5 Offensive Players with the Brightest Futures Ahead of Them
#5 Deandre Hopkins WR Texans
Out of all the players on this list, I believe that Deandre Hopkins is the most established player. The big component of this list is, when it's all said and done; where will this young player rank all time in their position. Between all the superbowls, the records, and impact... it's going to be so hard for Nuk to take down Jerry Rice. But let's talk about why it's possible. Deandre has been getting better every year, and is now looked at as the best receiver in the NFL entering his 7th season. Hopkins is a guy I can see playing for 15 seasons given that he doesn't have a huge injury history. He also just got his franchise quarterback who hasn't even touched his potential yet. Deshaun Watson is going to constantly defy odds and bring Deandre with him. I also like the fact that the Texans don't have a star running back, so they can't just rely on the running game. From a technician stand point, Deandre does some things that you don't is possible. If it's walking off the line and still gaining separation (vs Titans), a double spin move to win the game in overtime (vs Cowboys), or just out jumping defenders on a weekly basis and scoring touchdowns; Hopkins is the real deal. I think he will be in the conversation with TO and Randy Moss by the time he hangs up the cleats. Deandre is a silent trash talker who will undoubtedly be the greatest Houston Texan WR (sorry Andre Johnson) and potentially the greatest NFL WR of all time.
#4 Quenton Nelson OG Colts
Quenton Nelson is the only player on this who we knew was going to be on this list before he played a down in the NFL. He plays with a certain tenacity that gains the respect of his opponents. He plays with fire. My favorite thing to watch for with offensive lineman are their finishing moves... and does Quenton Nelson have one. Quenton Nelson will scream as loud as he can, then will bury you into the ground. And I literally mean BURY you. He will fall on you and make sure you can't get up. He is a stud in both the run and the pass game and has superhero strength. If I had to bet on a player being the best at his position by the end of his career, I'm going all in on big Q. Andrew Luck is gaining three years because Quenton Nelson is going to protect him so well. The Colts haven't had a good run game in years, and as soon as Quenton Nelson comes in, Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines begin to look like pro bowlers. Quenton Nelson is the closest you get to a sure thing in the NFL and his career is only beginning.
#3 George Kittle TE 49ers
I firmly believe that George Kittle will have a bigger impact on the tight end position than any other player in NFL history. Not only do I think that he will be the greatest TE to ever play, but I think he will be considered both the best run blocking and pass catching tight end. Kittle is going to reset the TE market contract wise, and make other teams want to draft TE's even higher. You saw his impact on this years draft, two tight ends from the University of Iowa went in the top 20. If George Kittle isn't as good as he is now, I don't know if either TJ Hockenson or Noah Fant go in the first round. In just his second season, he broke the record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season (1,377 yards). Now that's crazy! Want to know something that's even crazier than that? He did that with three different quarterbacks and without a lot of help from his outside receivers. Now with the return of Jimmy Garoppolo, the addition of Deebo Samuel, and the emergence of Dante Pettis; George Kittle won't be getting double covered every play. While all these receiving stats are great, George Kittle is also a punishing blocker. You see him finish people to the ground every other play and it goes completely unnoticed by the fans. So with Jimmy Garoppolo throwing him the ball, Kyle Shanahan calling up plays to get him open, and the additional outside threats; George Kittle will have the chance to become the greatest tight end to ever play the sport.
#2 Patrick Mahomes QB Chiefs
Imagine being so good at your craft that in your first year of working at it professionally, you break all sorts of records and are named the most valuable worker at your job. This is exactly what Patrick Mahomes did, he didn't just burst on to the scene for the Chiefs, he exploded onto it. In his first season as the Chiefs starter he threw for 50 touchdowns in the regular season and took his team to the AFC championship. To paint a picture in your head, that's like a salesman selling more of his product than anyone has ever done... not just at his company, but in the entire industry itself. It's like a music artist's first album going number one on Itunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and every music streaming app. So basically what I'm saying is that he's historic. He had a historic "rookie season" (if we're playing by NBA rules) and he has historic potential. Last season Mahomes had a top 5 running back in the NFL, a top 10 receiver, and a top 2 tight end. This year he will most likely only have one of those three, so we get to see if he can put up similar numbers with not as great weapons around him. One reason why I put Mahomes so high on this list is because I don't think we've ever seen someone so naturally gifted as him... Maybe Aaron Rodgers, but I think he has the potential to be even better than arguably the most talented quarterback in NFL history. I think by the end of his career Mahomes brings two rings to Kansas City and two more MVP trophies. Mahomes has nothing but glory in front of him, now let's see if he can live up to the hype.
#1 Saquon Barkley RB Giants
Saquon MotherF***ing Barkley... who else did you think it would be. Saquon Barkley is a gift from the gods, he is the Zion Williamson of football. Him and Zion are the two athletes who I think have the most potential in all of professional sports on planet earth. I'm not sure if you have ever seen Dragon Ball Z, but the main character Goku reaches this level of power called Autonomous Ultra Instinct. It's a greater power than some gods... Saquon Barkley is autonomous ultra instinct. If he can stay healthy, I think he can be better than the greatest running backs of all time. He has potential to have the production of Emmitt Smith, the impact of Walter Payton, the greatness of Adrian Peterson, and the prime of Ladanian Tomlinson. The only two things that could hold him back would be injury and Daniel Jones. If Daniel Jones shatters the hope of Giants fans, which I don't think he's going to do, and truly doesn't pose a threat with the passing game, defenses are going to stack the box on every play. I don't care who you are, this will ware on you. Luckily for Giants fans, I think Daniel Jones is going to surprise a lot of people. I think he will do a lot better than people are expecting and I think that his legs will pose a legitimate threat. I thought he did a really good job with making reads in college and bouncing through his progressions. He's going to utilize his slot receivers and his tight ends a lot in New York and I think this will be to Saquon's advantage. Teams won't be able to load an 8 man box every play against the Giants and Saquon will be able to rip off more big runs than you think. Saquon is going to change the game, and therefor I think he has the brightest future in the NFL.
