NFL 2024 Season Preview

Standings

NFC EAST
x-Philadelphia Eagles 11-6
Dallas Cowboys 9-8
New York Giants 6-11
Washington Commanders 4-13

NFC NORTH
x-Green Bay Packers 11-6
y-Detroit Lions 10-7
Chicago Bears 8-9
Minnesota Vikings 5-12

NFC SOUTH
x-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-7
Atlanta Falcons 9-8
New Orleans Saints 6-11
Carolina Panthers 3-14

NFC WEST
x-San Francisco 49ers 13-4
y-Seattle Seahawks 11-6
y-Los Angeles Rams 9-8
Arizona Cardinals 4-13

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

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

AFC SOUTH
x-Houston Texans 10-7
Jacksonville Jaguars 8-9
Indianapolis Colts 8-9
Tennessee Titans 6-11

AFC WEST
x-Kansas City Chiefs 13-4
Las Vegas Raiders 9-8
Los Angeles Chargers 8-9
Denver Broncos 5-12

Playoff Predictions

1st Round	2nd Round	NFC Championship	–
3 – Green Bay Packers vs. 6 – Detroit Lions
	1 – San Francisco 49ers vs. 6 – Detroit Lions
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 5 – Seattle Seahawks		6 – Detroit Lions vs. 2 – Philadelphia Eagles	Detroit Lions NFC CHAMPIONS
	2 – Philadelphia Eagles vs. 4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2 – Philadelphia Eagles vs. 7 – Los Angeles Rams

1st Round	2nd Round	AFC Championship	–
2 – Miami Dolphins vs. 7 – Cincinnati Bengals
	1 – Kansas City Chiefs vs. 7 – Cincinnati Bengals
4 – Houston Texans vs. 5 – New York Jets		1 – Kansas City Chiefs vs. 3 – Cleveland Browns	Kansas City Chiefs AFC CHAMPIONS
	3 – Cleveland Browns vs. 5 – New York Jets
3 – Cleveland Browns vs. 6 – Baltimore Ravens

SUPER BOWL LIX:
Kansas City Chiefs over Detroit Lions

Award Predictions

MVP: C.J. Stroud, HOU
Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, SF
Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt, PIT
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams, CHI
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jared Verse, LAR
Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan, SF

Roster Projections

NFC

Dallas Cowboys

HC: Mike McCarthy
5th year in Dallas
Career record: 167-102-2, Dallas record: 42-25, Career Playoff record: 11-11 – AGE: 60

OC: Brian Schottenheimer
2nd year as Dallas OC, 14th year as an OC – AGE: 51
DC: Mike Zimmer
1st year as Dallas DC, 14th year as a DC, 8 years as MIN HC – AGE: 68

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#4	Dak Prescott	Mississippi State 9th year, Age: 30	36 TDs, 9 INTs, 4,516 yds, 72.7 QBR 242 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#15	Ezekiel Elliott	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 29	184 carries, 642 yds, 3 TDs 51 receptions, 313 yds, 2 TDs – (NE)
WR	#88	CeeDee Lamb	Oklahoma 5th year, Age: 25	135 receptions, 1,749 yds, 12 TDs 14 carries, 113 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#3	Brandin Cooks	Oregon State 11th year, Age: 30	54 receptions, 657 yds, 8 TDs 5 carries, 35 yds
WR	#1	Jalen Tolbert	South Alabama 3rd year, Age: 25	22 receptions, 268 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#87	Jake Ferguson	Wisconsin 3rd year, Age: 25	71 receptions, 761 yds, 5 TDs
G	#70	Zack Martin	Notre Dame 11th year, Age: 33
G	#60	Tyler Guyton (R)	Oklahoma Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 29th overall by DAL
C	#67	Brock Hoffman	Virginia Tech 2nd year, Age: 25
T	#78	Terence Steele	Texas Tech 5th year, Age: 27
T	#73	Tyler Smith	Tulsa 3rd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#90	DeMarcus Lawrence	Boise State 11th year, Age: 32	4 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 FF, 6 PD 10 TFL
DT	#97	Osa Odighizuwa	UCLA 4th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 9 TFL
DT	#58	Mazi Smith	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 13 Tackles, 3 TFL
ILB	#18	Damone Clark	LSU 3rd year, Age: 24	109 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD
ILB	#50	Eric Kendricks	UCLA 10th year, Age: 32	3.5 Sacks, 117 Tackles, 1 FF, 6 PD 7 TFL – (LAC)
OLB	#11	Micah Parsons	Penn State 4th year, Age: 25	14 Sacks, 64 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 18 TFL
CB	#7	Trevon Diggs	Alabama 5th year, Age: 25	2 GP, 4 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 3 PD
CB	#26	DaRon Bland*	Fresno State 3rd year, Age: 25	69 Tackles, 9 INTs, 5 TDs, 15 PD 3 TFL
CB	#2	Jourdan Lewis	Michigan 8th year, Age: 28	52 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF, 2 FR 5 PD, 2 TFL
S	#6	Donovan Wilson	Texas A&M 6th year, Age: 29	88 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 2 FR 3 PD, 2 TFL
S	#28	Malik Hooker	Ohio State 8th year, Age: 28	50 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#17	Brandon Aubrey	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 29	49/52 XP, 36/38 FG — 10/10 50+
P	#5	Bryan Anger	California 13th year, Age: 35	44 punts, 2,262 yds, 17 <20
KR	#9	KaVontae Turpin	TCU 3rd year, Age: 27	13 attempts, 79 yds
PR	#9	KaVontae Turpin	TCU 3rd year, Age: 27	10 attempts, 292 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Trey Lance – #19 (North Dakota State, 4th year, Age: 24)
QB: Cooper Rush – #10 (Central Michigan, 7th year, Age: 30)
HB: Rico Dowdle – #23 (South Carolina, 5th year, Age: 26)
DE: Chauncey Golston – #99 (Iowa, 4th year, Age: 26)
DE: Sam Williams** – #54 (Ole Miss, 3rd year, Age: 25)
DT: Jordan Phillips – #98 (Oklahoma, 10th year, Age: 31)
DT: Linval Joseph (East Carolina, 14th year, Age: 35)
S: Markquese Ball – #14 (Florida A&M, 3rd year, Age: 25)
S: Juanyeh Thomas – #30 (Georgia Tech, 2nd year, Age: 24)

*DaRon Bland suffered a foot fracture and will miss the first 6-8 weeks
**Sam Williams suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 9-8, 2nd in NFC East
MVP: LB Micah Parsons
Breakout Player: DT Mazi Smith
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Veteran WRs, EDGE rushers, offensive line, secondary
Weaknesses: Run game, TE room, defensive front, ILB core

The Cowboys enter the new year in a relatively tough spot. They had another great regular season which led to another big let down in the playoffs, after getting destroyed by the Jordan Love-led Packers. This resulted into them doing relatively nothing in the offseason, as Jerry Jones believes this core can truly win. The clock will be clicking on Dak and the faith they have on him to lead a contender. A new face is back in Ezekiel Elliott, who returns as the leading back after spending a year in New England sharing snaps with Rhamondre Stevenson. Zack Martin is also the only offensive lineman that remains from their stacked core of the 2010’s, with Terence Steele and Tyler Smith looked at to block the exterior.

