With the COVID-19 pandemic delaying sports across the globe, the 2020 NFL season is shaping up to be the most unexpected season yet. Here are some players you should be on the lookout for this season, both expected and unexpected.
Rookies
Joe Burrow
Burrow, who won the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship during his time as a quarterback at Louisiana State University, is starting his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He replaces Andy Dalton as the Bengals’ starting quarterback. Expect big things from Burrow in the upcoming season, especially after he was named a team captain in Cincinnati before even playing a game, according to ESPN.
D’Andre Swift
The University of Georgia running back was drafted in the second round by the Detroit Lions. He will initially split work with Kerryon Johnson and Bo Scarbrough, but Swift has the potential to become a notable player this season after being a productive back with the Bulldogs.
J.K. Dobbins
An alum of The Ohio State University, Dobbins is now a running back for the Baltimore Ravens. He had a strong start to the season on Sunday, scoring two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns, and his future in the NFL is looking bright.
Returning players
Christian McCaffery
McCaffery, one of the top running backs in the league, has played for the Carolina Panthers since 2017. He has shown to be a very solid player, being the only running back to have two seasons with 100 or more receptions. McCaffery also holds the league record for most receptions by a running back in a single game, with 15 catches in a game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, according to Pro Football Reference.
Tom Brady
This was an easy one. All eyes are on former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in his first season as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Brady played for the Patriots for 20 seasons, winning six Super Bowl championships and four Super Bowl MVP awards. With such a distinguished career, it will be interesting to see how Brady functions on a new team, especially after a noted decline in production last season.
Samantha Homcy ‘23 is a junior at Mercer majoring in journalism and criminal justice. She has been working at The Cluster since her freshman year and served as Social Media Co-Manager during the spring 2021 semester. She is currently a practicum intern with WMAZ-TV. In her free time she enjoys music, community service, watching TV and finding new ways to get involved on Mercer’s campus.
