NFL Barometer: Smith-Schuster Set To Soar

Welcome to the second of two pre-training camp editions of the NFL Barometer, where I'll strive to project who's headed in either a positive or negative direction. Naturally, there's plenty of unknowns at this time of year, but the combination of the free agency, the draft, OTAs and mini-camps have all helped provide a glimpse into how certain players' fortunes shape up heading into the 2018 season.

Without further ado, let's delve further into the outlook for multiple players at each skill position as camps approach:

Trending Up

Quarterback

Jared Goff, Rams: Perhaps no second-year player took a bigger leap forward last season than Goff, who looked like an entirely different quarterback in new head coach Sean McVay's system. The 23-year-old comes into 2018 armed with the considerable confidence last year's success affords him, as well as a stacked supporting cast that includes Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. While Sammy Watkins departed this offseason, the team arguably upgraded in acquiring Cooks via trade, a speedster that's proven considerably more durable over his career, and whose 2017 numbers in New England outpaced Watkins'. Additionally, Goff should be even better in his second year under McVay, as should his potential-laden young tight end duo of Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, which would afford the quarterback two more high-upside targets.

Case Keenum, Broncos: Keenum continues his rather improbable climb from run-of-the-mill backup to front-line starter in a new locale this season. The good news is that the Broncos come equipped with two highly capable starting receivers, even though their numbers suffered last season with a three-headed carousel of uninspiring options under center. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, when healthy, arguably are at least on par with the Stefon Diggs-Adam Thielen duo that Keenum enjoyed so much success with last season in Minnesota. Meanwhile, rookie Royce Freeman has the potential to combine with Devontae Booker and De'Angelo Henderson to form an above-average backfield that can help keep defenses honest. It's also worth noting that second-round wideout Courtland Sutton was thought to have first-round talent after logging 144 receptions and 22 touchdowns over his last pair of college seasons, and he could provide Keenum with more overall depth at the position than the QB enjoyed in his breakout 2017.

Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers: Finally given the opportunity to get out of the shadow of Tom Brady and helm his own offense last season, Garoppolo responded with a pair of 300-yard games and 1,560 yards overall in just six games (five starts). Now having had a full offseason to become familiar with head coach Kyle Shanahan's quarterback-friendly system, Garoppolo's arrow is decidedly pointing up, especially considering he'll also get a healthy Pierre Garcon back in the fold after a neck injury curtailed his campaign in 2017. What offseason addition Jerick McKinnon provides as a runner remains to be seen, but he should serve as a dynamic outlet option out of the backfield for Garoppolo, while second-year tight end George Kittle has the talent to make a notable leap after a solid rookie season.

Running Back

Rashaad Penny, Seahawks: Penny put up eye-popping numbers (2,248 yards, 23 TD) as a senior at San Diego State, and he's been talked up as a three-down option by Seahawks brass this offseason. The rookie turned heads at the Combine as well with a 4.46 40-yard dash at 220 pounds, lending credence to the notion that he could bring both thunder and lightning to Seattle's moribund rushing attack. He'll presumably have to battle the likes of Chris Carson, Mike Davis and possibly C.J. Prosise for early-down work, but Penny's talent and upside easily exceeds that of any of the trio, something the team will give him a platform to demonstrate during training camp and the preseason.

Ronald Jones II, Buccaneers: Jones is another rookie that projects for a solid workload from the opening gun of his first regular-season contest. He walks into a Buccaneers backfield that currently sports the solid but unspectacular Peyton Barber as its top returning back, with veteran journeyman Jacquizz Rodgers and passing-down option Charles Sims also around as serviceable complementary players. In other words, there's a path to playing time for Jones if he can force the issue with a strong training camp and preseason, something the USC product seemingly has the talent to accomplish after rushing for 2,632 yards and 31 touchdowns over his last pair of college seasons. Although Jones saw little action as a receiver in college (32 receptions), the Bucs have already stated they think Jones' ability to make plays in space mark him as a potential three-down back that will be involved in the air attack.

Wide Receiver

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers: The 2017 second-round pick not only made quite the impression as a rookie (58 receptions, 917 yards, seven touchdowns), but he now has a starting job opposite Antonio Brown heading into his sophomore 2018 campaign. JSS should see an appreciable boost from the 79 targets he logged in 2017 with Martavis Bryant in Oakland, and his routes, already polished for a rookie by all accounts, figure to be even more precise in his second season. While Brown and Le'Veon Bell will naturally command a substantial share of touches, there should be more than enough left over for Smith-Schuster to make a considerable fantasy impact.

Brandin Cooks, Rams: Cooks seems to go from one prolific quarterback to another, as Jared Goff is set to succeed Drew Brees and Tom Brady as the speedster's signal caller in the coming season. Expectations were high when the 24-year-old landed with the Patriots last season, and although his 65-1,082-7 line was nothing to sneeze at, the numbers represented a slight downturn from his prior two campaigns in New Orleans. On the bright side, Cooks snagged a career-high seven passes of 40 yards or more last season, and the Rams just made a long-term commitment to him as a No. 1 receiver with a five-year extension worth approximately $80 million. With a capable pair of position mates in Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp – not to mention an elite running back in Todd Gurley – to take attention off him, Cooks should prosper in an offense where the week-to-week commitment to getting him targets should be a bit more consistent and reliable than it was in New England.

