4 bright spots for some of the NFL's hopeless teams

The dog days have arrived for bad NFL teams that are resigned to playing out the string to decide the draft order. These players provide dejected fans with a reason to enjoy the rest of the schedule.

Brock Bowers

The No. 13 overall draft pick's splendid debut signals he's the future of the tight end position. Bowers is the reason the Raiders rank 17th in pass yards and 30th - not a distant last - in total offense. His 70 catches for 706 yards, 38 first downs, and three touchdowns are all team highs.

He's pursuing milestones. Bowers barely trails Ja'Marr Chase for the NFL receptions lead while having a game in hand. He's on pace to break the records for most catches by a rookie (105, set by Puka Nacua last season) and receiving yards for a rookie tight end (1,076 by Mike Ditka in 1961).

Bowers is indispensable to Vegas. Except for Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson, no NFLer commands a greater share of his team's pass targets (Bowers is at 26.4%), catches (29%), and receiving yards (30.5%), per TruMedia. He nabbed a contested jump ball and brushed off a tackle to house long touchdowns, but the Raiders are 0-3 when he scores because they averaged 36.3 points against in those games.

Bowers moves the ball forward despite a low average depth of target of 5.9 yards. Only 10 of his 70 catches came on intermediate or deep passes that traveled at least 10 air yards, per PFF. (As a point of reference, George Kittle's split for the 49ers is 18 of 43.) Gardner Minshew II uses Bowers as a safety valve, but if the Raiders draft the right first-round quarterback, Bowers could evolve into a downfield threat.

Chuba Hubbard

Hubbard's contract extension with the Panthers rewarded his productivity under difficult circumstances. He ranks fourth in rushing yards (818, 5.1 per attempt) with a 56.5% rushing success rate in the NFL's No. 32 offense. He's gained a third of Carolina's scrimmage yards, leads the club with seven touchdowns, and is tied for the team high with 30 catches as a key checkdown target.

Hubbard eclipsed Miles Sanders, Carolina's prized backfield signing in 2023, and is seriously outperforming him for a second straight year. Those 818 yards are the fourth most amassed through 10 games by a Panthers running back this century, per TruMedia. Hubbard is close to the league lead in rushing yards after contact (3.6 per carry) and 15-plus-yard breakaways (12, including four against the Giants in Munich).

His output against the Saints and Giants (241 total yards, three touchdowns) just helped Carolina win back-to-back games for the first time since December 2022. Only two Panthers passes have gained more ground than Hubbard's 38-yard TD run against the Bears. He's coughed up the ball after three of his catches but hasn't fumbled on 581 straight carries dating to Week 8 of his 2021 rookie year.

There are 31 active running backs with more career touches than the 25-year-old Canadian, per Stathead. Hubbard's mileage isn't massive, and his breakout season in a lethargic lineup suggests he hasn't peaked yet.

Drake Maye

Anonymous playmakers surround Maye, but the No. 3 pick's promotion to starter pointed the rebuilding Patriots in the right direction. He's completed 67.4% of throws in six starts, fired nine touchdowns to as many targets, and won twice while keeping a couple of other scores close.

New England's offense was aimless and punchless under caretaker quarterback Jacoby Brissett. During his five-start stint, the Patriots ranked in the bottom two in passing yards, total yards, offensive touchdowns, and points scored. Brissett minimized disastrous plays, flinging just one interception, but needed to be benched for the team to make progress.

Maye gains first downs (78), completes explosive passes (13 for 20-plus yards), and exploits scrambling lanes (37.1 rushing yards per game) much more often than Brissett. Geno Smith is the only NFL QB with superior on-target throw and bad-throw rates (Maye's are 80.6% and 12.2%), per Pro Football Reference. Melding efficiency with excitement, Maye's first touchdown was a dime from midfield, and he scrambled for 12 seconds to force overtime against the Titans.

Only four passers drafted since 2020 - Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert, Brock Purdy, and C.J. Stroud - added more expected points than Maye through their first six starts, per TruMedia. The rookie is cool, confident, and capable of brilliance.

Dexter Lawrence

The Giants game-wrecker is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate following his ninth-place finish in 2023 voting. Lawrence's nine sacks, which double his '23 season total, are the most recorded by a nose tackle through 10 games this century, per TruMedia. His 13.4% pressure rate is superb for his position.

Pounding passers is one of New York's few fortes. The Giants rank second in sacks (36) and own the top QB takedown rate (11.6%) for any team since the 2000 Saints, per TruMedia. Their only wins stemmed from the pass rush's barrage against Cleveland's Deshaun Watson in Week 3 (Lawrence had two of eight sacks that forced 48 lost yards) and Seattle's Smith in Week 5 (Lawrence had three of seven for 53 lost yards).

Lawrence possesses brute strength, quick feet, and the second-best PFF grade (89.8) among players on dismal teams with fewer than four wins. The only higher applicable grade belongs to Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett.

The Giants often waste Lawrence's impact; according to Stathead, only two NFL defenders have been part of more losses (59 in 90 career games) since he debuted in the league alongside ex-teammate Daniel Jones in 2019.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.