The defense remains very talented in the secondary, with questionable talent on the defensive front. Trevon Diggs will return from injury, pairing alongside 2023’s INT leader DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis in the CB room. Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence remain as the stars in the pass attack, with a few young needing to hold down the fort. It shouldn’t be a highly anticipated year for Dallas, with all of the up-and-coming competition in the NFC and their inability to show the football world they can truly compete. Another down year will draw questions to the future and if Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott are parts of it. After all, Bill Belichick will be looking for a return in 2025…

New York Giants

HC: Brian Daboll
3rd year
Career/Team record: 15-18-1, Career Playoff record: 1-1 – AGE: 49

OC/Asst. HC: Mike Kafka
3rd year as NY Giants OC – AGE: 37
DC: Shane Bowen
1st year as NY Giants DC, 4th year as a DC – AGE: 37

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#8	Daniel Jones	Duke 6th year, Age: 27	6 GP, 2 TDs, 6 INTs, 909 yds, 36.3 QBR 206 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#26	Devin Singletary	Florida Atlantic 6th year, Age: 26	216 carries, 898 yds, 4 TDs 30 receptions, 193 yds – (BUF)
WR	#86	Darius Slayton	Auburn 6th year, Age: 27	50 receptions, 770 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#1	Malik Nabers (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 20	DRAFTED: 6th overall by NYG
WR	#13	Jalin Hyatt	Tennessee 2nd year, Age: 22	23 receptions, 373 yds
TE	#82	Daniel Bellinger	San Diego State 3rd year, Age: 23	25 receptions, 255 yds
G	#76	Jon Runyan	Michigan 5th year, Age: 26
G	#72	Jermaine Eluemunor	Texas A&M 8th year, Age: 29
C	#61	John Michael Schmitz	Minnesota 2nd year, Age: 25
T	#78	Andrew Thomas	Georgia 5th year, Age: 25
T	#73	Evan Neal*	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#97	Dexter Lawrence II	Clemson 6th year, Age: 26	4.5 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 2 PD, 7 TFL
DE	#93	Rakeem Nunez-Roches	Southern Miss 10th year, Age: 31	0.5 Sacks, 26 Tackles, 1 PD, 1 TFL
NT	#98	D.J. Davidson	Arizona State 3rd year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 13 Tackles, 2 PD, 1 TFL
ILB	#58	Bobby Okereke	Stanford 6th year, Age: 27	2.5 Sacks, 149 Tackles, 2 INTs, 4 FF 10 PD, 11 TFL
ILB	#41	Micah McFadden	Indiana 3rd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 101 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 FR 5 PD, 12 TFL
OLB	#0	Brian Burns	Florida State 6th year, Age: 26	8 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 16 TFL – (CAR)
OLB	#5	Kayvon Thibodeaux	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 23	11.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 12 TFL
CB	#3	Deonte Banks	Maryland 2nd year, Age: 23	64 Tackles, 2 INTs, 11 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#28	Cor’Dale Flott	LSU 3rd year, Age: 22	36 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 5 PD
S	#27	Jason Pinnock	Pittsburgh 4th year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 85 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 2 FF, 6 PD, 6 TFL
S	#24	Dane Belton	Iowa 3rd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 33 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR 2 PD, 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#9	Graham Gano	Florida State 15th year, Age: 37	8/8 XP, 11/17 FG — 3/4 50+
P	#6	Jamie Gillan	UAPB 6th year, Age: 27	95 punts, 4,372 yds, 35 <20
KR	#87	Isaiah McKenzie	Georgia 8th year, Age: 29	6 attempts, 152 yds – (IND)
PR	#80	Gunner Olszewski	Bemidja State (D-II) 6th year, Age: 27	24 attempts, 282 yds – (PIT/NYG)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Drew Lock – #2 (Missouri, 6th year, Age: 27)
QB: Tommy DeVito – #15 (Illinois, 2nd year, Age: 25)
WR: Wan’Dale Robinson – #17 (Kentucky, 3rd year, Age: 23)
LB: Azeez Ojulari – #51 (Georgia, 4th year, Age: 24)
LB: Carter Coughlin – #52 (Minnesota, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Tre Hawkins III – #37 (Old Dominion, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Nick McCloud – #44 (Notre Dame, 4th year, Age: 26)
LB/S: Isaiah Simmons – #19 (Clemson, 5th year, Age: 25)

*Evan Neal had ankle surgery and may miss the first few weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 6-11, 3rd in NFC East
MVP: DT Dexter Lawrence
Breakout Player: WR Malik Nabers
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Depth in secondary, EDGE rushers
Weaknesses: Run game, offensive line, QB situation, defensive line

The Giants saw deep regression a year after they won a playoff game in the best year of QB Daniel Jones’ career. 2023 was awful in almost every regard, and following that up was the loss of franchise face Saquon Barkley to the rival Eagles. They decided not to address the QB issue, giving Jones one more year of guaranteed money to prove his worth to the franchise or be let go. He definitely will have more weapons this year, with the 6th pick Malik Nabers joining a solid WR room with Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and former star Allen Robinson. The offensive line brings in former Packer Jon Runyan to join promising 2nd year center John Michael Schmitz, Andrew Thomas, and Evan Neal.

The defense was touched up a bit with star LB Brian Burns added and extended long-term from the Panthers. He’ll match up with Kayvon Thibodeaux who broke out in 2023 with 11.5 Sacks in his 2nd year. Dexter Lawrence is the Lamborghini in a room full of Kia’s on the defensive line. In order for New York to compete, they will need much more consistency on the offensive line, at the QB position, and the ability to get 3rd down stops on defense. Sure, that probably sounds obvious as a recipe to winning, but the Giants showed they could keep with a similar core in 2022. It’s tough to predict this team, but one thing is for sure, another loser of a year will be the end of Daniel Jones and potentially the end of the once adored Brian Daboll.

Philadelphia Eagles

HC: Nick Sirianni
4th year
Career/Team record: 34-17, Career Playoff record: 2-3 – AGE: 43

OC: Kellen Moore
1st year as Philadelphia OC, 6th year as an OC – AGE: 36
DC: Vic Fangio
1st year as Philadelphia DC, 21st year as a DC, 3 years as Denver HC – AGE: 66

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#1	Jalen Hurts	Oklahoma 5th year, Age: 25	23 TDs, 15 INTs, 3,858 yds, 60.1 QBR 605 rush yds, 15 TDs
HB	#26	Saquon Barkley	Penn State 7th year, Age: 27	247 carries, 962 yds, 6 TDs 41 receptions, 280 yds, 4 TDs – (NYG)
WR	#11	A.J. Brown	Ole Miss 6th year, Age: 27	106 receptions, 1,456 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#6	DeVonta Smith	Alabama 4th year, Age: 25	81 receptions, 1,066 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#83	Jahan Dotson	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 24	49 receptions, 518 yds, 4 TDs – (WSH)
TE	#88	Dallas Goedert	South Dakota St. 7th year, Age: 29	59 receptions, 592 yds, 3 TDs
G	#69	Landon Dickerson	Alabama 4th year, Age: 25
G	#77	Mekhi Becton	Louisville 5th year, Age: 25
C	#51	Cam Jurgens	Nebraska 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#65	Lane Johnson	Oklahoma 12th year, Age: 34
T	#68	Jordan Mailata	Australia 7th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE
DE	#19	Josh Sweat	Florida State 7th year, Age: 27	6.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 7 TFL
DE	#0	Bryce Huff	Memphis 5th year, Age: 26	10 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 1 PD, 10 TFL – (NYJ)
DT	#90	Jordan Davis	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24	2.5 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 2 TFL
DT	#98	Jalen Carter	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 23	6 Sacks, 33 Tackles, 1 TD, 2 FF 1 FR, 8 TFL
ILB	#45	Devin White	LSU 6th year, Age: 26	2.5 Sacks, 83 Tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PD 5 TFL – (TBB)
OLB	#17	Nakobe Dean	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 23	5 GP, 0.5 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 2 TFL
CB	#2	Darius Slay Jr.	Mississippi State 12th year, Age: 32	57 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 14 PD 1 TFL
CB	#24	James Bradberry IV	Samford 9th year, Age: 30	54 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 13 PD
S	#32	Reed Blankenship	Middle Tennessee 3rd year, Age: 25	113 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FR, 11 PD 2 TFL
S	#21	Sydney Brown*	Illinois 2nd year, Age: 24	45 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 FF 3 PD, 1 TFL
DB	#29	Avonte Maddox	Pittsburgh 7th year, Age: 28	4 GP, 12 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#4	Jake Elliott	Memphis 8th year, Age: 29	45/46 XP, 30/32 FG — 7/8 50+
P	#10	Braden Mann	Texas A&M 5th year, Age: 26	44 punts, 2,190 yds, 15 <20
KR	#18	Britain Covey	Utah 3rd year, Age: 27	1 attempt, 30 yds
PR	#18	Britain Covey	Utah 3rd year, Age: 27	29 attempts, 417 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Kenny Pickett – #7 (Pittsburgh, 3rd year, Age: 26)
HB: Kenneth Gainwell – #14 (Memphis, 4th year, Age: 25)
DE: Brandon Graham – #55 (Michigan, 15th year, Age: 36)
DT: Milton Williams – #93 (Louisiana Tech, 4th year, Age: 25)
DT: Marlon Tuipulotu – #95 (USC, 4th year, Age: 25)
LB: Zack Baun – #53 (Wisconsin, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: Nolan Smith Jr. – #3 (Georgia, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Cooper DeJean – #33 (Iowa, Rookie, Age: 21)
CB: Quinyon Mitchell – #30 (Toledo, Rookie, Age: 23)
S: C.J. Gardner-Johnson – #8 (Florida, 5th year, Age: 26)

