Every year, we know the stars who will shape the season. We know , and will impact the race, and we know non-quarterbacks like , and will play huge roles in their teams' succe ses. They're stars for a reason.Trying to determine under-the-radar difference-makers is a tougher task. First, we must define "under-the-radar." Are they under-appreciated? Do they play a position not often recognized? Do they have teammates who overshadow them? Do we just not know them ... yet? Have we forgotten about them? A mix of some or all of those things?And then these players have to be able to make a big impact, too. Do they play a crucial position? Are they major question marks? Are they X-factors in teams or teammates reaching expectations? It's a delicate balance.With that in mind, and with 50 days until the and kick off the 2023 season, here are 50 under-the-radar players who could shape the 2023 season: It's hard for quarterbacks to be under the radar. One could argue they the radar. But four in particular -- for various reasons -- fit into this category right now.1. , :No, Kyler Murray the player isn't under the radar, but Kyler Murray the situation is. Will he play in 2023, and if so, how much? Murray and didn't have surgery. The Cardinals are projected to be the worst team in the NFL, and if they're out of the playoff picture early, is there a compelling reason for Arizona to hurry Murray back? Furthermore, the Cardinals have their own pick the ' pick in the first round in 2024, a cla s that features quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.2. Brock Purdy/Trey Lance/Sam Darnold, :The fact that the team with the third-shortest odds to win the Super Bowl doesn't know who its starting quarterback will be speaks volumes about how much talent the 49ers have and how much Kyle Shanahan helps whomever is under center. Still, has to do it. Is is a quarterback battle? Is Purdy the shoo-in? What if Lance's athleticism wows in the preseason? This is a win-now team, and Purdy has proven he can win. 3. , :There aren't particularly high expectations surrounding Howell, a former fifth-round pick who started one game as a rookie. But consider this: The Commanders had downright awful quarterback play and still weren't eliminated from playoff contention until Week 17. There's enough talent on the roster for just pa sable play from Howell to be enough.4. , :With gone, the Buccaneers will take a step back at quarterback, but they still have and , and they maintained a lot of talent on defense. They're not tanking. Like Howell's situation in Washington, just O.K. quarterback play could go a long way. Unlike Howell in the NFC East, though, Mayfield's NFC South is eminently winnable.5. : Over the past two seasons, Harris scored 12 touchdowns in goal-to-go situations, 10th in the NFL. If Harris can add physicality to Buffalo's rushing attack, that will take allow Josh Allen to rush le s often in short-yardage situations and, in turn, be a huge plus to Buffalo's offensive versatility overall. 6. , RB, : The Rams are in a strange place with few remainders of the 2021 title team -- , and chief among them -- but with a roster full of rookies and other unproven youngsters. Akers falls somewhere in between. He was the Rams' feature back during their Super Bowl run and then was eight months later. There's clear talent. He had three straight games of over 100 rushing yards to Christian Yelich Jersey close last year. The Rams need that talent on display on a consistent basis.7. , : After 13 rushing touchdowns over his first five seasons combined, Williams exploded for a league-high 17 last year thanks to a ma sive red-zone workload. But he wasn't just a goal-line hammer. He carried the ball 262 times for over 1,000 yards, both blowing away previous career highs. A solid pa s catcher as well, Williams will have a big role, one that will grow even more if .8. , Lions: The Lions e sentially swapped out Williams for Montgomery and for rookie , giving themselves a completely new look in the backfield. Montgomery has posted at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage each of his four seasons, and he'll be playing behind one of the league's best offensive lines. 9. , : Bateman isn't the shiny new toy -- that's first-round rookie -- and he isn't the biggest name -- that's . -- in the Ravens' wide receiver room, but he might have the biggest upside. In three full games before getting injured last year, he had 226 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens will throw more with new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and Bateman's presence would be a huge help. Big play . Rashod Bateman goes 75 yards! : on CBS: Stream on NFL+ NFL (@NFL) 10. , : Claypool exploded out of the gates with 11 touchdowns as a rookie before falling out of favor to the point where midway through last season. The Bears gave up a second-round pick, so they clearly had big things in mind, but Claypool struggled. