NFL 2022 Season Preview

Standings

NFC EAST
x-Philadelphia Eagles 11-6
Dallas Cowboys 9-8
Washington Commanders 7-10
New York Giants 5-12

NFC NORTH
x-Green Bay Packers 12-5
y-Minnesota Vikings 12-5
Detroit Lions 6-11
Chicago Bears 3-14

NFC SOUTH
x-New Orleans Saints 12-5
y-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-7
Carolina Panthers 8-9
Atlanta Falcons 4-13

NFC WEST
x-Los Angeles Rams 13-4
y-San Francisco 49ers 10-7
Arizona Cardinals 8-9
Seattle Seahawks 4-13

AFC EAST
x-Buffalo Bills 13-4
Miami Dolphins 9-8
New England Patriots 6-11
New York Jets 5-12

AFC NORTH
x-Cincinnati Bengals 11-6
y-Baltimore Ravens 10-7
Pittsburgh Steelers 8-9
Cleveland Browns 6-11

AFC SOUTH
x-Indianapolis Colts 12-5
Tennessee Titans 9-8
Jacksonville Jaguars 6-11
Houston Texans 3-14

AFC WEST
x-Kansas City Chiefs 12-5
y-Los Angeles Chargers 11-6
y-Denver Broncos 9-8
Las Vegas Raiders 8-9

Playoff Predictions

1st Round	2nd Round	NFC Championship	NFC
3 – Green Bay vs. 6 – San Francisco
	1 – Los Angeles (BYE) vs. 6 – San Francisco
4 – Philadelphia vs. 5 – Minnesota		1 – Los Angeles vs. 5 – Minnesota	Los Angeles Rams NFC Champions
	2 – New Orleans vs. 5 – Minnesota
2 – New Orleans vs. 7 – Tampa Bay

1st Round	2nd Round	AFC Championship	AFC
3 – Indianapolis vs. 6 – Baltimore
	1 – Buffalo vs. 6 – Baltimore
4 – Cincinnati vs. 5 – Los Angeles		1 – Buffalo vs. 5 – Los Angeles	Buffalo Bills AFC Champions
	2 – Kansas City vs. 5 – Los Angeles
2 – Kansas City vs. 7 – Denver

SUPER BOWL LVII:
Los Angeles Rams over Buffalo Bills

Award Predictions

MVP: Justin Herbert, LAC
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Deebo Samuel, SF
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Micah Parsons, DAL
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Chris Olave, NO
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Derek Stingley Jr., HOU
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jaire Alexander, GB
COACH OF THE YEAR: Sean McVay, LAR

Roster Projections

NFC

Dallas Cowboys

HC: Mike McCarthy (3rd year in DAL, Career record: 143-92-2, Team record: 18-15) –AGE: 59

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#4	Dak Prescott	Mississippi State 7th year, Age: 29	37 TDs, 10 INTs, 4,449 yds, 54.6 QBR 146 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#21	Ezekiel Elliott	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	237 carries, 1,002 yds, 10 TDs 47 receptions, 287 yds, 2 TDs
HB	#20	Tony Pollard	Memphis 4th year, Age: 25	130 carries, 719 yds, 2 TDs 39 receptions, 337 yds
WR	#88	CeeDee Lamb	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 23	79 receptions, 1,102 yds, 6 TDs 9 carries, 76 yds
WR	#13	Michael Gallup*	Colorado State 5th year, Age: 26	35 receptions, 445 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#86	Dalton Schultz	Stanford 5th year, Age: 26	78 receptions, 808 yds, 8 TDs
G	#70	Zack Martin	Notre Dame 9th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 94.2
G	#66	Connor McGovern	Penn State 4th year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: N/A
C	#63	Tyler Biadasz	Wisconsin 3rd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 64.8
T	TBA	Jason Peters	Arkansas 19th year, Age: 40	PFF Grade: 77.9
T	#73	Tyler Smith (R)	Tulsa Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 24th overall by DAL

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#90	DeMarcus Lawrence	Boise State 9th year, Age: 30	3 Sacks, 21 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 2 FF 5 PD
DE	#56	Dante Fowler Jr.	Florida 8th year, Age: 27	4.5 Sacks, 21 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 PD
DT	#97	Osa Odighizuwa	UCLA 2nd year, Age: 23	2 Sacks, 36 Tackles
DT	#96	Neville Gallimore	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 25	1.5 Sacks, 13 Tackles
MLB	#55	Leighton Vander-Esch	Boise State 5th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 77 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
OLB/DE	#11	Micah Parsons	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 23	13 Sacks, 84 Tackles, 3 FF, 3 PD
OLB	#51	Anthony Barr	UCLA 9th year, Age: 30	2.5 Sacks, 72 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 FR, 5 PD
CB	#7	Trevon Diggs	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 24	52 Tackles, 11 INTs, 2 TDs, 21 PD
CB	#3	Anthony Brown	Purdue 7th year, Age: 28	71 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF, 17 PD
S	#27	Jayron Kearse	Clemson 8th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 101 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 10 PD
S	#28	Malik Hooker	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 26	44 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#19	Brett Maher	Nebraska 3rd year, Age: 32	16/18 FG — 0/1 50+, 10/12 XP
P	#5	Bryan Anger	California 11th year, Age: 33	65 punts, 3,143 yds, 24 <20
KR	#20	Tony Pollard	Memphis 4th year, Age: 25	17 attempts, 489 yds, 1 TD
PR	#88	CeeDee Lamb	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 23	14 attempts, 139 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

WR: James Washington – #83 (Oklahoma State, 5th year, Age: 26)
T: Tyron Smith** – #77 (USC, 12th year, Age: 31)
DE: Dorance Armstrong – #92 (Kansas, 5th year, Age: 25)
DE: Tarell Basham – #93 (Ohio, 6th year, Age: 28)
DE: Carlos Watkins – #91 (Clemson, 6th year, Age: 28)
CB: Jourdan Lewis – #2 (Michigan, 6th year, Age: 26)
S: Donovan Wilson – #6 (Texas A&M, 4th year, Age: 27)

*Michael Gallup tore his ACL in January and may miss the first few weeks of the season
**Tyron Smith has a torn hamstring and will miss the first 12+ weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 9-8, 2nd in NFC East
MVP: LB Micah Parsons
Breakout Player: DT Osa Odighizuwa
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Secondary, offensive line, balanced running attack
Weaknesses: Pass game, defensive line, pass rush

By far the weakest division in football, Dallas has been the team to beat over the last few years although that may change now. Not much was done this offseason to help improve a team that had another early playoff exit in embarrassing fashion. WR Amari Cooper left for Cleveland and OL La’el Collins signed with the Bengals on a 3-year deal. Star third year WR CeeDee Lamb will be looked at as the key playmaker in a depleted receiving core. The offensive line still should be solid, anchored by future Hall-of-Famers Tyron Smith and Zack Martin. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard became a nasty one-two punch in the backfield and will look to build on that momentum.

Defensively, young stars Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs bursted onto the scene adding depth to Vander Esch and company. I don’t personally love their defensive line, but Dante Fowler was a solid veteran addition and the secondary should be able to continue it’s elite improvement. All and all the Eagles have improved and if the Commanders can get any good QB play they should make a run. Dallas is going to be fighting it out to remain atop the East.

New York Giants

HC: Brian Daboll (1st year) – AGE: 47

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#8	Daniel Jones	Duke 4th year, Age: 25	10 TDs, 7 INTs, 2,428 yds, 41.5 QBR 298 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#26	Saquon Barkley	Penn State 5th year, Age: 25	162 carries, 593 yds, 2 TDs 41 receptions, 263 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#19	Kenny Golladay	Northern Illinois 6th year, Age: 28	37 receptions, 521 yds
WR	#86	Darius Slayton	Auburn 4th year, Age: 25	26 receptions, 339 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#89	Kadarius Toney	Florida 2nd year, Age: 23	39 receptions, 420 yds
TE	#45	Daniel Bellinger (R)	San Diego State Rookie, Age: 31	DRAFTED: 112th overall by NYG
G	#64	Mark Glowinski	West Virginia 8th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#66	Shane Lemieux	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: N/A
C	#76	Jon Feliciano	Miami 9th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#78	Andrew Thomas	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 78.4
T	#70	Evan Neal (R)	Alabama Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 7th overall by NYG

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#99	Leonard Williams	USC 8th year, Age: 28	6.5 Sacks, 81 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD
DE	#55	Jihad Ward	Illinois 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 32 Tackles
DT	#97	Dexter Lawrence	Clemson 4th year, Age: 24	2.5 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD
ILB	#48	Tae Crowder	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 25	130 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 6 PD
ILB	#52	Carter Coughlin	Minnesota 3rd year, Age: 24	6 Tackles
OLB	#5	Kayvon Thibodeaux* (R)	Oregon Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 5th overall by NYG
OLB	#51	Azeez Ojulari	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22	8 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD
CB	#22	Adoree’ Jackson	USC 6th year, Age: 26	62 Tackles, 1 INT, 8 PD
CB	#30	Darnay Holmes	UCLA 3rd year, Age: 24	29 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
S	#29	Xavier McKinney	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	93 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD, 10 PD
S	#20	Julian Love	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 24	66 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 7 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#9	Graham Gano	Florida State 13th year, Age: 35	29/33 FG — 7/10 50+, 17/17 XP
P	#17	Jamie Gillan	Arkansas-Pine Bluff 4th year, Age: 25	42 punts, 1,842 yds, 15 <20
KR	#80	Richie James	Middle Tennessee 4th year, Age: 27	DNP – Knee Injury
PR	#80	Richie James	Middle Tennessee 4th year, Age: 27	DNP – Knee Injury

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Tyrod Taylor – #2 (Virginia Tech, 12th year, Age: 32)
HB: Matt Breida – #31 (Georgia Southern, 6th year, Age: 27)
WR: Sterling Shepard** – #3 (Oklahoma, 7th year, Age: 29)
TE: Ricky Seals-Jones – #83 (Texas A&M, 6th year, Age: 27)

*Kayvon Thibodeaux has an injured knee and may miss 1-3 weeks
**Sterling Shepard is rehabbing a torn achilles and may miss 1-2 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 5-12, 4th in NFC East
MVP: HB Saquon Barkley
Breakout Player: LB Kayvon Thibodeaux
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Young EDGE rushers, weapons in the backfield
Weaknesses: Offensive line, questionable QB, depth in secondary

The spiral of losing seasons continued for the Giants as they finished 4-13 in 2021 which led to HC Joe Judge getting fired. A new regime enters led by Bills OC Brian Daboll who looks to try to spark something new with the depleted offense. After not picking up his fifth year option, Daniel Jones will be on a prove it year with emphasis on showing a ton of improvement in year 4. Also for the first time in a while, the team is relatively healthy. Saquon looks to be fully back, Golladay is healthy, and Andrew Thomas will hold down the blind side. With their two top picks, the Giants added EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux and OT Evan Neal, two guys who they expect to make huge impacts off of the bat.

But still the team is not completely built to win this year. In my opinion it is much more of a progression year with a new Head Coach and a QB who needs to improve drastically to stay on this team long-term. Edge rushers and offensive line have been draining issues over the past few years, but now with a young core of Ojulari and Thibodeaux on the edge and the additions of Glowinski, Feliciano, and Neal on the line, they hope some of these issues will be solved. Still, they’re the worst team in the division and will probably fight to win 6 or 7 games at most this year.

Philadelphia Eagles

HC: Nick Sirianni (2nd year, Career/Team record: 9-8) – AGE: 41

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#1	Jalen Hurts	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 23	16 TDs, 9 INTs, 3,144 yds, 48.5 QBR 784 rush yds, 10 TDs
HB	#26	Miles Sanders	Penn State 4th year, Age: 25	137 carries, 754 yds 26 receptions, 158 yds
WR	#11	A.J. Brown	Ole Miss 4th year, Age: 25	63 receptions, 869 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#6	DeVonta Smith	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	64 receptions, 916 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#3	Zach Pascal	Old Dominion 5th year, Age: 27	38 receptions, 384 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#88	Dallas Goedert	South Dakota State 5th year, Age: 27	56 receptions, 830 yds, 4 TDs
G	#56	Isaac Seumalo	Oregon State 7th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#69	Landon Dickerson	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 67.3
C	#62	Jason Kelce	Cincinnati 12th year, Age: 34	PFF Grade: 84.8
T	#65	Lane Johnson	Oklahoma 10th year, Age: 32	PFF Grade: 82.4
T	#68	Jordan Mailata	Australia 5th year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 86.9

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#55	Brandon Graham	Michigan 13th year, Age: 34	2 GP, 2 Tackles
DE	#96	Derek Barnett	Tennessee 6th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 46 Tackles
DT	#91	Fletcher Cox	Mississippi State 11th year, Age: 31	3.5 Sacks, 35 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR
DT	#97	Javon Hargrave	South Carolina State 7th year, Age: 29	7.5 Sacks, 63 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
MLB	#43	Kyzir White	West Virginia 5th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 144 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF, 3 PD
OLB	#7	Haason Reddick	Temple 6th year, Age: 27	11 Sacks, 68 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR
OLB	#57	T.J. Edwards	Wisconsin 4th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 130 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 5 PD
CB	#2	Darius Slay	Mississippi State 10th year, Age: 31	52 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD, 2 FR, 9 PD
CB	#24	James Bradberry	Samford 7th year, Age: 28	47 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FR, 17 PD
S	#28	Anthony Harris	Virginia 8th year, Age: 30	72 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD
S	#22	Marcus Epps	Wyoming 4th year, Age: 26	62 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#4	Jake Elliott	Memphis 6th year, Age: 27	30/33 FG — 3/3 50+, 44/44 XP
P	#8	Arryn Siposs	Auburn 2nd year, Age: 29	55 punts, 2,416 yds, 17 <20
KR	#18	Jalen Reagor	TCU 3rd year, Age: 23	12 attempts, 255 yds
PR	#18	Jalen Reagor	TCU 3rd year, Age: 23	31 attempts, 227 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Gardner Minshew – #10 (Washington State, 4th year, Age: 27)
HB: Boston Scott – #35 (Louisiana Tech, 4th year, Age: 27)
HB: Kenneth Gainwell – #14 (Memphis, 2nd year, Age: 23)
DE: Josh Sweat – #94 (Florida State, 5th year, Age: 25)
DT: Jordan Davis – #90 (Georgia, Rookie, Age: 22)
DT: Milton Williams – #93 (Louisiana Tech, 2nd year, Age: 23)
LB: Davion Taylor – #52 (Colorado, 3rd year, Age: 23)
CB: Avonte Maddox – #29 (Pittsburgh, 5th year, Age: 26)
S: C.J. Gardner-Johnson – #23 (Florida, 4th year, Age: 24)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 11-6, 1st in NFC East
MVP: CB Darius Slay
Breakout Player: WR DeVonta Smith
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Defensive line, WR core, secondary
Weaknesses: Linebackers, run game

The Eagles had a shocking 9-8 season under first year HC Nick Sirianni a year ago and all they did was improve this offseason. Sure there will still be some speculation about the consistency of QB Jalen Hurts, but veteran Gardner Minshew was added for depth as well as a bunch of other supporting pieces. Star WR A.J. Brown was acquired via trade from Tennessee on draft day to pair up with budding star DeVonta Smith in the WR room. Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson look to anchor a solid offensive line featuring a few young pieces. On the defensive front, Fletcher Cox is back, Brandon Graham returns from injury, and the secondary improved drastically with the addition of James Bradberry to pair with Darius Slay.

Philly looks tough, and in my opinion, they’re the team to beat in the NFC East. Dallas took some steps backwards and I think this will open up a huge lane for the Eagles to make a push this year. Strength of schedule should play well into their favor as well, as they play: 2x Giants, 2x Commanders, Texans, Jaguars, Lions, and Bears.

Washington Commanders

HC: Ron Rivera (3rd year in WSH, Career record: 90-82-1, Team record: 14-19) – AGE: 60

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#11	Carson Wentz	North Dakota State 7th year, Age: 29	27 TDs, 7 INTs, 3,563 yds, 54.7 QBR 215 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#24	Antonio Gibson	Memphis 3rd year, Age: 24	258 carries, 1,037 yds, 7 TDs 42 receptions, 294 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#17	Terry McLaurin	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 26	77 receptions, 1,053 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#1	Jahan Dotson (R)	Penn State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 16th overall by WSH
WR	#10	Curtis Samuel	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 25	5 GP, 6 receptions, 27 yds 4 carries, 11 yds
TE	#87	John Bates	Boise State 2nd year, Age: 24	20 receptions, 249 yds, 1 TD
G	#68	Andrew Norwell	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 67.1
G	#71	Wes Schweitzer	San Jose State 7th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: N/A
C	#73	Chase Roullier	Wyoming 6th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: 84.6
T	#72	Charles Leno Jr.	Boise State 9th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 81.1
T	#76	Sam Cosmi	Texas 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: N/A

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#99	Chase Young*	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 23	1.5 Sacks, 26 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 PD
DE	#90	Montez Sweat	Mississippi State 4th year, Age: 25	5 Sacks, 24 Tackles, 3 FF
DT	#93	Jonathan Allen	Alabama 6th year, Age: 27	9 Sacks, 62 Tackles
DT	#94	Daron Payne	Alabama 5th year, Age: 25	4.5 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 1 FR
MLB	#55	Cole Holcomb	North Carolina 4th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 142 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 2 FF, 1 FR, 7 PD
OLB	#52	Jamin Davis	Kentucky 2nd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 76 Tackles, 1 PD
OLB	#51	David Mayo	Texas State 8th year, Age: 28	28 Tackles, 1 FR
CB	#29	Kendall Fuller	Virginia Tech 7th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 77 Tackles, 1 INT, 16 PD
CB	#3	William Jackson III	Houston 7th year, Age: 29	39 Tackles, 2 INTs, 8 PD
S	#31	Kamren Curl	Arkansas 3rd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 99 Tackles, 1 FR, 5 PD
S	#20	Bobby McCain	Memphis 8th year, Age: 28	63 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 9 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#6	Joey Slye	Virginia Tech 4th year, Age: 26	23/25 FG — 4/4 50+, 18/22 XP
P	#5	Tress Way	Oklahoma 9th year, Age: 32	60 punts, 2,901 yds, 22 <20
KR	#32	Jaret Patterson	Buffalo 2nd year, Age: 22	NO STATS
PR	#86	Alex Erickson	Wisconsin 7th year, Age: 29	23 attempts, 204 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Taylor Heinicke – #4 (Old Dominion, 5th year, Age: 29)
HB: Brian Robinson** – #8 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 23)
HB: J.D. McKissic – #23 (Arkansas State, 6th year, Age: 28)
WR: Cam Sims – #89 (Alabama, 5th year, Age: 26)
TE: Logan Thomas*** – #82 (Virginia Tech, 8th year, Age: 31)
DE: James Smith-Williams – #96 (NC State, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Benjamin St-Juste – #25 (Minnesota, 2nd year, Age: 24)
S: Jeremy Reaves – #39 (South Alabama, 3rd year, Age: 25

*Chase Young continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss at least the first week
**Brian Robinson was the victim of a non-life threatening shooting, but will be out indefinitely
***Logan Thomas continues to rehab a torn ACL and may miss the first few weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 7-10, 3rd in NFC East
MVP: WR Terry McLaurin
Breakout Player: WR Jahan Dotson
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Defensive line, young WR’s, secondary
Weaknesses: Linebackers, questionable QB

The Commanders enter a new year with a new name, a new QB, and the hopes of making a splash in a wide open NFC East. Over the last couple of years, Washington’s defense has shined led by young stars Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Kamren Curl, and more. The offense has been the one thing that’s struggled, but with newly acquired Carson Wentz and Terry McLaurin under a long-term extension, the hopes will be high that they can make a splash. Jahan Dotson was also added in the draft and will give Wentz plenty of weapons to try to excel.

