Written by: Tyler Deakin
Player success in the NFL is all about networking & learning from the elite at your position. There are times where young players can learn from their elder peers who are on the same team, which is the best-case scenario. Some examples of this concept include Aaron Rodgers learning from Brett Favre, Patrick Mahomes learning from Alex Smith, & Julio Jones learning from Roddy White. I’m of the opinion that greatness only breeds more greatness, so having a talented young player learn from a talented older player is always a good thing. Without further ado, here is my list of the top mentor-student relationships in the NFL.
WRs Julio Jones & AJ Brown; Titans
AJ Brown had the following to say of Julio Jones following him being traded to Tennessee, “"all the way up through college, he has been my favorite receiver, someone I've always looked up to… So to have him on the same (team) as me, it is going to raise my level of play, too, which is great." This is exactly the type of relationship I described above. Julio may only be with the Titans for a couple years, but his impact will extend beyond that time & into AJ Brown’s future career. Former Falcons WR Roddy White had a huge impact on Julio’s career, and Julio has in turn passed down those lessons to youngster AJ Brown.
TEs Zach Ertz & Dallas Goedert; Eagles
The Eagles are in an enviable position when it comes to their tight end room, where they have 2 solid players at the position in Zach Ertz & Dallas Goedert. Ertz brings a championship pedigree & 8-years of NFL experience in showing Goedert how to play TE for the Eagles. Goedert has responded with a solid 3-year career thus far, and all of those seasons have been spent under the tutelage of Ertz. He has filled in quite nicely the few times Ertz has gone down due to injury. I’m predicting a big season on the horizon from the Eagles TE room in 2021.
DEs Von Miller & Bradley Chubb; Broncos
Who better to learn from than the Super Bowl 50 MVP? That’s the scenario Bradley Chubb finds himself in, learning how to play defensive end from Von Miller. This tandem has rarely seen the field together at the same time due to injuries. Watch out for the pairing this year though because both players are entering contract years on a reloaded defense. Opposing offensive lines will likely have trouble containing this dynamic duo on the edges in 2021.
WRs Amari Cooper & CeeDee Lamb; Cowboys
Did anyone really expect CeeDee Lamb to fall all the way to the Cowboys at pick No. 17 in last year’s draft? I certainly didn’t, and the Cowboys benefitted from the league’s mistake. The cool thing about this duo is that both Lamb (22) & Cooper (27) are still so young & in the prime of their careers. Both players played well last year despite season long uncertainty at QB. Dak Prescott returns this year to give this pairing some legitimate upside in 2021.
WRs Tyreek Hill & Mecole Hardman; Chiefs
How is it possible that two of the fastest players in the league are on the same NFL team? Both of these guys were instrumental during the team’s Super Bowl runs the past couple of years. Hill just continues to establish himself as one of the best receivers in the game today. We’re still waiting for Hardman to break out, but this could be his breakout year with Sammy Watkins out of the picture in KC. Patrick Mahomes is a very lucky man to be throwing to a bunch of young, talented receivers such as Hill & Hardman.
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