PFF - 10 best breakout players for year 3 - 2 Vikings

[minny65]

8. G EZRA CLEVELAND, MINNESOTA VIKINGSThere was a lot to like about Cleveland as a prospect coming out of Boise State back in 2020, but there were also a lot of reasons why he may not hit the ground running. He was a tackle-guard convert who tested out like an elite athlete yet hadn’t put up much in the way of elite tape. With two years of starting experience at both guard positions under his belt in the NFL, we’ve seen his physical capability start to shine as he earned a 75.4 overall grade over the second half of last season. Plus, he just turned 24 in May — you can see why there’s a lot to get excited about. For comparison, rookie first-rounder Cole Strange turns 24 at the end of July. Cleveland and Christian Darrisaw look like they’ll be holding down the left side of the Vikings line for a long time to come.

Ezra Cleveland helping widen the DE out on the FS before finding work back inside #fullslab pic.twitter.com/G4hPlpo7ZN
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) August 22, 2021

9. LB ISAIAH SIMMONS, ARIZONA CARDINALSMuch was made of Simmons' inability to see the field as a rookie, although to me that was overblown. Linebacker is the single most cerebrally demanding position on a defense. To add an entire new playbook on top of an entirely new position is a gargantuan ask for a rookie. So when Simmons didn’t look like Luke Kuechly early on in his career at a position he never played in college, many people freaked out. Now is the time to put up or shut up, though. He’s had a full season of playing time to digest what opposing offenses can throw his way. Now the flashes that we see of his position-changing athleticism can become the norm. After allowing fewer than 1.0 yard per coverage snap last season, Simmons should be able to play even faster in 2022.

Isaiah Simmons sawing Derrick Henry down. Not something I expected to type today. pic.twitter.com/Rtb4XPDxyH
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 12, 2021

10. CB CAMERON DANTZLER, MINNESOTA VIKINGSDantzler quietly had a stellar 2021 season, although it didn’t quite come with the splash plays to get him noticed. His one pick and six pass-breakups don’t jump out, but when you realize he only allowed 311 yards on 63 targets (33 completions) things start to look a little different. There’s also good reason to think that he would be a dynamite fit in Ed Donatell’s split field coverage-heavy defense. Dantzler only allowed four catches on eight targets for 40 yards with two forced incompletions on 64 snaps of quarters coverage variations last season.

[Guest]

Good choices. A few more players who could be ready to surprise IMO (other than the obvious ISJ).

• KJO. Yes, he broke out last year, but as a surprisingly effective 3rd receiver. Is he ready to do more?
• Kene Nwangwu. In very few touches last year, took two to the house. Can KO find a place for him in the offense?
• Blake Lynch. I see something in Lynch. Not sure what it is, but he's been flashing since his rookie preseason. 

[Guest]

I thought Dantzler was very solid last year, especially for such a young player. I’ve seen lots of mixed opinions about him on this board but I do think he still has lots of potential. I’m still in on Kris Boyd and Cam Bynum as well. Hopefully they can all contribute, along with Cine and Booth once he’s healthy.

Ezra- yep, would love to see him and Darrisaw be a tandem here for a long time. We definitely have a lot of young guys who can really go either way in their developments. Hopefully learning new (bettter?) schemes is a positive and not a hindrance for most of them.

Training camp can’t get here soon enough!