10 unheralded NFL players set to impact Wild Card Weekend

With the NFL playoffs set to start, there are a ton of previously unknown players looking to help their teams advance past the Wild Card round.

From a veteran receiver in Green Bay who must step up for his Hall of Fame quarterback to a pass rusher in Houston who's finally found a way to perform like a first-round pick, it looks like some of these unheralded players are prepared to make an impact.

As has been the case all season, let's check in on 10 such players set to make an impact during the NFL's Wild Card Weekend.

1. James Jones, wide receiver, Green Bay Packers

Jones is the only Packers receivers who has performed at anywhere near a decent level in recent weeks. He's coming off a 102-yard outing against the Minnesota Vikings in the regular-season finale and is averaging 70 receiving yards over the past four games.

In a representation of just how shoddy this unit has been, Randall Cobb has put up an average of 43 yards during this very same four-game span.

If the Packers are going to be able to have any success on offense, Jones is the player who must come through.

2. Brandon Mebane, defensive tackle, Seattle Seahawks

It wasn't too long ago that Mebane was one of the top run-stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL. Injuries and age have caught up with the veteran since. In fact, he struggled in this aspect of the game last season and over the course of the first half of this year.

However, the nine-year pro has picked it up a great deal recently. It could be a combination of getting back into the feel of the game. Either way, Mebane's improvement against the run starting back in Week 11 against San Francisco coincided with Seattle's dramatic improvement in that area.

Over the course of those past seven games, Seattle has yielded an average of 57 rushing yards, including 32 to Adrian Peterson and the Vikings back in Week 13.

Now only a part-time player, it's going to be important for Mebane to step up and perform at a high level against the run here. Based off his recent performance, there's little doubt that he will do just that.

3. A.J. McCarron, quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals

What if McCarron were to lead Cincinnati to its first postseason win since January of 1991? That would be a heck of a story for a quarterback making just his fourth NFL start.

The biggest issue for Cincinnati in its past four postseason appearances (all losses) has been the turnover margin. It has lost that battle by a combined seven turnovers in those four games with Andy Dalton throwing six interceptions.

McCarron may never be anything more than a game manager or career backup, but the dude simply doesn't turn the ball over.

While it's a small sample size, McCarron didn't throw a single interception in any of his three starts to close out the regular season and tallied just two picks in 119 pass attempts.

If Cincinnati can control the time of possession battle against a high-flying Steelers offense, it will go a long way in protecting its home-field advantage. In this, winning the turnover battle becomes even more important.

4. Brandon Boykin, cornerback, Pittsburgh Steelers

One of Chip Kelly's rejects from Philadelphia, Boykin didn't necessarily catch on too quickly when he was traded to Pittsburgh prior to the start of the regular season.

Realizing that Chip's doghouse may have extended all the way to Western Pennsylvania, Boykin played a total of 23 snaps over the course of the first 12 weeks.

Whether it was him getting 100 percent right or finding a way to mesh into the defensive scheme, this former Georgia standout has seen his playing time increase a great deal. Not looking back, Boykin has also played at a high level from the slot corner position.

He started last week against the Cleveland Browns, yielding three catches for just 17 yards on six targets. Over the course of the past three games, Boykin has given up a 50 percent catch rate.

None of this is really that big of a surprise to those of us who watched tape of Boykin in Philadelphia. After all, Pro Football Focus did grade Boykin out as the second-best cover corner in the NFL back in 2013.

Undersized at 5-foot-9, Boykin will likely find himself lining up against a much taller Mohamed Sanu come Saturday night. It's definitely going to be important for him to use his technique in order to fend off the physicality. And as we have seen multiple times in the past, Boykin has that ability.

5. Albert Wilson, wide receiver, Kansas City Chiefs

Most of the talk surrounding Kansas City's passing game over the past several weeks has surrounded Jeremy Maclin. Based off Maclin's recent performances, that makes a ton of sense.

Though, we might want to start talking about this second-year receiver. Wilson has caught three-plus passes in six of the past seven games, recording a 70 percent catch rate in the process. Equally as important, he's averaging about 50 snaps per game during that span.

If Wilson can act as that solid No. 2 receiver behind Maclin, it will go a long way in the Chiefs opening up their passing game against one of the top defenses in the NFL.

6. Quinten Rollins, cornerback, Green Bay Packers

Taking over a starting role for Green Bay just a few weeks back, this rookie has stepped it up big time. He was given this "promotion" because of what defensive coordinator Dom Capers saw from him earlier in the season. It's not about other members of the Packers secondary struggling. In fact, there's a whole heck of a lot of young talent here.

Outside of a 68-yard touchdown he gave up to Stedman Bailey back in Week 5, Rollins is yielding an average of just 5.8 yards per target. To put that into perspective, Richard Sherman gave up 6.8 yards per target in 2015.

Interestingly enough, Rollins has found himself lined up against the opposing team's top receiver since taking on a larger role. This seems to be an indication that he will be going up against DeSean Jackson on Sunday.

Look for a big game from the rookie if the Packers are able to nab the road playoff win.

7. Marvin Jones, wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals

If consistency is a virtue, Jones' standards are pretty darn high. The fourth-year receiver has caught three-plus passes in each of the past nine games. During that very same span, he's averaging about seven targets per game.

We aren't necessarily looking for Jones' role to suddenly increase a great deal when the playoffs come calling. Instead, it's all about this possession receiver doing what he does best — acting as a viable target on third-down passing situations.

It's something we have seen from him a great deal over the past several games. It's also something he's going to need to duplicate in order to help his young quarterback out.

8. Danielle Hunter, defensive end, Minnesota Vikings

One of the most impressive defensive rookies in the NFL, Hunter racked up a whopping 21 quarterback hurries and five sacks while playing an average of just 25 snaps per game. That's some mighty fine production from a reserve pass rusher.

That's where Hunter's role will be defined come Sunday against Seattle. While he has split time between both the right and the left side, it looks like the Vikings would be best served throwing Hunter to the left end in this one. After all, he did play in this same role against Seattle back in Week 13, recording three hurries and a hit in that game.

If that's the case, Hunter will find himself lining up against a right tackle in Garry Gilliam who gave up 43 quarterback hurries and was among the worst pass-protecting tackles in the NFL during the regular season.

9. Jamison Crowder, wide receiver, Washington Redskins

Crowder's rookie numbers were somewhat stunning. He caught an absurd 80 percent of the 74 passes thrown in his direction. That's obviously an indication that this Duke product meshed well with Kirk Cousins in the passing game.

Mainly lining up in the slot during the regular season, 41 percent of his receptions came between the hashes and within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. His ability to pick apart the middle of the field, including underneath coverage, could come in handy big time against the Packers on Sunday.

10. Whitney Mercilus, linebacker, Houston Texans

Mercilus has been a major by-product of J.J. Watt's domination this season. With Watt taking on double and triple teams, this former first-round pick has seen pass-rushing lanes open up big time for him. He tallied 12 quarterback sacks and 39 hurries during the regular season.

With Kansas City likely to do everything in its power to limit Watt's production come Saturday, Mercilus is going to have to find a way to continue what we have seen recently. If so, the Texans will definitely be in a good position to win this one.

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