AFC breakout candidates 2026: One sleeper player to watch on every team

While this is a relatively quiet period on the NFL calendar, it’s an important moment for franchises as these offseason workouts become the foundation for what they hope will be a productive regular season. It’s also the first glimpse of breakout candidates and veterans looking to remind fans of their star power. With that in mind, we highlight one player from each AFC team who could blossom into a key figure for their team. That could range from a rookie, second-year player to even a long-in-the-tooth veteran.

Don’t sleep on these guys. 

AFC East

WR Kyle Williams

New England’s wide receiver room saw plenty of offseason movement. The Patriots released Stefon Diggs and signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million contract. Then, on June 1, they pulled off the long-awaited blockbuster with the Eagles for A.J. Brown, inserting him as the true No. 1 wideout in the offense. While Brown and Doubs will garner most of the attention, don’t sleep on Kyle Williams. The 2025 third-round pick had a relatively quiet rookie season, catching just 10 balls for 209 yards and three touchdowns. He was largely used as a deep threat, but there’s certainly more for him to grow, even with the additions New England has made. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Williams push veteran Mack Hollins for snaps and targets opposite Brown. 

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EDGE T.J. Parker

Buffalo traded out of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, which took some of the buzz away from what they accomplished over the course of the draft. However, their first pick, second-round edge rusher T.J. Parker, shouldn’t be overlooked. Buffalo was in the bottom half of the league in total sacks in 2025, so there is a serious need to insert players who have a knack for getting after the quarterback. Sure, veteran Bradley Chubb, who signed a three-year, $52 million contract this offseason, will be the main figure tasked with adding pressure off the edge, but Parker should factor in as well. After all, Parker did have an 11-sack season at Clemson in 2024, which included 19.5 tackles for a loss and six forced fumbles. The talent is there, and if Parker taps into it early in his tenure with Buffalo, it could prove massive for the Bills‘ hopes of reaching the Super Bowl. 

WR Malik Washington

As part of their roster overhaul, Miami gutted its wide receiver room, releasing Tyreek Hill and trading Jaylen Waddle to Denver. Washington represents a notable holdover and should see a sizable uptick in targets as the Dolphins usher in Malik Willis as their new starting quarterback. Washington was third on the team in targets (65) and receptions (46), and fourth in receiving yards (317) last season. He’ll now compete with veterans Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell, who Miami brought in this offseason, along with rookies Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas. It’s conceivable that Washington becomes the No. 1 target in this receiver room and puts up career numbers across the board. 

TE Mason Taylor

The Jets reshaped their offense and added two receiving threats in the first round, including Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq. That took some air out of the balloon of the Mason Taylor hype train leading into 2026, but the 2025 second-round pick should still be considered a main figure in this offense. With Garrett Wilson dealing with injuries throughout 2025, Taylor became one of New York’s most consistent pass-catching options. He was second on the team in receiving yards (369) and first in receptions (44). With more stable quarterback play with Geno Smith in town to replace Justin Fields, along with a healthy crop of receivers, there should be more high-value targets and opportunities that come Taylor’s way, especially if they lean heavily on 12-personnel to have him and Sadiq on the field at the same time. 

AFC North

WR Michael Pittman Jr.

Did you even remember that Michael Pittman Jr. was traded to Pittsburgh? With all the big trades that have gone down, the Steelers landing Pittman has certainly flown under the radar. The veteran pass catcher gives Pittsburgh the secondary receiver option that they’ve been starved for, even after trading for D.K. Metcalf last offseason. In 2025, Metcalf led the Steelers with 850 receiving yards, while the next most-productive wide receiver was Calvin Austin III with 372 receiving yards. Pittman now gives them a solid go-to option opposite Metcalf, hauling in 80 passes for 784 yards and seven touchdowns last season in Indianapolis. He could be a difference-maker in what is slated to be Aaron Rodgers‘ final season. 

