2012 Breakout NFL Predictions

Who will be this year's Victor Cruz?

As the month of August continues to slowly wind down, the start of the NFL regular season is now just around the corner. And with the start of a new season, many people are preparing for their fantasy football drafts. So I decided to give you a few players who I feel are undervalued in many mock drafts and by most experts.

Quarterback:

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons - This guy can win games...in the regular season. Despite being 0-3 in his first three playoff attempts, he is still 43-19 as a starter in regular season play and has made the playoffs in three out of his first four seasons. During that one season in which the Falcons missed the playoffs, the team still managed to finish with a winning record at 9-7. So you know the guy is a ballplayer, he just has yet to get over the playoff hump. That being said Matt Ryan has been steadily improving statistically since coming into the league in 2008. In fact, last year Ryan ranked 8th in passing yards with just under 4,200 and through 29 touchdowns along with only 12 interceptions. He also ranked 8th in fantasy points by position last year. Now, why do I feel like Ryan will breakout this year? Well, it is his fifth year in the league and all five have been spent with the same team under the same coach. Also his weapons are poised for big years. Roddy White is coming off back to back 100 reception seasons and is one of the premiere wideouts in the league. Taking some of the heat off White is second year stud Julio Jones, who is now healthy after missing three games last year with a nagging hamstring injury. Rounding out Ryan's targets is tight end Tony Gonzalez, who "Father Time" has yet to catch up to, and still produces at a top five tight end level. All of this along with the steady run game provided by Michael Turner is why I think Matt Ryan will put up huge numbers this season.

Running Back:

Murray has shined in training camp

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys - I really wanted to put Oakland's Darren McFadden here but the fact that Carson Palmer is still a starting quarterback somewhere is mind boggling, and with no passing game, there is no ground game. It also kills me to pick a Cowboy, since my G-Men have to chase this guy around twice a year and compete for the division against, but Murray is a stud. I say that with caution though. This is because he is a stud...when healthy. Last season, after finally being named the starter, Murray burst onto the scene with a 253 yard performance and until getting his season ended early by my Giants in week 14, he was putting up solid stats. This season, Murray comes in as the feature back and will get almost all of the carries when healthy. A few of you might be asking, "What about Felix Jones?" Well, Mr. Jones has not been impressing anyone in Cowboys camp. How bad is it? Jones failed his conditioning test at the start of training camp! As for Murray, he has been running rampant and looks determined to breakout and cement his name atop the rushing leaders.

Wide Receiver:

Titus Young, Detroit Lions - Wide receiver is a tough one because anyone can burst onto the scene without any notice. Last season it was Giants wideout Victor Cruz, and in 2010 it was Denver's Brandon Lloyd who now is with the Patriots. If this trend continues, I expect Detroit Lion Titus Young to be that guy. His quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off his first injury free season of his three year career and put up ridiculous numbers, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns. So last year proves Stafford knows the system and the fact that he is going into his fourth season means that he should be more comfortable going through his reads instead of just throwing it up to Calvin Johnson (which does work by the way.) This means more action for Young. Last season in his rookie campaign, Young was thrown right into the fire as the team's third wideout behind Johnson and Nate Burleson, right after the lockout. So Young missed some valuable meshing time with the Lions' offensive unit. This season I think Young will occupy the number 2 wideout position, as Burleson starts to get older, and with Johnson commanding most of the defense's attention, Young will have an opportunity to really have a big season.

Tight End:

Jacob Tamme, Denver Broncos - The lone reason I am taking Tamme here is because of Peyton Manning. The guy loves his tight ends. After making Dallas Clark into who he was, one of the prominent tight ends in the league, to pretty much nothing after Manning missed all of last season, you can see how important Manning is in terms of tight end production. Tamme's numbers were nothing special last season with only 19 receptions and 1 touchdown, but an increase in targets and more red zone trips this season as opposed to Tamme's horrid 2011 Colts team, should give him a lot more opportunities to breakout this season.

Rookies To Keep An Eye On:

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts - No surprise here, but he is the starter going into week 1 and scouts did say he was the most impressive draft prospect ever.

Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Most people are inly looking at Trent Richardson to do anything this season in terms of rookie running backs. But, with LeGarrette Blount and Doug Martin the Bucs have a 1-2 punch and Martin will most likely be the feature back. Plus Martin is nicknamed "The Muscle Hamster."

Watch out for these two

Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals - Paging Kurt Warner. Imagine if the Cardinals had a decent quarterback? With arguably the top wideout Larry Fitzgerald already in Arizona this tandem could be deadly. Fitz has been working with Floyd, pushing him in workouts all throughout the summer. Now it's just a matter of the ball getting to them

Colby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts - Luck's Stanford companion. The reliable checkdown that was always there for Luck, is now reunited with him in the pro's, in what could be a connection you see for many more years.