Year 2 Breakout Candidates: One Player From Each AFC Team Primed To Take A Leap

One need only be reminded of the fact that quarterback Sam Darnold just won the Super Bowl to understand that when it comes to the NFL, patience truly can be a virtue. 

Darnold was in his eighth NFL season and the Seattle Seahawks are the fifth team of his professional career, but the point is the same with second-year breakout candidates. It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of the latest draft class and overlook other young players set to pop. 

With that, here are my picks for which 2025 draft picks I believe will take the biggest leaps in their sophomore season.

Buffalo Bills

I expect Sanders to be one of the big winners of the Bills’ plan to play more of a 3-4 base under new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. The 6-foot-4, 297-pound Sanders is well-suited for the blue-collar role of eating up would-be blockers, offering impressive strength and length. Sanders won’t necessarily put up eye-popping numbers in 2026, but the former No. 41 overall selection will emerge as an every-game starter this season, after recording just 16 tackles and starting two games as a rookie. 

Look for T.J. Sanders to become a full-time starter in his second season, and for his impact to follow suit. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Miami Dolphins

The bright flashes shown by Trader, a fifth-round pick in 2025, contributed to Miami trading star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to division rival New York in the offseason. Trader is quick, instinctive and a sound open-field tackler. He only started three games for the Dolphins as a rookie and yet still finished seventh on the team with 55 tackles. He might pace Miami’s secondary in stops this year. 

New England Patriots

Wilson didn’t start playing organized football until high