On Thursday, Feb. 6, NFL Honors (9 p.m. ET on FOX/NFL Network/NFL+) will spotlight the stars of the 2024 NFL season. But what about the players whose key contributions flew under the radar?
Kevin Patra is recognizing one unsung hero from each team, zeroing in on players whose contributions weren't rewarded with a Pro Bowl nod. Some names you know, some are appreciated by only hardcore fans and some are simply surprise difference-makers who don't get the attention they deserve.
The Cardinals' slot corner performed stellar in the desert for the second consecutive season, generating nine passes defended and two INTs while allowing 33 catches for 335 yards and three TDs, per Next Gen Stats. Williams allowed a 55.9 completion percentage and a 75.2 passer rating against, while generating a -0.2 EPA per target. During the regular season, he graded out as Pro Football Focus' No. 2 corner in coverage behind only Pat Surtain II. While his run D from the slot should improve with experience, he wasn't too shabby, netting 10 run stops and a 10.7 run tackle percent on 243 run plays. Williams quietly improved in Year 2 and could see his production take another stride forward in Year 3 under Jonathan Gannon.
Drake London and Darnell Mooney rightfully got their flowers during the season, but McCloud often came out of nowhere to make big plays. Primarily a special teamer in previous stops, the seventh-year pro blasted past his previous receiving career highs, earning 686 yards and 62 catches (both third-most on the team). He nearly doubled his previous six years of receiving production (768 yards on 90 catches). McCloud also took 10 carries for 79 yards and was one of the better blockers from the wide receiver position this season. The Falcons didn't initially envision a huge receiving role for McCloud, but with Rondale Moore's injury, the veteran was thrust into a bigger role and responded. Heck, he outperformed former first-round TE Kyle Pitts.
Raise your hand if you projected a surprise season from an undrafted Holy Cross product. If your hand is up, you're probably either a Coker relative or a habitual liar. After playing seven snaps the first month of the season, the rookie's star began to rise, with him ultimately earning 478 yards and two TDs on 32 catches. If not for a mid-season injury that wiped out three games, those numbers would have been even better. Coker's rise in the offense coincided with Bryce Young's improved play, as the young duo showed a good rapport. Coker led the Panthers with 14.9 yards per catch and 175 yards after catch. Also, his average of 1.9 yards per route run, per NGS, was in the Jordan Addison/Jerry Jeudy realm in 2024. Not too shabby for a kid who wasn't even drafted.
Chicago's offensive line was brutal to watch most of the season, but Wright provided some optimism that this can turn around under new coach Ben Johnson. The second-year right tackle improved across the board but was particularly better as a run blocker. Like most of the Bears' O-linemen, Wright gave up pressures (30, per PFF) and sacks, but he made strides in that area after a rough rookie campaign. We know Johnson thrived in Detroit with a great offensive line. The Bears likely will hit that unit hard this offseason. If Wright continues his upward trajectory, though, Chicago at least won't need to worry about the right tackle spot.
After years of watching Lewis struggle, I was surprised when Dallas re-signed him last offseason. The slot corner responded by becoming the banged-up Cowboys' best coverage defender. Lewis' -16.6 target EPA was by far the best on the club and his -0.28 EPA per target ranked seventh-best among all corners (per NGS, min. 300 coverage snaps). Like many slot corners, Lewis got beat at times, but he made life difficult on receivers, forcing tight-window throws on 25.4 percent of his targets. The Cowboys enter the offseason with a host of questions, including whether they can retain their starting nickel once again.
Given Detroit's status as a 2024 league darling, it's tough to find a truly unsung hero on this roster, but Campbell fits well enough. Where would the injury-plagued Lions defense have been without the linebacker? Campbell generated 131 tackles, five TFL, 1.5 sacks, five QB hits and five passes defensed in 2024, providing stability to a decimated linebacker corps. His 55 run stops finished sixth-most among all linebackers and his 17.7 run-stop percentage was second behind only Roquan Smith (min. 300 snaps). Campbell's tackling ability -- sixth-lowest missed-tackle percentage, per PFF -- helped the Lions remain as one of the better run defenses in the NFL despite the injuries.
Cooper played fewer snaps than most defenders on this list, but his performance down the stretch changed the calculus. Midway through the season, you could see things begin to click for the rookie linebacker. The Packers sorely missing his presence during a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury was the first clue to the rookie's importance. Then he stormed the field in the final four games of the regular season, gobbling up 35 total tackles, eight for loss, an INT and a sack. Cooper's athleticism pops off the screen, and the more he got comfortable with what he was seeing and diagnosing, the more impactful he became to Green Bay's defense. The Texas A&M product will be a force to reckon with in the NFC North in 2025.
