Each year, there is a crop of NFL players who have a breakout season. Breakout players come in many forms: a sophomore breakout, a player on a new team, or even a veteran who is finally given his opportunity to excel.
In the weeks leading to training camp, Blitz Sports Media’s NFL team will assist me in determining who the potential breakout candidates on each team are for the 2025 season. Each week, we’ll post breakout candidates by division.
Do you agree or disagree with our selections? Let us know on X @JLSports24 or @BlitzSM_
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yaya Diaby | EDGE
Yaya Diaby, an outside linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is a prime breakout candidate for 2025 due to his untapped potential and favorable circumstances.
Drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Diaby recorded 7.5 sacks, despite starting only seven games. According to his stat sheet, he regressed in 2024 after recording 4.5 sacks in 17 starts, though the stat sheet doesn’t tell the entire story. The Buccaneers defender saw an increase in QB hurries, hits, and pressures per snap in 2024, even though he didn’t increase his sack total.
The addition of Haason Reddick to the Bucs’ defense in 2025 should draw attention from opposing offensive lines, creating more one-on-one opportunities for Diaby. His athleticism and fit in Todd Bowles’ aggressive defensive scheme further enhance his 2025 outlook.
After a first-round exit in the 2024 playoffs, the Bucs will be looking to improve their 29th-ranked passing defense in order to keep building towards a championship run. Improving the pass rush (21st per PFF) may be the first step in doing so. Yaya Diaby has all the tools to have a breakout, 10+ sack season, which would go a long way in improving the Tampa Bay defense.
Atlanta Falcons
Jalon Walker | LB
The Georgia EDGE lands in the division with a chip on his shoulder given the perceived slight from the Panthers. Walker is going to be added into the role of MLB quickly given the Falcons also took EDGE James Pearce Jr., who will slot in easily. Walker is going to play as a coverage LB on snaps, but absolutely expect him to steal a few sacks in a pass rushing snap. Walker is a breakout for the Falcons in a way that can shore up the devalued position of LB in Atlanta for a decade or more. – @RollCoveragePod
Carolina Panthers
Jalen Coker | WR
The Holy Cross to NFL pipeline may be small, but it’s going to become a staple if they continue to produce WRs like Jalen “Joker” Coker. In a now-crowded wide receiver room, Coker has the chance to become a WR2 if he plays his cards right. The offense is going to hinge heavily on the run game, so a massive breakout can be on the horizon for Coker, allowing him to pass fellow classmate and first-round WR Xavier Legette, who stumbled a bit in his rookie year. – @Blitz_Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB
In his second season, Kool-Aid McKinstry takes over as the full-time top corner for the New Orleans Saints. Longtime Saint, Marshon Lattimore, was traded last off-season in what was mostly a salary cap-related move, but also instilled some confidence in McKinstry to lead the secondary.
The 2024 second-round pick out of Alabama allowed a 57.9 completion percentage on 57 targets, which went for 404 yards and 2 TDs in his rookie season. The Saints’ defense was 27th in the league in passing yards allowed, but 4th in TDs, allowing only 19 scores through the air. The defense will look to improve on those numbers under new leadership in 2025.
New Head Coach Kellen Moore brings along Brandon Staley to serve as defensive coordinator. Staley’s defense features a heavy dose of man-to-man coverage, which is McKinstry’s strength. Upon being drafted by the Saints, Greg Cosell of the 33rd Team offered analysis of McKinstry.
“Played mirror-match-press-man coverage at high level. Patient and controlled matching releases and routes.”
The Saints may not be competing for a Super Bowl just yet, but I believe they have one of their building blocks in place. A bona fide #1 corner is hard to lock down in the NFL, but after the 2025 season, I believe, Kool-Aid McKinstry will be recognized as just that.
Special thanks to Nick of Blitz Sports Media for his contributions to the Panthers and Falcons breakout players for 2025. Check out more of his work on X: Roll Coverage Pod and Blitz Panthers
