When it comes to success in the NFL, superstars may dominate the conversation, but more often than not, it’s the guys you don’t know who make the plays needed. when is They are needed. Such players can be rated low for all reasons. Perhaps they play in a small market, and the media is not properly reporting their exploits. Maybe they’re hidden deep in the chart behind big names that might not do that much. Or, maybe a coach never knew that someone needed height to get the best results for the team.
Whatever the reason, we at SB Nation always love to bring you the most underrated names. Offseason hidden gems and the then-Secret Superstars series.
And with that in mind, here are our AFC Secret Superstars for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. And if you haven’t already, Download the new SB Nation appSo you can better read our stuff wherever you are!
David Montgomery, RB, Houston, Tex
If there’s one thing you can’t expect from Week 1 Sunday, it’s the Houston Texans defense giving up 409 yards, 20 first downs and 36 points to any team, even Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills in the heats. But that’s what happened to the 2025 defense, which ranked second in DVOA behind only the Seattle Seahawks in Buffalo’s 36-31 win.
What kept the Texans in the game as long as they did was something else we haven’t seen much of from the 2025 Texans – a lot of touchdowns from running backs. But former Detroit Lions tight end David Montgomery, who was signed to a two-year, $16.5 million contract in March, immediately changed that. Montgomery, who stood out among team backs with a total of 10 rushing and receiving touchdowns in the 2025 season, gained 60 yards on 20 carries with two rushing touchdowns, added three targets for 19 yards and another score.
Montgomery not only became the first player in Texas history to catch the most touchdowns in his first game with a new team in the Super Bowl era. The last player to do that was Saquon Barkley in his first game against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 6, 2024. Now Barkley continues his NFL career with 2,857 yards from scrimmage and one of the most dominant seasons ever for a running back. The Texans aren’t expecting that from Montgomery, but as head coach DeMeco Ryan said on Monday, Montgomery’s addition will fill several holes in the Texans’ running game, which was more thought-out than anticipated last year.
“I’d love to give David the game ball, first Texan to start with three touchdowns,” Ryan said. “I thought it was an amazing play by him — finding a way to get into the end zone. The offensive line blocked him really well. He was very excited about what he was bringing and what he was going to bring to our offense. You talk about a guy who can be an explosive runner, a physical runner. When we were looking for yards, he was able to get positive yards even though the run might have been blocked for zero runs.
“That speaks to David and how he plays the game. He’s added a lot to our offense. I know our guys run the ball well, starting with the offensive line, how they finish blocks, our tight ends, how they block. He gets the ball up and down the field.”
The big idea for the 2026 Texans is to let the offense mature like it did last season. Well, the addition of Montgomery allowed the offense to do more. Now, it’s that defense to recover from the unexpected.
Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ receiver scheme last season did not go as expected.
The idea was that Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter would be the stars, but between Hunter’s injuries and Thomas’ mysterious sophomore effectiveness, head coach and offensive playcaller Liam Coyne had to improve as things progressed. The Nov. 4 trade helped a lot for former Las Vegas Raiders receiver Jacoby Myers, but the departure of 2023 Jaguars sixth-round pick Parker Washington was just as big a deal.
In his first two and a half NFL seasons, the Penn State graduate was no more than a bit player … and then things changed in a big way. He blew onto the radar early in Week 16 of the 2025 season. He caught 6 passes on 9 targets for 145 yards and a touchdown Washington was one of the NFL’s most effective receivers overall, thanks to the Denver Broncos’ tight end defense and then the Jaguars’ wild card loss to the Buffalo Bills… bar none.
During that four-game stretch, Washington ranked first in the league in targets (28), fifth in receptions (19), second in receiving yards (347, behind only Puca Nacua’s 348) and third in receiving touchdowns.
Anyone who thought that was a blip or a blip was taken to the woods in Jacksonville’s 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Washington led all receivers on both teams with 5 of 6 targets for 83 yards and a touchdown, and as he was in the 2025 season, the 5’10”, 212-pound Washington was good from anywhere in the formation.
“Great play,” Coyne said of Washington’s 30-yard diving touchdown catch. Man had cover (and) had external capacity. I think the pigeon came down and ran a very good route. He got the nickel to dive in (on the way). In the end he became very open and showed good feelings. (Quarterback Trevor Lawrence) had really good protection all day. As we quickly watched, Parker was particularly pleased with his early arrival.
Now Washington is ready for a new contract, but Lawrence said postgame that he won’t let that affect what happens on the field.
You don’t even know it’s the way he carries himself. He was one of a kind. He just comes to work every day, does everything the right way. Yes, you don’t even know that’s happening in the background. He was actually surprised at how he treated him, but not surprised. He is a worker and had a good day today.
On great days like these, Parker Washington is going to get paid handsomely. a person – and soon.
Kwity Paye, EDGE, Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are tied for the NFL’s seventh-fewest sack total in the 2025 season with 37, and their 174 quarterback pressures were third-fewest in the league, ahead of the Carolina Panthers (162) and New York Jets (165). Crosby was responsible for those 10 sacks and 46 pressures, so imagine what would have happened if the Maxx Crosby trade had happened.
Instead, with a happy and healthy Crosby on board, new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard is on board, and former Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Kwity Paye is also on board to ensure the six-year veteran is signed this offseason to a $48 million, $31.238 million contract.
The Raiders had a relatively easy game against the roster-barren Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the 2026 season, but you still have to show up and play games. And Paye did that in a big way in his Raiders debut. He had a career-high (for one game) three sacks and eight total pressures in a 27-13 win at Las Vegas, and when Paye and Crosby were on the field together, this defense caused the kind of disruption it hasn’t in a while. Crosby had two sacks and eight pressures — no surprise there — and overall, the Raiders were good for five sacks and 16 pressures.
Life wasn’t good for Miami quarterback Malik Willis, and Pay was a major reason. What’s more, the 6’2”, 265-pound Paye has done everything from all kinds of slots.
“I think we played well as a team, as a defense,” Pey said after the game. Shout out to Robbie (Rob Leonard) first and foremost. Shout out to Trav (defensive line coach Travis Smith), shout out to (defensive assistant) Steve Ferentz, shout out to K-Jack (assistant defensive line coach Kenyon Jackson), those guys on the D-line, we feel like we’re five tonight. Those indie (individual) practices kill as a testament to working hard every day, but they all paid off today.
“I once said to some of them, ‘This is probably the toughest season I’ve ever had with a team.’
Needless to say, Pai is thrilled to have Crosby as the centerpiece of the pass rush.
“Definitely met a lot of people today. The slide was away from me, but I feel like Robbie planned it well. Shout out to Trav again, and K-Jack and Steve and all those guys for the prep all week. I can’t thank those guys enough.”
The value of hard work and having the right teammates around you? It seems like the perfect recipe these Raiders have been struggling to find for quite some time now.
