2020 POTENTIAL BREAKOUT STARS: NFC SOUTH PART 2

BY ADAM GREENE

While few people expect the Carolina Panthers to vie for a postseason berth, the next two teams on the list have every reason to believe they’ll be playing come January. Who will be the new star players to help them on their way? I have some ideas.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Defensive end Marcus Davenport

(2019: 31 tackles, five for a loss, three forced fumbles)

While the temptation was there to pick one of the nameless rabble that the Saints push out to catch passes from Drew Brees late in the season, I’m skipping that. And the reason why, is that Brees regularly finds a way to work with former Subway Sandwich Artists and Fudrucker’s Grillmasters when he loses his top pass-catchers. That’s nothing new and none of them, no matter who they were, seem to turn into stars. Brees just makes it work. It’s almost like he’s one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history or something.

Instead, we’re going to look at the defense and a guy they Saints paid far too high a price for a couple of drafts ago that was always going to be a project out of UTSA. Davenport cost the Saints two first round picks and while he’s not been a bad player, he’s certainly not been worth what was given up to get him.

So I’m saying that changes this year. The project comes to fruition and Davenport becomes a guy that finally manifests all the promise that had him move up the Saints’ draft board in spite of playing at a school that no one had heard of the month before the NFL Combine. Truthfully, it better happen, because Davenport will likely find himself on the trade block and shipped off for some fifth round selection in 2021 if it doesn’t.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Wide receiver Scotty Miller

(2019: 13 catches, 200 yards, one touchdown)

Who?

Yeah, I’m making a call here. The Buccaneers have plugged Scotty Miller, 2019 sixth round pick out of Bowling Green, in as their slot receiver and I’m here to tell you, I’ve seen it all before. He’s 5-11, 174 pounds and everything Tom Brady dreams about when he shuffles off to sleep after a final snack of strawberry seeds and avocado milk.

You see, there was this guy named Wes Welker (5-9, 185) who was just another guy with the Miami Dolphins in 2005 and 2006. Traded to the New England Patriots and put in the slot, he would go on to lead the NFL in receptions three times over the next six seasons and only record fewer than 100 catches and 1,000-plus yards a season once, and it was because he got injured.

When Welker left the Pats, there was this guy named Julian Edelman (5-10, 198) who moved into that slot position and he too notched a couple of 100 catch season to go with three 1,000-yard campaigns and a Super Bowl MVP.

Brady loves guys like Miller in the slot. He turns them into household names and if it doesn’t happen with this kid out of Bowling Green, I’ll legitimately be shocked.

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