*Sydney Brown continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss at least 4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 11-6, 1st in NFC East
MVP: QB Jalen Hurts
Breakout Player: LB Nolan Smith Jr.
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Run game, elusive QB, offensive line, LB room
Weaknesses: Young DB’s, EDGE rushers

The Eagles never seemed to recover from their Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in 2023, resulting in a year that saw some positives but a few let downs. Jalen Hurts had a down year and Philly was bounced in a Wild Card blowout led by Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers. Heading into 2024, Sirianni could be on the hot seat if the team doesn’t make it back to the NFC Championship. Former foe and long-time Giant Saquon Barkley was their big addition on offense, bringing explosiveness to the run game. Future HOF Jason Kelce called it a career and Cam Jurgens will be looked at to become the new middle man on the O-Line.

The offense still has plenty of star power, but it’s the defense that could make or break the year. Haason Reddick left and is currently in hot water with the Jets, leading way for former Bulldogs Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter to anchor the interior. Veteran ILB Devin White was added to lead an LB room that is also quite depleted. The secondary still remains solid, with Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox, and more headlining it. The NFC East should be a fairly weak division and the Eagles will capitalize on that. They are truly the only definite playoff team in there, making them a lock to win the division and host at least one playoff game in January.

Washington Commanders

HC: Dan Quinn
1st year in Washington
Career record: 43-42, Career Playoff record: 3-2 – AGE: 54

OC: Kliff Kingsbury
1st year as Washington OC, 4 years as Arizona HC – AGE: 45
DC: Joe Whitt Jr.
1st year as Washington DC – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#5	Jayden Daniels (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 2nd overall by WSH
HB	#30	Austin Ekeler	Western Colorado (D-II) 8th year, Age: 29	179 carries, 628 yds, 5 TDs 51 receptions, 436 yds, 1 TD – (LAC)
HB	#8	Brian Robinson Jr.	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 25	178 carries, 733 yds, 5 TDs 36 receptions, 368 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#17	Terry McLaurin	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 28	79 receptions, 1,002 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#14	Olamide Zaccheaus	Virginia 6th year, Age: 27	10 receptions, 164 yds, 2 TDs – (PHI)
TE	#86	Zach Ertz	Stanford 12th year, Age: 33	27 receptions, 187 yds, 1 TD – (ARI)
G	#76	Sam Cosmi	Texas 4th year, Age: 25
G	#67	Nick Allegretti	Illinois 6th year, Age: 28
C	#63	Tyler Biadasz	Wisconsin 5th year, Age: 26
T	#71	Andrew Wylie	Eastern Michigan 7th year, Age: 28
T	#74	Brandon Coleman (R)	TCU Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 67th overall by WSH

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#92	Dorance Armstrong	Kansas 7th year, Age: 27	7.5 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 1 PD, 7 TFL – (DAL)
DE	#6	Dante Fowler Jr.	Florida 10th year, Age: 29	4 Sacks, 13 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 5 TFL – (DAL)
DT	#94	Daron Payne	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27	4 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR 4 PD, 13 TFL
DT	#93	Jonathan Allen	Alabama 8th year, Age: 29	5.5 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 1 PD, 10 TFL
MLB	#54	Bobby Wagner	Utah State 13th year, Age: 34	3.5 Sacks, 183 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD 11 TFL – (SEA)
OLB	#52	Jamin Davis	Kentucky 4th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 89 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 4 PD, 8 TFL
OLB	#4	Frankie Luvu	Washington State 7th year, Age: 27	5.5 Sacks, 125 Tackles, 2 FF, 5 PD 10 TFL – (CAR)
CB	#24	Michael Davis	BYU 8th year, Age: 29	62 Tackles, 1 INT, 10 PD, 3 TFL – (LAC)
CB	#25	Benjamin St-Juste	Minnesota 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 67 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 17 PD, 1 TFL
S	#35	Percy Butler	Louisiana 3rd year, Age: 24	64 Tackles, 1 FF, 8 PD, 2 TFL
S	#22	Darrick Forrest	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 25	5 GP, 29 Tackles

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#3	Cade York	LSU 2nd year, Age: 23	DNP – Injured – CLE
P	#5	Tress Way	Oklahoma 11th year, Age: 34	73 punts, 3,361 yds, 30 <20
KR	#15	Dax Milne	BYU 4th year, Age: 25	DNP – Groin injury
PR	#80	Jamison Crowder	Duke 10th year, Age: 31	35 attempts, 278 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Marcus Mariota – #0 (Oregon, 10th year, Age: 30)
WR: Olamide Zaccheaus – #14 (Virginia, 6th year, Age: 27)
WR: Luke McCaffrey – #12 (Rice, Rookie, Age: 23)
TE: Ben Sinnott – #82 (Kansas State, Rookie, Age: 22)
TE: John Bates – #87 (Boise State, 4th year, Age: 26)
DE: Clelin Ferrell – #99 (Clemson, 6th year, Age: 27)
DE: K.J. Henry – #55 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 25)
DT: John Ridgeway III – #91 (Arkansas, 3rd year, Age: 25)
DT: Jer’Zhan Newton – #95 (Illinois, Rookie, Age: 21)
LB: Mykal Walker – #32 (Fresno State, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Emmanuel Forbes Jr. – #13 (Mississippi State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Mike Sainristil – #2 (Michigan, Rookie, Age: 23)
S: Jeremy Chinn – #11 (Southern Illinois, 5th year, Age: 26)
S: Quan Martin – #20 (Illinois, 2nd year, Age: 24)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 4-13, 4th in NFC East
MVP: WR Terry McLaurin
Breakout Player: QB Jayden Daniels
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: D+
Strengths: LB core, run game, defensive line
Weaknesses: Secondary, young QB, offensive line, pass rush

The Commanders didn’t bode well to the Sam Howell experiment in 2023, deciding to let him loose and HC Ron Rivera after the season came to an end. With the 2nd overall pick they took Jayden Daniels, a potentially explosive and elusive QB out of LSU that they hope will turn around their misfortunes on offense. He will have some solid weapons right off the bat, with a WR room of Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson and veteran TE Zach Ertz. Multi-time pro bowler Austin Ekeler was also added to give him plenty of inflated passing yards on dump offs. The offensive line still remains a work in progress, with Tyler Biadasz as the new anchor at center.

The defense was abysmal in 2023, and looks relatively similar this year. A few veterans were added though, including future Hall-of-Fame LB Bobby Wagner, as well as EDGE rushers Dorance Armstrong and Frankie Luvu. The secondary has plenty of options, with not a single established NFL caliber starter in the mix, outside of newly signed CB Michael Davis. It will be a fight uphill for the Commanders and new HC Dan Quinn as they will look to succeed despite some growing pains. They still should be at the bottom of the league though.

