One breakout candidate for each NFL team in 2018
By Brad Weiss
The Los Angeles Rams proved in 2017 that the NFL is a very hard league to predict when it comes to where teams are going to finish a season. With the youngest head coach in the league in Sean McVay, and a quarterback who some already felt was a bust, the Rams entered the 2018 campaign with very low expectations.
All the team did from there was win the NFC West, as McVay won Coach of the Year honors, and quarterback Jared Goff played his way into his first Pro Bowl appearance. This Rams team has made some incredible moves this offseason to take the next step in their development, as they lost in the Wild Card round to the Atlanta Falcons in their only playoff game.
When it comes to this roster, the defense got a major upgrade this offseason, as they brought in guys like Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, and Aqib Talib. On offense, Los Angeles traded for Brandin Cooks, giving them an elite option on the outside along with Cooper Kupp, who caught 62 balls in his rookie season in 2017.
Kupp is a player that is going to have a breakout season in 2018, and he showed that he can also perform on the big stage last season. The third round pick from Eastern Washington had a monster game against the Falcons in that playoff loss, hauling in eight passes for 69 yards, while finding the end zone once.
The Pro Football Writers of America named Kupp to their All-Rookie team last season, and for good reason. He caught an incredible 73 touchdown passes during his time in college, and he should get into the double-digits in his second season with the Rams in 2018.