The All-Riser team: 11 breakout players impressing this season
The release of theScore's midseason All-Pro team this week cast attention on stars like Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Myles Garrett. They'll all contend for major awards at year's end.
The All-Riser team celebrates pleasant surprises around the NFL. These 11 players deserve kudos for elevating their games to new and unexpected heights.
Past Pro Bowlers and rookies aren't eligible for this list, though one late-round gem's emergence was impossible to ignore. One player is named per position, guaranteeing there are omissions that you're welcome to note in the comments.
Quarterback: Sam Howell, Commanders
Scott Taetsch / Getty ImagesHe takes tons of sacks (4.9 per game) and has tossed nine interceptions in as many weeks, but Howell is making the best of his situation. He's relied on to do more than any NFL starter and has led three fourth-quarter comebacks to win or force overtime.
Howell tops the NFL in pass attempts (353, or 39.2 per game) and completions (235). Comfortable chucking the ball, he's also the leader in intended and completed air yards and big-time throws. Only seven starters have a better bad-throw percentage than Howell (12.9%), according to Pro Football Reference. He's on pace to join Mahomes and Justin Herbert as the only 23-year-old quarterbacks to pass for 4,500 yards with a 65% accuracy rate.
This All-Riser spot could have belonged to Brock Purdy. He ranks first in net yards gained per pass attempt despite the 49ers' ongoing slide. Howell, hampered by all the sacks, is 27th. Candidly, though, it's more fun to spotlight what Howell's achieved with a demanding workload and lesser supporting cast.
Running back: Zack Moss, Colts
Justin Casterline / Getty ImagesMoss missed the season opener with a broken forearm, and his carries have dwindled since Jonathan Taylor's holdout ended in October. But he still ranks second in the NFL with 615 rushing yards, trailing only Christian McCaffrey, and tops Taylor in yards per rush (4.7 to 4.1) on twice as many attempts.
The fourth-year back has already set career highs in touches (148), scrimmage yards (738), first downs (37), and touchdowns from scrimmage (six). Without a single fumble, Moss has gained 152 rushing yards over expectation to edge Raheem Mostert for the league lead, per Next Gen Stats.
Moss' best outings - he torched the Titans for 165 yards and put up 122 against the formidable Ravens defense - signaled the 25-year-old can carry a backfield. He'll be able to pursue a lead role and a satisfactory payday in free agency next offseason.
Wide receiver: Puka Nacua, Rams
Harry How / Getty ImagesNo other rookies appear in this rundown, but an exception needed to be made for Nacua. The No. 177 draft pick ranks fourth in receiving yardage, and he's gained more yards for the Rams through nine games (827) than he did in his most productive college season at BYU.
Nacua is on track to break Ja'Marr Chase's rookie receiving record of 1,455 yards. Including Chase, five wideouts in the Super Bowl era have bagged 1,200 yards as rookies - and each of them was drafted in the first or second round. No one foresaw Nacua joining this group.
Nacua caught 39 passes during Cooper Kupp's four-game absence. He's tied with Hill in 20-plus-yard grabs (16). His first touchdown was a walk-off winner in overtime. Even if the Rams' pass attack cools while Matthew Stafford is sidelined, Nacua's debut year will be magical.
Tight end: Jonnu Smith, Falcons
Factors beyond Smith's control, like Atlanta's erratic quarterback play and abundance of offensive weapons, didn't prevent him from breaking out at 28 years old.
Smith primarily runs routes for Desmond Ridder, who ranks 22nd in passing yards. Atlanta's recent first-round picks - tight end Kyle Pitts, wideout Drake London, and running back Bijan Robinson - receive more opportunities in the offense. But Smith delivers when called upon, hauling in more catches (34) for greater yardage (422) than he amassed over full seasons with the Patriots in 2021 and 2022.
George Kittle is the only tight end gaining more yards per target than Smith (10.3 to 10.0). Smith ranks fifth at the position in receiving success rate (64.3%) and catch rate (81.0%). He wasn't even touched on this sensational screen route against the Vikings.
Jonnu Smith goes 60 yards!
- NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023
: #MINvsATL on FOX
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/d4RDZpcMkc pic.twitter.com/Jnm39mX0GI
Offensive lineman: Zach Tom, Packers
Jordan Love's right tackle, a fellow newcomer to Green Bay's starting lineup, has kept the quarterback clean. Tom surrendered one sack and one additional QB hit on 315 dropbacks despite playing through a knee injury for a couple of weeks.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2022, Tom took snaps as a rookie at all four tackle and guard positions. At 6-foot-4 and 304 pounds, he's shorter, lighter, and nimbler than most shutdown tackles. His fulfillment of that role helped stabilize the Packers line this year in the absence of injured perennial All-Pro David Bakhtiari.
Only eight NFL tackles who pass-block as frequently as Tom does have allowed fewer QB pressures, per PFF. Meanwhile, Tom's 78.6 PFF run-blocking grade ranks eighth at the position. He's only taken one penalty and moved the ball upfield on a Packers scoring drive by flopping to get Maxx Crosby flagged for unnecessary roughness.
Interior defensive lineman: Osa Odighizuwa, Cowboys
Cooper Neill / Getty ImagesQuarterbacks dread the thought of Micah Parsons destroying their protection from the outside. But they also have to deal with Odighizuwa, a budding force in the middle of the Dallas line.
