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10 unheralded NFL players who will impact Week 4
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10 unheralded NFL players who will impact Week 4

With all the talk about star players around the NFL, the early part of this season has been best defined by under-the-radar performers stepping up to help their teams.

From Dion Lewis in New England to James Jones in Green Bay, these are the players that have some of the best teams in the NFL undefeated through three weeks. So with that in mind, here are 10 more players set to step up and play big roles in Week 4.

1. Everson Griffen, defensive end, Minnesota Vikings

With a statue in the form of Peyton Manning in the Denver Broncos backfield, any added pressure will go a long way in helping Minnesota pull off the upset on the road. Through three games, the underrated Griffen has racked up three sacks and a whopping eight quarterback hurries.

Primed to go up against a rookie left tackle in Ty Sambrailo, who Pro Football Focus has graded out as the 68th-best offensive tackle in the NFL through three games, expect a huge performance from Griffen in this one.

2. Karlos Williams, running back, Buffalo Bills

With LeSean McCoy now officially out for Sunday's game against the New York Giants, this rookie fifth-round pick from Florida State will start. Considering the Florida State product has tallied 186 yards and three scores through three games, it's a good bet that he will have a solid performance against a New York Giants defense that yielded three touchdowns to Devonta Freeman last week.

Don't expect Williams to match his league-leading 7.8 yards per attempt average, but he should see 20-plus touches on Sunday. This puts the surprising rookie in line to tally at least 100 yards and a score. If that happens, Buffalo will likely move to 3-1 on the campaign.

3. Rueben Randle, wide receiver, New York Giants

A lost man in the Giants' first three games (four receptions, 28 yards), Randle put up a solid performance against an improved Washington Redskins defense last week. He caught all seven passes thrown in his direction for 116 yards and a score.

The expectation here has to be that Randle will find a way to put up another good outing against a Bills defense that will need to be defeated through the air in order to be exposed. With Victor Cruz out of action indefinitely after suffering a setback in his recovery from a calf injury, Randle will see a fair amount of targets.

4. Thomas Rawls, running back, Seattle Seahawks

Marshawn Lynch will be a game-time decision Monday night. Even if he's able to go, it's likely going to be in a limited capacity. Enter into the equation this un-drafted rookie free agent from Central Michigan.

In his first substantial action as a pro, the 5-foot-10, 217-pound Rawls put up a great performance against a horrendous Chicago Bears defense last week. Coming into the game with two rush attempts in as many games, Rawls put up 16 rushes for 104 yards in a 26-0 Seahawks victory.

It might be a more difficult matchup Monday night against a desperate Detroit Lions squad, but we all know that Seattle's offense is predicated on the run game. If Rawls starts, which might be more likely than not, he's expected to be an important part of the home team's offense.

5. Jaquiski Tartt, safety, San Francisco 49ers

This hard-hitting rookie has played a limited role in San Francisco's absurdly weak defense over the first three games. Having played in a total of 50 snaps thus far, most of them have actually come from the linebacker position. In this, Tartt has shown a nice amount of promise.

Considering the struggles San Francisco's defense has had in 2015, it wouldn't be surprising to see Tartt get more action against an elite Green Bay Packers defense. The idea here would be to put pressure on Aaron Rodgers from the inside and add another run-stuffing player to the mix.

Whether it's as a third safety or at linebacker, Tartt could very well match his snap total from the first three games this week alone. If that's the case, this play-making rookie might act as a difference-maker on an otherwise shoddy 49ers defense.

6. Latavius Murray, running back, Oakland Raiders

The Raiders seem to finally have a running back to rely on after so many failed years of the Darren McFadden experiment. Murray, a third-year pro from Central Florida, has seen his production increase in each of the first three games.

He's coming off a performance that saw him put up 149 total yards and one touchdown on 27 attempts against a pretty darn good Cleveland Browns defense.

Taking on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday, Murray should see his production continue to rise. Chicago may rank fifth in the NFL in rush defense this year, but it is allowing 4.7 yards per attempt. If Oakland decides that a nice run-pass mix is the way to go, especially as road favorites, Murray should once again see 20-plus touches.

7. Jordan Reed, tight end, Washington Redskins

Maybe it's because he exists in a Washington offense that's been dominated by talk of the quarterback situation, but Reed continues to exist under the radar. In fact, he ranks second among NFL tight ends in targets with 26 through three games. He's also catching 76 percent of those targets for 241 yards and a touchdown. Outside of the lack of touchdowns, this is the second-best stat line among NFL tight ends, behind Rob Gronkowski.

Reed does have a somewhat difficult matchup against a middle of the Philadelphia Eagles defense that has been much improved from previous seasons, especially safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond. That said, Reed's target numbers with Kirk Cousins under center suggests he will play a big role in Washington's offense come Sunday.

8. Donte Moncrief, wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts

With Andre Johnson failing to step up in his first season in Indy, this second-year receiver has played a huge role behind T.Y. Hilton. Moncrief has caught 68 percent of the 25 passes thrown in his direction for 200 yards and three touchdowns. In fact, he leads the Colts in receptions and touchdowns through three games.

The expectation here has to be that Moncrief will go up against a struggling corner in Jacksonville by the name of Aaron Colvin, who is allowing an absurd 82 percent completion rate and 122.5 quarterback rating when targeted this year. You can do the math from there.

9. Ronald Darby, cornerback, Buffalo Bills

Just named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for September, Darby won't be unheralded for too much longer. The Florida State product has allowed just 44.8 rating when targeted and has two interceptions.

Darby will have to play up to this level Sunday against a Giants offense that features one of the most-athletic receivers in the NFL in the form of Odell Beckham Jr. With New York moving OBJ all over the field, there's a good chance Darby will go up against him a few times. And knowing Eli Manning the way we do, the rookie will be tested. That could be both good and bad for the Bills.

10. Mario Addison, defensive end, Carolina Panthers

With Charles Johnson now on short-term injured reserve, Addison is expected to take on an even larger role. Sure Jared Allen will likely see a ton of action in his Panthers debut after being acquired from Chicago this week, but it's unreasonable to expect him to put up a great performance after just a few days of practice.

Addison, a fifth-year pro from Troy, was nothing more than a deep depth player with multiple teams prior to breaking out to the tune of 6.5 sacks for Carolina last season. Now getting starting time, the defensive end has put up two sacks and four quarterback hits through three games. Going up against a weak Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line, he could eat big time come Sunday.

Check out Vincent's other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter @VincentFrankNFL

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