Chicago Bears

HC: Matt Eberflus
3rd year
Career/Team record: 10-24 – AGE: 54

OC: Shane Waldron
1st year as Chicago OC, 4th year as an OC – AGE: 45
DC: Eric Washington
1st year as Chicago DC, 3rd year as a DC – AGE: 55

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#18	Caleb Williams (R)	USC Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 1st overall by CHI
HB	#4	D’Andre Swift	Georgia 5th year, Age: 25	229 carries, 1,049 yds, 5 TDs 39 receptions, 214 yds, 1 TD – (PHI)
WR	#2	D.J. Moore	Maryland 7th year, Age: 27	96 receptions, 1,364 yds, 8 TDs 4 carries, 21 yds, 1 TD
WR	#13	Keenan Allen	California 12th year, Age: 32	108 receptions, 1,243 yds, 7 TDs – (LAC)
WR	#15	Rome Odunze (R)	Washington Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 9th overall by CHI
TE	#85	Cole Kmet	Notre Dame 5th year, Age: 25	73 receptions, 719 yds, 6 TDs
G	#76	Teven Jenkins	Oklahoma State 4th year, Age: 26
G	#64	Nate Davis	Charlotte 6th year, Age: 27
C	#71	Ryan Bates	Penn State 6th year, Age: 27
T	#70	Braxton Jones	Southern Utah 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#58	Darnell Wright	Tennessee 2nd year, Age: 22

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#98	Montez Sweat	Mississippi State 6th year, Age: 27	12.5 Sacks, 57 Tackles, 3 FF, 4 PD 14 TFL – (WSH/CHI)
DE	#95	DeMarcus Walker	Florida State 8th year, Age: 29	3.5 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 9 TFL
DT	#97	Andrew Billings	Baylor 8th year, Age: 29	27 Tackles, 3 TFL
DT	#96	Zacch Pickens	South Carolina 2nd year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 20 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 1 TFL
MLB	#49	Tremaine Edmunds	Virginia Tech 7th year, Age: 26	113 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 1 FR, 7 PD, 5 TFL
OLB	#53	T.J. Edwards	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 27	2.5 Sacks, 155 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF 2 FR, 7 PD, 8 TFL
OLB	#52	Darrell Taylor	Tennessee 4th year, Age: 27	5.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 PD, 7 TFL – (SEA)
CB	#29	Tyrique Stevenson	Miami 2nd year, Age: 24	86 Tackles, 4 INTs, 2 FF, 16 PD 1 TFL
CB	#1	Jaylon Johnson	Utah 5th year, Age: 25	36 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 10 PD, 1 TFL
S	#9	Jaquan Brisker	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 105 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 1 FR, 9 PD, 3 TFL
S	#31	Kevin Byard III	Middle Tennessee 9th year, Age: 30	122 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 3 PD – (TEN/PHI)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#8	Cairo Santos	Tulane 11th year, Age: 32	31/33 XP, 35/38 FG — 7/8 50+
P	#19	Tory Taylor (R)	Iowa Rookie, Age: 27	DRAFTED: 122nd overall by CHI
KR	#12	Velus Jones Jr.	Tennessee 3rd year, Age: 27	16 attempts, 435 yds
PR	#30	DeAndre Carter	Sacramento State 7th year, Age: 31	24 attempts, 232 yds – (LVR)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tyson Bagent – #17 (Shepherd (D-II), 2nd year, Age: 24)
HB: Khalil Herbert – #24 (Virginia Tech, 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Roschon Johnson – #23 (Texas, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Gerald Everett – #14 (South Alabama, 8th year, Age: 30)
TE: Marcedes Lewis – #84 (UCLA, 19th year, Age: 40)
DT: Gervon Dexter Sr. – #99 (Florida, 2nd year, Age: 22)
LB: Jack Sanborn – #57 (Wisconsin, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Kyler Gordon – #6 (Washington, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Jaylon Jones – #21 (Ole Miss, 3rd year, Age: 26)
S: Jonathan Owens – #36 (Missouri Western, 6th year, Age: 29)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 8-9, 3rd in NFC North
MVP: WR D.J. Moore
Breakout Player: QB Caleb Williams
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Young QB, WR core, secondary, LB core
Weaknesses: Offensive line, defensive line

Let’s face it, in the Bears’ long and streaky history, they have never had a star QB. After landing the first overall pick in their 2023 trade with Carolina, Chicago hopes to have flipped that script with Caleb Williams. Williams is an elite passer with the potential to be a Mahomes-like talent (I’ve never heard that one before). The Bears have took to this offseason to fill out their offense well, giving Caleb plenty of targets. D’Andre Swift was signed, Keenan Allen was traded for, and Rome Adunze was drafted with their other top 10 pick. Cole Kmet also has developed to become one of the league’s better young TE’s. The offensive line on the other hand is going to be interesting, as one of the league’s worst last year and part of the problem they had such bad QB performances in 2023.

The defense had a few bright spots in 2023 and showed that they can be coming along quite nicely. Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Jaquan Brisker had star level seasons in the backfield. Montez Sweat was traded for halfway through the season to be the team’s star EDGE rusher, and veteran safety Kevin Byard will join Brisker as one of the best safety duos in the league. The Bears’ 2024 fate will rely on a few things: the performance of their rookie QB, how well their offensive line holds up, and the durability of their defensive line. If all goes well they can easily be in the mix to win the NFC North. I give them a floor of 6 wins and a ceiling of 11, a pretty hefty difference.

Detroit Lions

HC: Dan Campbell
4th year in Detroit
Career record: 29-33-1, Team record: 24-26-1, Career Playoff record: 2-1 – AGE: 48

OC: Ben Johnson
3rd year as Detroit OC – AGE: 38
DC: Aaron Glenn
4th year as Detroit DC – AGE: 52

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#16	Jared Goff	California 9th year, Age: 29	30 TDs, 12 INTs, 4,575 yds, 60.3 QBR 21 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#5	David Montgomery	Iowa State 6th year, Age: 27	219 carries, 1,015 yds, 13 TDs 16 receptions, 117 yds
HB	#26	Jahmyr Gibbs	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 22	182 carries, 945 yds, 10 TDs 52 receptions, 316 yds, 1 TD
WR	#14	Amon-Ra St. Brown	USC 4th year, Age: 24	119 receptions, 1,515 yds, 10 TDs
WR	#9	Jameson Williams	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	24 receptions, 354 yds, 2 TDs 3 carries, 29 yds, 1 TD
TE	#87	Sam LaPorta	Iowa 2nd year, Age: 23	86 receptions, 889 yds, 10 TDs
G	#60	Graham Glasgow	Michigan 9th year, Age: 31
G	#71	Kevin Zeitler	Wisconsin 13th year, Age: 34
C	#77	Frank Ragnow	Arkansas 7th year, Age: 28
T	#58	Penei Sewell	Oregon 4th year, Age: 23
T	#68	Taylor Decker	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 29

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#97	Aidan Hutchinson	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 23	11.5 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF 2 FR, 7 PD, 14 TFL
DE	#92	Marcus Davenport	UTSA 7th year, Age: 27	4 GP, 2 Sacks, 7 Tackles, 2 TFL – (MIN)
DT	#54	Alim McNeill	NC State 4th year, Age: 24	5 Sacks, 32 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 6 TFL
DT	#98	D.J. Reader	Clemson 9th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 34 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD 2 TFL – (CIN)
MLB	#34	Alex Anzalone	Florida 8th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 129 Tackles, 1 FR, 6 PD 7 TFL
OLB	#55	Derrick Barnes	Purdue 4th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 81 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 TFL
OLB	#46	Jack Campbell	Iowa 2nd year, Age: 23	2 Sacks, 95 Tackles, 1 PD, 5 TFL
CB	#23	Carlton Davis III	Auburn 7th year, Age: 27	52 Tackles, 2 INTs, 9 PD – (TBB)
CB	#0	Terrion Arnold (R)	Alabama Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 24th overall by DET
S	#31	Kerby Joseph	Illinois 3rd year, Age: 23	82 Tackles, 4 INTs, 11 PD, 1 TFL
S	#32	Brian Branch	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 22	1 Sack, 74 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD 1 FF, 13 PD, 7 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#43	Jake Bates (R)	Arkansas Rookie, Age: 25	Signed from UFL
P	#3	Jack Fox	Rice 5th year, Age: 27	57 punts, 2,646 yds, 26 <20
KR	#13	Craig Reynolds	Kutztown (D-II) 3rd year, Age: 28	5 attempts, 133 yds
PR	#11	Kalif Raymond	Holy Cross 8th year, Age: 29	29 attempts, 331 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Hendon Hooker – #2 (Tennessee, 2nd year, Age: 26)
WR: Tre’Quan Smith – #10 (UCF, 6th year, Age: 28)
DE: John Cominsky* – #79 (Charleston (WV) (D-II), 6th year, Age: 28)
DE: Josh Paschal – #93 (Kentucky, 3rd year, Age: 24)
LB: Jalen Reeves-Maybin – #42 (Tennessee, 8th year, Age: 29)
LB: Ben Niemann – #51 (Iowa, 7th year, Age: 29)
CB: Amik Robertson – #21 (Lousiana Tech, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Ennis Rakestraw Jr. – #15 (Missouri, Rookie, Age: 21)
S: Ifeatu Melifonwu – #6 (Syracuse, 4th year, Age: 25)

