San Francisco — While quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Drake Maye, plus playmakers like Stefon Diggs and Jackson Smith-Njiba, drew much of the Super Bowl week spotlight because of their game-day roles, several less-heralded players could emerge as real X-factors after Sunday’s game.
Defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore
Milton Williams, who joined the Patriots in free agency after winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles, delivered on expectations in his first season in New England. Next Gen Stats shows New England’s pressure rate is 39.2% with Williams on the field versus 33.0% without him, and he’s shown up in big moments before — including two sacks in last year’s Super Bowl. Christian Barmore complements him inside; he posted a 13.6% quarterback pressure rate and totaled 56 QB pressures this year, per Next Gen Stats. Together Williams and Barmore accumulated 67 quarterback pressures in 2025, the fourth-most among interior defensive duos. Seattle right guard Anthony Bradford gave up eight QB pressures in the NFC title game (matching a career high) and allowed 13 quick pressures in the regular season, the fifth-most among right guards — a matchup Seattle will have to manage carefully because Sam Darnold has been turnover-prone when pressured (he lost the ball or threw interceptions on a league-high 7.2% of pressured dropbacks, including six INTs and five lost fumbles, per Next Gen Stats).
Offensive tackle Will Campbell
The rookie first-round pick struggled in pass protection at times, surrendering seven sacks in the regular season. Maye was hit often in the postseason — 15 sacks and three turnovers — and now Campbell must contend with one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing units in Seattle. Six Seahawks defenders generated at least 35 pressures this season (the most in the league), and Seattle is especially dangerous because it creates pressure without blitzing: their four-man rush produced a 35.8% pressure rate, third in the NFL. Expect Seattle to test Campbell early and frequently, with veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence also likely to be a focus.
Tight end Hunter Henry
Henry has become a reliable target for Maye. He finished the regular season with 60 catches for 768 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns, and Maye often leans on him in critical situations. In the red zone Henry recorded 13 catches for 123 yards and four TDs (third-most among tight ends in regular-season receptions), and his 26 receiving touchdowns over the past five seasons rank fourth among tight ends. If Maye faces heavy pressure, Henry should be a primary safety valve.
Seattle Seahawks breakout candidates
WR Rashid Shahid
The San Diego native has been one of the season’s best midseason additions and has three return touchdowns this year. Seahawks special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh praised more than Shahid’s speed — he noted Shahid catches the ball smoothly, transitions well, has strong vision to set up blocks and the speed to finish long returns. Whether Patriots coach Mike Vrabel will gamble by kicking to him is a storyline to watch; if not, Seattle will need to find creative offensive ways to involve Shahid, who did show deep-play ability with a 51-yard scoring strike on opening the scoring against the Rams. In the regular season he had only 15 receptions for 188 yards and no TDs.
RB Kenneth Walker III
Walker has gotten increasingly comfortable carrying the offense. From Week 16 through the postseason he accumulated 423 yards and five touchdowns, the second-most in the NFL over that span. Next Gen Stats credits him with the third-highest missed-tackle rate on carries in the regular season (30.3%), and 67% of his rushes came outside the tackle box. Seahawks GM John Schneider says Walker is more decisive and trusts his reads, and his effectiveness on the ground helps relieve pressure on Darnold and keeps the offense balanced. Seattle also led the league with a 48.7% called run rate, per offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak.
S Nick Emanwori
The second-round rookie from South Carolina State is valued for his positional flexibility in Mike McDonald’s defense. He was a full participant in Friday’s practice after an earlier ankle sprain — important timing for a player whose breakout came late in the regular season. Emanwori was stout in the NFC Championship, allowing only eight receiving yards in coverage with three pass breakups, and he helped limit the Rams to 4.56 yards per carry (second-best in the NFL).
Fan take:
These under-the-radar matchups often determine championship games — interior pressure, clutch tight-end work and dynamic special teams can swing field position and momentum. For NFL fans, watching how teams exploit or neutralize these breakout players offers a preview of evolving strategies around pass-rush deployment, versatile defensive backs, and the increasing value of playmakers who change games without headline-grabbing stat lines.
