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10 unheralded NFL players who will impact Week 5
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10 unheralded NFL players who will impact Week 5

Week 5 of the NFL season presents certain unheralded players with an opportunity to prove that their early-season success wasn't a fluke.

From a wide receiver in Baltimore that has been forced into a starting role after so many injuries to Ravens pass catchers to a young tight end in Green Bay that seems to have gained the confidence of Aaron Rodgers, here are 10 unheralded players set to make a major impact in Week 5.

1. Kamar Aiken, wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens

With Steve Smith officially out after suffering a back injury last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers and rookie Breshad Perriman still sidelined, there is a major vacuum to fill on the team's wide receiver group. Heck, reserve receiver Michael Campanaro was placed on injured reserve this past week.

Considering Smith represented over half of the targets that Ravens receivers recorded in the first four games, someone is going to have to step up in his absence.

Aiken, a fifth-year receiver from Central Florida, has put up 11 receptions for 165 yards and a score on 18 targets this season. He's also coming off a five-catch performance against Pittsburgh and has received the second-most targets of Ravens receivers through four games. It wouldn't be surprising to see him play an important role against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

2. Michael Johnson, defensive end, Cincinnati Bengals 

Remember when Johnson signed that massive contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to last season? That seems like ancient history. In his return to Cincinnati, where he tallied 21 sacks from 2011-13, Johnson has performed at an extremely high level this year. While the veteran has only one sack he has put consistent pressure on the quarterback thus far this season.

With Seattle likely to focus on sending double teams to Carlos Dunlap on the other side, Johnson will face one-on-one situations against left tackle Russell Okung.

It might not be the sexiest matchup in a battle between a Seahawks offensive line that's among the worst in the NFL and a Bengals defensive line that's playing great football, but there's a good chance Johnson will find a way to get to Russell Wilson in this one. After all, Seattle's quarterback is on pace to be sacked more than any other player at his position in the history of the NFL this season.

3. Anthony Dixon, running back, Buffalo Bills

With both LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams out this week against the Tennessee Titans, the Bills running back situation has become a bit desperate.

Dixon, a standout special teams performer during his career with both Buffalo and San Francisco, will now find himself starting against a Titans defense that is yielding an average of nearly 140 total yards to running backs this season.

It's not like Dixon is void of previous success. With C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson dealing with injuries last season, Dixon put up nearly 500 total yards while averaging 4.1 yards per attempt. If he gets the carries, it wouldn't be too surprising to see the career backup put up some good numbers.

4. Richard Rodgers, tight end, Green Bay Packers

When a skill-position player is performing well in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense, it's time to pay attention to that guy.

A second-year tight end from Cal, Rodgers has stepped into a starting role after Andrew Quarless was lost for the season due to a knee injury back in Week 3. Rodgers caught five passes for 45 yards with a touchdown last week against the San Francisco 49ers. He's also catching 77 percent of the passes thrown in his direction through four games.

Going up against a St. Louis Rams team that's without linebacker Alec Ogletree, Rodgers finds himself primed for yet another big game.

St. Louis doesn't have a single linebacker that can run with him down the field and he's much too bulky for slot corner Lamarcus Joyner to handle. This means that Rodgers will likely find himself up against T.J. McDonald in one-on-one coverage. That could be a major boon for the young tight end.

5. Trumaine Johnson, cornerback, St. Louis Rams

Mainly due to injuries last season, it took longer than some expected for Johnson to make his name known as the best cover guy on the Rams roster. Through four games this season, he's done just that.

Johnson did an admirable job against a hot receiver in Larry Fitzgerald last week, yielding less than 100 receiving yards on nine targets. This came on the heels of the Arizona Cardinals receiver dominating in his previous two games.

While the former third-round pick from Montana doesn't necessarily shadow the opposing team's top receiver, he will be lined up against Randall Cobb when the Packers are in base sets. When they go to three-wide, Johnson will either line up against a surprising James Jones or follow Cobb into the slot. This will make Johnson an important figure if the Rams are going to upset Green Bay at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

6. Seth Roberts, wide receiver, Oakland Raiders

With Denver's two elite corners focusing on Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree in this one, it's likely that Roberts will play a major role against a much improved corner in Bradley Roby. Roberts, an undrafted rookie free agent from West Alabama, has actually found his way to seven receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns this season.

It's going to be interesting to see if Carr shies away from Aqib Talib and Chris Harris in this one. If so, Roberts should receive enough targets to make an impact for the home team.

7. Brandon Weeden, quarterback, Dallas Cowboys

This is some kind of sick joke, right? Unheralded or just plain not that good? The jokes have been aplenty since Weeden was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.

Since coming in for an injured Tony Romo back in Week 2, Weeden has actually performed at a relatively high level, completing a league high 76.3 percent of his passes with a 108.8 quarterback rating. Dallas has also found a way to put up an average of 24 points in his two starts.

Going up against a New England Patriots offense that's averaging nearly 40 points per game, Weeden will likely have to put the ball in the air a great deal on Sunday. And considering Drew Brees ate big time against the Cowboys defense last week, it might be the only chance Dallas has of pulling off the upset.

8. T.J. Yeldon, running back, Jacksonville Jaguars

This rookie running back is coming off a career-best 105-yard performance against the Indianapolis Colts last week. It was also the second time in three games that Yeldon has tallied 20-plus rush attempts. Considering Yeldon has accounted for 70 of the Jaguars' 86 rush attempts from the running back position, the expectation here has to be that he will continue to be a primary focus.

Now taking on a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that ranks 30th in the NFL in run defense, Yeldon will likely find himself among the most productive running backs in the NFL this week. Expect another solid game from the rookie second-round pick.

9. Aaron Lynch, linebacker, San Francisco 49ers

It's rather obvious that San Francisco is relying on this second-year player more than most figured it would. After releasing Aldon Smith and with the tragic personal issue Ahmad Brooks is going through, Lynch will be a central focus of the team's pass rush against a shoddy New York Giants offensive line.

Through three games, Lynch has racked up three quarterback sacks and eight hurries. This comes on the heels of him putting up six sacks in the final 10 games last season. That's a pretty nice sample size for the talented young linebacker.

Manning has only been sacked four times this season, but he's facing pressure an average of 10 times per game. Look for Lynch to add to his sack total by taking Manning down at least once in this game.

10. Willie Snead, wide receiver, New Orleans Saints

Like clockwork, Drew Brees has found himself yet another unheralded receiver to target in the Saints pass-happy offense. In his second season out of Ball State, Snead is actually second to Brandin Cooks in both receptions and targets for the Saints through four games.

Coming off a career-best performance that saw him catch all six passes thrown in his direction for 66 yards last week, the expectation here has to be that Snead will continue to elevate himself over Marques Colston as a priority in the Saints passing game. And considering Brees completed 33 passes last week, there's a darn good chance that Snead will put up another stellar outing against the Philadelphia Eagles

Check out Vincent's other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter @VincentFrankNFL


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