As the 2017 regular season winds down, it is a great time to single out a few players that were very pleasant surprises this year. While that list could be extremely long, we narrowed it down to just five. Here they are in alphabetical order. Rookies have been excluded from the conversation.
QB Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
Can Bortles lead Jacksonville to a Super Bowl title? Maybe not. Has he solidified his place as the Jaguars' long-term franchise quarterback? Maybe not. But has Bortles been a pleasant surprise this year? Big time!
Most of us knew the Jaguars' defense would be improved this year, and they'd rely on that side of the ball and Leonard Fournette to stay in games. Those predictions came true, and with Bortles stepping up in a big way, Jacksonville launched itself into contention for a first-round bye.
Bortles is using his weapons very well - the organization has done a great job of finding and developing wide receivers, especially after losing Allen Robinson for the season - but, more importantly, he's not making the mind-boggling mistakes he's been guilty of in years past. He's a solid (maybe even reliable?) starting quarterback, something he's rarely been called.
Bortles is making enough difficult throws each game, but has also thrown just eight interceptions this season - only three of them in the last eight games. Jacksonville, which is very well-represented in this article, has outscored opponents by 119 points over those eight games.
RB Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins
Many scratched their heads when Miami shipped Jay Ajayi to the Eagles. The Dolphins didn't exclusively make that trade to create room for Drake, but it sure looks like they knew they had to get the 23-year-old on the field regularly. And wow, has Drake responded.
Coming out of college, many considered the supremely fast running back to be just a satellite player at the position - and that's how he was used in an Alabama backfield littered with NFL talent. But in 2017, Drake has shown that he brings much more than great straight-line speed to the table.
He is an excellent and threatening receiver who can detach from the formation, and he's done well running between the tackles as well as on the perimeter. Drake is averaging 149 yards from scrimmage over his past three games. Miami has found its running back.
DE Yannick Ngakoue, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ngakoue was very effective coming off the edge as a rookie last year. He played 706 snaps and finished the season with eight sacks. But he took a big step forward in 2017. He's on pace to play more snaps this season, but it won't be a drastic increase, and he already has 11 sacks.
Expect double-digit sacks to be a regular occurrence for Ngakoue, who was snubbed from the Pro Bowl this year. What really sticks out is his flexibility and burst. Ngakoue closes on his prey extremely well and has developed a knack for jarring the ball loose upon his arrival.
Having a tremendous group of players around him helps his cause, including offseason additions Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye. But on tape, Ngakoue clearly stands on his own as a difference-maker.
LB Telvin Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars
Another Jaguars defender makes the list - and like Ngakoue, Smith benefits from a great supporting cast, including an exceptional pass rush and the best set of cornerbacks in football.
Smith is uncannily fast. Though he's still developing as a coverage player, he could eventually become a shutdown defender thanks to that speed and great athletic ability. But what's flat-out rare about Smith is his pursuit. He covers a ton of ground and shows great competitiveness to get to the football.
Watching Smith on tape shows he plays the game at a different speed than just about anyone on the field. He keeps getting better. Jacksonville knows it, and recently locked him up to a long-term contract.
WR Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
No list of pleasant NFL surprises can exclude Thielen - talk about exceeding expectations!
Thielen's unlikely path to the NFL already made him a great story, and last year, he established himself as an important member of Minnesota's passing attack. In 2017, not only did Thielen surpass Stefon Diggs as the Vikings' best wide receiver, he's now one of the best wideouts in the league. He's on pace for 95 receptions and close to 1,400 yards.
Thielen has underrated speed and athletic ability, as well as supremely reliable hands and route-running skills. He's a huge reason that Minnesota sits 11-3 with a good chance of becoming the first team in history to play at home in the Super Bowl. In fact, Thielen probably deserves to be the Vikings' 2017 MVP. No one saw that coming.
Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns and spent 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of "The Football Today Podcast." Find him on Twitter @WilliamsonNFL.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
