The 2021 NFL season is getting closer and closer. By the end of the month, every team will have begun training camp and the regular season will be right around the corner.

At this point in the summer, every team is optimistic about what the 2021 season can bring. Every team is 0-0 and has Super Bowl aspirations.

While only one team will ultimately raise the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season, there will still be plenty of great stories. Every year some players have great seasons out of nowhere and break out.

Who could those players be this season? Here are five breakout players to watch for during the 2021 NFL season.

5. WR Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have developed wide receiver talent unlike any other team in the NFL. No matter what round they are selected in, they produce. Diontae Johnson is the next player in that long lineage of Steelers receivers.

Johnson has already had two solid seasons with the Steelers, catching 147 passes for 1,603 yards and 12 touchdowns. This will be the season that he blows past the 1,000 mark and catches double-digit touchdowns.

Johnson had some issues with drops in 2020, totaling 14 on the season. That put him in the doghouse at times, but he is too good to not bounce back. His route running and ability to get open are both above average, giving him ample opportunities to produce. 

If Ben Roethlisberger can improve another season removed from elbow surgery and Johnson cleans up the drops, a breakout is on the horizon.

4. WR Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos

The Broncos used the No. 15 pick on Jerry Jeudy in the 2020 NFL Draft. He showed flashes why he was regarded by many as the top wide receiver in the class, but he did have a rocky rookie season.

The targets were there, as 113 passes were thrown his way, but he caught only 52. He compiled 856 yards and three touchdowns in the process. Those aren’t bad numbers by any means, but there were inconsistencies.

Part of that was quarterback play, which will improve this season with Teddy Bridgewater under center. While Bridgewater isn’t an elite starter, Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore both recorded 1,000-yard seasons in 2020 with Bridgewater playing a majority of the snaps for the Carolina Panthers.

In addition to the improved quarterback play, Courtland Sutton is also expected to return. That will divert some of the attention from opposing defenses off of Jeudy so that he can take advantage of more one-on-one chances.

3. EDGE Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have one dominant pass rusher in Za’Darius Smith and very little else. He recorded 12.5 and the next closest person had 5.0. The person who registered 5.0 sacks was Rashan Gary, who is poised to break out this season.

Gary tore up the Packers’ minicamp, where he was reportedly the best player on the field. He made strides in his second season in the NFL, registering 46 quarterback pressures. Gary is learning the intricacies of the NFL, improving his technique, which is resulting in more consistency. Match that with the physical talent that Gary has and you have quite a pass rusher.

If he can take the next step from Year 2 into Year 3 as he did from Year 1 into Year 2, the Packers will have two double-digit sack players on their defense.

2. TE Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings

For a player to break out there has to be an opportunity to spread their wings. Irv Smith Jr. was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and has been sitting behind veteran Kyle Rudolph. With Rudolph leaving in free agency for the New York Giants, Smith Jr. is set up to do just that this season.

The former Alabama standout had flashes last season when filling in for Rudolph in the lineup. He has made the most of his limited chances, dropping only three of his 90 targets and scoring seven touchdowns.

A player that dynamic with increased chances to produce in 2021? That is a recipe for a major breakout season as the Minnesota Vikings have one of the best skill position groupings in the NFL. It would not be shocking to see Smith Jr. compile more stats in his third season than he did in his first two combined.

1. RB J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens used a second-round pick on J.K. Dobbins out of Ohio State in the 2020 NFL Draft. It was a selection with an eye toward the future, as he split the backfield reps as a rookie with Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards, not to mention the Ravens also have Lamar Jackson racking up 1,000 yard rushing seasons.

Despite that, Dobbins still had a great rookie season. He received only 134 carries but still racked up 805 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. Dobbins can also get it done as a pass-catcher, giving him ample upside for the 2021 season.

With Ingram no longer in the fold, and the Ravens being one of the most run-heavy offenses in the league, Dobbins is a prime breakout candidate. It would not be surprising to see him push 1,200 total yards and get into the teens for touchdowns scored.