On defense, Chase Young will be returning from a torn ACL and the rest of the defensive front will look to bounce back after a disappointing 2021 campaign. I think the Commanders could have a very solid season, but it’s all going to rely on what production they can get from Wentz. If he can retreat back to the 2017 Eagles version of himself, this team can win the division. If not, they can be looking at a 3rd place finish.

Chicago Bears

HC: Matt Eberflus (1st year) – AGE: 52

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#1	Justin Fields	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23	7 TDs, 10 INTs, 1,870 yds, 26.4 QBR 420 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#32	David Montgomery	Iowa State 4th year, Age: 25	225 carries, 849 yds, 7 TDs 42 receptions, 301 yds
WR	#11	Darnell Mooney	Tulane 3rd year, Age: 24	81 receptions, 1,055 yds, 4 TDs 6 carries, 32 yds, 1 TD
WR	#13	Byron Pringle	Kansas State 5th year, Age: 28	42 receptions, 568 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#8	N’Keal Harry	Arizona State 4th year, Age: 24	12 receptions, 184 yds
TE	#85	Cole Kmet	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 23	60 receptions, 612 yds
G	#72	Michael Schofield	Michigan 9th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 67.8
G	#62	Lucas Patrick	Duke 6th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: 57.6
C	#65	Cody Whitehair	Kansas State 7th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 66.0
T	#78	Riley Reiff	Iowa 11th year, Age: 33	PFF Grade: 67.3
T	#76	Teven Jenkins	Oklahoma State 2nd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: N/A

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#55	Al-Quadin Muhammad	Miami 6th year, Age: 27	6 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 1 FF
DE	#90	Angelo Blackson	Auburn 8th year, Age: 29	2.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
NT	#93	Justin Jones	NC State 5th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 2 FR, 1 PD
ILB	#58	Roquan Smith*	Georgia 5th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 163 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 3 PD
ILB	#53	Nicholas Morrow	Greenville 6th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 78 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 9 PD
OLB	#94	Robert Quinn	North Carolina 12th year, Age: 32	18.5 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 4 FF
OLB	#99	Trevis Gipson	Tulsa 3rd year, Age: 25	7 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 5 FF, 1 FR, 2 PD
CB	#33	Jaylon Johnson	Utah 3rd year, Age: 23	46 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 9 PD
CB	#23	Lamar Jackson	Nebraska 2nd year, Age: 24	28 Tackles, 2 PD
S	#4	Eddie Jackson	Alabama 6th year, Age: 28	76 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD
S	#9	Jaquan Brisker (R)	Penn State Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 48th overall by CHI

POS	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#2	Cairo Santos	Tulane 8th year, Age: 30	26/30 FG — 0/2 50+, 27/28 XP
P	#16	Trenton Gill (R)	NC State Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 255th overall by CHI
KR	#24	Khalil Herbert	Virginia Tech 2nd year, Age: 24	27 attempts, 650 yds
PR	#83	Dazz Newsome	North Carolina 2nd year, Age: 23	6 attempts, 75 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

WR: Equanimeous St. Brown – #19 (Notre Dame, 5th year, Age: 25)
WR: Tajae Sharpe – #88 (Massachusetts, 7th year, Age: 27)
TE: Ryan Griffin – #84 (UConn, 10th year, Age: 32)
TE: James O’Shaugnessy – #80 (Illinois State, 8th year, Age: 30)
DE: Mario Edwards Jr. – #97 (Florida State, 8th year, Age: 28)
DT: Khyiris Tonga – #95 (BYU, 2nd year, Age: 26)
CB: Kyler Gordon – #6 (Washington, Rookie, Age: 22)
CB: Dane Cruikshank – #29 (Arizona, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Duke Shelley – #20 (Kansas State, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Tavon Young – #25 (Temple, 7th year, Age: 28)
S: DeAndre Houston-Carson – #36 (William & Mary, 7th year, Age: 29)

*Roquan Smith is holding out with contract disputes and may miss the start of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 3-14, 4th in NFC North
MVP: OLB Robert Quinn
Breakout Player: WR N’Keal Harry
Offensive Grade: D+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Secondary, Edge rushers
Weaknesses: Receiving core, offensive line

It will definitely be a tale of two sides of the ball for the 2022 Bears, as their defense looks very solid, but their offense not so much. Second year QB Justin Fields struggled in his rookie season, and the team did not do much to help give him weapons for the upcoming year. Darnell Mooney became his favorite target, but newly acquired Byron Pringle and N’Keal Harry will need to step up big time to help out the young QB. The offensive line is also a bit decimated and I do not expect much scoring out of this offense.

The defense is another story, and although they lost star edge rusher Khalil Mack, they added the league’s sack leader Robert Quinn. Roquan Smith has become one of the league’s better interior linebackers and Trevis Gipson will look to continue his progress after causing five forced fumbles in 2021. The secondary has plenty of depth, with Jaylon Johnson as the head corner and plenty of young depth. Chicago is not in the greatest division and may have a chance to surprise some people, but I don’t see them doing too much with such a questionable offense.

Detroit Lions

HC: Dan Campbell (2nd year in DET, Career record: 8-20-1, Team record: 3-13-1) – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#16	Jared Goff	California 7th year, Age: 27	19 TDs, 8 INTs, 3,245 yds, 39.5 QBR 87 rush yds
HB	#32	D’Andre Swift	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 23	151 carries, 617 yds, 5 TDs 62 receptions, 452 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#4	D.J. Chark	LSU 5th year, Age: 25	4 GP, 7 receptions, 154 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#18	Jameson Williams (R)	Alabama Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 12th overall by DET
WR	#14	Amon-Ra St. Brown	USC 2nd year, Age: 22	90 receptions, 912 yds, 5 TDs 7 carries, 61 yds, 1 TD
TE	#88	T.J. Hockenson	Iowa 4th year, Age: 25	61 receptions, 583 yds, 4 TDs
G	#72	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	TCU 7th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: 67.1
G	#73	Jonah Jackson	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 70.0
C	#77	Frank Ragnow	Arkansas 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#58	Penei Sewell	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 21	PFF Grade: 77.4
T	#68	Taylor Decker	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 75.3

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#97	Aidan Hutchinson (R)	Michigan Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 2nd overall by DET
DE	#53	Charles Harris	Missouri 6th year, Age: 27	7.5 Sacks, 65 Tackles, 2 FF
DT	#90	Michael Brockers	LSU 12th year, Age: 31	1 Sack, 52 Tackles
DT	#91	Levi Onwuzurike	Washington 2nd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 35 Tackles, 2 PD
MLB	#34	Alex Anzalone	Florida 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 78 Tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD
OLB	#99	Julian Okwara	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 24	5 Sacks, 27 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD
OLB	#49	Chris Board	North Dakota State 5th year, Age: 27	41 Tackles
CB	#24	Amani Oruwariye	Penn State 4th year, Age: 26	57 Tackles, 6 INTs, 1 FR, 11 PD
CB	#23	Mike Hughes	UCF 5th year, Age: 25	47 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 FF, 1 FR, 6 PD
S	#21	Tracy Walker III	Louisiana-Lafayette 5th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 108 Tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD
S	#25	Will Harris	Boston College 4th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 93 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#6	Riley Patterson	Memphis 2nd year, Age: 22	13/14 FG — 0/1 50+, 16/16 XP
P	#3	Jack Fox	Rice 3rd year, Age: 25	65 punts, 3,198 yds, 17 <20
KR	#35	Godwin Igwebuike	Northwestern 3rd year, Age: 27	28 attempts, 697 yds
PR	#11	Kalif Raymond	Holy Cross 6th year, Age: 27	21 attempts, 236 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

HB: Jamaal Williams – #30 (BYU, 6th year, Age: 27)
WR: Josh Reynolds – #8 (Texas A&M, 6th year, Age: 27)
DT: Alim McNeill – #54 (NC State, 2nd year, Age: 22)
LB: Romeo Okwara* – #95 (Notre Dame, 7th year, Age: 27)
LB: Austin Bryant – #2 (Clemson, 4th year, Age: 25)
LB: Derrick Barnes – #55 (Purdue, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Jeff Okudah – #1 (Ohio State, 3rd year, Age: 23)
CB: Jerry Jacobs – #39 (Arkansas, 2nd year, Age: 24)
S: DeShon Elliott – #5 (Texas, 5th year, Age: 25)

*Romeo Okwara continues to rehab a torn achilles and may miss 4-6 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 6-11, 3rd in NFC North
MVP: HB D’Andre Swift
Breakout Player: DE Aidan Hutchinson
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: D
Strengths: Young receivers, offensive line, young secondary
Weaknesses: Defensive front, no established star power

The Lions enter the new year deep in a rebuild and looking to take some steps forward. After finishing 3-13-1 in the first year of the Dan Campbell era, Detroit has a lot of hope that he along with the rest of the young core will turn things around. Young budding stars Jameson Williams and Aidan Hutchinson were added as first round picks. D.J. Chark was also signed to give Goff some extra weapons on offense, and although the offensive line may struggle, some of the offense should begin to formulate.

The defense on the other hand may struggle, as the entirety of the starters will be held together by a mixture of journey veterans and young talent. The secondary should continue to produce, with Amani Oruwariye and Tracy Walker leading the pack. The Lions definitely won’t compete in 2022 but the biggest thing will be to make some progress and win more than five games. I am a Dan Campbell fan, and I think he could be the right guy to steer the ship in the right direction.

Green Bay Packers

HC: Matt LeFleur (4th year, Career/Team record: 39-10) – AGE: 43

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#12	Aaron Rodgers	California 18th year, Age: 38	37 TDs, 4 INTs, 4,115 yds, 69.1 QBR 101 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#33	Aaron Jones	UTEP 6th year, Age: 27	171 carries, 799 yds, 4 TDs 52 receptions, 391 yds, 6 TDs
HB	#28	A.J. Dillon	Boston College 3rd year, Age: 24	187 carries, 803 yds, 5 TDs 34 receptions, 313 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#13	Allen Lazard	Iowa State 4th year, Age: 26	40 receptions, 513 yds, 8 TDs 3 carries, 32 yds
WR	#11	Sammy Watkins	Clemson 9th year, Age: 29	27 receptions, 394 yds, 1 TD
TE	#85	Robert Tonyan*	Indiana State 5th year, Age: 28	18 receptions, 204 yds, 2 TDs
G	#74	Elgton Jenkins**	Mississippi State 4th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#76	Joe Runyan	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 65.0
C	#71	Josh Myers	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#69	David Bakhtiari***	Colorado 10th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#70	Royce Newman	Ole Miss 2nd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 56.1

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#94	Dean Lowry	Northwestern 7th year, Age: 28	5 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 PD
DE	#97	Kenny Clark	UCLA 7th year, Age: 26	4 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 1 FR
NT	#90	Jarran Reed	Alabama 7th year, Age: 29	2.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR
ILB	#59	De’Vondre Campbell	Minnesota 7th year, Age: 29	2 Sacks, 146 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF, 1 FR 5 PD
ILB	#51	Krys Barnes	UCLA 3rd year, Age: 24	1 Sacks, 81 Tackles, 2 FR, 4 PD
OLB	#52	Rashan Gary	Michigan 4th year, Age: 24	9.5 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR
OLB	#91	Preston Smith	Mississippi State 8th year, Age: 29	9 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR, 2 PD
CB	#23	Jaire Alexander	Louisville 5th year, Age: 25	4 GP, 13 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD
CB	#29	Rasul Douglas	West Virginia 6th year, Age: 26	57 Tackles, 5 INTs, 2 TDs, 1 FF, 13 PD
S	#31	Adrian Amos	Penn State 8th year, Age: 29	93 Tackles, 2 INTs, 8 PD
S	#26	Darnell Savage	Maryland 4th year, Age: 25	63 Tackles, 2 INTs, 9 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#2	Mason Crosby	Colorado 16th year, Age: 37	25/34 FG — 3/4 50+, 49/51 XP
P	#16	Pat O’Donnell	Miami 9th year, Age: 31	62 punts, 2,865 yds, 19 <20
KR	#8	Amari Rodgers	Clemson 2nd year, Age: 22	11 attempts, 199 yds
PR	#8	Amari Rodgers	Clemson 2nd year, Age: 22	20 attempts, 166 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jordan Love – #10 (Utah State, 3rd year, Age: 23)
WR: Randall Cobb – #18 (Kentucky, 12th year, Age: 31)
WR: Christian Watson – #9 (North Dakota State, Rookie, Age: 23)
TE: Marcedes Lewis – #89 (UCLA, 17th year, Age: 38)
DT: T.J. Slaton – #93 (Florida, 2nd year, Age: 24)
LB: Quay Walker – #7 (Georgia, Rookie, Age: 22)
CB: Eric Stokes – #21 (Georgia, 2nd year, Age: 23)

*Robert Tonyan continues to rehab his torn ACL and may miss the first 2-3 weeks
**Elgton Jenkins is rehabbing a torn ACL and may miss several weeks
***David Bakhtiari is rehabbing a knee injury and may miss the first few weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 12-5, 1st in NFC North
MVP: QB Aaron Rodgers
Breakout Player: WR Allen Lazard
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: MVP QB, solid run game, edge rushers, secondary
Weaknesses: Receiving core, offensive line durability

Anytime you bring back the winner of the last two MVP’s, you’ll always be seen as the favorite. But the big storyline was losing star receiver Davante Adams to the Raiders, leaving the offensive weapons a bit decimated. Allen Lazard will have to step up big time as the number one option, and veteran Sammy Watkins will look to stay health and provide depth. Despite the lack at the position, Green Bay opted not to take WR in the first round and instead took LB Quay Walker. The offensive line will also be without David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins to begin the year, two losses that could leave Rodgers in a tough spot.

The defense once again will be tough, with Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, and Preston Smith all returning as pass rushers. De’Vondre Campbell was added after a stellar 2021 season and star CB Jaire Alexander returns from injury to help the secondary. It’s a very easy division in the North this year, and it would be tough to see the Packers not winning it again despite their issues. These will have to be cleaned up big time if a deep playoff run is going to happen in Green Bay.

Minnesota Vikings

HC: Kevin O’Connell (1st year) – AGE: 37

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#8	Kirk Cousins	Michigan State 11th year, Age: 33	33 TDs, 7 INTs, 4,221 yds, 52.3 QBR 115 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#4	Dalvin Cook	Florida State 6th year, Age: 26	249 carries, 1,159 yds, 6 TDs 34 receptions, 224 yds
WR	#18	Justin Jefferson	LSU 3rd year, Age: 23	108 receptions, 1,616 yds, 10 TDs
WR	#19	Adam Thielen	Minnesota State 9th year, Age: 31	67 receptions, 726 yds, 10 TDs
WR	#17	K.J. Osborn	Miami 3rd year, Age: 25	50 receptions, 655 yds, 7 TDs
TE	#84	Irv Smith Jr.	Alabama 4th year, Age: 23	30 receptions, 365 yds, 5 TDs
G	#72	Ezra Cleveland	Boise State 3rd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 68.1
G	#73	Jesse Davis	Idaho 6th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 52.5
C	#56	Garrett Bradbury	NC State 4th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 60.2
T	#75	Brian O’Neill	Pittsburgh 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 73.7
T	#71	Christian Darrisaw	Virginia Tech 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 71.8

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#96	Armon Watts	Arkansas 4th year, Age: 26	5 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 2 FF
DE	#97	Harrison Phillips	Stanford 5th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 51 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
NT	#94	Dalvin Tomlinson	Alabama 6th year, Age: 28	2.5 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD
ILB	#54	Eric Kendricks	UCLA 8th year, Age: 30	5 Sacks, 143 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 4 PD
ILB	#58	Jordan Hicks	Texas 8th year, Age: 30	4 Sacks, 116 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR, 5 PD
OLB	#99	Danielle Hunter	LSU 8th year, Age: 27	6 Sacks, 38 Tackles
OLB	#55	Za’Darius Smith	Kentucky 8th year, Age: 29	1 GP, 1 Tackle
CB	#7	Patrick Peterson	LSU 12th year, Age: 32	45 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 5 PD
CB	#3	Cameron Dantzler	Mississippi State 3rd year, Age: 23	53 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 8 PD
S	#22	Harrison Smith	Notre Dame 11th year, Age: 33	3 Sacks, 114 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 7 PD
S	#24	Camryn Bynum	California 2nd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 28 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2022 Season Stats
K	#1	Greg Joseph	Florida Atlantic 3rd year, Age: 28	33/38 FG — 7/9 50+, 36/40 XP
P	#16	Jordan Berry	Eastern Kentucky 8th year, Age: 31	78 punts, 3,624 yds, 26 <20
KR	#26	Keke Nwangwu	Iowa State 2nd year, Age: 24	18 attempts, 579 yds, 2 TDs
PR	#15	Ihmir Smith-Marsette	Iowa 2nd year, Age: 22	NO STATS

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

HB: Alexander Mattison – #2 (Boise State, 4th year, Age: 24)
FB: C.J. Ham – #30 (Augustana, 6th year, Age: 29)
WR: Jalen Reagor – #5 (TCU, 3rd year, Age: 23)
DE: Jonathan Bullard – #79 (Florida, 7th year, Age: 28)
DE: James Lynch – #92 (Baylor, 3rd year, Age: 23)
LB: D.J. Wonnum – #98 (South Carolina, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Chandon Sullivan – #39 (Georgia State, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Kris Boyd – #29 (Texas, 4th year, Age: 25)
S: Lewis Cine – #6 (Georgia, Rookie, Age: 22)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 12-5, 2nd in NFC North
MVP: WR Justin Jefferson
Breakout Player: S Lewis Cine
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Receiving core, pass rush, veteran secondary, run game
Weaknesses: Offensive line, depth on defense

The Vikings enter 2022 in a very interesting situation, with what seems to be a great team on paper but have not been able to figure it out under Cousins. Long-time HC Mike Zimmer retired, bringing in 37-year-old Kevin O’Connell who hopes to bring some young life to the team. Justin Jefferson has established himself as arguably the best WR in the league, and paired with Dalvin Cook, could be the best WR-RB duo in the league. The offensive line could be a question mark but the jury is still out on a few youngsters.