Dexter Lawrence, Aaron Donald, and Jalen Carter are the only interior linemen who boast a better pass rush win rate than Odighizuwa (18.2%, up from 11.1% in 2022). His 88.2 PFF grade ranks fifth at the position behind that trio and Quinnen Williams. That's elite company for a third-year NFL grunt.
Odighizuwa is efficient and versatile. Among inside linemen, he ranks 51st in pass rush snaps but is 21st in QB pressures, per PFF. He's 59th in run snaps but 39th in run stops (a tackle that constitutes failure for the offense). By outperforming his role, Odighizuwa strains lines that already struggle to contain Parsons.
Edge rusher: George Karlaftis, Chiefs
Defense is Kansas City's strength for the first time in the Mahomes era. The Chiefs are second in points allowed and tee off weekly on opposing passers, pressuring them on 28.2% of dropbacks, per Pro Football Reference.
Karlaftis' ascendance in his second season helps explain that. The No. 30 draft pick in 2022 matched his rookie sack total (six) in half the time. His 44 QB pressures rank fifth in the NFL, per PFF. Karlaftis is forcing more pocket collapses (14.5% pass rush win rate, up from 8.7% last year) and letting fewer ball carriers escape his grip (12.5% missed tackle rate, down from 30.0%).
Karlaftis stripped Russell Wilson a couple of weeks ago, enabling the Chiefs to tack on a field goal right before halftime. His next sack forced a Broncos field-goal attempt that the Chiefs blocked. Kansas City lost, but Karlaftis flashed immense potential.
George Karlaftis! Strip sack on Russell Wilson. pic.twitter.com/1H0iGHzT97
- Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) October 29, 2023
Linebacker: Quincy Williams, Jets
When Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1, the pressure ramped up on New York's defense to dominate. Williams - teammate and older brother of Quinnen - rose to the challenge.
The fifth-year linebacker stacked monster performances to become the AFC's Defensive Player of October. Williams sacked Wilson twice in four plays and forced the fumble recovery touchdown that sealed the Broncos' defeat. He pounced on D'Andre Swift's fumble when the Jets stunned the Eagles. All 10 of his tackles in an overtime win over the Giants were classified by PFF as stops.
Williams leads the league with 43 stops, and his five pass breakups rank second among linebackers. His PFF grade has skyrocketed accordingly from a previous career best of 55.2 last season to 87.3 through nine scintillating weeks.
Cornerback: Darious Williams, Jaguars
The preeminent playmaker for the defense with the most takeaways, Williams snared interceptions in three straight weeks against the Falcons, Bills, and Colts. He ran back the first pick for a 61-yard score, housing his second career touchdown in six seasons.
Williams' stats sparkle. Out of 38 cornerbacks who've been targeted in coverage at least 40 times, he ranks fourth in passer rating against (64.9), is one of six with zero touchdowns allowed, and is the only one who hasn't taken a penalty. His 11 pass breakups lead the NFL, per PFF, and his tackling has gone from shoddy (15 missed tackles in 2022, the most at his position) to strong (one miss this season).
The Jaguars give up a lot of passing yards but punish sloppiness. Williams stole a catch from Stefon Diggs, then stoned a two-point convert attempt later in the fourth quarter to help fuel Jacksonville's 25-20 win over Buffalo.
DARIOUS WILLIAMS WITH HIS SECOND PICK IN LONDON THIS YEAR.
- NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023
: #JAXvsBUF on NFL Network
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/LxW25sxPWA pic.twitter.com/oJAAQ4wuD5
Safety: Geno Stone, Ravens
Greg Fiume / Getty ImagesStone intercepted one pass in 34 games over his first three NFL seasons. He has six picks through nine appearances in 2023. He's one of our midyear All-Pros, but also was a shoo-in for this list.
Baltimore is unbeaten when Stone records a takeaway. Protecting close leads, Stone jumped routes to intercept Joe Burrow and Ryan Tannehill deep in Ravens territory. He caught errant heaves from Jared Goff, Geno Smith, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson in various blowout wins.
A seventh-round draft choice in 2020, Stone embodies patience. He played two defensive snaps as a rookie and is only in the starting lineup this season because of injuries to Marcus Williams. Baltimore's defense is stingy at every level, but Stone suddenly looks irreplaceable in the secondary.
Kicker: Dustin Hopkins, Browns
Money from long range, Hopkins has made all seven of his field goals from 50-plus yards, which leads the NFL. His makes from 58, 54, 54, and 44 yards proved to be the difference when the Browns edged the Colts in a 39-38 thriller. He nailed four kicks after halftime to key Cleveland's 19-17 comeback win over the 49ers.
Hopkins strengthened a weakness - he missed 15 of 30 attempts from 50-plus yards over eight previous seasons - and rebounded admirably from adversity. Injured for most of 2022, he lost his job with the Chargers to Cameron Dicker at the conclusion of training camp. Getting traded to the Browns for a seventh-round pick rejuvenated him.
Brandon Aubrey's storybook journey to the Cowboys - the former pro soccer defender and software engineer picked up kicking and starred in the USFL for the past two seasons - merits an honorable mention. Aubrey has drilled 19 field goals to set the record for consecutive makes to start a career.
Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.
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