San Francisco – Sam Darnold, Drake Maye, Stefon Diggs and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have garnered much of the attention during Super Bowl week. That’s expected, considering their importance to their respective offenses on game day.
Here, I take a closer look at those potential breakout players who could make a splash, emerging as X-factors we could be talking about after Sunday’s big game.
DTs Milton Williams and Christian Barmore
Williams, a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles last season and one of the top free-agent additions for the Patriots during the offseason, lived up to lofty expectations in his first year with his new team.
Per Next Gen Stats, New England has a 39.2% pressure rate with Williams on the field and 33.0% when he’s off the it. Williams also posted two sacks in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl win last year, so he plays well in big games.
[Related: How ‘Elite Ballplayer’ Milton Williams Quickly Guided Patriots to Super Bowl]
The second of New England’s dynamic pass-rushing duo at defensive tackle, Barmore has the second-most quarterback pressure rate at his position (13.6%) and 56 total quarterback pressures this season, according to Next Gen Stats. Williams and Barmore have combined for the fourth-most quarterback pressures by a defensive tackle tandem in 2025 (67).
That’s an important number because the two face one of the worst pass-blocking offensive guards in Seattle’s Anthony Bradford, who tied a career high with eight quarterback pressures allowed in the NFC title game against the Los Angeles Rams. Bradford also allowed 13 quick pressures during the regular season, fifth-most among right guards.
During the regular season, Sam Darnold committed a turnover on a league-high 7.2% of his pressured dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats, including six interceptions and five fumbles lost. Figuring out how to contain Williams and Barmore will be critical for the Seahawks.
Barmore (left) and Williams. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The rookie first-round pick has struggled in pass protection this year, allowing seven sacks during the regular season. Maye was sacked a league-high 15 times during the postseason and accounted for three turnovers.
Now, Campbell faces one of the best pass-rush groups in the league in the Seattle Seahawks.
[Related: Inside Maye’s bond with his O-line]
According to Next Gen Stats, six Seattle defenders generated at least 35 pressures this season, the most in the NFL. What makes the Seahawks dangerous is their ability to create pressure without blitzing. Seattle generated a 35.8% pressure rate using just four rushers, No. 3 in the NFL.
Look for the Seahawks to target Campbell with veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence early and often.
TE Hunter Henry
The Arkansas product has developed into Maye’s security blanket in the passing game. Henry finished with 60 receptions for 768 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns during the regular season. Maye looks for Henry at the most important moments of the game.
In the red zone, Henry has 13 catches for 123 receiving yards and four touchdowns. It’s the third-most receptions among tight ends during the regular season. Henry’s 26 touchdown receptions over the last five seasons are the fourth most among tight ends. If Maye is under duress, expect him to look for Henry as a pressure release valve.
Seattle Seahawks
WR Rashid Shaheed
The San Diego native has been one of the best midseason trade acquisitions in recent memory. He has three touchdowns for returns this season.
As Seahawks special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh told me, it’s not just Shaheed’s speed.
“He fields the ball super clean, which is hyper-important,” Harbaugh said. “Not just catching it, but how smooth he can catch it, so he can transition and get running. I would say after that, he’s got vision. He knows how to set up blocks and defenders, and then after that he has the speed to make it count if they do put the ball where it’s supposed to be and take it all the way.”
As Harbaugh said, we know Shaheed can make an impact in the return game. Will Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel kick it to him? If not, Seattle must find a meaningful way to get Shaheed involved in the offense, like the 51-yard deep shot to open the game against the Rams two weeks ago.
Shaheed finished with just 15 passes for 188 yards during the regular season with no touchdowns.
The Michigan State product has gotten more comfortable in the offense during the backstretch of the year. Since Week 16, including the postseason, Walker’s 423 yards and five touchdowns are the second most in the NFL over that time. Walker finished with the third-highest missed tackles forced rate on carries during the regular season of 30.3%, per Next Gen Stats and 67% of his rushes have been outside the tackle box.
“He’s more decisive and trusting what he sees,” Seahawks GM John Schneider told me about Walker’s improved play.
Walker creates balance on offense by effectively running the football and taking pressure off Darnold to carry the offense with his arm. The Seahawks had a league-high 48.7% called run rate by offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, according to Next Gen Stats.
S Nick Emmanwori
The rookie second-round pick out of South Carolina has been a key piece for Mike Macdonald’s defense because of his versatility.
But, will Emmanwori play? It seems likely after he was a full participant in practice on Friday, but he suffered an ankle sprain in practice earlier in the week. Not ideal timing for a player whose breakout started in the second half of the regular season.
Still, Emmanwori is one of Seattle’s best cover guys in the secondary. He allowed just eight passing yards in coverage and finished with three pass breakups in Seattle’s NFC Championship Game win over the Rams. Emmanwori also helped Seattle hold teams to 4.56 yards per carry, No. 2 in the NFL.
