It is often said that players make the biggest jump in production between their first and second years. The transition away from college and into the life of a pro athlete is still ongoing, but they are infinitely more prepared and knowledgable about the actual demands and expectations ahead, and there always seems to be a crop of players about to take that jump.

In 2019, it will be no different.

I was quite intrigued with that 2018 draft class as I researched those prospects and spent countless hours chatting with evaluators about them, and several of the players who caught my eye back then now seem poised for much greater things in the season ahead. In this instance, I am avoiding individuals who already gathered significant accolades as rookies, and are already featured on magazine covers and video games (Baker Mayfield, Quenton Nelson and Saquon Barkley come to mind).

And while the five players I am going to focus on here aren't exactly unheard of, and are well known to those who are diehard football fans, I anticipate several players on this list to reach levels of household fame and attention unlike anything they have seen before. All have abundant star potential that they already began tapping into as rookies; in some cases it still went largely overlooked, or they were overshadowed by other rookies at their position, or they played on unglamorous teams that haven't won much of note in a long time.

One individual can only do so much to raise the entire profile of an NFL team, though I do expect many of the teams represented by these players to take strides forward, as well, in 2019. Some well undoubtedly benefit from coaching and/or scheme changes their franchises adopted for the upcoming season, and several were stifled by coaches and/or management in their rookie seasons but won't have to overcome that in Year Two.

A twitchy athlete who can cause matchup issues all over the place, Moore began to find his way in a big way in the second half of the season, thriving despite being plagued by poor QB play with Cam Newton's shoulder issues giving more time to back-ups. Norv Turner understands the various ways Moore can win out in space, near the line of scrimmage or deep downfield and with what should be a robust overall offense around him, Moore is going to feast. He was my preseason pick as NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at this time a year ago, and I anticipate he has that sort of campaign in 2019. It tends to take WRs a while to adjust to the pro game, but this September will look totally different than Moore's first season a year ago.

He joined Von Miller a year ago and they immediately formed one of the NFL's most potent sack duos. But that was just the beginning. In the hands of mastermind coordinator Vic Fangio, Chubb could compete for the league lead in sacks. Miller has his sights on the all-time sack mark and isn't slowing down, and Fangio's scheme is top notch and you can only direct so much attention to stopping any one superior pass rusher. He will be coached to a level he simply has never been before, and is in the absolute ideal setting to wreak havoc on a weekly basis.

It seems someone is always focused on, or talking about, one of the other running backs on the Browns' roster. It was veteran plodder Carlos Hyde taking his reps – heaven knows why – in the first half of last season and then Kareem Hunt when the Browns began sniffing around him and it was Duke Johnson and his trade demand most of the offseason. Meantime, Chubb was one of the most effective and dynamic backs in the league once Hue Jackson was finally cast aside, and he will continue to shine in Freddie Kitchens' offense. Hunt isn't back til the middle of the season and keeping Chubb on the field in passing situations – to not telegraph a pass as Johnson's presence often does – seems to make sense. If that passing attack is as potent as many expect, Chubb will feast even more this season on the ground.

Skeptics abound – locally and nationally – despite him transforming the Ravens' moribund offense on the fly, saving their season, going 6-1 and immediately becoming one of the most dynamic athletes in the entire league. Now he has a full offseason of regular reps and an offense tailored completely around his skillset – rather than Joe Flacco's – and a bunch of speedy and twitchy guys at the skill positions, yet I'm supposed to believe he's gonna be a failure? Nah. Ravens will be best rushing team in the NFL, Jackson will clean up some footwork and delivery stuff and be an even bigger nightmare for defensive coordinators in 2019.

A friend of mine in the scouting community used to tell me about Edmunds all the time early in his career at Virginia Tech. He called him a Pterodactyl and said he would be the absolute ideal NFL MLB in the modern pass-heavy NFL once he got there. He has the size and speed and range to make plays all over the field and be a disrupting force in the run and pass game. And it bore out pretty quickly, albeit on a team with so much attention given to Buffalo's earlier first-round pick (QB Josh Allen). Edmunds is a total athletic freak and was one of the youngest players in the NFL a year ago. That defense is legit and will get way more recognition for it in 2019, with Edmunds the center of it all. He can terrorize RBs, TEs and QBs. Look out.