The defense also improved drastically after losing LB Anthony Barr to free agency. Star EDGE Za’Darius Smith, coming off of an injury, will match up with another great in Danielle Hunter. Jordan Hicks and Eric Kendricks can make a great duo and add some more power to what may be one of the best LB rooms in football. Veterans Harrison Smith and Patrick Peterson will lead the secondary with a few youngsters looking to make an impact. The division is wide open, and I would like to say the Vikings should be the favorites but until I see some more certainty from their roster, I can’t put them ahead of the Pack.

Atlanta Falcons

HC: Arthur Smith (2nd year, Career/Team record: 7-10) – AGE: 40

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#1	Marcus Mariota	Oregon 8th year, Age: 28	10 GP, 4 pass yds, 40.3 QBR 87 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#84	Cordarrelle Patterson	Tennessee 10th year, Age: 31	153 carries, 618 yds, 6 TDs 52 receptions, 548 yds, 5 TDs
FB	#40	Keith Smith	San Jose State 9th year, Age: 30	9 carries, 31 yds 9 receptions, 56 yds
WR	#17	Olamide Zaccheaus	Virginia 4th year, Age: 25	31 receptions, 406 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#5	Drake London	USC Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 8th overall by ATL
TE	#8	Kyle Pitts	Florida 2nd year, Age: 21	68 receptions, 1,026 yds, 1 TD
G	#74	Germain Ifedi	Texas A&M 7th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#63	Chris Lindstrom	Boston College 4th year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 84.1
C	#61	Matt Hennessy	Temple 3rd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 77.0
T	#70	Jake Matthews	Texas A&M 9th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 71.4
T	#76	Kaleb McGary	Washington 4th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 62.4

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#97	Grady Jarrett	Clemson 8th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 59 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
DE	#90	Marlon Davidson	Auburn 3rd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 21 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 FR 1 PD
NT	#95	Ta’Quon Graham	Texas 2nd year, Age: 23	15 Tackles
ILB	#45	Deion Jones*	LSU 7th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 137 Tackles, 1 FF, 6 PD
ILB	#54	Rashaan Evans	Alabama 5th year, Age: 26	57 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 PD
OLB	#9	Lorenzo Carter	Georgia 5th year, Age: 26	5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF, 1 FR 5 PD
OLB	#47	Arnold Ebiketie (R)	Penn State Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 38th overall by ATL
CB	#24	A.J. Terrell	Clemson 3rd year, Age: 23	81 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 16 PD
CB	#29	Casey Hayward	Vanderbilt 11th year, Age: 32	46 Tackles, 1 INT, 9 PD
S	#23	Erik Harris	California (PA) 7th year, Age: 32	0.5 Sacks, 64 Tackles, 8 PD
S	#27	Richie Grant	UCF 2nd year, Age: 24	35 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#7	Younghoe Koo	Georgia Southern 4th year, Age: 28	27/29 FG — 4/5 50+, 30/30 XP
P	#13	Bradley Pinion	Clemson 8th year, Age: 28	56 punts, 2,378 yds, 23 <20
KR	#35	Avery Williams	Boise State 2nd year, Age: 24	23 attempts, 490 yds
PR	#35	Avery Williams	Boise State 2nd year, Age: 24	20 attempts, 153 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Desmond Ridder – #4 (Cincinnati, Rookie, Age: 22)
HB: Damien Williams – #6 (Oklahoma, 8th year, Age: 30)
WR: Bryan Edwards – #89 (South Carolina, 3rd year, Age: 23)
WR: Calvin Ridley** – #18 (Alabama, Age: 27)
WR: Damiere Byrd – #87 (South Carolina, 7th year, Age: 29)
TE: Anthony Firkser – #86 (Harvard, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: Nick Kwiatkoski – #53 (West Virginia, 7th year, Age: 29)
CB: Teez Tabor – #20 (Florida, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Darren Hall – #34 (San Diego State, 2nd year, Age: 22)

*Deion Jones has a shoulder injury and has no timetable for a return
**Calvin Ridley has been suspended for the entire season for gambling

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 4-13, 4th in NFC South
MVP: LB Deion Jones
Breakout Player: WR Drake London
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: D+
Strengths: Young offensive weapons, CB core
Weaknesses: QB situation, defensive line, safeties

After accumulating a shocking 7 wins in the first year under Arthur Smith, Atlanta shook up the team big-time, embracing a rebuild. Long-time QB Matt Ryan was shipped off to Indianapolis and Marcus Mariota was added with rookie Desmond Ridder. Calvin Ridley will also miss the entire season on a suspension and first-round rookie Drake London should get plenty of opportunities to shine. Kyle Pitts was deemed the next big thing at the TE position, and he did not disappoint in his rookie year, accumulating over 1,000 receiving yards.

Although the offense has a couple of good young pieces, the defense is still a huge work in progress. Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones remain two remaining veterans from that 2016 NFC Championship team, although Jones seems to have one foot out the door. A.J. Terrell has plenty of potential to become one of the better CB’s in football. The Falcons should not compete in 2022 and will probably take several steps back from their 7-win season a year ago. The 1st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is a high possibility for Atlanta.

Carolina Panthers

HC: Matt Rhule (3rd year, Career/Team record: 10-23) – AGE: 47

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#6	Baker Mayfield	Oklahoma 5th year, 27	17 TDs, 13 INTs, 3,010 yds, 35.1 QBR 134 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#22	Christian McCaffrey	Stanford 6th year, Age: 26	99 carries, 442 yds, 1 TD 41 receptions, 343 yds, 1 TD
WR	#2	D.J. Moore	Maryland 5th year, Age: 25	93 receptions, 1,157 yds, 4 TDs 8 carries, 48 yds
WR	#3	Robbie Anderson	Temple 7th year, Age: 29	53 receptions, 519 yds, 5 TDs 3 carries, 36 yds
WR	#15	Laviska Shenault Jr.	Colorado 3rd year, Age: 23	63 receptions, 619 yds 11 carries, 41 yds
TE	#80	Ian Thomas	Indiana 5th year, Age: 26	18 receptions, 188 yds
G	#60	Pat Elflein	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#63	Austin Corbett	Nevada 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 69.6
C	#56	Bradley Bozeman	Alabama 5th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 73.3
T	#72	Taylor Moton	Western Michigan 6th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 77.8
T	#79	Ikem Ekwonu (R)	NC State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 6th overall by CAR

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#53	Brian Burns	Florida State 4th year, Age: 24	9 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 PD
DE	#97	Yetur Gross-Matos	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 24	3.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
DT	#95	Derrick Brown	Auburn 3rd year, Age: 24	3 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 4 PD
DT	#99	Matt Ioannidis	Temple 7th year, Age: 28	2.5 Sacks, 38 Tackles
MLB	#57	Damien Wilson	Minnesota 8th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 106 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 5 PD
OLB	#7	Shaq Thompson*	Washington 8th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 104 Tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PD
OLB	#55	Cory Littleton	Washington 7th year, Age: 28	0.5 Sacks, 98 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 PD
CB	#26	Donte Jackson	LSU 5th year, Age: 26	61 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 10 PD
CB	#8	Jaycee Horn	South Carolina 2nd year, Age: 22	3 GP, 5 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD
S	#21	Jeremy Chinn	Southern Illinois 3rd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 107 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 5 PD
S	#20	Xavier Woods	Louisiana Tech 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 108 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 FF, 10 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#5	Zane Gonzalez	Arizona State 6th year, Age: 27	20/22 FG — 3/5 50+, 22/23 XP
P	#10	Johnny Hekker	Oregon State 11th year, Age: 32	51 punts, 2,252 yds, 23 <20
KR	#18	Andre Roberts	The Citadel 13th year, Age: 34	37 attempts, 1,010 yds, 1 TD
PR	#18	Andre Roberts	The Citadel 13th year, Age: 34	20 attempts, 99 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Sam Darnold – #14 (USC, 5th year, Age: 25)
HB: D’Onta Foreman – #33 (Texas, 5th year, Age: 26)
HB: Chuba Hubbard – #30 (Oklahoma State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
WR: Terrace Marshall Jr. – #88 (LSU, 2nd year, Age: 22)
WR: Rashard Higgins – #17 (Colorado State, 7th year, Age: 27)
WR: Brandon Zylstra – #16 (Concordia College, 5th year, Age: 29)
DE: Marquis Haynes Sr. – #98 (Ole Miss, 5th year, Age: 28)
LB: Frankie Luvu – #49 (Washington State, 5th year, Age: 25)
CB: C.J. Henderson – #24 (Florida, 3rd year, Age: 23)
CB: Keith Taylor Jr. – #28 (Washington, 2nd year, Age: 23)
S: Sean Chandler – #34 (Temple, 5th year, Age: 26)

*Shaq Thompson has a knee injury and may miss the first 1-2 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 8-9, 3rd in NFC South
MVP: HB Christian McCaffrey
Breakout Player: CB Jaycee Horn
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Receiving core, backfield, secondary, new flavor at QB
Weaknesses: Offensive line, depth on the defensive line

Don’t get me wrong, they still have holes but I think Carolina has the possibility of being one of the bigger surprises in football this year. Baker Mayfield was added to take the reigns as the future QB in Carolina, and has plenty of weapons to work with. Even if CMC is hurt, D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard provide great depth in the backfield. D.J. Moore and Robbie Anderson are two solid veteran WR’s who will give Baker plenty to work with.

The defense is coming along nicely, with a good young front of Brian Burns and Derrick Brown. Three LB’s that accumulated almost 100 tackles each a season ago should provide a lot of depth in Wilson, Littleton, and Thompson. Donte Jackson and Jeremy Chinn are two good young pieces added to the big signing of former Cowboy safety Xavier Woods. The season will be completely up to the QB situation, as they have plenty to work with to be a Wild Card contender in the NFC. If Baker can find himself outside of Cleveland, the Panthers could have a fun year.

New Orleans Saints

HC: Dennis Allen (1st year in NO, Career record: 8-28) – AGE: 50

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#2	Jameis Winston	Florida State 8th year, Age: 28	14 TDs, 3 INTs, 1,170 yds, 64.4 QBR 166 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#41	Alvin Kamara	Tennessee 6th year, Age: 27	240 carries, 898 yds, 4 TDs 47 receptions, 439 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#13	Michael Thomas	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 29	DNP – INJURED
WR	#80	Jarvis Landry	LSU 9th year, Age: 29	52 receptions, 570 yds, 2 TDs 6 carries, 40 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#12	Chris Olave (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 11th overall by NO
TE	#82	Adam Trautman	Dayton 3rd year, Age: 25	27 receptions, 263 yds, 2 TDs
G	#75	Andrus Peat	Stanford 8th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#51	Cesar Ruiz	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 57.9
C	#78	Erik McCoy	Texas A&M 4th year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 64.2
T	#71	Ryan Ramczyk	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: 84.7
T	#74	James Hurst	North Carolina 9th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 69.8

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#94	Cameron Jordan	California 12th year, Age: 33	12.5 Sacks, 59 Tackles, 2 FF, 6 PD
DE	#92	Marcus Davenport	UTSA 5th year, Age: 25	9 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR
DT	#93	David Onyemata	Manitoba 7th year, Age: 29	2 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 1 FR
DT	#99	Shy Tuttle	Tennessee 4th year, Age: 26	48 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 PD
MLB	#56	Demario Davis	Arkansas State 11th year, Age: 33	3 Sacks, 105 Tackles, 7 PD
OLB	#53	Zack Baun	Wisconsin 3rd year, Age: 25	30 Tackles
OLB	#58	Eric Wilson	Cincinnati 6th year, Age: 27	46 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD
CB	#23	Marshon Lattimore	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 26	68 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FR, 19 PD
CB	#29	Paulson Adebo	Stanford 2nd year, Age: 23	66 Tackles, 3 INTs, 8 PD
S	#32	Tyrann Mathieu	LSU 10th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 76 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD, 3 FR 6 PD
S	#6	Marcus Maye	Florida 6th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 46 Tackles, 2 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#3	Wil Lutz	Georgia State 7th year, Age: 28	23/28 FG — 1/3 50+, 57/58 XP
P	#4	Blake Gillikin	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 24	83 punts, 3,956 yds, 29 In20
KR	#11	Deonte Harty	Assumption 4th year, Age: 24	29 attempts, 690 yds
PR	#11	Deonte Harty	Assumption 4th year, Age: 24	21 attempts, 199 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Andy Dalton – #14 (TCU, 12th year, Age: 34)
HB: Mark Ingram II – #5 (Alabama, 12th year, Age: 32)
WR: Marquez Callaway – #1 (Tennessee, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Tre’Quan Smith – #10 (UCF, 5th year, Age: 26)
QB/TE: Taysom Hill – #7 (BYU, 6th year, Age: 31)
DE: Carl Granderson – #96 (Wyoming, 4th year, Age: 25)
DE: Tanoh Kpassagnon – #90 (Villanova, 6th year, Age: 28)
DT: Kentavius Street – #69 (NC State, 4th year, Age: 26)
LB: Pete Werner – #20 (Ohio State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: P.J. Williams – #26 (Florida State, 8th year, Age: 29)
CB: Bradley Roby – #21 (Ohio State, 9th year, Age: 30)
S: Daniel Sorensen – #25 (BYU, 9th year, Age: 32)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 12-5, 1st in NFC South
MVP: HB Alvin Kamara
Breakout Player: TE Adam Trautman
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Secondary, QB/weapons, pass rush
Weaknesses: Offensive line, LB core, TE room

In Year 2 of the post-Drew Brees era, long-time Head Coach and Super Bowl champ Sean Payton decided to follow Brees into retirement as well. Dennis Allen takes over a team that looks to be fully healthy and ready to turn some heads in the wide open NFC. Jameis Winston returns after two straight injury plagues seasons, and Michael Thomas also seems healthy after missing all of 2021. Jarvis Landry was added to a WR room with youngster Marquez Calloway, two targets that Winston should grow to love this year. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram will hold down the backfield as they’ve done so well over the past few seasons. And although the offensive line doesn’t blow anyone away, Ryan Ramczyk remains the anchor and Winston’s versatility could help out the pass block.

The defense will be the real story of 2022, as New Orleans enters with one of the best in the entire league. Cam Jordan and Marcus Davenport both eclipsed nearly 10 sacks each a year ago, and Demario Davis has been one of the league’s most consistent MLB’s. The secondary added to studs in veterans Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye who will immediately become the starting safeties. And with Marshon Lattimore as the top CB, this team is going to be an all-around nightmare to try to attack in the pass game. I see NOLA winning the South this year, and I think they have an all-around better team than Tampa. The true indicator of success will be seeing which Jameis we get; 30+ TD version or 30+ INT version? And will he stay healthy?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HC: Todd Bowles (1st year in TB, Career record: 26-41) – AGE: 59

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#12	Tom Brady	Michigan 23rd year, Age: 45	43 TDs, 12 INTs, 5,316 yds, 68.1 QBR 81 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#7	Leonard Fournette	LSU 6th year, Age: 27	180 carries, 812 yds, 8 TDs 69 receptions, 454 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#13	Mike Evans	Texas A&M 9th year, Age: 28	74 receptions, 1,035 yds, 10 TDs
WR	#14	Chris Godwin	Penn State 6th year, Age: 26	98 receptions, 1,103 yds, 5 TDs 4 carries, 21 yds, 1 TD
WR	#17	Russell Gage	LSU 5th year, Age: 26	66 receptions, 770 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#84	Cameron Brate	Harvard 8th year, Age: 31	30 receptions, 245 yds, 4 TDs
G	#69	Shaq Mason	Georgia Tech 8th year, Age: 28	PFF Rank: 86.3
G	#64	Aaron Stinnie	James Madison 5th year, Age: 28	PFF Rank: N/A
C	#70	Robert Hainsey	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 24	PFF Rank: N/A
T	#78	Tristan Wirfs	Iowa 3rd year, Age: 23	PFF Rank: 85.0
T	#76	Donovan Smith	Penn State 8th year, Age: 29	PFF Rank: 83.3

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#92	William Gholston	Michigan State 10th year, Age: 31	4.5 Sacks, 36 Tackles
DE	#96	Akiem Hicks	Regina 11th year, Age: 32	3.5 Sacks, 25 Tackles
NT	#50	Vita Vea	Washington 5th year, Age: 27	4 Sacks, 33 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD
ILB	#45	Devin White	LSU 4th year, Age: 24	3.5 Sacks, 128 Tackles, 3 PD
ILB	#54	Lavonte David	Nebraska 11th year, Age: 32	2 Sacks, 97 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR, 3 PD
OLB	#58	Shaquil Barrett	Colorado State 9th year, Age: 29	10 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF, 2 FR 4 PD
OLB	#98	Anthony Nelson	Iowa 4th year, Age: 25	5 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
CB	#24	Carlton Davis III	Auburn 5th year, Age: 25	39 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 11 PD
CB	#35	Jamel Dean	Auburn 4th year, Age: 25	53 Tackles, 2 INTs, 9 PD
S	#31	Antoine Winfield Jr.	Minnesota 3rd year, Age: 23	2 Sacks, 88 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF, 3 FR 6 PD
S	#32	Mike Edwards	Kentucky 4th year, Age: 26	46 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 TDs, 1 FF, 7 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#3	Ryan Succop	South Carolina 14th year, Age: 35	25/30 FG — 0/1 50+, 56/59 XP
P	#5	Jake Camarda (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 133rd overall by TB
KR	#1	Jaelon Darden	North Texas 2nd year, Age: 23	18 attempts, 359 yds
PR	#1	Jaelon Darden	North Texas 2nd year, Age: 23	19 attempts, 142 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Blaine Gabbert – #11 (Missouri, 12th year, Age: 32)
HB: Giovani Bernard – #25 (North Carolina, 10th year, Age: 30)
WR: Julio Jones – #85 (Alabama, 12th year, Age: 33)
WR: Scotty Miller – #10 (Bowling Green, 4th year, Age: 25)
WR: Breshad Perriman – #16 (UCF, 8th year, Age: 28)
C: Ryan Jensen* – #66 (Colorado St.-Pueblo, 9th year, Age: 31)
LB: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – #9 (Washington, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Sean Murphy-Bunting – #23 (Central Michigan, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Ross Cockrell – #43 (Duke, 9th year, Age: 31)
S: Keanu Neal – #22 (Florida, 7th year, Age: 27)
S: Logan Ryan – #26 (Rutgers, 10th year, Age: 31)

*Ryan Jensen has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 10-7, 2nd in NFC South
MVP: QB Tom Brady
Breakout Player: LB Anthony Nelson
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Brady, receiving core, depth in secondary
Weaknesses: Pass rushers, injured offensive line

It was a wild offseason for the 2020 NFL Champs, as after a Postseason let down, Tom Brady called it quits after 22 seasons. Well for a couple of months that is, as he decided to come out of retirement and will play at least another season for Tampa. At 44, Tom surpassed 5,000 yards and 40 TDs in a year that truly defied time. The one big factor will be the offensive line, after the sudden retirement of Ali Marpet and the injury to Ryan Jensen. Brady may not have the protection of a cushy line that he’s accustomed to, and at 45, we’ll see if that wreaks havoc on the team. His all-time favorite weapon Rob Gronkowski also called it a career for his second retirement, but the team was able to retain Chris Godwin on a long-term deal. Former star receiver Julio Jones was also added to provide depth at a position where there will be plenty of options to plug and play.

