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ESPN decided to put out a list of breakout players for the upcoming season. In a surprise to no one that has been following his career, Kareem Hunt is expected to do big things for the Kansas City Chiefs.
If you would like to see the complete list, you can read about all 32 NFL teams here.
As those of us that follow the MAC already know, Kareem Hunt is a fantastic back. He is the all time leading rusher for the tradition rich Toledo Rockets. He amassed 4945 yards rushing during his college career, with a nifty 6.3 yards per carry. Along with being fantastic with the ball, he is also showing he can catch the ball downfield.
For years I have been saying that my favorite NFL teams shouldn’t waste a first round pick on a running back, unless they were a generational type prospect. I would then point out that you could get this player or that in the third round. I believe after this season, people like myself will be using Kareem Hunt as the example.
Hunt was the only former MAC player to make the list, but I could see another former Rocket also having a breakout season. The Detroit Lions selected tight end Micheal Roberts in the 4th round. While the Lions have a play maker at the position already in Eric Ebron, Roberts could continue what he did so well for the Rockets, and that’s score touchdowns in the red-zone. Most of the Lions receiving group is on the shorter side. A lot of times he would use his giant 6’5, 270 pound frame to post up when the Rockets got close after big plays by their speedy playmakers. It’s a similar situation in Detroit this season.
The NFL already had their first pre-season game between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. Former Central Michigan Chippewas standout Cooper Rush looked impressive in his Cowboys debut. In all, there were 8 former MAC players combined on the two team’s rosters. We saw 11 former MACsters get drafted this year, tying a record for the conference. College football is almost here and there are also a lot of MAC related storylines in the NFL this season. I can’t wait!