Pack up the non-contact jerseys, put the pre-season behind you because the NFL is back, and it never felt so good. With the 2023 season opener a mere handful of days away, there are dozens of players on a variety of Super Bowl contenders who are itching to become household names, to go from breakout candidate to superstar.
Talent usually wins out, but X-factors are typically found at the intersection of skill, luck and opportunity. Which players are ready for primetime? Here are seven X-factors as we get set for kickoff on the 2023 NFL season.
Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets
These days, second-year wide receivers seem to be all the rage, and it feels as though Wilson is no exception. In 2022, the Ohio State product survived several quarterback changes to post 83 receptions, 1,103 receiving yards, four touchdowns and garnered the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award to boot.
Despite his early-career accomplishments, even Wilson himself is champing at the bit to prove himself. “I ain’t done nothing yet,” he said to the New York Post. With Aaron Rodgers helping to foster that Davante Adams-esque connection, he’ll certainly have every opportunity to cement himself as one of the league’s top wideouts in 2023.
Darren Waller, TE, Giants
Long considered one of the league’s most dynamic tight ends, Waller has not had the most heralded last couple of seasons, as injuries in both 2021 and 2022 have robbed him of full outings for the Raiders.
Traded to the Giants in the offseason, Waller gets a fresh start with offensive guru Brian Daboll calling the plays – only one other tight end in Giants history has ever had more than 1,000 receiving yards in a single season (it’s Mark Bavaro, if you’re curious).
With a dearth of healthy pass-catching options available to Daniel Jones, Waller does not have a lot of competition for targets. If the pre-season is any indication, he’s going to be heavily used in all sorts of passing routes all over the field, and that has historically meant success for Waller.
Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers
Quarterbacks will almost always be a team’s X-factor, if only because quarterbacks will always have outsized impacts on how any given team performs. Even still, Purdy’s play will be under the microscope more than ever, given both his offseason elbow surgery and the trade that sent Trey Lance to the Cowboys earlier this summer.
Formerly known as Mr. Irrelevant after being taken with the final pick in 2022’s NFL Draft, Purdy has excellent decision-making abilities, makes great pre-snap reads to get his ball carriers out in space and moves his feet extremely well, both in and out of the pocket. With Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly system and a talented supporting cast, the pressure is on to lead the 49ers back to the playoffs.
Bengals’ offensive line
Could this be considered cheating? The answer is probably yes since we’re including five players at the same time, but in a loaded division full of talented defensive lines, Cincinnati needs every one of them to be at their best.
They spared no expense either, as Bengals general manager Duke Tobin signed left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. away from the Chiefs with a four-year, $64-million deal to protect Joe Burrow’s blind side instead of Patrick Mahomes’. Despite La’el Collins being put on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, there’s still continuity along the line: incumbent Jonah Williams is being moved from left to right tackle, and both Alex Cappa and Ted Karras make their returns as well along the interior.
If they can stay healthy and gel together, then the offensive line in Cincinnati has a real chance to go from a liability in 2022 to a strength in 2023.
Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Vikings
On a team that is certainly not lacking for storylines heading into a season where they’re looking to contend for a division title once again, Pace Jr. has stolen the show.
An undrafted free agent, Pace Jr. did not hear his name called in Kansas City this year thanks to being somewhat on the smaller side for a linebacker (5-foot-10, 230 pounds). Even so, he was incredibly productive as an All-American at the University of Cincinnati, racking up 137 tackles and 10 sacks on his way to being named AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
It’s incredibly rare for undrafted players to make such immediate contributions, but don’t be surprised to see him standing on the field next to Jordan Hicks (the linebacker, not the Blue Jays reliever) come Week 1 for the Vikings.
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Patriots
When the Patriots took Gonzalez with the 17th-overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, they were certainly playing to the strengths of Bill Belichick by providing reinforcements to a defence that finished 2022 with the second-most takeaways (30) and the second-most defensive touchdowns scored (a team-record seven).
Now healthy after a pre-season injury scare, Gonzalez possesses great vision that he uses to peek into the offensive backfield while wheeling around the secondary, and at 6-foot-1, he has the length and speed to stick to targets along the sidelines. Paired with fellow defensive backs Jonathan Jones and Jalen Mills, the already-stingy Patriots defence looks to be a problem for opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers.
Jonathan Gannon, HC, Cardinals
The Cardinals are certainly not going to be contenders in 2022, but there might very well be no head coach in the entire league in a more interesting spot than Gannon – he’s fresh off a stint as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, and inherits a roster that has question marks from top to bottom. Will Kyler Murray play in 2023? If not, could Clayton Tune be the starter? When will Zach Ertz return?
It all begs another question: Could Gannon, alongside general manager Monti Ossenfort, be beginning a teardown with presumptive 2024 No. 1 overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams in their sights? If so, trusting Gannon’s process – which might be tough for Cardinals fans this season – is going to influence wins and losses not only for his entire division, but the whole conference.