The defense on the other hand is a bit decimated, as Shaq Barrett and Vita Vea will be looked at as the key pass rushers. Devin White and Lavonte David are both back, and returning one of the best LB duos in football will provide a bit of a spark. The secondary will also have it’s fair share of options with Logan Ryan, Keanu Neal, Antoine Winfield, and Mike Edwards all in the mix to share time at safety. This division won’t be as much of a layup in years past, as the Saints are looking very tough and ready to make a run. The Bucs are going to be very good, as any Brady led team is, but may get nudged out of first by a game or two.

Arizona Cardinals

HC: Kliff Kingsbury (4th year, Career/Team record: 24-24-1) – AGE: 43

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#1	Kyler Murray	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 25	24 TDs, 10 INTs, 3,787 yds, 57.3 QBR 423 rush yds, 5 TDs
HB	#6	James Conner	Pittsburgh 6th year, Age: 27	202 carries, 752 yds, 15 TDs 37 receptions, 375 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#10	DeAndre Hopkins*	Clemson 9th year, Age: 30	42 receptions, 572 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#2	Marquise Brown	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 25	91 receptions, 1,008 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#18	A.J. Green	Georgia 12th year, Age: 34	54 receptions, 848 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#86	Zach Ertz	Stanford 10th year, Age: 31	74 receptions, 763 yds, 5 TDs
G	#67	Justin Pugh	Syracuse 10th year, Age: 32	PFF Grade: 66.4
G	#76	Will Hernandez	UTEP 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 55.9
C	#61	Rodney Hudson	Florida State 12th year, Age: 33	PFF Grade: 60.3
T	#74	D.J. Humphries	Florida 8th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: 67.8
T	#68	Kelvin Beachum	SMU 11th year, Age: 33	PFF Grade: 63.8

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#99	J.J. Watt	Wisconsin 12th year, Age: 33	7 GP, 1 Sack, 16 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD
DE	#94	Zach Allen	Boston College 4th year, Age: 24	4 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FR, 4 PD
NT	#92	Antwaun Woods	USC 5th year, Age: 29	5 Tackles
ILB	#9	Isaiah Simmons	Clemson 3rd year, Age: 24	1.5 Sacks, 105 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 FF, 7 PD
ILB	#25	Zaven Collins	Tulsa 2nd year, Age: 23	25 Tackles, 3 PD
OLB	#44	Markus Golden	Missouri 8th year, Age: 31	11 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 4 FF, 2 FR, 1 PD
OLB	#45	Dennis Gardeck	Sioux Falls 5th year, Age: 28	23 Tackles, 1 FR
CB	#7	Byron Murphy Jr.	Washington 4th year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 64 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 1 FR, 12 PD
CB	#20	Marco Wilson	Florida 2nd year, Age: 23	48 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 PD
S	#3	Budda Baker	Washington 6th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 98 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FR, 7 PD
S	#34	Jalen Thompson	Washington State 4th year, Age: 24	121 Tackles, 3 INTs, 7 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#5	Matt Prater	UCF 16th year, Age: 38	30/37 FG — 7/10 50+, 47/49 XP
P	#14	Andy Lee	Pittsburgh 19th year, Age: 40	51 punts, 2,501 yds, 12 <20
KR	#83	Greg Dortch	Wake Forest 3rd year, Age: 24	4 attempts, 79 yds
PR	#83	Greg Dortch	Wake Forest 3rd year, Age: 24	3 attempts, 24 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Colt McCoy – #12 (Texas, 13th year, Age: 35)
HB: Darrel Williams – #24 (LSU, 5th year, Age: 27)
WR: Rondale Moore – #4 (Purdue, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DT: Rashard Lawrence – #90 (LSU, 3rd year, Age: 23)
LB: Nick Vigil – #57 (Utah State, 7th year, Age: 28)
LB: Ben Niemann – #56 (Iowa, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Antonio Hamilton – #33 (South Carolina State, 7th year, Age: 29)

*DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for 6 weeks due to PED use

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 8-9, 3rd in NFC West
MVP: QB Kyler Murray
Breakout Player: LB Zaven Collins
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Passing game, solid secondary
Weaknesses: Offensive line, defensive front

After emerging as one of the best teams in football during the first half of last season, the Cards struggled a bit to end things and were a quick out in the playoffs. Ultimately, Kyler Murray had his breakout season and was rewarded with a huge contract extension to make him the long-term solution for Arizona. The offense returns a ton of it’s veteran star power that helped them compete in 2021, including James Conner, Zach Ertz, and A.J. Green. DeAndre Hopkins was injured for a portion of last year and will miss the first six weeks due to a suspension. Hollywood Brown was added via trade with Baltimore to carry the load while D-Hop is sidelined. In my opinion, the pass game looks fierce but the offensive line may drag a bit. Will Hernandez was added after a disappointing year in New York with their entire line averaging nothing better than a D grade in 2021 by PFF.

The defense looks solid as JJ Watt, Markus Golden, and Zach Allen will try to add some fierce EDGE rush. Budda Baker will also headline a secondary loaded with young talent, and two recent firsts in Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins will start as the interior linebackers. The West is going to be a very tough division, and this team doesn’t look much better than L.A. or San Fran, but at the same time has the potential to be better than them all.

Los Angeles Rams

HC: Sean McVay (6th year, Career/Team record: 55-26) – AGE: 36

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#9	Matthew Stafford	Georgia 14th year, Age: 34	41 TDs, 17 INTs, 4,886 yds, 63.8 QBR 43 rush yds
HB	#3	Cam Akers	Florida State 3rd year, Age: 23	1 GP, 5 carries, 3 yds 3 receptions, 10 yds
WR	#10	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington 6th year, Age: 29	145 receptions, 1,947 yds, 16 TDs
WR	#1	Allen Robinson II	Penn State 9th year, Age: 28	38 receptions, 410 yds, 1 TD
WR	#12	Van Jefferson	Florida 3rd year, Age: 26	50 receptions, 802 yds, 6 TDs 2 carries, 20 yds
TE	#89	Tyler Higbee	Western Kentucky 7th year, Age: 29	61 receptions, 560 yds, 5 TDs
G	#73	David Edwards	Wisconsin 4th year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 67.5
G	#65	Coleman Shelton	Washington 4th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: N/A
C	#55	Brian Allen	Michigan State 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 80.1
T	#79	Rob Havenstein	Wisconsin 8th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 81.7
T	#70	Joe Noteboom	TCU 5th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: N/A

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#94	A’Shawn Robinson	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 67 Tackles, 2 FF
DE	#91	Greg Gaines	Washington 4th year, Age: 26	4.5 Sacks, 55 Tackles
NT	#99	Aaron Donald	Pittsburgh 9th year, Age: 31	12.5 Sacks, 84 Tackles, 4 FF, 4 PD
ILB	#45	Bobby Wagner	Utah State 11th year, Age: 32	1 Sack, 170 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 5 PD
ILB	#53	Ernest Jones	South Carolina 2nd year, Age: 22	1 Sack, 61 Tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PD
OLB	#54	Leonard Floyd	Georgia 7th year, Age: 29	9.5 Sacks, 70 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 3 PD
OLB	#58	Justin Hollins	Oregon 4th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 1 FF
CB	#5	Jalen Ramsey*	Florida State 7th year, Age: 27	77 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 16 PD
CB	#2	Troy Hill	Oregon 7th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 1 PD
S	#4	Jordan Fuller	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 24	113 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD
S	#24	Taylor Rapp	Washington 4th year, Age: 24	1.5 Sakcs, 94 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FR, 6 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#8	Matt Gay	Utah 4th year, Age: 28	32/34 FG — 4/5 50+, 48/49 XP
P	#11	Riley Dixon	Syracuse 7th year, Age: 28	74 punts, 3,284 yds, 24 <20
KR	#19	Brandon Powell	Florida 5th year, Age: 26	8 attempts, 208 yds
PR	#19	Brandon Powell	Florida 5th year, Age: 26	6 attempts, 133 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

HB: Darrell Henderson Jr. – #27 (Memphis, 4th year, Age: 24)
LB: Travin Howard** – #32 (TCU, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: David Long Jr. – #22 (Michigan, 4th year, Age: 24)
S: Nick Scott – #33 (Penn State, 4th year, Age: 27)

*Jalen Ramsey is recovering from shoulder surgery and may miss the first 1-2 weeks
**Travin Howard has a groin injury and may miss several weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 13-4, 1st in NFC West
MVP: DT Aaron Donald
Breakout Player: LB Justin Hollins
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: A
Strengths: Explosive offense, Star power on defense
Weaknesses: All-around depth

The defending Super Bowl champions enter the 2021 campaign fresh off of a dominating year and looking to make it two straight. They’ll definitely have their work cut out for them in an extremely tough division, but whenever you can bring Aaron Donald back on a new extension it’s a good offseason. Matthew Stafford also returns on a fresh new deal, with Cooper Kupp and newly acquired Allen Robinson as his biggest weapons. The offensive line took some hits, especially with the retirement of future Hall-of-Famer Andrew Whitworth. Brian Allen and Rob Havenstein both had great 2021 seasons and will look to become the focal points in protecting Stafford.

The defense of course will be there bread and butter, with star power all-around in Donald, Ramsey, and newly signed Bobby Wagner. My only concern with the Rams this year is their depth, as they lost a few of their good backups due to high payroll for their stars. Injuries could play a big factor if anyone notable goes down. But it’s very difficult to pick against a team with the best WR in football, the best DT in football, arguably the best CB, and the best ILB.

San Francisco 49ers

HC: Kyle Shanahan (6th year, Career/Team record: 39-42)

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#5	Trey Lance	North Dakota State 2nd year, Age: 22	6 GP, 5 TDs, 2 INTs, 603 yds 168 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#25	Elijah Mitchell	Louisiana-Lafayette 2nd year, Age: 24	207 carries, 963 yds, 5 TDs 19 receptions, 137 yds, 1 TD
FB	#44	Kyle Juszczyk	Harvard 10th year, Age: 31	30 receptions, 296 yds, 1 TD 8 carries, 22 yds, 1 TD
WR	#19	Deebo Samuel	South Carolina 4th year, Age: 26	77 receptions, 1,405 yds, 6 TDs 59 carries, 365 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#11	Brandon Aiyuk	Arizona State 3rd year, Age: 24	56 receptions, 826 yds, 5 TDs
TE	#85	George Kittle	Iowa 6th year, Age: 28	71 receptions, 910 yds, 6 TDs
G	#65	Aaron Banks	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#74	Spencer Burford (R)	UTSA Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 134th overall by SF
C	#64	Jake Brendel	UCLA 6th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#71	Trent Williams	Oklahoma 12th year, Age: 34	PFF Grade: 98.3
T	#69	Mike McGlinchey	Notre Dame 5th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: N/A

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#97	Nick Bosa	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 24	15.5 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 4 FF, 1 PD
DE	#91	Arik Armstead	Oregon 8th year, Age: 28	6 Sacks, 63 Tackles
DT	#98	Hassan Ridgeway	Texas 7th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 20 Tackles, 1 FF
DT	#99	Javon Kinlaw	South Carolina 3rd year, Age: 24	4 GP, 8 Tackles
MLB	#54	Fred Warner	BYU 5th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 137 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 FR, 4 PD
OLB	#51	Azeez Al-Shaair	Florida Atlantic 4th year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 102 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 2 FR 5 PD
OLB	#57	Dre Greenlaw	Arkansas 4th year, Age: 25	21 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 PD
CB	#1	Jimmie Ward*	Northern Illinois 9th year, Age: 31	77 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 6 PD
CB	#35	Charvarius Ward	Middle Tennessee 5th year, Age: 26	67 Tackles, 2 INTs, 10 PD
S	#33	Tarvarius Moore	Southern Miss 5th year, Age: 26	52 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD
S	#30	George Odum	Central Arkansas 5th year, Age: 28	55 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#9	Robbie Gould	Penn State 18th year, Age: 39	20/23 FG — 3/4 50+, 39/40 XP
P	#18	Mitch Wishnowsky	Utah 4th year, Age: 30	57 punts, 2,566 yds, 21 <20
KR	#3	Ray-Ray McCloud III	Clemson 5th year, Age: 25	35 attempts, 776 yds
PR	#3	Ray-Ray McCloud III	Clemson 5th year, Age: 25	38 attempts, 367 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Jimmy Garoppolo – #10 (Eastern Illinois, 8th year, Age: 30)
HB: Jeff Wilson Jr. – #22 (North Texas, 5th year, Age: 25)
WR: Jauan Jennings – #15 (Tennessee, 2nd year, Age: 25)
DE: Samson Ebukam – #56 (Eastern Washington, 5th year, Age: 27)
DE: Kemeko Turay – #53 (Rutgers, 5th year, Age: 27)
DT: Maurice Hurst** – #96 (Michigan, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: Oren Burks – #48 (Vanderbilt, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Emmanuel Moseley – #4 (Tennessee, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Dontae Johnson – #27 (NC State, 9th year, Age: 30)
S: Talanoa Hufanga – #29 (USC, 2nd year, Age: 22)

*Jimmie Ward has a hamstring injury and may miss 1-2 weeks
**Maurice Hurst has a bicep injury and may miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 10-7, 2nd in NFC West
MVP: WR Deebo Samuel
Breakout Player: QB Trey Lance
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: WR core, offensive line, pass rush
Weaknesses: Secondary, young QB

We have entered year 1 of the Trey Lance era in Niners nation, as the 22-year-old QB will take over for Jimmy G. A lot of mixed opinions surround the youngster, with a bunch of people thinking he can be the next big thing, and a bunch concerned about how he’ll impact a team ready to win now in his first season. In my opinion, I think it’ll be an up-and-down year for San Fran, but they’ll inevitably make the playoffs as a Wild Card. The team is very solid, and just locked star and secret weapon Deebo Samuel to become Lance’s favorite target. George Kittle returns and Trent Williams will protect the QB’s blind side as the best in the league.

The defensive side should be solid, anchored by Nick Bosa who’s coming off of a 15.5 sack season in 2021. Fred Warner has also emerged as one of the best LB’s in the game and the secondary added some depth. Overall, I like San Francisco a lot but I’m not sure if they’re a real threat to overtake the Rams for the division just yet. If Lance is truly the future, the sky is the limit for this young team who has been looking for a game changing QB for many years now.

Seattle Seahawks

HC: Pete Carroll (13th year in SEA, Career record: 152-104-1, Team record: 119-73-1) – AGE: 71

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#7	Geno Smith	West Virginia 10th year, Age: 31	4 GP, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 702 yds 42 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#20	Rashaad Penny	San Diego State 5th year, Age: 26	119 carries, 749 yds, 6 TDs 6 receptions, 48 yds
WR	#14	DK Metcalf	Ole Miss 4th year, Age: 24	75 receptions, 967 yds, 12 TDs
WR	#16	Tyler Lockett	Kansas State 8th year, Age: 29	73 receptions, 1,175 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#18	Freddie Swain	Florida 3rd year, Age: 24	25 receptions, 343 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#87	Noah Fant	Iowa 4th year, Age: 24	68 receptions, 670 yds, 4 TDs
G	#66	Gabe Jackson	Mississippi State 9th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 63.6
G	#68	Damien Lewis	LSU 3rd year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 57.7
C	#63	Austin Blythe	Iowa 7th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#67	Charles Cross (R)	Mississippi State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 9th overall by SEA
T	#72	Abraham Lucas (R)	Washington State Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 72nd overall by SEA

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#77	Quinton Jefferson	Maryland 7th year, Age: 29	4.5 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD
DE	#93	Shelby Harris	Illinois State 8th year, Age: 31	6 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD
NT	#97	Poona Ford	Texas 5th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 1 PD
ILB	#56	Jordyn Brooks	Texas Tech 3rd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 184 Tackles, 1 FR, 5 PD
ILB	#57	Cody Barton	Utah 4th year, Age: 25	37 Tackles, 1 PD
OLB	#10	Uchenna Nwosu	USC 5th year, Age: 25	5 Sacks, 40 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF, 1 FR 4 PD
OLB	#52	Darrell Taylor	Tennessee 3rd year, Age: 25	6.5 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
CB	#23	Sidney Jones IV	Washington 5th year, Age: 26	66 Tackles, 10 PD
CB	#24	Justin Coleman	Tennessee 8th year, Age: 29	27 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 PD
S	#33	Jamal Adams	LSU 5th year, Age: 26	87 Tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PD
S	#6	Quandre Diggs	Texas 8th year, Age: 29	94 Tackles, 5 INTs, 7 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#5	Jason Myers	Marist 8th year, Age: 31	17/23 FG — 3/5 50+, 44/47 XP
P	#4	Michael Dickson	Texas 5th year, Age: 26	83 punts, 3,895 yds,
KR	#31	DeeJay Dallas	Miami 3rd year, Age: 23	33 attempts, 764 yds
PR	#18	Freddie Swain	Florida 3rd year, Age: 24	22 attempts, 189 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Drew Lock – #2 (Missouri, 4th year, Age: 25)
HB: Kenneth Walker III* – #9 (Michigan State, Rookie, Age: 21)
WR: Marquise Goodwin – #15 (Texas, 9th year, Age: 31)
TE: Will Dissly – #89 (Washington, 5th year, Age: 26)
DE: Alton Robinson – #98 (Syracuse, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DT: Al Woods – #99 (LSU, 12th year, Age: 35)
CB: Artie Burns – #21 (Miami, 7th year, Age: 27)
CB: Coby Bryant – #8 (Cincinnati, Rookie, Age: 23)
S: Ryan Neal – #26 (Southern Illinois, 3rd year, Age: 26)

*Kenneth Walker has a sports hernia and will miss the first several weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 4-13, 4th in NFC West
MVP: WR DK Metcalf
Breakout Player: HB Kenneth Walker III
Offensive Grade: D+
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Solid veteran receivers, secondary, run block
Weaknesses: QB situation, pass rush, offensive line

Rounding out the NFC we have the Seahawks who are in a tough spot in their first year post-Russell Wilson. Not only are they in the toughest division in the NFC, they also are in full on rebuild mode and may struggle mightily throughout 2022. Drew Lock was added in the Wilson trade and will duke it out with long-time backup QB Geno Smith for the starting role. A few good veterans still remain as Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf will headline a decent receiver core. Chris Carson called it a career after his last several injury plagued seasons, leading way for Rashaad Penny and DeeJay Dallas to carry the workload until promising rookie Kenneth Walker returns from injury.

