Josh Allen QB Bills

Josh Allen is entering his second season and I think he is bound to take a gigantic leap. I went back to watch some tape on him recently and I noticed that he made some plays that go completely unnoticed by fans (outside of the Bills mafia). I'm not talking about 3rd and 6 completions, I'm talking full on Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers type plays. If it's him throwing a 75 yard touchdown while being sandwiched by two different defensive lineman in his face or him turning a "definite" sack into a 45 yard run, a lot of the incredible plays he makes doesn't get any attention. My favorite trait of his has to be his toughness behind the line of scrimmage. He takes blows from countless defensive lineman that would put most NFL players in hospitals. Not only will he take the hit, he will deliver a strike while being elevated off the ground. He's able to shed defenders like no other. If it's a stiff arm, juke, or just pure speed; Allen is undoubtedly a top 5 athlete at the quarterback position and I think he's going to take a humongous leap in his sophomore season. The one thing that he really struggled with last year was his accuracy. I've watched a ton of interviews on him and you see that he's been grinding. He showed some plays last year where he delivered balls with touch and I expect him to trim down on the turnovers this year. The addition of Cole Beasley not only gives him experience at the receiver position, but also someone he can rely on. He was Dak's go to guy in the most crucial moments and I know he'll be able to pass that on to Josh. Josh Allen is my QB sleeper for this season.

​

Aaron Jones RB Packers

Last season Aaron Jones had a break out season, but this year I expect him to take an even bigger leap. I think that in Matt Lafleur's system, he will have a gigantic role in both the run and pass game. Jones is extremely slippery and has really good vision. He also has surprisingly great contact balance for a smaller running back. I'm really excited about the opportunity he'll have as a receiver in this brand new scheme. Coming from the Sean McVay tree Lafleur loves to use his running back as a receiver out of the back field, just look at what he did in the past two seasons. With the Rams he made Todd Gurley not only the best running back in the league, but also a top receiving back in the league. With Tennessee he had Dion Lewis and we know what he can do in the passing game. So what I'm saying is Aaron Jones is set up to be a big factor for this offense in 2019. A creative offensive play caller is a running backs best friend so expect Aaron Jones to thrive this season. 

​

Dante Pettis WR 49ers

Out of all these players on my list, Dante Pettis is my "sure thing". Pettis is not only in one of the best systems, he's also one of the most surgical route runners in the entire league. I'm talking like Keenan Allen, Antonio Brown level. He's put on a lot of good weight this offseason and he gets to play a full season with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. If we go back to two seasons ago when Jimmy was on his run with 5 straight wins as the 49ers starter, let's look at his number one weapon. It was Marquise Goodwin who at the time was our number one receiver. This season I think Goodwin will still have a big role in our offense, but I think Pettis will take his spot as the number one receiver in this offense. An other reason why I think Pettis will take the leap is due to the weapons around him. With the return of Jerrick McKinnon, the emergence of Matt Breida, and the addition of Tevin Coleman; the 49ers are going to have a strong running game this year. George Kittle will put a ton of stress on defensive coordinators while Deebo Samuel and Marquise Goodwin will put stress on the corners. I think Dante Pettis is in a position to succeed. Let's also not forget about Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan is great at getting his receivers open and with Pettis being as good of a route runner as he is, you know he's going to get a bigger role in 2019. Pettis has an attractive fluidity with his route running and it will force defenses to respect his name in his sophomore campaign.

​

Jared Cook TE Saints

I know what you're saying when you see this, "Jared Cook's not a sleeper, he had a great year last season!", but I think this year he takes a really big step. Drew Brees treats his tight ends well and I think Cook is the best tight end that he's had since Jimmy Graham. Cook isn't as dominant in the red zone as Jimmy Graham was, but he is better in space. I don't know if he catches double digit touchdowns , but I know he'll make a very big impact for the Saints this year. He also won't be getting a ton of attention from defensive coordinators, he is in an offense with Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, and Taysom Hill. This is a scary passing attack and I believe Jared Cook will have a big role in it. The one thing I worry about are his reps getting taken away from back up tight ends like Josh Hill or Dan Arnold. Other than that, I think Cook is a "high-floor, high-ceiling" player. So based on what Benjamin Watson and Jimmy Graham have done in Sean Payton's offense, it looks like Jared Cook is on pace for a huge season this year.