Under The Radar: 13 Players to Watch for Going Forward

by JAMoney14 | 2 years ago | 0 Comments

Yes, it is I... The hateable and very much independent Chris Simms'. It has been quite a while since these words have come across your screen, but I assure you that your unbiased and gracious Chris Simms will- 

Wait, what? You want me to stop monologuing and get to the point? Well, I guess I'll try. 

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As Season 77 camps are underway, just about a week out from official games being played (crazy, I know)... There are always some under-the-radar stars that are sure-fire future hits. I am reminded of guys like Charles Johnson, Ameer Abdullah, Tyree Jackson, Kellen Mond, Julian Blackmon, among many others. 

Today, I've found 13 players (not all, by a long shot) that you should ABSOLUTELY keep your eye on if you're a Red Zone fan. They may have entered camp #2 on the depth chart or been seen as "raw" before camps started... but as a man who almost died on the field, I have a sense about these things. Every team has one, every position somewhere in the league is a piece of coal ready to be finely crafted into one of the league's next big stars.

Now generally, I tried to stay at or around the 64-70 OVR area and tried not to pick players who were taken in the first three rounds of the real life draft. I had to break those in some small situations here but we'll get to that. On with the list! 

Quarterback - Sam Howell - Washington Commanders - 67 OVR, 21 Y/O

"Slingin'" Sammy Howell comes to us fresh out of the hallowed basketball halls of North Carolina. Despite setting a school record for TD passes his freshman season, Sammy transitioned slowly into more of a multi-dimensional talent for the Tarheels, which is certainly a great thing for Washington's organization, because he now comes in with a very impressive 82 speed to go along with this cannon of an arm at 93 THP, which despite being the youngest quarterback on any roster (21), is good for 8th overall in the league, stronger than guys like Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, and Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. 

Certainly a heck of a group to be in with.

The work for Sam will come in the little things at QB, throwing under pressure and on the run. His accuracy shouldn't slow him down too much, but it could be improved. All in all, Howell is clearly boasts a stud skillset and could easily be crafted into the next star for the Commanders if coach Townes decides to give him a chance early. 

 

Running Back - Tyrion Davis-Price - San Fransisco 49ers - 71 OVR, 21 Y/O

A really awesome, physically gifted player at a ripe young age is perfect for a list like this, but it comes with identifying those players that is what makes the difference between a good GM and a bad one. I had to break my rule of no players taken in the first 3 rounds, but Tyro Davis-Price is a do-it-all kinda back, with pretty respectable speed and acceleration for a 6'0, 220 lb back. He set rushing records at LSU against really good talent. It's no surprise he's coming in at 71 OVR. At 90 spd, 93 accel out of the gate, I expect development to land him closer to 92/95 if the proper development is put into him.

On paper, this seems like a no-brainer, but let's consider the backfield situation in SF. With fellow young studs Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon, Tyrion might struggle to see snaps right away. I believe with his 81 TRK (team-leading - assuming Jeff Wilson doesn't make the team) in a new league where tackling respects size and power for the ballhandlers could be a dangerous place to start. His age also makes him by far the most intriguing player in this corps. to me. Will Andy agree? Time will tell. 

 

Wide Receiver - Romeo Doubs - Green Bay Packers - 71 OVR, 22 Y/O

Romeo Doubs played four productive years at Nevada, including hauling in 20 total TDs his last two seasons. Doubs checks the boxes for the kind of player you want to focus on out of the gate: He's fast, he's very young, and he's physically quite big for his position. What impresses me the most about Doubs, though, is how much further along his very basic WR stats are compared to some of his peers. Doubs boasts 80+ ratings at CTH, CIT, and SPC today. His route running may leave a bit to be desired, but that's where his situation plays in.

Doubs sits on a horrible Packers WR team that has 3 older, slower, barely better players in Lazard, Watkins, and Cobb. To me, starting Doubs and making him your guy... at the very worst positioning him for future long-term WR2 spots once this team gets cleaned up... is an easy choice to make. Doubs should start all 17 games for Green Bay unless my friend Robo knows something I don't.

 

Tight End - Chigoziem Okonkwo - Tennessee Titans - 65 OVR, 22 Y/O

Chigoziem Okonkwo is a hell of a name to learn to pronounce, but you should get used to it. The man played four years at Maryland and made waves as the "star" of the practice game for the East-West Shrine game, earning him an invite to the combine. That combine turned even more heads and got him a spot on the Titans. What probably is going to stand out immediately about Okonkwo is his superior speed for the position. Despite standing a strong 6'3, 240lbs, Okonkwo comes in at 88/91 speed/accel. For those counting, that's good for 6th best in the entire league at TE. 

Okonkwo currently is expected to sit behind the sure-handed Austin Hooper for Tennessee, but the Titans and JP should seriously look to incorporate the 22 year old into their future plans, especially with Malik Willis needing a reliable weapon as he develops. Okonkwo, unlike some of the other young tight-ends out there, can't run a route to save his life, so maybe letting Hooper play year 1 is smart... but Okonkwo will be chomping at the heels and could even see sneaky time as an unexpected target in 2 or 3 TE sets for Malik.