*John Cominsky tore his MCL and may miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 10-7, 2nd in NFC North
MVP: QB Jared Goff
Breakout Player: CB Terrion Arnold
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Run game, young secondary, EDGE rushers, offensive line
Weaknesses: LB core, WR room

The Lions are coming off their best year in franchise history in 2023, with a 12-5 record, an NFC North title, and a trip to the NFC Championship. They came just 3 points away from a Super Bowl appearance and will look to avenge their close miss in 2024. Jared Goff established himself as the reliable franchise QB that they hoped he would become. The offense remains loaded with a run game led by 2 nearly-1,000 yard rushers, a star WR in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta who bursted onto the scene in his rookie year as one of the best TE’s in the league. Penei Sewell has developed into one of the best tackles in the league, with veterans Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow, and more surrounding him on a stacked offensive line.

If there’s anything that may be lacking for this team, it surely isn’t the offense but rather the defense. Regardless, they still look solid on this end of the field, with a defensive line led by Aidan Hutchinson who looks to become a DPOY candidate in his third season. Veterans D.J. Reader and Marcus Davenport were added to beef up the defensive line alongside homegrown talents Hutchinson and Alim McNeill. The secondary is headlined by Brian Branch who was a star in his rookie season, with long-time Buccaneer Carlton Davis added as CB1. They also used their 1st round pick on another DB, Terrion Arnold from Alabama. The Lions are easily the favorites to win the NFC North again, but they will have some tough competition with the way the Packers performed in the second half of last year. It’ll be a back-and-forth dogfight between the two for the division crown, making way for some heated matchups twice this year.

Green Bay Packers

HC: Matt LeFleur
6th year
Career/Team record: 56-27, Career Playoff record: 3-4 – AGE: 45

OC: Adam Stenavich
3rd year as Green Bay OC – AGE: 41
DC: Jeff Hafley
1st year as Green Bay DC – AGE: 45

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#10	Jordan Love	Utah State 5th year, Age: 25	32 TDs, 11 INTs, 4,159 yds, 62.1 QBR 247 rush yds, 4 TDs
HB	#8	Josh Jacobs	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	233 carries, 805 yds, 6 TDs 37 receptions, 296 yds – (LVR)
WR	#9	Christian Watson	North Dakota St. 3rd year, Age: 25	28 receptions, 422 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#11	Jayden Reed	Michigan State 2nd year, Age: 24	64 receptions, 793 yds, 8 TDs 11 carries, 119 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#87	Romeo Doubs	Nevada 3rd year, Age: 24	59 receptions, 674 yds, 8 TDs
TE	#88	Luke Musgrave	Oregon State 2nd year, Age: 23	34 receptions, 352 yds, 1 TD
G	#74	Elgton Jenkins	Mississippi State 6th year, Age: 28
G	#77	Jordan Morgan (R)	Arizona Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 25th overall by GB
C	#71	Josh Myers	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 26
T	#63	Rasheed Walker	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#50	Zach Tom	Wake Forest 3rd year, Age: 25

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#52	Rashan Gary	Michigan 6th year, Age: 26	9 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR 2 PD, 7 TFL
DE	#91	Preston Smith	Mississippi State 10th year, Age: 31	8 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 PD 4 TFL
DT	#97	Kenny Clark	UCLA 9th year, Age: 28	7.5 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 2 FF, 3 PD 9 TFL
DT	#93	T.J. Slaton	Florida 4th year, Age: 26	50 Tackles, 2 PD, 2 TFL
MLB	#7	Quay Walker	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24	2.5 Sacks, 118 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 3 PD, 7 TFL
OLB	#58	Isaiah McDuffie	Boston College 4th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 86 Tackles, 1 PD, 5 TFL
OLB	#56	Edgerrin Cooper (R)	Texas A&M Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 45th overall by GB
CB	#23	Jaire Alexander	Louisville 7th year, Age: 27	27 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#25	Keisean Nixon	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 27	0.5 Sacks, 80 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FR 6 PD, 3 TFL
S	#29	Xavier McKinney	Alabama 5th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 116 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF 2 FR, 11 PD, 2 TFL – (NYG)
S	#20	Javon Bullard (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 58th overall by GB

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#2	Greg Joseph	Florida Atlantic 5th year, Age: 30	36/38 XP, 24/30 FG — 4/7 50+ – (MIN)
P	#19	Daniel Whelan	UC-Davis 2nd year, Age: 25	57 punts, 2,634 yds, 18 <20
KR	#25	Keisean Nixon	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 27	30 attempts, 782 yds
PR	#25	Keisean Nixon	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 27	14 attempts, 95 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Malik Willis – #2 (Liberty, 3rd year, Age: 25)
HB: A.J. Dillon* – #28 (Boston College, 5th year, Age: 26)
WR: Dontayvion Wicks – #13 (Virginia, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Tucker Kraft – #85 (South Dakota St., 2nd year, Age: 23)
DE: Kinglsey Enagbare – #55 (South Carolina, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DE: Karl Brooks – #94 (Bowling Green, 2nd year, Age: 24)
DT: Devonte Wyatt – #95 (Georgia, 3rd year, Age: 26)
LB: Eric Wilson – #45 (Cincinnati, 8th year, Age: 29)
CB: Corey Ballentine – #26 (Washburn (D-II), 6th year, Age: 28)
CB: Eric Stokes – #21 (Georgia, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Carrington Valentine – #37 (Kentucky, 2nd year, Age: 22)

*A.J. Dillon has a neck injury and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 11-6, 1st in NFC North
MVP: QB Jordan Love
Breakout Player: WR Romeo Doubs
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Secondary, pass rush, run game
Weaknesses: Receiving core, offensive line

In the first year of the Jordan Love era, the Packers pulled off an improbable year by sneaking into the playoffs and even upsetting the Cowboys. It was a year that many expected to be growing pains for Green Bay, but it looks like they have found their new future QB unequivocally. They rewarded Love in a massive extension and look to 2024 as the key competition to the Lions for the division. Long-time RB Aaron Jones left for rival Minnesota, while star RB Josh Jacobs was brought in to replace him. Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs had solid years becoming a couple of Love’s favorite targets, and will become their best pass options right off the bat. The offensive line though is a bit decimated, with Elgton Jenkins as the anchor and rookie first round guard Jordan Morgan as a day 1 starter.

The defense returns long-time star pass rushers, Preston Smith, Kenny Clark, and Rashan Gary, all of whom will make up a gritty defensive line. The secondary will look at Jaire Alexander to have a bounce back year after being very disappointing in 2023. Xavier McKinney was signed to become the anchor in the DB room with a bunch of veterans surrounding him. I like the Packers’ odds in 2024 and they slot into the same category as the Lions do to me. These will easily be the two playoff teams coming out of the North, but whoever wins the division will come down to their play against each other. A category that the Packers have owned for a long time.

