The secret weapon behind every 2-0 start: Bills may have a new star, Chiefs unlock deep threat

Stars receive most of the credit, but these overlooked players have filled essential roles for the NFL's eight remaining 2-0 teams

Sep 24, 2026 at 8:15 am ET • 5 min read

Just like there are different levels of panic for every 0-2 team, there are different levels of hope for every 2-0 team. For some teams, this might be as good as it gets; for others, this start solidifies the idea that they can contend for the playoffs and beyond.

There's one clear commonality between every undefeated team, though: Key contributors -- and perhaps unexpected contributors -- have stepped up in a major way. Coaches often talk about the entire roster (and practice squad) being vital to a team's success, rather than just the stars, and it's true. Teams can't win with just their stars. They need the lesser-known players to excel, too. Whether it's a big jump or simply solid play at a key spot, these players make teams more complete.

As Week 3 looms, here are the "secret weapon" players who don't often get the headlines but have been a big reason their team does.

49ers: CB Upton Stout

Upton Stout is listed at 5-foot-9 and 181 pounds, but he is an absolute dog of a competitor who plays much bigger than he is. He already has three tackles for zero or negative yards, including a half-sack on Malik Willis in Week 2. Stout attacks the line of scrimmage with reckless abandon and is a willing tackler, and perhaps my favorite play of his this year was one that didn't go in the stat sheet.

Bills: DT Deone Walker

Yes, it's only been two weeks, but I debated whether Deone Walker even belongs on this list. He might just be a star, plain and simple. But as a 2025 fourth-round pick playing an unglamorous position, he qualifies.

Walker is 6-foot-7 and 331 pounds but moves like a guy 60-70 pounds lighter. Seriously, his movement skills are in the "rare" category, and when you combine them with elite strength and power, his film is laughably good. He sealed the Bills' Week 1 win over the Texans by roasting Ed Ingram and sacking C.J. Stroud on fourth down.

Walker's nine pressures are tied with All-Pro Jeffery Simmons for most among defensive tackles this season. He can also be a one-man wrecking crew in the run game and is a big reason the Bills are currently eighth in yards per carry allowed after they were 30th last year.

I named Walker among 50 under-the-radar players this offseason and picked him for our preseason All-Breakout Team. I don't want to pat myself on the back too much, but I appreciate Walker making me look smart so far.

Bengals: EDGE Cedric Johnson

The numbers don't lie here. Cedric Johnson had three sacks in his first two seasons. He has two sacks in his first two games this year, both against the Texans in Week 2. He also has a 17.2% pressure rate, which is excellent. It's worth noting that the Texans' offensive line looked absolutely awful, but playing alongside Dexter Lawrence, Bengals edge defenders are going to get plenty of one-on-one opportunities like this:

Johnson closed 2025 strongly and is carrying it over to 2026. Much was made of Cincinnati's external defensive additions, but Johnson's internal development is a positive, too.

Chiefs: WR Tyquan Thornton

A former second-round flameout in New England, Tyquan Thornton signed to the Chiefs' practice squad in 2024 to little fanfare. But his speed and size provide the Chiefs with something they desperately need, and something they desperately needed Sunday night against the Colts in particular. Thornton had four catches for 86 yards, coming up huge in overtime.

Thornton is never going to be a high-volume guy, but his 22.8 yards per reception since the start of last year is the highest in the NFL (min. 20 receptions). If he and Mahomes are on the same page more often -- Mahomes missed him on a lot of deep balls last year -- it's a gigantic boost for Kansas City.

Eagles: DT Moro Ojomo

The Eagles' defensive line factory keeps producing. Moro Ojomo made his biggest play by stopping the Commanders' two-point conversion attempt in Week 1, but to solely focus on that would be to miss out on his entire body of work. He has seven tackles on successful defensive plays, tied for third-most among all defensive tackles. He also has five pressures.

His numbers could be even better, too -- he has four missed tackles, though only one was a tackle he really should have had, and the play resulted in an Eagles sack anyway. If those narrow misses turn into tackles, people will take even more notice.

Raiders: CB Hezekiah Masses

Here's a fun number for you: Opposing quarterbacks have a 0.0 passer rating when throwing Hezekiah Masses' way. The fifth-round rookie had a pair of interceptions against Justin Herbert and an impressive pass breakup against the Dolphins in Week 1. He certainly doesn't lack for confidence, either.

It's obviously a tiny sample size, and Masses will have some struggles in the future. Every young cornerback does. But for now, he looks like a late-round gem.

Seahawks: CB Nehemiah Pritchett

I almost went with Drew Lock, because he was a backup just two weeks ago, but it's hard for a quarterback to be a secret weapon. Nehemiah Pritchett, though? He first introduced the bill. A fifth-round pick in 2024, Pritchett had his first career interception against the Patriots in Week 1 and has allowed just 25 yards on six attempts as the primary defender this year.

After playing just eight percent of Seattle's defensive snaps last year, he's up to 75% this year. It's just another success for Mike Macdonald and the loaded Seahawks defense.

Vikings: DT Jalen Redmond

We could really just say "pretty much everyone on the defense" for Minnesota. But Jalen Redmond stands out after Dallas Turner, who looks like a breakout star and therefore can't qualify for this list.

Last year, the Vikings brought in more well-known interior defensive linemen in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, and Redmond, a former UDFA who played in the UFL, simply outplayed them. All he does is make plays, and he made a huge one in Week 2.

Redmond has seven tackles against the run, six of which have resulted in gains of two yards or fewer, and three of which have resulted in zero yards or negative yards. He also had four pressures against the Bears, constantly walking back Chicago's interior offensive linemen.