Although the offense is the biggest storyline, the defense won’t be much better. Long-time star LB Bobby Wagner left and leaves behind a defense with no remaining Legion of Boom members. Jamal Adams may be wishing he stayed with the Jets, as he’s now headlining a secondary with little to no help whatsoever. Seattle is going to have a very difficult time this year, and I don’t anticipate them winning more than 4 or 5 games, possibly lining themselves up to draft their future QB in 2023.

AFC

Buffalo Bills

HC: Sean McDermott (6th year, Career/Team record: 49-32) – AGE: 48

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#17	Josh Allen	Wyoming 5th year, Age: 26	36 TDs, 15 INTs, 4,407 yds, 60.7 QBR 763 rush yds, 6 TDs
HB	#26	Devin Singletary	Florida Atlantic 4th year, Age: 24	188 carries, 870 yds, 7 TDs 40 receptions, 228 yds, 1 TD
WR	#14	Stefon Diggs	Maryland 8th year, Age: 28	103 receptions, 1,225 yds, 10 TDs
WR	#13	Gabriel Davis	UCF 3rd year, Age: 23	35 receptions, 549 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#80	Jamison Crowder	Duke 8th year, Age: 29	51 receptions, 447 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#88	Dawson Knox	Ole Miss 4th year, Age: 25	49 receptions, 587 yds, 9 TDs
G	#76	Rodger Saffold	Indiana 13th year, Age: 34	PFF Grade: 69.2
G	#65	Ike Boettger*	Iowa 5th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 59.8
C	#60	Mitch Morse	Missouri 8th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 63.8
T	#73	Dion Dawkins	Temple 6th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: 77.5
T	#77	David Quessenberry	San Jose State 4th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 80.9

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#40	Von Miller	Texas A&M 12th year, Age: 33	9.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
DE	#50	Greg Rousseau	Miami 2nd year, Age: 22	4 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 4 PD
DT	#91	Ed Oliver	Houston 4th year, Age: 24	4 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD
DT	#97	Jordan Phillips	Oklahoma 8th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 2 PD
MLB	#49	Tremaine Edmunds	Virginia Tech 5th year, Age: 24	108 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD
OLB	#58	Matt Milano	Boston College 6th year, Age: 28	3 Sacks, 86 Tackles, 2 FR, 5 PD
OLB	#43	Terrel Bernard (R)	Baylor Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 89th overall by BUF
CB	#27	Tre’Davious White**	LSU 6th year, Age: 27	0.5 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 6 PD
CB	#7	Taron Johnson	Weber State 5th year, Age: 26	3 Sacks, 76 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 7 PD
S	#23	Micah Hyde	Iowa 10th year, Age: 31	1 Sack, 74 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 2 FR, 10 PD
S	#21	Jordan Poyer	Oregon State 10th year, Age: 31	3 Sacks, 93 Tackles, 5 INTs, 9 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#2	Tyler Bass	Georgia Southern 3rd year, Age: 25	28/32 FG — 2/4 50+, 51/51 XP
P	#8	Sam Martin	Appalachian State 10th year, Age: 32	67 punts, 3,083 yds, 28 <20
KR	#6	Isaiah McKenzie	Georgia 6th year, Age: 27	24 attempts, 584 yds
PR	#10	Khalil Shakir (R)	Boise State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 148th overall by BUF

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Case Keenum – #18 (Houston, 10th year, Age: 34)
HB: Zack Moss – #20 (Utah, 3rd year, Age: 24)
HB: Duke Johnson – #22 (Miami, 8th year, Age: 28)
TE: O.J. Howard – #8 (Alabama, 6th year, Age: 27)
DE: Shaq Lawson – #90 (Clemson, 7th year, Age: 28)
DT: DaQuan Jones – #92 (Penn State, 9th year, Age: 30)
CB: Kaiir Elam – #24 (Florida, Rookie, Age: 21)
CB: Dane Jackson – #30 (Pittsburgh, 3rd year, Age: 25)

*Ike Boetgger has an achilles injury and will miss the first four weeks
**Tre’Davious White has an ACL injury and may miss the first few weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 13-4, 1st in AFC East
MVP: QB Josh Allen
Breakout Player: WR Gabriel Davis
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Star QB, run options, secondary, pass block
Weaknesses: Linebackers, run block

The Bills are the talk of the town this offseason, and after their disappointing loss in the Divisional Round to the Chiefs, many think this is Buffalo’s year to win their first ever Super Bowl. There’s no doubt the team looks tough, and with Josh Allen at QB surely anything is possible. Emmanuel Sanders remains on the market in free agency, and Jamison Crowder was added to take his spot in the receiving core. Two solid Titans offensive linemen were added in Rodger Saffold and David Quessenberry who will help protect Allen.

On the defensive front, Von Miller was added on a shocking 6-year deal (truly 3 years if you consider the guaranteed money). He’ll now become the lead pass rusher along with promising second year EDGE Greg Rousseau. The LB core isn’t amazing but the secondary will once again wreak havoc, with possibly the best safety duo in Hyde and Poyer. Personally, I still think there are several teams in the NFL better than Buffalo, as I have a tough time truly thinking they have a cake walk to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are still tough, the Chargers look fierce, and not to mention the Bengals and Colts. Josh Allen will probably have an MVP-caliber season, and this team should easily beat up on their easy division, but come playoff time any upset can happen.

Miami Dolphins

HC: Mike McDaniel (1st year) – AGE: 39

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#1	Tua Tagovailoa	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 24	16 TDs, 10 INTs, 2,653 yds, 49.7 QBR 128 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#37	Myles Gaskin	Washington 4th year, Age: 25	173 carries, 612 yds, 3 TDs 49 receptions, 234 yds, 4 TDs
HB	#2	Chase Edmonds	Fordham 5th year, Age: 26	116 carries, 592 yds, 2 TDs 43 receptions, 311 yds
WR	#10	Tyreek Hill	West Alabama 7th year, Age: 28	111 receptions, 1,239 yds, 9 TDs 9 carries, 96 yds
WR	#17	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	104 receptions, 1,015 yds, 6 TDs 2 carries, 3 yds, 1 TD
TE	#88	Mike Gesicki	Penn State 5th year, Age: 26	73 receptions, 780 yds, 2 TDs
G	#73	Austin Jackson	USC 3rd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 49.9
G	#68	Robert Hunt	Louisiana-Lafayette 3rd year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 67.4
C	#58	Connor Williams	Texas 5th year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 76.4
T	#72	Terron Armstead	UAPB 10th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 85.3
T	#74	Liam Eichenberg	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 50.7

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#91	Emmanuel Ogbah	Oklahoma State 7th year, Age: 28	9 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 12 PD
DE	#94	Christian Wilkins	Clemson 4th year, Age: 26	4.5 Sacks, 89 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 4 PD
NT	#98	Raekwon Davis	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles
ILB	#55	Jerome Baker	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 25	5.5 Sacks, 92 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 4 PD
ILB	#52	Elandon Roberts	Houston 7th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 83 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 2 FF 4 PD
OLB	#6	Melvin Ingram III	South Carolina 11th year, Age: 33	2 Sacks, 21 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
OLB	#15	Jaelan Phillips	Miami 2nd year, Age: 23	8.5 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
CB	#25	Xavien Howard	Baylor 7th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 50 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD, 2 FF 2 FR, 16 PD
CB	#40	Nik Needham	UTEP 4th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 59 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FR 5 PD
S	#8	Jevon Holland	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 22	2.5 Sacks, 69 Tackles, 2 INTs, 10 PD
S	#21	Eric Rowe	Utah 8th year, Age: 29	72 Tackles, 3 FF, 4 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#7	Jason Sanders	New Mexico 5th year, Age: 26	23/31 FG — 2/6 50+, 34/35 XP
P	#4	Thomas Morstead	SMU 14th year, Age: 36	45 punts, 2,123 yds, 18 <20
KR	#31	Raheem Mostert	Purdue 8th year, Age: 30	NO STATS
PR	#17	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	5 attempts, 35 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Teddy Bridgewater – #5 (Louisville, 9th year, Age: 29)
FB: Alec Ingold – #30 (Wisconsin, 4th year, Age: 26)
WR: Cedrick Wilson Jr. – #11 (Boise State, 4th year, Age: 27)
WR: Mohamed Sanu – #16 (Rutgers, 11th year, Age: 33)
LB: Brennan Scarlett – #57 (Stanford, 7th year, Age: 29)
LB: Andrew Van Ginkel – #43 (Wisconsin, 4th year, Age: 27)
CB: Mackensie Alexander* – #34 (Clemson, 7th year, Age: 28)
CB: Byron Jones** – #24 (UConn, 8th year, Age: 29)
S: Brandon Jones – #29 (Texas, 3rd year, Age: 24)

*Mackensie Alexander has an undisclosed injury and is out for the season
**Byron Jones has an ankle injury and may miss 1-2 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 9-8, 2nd in AFC East
MVP: WR Tyreek Hill
Breakout Player: HB Chase Edmonds
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Receiving weapons, run game, young secondary
Weaknesses: Tua’s development, offensive line

The Dolphins hold a very interesting spot going into 2022, with the possibility of being able to make a run at a Wild Card. But on the other-hand, we thought the same last year and their abysmal start cost them any chance to do so. Nevertheless, a few huge additions do spell hope for Miami including star WR Tyreek Hill and OT Terron Armstead. The RB room is also loaded, with three guys who all have RB1 experience in Edmonds, Gaskin, and Mostert. Jaylen Waddle should matchup well with Tyreek creating an infinite amount of possibilities for Tua. The question will be around what Tua we will get. I think he’ll be just fine, but his arm is not nearly as strong as some of the other QB’s in the NFL as the offense will have to rely on a lot of YAC.

Defensively, Emmanuel Ogbah has been quietly one of the league’s best pass rushers over the last few seasons, and holds down a line with Christian Wilkins. Melvin Ingram and Jaelan Phillips will also add a ton of pressure on opposing offensive lines. The secondary will be solid again, with star CB Xavien Howard and budding star Jevon Holland. They aren’t the Bills, but I think things will click this year for Miami and a Wild Card berth is extremely likely. And who knows, if Tua becomes a star we could be talking about a surprise SB contender.

New England Patriots

HC: Bill Belichick (23rd year in NE, Career record: 290-143, Team record: 254-99) – AGE: 70

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#10	Mac Jones	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	22 TDs, 13 INTs, 3,801 yds, 50.9 QBR 129 rush yds
HB	#37	Damien Harris	Alabama 4th year, Age: 25	202 carries, 929 yds, 15 TDs 18 receptions, 132 yds
WR	#1	DeVante Parker	Louisville 8th year, Age: 29	40 receptions, 515 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#84	Kendrick Bourne	Eastern Washington 6th year, Age: 27	55 receptions, 800 yds, 5 TDs 12 carries, 125 yds
WR	#16	Jakobi Meyers	NC State 4th year, Age: 25	83 receptions, 866 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#85	Hunter Henry	Arkansas 7th year, Age: 27	50 receptions, 603 yds, 9 TDs
G	#71	Mike Onwenu	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#69	Cole Strange (R)	Chattanooga Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 29th overall by NE
C	#60	David Andrews	Georgia 8th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 77.5
T	#77	Trent Brown	Florida 8th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: 78.3
T	#76	Isaiah Wynn	Georgia 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 74.5

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#91	Deatrich Wise Jr.	Arkansas 6th year, Age: 28	3 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD
DE	#93	Lawrence Guy	Arizona State 12th year, Age: 32	1.5 Sacks, 60 Tackles, 1 FR
DT	#90	Christian Barmore	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	1.5 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 2 PD
DT	#92	Davon Godchaux	LSU 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 65 Tackles, 1 FF
MLB	#8	Ja’Whaun Bentley	Purdue 5th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 109 Tackles, 3 FF, 2 PD
OLB	#9	Matthew Judon	Grand Valley State 7th year, Age: 30	12.5 Sacks, 60 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
CB	#2	Jalen Mills	LSU 7th year, Age: 28	47 Tackles, 1 FR, 7 PD
CB	#31	Jonathan Jones	Auburn 7th year, Age: 28	20 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD
S	#32	Devin McCourty	Rutgers 13th year, Age: 35	60 Tackles, 3 INTs, 10 PD
S	#21	Adrian Phillips	Texas 8th year, Age: 30	92 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF, 9 PD
S	#23	Kyle Dugger	Lenoir-Rhyne 3rd year, Age: 26	92 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FR, 5 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#6	Nick Folk	Arizona 15th year, Age: 37	36/39 FG — 5/8 50+, 42/47 XP
P	#7	Jake Bailey	Stanford 4th year, Age: 25	49 punts, 2,316 yds, 23 <20
KR	#14	Ty Montgomery	Stanford 8th year, Age: 29	2 attempts, 59 yds
PR	#3	Jabrill Peppers	Michigan 6th year, Age: 26	9 attempts, 58 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Brian Hoyer – #6 (Michigan State, 14th year, Age: 36)
HB: Rhamondre Stevenson – #38 (Oklahoma, 2nd year, Age: 24)
WR: Nelson Agholor – #15 (USC, 8th year, Age: 29)
Sp Tm: Matthew Slater – #18 (UCLA, 15th year, Age: 36)
TE: Jonnu Smith – #81 (Florida International, 6th year, Age: 27)
DT: Carl Davis Jr. – #98 (Iowa, 8th year, Age: 30)
LB: Raekwon McMillan – #46 (Ohio State, 5th year, Age: 25)
LB: Josh Uche – #44 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 23)
LB: Mack Wilson – #30 (Alabama, 4th year, Age: 24)
CB: Terrance Mitchell – #39 (Oregon, 9th year, Age: 30)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 6-11, 3rd in AFC East
MVP: OLB Matthew Judon
Breakout Player: DT Christian Barmore
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Secondary, run stop, run game
Weaknesses: Receiving core, pass rush, offensive line

Year 23 could be bringing the most uncertainty around any Bill Belichick team that we have ever seen, with not too much to look forward to for the Pats. Sure Mac Jones has developed solidly in his rookie year, but the receiver core looks decimated, the offensive line losing a few big pieces, and the run game being decent at best. Henry and Jonnu Smith should be able to provide solid blocking and good checkdown options for Mac if all else fails with the receivers.

On the defensive front, Matthew Judon remains as the star pass rusher among a decimated core. Dont’a Hightower left and remains a free agent, and they’ll look on the development of Christian Barmore to give some hope. The secondary though still looks solid, with three legitmate starting safeties in McCourty, Phillips, and Dugger. The Pats shouldn’t be much of a contender, and with the Jets’ new and young core they may need to watch out for a last place finish.

New York Jets

HC: Robert Saleh (2nd year, Career/Team record: 4-13) – AGE: 43

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#2	Zach Wilson*	BYU 2nd year, Age: 23	9 TDs, 11 INTs, 2,334 yds, 28.2 QBR 185 rush yds, 4 TDs
HB	#32	Michael Carter	North Carolina 2nd year, Age: 23	147 carries, 639 yds, 4 TDs 36 receptions, 325 yds
WR	#84	Corey Davis	Western Michigan 6th year, Age: 27	34 receptions, 492 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#8	Elijah Moore	Ole Miss 2nd year, Age: 22	43 receptions, 538 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#17	Garrett Wilson (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 10th overall by NYJ
TE	#83	Tyler Conklin	Central Michigan 5th year, Age: 27	61 receptions, 593 yds, 3 TDs
G	#78	Laken Tomlinson	Duke 8th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 76.0
G	#75	Alijah Vera-Tucker	USC 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 67.2
C	#60	Connor McGovern	Missouri 7th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#71	Duane Brown	Virginia Tech 15th year, Age: 36	PFF Grade: 72.0
T	#76	George Fant	Western Kentucky 7th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 71.1

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#94	Solomon Thomas	Stanford 6th year, Age: 26	3.5 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 PD
DE	#58	Carl Lawson	Auburn 6th year, Age: 27	DNP – INJURED
DT	#95	Quinnen Williams	Alabama 4th year, Age: 24	6 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 3 PD
DT	#98	Sheldon Rankins	Louisville 7th year, Age: 28	3 Sacks, 32 Tackles, 2 FR
MLB	#57	C.J. Mosley	Alabama 8th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 168 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 PD
OLB	#9	Kwon Alexander	LSU 8th year, Age: 28	3.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD
OLB	#36	Marcell Harris	Florida 5th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 44 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD
CB	#37	Bryce Hall	Virginia 3rd year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 79 Tackles, 16 PD
CB	#1	Sauce Gardner (R)	Cincinnati Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 4th overall by NYJ
S	#6	Jordan Whitehead	Pittsburgh 5th year, Age: 25	73 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 8 PD
S	#21	Ashtyn Davis	California 3rd year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 FF,

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#14	Greg Zuerlein	Missouri Western 11th year, Age: 34	29/35 FG — 2/5 50+, 42/48 XP
P	#7	Braden Mann	Texas A&M 3rd year, Age: 24	41 punts, 1,875 yds, 14 <20
KR	#10	Braxton Berrios	Miami 4th year, Age: 26	28 attempts, 852 yds, 1 TD
PR	#10	Braxton Berrios	Miami 4th year, Age: 26	15 attempts, 201 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Joe Flacco – #19 (Delaware, 15th year, Age: 37)
HB: Ty Johnson – #25 (Maryland, 4th year, Age: 24)
WR: Denzel Mims** – #11 (Baylor, 3rd year, Age: 24)
TE: C.J. Uzomah – #87 (Auburn, 8th year, Age: 29)
T: Mekhi Becton*** – #77 (Louisville, 3rd year, Age: 23)
DE: John Franklin-Myers – #91 (Stephen F. Austin, 5th year, Age: 25)
DE: Jermaine Johnson – #52 (Florida State, Rookie, Age: 23)
CB: D.J. Reed – #4 (Kansas State, 5th year, Age: 25)
CB: Michael Carter II – #30 (Duke, 2nd year, Age: 23)
S: Lamarcus Joyner – #29 (Florida State, 9th year, Age: 31)

*Zach Wilson has a meniscus tear and may miss the first 1-3 weeks
**Denzel Mims is holding out in hopes of being traded or released
***Mekhi Becton has a knee injury and could miss almost all of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 5-12, 4th in AFC East
MVP: DT Quinnen Williams
Breakout Player: QB Zach Wilson
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: D
Strengths: Run game, offensive line, young talent
Weaknesses: Pass rush, WR core

Coming off of a 4-13 campaign in year one of the Zach Wilson era, the Jets re-tooled with a few new draft picks and might possibly be headed in the right direction. Of course it doesn’t help when your young QB and Tackle both get preseason injuries, but Wilson should be able to return a few weeks into the season. Garrett Wilson was also added in the first round, giving Wilson another target along with Corey Davis and Elijah Moore. Tyler Conklin was signed and three good veteran linemen were added in Laken Tomlinson, Connor McGovern, and Duane Brown. Brown will help to hold down Wilson’s blind side while Mekhi Becton rehabs for next season.

