2020 POTENTIAL BREAKOUT STARS: NFC NORTH PART 2

BY ADAM GREENE

After taking a look at the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, we’re now turning our attention to the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, who happen to meet in Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season. In Part 2 of our focus on the NFC North, let’s look at the potential breakout stars on these teams.

CHICAGO BEARS

Wide Receiver Anthony Miller

(2019: 52 catches, 626 yards, two touchdowns)

If Miller was any more off NFL fandom’s radar he’d be on the moon. A former standout and second round pick out of Memphis, Miller was an elite college pass-catcher, hauling in 238 balls for 3,590 yards and 37 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Tigers.

Miller had a solid season last year, his second in the league, catching 52 passes for 656 yards and two touchdowns. He caught 33 for 423 and seven touchdowns as a rookie during the Bears’ playoff season. And such is the problem for a young potential star wideout on a team with quarterback issues. There’s no real way to stand out.

So what makes this year different? Because Chicago Brought in Nick Foles to “compete” with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. And while Foles has an up-and-down history as a starter, one thing is obvious when you look at his career. When he plays for Andy Reid or an Andy Reid guy, he’s good. Bears head coach Matt Nagy is an Andy Reid guy.

With improved quarterback play and decent NFL WRs/TEs around him like Allen Robinson (98 catches, 1,147 yards, seven TDs), Tedd Ginn Jr. (30 catches, 421 yards, two TDs) and Jimmy Graham (38 catches, 447 yards, three TDs), Miller should be able to work against basic coverage, certainly nothing designed to “stop him.”

Mort than that, Nagy is obviously designing plays to feature Miller as he was targeted 85 times last season and averaged 12.6 yards per reception. 

DETROIT LIONS

Running back D’Andre Swift

(Rookie)

Thanks to the undervalue of running backs, the Lions were able to nab one of the best in the 2020 draft in Swift, a pick roundly celebrated by pretty much everyone who watched a down of college football last season (it will be missed).

In three years at Georgia, sharing time with what is consistently one of the most talented backfields at any level of football, Swift rushed for 2,885 yards and 20 touchdowns in his three seasons, notching back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in spite of splitting time with the likes of Elijah Holyfield, Brian Heriren and Zamir White.

While the Lions probably won’t be good this season, Swift could easily be the standout on a bad team, as Christian McCaffrey was last year with the Carolina Panthers.

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