10 NFL players exceeding expectations in 2018

The NFL has offered up surprise after surprise this season, with a number of teams and players performing contrary to expectations. Several players stand out above the rest, off to great starts to 2018 despite the fact that not many people would have been expecting them to do what they’ve proven capable of doing.

Here are ten players whose 2018 seasons are off to great starts — better than many probably would have expected of them, in fact.

10. Myles Garrett, DE, Browns

Garrett played in 11 games in 2017 and collected seven sacks. That was impressive enough, but he’s taken a big step forward in year two that puts him ahead of what many thought his development curve would be. His four sacks — in only three games — are tied for the best mark in the NFL, and he’s helped the Browns’ defense become a rather fearsome unit. It’s safe to say he has even more room to grow now.

9. DeSean Jackson, WR, Buccaneers

There were times during his first season in Tampa Bay that Jackson looked washed up. His 668 receiving yards were his worst full-season mark of his career, and he caught just three touchdown passes. It’s all turned around in 2018 with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm. Jackson has already matched his 2017 touchdown total through three games, is averaging an NFL-best 26 yards per catch, and is close to halfway to matching his 2017 yardage total already. He also looked great on a punt return Monday night that was called back due to a penalty. It seems he’s back.

8. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers

McCaffrey’s rookie season was a bit stop-and-start at times, and he was actually more successful in racking up receiving exploits than he was in the ground game. That has changed in 2018. While McCaffrey is still productive in the receiving game, he’s third in the NFL in rushing yardage with 271 through three games. He has yet to find the end zone, but that’s only a matter of time. He looks like he’s blossoming into a star ahead of schedule.

7. Darius Leonard, LB, Colts

The Colts look to have a steal on their hands in Leonard, the 36th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. He came direct from the FCS level to wipe out opponents: he has 30 solo tackles, six for a loss, and three sacks in three games so far. He’s also forced and recovered a fumble. The rookie out of South Carolina State looks like a future star, and a real draft coup for an Indianapolis Colts team that needed this sort of talent infusion.

6. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Dolphins

Very quietly, Tannehill, now healthy, has looked like one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks this season. He’s completed 73 percent of his passes so far, with seven touchdowns to just two interceptions for 687 total yards. He hasn’t even had to throw that much, and is averaging 12.7 yards per completed pass as well. The fact that he’s doing all this after missing an entire season is even more impressive. He’s the key reason Miami is one of the last remaining 3-0 teams.

5. James Conner, RB, Steelers

For many teams, a holdout of a player like Le’Veon Bell would be a season-changing event, a potential disaster that seriously hinders the entire offense. Not so for the Steelers, who have had their share of issues but seem to be set at the running back position. Conner has shown himself to be up to the task, sitting seventh in the NFL with 213 rushing yards through three games, finding the end zone on three occasions. Conner has been good enough that pretty much everyone has sat up and taken notice. It has also made the Bell situation much less of an issue than it otherwise could have been.

4. Xavien Howard, CB, Dolphins

The third-year corner has quickly evolved into a star-caliber player and the key to unbeaten Miami’s defense. He’s tied for the NFL lead with three interceptions in as many games, including one in the end zone late in the fourth quarter during Week 3 to preserve Miami’s lead over the Oakland Raiders. Howard looks like he could be one of the league’s next great cornerbacks, though many haven’t realized it yet.

3. Matt Breida, RB, 49ers

Breida was a decent peripheral contributor to the 49ers as a rookie in 2017, but the season-ending injury to Jerick McKinnon meant he was immediately thrust into a role he wasn’t expected to have to fulfill. He has shown himself to be up to the task and then some. Breida’s 274 rushing yards are joint-best in the NFL through three games, though he’s only scored one touchdown. It hardly matters. San Francisco’s plans were thrown into panic when McKinnon went down, but Breida’s exemplary performances have been enough to ensure that they haven’t really missed him all that much.

2. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

There were definitely some people who doubted whether Mahomes was refined enough and experienced enough to keep the Chiefs in the realm of contenders in 2018. A league-leading 13 touchdown passes later, those doubters have either silent or into vocal believers. Mahomes has been tossing touchdowns at a record rate in 2018, showing the poise, touch, and arm strength that you look for in an elite quarterback. He’s an early-season MVP candidate far sooner than even the wildest Mahomes optimist could have predicted, and has shown no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

1. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buccaneers

Only one quarterback in NFL history has thrown for 400 yards in three straight games. It is not Favre, Brady, Manning, Montana, Elway, or any of the other legends that likely pop into your head. It is Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Tampa Bay stand-in who has captivated football with his truly absurd pace to start the season. Already at 1,230 yards through three games, his 11 touchdowns trail only Mahomes’ tally for the league’s best mark. Will he be able to keep it up? Who cares? Enjoy it while it lasts, because nobody could have possibly seen it coming.