2020 POTENTIAL BREAKOUT STARS: AFC SOUTH PART 2

BY ADAM GREENE

We’ve touched on a rookie potential break out player and a guy acquired in
a trade. In Part 2, we shine the light on a couple of starters from last
season in the beginning of their careers. Their teams have put them in the
position, whether it’s from adapting their scheme to the player’s skillset
or by going all in on a young guy when other, more experienced options,
were available.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Quarterback Gardner Minshew II
(2019: 60.6 completion percentage, 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, six
interceptions, 344 rushing yards)

As a sixth-round pick coming out of Washington State, Minshew wasn’t
supposed to see the field for the Jaguars last season, but an early injury
to Nick Foles moved him up the depth chart in a hurry. ‘

Jacksonville had a chance to go after another quarterback in the free agent
market this offseason and could have looked at Tom Brady (unlikely) or Cam
Newton (who would have signed for sure), but they kept their hands in their
pockets. They like Minshew and are going to roll with him in 2020.

As a rookie, Minshew went 6-6 as a starter, which already makes him
statistically one of the winningest quarterbacks in Jaguars history. While
I don’t have high hopes for Jacksonville to put together a winning record
this season, Minshew can sling it. He’s got solid weapons around him and
the addition of Tyler Eifert at tight end (if he can stay on the field)
will provide a solid boost to his numbers.

For the Jags to compete at all, they’ll need to be a shootout team and that
plays right into Minshew’s strengths as a former Cougar QB. His senior year
at Washington State he completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 4,779
yards, 38 touchdowns and just nine picks.

TENNESSEE TITANS
Inside linebacker Harold Landry III
(2019: 68 tackles, 12 for a loss, nine sacks, one forced fumble one
pass defense, one interception)

Landry is listed on the Titans’ roster as an inside linebacker, but he
plays all four linebacker spots on any given down. Where he’s most
dangerous, though, is on the outside and rushing the passer. With the
issues Tennessee has with Vic Beasley and trying to manufacture a pass
rush, they could sit Landry at that spot all season which should suit him
just fine.

Landry was actually a defensive end at Boston College and in 2016 he
recorded 16.5 sacks and 22 tackles for a loss. His size, at 6-2 and 252
should have kept him off the line as a pro, but Tennessee put him on all
fours, nose-to-nose with an offensive tackle , more than once.

This is Landry’s third season and, especially in their run to the AFC
Championship game, Tennessee all but dedicated Landry to rushing the passer
and he nearly picked up double digit sacks. If they keep him there this
season, and they should, he’ll have no trouble reaching that milestone this
year.

Follow our BetOnline Twitter account for the
latest sports news and betting odds, and stay tuned on the Instagram feed
for more good information too.