The Buffalo Bills will be looking to dethrone the New England Patriots and reclaim their spot atop the AFC East when the regular season's all said and done. If the team wants to achieve this, this season, it will have to rely on its up-and-coming star, whose resilience through last year's injury challenges shows promise for a strong season.
Just as the Bills made an effort to be a better team this season, the other three teams in the AFC East have the same mindset and have up-and-coming breakout players of their own. While the Patriots may have won the division last season, it's a new year filled with optimism and hope, which means another reset until one team lifts the Lombardi Trophy on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium.
Let's take a look at each of the four AFC East teams' breakout candidates for 2026.
1 breakout player ready to shine on each team in the AFC East division
1.) New England Patriots- WR A.J. Brown
Despite some locker room concerns and A.J. Brown's lack of production in 2025, the Patriots needed to find a new No. 1 receiver for quarterback Drake Maye after a falling-out with wide receiver Stefon Diggs. With that being said, A.J. Brown is a premier playmaking receiver in a playmaker's league like the NFL.
All the Patriots gave up for Brown was a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2027 fifth-round pick, which was sent back to the Philadelphia Eagles in what should be about a break-even trade for both teams.
Without a first-round pick in 2028, the Pats are investing in a proven commodity with character concerns. Still, he should be happier to finally be in an offense where his young quarterback will actually be able to give him the most targets.
2.) Miami Dolphins- OT Kadyn Proctor
Even though some people think Kadyn Proctor could be a bust for the Dolphins, the new front office has made it clear they want to be a power-running team with a tough offensive line in the trenches. Proctor is a big man who moves like a defensive lineman, and it looks like he's already an NFL lineman.
Proctor is also quick enough to use as a fullback type, similar to William "The Refrigerator" Perry, and let him plow through the second level. He could also be used as the pusher on the "Tush Push" play to help Maye sneak across for first downs.
3.) New York Jets- DT Jowon Briggs
Jowon Briggs began his NFL journey when he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a powerful defensive tackle with the ability to move all around the defensive line under Jets head coach Aaron Glenn.
During his time with Cleveland, he'd often remember speaking with Myles Garrett on any advice he'd had as one of the NFL's biggest game-wrecking pass rushers. Now that he has more of an opportunity to play more minutes in East Rutherford, he will be able to show the lessons he learned from Garrett and apply them to the Jets' defense that didn't record a single interception last year.
4.) Buffalo Bills- LB Terrel Bernard
The small but impactful linebacker in Buffalo's defense is coming off a down year due to injury and concerns that Sean McDermott's scheme was too complicated to learn.
This year, with a transition to a multiple 3-4 scheme, Terrel Bernard thrived in this defense when he was back at Baylor playing for then-head coach Matt Rhule. Being a true middle linebacker in this defense, penetrating the line and using his speed and agility can disrupt the quarterback's rhythm.
This way, he won't have as much responsibility to stop the run as he did in the past.
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