 

Offensive Tackle - Daniel Faalele - Baltimore Ravens - 67 OVR, 22 Y/O

This was a tougher selection, because the current crop of OL talent out there is sparce to say the least. The man I selected is the 6'8, 380lb mountain of man meat from Minnesota. Naturally as a massive world eating Samoan Bulldozer, he caught on in American Football and spent his free time hurling men around the Minnesota practice fields. 

Faalele is a rarity among 25 or younger players having his kind of upper body strength. There are more refined prospects in the league, but strength is much harder to teach that technique, and he's got it, even if it could still be better. 90 STR tackles are few and far between in the league and the Ravens have one that's not completely inept as a blocker and is young. Resting behind several veterans on the depth chart for now, I would not be surprised to see the Ravens give Faalele the nod at RT considering the margin of error when you have Lamar Jackson.

 

Offensive Guard - Jamaree Salyer - Los Angeles Chargers - 65 OVR, 22 Y/O

Jamaree Salyer fell far in the NFL draft after 4 great years at Georgia. Salyer is just short of 90+ strength as he comes in at 88, which should still not be discounted, as that's good enough to possibly grab a few STR boosts after development to get him there. 

Unlike Faalele, Salyer may not see action right away, as the Chargers have Kyle Feiler who is pretty good and I assume want to go for the championship in Season 77. That said, it would be wise to give him all the reps and perhaps even focus train him. It's nice to have a player on the roster you can develop so you can focus draft efforts elsewhere. Along with the absolute stud at RG in Zion Johnson, these two rookies could easily find themselves the guard-tandem for an already powerful roster in LA for many years to come if Moji decides to pay him the attention he deserves. 

 

Center - Nick Harris - Cleveland Browns  - 67 OVR, 23 Y/O

Harris was taken in the 5th round 2 seasons ago and has spent most of his actual career dealing with leg and knee injuries. Fortunately, RZ won't have to worry about that (at least not right away) as Harris will come in healthy and ready. 

Generally at OL, STR is a very important rating. However as a center, I actually look at AWR right away as an indicator of how well the rest of the line will move under the center's leadership. Harris, even at 23 years young, has 79 AWR which is only a few points lower than stand-in and current projected starter Ethan Pocic. 

The younger Harris is no world beater at center, but is actually already a better pass blocker than Pocic. This should be a day 1 decision that could land Harris at least high 70s as a quality long-time starter by the time he hits his prime around season 80. It's not gonna be easy having Deshaun Watson rub your balls waiting for the snap, but the ends could justify those means.

 

Defensive End/Edge - James Houston - Detroit Lions  - 64 OVR, 23 Y/O

This one is risky, but defensive end is LOADED with top tier talent and very capable starters, so opportunties are few and far between. James Houston doesn't even have a picture in Madden, but after spending time at Florida and Jackson State, it's clear his athletic gifts were well known by the Lions. 

Houston steps into a DL room at 6'0, 241 lbs and has jut 72 strength. The real marvel is the base 91 acceleration to go along with 81 speed. I generally value accel higher in edge rushers vs speed than other positions because they don't need to travel as far as let's say - a WR or LB. In addition to this, Houston already has a 68 PMV and 81 PUR, which is far above the average for a rookie at his position. The fact he's 23 instead of 21 or 22 hurts him a bit, but I think Houston would be a very capable depth OLB in a 3-4. I wouldn't be surpised to see lots of sub action for Houston this year, but he's very raw and the Lions defense doesn't have a lot of room to hide a player like him. Time will tell.

 

 

Defensive Tackle - Perrion Winfrey - Cleveland Browns  - 67 OVR, 22 Y/O

Another big booty out of Cleveland, Perrion Winfrey played 4 years as a boomer Sooner before heading to the big leagues. Winfrey played almost everywhere at Oklahoma from what I can tell, and I am not sure Cleveland knows where to list him in game.

For now, he is listed as a 6'4, 290 lb DT. He's a little slow at 76 speed and doesn't have the most amazing strength either. Generally this "jack of all, master of none" strategy wouldn't work but thankfully, Perrion plays a position where this could actually work to his advantage. He's strong enough to hold his own at 4-3 DT and quick enough to make an impact at 3-4 DE. Importantly, he's big enough to do both effectively without losing much. 

He already has a 70+ pass rush and starts with a decent BSH, a spot most young DTs struggle mightily with until their 3rd season or so. Winfrey joins a putrid group of DTs that also includes 2nd year man Tommy Togiai. There's very little risk for John to start both of these guys, as they already compliment each other and you might as well start building that line now and try to make up the difference with Garrett and Clowney doing what they do.

 

Outside Linebacker - Damone Clark - Dallas Cowboys  - 65 OVR, 22 Y/O

Damone Clark was 5 years old when hurricane Katrina uprooted his entire life in Louisiana and forced him to move to Baton Rouge, the place he'd eventually call home in college anyways. Now I know what you're thinking... but no, this is not one of my Player Spotlight articles. This is all too real.