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy says Claypool is this offseason. He has the size and explosivene s to be a key part of this offense alongside and .11. Jr., : After 12.4 yards per reception acro s his first two seasons, Pittman notched Jonathan Villar Jersey just 9.3 last season in what was an offensive disaster with at the helm. Now Pittman gets rocket-armed . Pittman proved he can be a legitimate No. 1 in 2021, and with his big body and catching radius, he should be a reliable option for Richardson right away. 12. , Chiefs: In the lone game Toney played at least 40% of the snaps for the Chiefs offense last year, he turned six touches into 80 yards and a touchdown. In the Super Bowl, he caught a touchdown and nearly returned a punt for another. The skill has never been a question here. Toney is electric with the ball in his hands, and Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes should figure out how to take advantage.13. , Lions: Williams fell off the radar a bit after mi sing much of his rookie season with a torn ACL and fell even further off this offseason after being . But when he returns, Williams should be able to be the Lions' top outside receiver and a complement to , especially given the Lions' otherwise-nondescript receiver room.14. , : Chark burst onto the scene with a Pro Bowl second season, but injuries have limited him to just 28 of a potential 50 games over the past three campaigns. The Panthers also added in free agency and drafted in the second round, but Chark is a ready-made deep threat with 6'4" size and 4.34 speed. He should become an important target for quickly. 15. , : Mayer was the top-ranking tight end in , but he wasn't the first () or even the second () one taken. When they saw him falling, the Raiders traded up to get the former Notre Dame star. Following departure, Mayer should step right into a big role on an offense whose quarterback () and play-caller (Josh McDaniels) have shaped offenses around their tight ends.16. , :Okonkwo is the leading returning receiver for the Titans despite having just 450 receiving yards last year. That's how dire the pa s catchers were in Tenne see. Along with fellow second-year pa s catcher and , Okonkwo hopes to provide this offense some explosivene s: His 14.1 yards per catch led all tight ends last year (min. 30 receptions).17. , Saints: A non-factor in 2020 and 2021 as a wide receiver, Johnson switched to tight end in 2022, and it worked wonders. His seven touchdown catches were tied for third-most among tight ends, and eight of his 42 catches went for at least 20 yards. is at his best with a big, athletic wide receiver-turned-tight end -- Darren Waller, anyone? -- and Johnson has that profile. 18. (OT), Chiefs: Needing to replace both tackles this offseason, the Chiefs spent big on right tackle and opted for with Smith to protect Patrick Mahomes' blindside. Smith mi sed a career-high four games last year and posted his worst "beat percentage" since the stat began in 2017, but he has generally been rock-solid throughout his career.19. (OT), : Jacksonville traded back multiple times before nabbing Harrison, who is expected to start immediate at right Ryan Braun Jersey tackle after . Harrison is also potentially a injury away from sliding over to left tackle, where he played at Oklahoma.20. (OT), Titans: Dillard was a 2019 first-round pick who never cracked the ' starting lineup consistently. He lost all of the 2020 season to injury and hardly played last year either. When he did play in 2019 and 2021, he allowed a 10.6% pre sure rate. To put that in perspective, the qualifying lineman last season, , allowed 10.5%. The Titans gave Dillard , so they clearly see something there. They need him to prove them right. 21. (OT), : McGlinchey got to protect former division rival , and that's a big investment in a player that's had some ups and downs. McGlinchey was beaten on a career-worst 5.3% of snaps last season, and he allowed six sacks, tying the most of his career. He is, however, a very good run blocker, and Sean Payton's arrival in Denver should clean things up offensively.22. (OL) : Perhaps the most under-the-radar player on this list, Turner might not play much initially. But the starting tackles ahead of him are , who has played one game over the past two seasons, and , who will be 38 when the season begins. Turner, now , can play both tackle spots and both guard spots. Don't be surprised if he's getting crucial