5 rookies who could have an impact on Super Bowl LI

Super Bowl LI is coming up and the anticipation to the game has been building. Will the New England Patriots win their fifth Lombardi Trophy? Will the Atlanta Falcons win their first ever championship? And which players will make a huge impact and have their lives changed forever?

It seems like every year there’s an unexpected hero, and sometimes it comes by way of a rookie. So with that in mind, here’s a look at five rookies who could change the course of football history on Super Bowl Sunday.

5. Malcolm Mitchell (wide receiver, New England Patriots)

The Patriots are quite deep at the wide receiver position and Malcolm Mitchell, who was selected in the fourth round out of Georgia, only adds to that depth.

In limited action this season, Mitchell hauled in 32 receptions on 48 targets for 401 yards and four touchdowns. And while that doesn’t seem like much on the surface, it represents a constantly evolving rapport with quarterback Tom Brady — a trust that could become a major factor in Super Bowl LI.

Although Mitchell has seen only four targets in the playoffs, his production did increase substantially down the stretch in the regular season. And if he can overcome a lingering knee injury that limited him in practice a week ago, it’s entirely plausible for Josh McDaniels to draw up a few plays specifically for Mitchell — especially when you consider how much attention New England’s other receivers are likely to garner.

And for Mitchell, he’ll be completely ready if and when the opportunity comes his way.

“I just try to play a play at a time,” Mitchell told the Boston Herald. “I hope I’m able to be a part of the team winning the game, and that’s it. . . . If that comes, then I’ll be very fortunate.”

At the end of the day, Mitchell could very well be the ace up New England’s sleeve.

4. Brian Poole (cornerback, Atlanta Falcons)

Rookies and second-year players have led the way on Atlanta’s defense, and Poole won’t be the last one discussed here. In fact, they’ve had such a tremendous impact this season that one could pinpoint that young group as the very reason they reached Super Bowl LI in the first place.

Poole, who signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent out of Florida, has had a season few anticipated. He’s earned a role as the team’s primary nickel corner, recording 59 tackles (43 solo), one sack, one interception, two fumbles recovered, nine passes defensed and an impressive five stuffs.

Considering Atlanta plays in a nickel package roughly 50 percent of all defensive snaps, Poole’s emergence has been a big deal. It also means he’s going to play a key role in Super Bowl LI, likely lining up across from Julian Edelman.

It’s a tall order, but Poole has risen to the occasion repeatedly this season. And while no match-up will be bigger than the one he faces this Sunday, Poole has earned the faith of his coaches.

Like several other rookies on Atlanta’s defensive unit, Poole’s play, good or bad, will directly factor into the result of Super Bowl LI.

3. Deion Jones (linebacker, Atlanta Falcons)

A second-round pick out of LSU, Jones joined the Falcons and immediately thrust himself into a key role by taking over at middle linebacker.

The results? Jones recorded 108 tackles, which led all rookies, 14 passes defensed, one forced fumble, three interceptions and two impressive touchdowns. He was also named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.

In the playoffs, the disruptive and athletic Jones didn’t slow down, recording five tackles, a stuff and an interception in a win against the Seahawks, and six tackles and a pass defensed in a win against the Packers.

In order for the Falcons to slow down Tom Brady and New England’s methodical offense, Jones will need to do more of the same. And the good news is that he’s fully prepared to do exactly that.

“We just have to stick to our rules on defense and pay attention to our details,” Jones told Newsday. “I feel like that’s the only way we’re going to get to [Brady] . . . We know our process, we know what we have to do, we know what type of team we have. We know our style of play. We just have to stick to that and that’s pretty much it.”

If the young Falcons defense, led by Jones and a few other up-and-comers, can continue to play their style of football, it could mean big things in the ATL.

2. Joe Thuney (guard, New England Patriots)

Don’t think for a second that a rookie guard can’t have a substantial impact on the Super Bowl because they can and, in this case, Thuney absolutely will.

Whether it’s positive or negative, Thuney’s play will factor heavily into the final score of Super Bowl LI. And the reason for that is obvious: not only is he New England’s starting guard, but he’s played more snaps (1,115) than any other player on the team’s offense this season.

A third-round pick out of North Carolina State, Thuney had a solid rookie campaign, helping to pave the way for LeGarrette Blount’s 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns, as well as helping to keep Tom Brady protected.

For his efforts, Thuney was named to the 2016 PFWA All-Rookie Team. However, reviews weren’t always completely glowing.

Like many rookies, Thuney had some ups and downs. He hung on and handled the learning curve, but nothing can prepare him for playing in a Super Bowl. Despite that, he remains cool, calm, collected and confident in himself.

“It’s still kind of hitting me,” Thuney told the Boston Herald. “But I’m just trying to put things into perspective and not make too much of it. But it is a huge game and we’re looking forward to it.”

If Thuney has a strong game on Sunday, it likely means good things for the Patriots. But if some rookie mistakes were to crop up, the results could be potentially devastating.

1. Keanu Neal (safety, Atlanta Falcons)

Only two rookies finished the regular season with 100 or more tackles, and both were Falcons. As noted earlier, linebacker Deion Jones led all rookies with 108 tackles, and it was teammate Keanu Neal who checked in at No. 2 with 106.

The hard-hitting, run-stopping strong safety was a first-round pick out of Florida and paid immediate dividends for Atlanta. In addition to his impressive 106 tackles, Neal also defended eight passes, forced five fumbles, which led all rookies, and recovered a sixth.

As impressive as all those numbers might be, the one that’s most impressive is Neal’s age: 21.

“The only thing that surprises me is that he’s playing in the Super Bowl at the age of 21,” former South Sumter football coach Inman Sherman told the Daily Commercial of Neal. “I’m not surprised Keanu’s playing in the Super Bowl …; just that he got there so quickly. He is the best student athlete we put out at South Sumter while I was at the school. A 1-in-100 kid, the total package. No one ever outworked him on the football field, in the weight room, or in the classroom.”

In nine separate regular season games, Neal made an impact with at least eight tackles. That has so far carried over into the postseason, with Neal recording a team-leading 11 tackles in a victory over Green Bay and another six in a victory over Seattle.

With the potential for LeGarrette Blount to take over Super Bowl LI, the onus really falls on both Jones and Neal to slow him down and keep him out of the endzone. If the duo are successful, it will be a key element to any potential Falcons upset.