Consider this a "Hey, don't forget about this guy" reminder. Jared Verse, Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner rightfully garnered most of the attention during the season. However, Young was no slouch himself on the Rams' defensive front. The second-year pass rusher finished with 7.5 sacks, 62 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 13 QB hits, a pass defensed and a forced fumble. He finished second on the Rams in pressures (50) and pressure percent (14.2), per NGS. The Rams' defense sports the most dynamic, youthful collection of pass rushers in the NFL.
The Vikings' season would have collapsed much quicker if O'Neill hadn't been a rock at right tackle. LT Christian Darrisaw's season-ending injury displayed a lack of depth in Minnesota -- necessitating a trade for Cam Robinson. Luckily, the Vikings had a stalwart in O'Neill on the right side. When he briefly exited in Week 15 against Chicago, things got dicey quickly. Luckily for Sam Darnold, it wasn't an elongated absence. O'Neill was stellar as both a run blocker and pass protector, allowing 19 total pressures while posting a 98.3 efficiency rating, per PFF. Few OTs proved as solid in both pass pro and road grading as O'Neill in 2024.
The Saints' hired gun for the 2024 season lived up to his end of the one-year bargain. Young generated 73 quarterback pressures, per Next Gen Stats, sixth-most in the NFL, despite not sniffing a Pro Bowl invite or garnering much attention at all. The limited sack total (5.5) and New Orleans' struggles likely had something to do with that, but Young proved he can still provide pressure. He might not be the perennial Pro Bowler he looked like in Year 1, and his run-game deficiencies don't help, but in a league that is in constant search of QB hunters, Young's pressure rate speaks for itself.
Giants GM Joe Schoen has taken a lot of Ls recently, but Phillips is a W. The third-round pick looks like a steal after Year 1, proving to be the Giants' top cover man. He led Big Blue with a -7.2 target EPA and was the only New York corner with a negative EPA per target (-0.17). The Giants desperately need help on the outside of the defense heading into 2025, but they should be confident in Phillips growing in the slot gig. Between WR Malik Nabers, Phillips and RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., the Giants' 2024 draft class produced multiple building blocks.
In my mind, Mailata shouldn't qualify for this list, but given that basically everyone else on the Eagles' line made the Pro Bowl, that's enough to warrant attention here. Mailata is a stud, the best run-blocking left tackle in the NFL and a brickhouse against the pass. The Aussie wall allowed 14 pressures in 2024 -- tied for third-fewest in the NFL among qualified tackles, per PFF -- and gave up a single sack. When doling out praise to the Philly O-line, forgetting Mailata after a career-best year should be considered a sin.
A lot went wrong for San Francisco in 2024, but the 49ers nailed their third-round pick. Puni was everything the Niners could've hoped for when selecting him 86th overall. A Day 1 starter, Puni fit Kyle Shanahan's offense to a T. As a rookie, he finished as one of the better run-blocking guards in the entire NFL, blowing away other first-year OGs in that regard. He missed some blocks in pass pro, particularly down the stretch, but did enough early in the season to prove he's a building block in the middle of Shanny's offense.
Devon Witherspoon earned a second straight Pro Bowl nod and Julian Love is the leader, but Bryant deserves credit for helping lock down Seattle's secondary. The defensive back became a full-time starter for the final two-thirds of 2024 and made a difference in a Seahawks defense that was searching for answers early. Bryant generated a career-high 73 tackles, six passes defensed and three interceptions (tied for the team lead, including a pick-six). After playing the slot corner position earlier in his career, Bryant moved to full-time safety under Mike Macdonald, and the role fit like a glove. With Bryant and Love in the back end, Seattle appears to have its starting safety crew on lock.
Offensive linemen generally don't get enough praise when they improve. Mauch deserve it for making a MASSIVE leap from Year 1 to Year 2. As a rookie, the Buccaneers guard allowed 48 pressures and seven sacks. This season, those numbers dropped to 18 pressures and two sacks. He went from a near liability as a run and pass blocker to a reason why Baker Mayfield and the offense continued to click. Given that he was playing next to a rookie center in Graham Barton, Mauch's rise is even more impressive. The Bucs offense as a whole improved in 2024 for a variety of reasons -- Bucky Irving's injection, Liam Coen's play-calling, Mayfield's continued improvement -- but the offensive line's bolstered play is up there. No one improved more than Mauch.
Fowler led the Commanders with 10.5 sacks and was second with 45 QB pressures, per NGS. The veteran's 14.6 pressure percentage led all pass rushers on Dan Quinn's squad. Playing a rotational role, Fowler was asked to get after the QB, and he did that with aplomb. Fowler's 3.4 percent sack rate ranked No. 4 in the NFL (per NGS, min. 200 pass rush snaps). Quinn's defense played greater than the sum of its parts for much of the season. Fowler's ability to affect the passer, after years of mostly underwhelming as a former top-three pick, underscores that production.
