team, completed 67.4 percent of his throws and posted a 78.2 QBR in 2017, and he really wasn't given the time to learn the 49ers playbook and show what he's fully capable of.
At 26 and having learned behind Brady for the past three and a half seasons, Garoppolo has all the potential in the world to become a star QB for the 49ers. By playing for a historic franchise that is finally improving, having a smooth and confident style of a play and being a big hit with the ladies, Garoppolo could turn out to be a modern day Joe Namath when it's all said and done.
3. Deshaun Watson
The 12th overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2017, Watson burst onto the scene last season in spectacular fashion. After terrible flooding hit the city of Houston, Watson and the Texans were the light at the end of tunnel, which was somewhat of a surprise.
Watson won a National Championship for Clemson and was one of the most talented players coming out of college, but scouts felt his accuracy and decision making would hinder him in the NFL. Watson quickly dispelled any concerns over his ability to perform at the next level, throwing for 19 TD's and earning a 81.5 QBR in just seven games. Watson also ran for 269 yards and two touchdowns, all while showing a fearlessness and ability to inspire a team with so many distractions.
Watson has star power radiating from him, and even though he torn his ACL after a brief rookie campaign, he still made the All-Rookie team and is expected to make a full recovery. The Texans have some talented pieces going into 2018, and if Watson can come back fully healthy and be the winner he was in college, I fully expect him to be stuffing the stat sheets and become a fan favorite.
4. Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey was the fifth overall pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016, and I don't think he's stopped trash talking since. Ramsey could be Richard Sherman 2.0, confidence, ability and intelligence alike.
After only his sophomore season in 2017, Ramsey made the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro. At 6'1", he has the size to cover many different types of receivers, and his 4.41 40-yard-dash time showcases his elite speed for his size and position.
Combine his physical abilities with his competitive fire, and you've got the NFL's next great lockdown corner. If the Jags can put some more pieces around him, he could anchor the best defense in the league. We all saw how popular and effective the "Legion of Boom" was for the Seattle Seahawks, led by Sherman, so Ramsey could help build the next iteration of that.
I actually think he has the tools to surpass Sherman's prime, and if his offseason remarks are any indication, Ramsey is setting out to be even better in 2018.
5. Saquon Barkley
Barkley was the second pick to the New York Giants in 2018 out of Penn State, and for good reason. He had almost 1,900 yards from scrimmage and over 20 TD's in his final two season in college, and is one of the most gifted athletes to come into the NFL in recent memory, which was solidified by his performance at the NFL Combine.
Barkley is a player that can do it all, run, catch and even be a star as a returner if the Giants choose to use him. The Giants haven't had any semblance of a running game in the past couple years, so Barkley should be a breath of fresh air for Giants fans, and hopefully will alleviate some pressure from Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr.
Being in a big market like New York, Barkley could become one of the NFL's biggest stars overnight if he plays well. He also has a likable personality, strong work ethic and is willing to embrace the spotlight, as evidenced by his feature in ESPN's annual "The Body" issue (which if you looked at his photos, you can see why he's a beast on the field).
If Barkley performs as expected, I foresee fans cheering and opposing defenses fearing him for the next decade.
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