NFL Analysis
7/11/24
7 min read
NFL Defensive Players Who Could Have Breakout 2024 Seasons
There are always a handful of defenders each year who take the leap from solid starters to NFL superstars. That was the case last year for players like Quincy Williams, Daron Bland, and Kyle Hamilton. Usually, these players will break out in Year 2 or Year 3 of their career, but some might even take a little bit longer.
So, who are the potential breakout stars of the 2024 season on the defensive side of the ball? Without further ado, here is our list of names to watch this year:
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Patriots
It’s a shame that Gonzalez played only four games last season after injuring his shoulder against the Cowboys because he was on the verge of stardom. The former Oregon star looked dominant in the first month of the season, recording an interception, three pass deflections, and a sack.
He had a rough performance in Week 1 against the Eagles but allowed just 86 yards on 14 targets (zero touchdowns) in the next three weeks, according to TruMedia. And it wasn’t like he didn’t see good receivers during that time as he was matched up against Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson, and CeeDee Lamb.
Gonzalez has fantastic athleticism and size, but it’s his movement skills that set him apart from other cornerbacks in the league. He can mirror the best route runners in the league but also has the speed and quickness to keep up with speedsters like Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The only question now is his health, but he is fully expected to be 100 percent for the 2024 season.
It remains to be seen what New England’s defense looks like in the post-Bill Belichick era, but life will be pretty easy for Jerod Mayo with a shutdown cornerback. As long as Gonzalez can stay on the field for the majority of the 2024 season, it would be a minor shock if he wasn’t a Pro Bowl-caliber player right away.
Greg Rousseau, EDGE, Bills
Sack totals can be incredibly misleading when it comes to evaluating pass rushers. Yes, bringing down the quarterback is their job, but that is only one part of it. And sack numbers aren’t very stable year over year for most players.
Look no further than Greg Rousseau, who had the best year of his career in 2023. He started 16 games for the Bills and his improvement was noticeable. But because his sack total dropped from 8.0 to 5.0 in 2023, some could believe that he declined as a player.
However, Rousseau was a much better player in 2023 as he created more pressures (68) and improved significantly as a run defender. During the 2022 season, Rousseau was just an average run defender who teams would run toward when possible. But in 2023, he became an above-average run player, finishing the season with 19 stops. His improvement as a run defender has been a steady one despite it being a weakness coming out of college. Now, he is an every-down player who can thrive in any situation.
But the reason why he is on this isn't just because he is a good run defender. It's because he has the potential to be an elite pass rusher, as well. Rousseau recorded 14 quarterback hits last season, which was tied for 10th in the NFL. That is the same amount as Myles Garrett, who was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2023.
Another encouraging stat is his overall pass-rush win rate (16.0 percent), which is ahead of other star rushers including Maxx Crosby (15.5 percent), Danielle Hunter (15.7 percent), and not far off from T.J. Watt (16.9 percent). If that number continues to rise, we should see Rousseau post a double-digit sack season sooner rather than later. He's managed to improve greatly as a pass rusher over the last few years and just needs to take another step to be a consistent star off the edge.
Rousseau just turned 24 and already has three seasons under his belt with nearly 2,000 snaps played. But going into Year 4, the expectations are even higher. The Bills need Rousseau to be a star on the edge and be a consistent pass rusher in big games. And given his trajectory, it’s not hard to believe that it will happen given his rapid improvement.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Cowboys
It’s hard to call someone a breakout candidate on defense when they played exactly zero snaps in the regular season, but that is the case with DeMarvion Overshown of the Dallas Cowboys. A former safety at Texas, Overshown was a third-round pick by the Cowboys during the 2023 NFL Draft. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact as he was a star in training camp.
Overshown played 46 snaps in the preseason before tearing his ACL against the Seahawks (Week 2 of preseason). It was a massive blow to the Cowboys as Overshown was expected to be one of their starting linebackers. His speed and blitzing ability would have fit Dan Quinn’s defense well, but we never got to see him on the field during the regular season.
Going into Year 2, Overshown is healthy and ready to return to the field. He has added some bulk to help him take on offensive linemen in the run game. But for as good of a fit as could have been in Quinn’s defense, he makes even more sense for new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Zimmer likes to have his linebackers line up near the line of scrimmage, mugging the A-gap. They have to be able to blitz and drop back into deep zones and there just aren’t many linebackers in the league with that skill set. But because of Overshown’s safety background, he has no problem dropping back into coverage while keeping his eye on the quarterback.
The Cowboys have a lot of talent up front on their defensive line and one of the best secondaries in the league. But their Achilles’ heel has been the linebacker play, which has cost them in the playoffs. Overshown could be the answer to that problem, and if he is, the Cowboys could have an elite defense again in 2024.
Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Denver Broncos
You might be surprised to learn that Nik Bonitto finished second on the Broncos in sacks last season with eight. But what is more surprising is that Bonitto started just four games and played only 524 snaps on defense (52 percent). The Broncos haven’t quite been able to replace Bradley Chubb after trading him to Denver, However, they are really excited about Bonitto, who is expected to see an increase in snaps this season.
It remains to be seen if Bonitto can be a full-time starter in 2024 as he is currently behind Baron Browning and Jonathan Cooper on the depth chart. But the Broncos use such a heavy rotation with their outside linebackers that the “starter” label really doesn’t matter.
For Bonitto to take the next step as a player, he has to improve as a run defender. And that was the knock on him coming out of Oklahoma. Bonitto measured in at 6-3 and 248 pounds at the NFL Combine, which is certainly on the smaller side for an EDGE rusher. But because of his speed, quickness, and flexibility, he’s been able to make it work due to his pass-rush skills. He can be a special pass rusher and we saw that in spurts last season when he was on the field.
Bonitto earned more snaps in Year 2, but he played on fewer than 200 run-down snaps. Denver brought him on the field in obvious passing-down situations, but he was far from a full-time player because he’s struggled to hold up against the run. That’ll need to change if he wants to have a breakout season, but he has all of the tools to be a double-digit sack player provided that he can play enough snaps. Look for Vance Joseph to find a way to get him on the field more often in 2024.
