Watch out for these 'Supermen' of the AFC East

CB Sauce Gardner | New York Jets

Don’t be fooled by last year's Clark Kent-ish numbers (54 tackles, one sack, one interception). Gardner is the best player on the league’s third-ranked defense and has been since joining the team as the fourth-overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Still just 24 years old, Gardner became the first defensive back in league history to earn a first-team All-Pro nomination in each of his first two seasons. Quarterbacks simply don’t look his way.

With a trio of 1,000-yard seasons in his first three years, wide receiver Garret Wilson also deserves serious consideration, but could be in peril with new starting quarterback Justin Fields airing it out at MetLife Stadium in 2025. 

RB TreVeyon Henderson | New England Patriots

Prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Field Yates called Henderson a player with “the open-field speed to make an instant impact on the ground.” Fellow Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson may have two inches and 19 pounds on his rookie teammate, but he can’t compete with the rookie’s 4.4 speed.

Henderson ran for 1,248 yards as a true freshman four years ago but was limited with a foot injury during his sophomore and junior seasons. Once recovered, the 5-foot-10, 208-pound running back rushed for 1,016 yards in 2024 to help Ohio State win its ninth national championship.

The team’s second-round pick may only have the fourth-best odds (+1800) to win the next Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but he’ll play for a Patriots team that quietly rushed for a respectable 115.8 yards per game last season, 13th-most in the NFL. 

He’ll also run behind left tackle Will Campbell, the fourth pick in this year’s draft and free agent right tackle Morgan Moses, who should provide plenty of runway.