AFC East under-the-radar rookies

With training camp and preseason underway, unheralded rookies will make strong impressions and climb depth charts. Here are four under-the-radar rookies to watch in the AFC East. 

Buffalo Bills

Tyrell Shavers, wide receiver (undrafted): Outside of first-round pick Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo’s offense probably won’t feature many rookies this season. However, Shavers, who had stops at Alabama, Mississippi State and San Diego State throughout his college career, could make the 53-man roster for his services on special teams.

While Shavers’ 38 receptions for 643 yards and three touchdowns last season weren’t particularly impressive, especially in the Mountain West Conference, the 6-foot-4, 211-pounder was a special teams standout for the Aztecs. Shavers ranks third in program history in blocked kicks (three) and returned three blocked punts for touchdowns during his collegiate career. Despite not being a return man, Shavers could be a valuable addition to one of the league’s best special teams units.  

Miami Dolphins

De’Von Achane, running back (third round): The former Texas A&M tailback is sidelined with an undisclosed injury, although HC Mike McDaniel isn’t concerned about long-term implications, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The sooner Achane returns, the more likely he is to carve out a prominent role in Miami’s crowded backfield. Thanks to McDaniel’s zone running scheme, veterans Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. combined for 1,283 rushing yards last season.

However, both Mostert and Wilson leave much to be desired in the passing game, which is why Miami brought in Achane, who displayed solid dual-threat potential for the Aggies. Last season, Achane had three outings with at least six receptions. Miami quarterbacks threw 113 passes to running backs in 2022, the 12th-most in the NFL.

With Achane in the mix, the Dolphins’ already dynamic offense should improve on that mark this season and be far more efficient.

New England Patriots

Marte Mapu, linebacker/safety (third round): Although sixth-round wideout Demario Douglas has turned heads in camp, Mapu, the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year last season, will play a unique role on New England’s defense. During his Sacramento State career, Mapu filled a variety of roles, including linebacker, safety and nickelback, all of which he excelled in. The 23-year-old racked up 165 tackles, 22 passes defended, seven interceptions and one sack across four seasons for the Hornets. 

The Patriots haven’t seen their hybrid defender at full speed yet, as Mapu has been wearing a red non-contact jersey during training camp while recovering from an offseason pectoral tear. Even so, he has still seen first-team reps at both linebacker and safety throughout camp, and despite practicing in a limited capacity, he has made an impression.

“He’s not gonna care if he’s asking 30 questions, getting on your nerves,” safety Adrian Phillips recently said of Mapu. “He’s going to make sure he got it right, and I love that about him. You can tell he’s a cerebral player and that he just wants to get it right. You can tell he loves to hit too.”

New York Jets

Jason Brownlee, wide receiver (undrafted): No team chose to spend a draft pick on Brownlee, even after leading Southern Mississippi in receiving for the last three seasons. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop the Jets from prioritizing him on the undrafted free-agent market, giving the wideout $246k guaranteed, an amount comparable to a low fifth-round selection. So far, Brownlee has shown he was worth the gamble, performing well on the second-team offense and putting in extra effort outside of practice.  

Brownlee was relatively quiet in New York’s loss to Cleveland in the Hall of Fame Game, recording two receptions for 17 yards, but did lead the team in targets with six. It’ll be interesting to see if this level of volume continues, though with New York lacking a clear No. 3 wideout, Brownlee could have an unexpected impact in the passing game.