snaps down the stretch.23. (C), Colts: After three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons, Kelly wasn't quite his best last year, though the Colts' entire offense struggling didn't help. Now, in comes Richardson, who is the exact opposite of Matt Ryan in terms of playing style. New head coach Shane Steichen requires a lot from his centers -- in Philadelphia, for example -- so Kelly is in an important spot. 24. (C), Texans: and Will Anderson are the rookies getting all the headlines, but Scruggs, a second-round center, will be vital in Stroud's succe s -- or lack thereof. Unlike Young in Carolina () or Richardson in Indianapolis (Kelly), Stroud doesn't have a veteran center helping him acclimate. Scruggs will have to grow up quickly.25. (C), Jets:Rodgers has had plenty of solid centers throughout his career, and the Jets hope Tippmann, a second-round rookie from Wisconsin, can be the next. Given Rodgers' propensity to and improvise after the ball is snapped, Tippmann has a big ask in a year the Jets have big expectations.26. (C), :Surprise! Another second-round center with key responsibilities immediately. Schmitz and will have to mesh quickly after the Giants lost both of their main center options -- and -- in free agency.27. (EDGE), : Last year, Uche had a league-best 21.1% pre sure rate (min. 200 pa s rush snaps). A pa s-rush specialist in every sense of the word, Uche's 11.5 sacks were the most of any player who played no more than 400 snaps since at least 2007, which is as far back as Pro Football Focus snap counts go.28. (EDGE), Ravens: The Ravens generated pre sure on just 30% of opponent dropbacks last season, their lowest in the last six years. Oweh, a former first-round pick, will be charged with changing that. He had just three sacks last season after five as a rookie, and his pre sure percentage fell as well. Oweh should be in line for starter duty, though could push him.29. and 30. (DL) and Ogbo Okoronkwo (EDGE), : Tomlinson, Okoronkwo and (who, as a 2022 Pro Bowler, is very much on the radar) are the top new pieces in an overhauled Browns front seven that also includes superstar . Tomlinson is a quality run defender, and Cleveland desperately needs that after finishing 27th in defensive rush succe s rate. Okoronkwo is one I'm excited about: Last year, he produced 25 hurries on just 257 pa s rush snaps, the ninth-best rate among 141 players with at least 250 pa s rush snaps. Two of the players ahead of him -- Garrett and Smith -- are now his teammates. The Cleveland pa s rush should be fun.31. Gregory Rou seau (EDGE), Bills: In his second year, Rou seau doubled his rookie-year sack total (from four to eight) and raised his pre sure rate to 15.2%, good for 13th among 141 players who had at least 250 pa s rush snaps last year. Rou seau is immensely talented and just 23 years old. With coming off a torn ACL, Rou seau must lead the Buffalo pa s rush.32. (EDGE), : Last season, 50 different players took at least 400 pa s rush snaps. The fastest average time to apply pre sure among those 50? Phillips at a blazing 2.29 seconds. Second on that list? Micah Parsons at 2.32. That's pretty good company. Phillips has 15.5 sacks through his first two seasons, and I wouldn't be surprised if he comes close to that this season alone.33. (EDGE), :After breaking out in 2021, Gary was on track for a monster 2022 campaign -- his 19.9% pre sure rate was best in the NFL among players who had at least 20 pa s rush snaps per game -- . Gary's in the final year of his rookie deal, and how he comes back will be a huge factor in his next contract (whether it's with Green Bay or not) and whether the Packers can stay afloat in their first year post-Rodgers.34. (EDGE), : Davenport had nine sacks in 2021 and looked to be turning the corner toward playing like the former first-rounder he is. Then he had just a half-sack last season. The Vikings took a chance on Davenport with a one-year prove-it deal. He hopes to prove he's the 2021 version of himself.35. (EDGE), Chiefs: Last season, 5.5 of Karlaftis' six sacks came after Week 11. With in Denver and a free Orlando Arcia Jersey agent, Karlaftis must prove his late-season surge was a sign of things to come for the reigning Super Bowl champs.36. (EDGE), : Promoted to a full-time player after coming over from the , Nwosu did not disappoint: 9.