On the defensive front, Carl Lawson is back from injury and should make an impact on the edge. Solomon Thomas and Kwon Alexander were both added to beef up a front with stars C.J. Mosley and Quinnen Williams. This draft’s most coveted defensive back was also added fourth overall in Sauce Gardner, a lockdown defender that the team hopes can become the next Darrelle Revis. I don’t think the Jets are going to be serious playoff contenders, but they will shock a lot of people and win some games they have no business winning. 6 or 7 wins is completely likely, and I think any Jet fan would take a season like that.

Baltimore Ravens

HC: John Harbaugh (15th year, Career/Team record: 137-88) – AGE: 60

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#8	Lamar Jackson	Louisville 5th year, Age: 25	16 TDs, 13 INTs, 2,882 yds, 50.7 QBR 767 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#27	J.K. Dobbins	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 23	DNP – INJURED
HB	#28	Mike Davis	South Carolina 8th year, Age: 29	138 carries, 503 yds, 3 TDs 44 receptions, 259 yds, 1 TD
WR	#7	Rashod Bateman	Minnesota 2nd year, Age: 22	46 receptions, 515 yds, 1 TD
WR	#10	Demarcus Robinson	Florida 7th year, Age: 27	25 receptions, 264 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#89	Mark Andrews	Oklahoma 5th year, Age: 26	107 receptions, 1,361 yds, 9 TDs
G	#70	Kevin Zeitler	Wisconsin 11th year, Age: 32	PFF Grade: 77.0
G	#72	Ben Powers	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 66.2
C	#64	Tyler Linderbaum (R)	Iowa Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 25th overall by BAL
T	#79	Ronnie Stanley*	Notre Dame 7th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#78	Morgan Moses	Virginia 9th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 70.9

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#93	Calais Campbell	Miami 15th year, Age: 35	1.5 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
DE	#92	Justin Madubuike	Texas A&M 3rd year, Age: 24	2 Sacks, 36 Tackles, 2 PD
NT	#58	Michael Pierce	Samford 6th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 20 Tackles, 1 FF
ILB	#6	Patrick Queen	LSU 3rd year, Age: 23	2 Sacks, 98 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD
ILB	#56	Josh Bynes	Auburn 11th year, Age: 33	2 Sacks, 76 Tackles, 4 PD
OLB	#54	Tyus Bowser**	Houston 6th year, Age: 27	7 Sacks, 59 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 PD
OLB	#50	Justin Houston	Georgia 12th year, Age: 33	4.5 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD
CB	#24	Marcus Peters	Washington 8th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 52 Tackles, 4 INTs, 4 FF, 2 FR 9 PD
CB	#44	Marlon Humphrey	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	58 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 13 PD
S	#32	Marcus Williams	Utah 6th year, Age: 25	74 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 8 PD
S	#14	Kyle Hamilton (R)	Notre Dame Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 14th overall by BAL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#9	Justin Tucker	Texas 11th year, Age: 32	35/37 FG — 6/6 50+, 32/32 XP
P	#11	Jordan Stout (R)	Penn State Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 130th overall by BAL
KR	#13	Devin Duvernay	Texas 3rd year, Age: 24	28 attempts, 676 yds
PR	#13	Devin Duvernay	Texas 3rd year, Age: 24	26 attempts, 360 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Tyler Huntley – #2 (Utah, 3rd year, Age: 24)
HB: Gus Edwards*** – #35 (Rutgers, 5th year, Age: 27)
HB: Kenyan Drake – #17 (Alabama, 7th year, Age: 28)
FB: Patrick Ricard – #42 (Maine, 6th year, Age: 28)
LB: Odafe Oweh – #99 (Penn State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
LB: David Ojabo**** – #90 (Michigan, Rookie, Age: 22)
CB: Kyle Fuller – #18 (Virginia Tech, 9th year, Age: 30)
CB: Jalyn Armour-Davis – #5 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 22)
S: Chuck Clark – #36 (Virginia Tech, 6th year, Age: 27)

*Ronnie Stanley continues to rehab an ankle injury and may miss the first few weeks
**Tyus Bowser continues to rehab an achilles tear and may miss the first few weeks
***Gus Edwards continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss the first 4 weeks
****David Ojabo has a torn achilles and may miss the first 8-10 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 10-7, 2nd in AFC North
MVP: QB Lamar Jackson
Breakout Player: S Kyle Hamilton
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Star QB/TE, secondary, rookie class
Weaknesses: Beaten up offensive line, WR core

With the new look Browns and the reigning AFC Champion Bengals in the same division, it will be a dog fight for Baltimore to stay atop the North. They struggled in 2021, as Lamar Jackson got hurt and the team finished 8-9, missing the playoffs. To top that off WR1 Marquise Brown was traded to Arizona, leaving their WR room very decimated. But on the other hand, when you have Jackson all you truly need is Mark Andrews, some solid running backs, and good blocking TE’s. J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both missed all of last year due to injury, and they will be set to return with veteran Mike Davis as an insurance policy in the backfield.

On defense the team made it a priority to help out their secondary. Marcus Williams was signed to a multi-year deal and promising Notre Dame product Kyle Hamilton was drafted to become the new starting safeties. Of course Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters will both be back, as well as veterans Calais Campbell, Michael Pierce, and Justin Houston. The AFC North is the toughest division to predict in my opinion, as it can go several ways. What it will truly come down to is a fight between the Bengals and Ravens with the other being a Wild Card.

Cincinnati Bengals

HC: Zac Taylor (4th year, Career/Team record: 16-32-1) – AGE: 39

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#9	Joe Burrow	LSU 3rd year, Age: 25	34 TDs, 14 INTs, 4,611 yds, 54.3 QBR 118 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#28	Joe Mixon	Oklahoma 6th year, Age: 26	292 carries, 1,205 yds, 13 TDs 42 receptions, 314 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#1	Ja’Marr Chase	LSU 2nd year, Age: 22	81 receptions, 1,455 yds, 13 TDs 7 carries, 21 yds
WR	#85	Tee Higgins	Clemson 3rd year, Age: 23	74 receptions, 1,091 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#83	Tyler Boyd	Pittsburgh 7th year, Age: 28	67 receptions, 828 yds, 5 TDs 2 carries, 22 yds
TE	#88	Hayden Hurst	South Carolina 5th year, Age: 29	26 receptions, 221 yds, 3 TDs
G	#65	Alex Cappa	Humboldt State 5th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 74.2
G	#79	Jackson Carman	Clemson 2nd year, Age: 22	PFF Grade: N/A
C	#64	Ted Karras	Illinois 7th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: 73.0
T	#71	La’el Collins	LSU 8th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: 84.0
T	#73	Jonah Williams	Alabama 4th year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 77.9

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#91	Trey Hendrickson	Florida Atlantic 6th year, Age: 27	14 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 3 FF
DE	#94	Sam Hubbard	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 27	7.5 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR, 3 PD
DT	#92	B.J. Hill	NC State 5th year, Age: 27	5.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles
DT	#98	D.J. Reader	Clemson 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 43 Tackles
MLB	#55	Logan Wilson	Wyoming 3rd year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 100 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF, 4 PD
OLB	#57	Germaine Pratt	NC State 4th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 91 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR 2 PD
OLB	#59	Akeem Davis-Gaither	Appalachian State 3rd year, Age: 24	28 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD
CB	#22	Chidobe Awuzie	Colorado 6th year, Age: 27	64 Tackles, 2 INTs, 14 PD
CB	#21	Mike Hilton	Ole Miss 6th year, Age: 28	66 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF, 5 PD
S	#30	Jessie Bates III	Wake Forest 5th year, Age: 25	88 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 4 PD
S	#24	Vonn Bell	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	0.5 Sacks, 97 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF, 1 FR 8 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#2	Evan McPherson	Florida 2nd year, Age: 23	28/33 FG — 9/11 50+, 46/48 XP
P	#10	Kevin Huber	Cincinnati 14th year, Age: 37	66 punts, 3,064 yds, 22 <20
KR	#25	Chris Evans	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 24	2 attempts, 58 yds
PR	#11	Trent Taylor	Louisiana Tech 6th year, Age: 28	7 attempts, 52 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

HB: Samaje Perine – #34 (Oklahoma, 6th year, Age: 26)
TE: Thaddeus Moss – #81 (LSU, 2nd year, Age: 24)
DE: Cam Sample – #96 (Tulane, 2nd year, Age: 22)
LB: Markus Bailey – #51 (Purdue, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Eli Apple – #20 (Ohio State, 7th year, Age: 27)
CB: Tre Flowers – #33 (Oklahoma State, 5th year, Age: 27)
S: Dax Hill – #23 (Michigan, Rookie, Age: 21)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 11-6, 1st in AFC North
MVP: QB Joe Burrow
Breakout Player: S Dax Hill
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Star WR core, QB, secondary
Weaknesses: Offensive line, linebackers

The reigning AFC Champs jump into the new season with one of the most explosive offenses and a lot of hope to keep the momentum alive. Obviously the Burrow/Chase/Higgins/Mixon star power took the league by storm last year, and look to continue doing some damage. But even though they have these studs, some questions still remain. Those mainly being around the offensive line, that was one of the league’s worst cores last year and didn’t really improve much this offseason. La’el Collins and Ted Karras were both added which should help a bit, but I’m still not very impressed with their core altogether.

On the defensive side, Hendrickson and Hubbard both had career years in the pass rush, and it might be tough to see them play at the same level next year. Larry Ogunjobi was also a solid loss on the run stop, but Logan Wilson has emerged as one of the better young LB’s in the league. Chidobe Awuzie is becoming a reliable CB1 and the safety room of Bates/Bell/and rookie Hill could wreak havoc in the pass game. It will be a tough battle between them and Baltimore for the top of the division, but I give the edge to Cincinnati mainly due to their offensive power.

Cleveland Browns

HC: Kevin Stefanski (3rd year, Career/Team record: 19-14) – AGE: 40

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#7	Jacoby Brissett	NC State 7th year, Age: 29	5 TDs, 4 INTs, 1,283 yds, 48.2 QBR 70 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#24	Nick Chubb	Georgia 5th year, Age: 26	228 carries, 1,259 yds, 8 TDs 20 receptions, 174 yds, 1 TD
HB	#27	Kareem Hunt	Toledo 6th year, Age: 27	78 carries, 386 yds, 5 TDs 22 receptions, 174 yds
WR	#2	Amari Cooper	Alabama 8th year, Age: 28	68 receptions, 865 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#11	Donovan Peoples-Jones	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 23	34 receptions, 597 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#85	David Njoku	Miami 6th year, Age: 26	36 receptions, 475 yds, 4 TDs
G	#75	Joel Bitonio	Nevada 9th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 93.6
G	#77	Wyatt Teller	Virginia Tech 5th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 84.4
C	#55	Ethan Pocic	LSU 6th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 68.0
T	#78	Jack Conklin	Michigan State 7th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#71	Jedrick Wills Jr.	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 65.9

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#95	Myles Garrett	Texas A&M 6th year, Age: 26	16 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 PD
DE	#90	Jadeveon Clowney	South Carolina 9th year, Age: 29	9 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 PD
DT	#96	Jordan Elliott	Missouri 3rd year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 26 Tackles, 1 PD
DT	#99	Taven Bryan	Florida 5th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 15 Tackles
MLB	#9	Anthony Walker Jr.	Northwestern 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 113 Tackles, 2 PD
OLB	#28	Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 22	1.5 Sacks, 76 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 PD
OLB	#44	Sione Takitaki	BYU 4th year, Age: 27	44 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR
CB	#21	Denzel Ward	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD, 10 PD
CB	#26	Greedy Williams	LSU 4th year, Age: 24	41 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 10 PD
S	#43	John Johnson III	Boston College 6th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 5 PD
S	#22	Grant Delpit	LSU 3rd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 66 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 3 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#3	Cade York (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 124th overall by CLE
P	#13	Corey Bojorquez	New Mexico 5th year, Age: 25	53 punts, 2,467 yds, 18 <20
KR	#25	Demetric Felton Jr.	UCLA 2nd year, Age: 24	9 attempts, 172 yds
PR	#25	Demetric Felton Jr.	UCLA 2nd year, Age: 24	32 attempts, 227 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Deshaun Watson* – #4 (Clemson, 6th year, Age: 26)
HB: D’Ernest Johnson – #30 (South Florida, 4th year, Age: 26)
TE: Harrison Bryant – #88 (Florida Atlantic, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DE: Stephen Weatherly** – #91 (Vanderbilt, 7th year, Age: 28)
DE: Chase Winovich – #69 (Michigan, 4th year, Age: 27)
CB: Greg Newsome II – #20 (Northwestern, 2nd year, Age: 22)
S: Ronnie Harrison Jr. – #33 (Alabama, 5th year, Age: 25)

*Deshaun Watson is suspended for the first 11 games for sexual assault
**Stephen Weatherly has a knee injury and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 6-11, 4th in AFC North
MVP: DE Myles Garrett
Breakout Player: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Pass rush, run game, offensive line
Weaknesses: Linebackers, WR core, run stop

Well it was some offseason for the Browns, met with some positivity and a lot of negativity publicity. They traded for controversial QB Deshaun Watson, as every football fan knows has many sexual assault allegations against him. Knowing this, the Browns still traded for him, gave an insane $240m in guaranteed money and manipulated his contract so if he got suspended this year he wouldn’t miss out on almost any money. Well he’ll be on the shelf for the first 11 games of the season, and long-time backup Jacoby Brissett will hold down QB duties for the time being. Amari Cooper was also added from Dallas to a WR core that lost both Odell and Jarvis Landry.

On defense Myles Garrett is their focal point, as they also added Jadeveon Clowney to line up on the other side of him, giving them two former 1st overall pick edges. With Watson out, and a lot of uncertainty around the type of player he’ll be after missing more than a year and a half, I don’t think the Browns will compete much this year. The Ravens, Bengals, and even Steelers may still be ahead of them.

Pittsburgh Steelers

HC: Mike Tomlin (16th year, Career/Team record: 154-85-2) – AGE: 50

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#10	Mitchell Trubisky	North Carolina 6th year, Age: 28	6 GP, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 43 yds 24 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#22	Najee Harris	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 24	307 carries, 1,200 yds, 7 TDs 74 receptions, 467 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#18	Diontae Johnson	Toledo 4th year, Age: 26	107 receptions, 1,161 yds, 8 TDs 5 carries, 53 yds
WR	#11	Chase Claypool	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 24	59 receptions, 860 yds, 2 TDs 14 carries, 96 yds
WR	#14	George Pickens (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 52nd overall by PIT
TE	#88	Pat Freiermuth	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 23	60 receptions, 497 yds, 7 TDs
G	#69	Kevin Dotson	Louisiana-Lafayette 3rd year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 64.5
G	#78	James Daniels	Iowa 5th year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 71.8
C	#61	Mason Cole	Michigan 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#76	Chukwuma Okorafor	Western Michigan 5th year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 63.8
T	#65	Dan Moore Jr.	Texas A&M 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 57.4

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#97	Cameron Heyward	Ohio State 12th year, Age: 33	10 Sacks, 89 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 9 PD
DE	#95	Chris Wormley	Michigan 6th year, Age: 28	7 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD
NT	#65	Larry Ogunjobi	Charlotte 6th year, Age: 28	7 Sacks, 49 Tackles
ILB	#55	Devin Bush	Michigan 4th year, Age: 24	2 Sacks, 70 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 4 PD
ILB	#51	Myles Jack	UCLA 7th year, Age: 26	108 Tackles
OLB	#90	T.J. Watt	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 27	22.5 Sacks, 64 Tackles, 5 FF, 3 FR, 7 PD
OLB	#56	Alex Highsmith	Charlotte 3rd year, Age: 25	6 Sacks, 74 Tackles, 1 FF
CB	#20	Cameron Sutton	Tennessee 6th year, Age: 27	52 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 6 PD
CB	#29	Levi Wallace	Alabama 5th year, Age: 27	58 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 10 PD
S	#39	Minkah Fitzpatrick	Alabama 5th year, Age: 25	124 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR, 7 PD
S	#34	Terrell Edmunds	Virginia Tech 5th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 89 Tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#9	Chris Boswell	Rice 8th year, Age: 31	36/40 FG — 8/9 50+, 27/29 XP
P	#6	Pressley Harvin III	Georgia Tech 2nd year, Age: 23	70 punts, 2,982 yds, 25 <20
KR	#89	Gunner Olszewski	Bemidji State 4th year, Age: 25	18 attempts, 416 yds
PR	#89	Gunner Olszewski	Bemidji State 4th year, Age: 25	26 attempts, 309 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Kenny Pickett – #8 (Pittsburgh, Rookie, Age: 24)
HB: Benny Snell Jr. – #24 (Kentucky, 4th year, Age: 24)
FB: Derek Watt – #44 (Wisconsin, 7th year, Age: 29)
DE: Tyson Alualu – #94 (California, 13th year, Age: 35)
LB: Malik Reed – # (Nevada, 4th year, Age: 26)
LB: Robert Spillane – #41 (Western Michigan, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Arthur Maulet – #35 (Memphis, 6th year, Age: 29)
CB: James Pierre – #42 (Florida Atlantic, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Ahkello Witherspoon – #25 (Colorado, 6th year, Age: 27)
S: Damontae Kazee – #24 (San Diego State, 6th year, Age: 29)
S: Karl Joseph* – #38 (West Virginia, 6th year, Age: 28)

*Karl Joseph has an ankle injury and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 8-9, 3rd in AFC North
MVP: LB T.J. Watt
Breakout Player: WR George Pickens
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Pass rush, depth in the secondary
Weaknesses: Offensive line, QB questions, WR core (good be great/could struggle)

The Steelers are a very interesting team in 2022 and it’s tough to get a gage on them. It is now year 1 of the post-Big Ben era, and Mike Tomlin has still never had a losing season in his 15 seasons at the helm in Pittsburgh. Kenny Pickett was drafted to compete with Mitch Trubisky for the starting job, and in my opinion these are two guys who can both make impacts. Their receivers are solid and run game is good led by Harris. What concerns me is the offensive line as it did not improve much after struggling all of last year.

The defense, as the Steelers always are, should be solid again led by the 2021 sack leader T.J. Watt and star interior lineman Cam Heyward. Minkah Fitzpatrick has emerged as potentially the best safety in all of football and was re-upped on a new deal to equal his worth. Last year I didn’t think the Steelers would be very good, and then they shocked everyone and made it to the playoffs at 9-7-1. I still don’t see them being a .500+ team, mainly because of the questions on offense but I could be completely wrong.

