Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. In today's installment, he eats crow on 10 standout players from this season ...
Scouts should periodically review their work to assess hits and misses. The self-reflection provides evaluators with an opportunity to learn from mistakes and inherently become better at the job.
After spending the last few days reviewing my notes from the preseason, I'd like to issue a mea culpa to 10 players who proved me wrong this season.
The former No. 1 overall pick teased and tantalized evaluators with his mercurial talents, but no one knew whether Williams could play with enough discipline and poise to operate within the confines of an NFL system. While Ben Johnson was already regarded as something of a made man, based on his immense success with Jared Goff and the Lions, the offensive wizard needed to adapt and adjust his attack to fit a young gunslinger. Clearly, Johnson did just that, with the Bears fresh off their first playoff win in 15 years, preparing to host the Rams on Sunday night with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on the line. To his credit, Williams has attempted to color within the lines early in games before showcasing his extraordinary playmaking skills in the fourth quarter. With seven game-winning drives/fourth-quarter comebacks on his résumé this season, Williams is becoming the superstar quarterback Chicago has long coveted.
It is rare for a running back to nearly claim a rushing title in his 10th season, but Henry (1,595 yards) did just that, falling 26 yards shy of James Cook's league-leading total of 1,621. The 6-foot-2, 252-pounder -- who already owns two ground crowns -- showed no signs of slowing down despite his advanced age (he turned 32 earlier this month) and heavy workload (2,860 career rush attempts, including the playoffs). Henry led the NFL with 17 explosive runs (20-plus yards) and finished second in rushing touchdowns with 16, all while averaging a robust 5.2 yards per carry. Although he coughed up some costly fumbles, the veteran's production as a downhill runner nearly helped Baltimore claim a division title despite some serious flaws on the roster.
After the Steelers traded away the so-called malcontent to the Cowboys, questions persisted about Pickens' willingness to co-exist with an elite receiver in CeeDee Lamb. But the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder posted career highs in targets (137), catches (93), receiving yards (1,429) and touchdown grabs (nine). With Lamb also clearing the 1,000-yard mark despite missing three games with a high ankle sprain, Dallas' gamble clearly paid off, giving Dak Prescott the best pass-catching tandem in the league. Moreover, Pickens showed the football world he was more than a big-play specialist by excelling as the No. 1 option, with or without Lamb on the field. Given his performance, production and pizzazz on the perimeter, the impending free agent deserves a standing ovation for his first Pro Bowl season.
When the Giants traded for Burns two offseasons ago and immediately signed him to a new blockbuster deal (five years for $141 million with $87.5 million guaranteed), I questioned whether his performance would match the compensation. As a speed-rushing specialist with just one double-digit-sack season (12.5 in 2022) prior to his arrival in New York, Burns had not consistently dominated off the edge. However, the 27-year-old shut me up in 2025 with a spectacular season that featured 16.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, 31 quarterback hits, seven passes defensed and three forced fumbles. Wreaking such havoc on a four-win football team only underscored his individual dominance. Considering his numbers and impact as a playmaker in his third Pro Bowl season, Burns served me a slice of humble pie that I couldn't refuse.
Last offseason, Jacksonville chose to decline the former first-round pickâs fifth-year option due to inconsistent production. Lloyd responded admirably, showing the football world that heâs a baller with elite playmaking skills. The impending free agent finished the season with six takeaways -- five interceptions (including a 99-yard pick-six of Patrick Mahomes) and a fumble recovery -- while also displaying outstanding range as a sideline-to-sideline defender. A resilient player who enjoyed the best season of his career following a sticky contract situation and training camp battle, Lloyd silenced the skeptics who questioned his big-play potential and overall game.
Count me as someone who was skeptical when the Saints promoted the second-round pick to the QB1 role back in Week 9. While it was not out of the question that Shough would log some starts as Kellen Moore's handpicked developmental quarterback, the rookie struggled mightily during the preseason, and it was reasonable to wonder about how much higher his long-term ceiling might get, given that he turned 26 in September. But then he delivered an eye-popping performance down the stretch, completing nearly 70 percent of his throws for 2,080 yards and nine TDs (against four picks) while chipping in three rushing TDs and winning five games over his last eight starts. That inspired stretch of play suggests Shough might be the franchise quarterback the Saints have been searching for since Drew Brees' retirement. With an entire offseason available to master the scheme and refine his mechanics under Moore's tutelage, he'll have a chance to lead New Orleans back to prominence.
Adams was named a first-team All-Pro in three straight seasons between 2020 and '22, twice for the Packers and once for the Raiders -- but he seemed to lack juice toward the end of his time with Las Vegas and over his 11 games with the Jets in 2024. Despite posting the sixth 1,000-yard season of his career (209 with the Raiders and 854 with Gang Green) in that '24 campaign, Adams could not consistently win his one-on-one matchups and looked like a fading WR1 on the perimeter. Since signing with the Rams last offseason, however, he's settled into his role as a WR2, emerging as the most dangerous red-zone weapon (league-high 14 touchdowns) in an unstoppable aerial attack. With ï»żï»żMatthew Staffordï»żï»ż operating at an MVP level partially because of Adams' play, it is time for me to own up to my premature dismissal of the veteran pass-catcher.
After White's unceremonious exit from the Buccaneers and brief stints with the Eagles and Texans, it appeared his best days were behind him. But the one-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion silenced the doubters questioning his skills and impact potential with a stellar 2025 campaign that showcased his disruptive talents between the tackles. White finished third in the league in tackles (174) while adding 2.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and an interception. Although his stat line was a little inflated -- considering he was one of the few productive members of a woeful Raiders D -- the seventh-year pro flashed enough playmaking potential to earn a pay raise when he hits the open market this offseason.
Young showed enough on a one-year prove-it deal with the Saints in 2024 (5.5 sacks, 21 QB hits, eight tackles for loss) to earn a lucrative contract (three years, $51 million) in New Orleans last offseason, but I wondered whether he would remain a disruptive force after securing the bag. The 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year flashed in spurts but had never been the dominant defender some envisioned when he entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick. The 6-5, 265-pounder exceeded my expectations in 2025 with a 10-sack campaign that showcased his superior strength, power and explosiveness off the edge. Young added a pair of forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries to his impressive stat line, exhibiting the game-changing skills that separate the studs from the rest of the pack.
I was a huge fan of Forbes throughout the pre-draft process, before the Commanders chose him 16th overall in 2023 -- but I questioned his upside as a starter following a disappointing run in Washington. The 6-foot, 180-pounder was a liability on the perimeter due to his slender frame and shoddy tackling, and he struggled with coverage in a system that did not mesh with his skills. After being waived by the Commanders in 2024, he landed in Los Angeles, where he has actually played like a first-rounder on the perimeter this season, exhibiting outstanding instincts, awareness and ball skills. The third-year pro tied for third in the league in passes defensed (18) while registering three interceptions. Now that the former Mississippi State standout is playing like the cover man I originally envisioned, I owe him an apology for doubting his skills earlier in his pro career.