Minnesota Vikings

HC: Kevin O’Connell
3rd year
Career/Team record: 20-14, Career Playoff record: 0-1

OC: Wes Phillips
3rd year as Minnesota OC – AGE: 45
DC: Brian Flores
2nd year as Minnesota DC, 3 years as Miami HC – AGE: 43

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#14	Sam Darnold	USC 7th year, Age: 27	2 TDs, 1 INT, 297 yds, 49.3 QBR 15 rush yds, 1 TD – (SF)
HB	#33	Aaron Jones	UTEP 8th year, Age: 29	142 carries, 656 yds, 2 TDs 30 receptions, 233 yds, 1 TD – (GB)
WR	#18	Justin Jefferson	LSU 5th year, Age: 25	68 receptions, 1,074 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#3	Jordan Addison	USC 2nd year, Age: 22	70 receptions, 911 yds, 10 TDs
WR	#4	Brandon Powell	Florida 7th year, Age: 28	29 receptions, 324 yds, 1 TD
TE	#87	T.J. Hockenson*	Iowa 6th year, Age: 27	95 receptions, 960 yds, 5 TDs
G	#67	Ed Ingram	LSU 3rd year, Age: 25
G	#64	Blake Brandel	Oregon State 4th year, Age: 26
C	#56	Garrett Bradbury	NC State 6th year, Age: 29
T	#71	Christian Darrisaw	Virginia Tech 4th year, Age: 25
T	#75	Brian O’Neill	Pittsburgh 7th year, Age: 28

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#99	Jerry Tillery	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 TFL – (LVR)
DE	#90	Jonathan Bullard	Florida 9th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 TFL
NT	#97	Harrison Phillips	Stanford 7th year, Age: 28	3 Sacks, 92 Tackles, 2 PD, 2 TFL
ILB	#51	Blake Cashman	Minnesota 6th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 106 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 5 PD, 9 TFL – (HOU)
OLB	#58	Jonathan Greenard	Florida 5th year, Age: 27	12.5 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 15 TFL – (HOU)
OLB	#43	Andrew Van Ginkel	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 29	6 Sacks, 69 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FR, 8 PD, 8 TFL – (MIA)
CB	#7	Byron Murphy Jr.	Washington 6th year, Age: 26	57 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 13 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#23	Stephon Gilmore	South Carolina 13th year, Age: 33	68 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 13 PD – (DAL)
S	#22	Harrison Smith	Notre Dame 13th year, Age: 35	3 Sacks, 93 Tackles, 3 FF, 3 PD 2 TFL
S	#24	Camryn Bynum	California 4th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 137 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 FF 9 PD, 2 TFL
S	#44	Josh Metellus	Michigan 5th year, Age: 26	2.5 Sacks, 116 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 FF 1 FR, 5 PD, 7 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#46	Will Reichard (R)	Alabama Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 203rd overall by MIN
P	#17	Ryan Wright	Tulane 3rd year, Age: 24	59 punts, 2,886 yds, 17 <20
KR	#32	Ty Chandler	North Carolina 3rd year, Age: 26	4 attempts, 97 yds
PR	#4	Brandon Powell	Florida 7th year, Age: 28	37 attempts, 289 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: J.J. McCarthy** – #9 (Michigan, Rookie, Age: 21)
QB: Nick Mullens – #12 (Southern Miss, 6th year, Age: 29)
FB: C.J. Ham – #30 (Augustana (D-II), 8th year, Age: 31)
WR: Jalen Nailor – #83 (Michigan State, 3rd year, Age: 25)
TE: Josh Oliver – #84 (San Jose State, 6th year, Age: 27)
LB: Kamu Grugier-Hill – #54 (Eastern Illinois, 9th year, Age: 30)
LB: Ivan Pace Jr. – #0 (Cincinnati, 2nd year, Age: 23)
LB: Dallas Turner – #15 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 21)
LB: Jihad Ward – #52 (Illinois, 9th year, Age: 30)
CB: Akayleb Evans – #21 (Missouri, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Shaquil Griffin – #1 (UCF, 8th year, Age: 29)

*T.J. Hockenson continues to rehab a torn ACL and may miss the first 6+ weeks
**J.J. McCarthy has a torn meniscus and will miss the majority of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 5-12, 4th in NFC North
MVP: WR Justin Jefferson
Breakout Player: WR Jalen Nailor
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: EDGE rushers, secondary, receiving core
Weaknesses: Questionable QB’s, offensive line

Despite a rather up-and-down start to their 2023 season, the Vikings ended up losing four straight forcing them to miss the playoffs at 7-10. Injuries to both Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson were killers, but the Vikings underperformed greatly as well. Now they’re caught in a bit of a whirlwind, with Kirk Cousins opting to sign with the rival Falcons. Sam Darnold, who spent last year as Brock Purdy’s backup in San Fran, will get another crack at a starting job, hoping to make this one stick. Rookie 1st rounder J.J. McCarthy will be sidelined for the year, leaving no real backup option if the Darnold experiment goes wrong. Luckily, Justin Jefferson looks healthy and will join T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison as a surplus of targets for Sam. Aaron Jones was also signed to aid the run game, which struggled mightily in 2023 with Alexander Mattison as the lead back.

The defense should still be solid, despite losing star EDGE rusher Danielle Hunter. Jonathan Greenard was signed to take his place, and veteran LB’s Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman were also brought on board. The secondary remains stacked, with three solid safeties in Smith, Metullus, and Bynum. Shaquil Griffin will join the DB room as well, providing a CB3 behind Byron Murphy and Akayleb Evans. This could be a make or break year for Kevin O’Connell in year 3 of his HC tenure. Realistically, it’s all going to come down to the play of Darnold. He has plenty of Pro Bowl level talent around him on both sides of the ball, and if he can figure out a way to be effective, Minnesota can easily be in a fight for a Wild Card.

Atlanta Falcons

HC: Raheem Morris
1st year in Atlanta
Career record: 21-38 – AGE: 48

OC: Zac Robinson
1st year as Atlanta OC – AGE: 38
DC: Jimmy Lake
1st year as Atlanta DC – AGE: 47

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#18	Kirk Cousins	Michigan State 13th year, Age: 35	18 TDs, 5 INTs, 2,331 yds, 63.2 QBR 25 rush yds – (MIN)
HB	#7	Bijan Robinson	Texas 2nd year, Age: 22	214 carries, 976 yds, 4 TDs 58 receptions, 487 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#5	Drake London	USC 3rd year, Age: 23	69 receptions, 905 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#1	Darnell Mooney	Tulane 5th year, Age: 26	31 receptions, 414 yds, 1 TD – (CHI)
WR	#83	James Washington	Oklahoma State 6th year, Age: 28	DNP – Free Agent
TE	#8	Kyle Pitts	Florida 4th year, Age: 23	53 receptions, 667 yds, 3 TDs
G	#63	Chris Lindstrom	Boston College 6th year, Age: 27
G	#65	Matthew Bergeron	Syracuse 2nd year, Age: 24
C	#67	Drew Dalman	Stanford 4th year, Age: 25
T	#76	Kaleb McGary	Washington 5th year, Age: 29
T	#70	Jake Matthews	Texas A&M 11th year, Age: 32