Clark walks into an already very strong LB corps in Dallas with 87 speed and 89 acceleration. Speed and explosiveness were already on the menu for Dallas linebackers and he fits right in. There may be some temptation to move Clark to edge/DE based on that skillset, but trust me that's not where he's going to shine. He's a very bad pass rusher and would actually be better suited to play sideline to sideline MLB. The Cowboys likely won't start Clark with Barr, LVE, and Parsons already doing a good job. 

That said, I would see Clark's raw firepower and potential as another - although muted version of - Micah Parsons on the right side. Look for Dallas to play with trades for Barr or Leighton to make room for Clark next season. Honestly, I'd move him inside, trade Barr, and let LVE play LOLB. We'll see what Dallas does with this speedy tackler.

 

Middle Linebacker - Channing Tindall - Miami Dolphins - 68 OVR, 22 Y/O

I unfortunately had to break my rule about no top 3 round picks here, but he's such a peak Madden prospect kind of player he deserves mention. 

Channing Tindall comes in with 91 speed after clocking a crazy 4.47 40 time at the combine this year. From what I can gather, this seems to mostly be a situation where the AWR is playing the biggest factor, as pretty much elsewhere across the board, Tindall is already full-time starter material. He could (and will) improve in things like BSH (65) and PRC (62) but as I write this, a 6'2, 228 lb tank of a man that should probably be playing safety has 87 PUR, 86 POW, and 94 ACC to go along wit hhis wicked 91 speed. 

Adel's always been a savvy, brilliant GM in Redzone, but even an idiot could see this is a cycle-long, potentially multiple award winning potential in Tindall. Get ready for speed coming at you in the AFCE real soon. 

 

Cornerback - Deane Leonard - Los Angeles Chargers - 65 OVR, 22 Y/O

Deane Leonard is a filthy rotten Canadian who shares a birthday with me. (Horay!) Deane is also a 6'1 superfast CB on the better side of 24 years old. After being selected in the 2nd round of the CFL draft, the Chargers swooped him up in the 7th. 

Leonard's speed is obviously the biggest factor here, as he's coming in with 93/94 spd/accel. He's certainly not going to be able to guard any RZ WRs today with low 60s coverage, but I still think his main issues lie with AWR and PRC. He's less of a sure thing as Channing Tindall in Miami, so the real question will come down to whether Moji is interested in dedicating valuable development hours on his 6th best corner, especially when JC Jackson and Asante Samuel Jr will be taking most defensive snaps. Given the stars ages, I still think there's a place for Deane as a long-term nickel corner in zone sets if he's developed. This could also give Moji an out to Bryce Callahan if he wants to jumpstart this project next year.

 

Safety (1) - Percy Butler  - Washington Commanders  - 66 OVR, 22 Y/O

This was admittedly tough, so I actually picked two players here, both coming from the free safety slot.

First, let's talk about 22 year old Percy Butler, four years at UL Lafayette probably should have saw more production on field, as his stats were pretty pedestrian, but he still played a big part on that defense. Percy is what Channing Tindall would be if he lost about 25 lbs. I mean that in the best way, as Percy is coming into RedZone with a very impressive physical skillset and mostly lacks in the fundamentals that always come with experience like AWR and PRC. Even at 68 zone coverage, Butler is extremely serviceable enough to slot in right away with his 92 speed and 96 acceleration

With Landon Collins gone and Kurl moved to strong safety, there is no reason that I can plainly see why Bobby McCain would start all 17 games, unless for some reason Glenn believes he can win it all year one. Butler could easily be mid-high 80s by his peak if he gets lucky and lands a dev upgrade. I'd go all in on this guy if I was Washington.

 

Safety (2) - Caden Sterns - Denver Broncos  - 69 OVR, 22 Y/O

Most of what I said regarding physical skillset for Percy applies here, though Sterns is a tad slower at 91/91. He still comes in as one of the faster safeties amongst youngins. Sterns has 3 brothers who all played college football as well, but he is the only one (so far) to make it to the major leagues and we can see why at 6'0, 205 lbs coupled with his insane speed.

A couple concerns about Sterns, even if he is a bit better fundamentally than a guy like Percy Butler... First off, despite his excellent raw speed, his change of direction and agility are very bad for his position, which I would think makes him more of a run stuffer than a zone coverage ace. 

The other is that he plays the same position as Justin Simmons. Now obviously this isn't nearly as much of a concern since Kareem Jackson - the projected started at the other side - is 34 years old and looks every minute of it. The Broncos also have Delarrin Turner-Yell over there, who by all measures is just a slightly worse version of Sterns, so there's no real point to decide between the two. Sterns is the answer and could be starting day 1 if Denver decides to go that route. 

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Thank you for reading! Like I said, this certainly wasn't all of them, but they were the ones that stood out to me. Have any others? Spill those beans in Discord.