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits and a 14.9% pre sure rate. Those last two figures both ranked in the top 10 among 50 players with at least 400 pa s rush snaps. Is there another level Nwosu can get to? The Seahawks hope so.37. , Chargers: After having his fifth-year option declined, Murray enters the final year of his rookie deal in need of a big campaign. The former first-round pick has just two career sacks, and the Chargers allowed an NFL-worst 5.4 yards per carry last year. Murray's run stops were way down -- he had 66 in 2020 and 43 in 2022 -- and he mi sed seven tackles in the run game, as many as his first two seasons combined.38. , Eagles: Dean slid all the way to the third round of the 2022 draft , but the former Georgia star will get to prove teams wrong this year after departed in free agency. Dean played just 37 defensive snaps as a rookie, so replacing Edwards and his 159 tackles (tied for sixth in the NFL) is a big task.39. , : Holcomb has alternated between productive years and injury-impacted years, and the Steelers are hoping they get the former. Always an active tackler, Holcomb showed strides in coverage and had a pair of interceptions in 2021 before regre sing in just seven games last year.40. , Colts: After three first-team All-Pro selections in his first four years, Leonard played in just three games last year, and his absence was felt: The Colts' defense was 21st in succe s rate and 30th in pa ser rating allowed. They were 19th in turnovers forced. Quite simply, they didn't create enough havoc. Leonard, nicknamed "Maniac," will bring some of that back.41. (S) Cardinals: Similar to teammate Kyler Murray, Baker isn't so much an under-the-radar player as he is in an under-the-radar situation. A two-time first-team All-Pro, Bakeras he looks to become the league's highest-paid safety. The Cardinals will likely fly under the radar this season, but keep an eye out for Baker potentially being on the move and shifting the defensive landscape wherever he lands.42. Dax Hill (DB) : After losing Je sie Bates and this offseason, the Bengals are overhauling their safety unit with Hill and free agent . Hill, a 2022 first-round pick, got what was e sentially a redshirt year last year, playing just 123 defensive snaps. Lauded for his versatility coming out of Michigan, Hill should be an important part of Cincinnati's defense.43. (S), 49ers: Gipson barely sneaks under the radar, but that's through no fault of his own. Last season, he had five interceptions and allowed a 19.3 pa ser rating as the primary defender, the best of 267 defenders who played at least 200 coverage snaps. He's an absolutely terrific player for one of the league's best defenses, and he should be very much on our radar by now.44. (CB) :The third overall pick in 2020, Okudah had a rough rookie year and a second year almost completely erased by injury. Then he showed really encouraging signs last year: 55.6% completion percentage as primary defender (71.4 in first two seasons) and 8.6 yards per attempt (11.9 in first two seasons). If he can stay healthy and continue to improve, will be a steal for the Falcons.45. (CB) Bills: White was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019 and a second-team selection in 2020. Then he tore his ACL late in 2021, played just six games last season and didn't appear quite himself. But he's only 28 years old, and players often look significantly better in their second year removed from a major injury. At his peak, White was a true lockdown corner and arguably the best one in the game.46. (S) Bears: Last season, Brisker became the first rookie to record at least 100 tackles and at least four sacks since Shaquille Leonard and in 2018 and the first rookie defensive back to do it... ever. Not too shabby. Still, the Bears were last in scoring defense, 29th in total defense, and last in yards per attempt allowed. The Bears have made lots of upgrades, but if the defense isn't significantly better, it might not matter much.47. (CB) : The Cowboys' offseason was relatively quiet, with a pair of trades for veterans -- Gilmore and -- as the most significant moves. After winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, Gilmore will be on his fourth team in four seasons. With as the top corner, Gilmore should have some easier a signments and Corey Knebel Jersey more chances for big plays.48. and 49. (CB) and (CB), Lions:Fellow newcomer C.J. Gardner-Johnson would have made this list, too, but his league high-tying six interceptions last season put him firmly on the radar. Moseley was solid for San Francisco before playing just five games last year. Sutton allowed a 46.8% completion percentage as the primary defender last year. Only and were better (min. 500 coverage snaps).50. (S), Eagles: With Gardner-Johnson gone, Blankenship is in prime position to take over as a starting safety alongside . Blankenship got a decent amount of playing time as a rookie and even picked off Rodgers, but being an every-down player is a big jump.
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