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TE Mark Andrews

I wouldn’t necessarily blame you if you’ve written off Andrews at this point. After all, the veteran tight end turns 31 before the start of the regular season and is coming off a 2025 season where he logged a career-low 422 yards receiving, despite playing in all 17 games. But all that allows him to qualify as an under-the-radar candidate for Baltimore. Remember, the Ravens saw fellow tight end Isaiah Likely leave in free agency to sign a deal with the Giants. That leaves  36 targets from 2025 up for grabs, and the Ravens didn’t bring in much competition to take over Likely’s role. Durham Smythe was the veteran addition, and he has just 13 catches over his previous two seasons, while Baltimore spent Day 3 picks on Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas. It’s a long way of saying that Andrews should have the eye of Lamar Jackson even more than he has over the past few seasons, setting the stage for a bounce-back campaign in 2026. 

EDGE Shemar Stewart

The Bengals made plenty of moves to try to bring their defense to a more respectable level, with the headliners being a trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and signing pass rusher Boye Mafe to a big-money deal. Those veterans will certainly help, but the X factor for this unit supporting their high-flying offense could be edge rusher Shemar Stewart. The 2025 first-round pick is sort of an afterthought when looking at this Cincinnati depth chart, especially with new pieces coming in and a forgetful rookie season (one sack over eight games played). Stewart drew praise throughout the early portions of offseason workouts from both his coaches and players, including Mafe. If he can carry that over into 2026, it changes the entire complexion of the Bengals’ pass rush and their overall ceiling. 

RB Dylan Sampson

All eyes will be on Quinshon Judkins as he represents the lead back for Cleveland’s running game, but don’t dismiss fellow 2025 draftee Dylan Sampson. He could be a 1B in this Browns backfield, particularly on passing downs after catching 33 of his 40 targets last season for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs have been involved in the target share of Todd Monken’s offenses in the past, and he’ll likely utilize Sampson in this third-down/passing situation role. When Monken was the OC for Cleveland back in 2019, Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb combined for 73 receptions, 563 receiving yards, and a touchdown on 93 targets. Judkins will certainly factor into the target share, but this is where Sampson could thrive. 

AFC South

WR Brian Thomas Jr.

After a rookie season in which he finished with 87 receptions, 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns, it seemed Brian Thomas Jr. was on a rocket ship to stardom. The 2025 season, however, saw the LSU product crater with his production dipping dramatically across the board (48 catches, 707 yards and two touchdowns). Now, all eyes are on Travis Hunter as he embarks on Year 2, along with Jakobi Meyers (acquired at the deadline last season) and Parker Washington in the receiver room. Sure, the sophomore slump hit Thomas hard, but let’s not write him off entirely just yet. The talent is there for him to be one of the top wideouts in the league, and he is a major bounce-back candidate that most folks are paying enough attention to. 

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WR Jayden Higgins

The Texans didn’t make any notable moves to the wide receiver room, relying on some of their young players to take a step forward in their development. Key among them is Higgins. The 2025 second-rounder put together a solid rookie season, catching 41 of his 68 targets for 525 yards and six touchdowns (tied for the team-high). The majority of Higgins’ production came in the second half of the year after posting just 14 catches over his first eight games, so he is entering 2026 after a mini-breakout in the latter half of his rookie season. 

Most of the attention in Houston has been paid to the team revamping the offensive line, adding a new back in David Montgomery, and giving Will Anderson a market-setting extension. A possible Year 2 leap for Higgins hasn’t truly been clocked quite yet. He is the clear-cut No. 2 option in the passing game behind Nico Collins and could be a key figure in C.J. Stroud reestablishing himself as one of the up-and-coming QBs in the league. 

WR Josh Downs

The Colts freed up 111 targets within their offense after trading Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Alec Pierce (84 targets last season) will add to his total after inking a four-year, $114 million extension this offseason, Josh Downs will factor into this equation as well. In fact, Downs had 88 targets last season (third most on the team), so it’s conceivable that he’s earmarked for 100 targets in 2026, setting the stage for a true breakout. Downs has been solid throughout the first three years of his career, including a 2024 season in which he logged 803 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Yet, the 24-year-old is still not recognized by the general public. That could change in 2026 with a larger role expected, along with Daniel Jones back for his second season with the organization. 

