The Athletic Picks 32 NFL Breakout Players for 2026 as Training Camps Near

Q: With so many predictions, which player's hype might be a smokescreen for deeper team issues?

Walter Nolen’s breakout buzz looks most like a smokescreen for a bigger roster problem in Arizona. The optimism around the Cardinals defensive tackle is grounded in real talent. In limited 2025 action, Nolen flashed high-end disruption, posting a 14 percent pressure rate and five tackles for loss in just 169 snaps before injuries cut his season short. That makes him a credible breakout candidate. But the scale of Arizona’s reliance on him is the warning sign. The Cardinals’ defensive front is still described as lacking consistency and playmaking beyond a small core, especially after losing Calais Campbell and dealing with more attrition up front. The reporting makes clear that Arizona is counting heavily on Nolen’s year-two leap to elevate the entire front seven and help fix a long-running inability to control the trenches. That is a lot to ask of one player, particularly one coming off calf and meniscus issues. When a team’s breakout case for a single defender is also its answer to broader structural weakness, the hype can start to look less like depth of strength and more like necessity. Xavier Worthy is another plausible answer because Kansas City is leaning on his rebound while its receiver room remains unsettled and thin on proven production. But the Cardinals’ situation feels more acute: Nolen is not just being promoted as a rising star, he is being positioned as a solution to a unit that still appears incomplete.

Q: Which breakout candidate's season hinges most on a new coordinator's unproven play-calling?

Rashid Shaheed’s breakout case appears to hinge most on a new coordinator’s unproven play-calling. The Seahawks receiver was singled out as a player who could finally realize his full offensive potential under new coordinator Brian Fleury, a longtime Kyle Shanahan assistant stepping into his first play-calling role in Seattle. That makes Shaheed’s 2026 outlook unusually tied to projection rather than established coordinator-player production. The reporting explicitly connects Shaheed’s upside to Fleury’s ability to translate Shanahan-system ideas into a functioning offense that maximizes Shaheed’s speed and versatility. Seattle clearly expects a larger role for him, but whether that turns into a true breakout depends on how Fleury designs touches, vertical shots and space-creating concepts in his debut running the offense. Other candidates in the story also benefit from coordinator changes, such as Daron Payne adapting to a new defensive scheme or Greg Dulcich working with Bobby Slowik, but those cases are less directly framed around an untested play-caller. Shaheed stands out because his path to a breakout is most clearly dependent on a coordinator who has system pedigree but no track record yet as the primary offensive play-caller.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 13

The Athletic’s NFL staff named one breakout candidate for each of the league’s 32 teams ahead of 2026 training camp, spotlighting players viewed as potential swing factors for their seasons.
Year-2 defenders dominate the list, with several teams banking on recent draft picks such as Arizona’s Walter Nolen, Buffalo’s Deone Walker and Philadelphia’s Jihaad Campbell to fill major roster needs.
Young pass catchers also feature heavily, including Chicago’s Luther Burden III, Kansas City’s Xavier Worthy and Tampa Bay’s Emeka Egbuka, all cited for expanded roles, improved health or stronger quarterback chemistry.
Veteran change-of-scenery bets round out the picks, with players such as the Giants’ Isaiah Likely, the Raiders’ Jalen Nailor and the Chargers’ Charlie Kolar projected to benefit from larger opportunities.
The survey extends The Athletic’s preseason roster review series and frames 2026 breakout potential as a key lens for judging how teams could rise or stall once camp opens.