Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas City Chiefs
The Former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Anudike-Uzomah has been in the NFL for two seasons, and now two Super Bowls, after being a first-round selection by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023.
The second-year defensive end will look to earn his second championship ring in his young career. He had one tackle among his six defensive snaps as he helped the Chiefs earn a 32-29 victory over Buffalo in the AFC Championship.
Standing with a 17-2 record, the Chiefs attempt to make history as the first NFL team to win three championships in a row. Facing a fierce Philadelphia offense, Kansas City will need everything from its defense, including Anudike-Uzomah, to secure the historic win.
In last year’s Super Bowl win, Anudike-Uzomah collected a four-yard tackle for loss. This regular season, he finished with 2.5 sacks, 27 combined tackles (16 solo/11 assists), a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
Ben Sinnott, TE, Washington Commanders
On the note of success coming early, the second-round rookie Sinnott and the Washington Commanders were one game away from a Super Bowl berth, falling to the Eagles in the NFC Championship last Sunday.
Sinnott made a big play in the NFC championship game, as the Commanders called upon Sinnott to catch a 23-yard pass on a fake punt — his first-career postseason reception — to earn a crucial first down.
Unfortunately for Sinnott and his teammates, Philadelphia had an offensive onslaught, winning the game 55-23 to secure a spot in the championship game. The Commanders finished their regular season with a 12-5 record.
Sinnott finished his rookie campaign with 28 yards off five catches, including a touchdown. Sinnott was second on the depth chart behind former pro-bowl tight end Zach Ertz, who shined this year despite being past his prime at 34 years old. With his rookie season in the books and Ertz’s future with the team still in the air, Sinnott could take a jump as an NFL sophomore.
Josh Hayes, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Hayes, a sixth-round selection in last year’s draft, made large strides compared to his first season in Tampa Bay. Hayes finished the season with 35 combined tackles (22 solo/13 assists) and a forced fumble.
Tampa Bay won its division and finished with a 10-7 record. Hayes recorded a game-high 11 tackles in his third start of the year and was in for 65 defensive snaps and 12 special teams plays in Week 17 when Tampa Bay clinched the NFC South title with a win over New Orleans.
In his two years with the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay made the playoffs both times. This year, the wild-card round was where the team met its demise, losing to the Commanders 23-20. Hayes had four combined tackles in his last game of the season.
D.J. Reed, CB, New York Jets
The Jets did not meet expectations of the 2024-25 season, finishing 5-12 and missing the playoffs. Although the season had struggles, Reed was one of the bright spots on the team. The upcoming free agent finished with 64 combined tackles (52 solo/12 assists), four tackles for loss and one sack.
Reed is one of the top free agents in this upcoming offseason. The high-graded corner could be in a new uniform for next season.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Lockett also missed the playoffs as the Seahawks barely lost their division and the wild-card round with a 10-7 record. The veteran receiver finished with 600 receiving yards off 49 receptions and two touchdowns, failing to clear 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in four years.
Lockett will enter his 11th year in the NFL next season, and he and his wife Lauren are expecting their first child during the offseason. The former All-Pro is past his prime, as he turns 34 this year, having one more year left on his contract with the Seahawks.
Cooper Beebe, C, Dallas Cowboys
Beebe, a third-round rookie, was the Cowboys’ starting center all season and collected 1,059 offensive snaps. As a team, the Cowboys had an underwhelming year, missing the playoffs with a 7-10 record. Injuries seemed to plague Dallas, especially its offensive linemen.
Thankfully, Beebe managed to stay healthy and finished a productive rookie season with just three penalties and three sacks allowed. Beebe and the Cowboys will look for a bounce-back season under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who was the team’s offensive coordinator.
Cornelius Lucas, OL, Washington Commanders
Lucas, a 10th-year pro, finished the regular season by playing in 14 games with seven starts, seeing time on 48% of the Commanders’ offensive snaps. Lucas and Sinnott fell just shy of a Super Bowl berth.
Dalton Risner, OL, Minnesota Vikings
In his sixth NFL season and second with the Vikings, Risner played 77% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps during the regular season, despite missing the first seven games of the season with eight regular-season starts.
JuJu Brents, CB, Indianapolis Colts
Brents, a 2023 second-round pick, has seen several injuries during his career. He opened the season oozing with potential as he finished Week 1 with seven combined tackles (3 solo) against the Houston Texans.
In that game Brents suffered a knee injury, sidelining him for a majority of the season. He came back to play in the season finale — a 26-23 home win over Jacksonville — but was in for only six defensive snaps and one special teams play before leaving due to injury.
Brents finished the season with seven tackles, which all came in the first game of the year against Houston. The Colts concluded the season with an 8-9 record. Brents will have to showcase his skill in the next coming season once he’s healthy again.
Deuce Vaughn, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Vaughn, a sixth-round selection last year, finished the year on a high note as he rushed six times for 37 yards among his 15 offensive snaps during Dallas’ 23-19 home loss to Washington.
It was Vaughn’s seventh game played this season, finishing with 70 yards on 17 carries for the 7-10 Cowboys.
Skylar Thompson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Thompson, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 14, finished the season by going 21-of-33 through the air for 187 yards and rushed once for four yards during his three games played, with one start for the Miami Dolphins before his release.