Houston Texans

HC: Lovie Smith (1st year in HOU, Career record: 89-87) – AGE: 64

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#10	Davis Mills	Stanford 2nd year, Age: 23	16 TDs, 10 INTs, 2,664 yds, 35.5 QBR 44 rush yds
HB	#31	Dameon Pierce (R)	Florida Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 107th overall by HOU
WR	#13	Brandin Cooks	Oregon State 9th year, Age: 28	90 receptions, 1,037 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#4	Phillip Dorsett	Miami 8th year, Age: 29	6 GP, 7 receptions, 110 yds
WR	#15	Chris Moore	Cincinnati 7th year, Age: 29	21 receptions, 227 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#9	Brevin Jordan	Miami 2nd year, Age: 22	20 receptions, 178 yds, 3 TDs
G	#60	A.J. Cann	South Carolina 8th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: N/A
G	#64	Justin McCray	UCF 6th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: N/A
C	#68	Justin Britt	Missouri 7th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 64.5
T	#78	Laremy Tunsil	Ole Miss 7th year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: N/A
T	#71	Tytus Howard	Alabama State 4th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 51.9

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#97	Mario Addison	Troy 12th year, Age: 34	7 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 2 FF
DE	#52	Jonathan Greenard	Florida 3rd year, Age: 25	8 Sacks, 33 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 PD
DT	#96	Maliek Collins	Nebraska 7th year, Age: 27	2.5 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 1 PD
DT	#91	Roy Lopez	Arizona 2nd year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 31 Tackles, 1 FR
MLB	#58	Christian Kirksey	Iowa 9th year, Age: 29	93 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FR, 8 PD
OLB	#51	Kamu Grugier-Hill	Eastern Illinois 7th year, Age: 28	3 Sacks, 108 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF, 3 PD
OLB	#44	Jalen Reeves-Maybin	Tennessee 6th year, Age: 27	82 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR, 4 PD
CB	#25	Desmond King II	Iowa 6th year, Age: 27	93 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 6 PD
CB	#24	Derek Stingley Jr. (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 3rd overall by HOU
S	#29	M.J. Stewart	North Carolina 5th year, Age: 26	47 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD
S	#5	Jalen Pitre (R)	Baylor Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 37th overall by HOU

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#7	Ka’imi Fairbairn	UCLA 7th year, Age: 28	15/19 FG — 4/6 50+, 13/16 XP
P	#11	Cameron Johnston	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 25	88 punts, 4,108 yds, 37 <20
KR	#1	Tremon Smith	Central Arkansas 5th year, Age: 26	21 attempts, 537 yds, 1 TD
PR	#25	Desmond King II	Iowa 6th year, Age: 27	17 attempts, 154 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Kyle Allen – #3 (Houston, 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Rex Burkhead – #28 (Nebraska, 10th year, Age: 32)
WR: Tyler Johnson (Minnesota, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: John Metchie III* – #88 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 22)
DE: Rasheem Green – #92 (USC, 5th year, Age: 25)
DE: Jerry Hughes – #55 (TCU, 13th year, Age: 33)
LB: Neville Hewitt – #43 (Marshall, 8th year, Age: 29)
CB: Steven Nelson – #21 (Oregon State, 8th year, Age: 29)
S: Eric Murray – #23 (Minnesota, 7th year, Age: 28)

*John Metchie III was diagnosed with cancer and will be out indefinitely

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 3-14, 4th in AFC South
MVP: WR Brandin Cooks
Breakout Player: CB Derek Stingley Jr.
Offensive Grade: D+
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Young talent in the secondary, edge rushers
Weaknesses: Offensive line, WR core, question at QB, LB’s

Similar to when you’re finally free from that toxic relationship, the Texans find themselves in a new era after moving on from Deshaun Watson. Although you can write a book about the craziness surrounding their former QB, Davis Mills stepped up big time as a late round rookie last season and will continue to be their man under center. Brandin Cooks also had a great season, and a lot of hype surrounds rookie third round RB Dameon Pierce who won the starting job out of camp.

On the defensive side, two top 40 draft picks including 3rd overall selection Derek Stingley Jr. will headline a young secondary. The pass rush was able to hold their own last year and will look to do the same this season. Now no one expects Houston to be competitive, but a few steps in the right direction could be on the horizon with some young talent and a long-time NFL coach in Lovie Smith leading the way.

Indianapolis Colts

HC: Frank Reich (5th year, Career/Team record: 37-28) – AGE: 60

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#2	Matt Ryan	Boston College 15th year, Age: 37	20 TDs, 12 INTs, 3,968 yds, 46.1 QBR 82 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#28	Jonathan Taylor	Wisconsin 3rd year, Age: 23	332 carries, 1,811 yds, 18 TDs 40 receptions, 360 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#11	Michael Pittman Jr.	USC 3rd year, Age: 24	88 receptions, 1,082 yds, 6 TDs 5 carries, 44 yds
WR	#15	Keke Coutee	Texas Tech 4th year, Age: 25	2 GP, 1 reception, 5 yds
WR	#14	Alec Pierce (R)	Cincinnati Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 53rd overall by IND
TE	#81	Mo Alie-Cox	VCU 5th year, Age: 28	24 receptions, 316 yds, 4 TDs
G	#56	Quenton Nelson	Notre Dame 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 69.8
G	#63	Danny Pinter	Ball State 3rd year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: N/A
C	#78	Ryan Kelly	Alabama 7th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: 56.4
T	#72	Braden Smith	Auburn 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 81.2
T	#69	Matt Pryor	TCU 5th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: N/A

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#91	Yannick Ngakoue	Maryland 7th year, Age: 27	10 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 2 FF, 3 PD
DE	#51	Kwity Paye	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 23	4 Sacks, 32 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR, 1 PD
DT	#99	DeForest Buckner	Oregon 7th year, Age: 28	7 Sacks, 68 Tackles, 3 PD
DT	#90	Grover Stewart	Albany State 6th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 46 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD
MLB	#53	Shaquille Leonard	South Carolina State 5th year, Age: 27	122 Tackles, 4 INTs, 8 FF, 2 FR, 8 PD
OLB	#58	Bobby Okereke	Stanford 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 132 Tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PD
OLB	#44	Zaire Franklin	Syracuse 5th year, Age: 26	40 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
CB	#5	Stephon Gilmore	South Carolina 11th year, Age: 31	16 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PD
CB	#23	Kenny Moore II	Valdosta State 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 102 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF, 13 PD
S	#31	Brandon Facyson	Virginia Tech 5th year, Age: 27	55 Tackles, 1 INT, 13 PD
S	#32	Justin Blackmon	Utah 3rd year, Age: 24	34 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#3	Rodrigo Blankenship	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 25	11/14 FG — 0/1 50+, 7/8 XP
P	#6	Matt Haack	Arizona State 6th year, Age: 28	52 punts, 2,230 yds, 18 <20
KR	#34	Isaiah Rodgers	Massachusetts 3rd year, Age: 24	19 attempts, 501 yds
PR	#21	Nyheim Hines	NC State 5th year, Age: 25	23 attempts, 170 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Nick Foles – #9 (Michigan State, 11th year, Age: 33)
DE: Ifeadi Odenigbo – #59 (Northwestern, 5th year, Age: 28)
DT: Tyquan Lewis – #94 (Ohio State, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: E.J. Speed – #45 (Tarleton State, 4th year, Age: 27)
CB: Will Redmond – #29 (Mississippi State, 7th year, Age: 28)
S: Rodney McLeod – #26 (Virginia, 11th year, Age: 32)
P: Rigoberto Sanchez* – #8 (Hawaii, 6th year, Age: 27

*Rigoberto Sanchez has a torn achilles and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 12-5, 1st in AFC South
MVP: HB Jonathan Taylor
Breakout Player: DE Kwity Paye
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Veteran QB, run game, LB core, offensive line
Weaknesses: WR depth, safeties

The Colts had a very solid season just a year ago and it began to draw some hope that this team may be ready to truly compete for the first time since Andrew Luck’s retirement. Philip Rivers decided to call it quits and he was replaced by long-time Falcon QB Matt Ryan who still has some juice left in him. Michael Pittman also emerged as a very solid WR1 and Jonathan Taylor rushed for nearly 2,000 yards in an incredible 2021. The offensive line did lose a few guys, but they’ll be bringing back star guard Quenton Nelson and solid pieces in Ryan Kelly and Braden Smith.

On defense, the team is led by their star LB Shaquille Leonard who has become potentially the best interior linebacker in the league. The NFL’s DPOY from just a couple of seasons ago in Stephon Gilmore was also added after a rough year in Carolina. Yannick Ngakoue and DeForest Buckner should make up a scary defensive line that can keep QB’s on their toes the entire game. I am very high on Indy in 2022, and I think not only will they win the division but they are a threat to be a surprise team that can make a run. There will also be plenty of pressure on Frank Reich to succeed or his job will be on the hot seat.

Jacksonville Jaguars

HC: Doug Pederson (1st year in JAX, Career record: 42-37-1) – AGE: 54

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#16	Trevor Lawrence	Clemson 2nd year, Age: 22	12 TDs, 17 INTs, 3,641 yds, 33.5 QBR 334 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#25	James Robinson	Illinois State 3rd year, Age: 24	164 carries, 767 yds, 8 TDs 31 receptions, 222 yds
HB	#1	Travis Etienne Jr.	Clemson 2nd year, Age: 23	DNP – INJURED
WR	#13	Christian Kirk	Texas A&M 5th year, Age: 25	77 receptions, 982 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#11	Marvin Jones Jr.	California 11th year, Age: 32	73 receptions, 832 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#17	Evan Engram	Ole Miss 6th year, Age: 28	46 receptions, 408 yds, 3 TDs
G	#68	Brandon Scherff	Iowa 8th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 73.7
G	#69	Tyler Shatley	Clemson 9th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 60.7
C	#79	Luke Fortner	Kentucky Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 65th overall by JAX
T	#74	Cam Robinson	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 67.3
T	#75	Jawaan Taylor	Florida 4th year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 60.3

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#91	Dawuane Smoot	Illinois 6th year, Age: 27	6 Sacks, 36 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD
DE	#49	Arden Key	LSU 5th year, Age: 26	6.5 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 1 PD
NT	#94	Folorunso Fatukasi	UConn 5th year, Age: 27	46 Tackles
ILB	#54	Foyesade Oluokun	Yale 5th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 192 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 6 PD
ILB	#33	Devin Lloyd (R)	Utah Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 27th overall by JAX
OLB	#41	Josh Allen	Kentucky 4th year, Age: 25	7.5 Sacks, 71 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD
OLB	#44	Trayvon Walker (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 1st overall by JAX
CB	#26	Shaquill Griffin	UCF 6th year, Age: 27	49 Tackles, 1 FF, 7 PD
CB	#21	Darious Williams	UAB 5th year, Age: 29	71 Tackles, 1 FR, 9 PD
S	#42	Andrew Wingard	Wyoming 4th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 88 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD
S	#2	Rayshawn Jenkins	Miami 6th year, Age: 28	73 Tackles, 3 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#10	Riley Patterson	Memphis 2nd year, Age: 22	13/14 FG — 0/1 50+, 16/16 XP
P	#9	Logan Cooke	Mississippi State 5th year, Age: 27	64 punts, 3,026 yds, 28 <20
KR	#39	Jamal Agnew	San Diego 6th year, Age: 27	22 attempts, 524 yds, 1 TD
PR	#39	Jamal Agnew	San Diego 6th year, Age: 27	11 attempts, 74 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: C.J. Beathard – #3 (Iowa, 6th year, Age: 28)
WR: Zay Jones – #7 (East Carolina, 6th year, Age: 27)
TE: Dan Arnold – #85 (Wisconsin-Platteville, 6th year, Age: 27)
DE: Roy Robertson-Harris – #95 (UTEP, 6th year, Age: 29)
DT: DaVon Hamilton – #52 (Ohio State, 3rd year, Age: 25)
LB: K’Lavon Chaisson – #45 (LSU, 3rd year, Age: 23)
CB: Tyson Campbell – #32 (Georgia, 2nd year, Age: 22)
CB: Tre Herndon – #37 (Vanderbilt, 5th year, Age: 26)
S: Andre Cisco – #38 (Syracuse, 2nd year, Age: 22)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 6-11, 3rd in AFC South
MVP: G Brandon Scherff
Breakout Player: HB Travis Etienne Jr.
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: D
Strengths: Developing QB, new coach, solid backfield
Weaknesses: Offensive line, defensive line, secondary

After a year that provided nothing but negativity to a franchise that has seen plenty of that throughout their history, the Jags enter the new year looking to move forward. Former Super Bowl champ Doug Pederson takes over the reigns at HC and year 2 of Trevor Lawrence hopes to be a much better one. His favorite target in college, Travis Etienne is back from injury and will create a good duo in the backfield with James Robinson. Christian Kirk was given big money to headline a WR core with Marvin Jones Jr. and Zay Jones. The team also gave big money to star G Brandon Scherff, prying him away from Washington to help create some protection for their young QB.

On defense, they used the first overall pick to add LB Trayvon Walker, a breakout star in college that is a tackle machine and great in coverage. Devin Allen was another first round LB looking to make an impact with veteran Josh Allen. Shaquill Griffin was signed to become CB1 a young secondary with potential. Jacksonville went about the off-season correctly, they spent money, hired a good coach, and will look to make progress in 2022. They won’t be a playoff contender but we may see some decent seasons out of some of their young talent.

Tennessee Titans

HC: Mike Vrabel (5th year, Career/Team record: 41-24) – AGE: 47

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#17	Ryan Tannehill	Texas A&M 11th year, Age: 34	21 TDs, 14 INTs, 3,734 yds, 55.9 QBR 270 rush yds, 7 TDs
HB	#22	Derrick Henry	Alabama 7th year, Age: 28	219 carries, 937 yds, 10 TDs 18 receptions, 154 yds
WR	#2	Robert Woods	USC 10th year, Age: 30	45 receptions, 556 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#16	Treylon Burks (R)	Arkansas Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 18th overall by TEN
WR	#15	Nick Westbrook-Ikhine	Indiana 3rd year, Age: 25	38 receptions, 476 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#81	Austin Hooper	Stanford 7th year, Age: 27	38 receptions, 345 yds, 3 TDs
G	#64	Nate Davis	Charlotte 4th year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 69.1
G	#65	Dennis Daley	South Carolina 4th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: N/A
C	#60	Ben Jones	Georgia 11th year, Age: 33	PFF Grade: 77.8
T	#77	Taylor Lewan	Michigan 9th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 71.4
T	#73	Jamarco Jones	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: N/A

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#96	Denico Autry	Mississippi State 9th year, Age: 32	9 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 6 PD
DE	#95	DeMarcus Walker	Florida State 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
NT	#98	Jeffery Simmons	Mississippi State 4th year, Age: 25	8.5 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 6 PD
ILB	#41	Zach Cunningham	Vanderbilt 6th year, Age: 27	93 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD
ILB	#51	David Long Jr.	West Virginia 4th year, Age: 25	75 Tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PD
OLB	#48	Bud Dupree	Kentucky 8th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 17 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
OLB	#92	Ola Adeniyi	Toledo 5th year, Age: 24	2.5 Sacks, 21 Tackles, 1 PD
CB	#26	Kristian Fulton	LSU 3rd year, Age: 24	40 Tackles, 2 INTs, 14 PD
CB	#3	Caleb Farley	Virginia Tech 2nd year, Age: 23	3 GP, 4 Tackles, 1 PD
S	#31	Kevin Byard	Middle Tennessee 7th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 88 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD, 2 FF 1 FR, 13 PD
S	#37	Amani Hooker	Iowa 4th year, Age: 24	62 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 4 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#14	Randy Bullock	Texas A&M 11th year, Age: 32	26/31 FG — 1/1 50+, 42/45 XP
P	#4	Ryan Stonehouse (R)	Colorado State Rookie, Age: 23	UNDRAFTED in 2022
KR	#40	Dontrell Hilliard	Tulane 5th year, Age: 27	8 attempts, 177 yds
PR	#18	Kyle Phillips (R)	UCLA Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 163rd overall by TEN

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Malik Willis – #7 (Liberty, Rookie, Age: 23)
WR: Josh Gordon – #19 (Utah, 6th year, Age: 31)
TE: Geoff Swaim – #87 (Texas, 8th year, Age: 28)
DT: Naquan Jones – #90 (Michigan State, 2nd year, Age: 24)
LB: Harold Landry III* – #58 (Boston College, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Lonnie Johnson – #39 (Kentucky, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Elijah Molden – #24 (Washington, 2nd year, Age: 23)
S: A.J. Moore – #33 (Ole Miss, 5th year, Age: 26)

*Harold Landry has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 9-8, 2nd in AFC South
MVP: HB Derrick Henry
Breakout Player: CB Caleb Farley
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Pass rush, defensive line, secondary, run game
Weaknesses: Questionable QB, WR core, beaten up offensive line

Tennessee just hasn’t seemed to be able to get over the hump, as they have been super competitive throughout the Mike Vrabel era but have nothing past an AFC Championship loss to show for it. Ryan Tannehill is back under center after an up and down season and young prospect Malik Willis will remain on the bench for now but could be the heir. Derrick Henry is back and if fully healthy is the best RB in the league. The receiving core isn’t great, headlined by Robert Woods coming off of an injury and rookie Treylon Burks.

Defense was truly their bread and butter last season though, but they took a huge blow as leading sacker Harold Landry tore his ACL and will miss the season. However, Simmons, Autry, and Dupree should all be able to put plenty of pressure on opposing QB’s. Kevin Byard headlines the secondary as one of the most productive safeties in the league. Kristian Fulton and Caleb Farley are two highly regarded young talents who will look to come into their own in 2022. The Titans will be good and most likely a playoff team, but with the way Indy re-shaped this offseason, I don’t see them winning the division. My biggest concern centers around Tannehill’s effectiveness with a mediocre receiving core.