Marqise Lee, Jaguars: Lee heads into the season as a virtual lock for an uptick in opportunity, given that Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marcedes Lewis all left town this offseason. Meanwhile, Lee signed a four-year, $34 million contract with $16.5 million in guaranteed money. While the talented but inconsistent Donte Moncrief was brought in and both Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook are promising, Lee is going to be the unquestioned No. 1 wideout to open a season for the first time in his career. A good deal of the Jaguars' offense will still run through Leonard Fournette, but Lee should be in line to comfortably exceed the career highs of 63 receptions and 851 receiving yards he established in 2016 if he can remain in good health.

Tight End

George Kittle, 49ers: Kittle fought through injuries and some instability at the quarterback position during his rookie 2017 campaign to still tally a solid 43 receptions (on 63 targets) for 515 yards and two touchdowns. The fifth-round pick flashed plenty of downfield chops with eight catches of greater than 20 yards, and he could be primed for a big leap forward in Year 2 of playing in Kyle Shanahan's offense. A full offseason of working with Jimmy Garoppolo, who should do a lot more for Kittle's production than last year's early-season duo of Brian Hoyer and C.J. Beathard, certainly can only help his cause as well.

Austin Hooper, Falcons: Hooper is another young tight end who should be ready to take his production to a new level in 2018. The third-year pro encouragingly saw his reception totals jump from his rookie-season total of 19 to 49 last season on a robust 65 targets. Head coach Dan Quinn singled Hooper out earlier in the offseason as a player the team expects big things from in 2018, which includes improvement as a blocker. The good news for Hooper is that he has no competition at the position, as the likes of the unproven Eric Saubert and journeyman Logan Paulsen slot behind him on the depth chart.

Trending Down

Quarterback

Blake Bortles, Jaguars: Granted, Lee was just identified as a Trending Up receiver earlier, but that doesn't preclude labeling Bortles' overall fortunes as trending down. While Lee figures to inevitably improve his numbers through sheer volume due to offseason losses at his position, Bortles could see another drop in his generally average numbers. Fournette will be the linchpin of the offense again, and Bortles will find himself throwing to some unfamiliar faces in Moncrief and Austin Seferian-Jenkins. They replace the likes of Robinson, Hurns and Lewis, three players with which Bortles enjoyed considerable rapport and statistical success over the years. Consequently, the quarterback projects for another likely drop in yardage and touchdown passes, as was the case last season when compared to 2016.

Running Back

Latavius Murray, Vikings: Murray projected for a complementary role at this time last season as well due to the presence of 2017 first-rounder Dalvin Cook, but the latter's Week 4 knee injury changed those plans. Thrust into the lead-back job most weeks from that point forward, Murray ultimately proved serviceable while rushing for 842 yards and eight touchdowns and adding 15 receptions for 103 yards. However, if Cook remains healthy this season, Murray will be back to a firm No. 2 role, and he doesn't figure to come close to the 48 red-zone rushing attempts he notched last season.

Mike Gillislee, Patriots: Gillislee is increasingly looking like a long shot to even make the final roster, considering that offseason signee Jeremy Hill offers everything Gillislee does and then some. The top three backs on the depth chart – rookie Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and James White – also bring a pass-catching dimension that Gillislee doesn't. Seemingly having fallen out of favor from midseason onward last year, his prospects don't look any brighter heading into training camp, especially with reports surfacing that he did not appear to have the same quickness as the team's other backs in OTAs.

Wide Receiver

Brandon Coleman, Saints: Despite occasional opportunities to do so and a future Hall of Fame quarterback throwing him the ball, Coleman has never been able to break out of a fourth- or fifth-receiver role during his first three seasons in New Orleans. In fact, his reception totals have dropped each year, and this season could yield more of the same. Although Willie Snead is now in Baltimore, Cam Meredith takes his place, a receiver that if healthy projects to serve as an obstacle to Coleman garnering the No. 3 role behind Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn. Like Coleman, Meredith also boasts impressive stature and can serve as a big red-zone target alongside Thomas, seemingly leaving Coleman destined for another low-volume season.

Danny Amendola, Dolphins: Amendola inked a two-year, $12 million contract with the Dolphins this offseason, yet he may end up slotting no higher than No. 4 on the depth chart. The top three wideout spots seem set with DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills and fellow offseason signing Albert Wilson, potentially leaving Amendola as a complementary target at best. Ryan Tannehill, who represents a significant downgrade from Tom Brady, will also be re-acclimating after missing all of last season with a knee injury, so there could be chemistry issues between him and Amendola initially. Lastly, the veteran possession receiver is now 32 and essentially limited to playing close to the line of scrimmage, which figures to cap his overall production even further.

Tight End

Jermaine Gresham, Cardinals: Gresham is on the wrong side of 30 and coming off an Achilles injury, not exactly the most encouraging set of circumstances heading into a season. The veteran isn't even a sure thing to be ready for the regular-season opener, and he'll likely have to ease back into action when he does return without the benefit of an offseason, training camp or preseason. A stay on the PUP list could even be a possibility for Gresham, who's yet to top 37 catches in any of his three Cardinals seasons and will have to contend with second-year player Ricky Seals-Jones even if Gresham is healthy.

Stephen Anderson, Texans: Anderson flashed some last season (25-342-1) in the wake of a slew of injuries at the tight end position for Houston, but he could slide down the depth chart or even off the roster entirely this summer. The third-year pro doesn't really offer much as a blocker, and the Texans return Ryan Griffin after a concussion prematurely ended his season in Week 9 in 2017. They also drafted two tight ends (Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas) this past April, putting a clear emphasis on upgrading the position. If Anderson remains as one-dimensional in camp and preseason as he's proven to be thus far, he could find himself on the outside looking in.