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#90	David Onyemata	Manitoba (Canada) 9th year, Age: 30	4 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 2 FF, 3 PD 6 TFL
DE	#97	Grady Jarrett	Clemson 10th year, Age: 31	1.5 Sacks, 23 Tackles, 2 PD, 2 TFL
DT	#98	Ruke Orhorhoro (R)	Clemson Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 35th overall by ATL
ILB	#55	Kaden Elliss	Idaho 6th year, Age: 29	4 Sacks, 122 Tackles, 3 PD, 11 TFL
ILB	#53	Nate Landman	Colorado 3rd year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 110 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF 3 PD, 7 TFL
OLB	#15	Matthew Judon	Grand Valley St. (D-II) 9th year, Age: 32	4 GP, 4 Sacks, 13 Tackles, 5 TFL – (NE)
OLB	#17	Arnold Ebiketie	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 25	6 Sacks, 25 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 3 TFL
CB	#24	A.J. Terrell	Clemson 5th year, Age: 25	45 Tackles, 11 PD, 4 TFL
S	#31	Justin Simmons	Boston College 9th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 70 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 FF 1 FR, 8 PD, 2 TFL – (DEN)
S	#3	Jessie Bates III	Wake Forest 7th year, Age: 27	132 Tackles, 6 INTs, 1 TD, 3 FF 11 PD, 3 TFL
DB	#27	Richie Grant	UCF 4th year, Age: 26	3 Sacks, 103 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 6 PD, 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#6	Younghoe Koo	Georgia Southern 7th year, Age: 30	27/28 XP, 32/37 FG — 3/6 50+
P	#13	Bradley Pinion	Clemson 10th year, Age: 30	75 punts, 3,523 yds, 27 <20
KR	#26	Avery Williams	Boise State 4th year, Age: 26	DNP – Torn ACL
PR	#34	Ray-Ray McCloud III	Clemson 7th year, Age: 27	24 attempts, 203 yds – (SF)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Taylor Heinicke – #4 (Old Dominion, 10th year, Age: 31)
QB: Michael Penix Jr. – #9 (Washington, Rookie, Age: 24)
HB: Tyler Allgeier – #25 (BYU, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Rondale Moore* – #14 (Purdue, 4th year, Age: 24)
WR: KhaDarel Hodge – #12 (Prairie View A&M, 5th year, Age: 29)
DE: Zach Harrison – #96 (Ohio State, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DE: James Smith-Williams – #50 (NC State, 5th year, Age: 27)
DT: Kentavius Street – #93 (NC State, 6th year, Age: 28)
DT: Ta’Quon Graham – #95 (Texas, 4th year, Age: 25)
LB: Lorenzo Carter – #0 (Georgia, 7th year, Age: 28)
CB: Dee Alford – #20 (Tusculum (D-II), 3rd year, Age: 26)
CB: Mike Hughes – #21 (UCF, 7th year, Age: 27)
CB: Clark Phillips III – #22 (Utah, 2nd year, Age: 22)
S: DeMarcco Hellams** – #23 (Alabama, 2nd year, Age: 24)

*Rondale Moore suffered a knee injury and will miss the entire season
**DeMarcco Hellams has an ankle injury and will miss at least 8 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 9-8, 2nd in NFC South
MVP: QB Kirk Cousins
Breakout Player: WR KhaDarel Hodge
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Secondary, Veteran QB, run game, defensive line depth
Weaknesses: Offensive line, WR depth

The Falcons took to this offseason with the idea that they’re only a QB away from being a real contender. I’m not sure this is the truth, but they did do a great job of rounding out their roster. Kirk Cousins was signed to a massive 4-year deal, while Michael Penix was drafted 1st round to be his eventual replacement. This move scratched many fans’ heads this offseason, but it goes to show how Atlanta wanted to pin down that position with brutal force. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier have made up a solid duo in the backfield while Darnell Mooney was added to a WR room headlined by Drake London. Kyle Pitts will now enter year 4, and potentially his last chance of proving he’s a difference maker as a pass-catching TE like Atlanta had hoped he’d be.

Honestly, I was ready to chalk up this defense as being the weakness of the team, but they went out and made two big moves during the preseason. Star pass rusher Matthew Judon and All-Pro safety Justin Simmons were both added, giving huge veteran star power to a very young side of the ball. Judon should matchup with Ebekitie as the two pass rushers, while Kaden Elliss and Nate Landman had solid 2023 seasons’ as the team’s starting interior LB’s. Simmons now will make up possibly the best threesome of safeties in football, alongside fellow All-Pro Jessie Bates and 4th year DB Richie Grant. I went from an Atlanta hater to a believer in the matter of a few days and I think this team has a legitimate shot to win a very weak NFC South. It’ll be them and the Bucs fighting it out.

Carolina Panthers

HC: Dave Canales
1st year – AGE: 43

OC: Brad Idzik
1st year as Carolina OC – AGE: 33
DC: Ejiro Evero
2nd year as Carolina DC, 3rd year as a DC – AGE: 43

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#9	Bryce Young	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	11 TDs, 10 INTs, 2,877 yds, 33.4 QBR 253 rush yds
HB	#30	Chuba Hubbard	Oklahoma State 4th year, Age: 25	238 carries, 902 yds, 5 TDs 39 receptions, 233 yds
WR	#19	Adam Thielen	Minnesota St. (D-II) 11th year, Age: 33	103 receptions, 1,014 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#5	Diontae Johnson	Toledo 6th year, Age: 28	51 receptions, 717 yds, 5 TDs – (PIT)
WR	#15	Jonathan Mingo	Ole Miss 2nd year, Age: 23	43 receptions, 418 yds
TE	#85	Ja’Tavion Sanders (R)	Texas Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 101st overall by CAR
G	#68	Damien Lewis	LSU 5th year, Age: 27
G	#50	Robert Hunt	Louisiana 5th year, Age: 27
C	#63	Austin Corbett	Nevada 7th year, Age: 28
T	#72	Taylor Moton	Western Michigan 8th year, Age: 29
T	#79	Ikem Ekwonu	NC State 3rd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#95	Derrick Brown	Auburn 5th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 103 Tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD 7 TFL
DE	#94	A’Shawn Robinson	Alabama 9th year, Age: 29	62 Tackles, 2 PD, 6 TFL – (NYG)
NT	#99	Shy Tuttle	Tennessee 6th year, Age: 28	0.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 5 PD, 1 TFL
ILB	#54	Shaq Thompson	Washington 10th year, Age: 30	2 GP, 8 Tackles
ILB	#47	Josey Jewell	Iowa 7th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 108 Tackles, 2 FF, 3 FR 3 PD, 2 TFL – (DEN)
OLB	#7	Jadeveon Clowney	South Carolina 11th year, Age: 31	9.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 5 PD, 9 TFL – (BAL)
OLB	#98	D.J. Wonnum*	South Carolina 5th year, Age: 26	8 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FR 6 PD, 7 TFL – (MIN)
CB	#23	Dane Jackson**	Pittsburgh 5th year, Age: 27	39 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD – (BUF)
CB	#8	Jaycee Horn	South Carolina 4th year, Age: 24	6 GP, 27 Tackles, 5 PD, 1 TFL
S	#20	Jordan Fuller	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 26	94 Tackles, 3 INTs, 3 FF, 8 PD 1 TFL – (LAR)
S	#25	Xavier Woods	Louisiana Tech 8th year, Age: 29	61 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 7 PD 4 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#4	Eddy Pineiro	Florida 7th year, Age: 28	17/20 XP, 25/29 FG — 5/7 50+
P	#10	Johnny Hekker	Oregon State 13th year, Age: 34	82 punts, 3,838 yds, 25 <20
KR	#3	Raheem Blackshear	Virginia Tech 3rd year, Age: 26	16 attempts, 430 yds
PR	#11	Ihmir Smith-Marsette	Iowa 4th year, Age: 24	37 attempts, 322 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Andy Dalton – #14 (TCU, 14th year, Age: 36)
HB: Miles Sanders – #6 (Penn State, 6th year, Age: 27)
HB: Jonathon Brooks*** – #24 (Texas, Rookie, Age: 21)
TE: Tommy Tremble – #82 (Notre Dame, 4th year, Age: 24)
DT: Nick Thurman – #91 (Houston, 3rd year, Age: 29)
LB: K’Lavon Chaisson – #45 (LSU, 5th year, Age: 25)
LB: Amare Barno – #38 (Virginia Tech, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Troy Hill – #13 (Oregon, 9th year, Age: 32)
CB: Anthony Brown – #35 (Purdue, 8th year, Age: 30)
S: Nick Scott – #21 (Penn State, 6th year, Age: 29)

*D.J. Wonnum has a quad injury and will miss at least 4 weeks
**Dane Jackson has a hamstring injury and will miss at least 4 weeks
***Jonathon Brooks continues to rehab a torn ACL and may miss the first 3-4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 3-14, 4th in NFC South
MVP: G Robert Hunt
Breakout Player: QB Bryce Young
Offensive Grade: D
Defensive Grade: D+
Strengths: WR starters, LB veteran core
Weaknesses: Run game, QB, secondary, Defensive line

Carolina chose the wrong season to finish dead last in the league at 2-15, as they ended up giving the first overall pick to Chicago as part of the 2023 draft day trade up to take Bryce Young. Now it all comes down to this, who will be the better QB: Caleb Williams or Bryce Young? No need to answer this yet, as the outlook for 2024 isn’t looking too bright for the Panthers. Young will look to improve mightily after struggling in his rookie year, while his favorite target Adam Thielen will return. Diontae Johnson was also added via trade from Pittsburgh to give more weapons to their young QB, as well as veteran WR-turned-TE Jordan Matthews, and a backfield of Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard. Robert Hunt was also signed to a massive deal to be the star guard protecting the franchise QB.

