NFL: Cordarrelle Patterson, players sure to breakout in 2014

Barkevious Mingo, OLB Cleveland Browns

Players in their second season in the NFL (see Dee Milliner, Andre Ellington, etc.) are often given expanded roles to go along with any adjustments that they have made, and Browns pass-rusher Barkevious Mingo fits the bill. The former LSU Tiger wasn’t hugely disappointing in his debut, simply because he did manage to add five sacks and 42 combined tackles while appearing in all 16 games, but the “upside” of the sixth overall pick didn’t exactly jump off the page with Mingo, and that left some with a sour taste.

Still, the 240-pound athletic freak certainly possesses the tools to wreak havoc in opposing backfields, and with a new defensive scheme that should highlight his talents, the recipe is there for a big jump in statistical production. Because some believe that Mingo is simply too small to hold up under a pounding, there will be a large number of eyes on him in year two, but the Browns should be greatly improved across the board from a talent standpoint, and that should assist Barkevious Mingo in freeing up rushing lanes to make plays with his well-chronicled burst.