WR Elic Ayomanor

We had Ayomanor listed for Tennessee last season, and we’re running it back for 2026. The Stanford receiver showed flashes over his rookie season, recording 515 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Despite that solid first year, he hasn’t received a ton of buzz entering his sophomore season, in part because the Titans added some heavy-hitters to the receiver room. They used the No. 4 overall pick on Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate and signed veteran Wan’Dale Robinson to a four-year, $70 million deal in free agency. When you factor in Calvin Ridley, there may be too many mouths to feed for Ayomanor to truly emerge, right? Well, Ridley, who restructured his deal back in March, is entering his age-31 season, so he doesn’t necessarily align with the Titans’ current timeline. It’s not out of the question that Tennessee could look to move on from Ridley, especially if someone like Ayomanor makes waves at training camp, so there’s a world where he’s the starter opposite Tate with Robinson in the slot. 

AFC West

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RB Jonah Coleman

Denver selected Coelman with the 108th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. While Day 3 picks typically don’t garner a ton of attention, Coleman should. The Broncos brought back J.K. Dobbins on a two-year extension, but the veteran has monumental durability concerns, including a 2025 Lisfranc injury. Meanwhile, 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey wasn’t able to carry the full workload effectively after he went down. If Dobbins again struggles to stay on the field, there’s a path for Coleman to play significant snaps, even if it’s not paved out in front of him right now. 

TE Oronde Gadsden II

Gadsden came out of the woodwork as a fifth-round rookie. He put forward a colossal 164-yard game in Week 7, but showed plenty of flashes beyond that, finishing with 49 catches, 664 yards and three touchdowns. That should be enough to have everyone around the Chargers excited for what he’s capable of in Year 2, but some may be led off the scent a bit. The second half of Gadsden’s rookie season was quiet, logging just 12 catches over his final six games. When you pair that with the addition of veteran David Njoku, people may be teetering on calling Gadsden a one-hit wonder. However, Njoku’s deal with L.A. is only for one-year, so Gadsden should still be viewed as the long-term piece in this room. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has featured tight ends in previous stops, including in Miami, where the likes of Jonnu Smith and Darren Waller put up impressive totals. Gadsden could be his next pet project. 

EDGE R Mason Thomas

The Chiefs were in the bottom half of the league on total sacks last season, tied for the fifth-fewest (35). They looked to address that with some of their initial picks at the 2026 NFL Draft, which include Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas. Naturally, corner Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods will garner a lot of the attention amongst Chiefs followers after they were each selected in the first round, but Thomas could make a Day 1 impact as well. After Kansas City declined to pick up his fifth-year option earlier this offseason, the Chiefs have put former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah squarely on notice. In 17 games played last season, the edge rusher posted just 2.5 sacks, so his starting job opposite George Karlaftis is hardly secure. Could Thomas swoop in and impress enough at training camp to ascend to a starting role? Could Anudike-Uzomah make it easier for him and lose the job on his own? There’s an avenue for Thomas to make waves early. 

WR Jack Bech

It’s been a transformative offseason for the Raiders. They have a new coach in Klint Kubiak, drafted Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall, and spent big along the offensive line, including center Tyler Linderbaum. While the club did add Jalen Nailor, there wasn’t much else done to the receiver room, which leaves plenty of room for Jack Bech to have a full-fledged breakout. The 2025 second-round pick had a relatively subdued rookie season, catching 20 of his 29 targets for 224 yards. With better quarterback play expected with Mendoza and/or Kirk Cousins under center, along with playing in a better offense spearheaded by Kubiak, Bech has an opportunity to be the go-to receiver option for Las Vegas. Of course, we’ve seen Kubiak help turn Jaxon Smith-Njigba into an Offensive Player of the Year, so he’s had a knack for developing talented receivers. Hitting those heights is unlikely for Bech as he’ll play second fiddle to tight end Brock Bowers and maybe even running back Ashton Jeanty for target share, but the stage is set for a breakout.