Denver Broncos

HC: Nathaniel Hackett (1st year) – AGE: 42

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#3	Russell Wilson	Wisconsin 11th year, Age: 33	25 TDs, 6 INTs, 3,113 yds, 54.7 QBR 183 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#33	Javonte Williams	North Carolina 2nd year, Age: 22	203 carries, 903 yds, 2 TDs 43 receptions, 316 yds, 3 TDs
HB	#25	Melvin Gordon III	Wisconsin 8th year, Age: 29	203 carries, 918 yds, 8 TDs 28 receptions, 213 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#10	Jerry Jeudy	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	38 receptions, 467 yds
WR	#14	Courtland Sutton	SMU 5th year, Age: 26	58 receptions, 776 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#85	Albert Okwuegbunam	Missouri 3rd year, Age: 24	33 receptions, 330 yds, 2 TDs
G	#57	Billy Turner	North Dakota State 9th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 66.2
G	#77	Quinn Meinerz	Wisconsin-Whitewater 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 67.4
C	#79	Lloyd Cushenberry III	LSU 3rd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 64.0
T	#72	Garett Boles	Utah 6th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 76.6
T	#66	Dalton Risner	Kansas State 4th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 68.4

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#93	Dre’Mont Jones	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 25	5.5 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 PD
DE	#97	D.J. Jones	Ole Miss 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 56 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD
DT	#98	Mike Purcell	Wyoming 7th year, Age: 31	33 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
DT	#99	DeShawn Williams	Clemson 4th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 39 Tackles, 2 PD
MLB	#47	Josey Jewell	Iowa 5th year, Age: 27	2 GP, 8 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD
OLB	#55	Bradley Chubb	NC State 5th year, Age: 26	7 GP, 21 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
OLB	#5	Randy Gregory	Nebraska 5th year, Age: 29	6 Sacks, 19 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF, 1 FR 1 PD
CB	#2	Pat Surtain II	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 22	58 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 14 PD
CB	#23	Ronald Darby	Florida State 8th year, Age: 28	53 Tackles, 6 PD
S	#31	Justin Simmons	Boston College 7th year, Age: 28	1.5 Sacks, 80 Tackles, 5 INTs, 12 PD
S	#22	Kareem Jackson	Alabama 13th year, Age: 34	1 Sack, 88 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#8	Brandon McManus	Temple 9th year, Age: 31	26/31 FG — 5/9 50+, 33/34 XP
P	#17	Corliss Waitman	Mississippi State 2nd year, Age: 27	7 punts, 365 yds, 1 <20
KR	#12	Montrell Washington (R)	Samford Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 162nd overall by DEN
PR	#12	Montrell Washington (R)	Samford Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 162nd overall by DEN

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

WR: Tim Patrick* – #81 (Utah, 5th year, Age: 28)
TE: Greg Dulcich** – #80 (UCLA, Rookie, Age: 22)
DT: Jonathan Harris – #92 (Lindenwood, 2nd year, Age: 26)
LB: Nick Bonitto – #42 (Oklahoma, Rookie, Age: 22)
LB: Alex Singleton – #49 (Montana State, 4th year, Age: 28)
CB: K’Waun Williams – #21 (Pittsburgh, 8th year, Age: 31)
S: Caden Sterns – #30 (Texas, 2nd year, Age: 22)

*Tim Patrick has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season
**Greg Dulcich has a hamstring injury and will miss the first four weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 9-8, 3rd in AFC West
MVP: S Justin Simmons
Breakout Player: WR K.J. Hamler
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: New QB, offensive line, secondary, run game
Weaknesses: Defensive line, WR core, LB health

Now for the toughest division in football, leading it off we have the Broncos who made some big time improvements this offseason. The big blockbuster move was bringing in future Hall-of-Fame QB Russell Wilson to lead the charge. Javonte Williams broke out big time in his rookie year and will share the backfield with veteran Melvin Gordon. The WR core took a big hit when Tim Patrick tore his ACL in camp, but will still be headlined by Sutton and Jeudy. The offensive line looks solid, with a few veterans and a couple of young talents protecting Russ.

The defense looks to be as equally productive as the offense, and after trading franchise cornerstone Von Miller last season, they’ll look for a new pass rusher to rely on. Bradley Chubb looks like he’s finally healthy and ready to make an impact, while Randy Gregory was added after a solid year in Dallas. The secondary is the main group on that side, with star safety Justin Simmons as the focal point and breakout CB Pat Surtain. I think Denver will be good an certainly compete for a Wild Card, but the narrative that they are in the same class as Kansas City and Los Angeles is just not accurate. Too many question marks still surround the team, although I do think they’ll sneak into the playoffs in that 7 spot.

Kansas City Chiefs

HC: Andy Reid (10th year in KC, Career record: 233-135-1, Team record: 103-42) – AGE: 64

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#15	Patrick Mahomes	Texas Tech 6th year, Age: 26	37 TDs, 13 INTs, 4,839 yds, 62.2 QBR 381 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#25	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	LSU 3rd year, Age: 23	119 carries, 517 yds, 4 TDs 19 receptions, 129 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#9	JuJu Smith-Schuster	USC 6th year, Age: 25	5 GP, 15 receptions, 129 yds 3 carries, 9 yds, 1 TD
WR	#11	Marquez Valdes-Scantling	South Florida 5th year, Age: 27	26 receptions, 430 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#17	Mecole Hardman	Georgia 4th year, Age: 24	59 receptions, 693 yds, 2 TDs 8 carries, 46 yds
TE	#87	Travis Kelce	Cincinnati 10th year, Age: 32	92 receptions, 1,125 yds, 9 TDs 2 carries, 3 yds, 1 TD
G	#62	Joe Thuney	NC State 7th year, Age: 29	PFF Grade: 80.6
G	#65	Trey Smith	Tennessee 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 72.1
C	#52	Creed Humphrey	Oklahoma 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 91.4
T	#57	Orlando Brown Jr.	Oklahoma 5th year, Age: 26	PFF Grade: 75.1
T	#67	Lucas Niang*	TCU 2nd year, Age: 24	PFF Grade: 64.6

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#55	Frank Clark	Michigan 8th year, Age: 29	4.5 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 2 FF
DE	#56	George Karlaftis (R)	Purdue Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 30th overall by KC
DT	#95	Chris Jones	Mississippi State 7th year, Age: 28	9 Sacks, 27 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 5 PD
DT	#91	Derrick Nnadi	Florida State 5th year, Age: 26	3 Sacks, 38 Tackles
MLB	#50	Willie Gay	Mississippi State 3rd year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PD
OLB	#32	Nick Bolton	Missouri 2nd year, Age: 22	112 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD
OLB	#54	Leo Chenal (R)	Wisconsin Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 103rd overall by KC
CB	#38	L’Jarius Sneed	Louisiana Tech 3rd year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 76 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 8 PD
CB	#21	Trent McDuffie (R)	Washington Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 21st overall by KC
S	#20	Justin Reid	Stanford 5th year, Age: 25	66 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 4 PD
S	#22	Juan Thornhill	Virginia 4th year, Age: 26	64 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#7	Harrison Butker	Georgia Tech 6th year, Age: 27	25/28 FG — 7/9 50+, 47/49 XP
P	#5	Tommy Townsend	Florida 3rd year, Age: 25	37 punts, 1,746 yds, 20 <20
KR	#10	Isiah Pacheco (R)	Rutgers Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 251st overall by KC
PR	#17	Mecole Hardman	Georgia 4th year, Age: 24	13 attempts, 157 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Chad Henne – #4 (Michigan, 15th year, Age: 37)
HB: Ronald Jones II – #2 (USC, 5th year, Age: 25)
HB: Jerick McKinnon – #1 (Georgia Southern, 9th year, Age: 30)
WR: Skyy Moore – #24 (Western Michigan, Rookie, Age: 21)
DE: Carlos Dunlap – #8 (Florida, 13th year, Age: 33)
DE: Mike Danna – #51 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DT: Tershawn Wharton – #98 (Missouri S&T, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Rashad Fenton – #27 (South Carolina, 4th year, Age: 25)
S: Deon Bush – #26 (Miami, 7th year, Age: 29)

*Lucas Niang continues to rehab a torn patellar tendon and may miss several weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 12-5, 1st in AFC West
MVP: QB Patrick Mahomes
Breakout Player: DE George Karlaftis
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Star QB, offensive line, WR depth, pass rush
Weaknesses: Secondary, LB depth

It was a disappointing end to a very strange 2021 season for Kansas City, as a second half downfall cost them a third straight trip to the Super Bowl. And to top that off, Tyreek Hill was traded to Miami in a shocking move after a contract dispute that was almost inevitable to deal with on Kansas City’s end. But similar to what they did with the offensive line last year, they re-tooled from the ground up. They added veteran WR’s JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, while drafting speedy rookie Skyy Moore. Mecole Hardman remains in the WR core and this depth is looking better than any WR room they had with Tyreek. And of course, having Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and a top 5 offensive line in football will do it justice.

On defense, they saw a couple of key pieces in the secondary walk with both Tyrann Mathieu and Charvarious Ward leaving in free agency. Justin Reid was added and rookie first rounder Trent McDuffie will take Ward’s spot as the the starting CB. Frank Clark returned on a team friendly deal, and Chris Jones is back to wreak havoc in the pass rush. In what many believe to have been a steal, the Chiefs also landed Purdue EDGE George Karlaftis in the late 1st round. With the way the AFC West looks and how stacked all four teams are, many people have already begun to write off KC on winning their seventh straight division title. I think they’ll remain on top, and even without the star power Hill gave them, their depth is something we haven’t seen in KC in a long time.

Las Vegas Raiders

HC: Josh McDaniels (1st year in LV, Career record: 11-17) – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#4	Derek Carr	Fresno State 9th year, Age: 31	23 TDs, 14 INTs, 4,804 yds, 52.4 QBR 108 rush yds
HB	#28	Josh Jacobs	Alabama 4th year, Age: 24	217 carries, 872 yds, 9 TDs 54 receptions, 348 yds
WR	#17	Davante Adams	Fresno State 9th year, Age: 29	123 receptions, 1,553 yds, 11 TDs
WR	#13	Hunter Renfrow	Clemson 4th year, Age: 26	103 receptions, 1,038 yds, 9 TDs
WR	#10	Mack Hollins	North Carolina 6th year, Age: 28	14 receptions, 223 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#83	Darren Waller	Georgia Tech 6th year, Age: 29	55 receptions, 665 yds, 2 TDs
G	#76	John Simpson	Clemson 3rd year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 52.6
G	#66	Dylan Parham (R)	Memphis Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 90th overall by LV
C	#68	Andre James	UCLA 4th year, Age: 25	PFF Grade: 64.2
T	#74	Kolton Miller	UCLA 5th year, Age: 27	PFF Grade: 84.2
T	#77	Thayer Munford Jr.	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 238th overall by LV

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#98	Maxx Crosby	Eastern Michigan 4th year, Age: 25	8 Sacks, 56 Tackles, 7 PD
DE	#55	Chandler Jones	Syracuse 11th year, Age: 32	10.5 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 6 FF, 1 FR, 4 PD
DT	#91	Bilal Nichols	Delaware 5th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 2 FR, 1 PD
DT	#90	Johnathan Hankins	Ohio State 10th year, Age: 30	38 Tackles, 1 PD
MLB	#52	Denzel Perryman	Miami 8th year, Age: 29	154 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR, 3 PD
OLB	#50	Jayon Brown	UCLA 6th year, Age: 27	55 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD
OLB	#5	Divine Deablo	Virginia Tech 2nd year, Age: 24	45 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
CB	#29	Anthony Averett	Alabama 5th year, Age: 27	54 Tackles, 3 INTs, 11 PD
CB	#39	Nate Hobbs	Illinois 2nd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 74 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 3 PD
S	#24	Johnathan Abram	Mississippi State 4th year, Age: 25	116 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 4 PD
S	#30	Duron Harman	Rutgers 10th year, Age: 31	67 Tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#2	Daniel Carlson	Auburn 5th year, Age: 27	40/43 FG — 6/7 50+, 30/33 XP
P	#6	A.J. Cole	NC State 4th year, Age: 26	64 punts, 3,202 yds, 28 <20
KR	#22	Ameer Abdullah	Nebraska 8th year, Age: 29	29 attempts, 646 yds
PR	#13	Hunter Renfrow	Clemson 4th year, Age: 26	31 attempts, 303 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

HB: Brandon Bolden – #34 (Ole Miss, 10th year, Age: 32)
TE: Foster Moreau – #87 (LSU, 4th year, Age: 25)
DE: Clelin Ferrell – #99 (Clemson, 4th year, Age: 25)
LB: Micah Kiser* – #43 (Virginia, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Rock Ya-Sin – #26 (Temple, 4th year, Age: 26)
S: Tre’von Moehrig – #25 (TCU, 2nd year, Age: 23)

*Micah Kiser has a knee injury and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 8-9, 4th in AFC West
MVP: WR Davante Adams
Breakout Player: LB Divine Deablo
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Receiving options, pass rush, solid QB
Weaknesses: Offensive line, secondary

Probably the lesser of the four powerhouses in the West, Las Vegas comes into the new season hungry for a winning season. With the obvious off field distractions they had last year, it was tough to be able to stay competitive. They added star WR Davante Adams from Green Bay, giving them a true WR1 and reuniting him with his college QB Derek Carr. Josh Jacobs, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller will all be great additional weapons to attack the field outside of Adams giving Carr plenty to work with. The offensive line doesn’t look amazing though, and after cutting first round bust Alex Leatherwood, the team will have two rookies starting including a 7th rounder.

On defense, Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones will headline a pretty dynamic EDGE duo that will be tough to maintain for opposing offensive lines. But besides that, I’m not very impressed with the secondary and the LB core is going to need to stay healthy with Micah Kiser already down for the year. The Raiders will be good and give many teams fits, but having to play Denver, Los Angeles, and Kansas City twice each will beat up on their record. I don’t see them being better than any of their division foes.

Los Angeles Chargers

HC: Brandon Staley (2nd year, Career/Team record: 9-8) – AGE: 39

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
QB	#10	Justin Herbert	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 24	38 TDs, 15 INTs, 5,014 yds, 65.6 QBR 302 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#30	Austin Ekeler	Western Colorado 6th year, Age: 27	206 carries, 911 yds, 12 TDs 70 receptions, 647 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#13	Keenan Allen	California 10th year, Age: 30	106 receptions, 1,138 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#81	Mike Williams	Clemson 6th year, Age: 27	76 receptions, 1,146 yds, 9 TDs
WR	#15	Jalen Guyton	North Texas 3rd year, Age: 25	31 receptions, 448 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#7	Gerald Everett	South Alabama 6th year, Age: 28	48 receptions, 478 yds, 4 TDs
G	#71	Matt Feiler	Bloomsburg 6th year, Age: 30	PFF Grade: 75.3
G	#77	Zion Johnson (R)	Boston College Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 17th overall by LAC
C	#63	Corey Linsley	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 31	PFF Grade: 86.3
T	#70	Rashawn Slater	Northwestern 2nd year, Age: 23	PFF Grade: 83.7
T	#74	Storm Norton	Toledo 3rd year, Age: 28	PFF Grade: 60.2

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
DE	#97	Joey Bosa	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	10.5 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 7 FF
DE	#52	Khalil Mack	Buffalo 9th year, Age: 31	6 Sacks, 19 Tackles, 1 FR
DT	#69	Sebastian Joseph-Day	Rutgers 5th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 38 Tackles
DT	#99	Jerry Tillery	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 25	4.5 Sacks, 51 Tackles
MLB	#49	Drue Tranquill	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 27	1.5 Sacks, 76 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD
OLB	#8	Kyle Van Noy	BYU 9th year, Age: 31	5 Sacks, 66 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 2 FF 1 FR, 10 PD
OLB	#9	Kenneth Murray Jr.	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 23	31 Tackles
CB	#27	J.C. Jackson*	Maryland 5th year, Age: 26	58 Tackles, 8 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF, 23 PD
CB	#26	Asante Samuel Jr.	Florida State 2nd year, Age: 22	43 Tackles, 2 INTs, 11 PD
S	#3	Derwin James Jr.	Florida State 5th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 118 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 FF, 5 PD
S	#24	Nasir Adderley	Delaware 4th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 99 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 5 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr./Age	2021 Season Stats
K	#6	Dustin Hopkins	Florida State 9th year, Age: 31	30/34 FG — 2/5 50+, 40/44 XP
P	#16	JK Scott	Alabama 4th year, Age: 26	1 GP, 4 punts, 159 yds
KR	#82	DeAndre Carter	Sacramento State 5th year, Age: 29	36 attempts, 904 yds
PR	#82	DeAndre Carter	Sacramento State 5th year, Age: 29	16 attempts, 134 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:

QB: Chase Daniel – #4 (Missouri, 14th year, Age: 35)
HB: Sony Michel – #20 (Georgia, 5th year, Age: 27)
WR: Joshua Palmer – #5 (Tennessee, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DE: Morgan Fox – #56 (Colorado St.-Pueblo, 6th year, Age: 27)
DT: Christian Covington – #95 (Rice, 8th year, Age: 28)
DT: Austin Johnson – #98 (Penn State, 7th year, Age: 28)
LB: Troy Reeder – #42 (Delaware, 4th year, Age: 27)
CB: Michael Davis – #43 (BYU, 6th year, Age: 27)
CB: Bryce Callahan – #23 (Rice, 8th year, Age: 30)
CB: Tevaughn Campbell** – #20 (Regina, 3rd year, Age: 29)
S: Alohi Gilman – #32 (Notre Dame, 3rd year, Age: 24)

*J.C. Jackson had ankle surgery and will miss the first 2-4 weeks
**Tevaughn Campbell has an undisclosed injury and is out for the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:

Projected Record: 11-6, 2nd in AFC West
MVP: QB Justin Herbert
Breakout Player: CB Asante Samuel Jr.
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Explosive offense, secondary, EDGE rushers
Weaknesses: LB core, TE core

Rounding things out we have the LA Chargers, who in my eyes are the biggest threat to dethrone the Chiefs for the division title. Justin Herbert has emerged as one of the best QB’s in the game, and his plethora of weapons will continue to put up monster numbers on offense. Austin Ekeler brings so much to the table and takes the load off of Allen and Williams who are one of the best WR duo’s in the league. Their offensive line is also looking sharp, with Corey Linsley at center, 2nd year star Rashawn Slater and another first round prospect in Zion Johnson.

Although the offense has big names, the defense may be even more dynamic. They traded for Khalil Mack this offseason, who hasn’t seemed to be the same since his days with the Raiders, but will still be a dominant piece with star Joey Bosa. Kyle Van Noy was added to anchor the LB core and Kenneth Murray will try to live up to his first round potential. The secondary is where the stars are, with J.C. Jackson signing a multi-year deal, Derwin James signing an extension, and a bunch of other great young pieces. Nasir Adderley has been consistently dominant and Asante Samuel Jr. had a very promising rookie year. I still think the Chiefs will win the division, but it will be an all out dog fight to the the very end between them and the Chargers. Even if they don’t win the division, LA is still a legitimate Super Bowl contender come playoff time.

NFL 2022 Season Preview

Standings

Playoff Predictions

Award Predictions

Roster Projections

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Rams

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Published by The Sports World According to Paul

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Standings

Playoff Predictions

Award Predictions

MVP: Justin Herbert, LACOFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Deebo Samuel, SFDEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Micah Parsons, DALOFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Chris Olave, NODEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Derek Stingley Jr., HOUCOMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jaire Alexander, GBCOACH OF THE YEAR: Sean McVay, LAR

Roster Projections

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Rams

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

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