NFL's surprising stars of 2016

There's no neat way divide an NFL season into thirds, what with bye weeks being staggered throughout the season. Five is close enough, so we're going to use that as a peg to examine the early contributors who no one saw coming or have far outpaced expectations in 2016.

With a sample size that small, things can be skewed by one really productive game, though we've tried to emphasize those with more consistent output throughout this brief season.

Matt Ryan: When the Falcons lost to Tampa in Week 1, it seemed like another middling season was waiting ahead, even though Ryan played sharp in that game. Instead, the Falcons have taken off in large part thanks to Ryan, who leads the NFL in passing yards and second in touchdown passes with 12 while only throwing two interceptions. Sunday was his first outing of the season with a rating below 100, though just barely at 98.4. Coming against the Broncos defense that's more than excusable. It shouldn't be a surprise – Ryan is one of the best passers against the blitz this season.

Sam Bradford: He certainly hasn't been asked to do as much as Ryan and likely won't at any point this season, and that's just fine for the Vikings. While the team was derided for giving up multiple picks, including a first-rounder, for Bradford before the start of the season after Teddy Bridgewater went down, it's hard to deny that Bradford has done everything asked of him. He's been very efficient, throwing six touchdowns and no picks in four starts, all of which Minnesota has won. Bradford has been good enough to not be considered a liability even when Adrian Peterson has been out.

Sammie Coates: Valuable pieces of the Steelers offense were getting picked off as the offseason wore on. Receiver Martavis Bryant was suspended for the entire 2016 season while running back Le'Veon Bell was forced to sit the first three games. Tight end Ladarius Green, who was signed in free agency to replace Heath Miller, has yet to make it onto the field. Though Antonio Brown is one of, if not the, best receivers in the NFL, someone else in the receiving corps needed to step up for the Steelers offense to remain as potent as it was in 2015. Coates had a huge game on Sunday against the Jets, posting 139 yards and two scores. That may have been his best performance to date though it's hardly the only significant one – he's in the top 10 in the NFL in receiving yards despite only 19 catches. He leads all receivers with at least 10 catches with a 22.2 yard average per catch, making him an undisputed big play threat for the Steelers.

Isaiah Crowell: The Browns' quarterback situation is an absolute mess while Crowell has been one of the few bright spots for an otherwise dismal year. The back has 416 yards in five games, good enough for fifth in the NFL, twice going over the 100-yard mark. Despite a suffocating performance by the Patriots defense to hold him to just 22 yards on Sunday, head coach Hue Jackson has nothing but nice things to say about Crowell so far this year, especially after he caught heat for a social media post critical of law enforcement during the offseason.

Terrelle Pryor: A quarterback transitioning to receiver isn't supposed to be this good this fast. Through five games, Pryor has 338 yards receiving, putting him on pace for about 1,000 over a full season. Pryor has been a multifaceted weapon in the offense, functioning as a rusher, receiver, and occasionally passer when all the other Cleveland quarterbacks get hurt, which is frequently.

David Johnson: A consensus number one pick in fantasy leagues coming into the year, the Cardinals back has definitely backed up those expectations by making the leap to stardom in his second season. Johnson is third in the NFL in rushing yards with 457. He adds a huge element to the passing game as well, getting another 238 yards receiving out of the backfield.

Marvin Jones: Many scoffed when Detroit signed the former Bengals receiver and tasked him with replacing Calvin Johnson in the Lions offense, yet after five weeks and he leads the NFL in receiving yards with 519 yards. That is obviously bolstered by a 200-yard game against the Packers though it isn't the only time Jones has gone over the century mark this season. The Lions may only be barely hanging around at 2-3 but things would be much worse if not for Jones.

Travis Benjamin: Underappreciated last season in Cleveland, where he finished just short of 1,000 yards in 2015, Benjamin was allowed to depart to San Diego, where he really came in handy once Keenan Allen was lost for the season. Were he toiling for a more relevant team, Benjamin might be considered one of the league's emerging stars. As it is, he's still a considerable talent.

Lorenzo Alexander: The journeyman Bills linebacker has seven sacks in five games after tallying three on Sunday against the Rams. That's nearly triple his previous single season high over the course of nine seasons with three teams. His rise has been pivotal for the Bills, who cut Mario Williams in the offseason and saw his intended replacement, first-round pick Shaq Lawson, had shoulder surgery, keeping him from getting on the field yet.  

Lane Taylor: Just before the start of the season, the Packers shocked observers by cutting three-time Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton, who soon signed with division rival Chicago. Mike McCarthy defended the move on football grounds, swearing it wasn't just about financials, even though Taylor had only two NFL starts coming into the season. So far it's working like a dream and the Packers have one of the best lines in the league.