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Aaron Schatz, ESPN Writer
We are continuing our list of the NFL’s best and brightest young players … who have barely played. Eighty percent of draft-day discussion is about first-round picks, and 10% is about the players who should have been first-round picks but instead went in the second round — particularly if they are quarterbacks. This ranking is about the other 10%.
It’s an educated guess selecting players who may come out of the woodwork and surprise this year. This is a list of players who have a real chance to make an impact in the NFL despite their lack of draft stock and the fact that they weren’t immediate NFL starters.
Previous editions of the list have hyped players such as 49ers tight end George Kittle, Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, Ravens tight end Mark Andrews and 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga before they blew up. It had some solid starters who figured to make a lot of money in the future, and, well, some misses. These lists tend to be high variance because, by the definitions we have created, we’re trying to pick out guys who have barely done anything in the NFL to date.
This is the 18th anniversary of the list. We’re still relying on the same things: scouting, statistics, measurables, context, ceiling, expected role and what we hear from other sources. The goal is to bring attention to players still developing in their second and third seasons, even after they’ve been forgotten by draftniks. It’s important to note that this list is not strictly about fantasy football (otherwise, there would be no offensive linemen) and career potential matters. It’s also not just a list for the 2024 season.