5 under-the-radar players who could win Super Bowl MVP

Every once in a while, the brightest star on football's most glamorous stage isn't who many thought it would be.

The Super Bowl's history includes unexpected chapters scripted by under-the-radar players who surpassed their more illustrious peers to earn MVP honors.

With the big game right around the corner, here are five names who could potentially become the next Desmond Howard, Deion Branch, or Malcolm Smith and come out of nowhere to claim Super Bowl MVP.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, 49ers

Sanders has been quiet this postseason, managing just two catches for 33 yards. However, the veteran has been a clutch performer since arriving in the Bay Area midway through the regular season.

He amassed 41 first downs in 2019, his best total since 2016. Sanders' 13.2 yards per catch represented the best output in his last five seasons; in 10 games with the San Francisco 49ers, he averaged an even more impressive 13.9 yards.

The 32-year-old could also be a factor due to his trick-play potential. Along with his seven catches for 157 yards and a score against the New Orleans Saints in Week 14, Sanders tossed a touchdown to help the 49ers clinch a crucial victory.

Sanders has two Super Bowl appearances under his belt. As a rookie, he collected 17 yards on two catches for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. He then accrued six catches for 83 yards in Super Bowl 50 as a member of the Denver Broncos.

Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs

Hardman's big-play potential is undisputed. The second-round rookie out of Georgia was a home run hitter in 2019, scoring four 40-plus-yard receiving touchdowns, averaging 20.7 yards per catch, and returning a 104-yard kickoff to the house.

His overall production this season wasn't extraordinary - 26 catches for 538 yards - but both his scoring gifts (seven all-purpose touchdowns) and effect on special teams could be major assets as the Kansas City Chiefs try to break through one of the league's best defenses.

Tevin Coleman, RB, 49ers

The 49ers established themselves as a team of unpredictable heroes throughout 2019. Raheem Mostert is the latest trending topic in San Francisco's offensive unit after his 200-yard, four-touchdown effort in the NFC title game, and the club will be hoping to count on its deep rotational backfield again.

Some might have thought Coleman burned out during a quiet second half of the season that followed his four-touchdown outing in Week 8. However, he proved he can still be an X-factor after collecting 105 yards and two scores in the divisional round against the Minnesota Vikings.

Coleman has been battling a shoulder injury since the NFC Championship Game, but the Chiefs can't underestimate the 26-year-old's red-zone potential.

Tyrann Mathieu, S, Chiefs

Mathieu has revived his career since the Arizona Cardinals let him go following the 2017 season. The star defensive back performed well with the Houston Texans in 2018 and has shown during the Chiefs' 2019 campaign that he can once again be one of the best at his position.

Mathieu enters Super Bowl LIV playing perhaps the best football of his career. The 27-year-old, who led the Chiefs in interceptions and passes defended during the regular season, has been all over the field and will need to shine again for Kansas City to succeed against the 49ers' solid running game and creative play-calling.

The last defensive back to claim Super Bowl MVP honors was Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Dexter Jackson at the end of the 2002 season.

Fred Warner, LB, 49ers

The 49ers' defensive unit has impressed throughout the entire campaign, and it's due in large part to Warner's services. The second-year linebacker, who's led San Francisco in tackles in consecutive seasons, has expanded his influence all over the field.

He finished 2019 as one of only two players to record at least 100 combined tackles, three sacks, five passes defended, and one touchdown. Considering Patrick Mahomes' recent impact on the running game and potential matchups against stud tight end Travis Kelce, San Francisco will need its leading linebacker to stand out once more.

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