Breakthrough Athlete

Washington Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III was nominated for the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year ESPY. I'm not sure who did the nominating but they must not have watched much college football over the past few years. Granted, RGIII played away from the national spotlight at Baylor but he's been an outstanding quarterback for a while now. He broke through as a freshman and has just gotten better each year. The ESPY for Breakthrough Athlete award went to basketball player Jeremy Lin. Thinking of breakthrough athletes got me thinking about football players that I expect to break out this year.

Here's five:

Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings, TE
I had to start with a homer pick. While I hope and expect Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder to break through Rudolph will be a big part of making that possible. At 6'6" he provides an incredible catch radius. With tremendous hands and explosiveness, Kyle Rudolph will join a growing group dominant young tight ends in the league.

Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers, WR/KR
When the Cobb's fumble on a kick return set up an easy touchdown for the Vikings this past season, I didn't want the ensuing kickoff going anywhere near him. It did and he nearly took it back for a touchdown. I didn't like it when the Packers drafted him last year. Seeing him play as a rookie confirmed my worries. Randall Cobb is a scary football player as a receiver and as a returner. He can score from anywhere.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons, WR
It can be argued that Jones broke out last year with nearly 1,000 yards receiving. It's just the beginning. I think that he's already the most dangerous receiver on the Falcons and they have a proven star in Roddy White. Tough, strong, fast, terrific hands, Julio Jones will dominate.

JJ Watt, Houston Texans, DE
Watt actually broke out during last year's playoffs. Like Julio Jones' excellent rookie season, Watt's playoff performance is simply the beginning. I can see him becoming a football player much like the San Francisco 49ers' fantastic defensive end Justin Smith. Both have motors that just do no stop. JJ Watt has stretches in games during which he is unblockable.

Chris Cook, Minnesota Vikings, CB
Another Viking! I couldn't stop myself. Cook is a big corner at 6'2" and about 215lbs. The Vikings are going to need him to play big with Calvin Johnson, Greg Jennings and now Brandon Marshall in the division. Cook has the size and coverage ability to stick with the big receivers in the league. He has a ton of talent. He's just been a bit of a loose cannon off the field. The Vikings showed a great deal of patience and support when those off field issues surfaced last year. That patience and support will pay off this year.