The defense added several veterans via free agency as they took advantage of the large salary cap number they had available. A new starting ILB in Josey Jewell as well as two new starting pass rushers in Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum were added to beef up the defensive outlook. CB Dane Jackson and S Jordan Fuller were also signed and are projected to be the top players at their respective positions on the team. I will give it to Carolina, they did a very solid job of adding veteran talent to help their young core, and in a very weak division, it isn’t unheard of to think they can surprise people this year. It’s tough to predict them doing well, since I was badly wrong on my positive take on them last year. Regardless, they should be more than a 2-win team, but I’ll still take them at only 4 or 5 wins this year.

New Orleans Saints

HC: Dennis Allen
3rd year in New Orleans
Career record: 24-46, Team record: 16-18 – AGE: 52

OC: Klint Kubiak
1st year as New Orleans OC, 2nd year as an OC – AGE: 37
DC: Joe Woods
2nd year as New Orleans DC, 7th year as a DC – AGE: 54

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#4	Derek Carr	Fresno State 11th year, Age: 33	25 TDs, 8 INTs, 3,878 yds, 56.5 QBR 40 rush yds
HB	#41	Alvin Kamara	Tennessee 8th year, Age: 29	180 carries, 694 yds, 5 TDs 75 receptions, 466 yds, 1 TD
WR	#12	Chris Olave	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 24	87 receptions, 1,123 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 3rd year, Age: 25	46 receptions, 719 yds, 5 TDs
TE	#83	Juwan Johnson*	Oregon 5th year, Age: 27	37 receptions, 368 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#87	Foster Moreau	LSU 6th year, Age: 27	21 receptions, 193 yds, 1 TD
G	#62	Lucas Patrick	Duke 8th year, Age: 31
G	#51	Cesar Ruiz	Michigan 5th year, Age: 25
C	#78	Erik McCoy	Texas A&M 6th year, Age: 26
T	#70	Trevor Penning	Northern Iowa 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#75	Taliese Fuaga (R)	Oregon State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 14th overall by NO

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#94	Cameron Jordan	California 14th year, Age: 35	2 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD 3 TFL
DE	#96	Carl Granderson	Wyoming 6th year, Age: 27	8.5 Sacks, 78 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 14 TFL
DT	#93	Nathan Shepherd	Fort Hays St. (D-II) 7th year, Age: 30	3.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 4 TFL
DT	#50	Khalen Saunders	Western Illinois 6th year, Age: 28	57 Tackles, 1 PD, 1 TFL
MLB	#20	Pete Werner	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 93 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FR 1 PD, 4 TFL
OLB	#56	Demario Davis	Arkansas State 13th year, Age: 35	6.5 Sacks, 121 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 12 TFL
OLB	#6	Willie Gay Jr.	Mississippi State 5th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 58 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 3 FR, 4 PD, 4 TFL – (KC)
CB	#23	Marshon Lattimore	Ohio State 8th year, Age: 28	48 Tackles, 1 INT, 8 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#29	Paulson Adebo	Stanford 4th year, Age: 25	76 Tackles, 4 INTs, 2 FF, 2 FR 18 PD
S	#32	Tyrann Mathieu	LSU 12th year, Age: 32	75 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 9 PD
S	#31	Jordan Howden	Minnesota 2nd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 43 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#19	Blake Grupe	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 25	40/40 XP, 30/37 FG — 6/9 50+
P	#43	Matthew Hayball (R)	Vanderbilt Rookie, Age: 27	UNDRAFTED in 2024
KR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 3rd year, Age: 25	18 attempts, 384 yds
PR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 3rd year, Age: 25	25 attempts, 339 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Spencer Rattler – #18 (South Carolina, Rookie, Age: 23)
HB: Jamaal Williams – #21 (BYU, 8th year, Age: 29)
HB: Kendre Miller – #25 (TCU, 2nd year, Age: 22)
FB: Adam Prentice – #46 (South Carolina, 4th year, Age: 27)
TE/QB: Taysom Hill – #7 (BYU, 8th year, Age: 33)
WR: Cedrick Wilson Jr. – #11 (Boise State, 7th year, Age: 29)
DE: Chase Young – #99 (Ohio State, 5th year, Age: 25)
DE: Tanoh Kpassagnon** – #92 (Villanova, 8th year, Age: 30)
DT: Bryan Bresee – #90 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 22)
CB: Alontae Taylor – #1 (Tennessee, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry – #34 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 21)

*Juwan Johnson has a foot injury and may miss 1-2 weeks
**Tanoh Kpassagnon tore his achilles and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 6-11, 3rd in NFC South
MVP: LB Demario Davis
Breakout Player: DT Bryan Bresee
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: LB core, defensive line, secondary, run game
Weaknesses: WR depth, TE depth, pass game

The Saints enter year 2 of the Derek Carr era thirsty to get back into a winning groove after a few down years. They had hoped last year was going to be the one that got back on track but that wasn’t the case. Carr returns for his age-33 season, looking to stay healthy and finally deliver a deep playoff run. Alvin Kamara returns, and with the departure of Michael Thomas, Chris Olave enters as the clear cut top WR target. Overall the offense will probably be their weaker side of the ball, with a strong run game but questionable receivers and blocking.

The defense returns a few long-time cornerstones in Cam Jordan, Demario Davis, and Marshon Lattimore, all of whom are still top quality players at their respective positions. The secondary remains strong with Paulso Adebo lining up alongside Lattimore at CB and the Honey Badger returning to the DB room. They also bring in a 3x champion in LB Willie Gay, a long-time anchor of the LB room for the Chiefs’ dynasty over the past few years. NOLA is going to be tough to predict, with a clear cut chance to win their division, but little hope going into the year. The Saints and Carr have led many letdown seasons so it is tough to imagine they will be the favorites for the division. Regardless, they have an opportunity to truly right their wrongs, or else it may be the end of Dennis Allen and Derek Carr in New Orleans.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HC: Todd Bowles
3rd year in Tampa Bay
Career record: 43-58, Team record: 17-17, Career Playoff record: 1-2 – AGE: 60

OC: Liam Coen
1st year as Tampa Bay OC, 2nd year as an OC – AGE: 39
No DC

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#6	Baker Mayfield	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 29	28 TDs, 10 INTs, 4,044 yds, 54.3 QBR 163 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#1	Rachaad White	Arizona State 3rd year, Age: 25	272 carries, 990 yds, 6 TDs 64 receptions, 549 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#13	Mike Evans	Texas A&M 11th year, Age: 30	79 receptions, 1,255 yds, 13 TDs
WR	#14	Chris Godwin	Penn State 8th year, Age: 28	83 receptions, 1,024 yds, 2 TDs 4 carries, 38 yds, 1 TD
WR	#10	Trey Palmer	Nebraska 2nd year, Age: 23	39 receptions, 385 yds, 3 TDs 3 carries, 22 yds
TE	#88	Cade Otton	Washington 3rd year, Age: 25	47 receptions, 455 yds, 4 TDs
G	#68	Ben Bredeson	Michigan 5th year, Age: 25
G	#69	Cody Mauch	North Dakota St. 2nd year, Age: 25
C	#70	Robert Hainsey	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 26
T	#78	Tristan Wirfs	Iowa 5th year, Age: 25
T	#67	Luke Goedeke	Central Michigan 3rd year, Age: 25

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#94	Calijah Kancey	Pittsburgh 2nd year, Age: 23	4 Sacks, 26 Tackles, 1 PD, 10 TFL
DE	#90	Logan Hall	Houston 3rd year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 2 FR, 2 PD 2 TFL
NT	#50	Vita Vea	Washington 7th year, Age: 29	5.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 FF, 8 TFL
ILB	#54	Lavonte David	Nebraska 13th year, Age: 34	4.5 Sacks, 134 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD 17 TFL
ILB	#52	K.J. Britt	Auburn 4th year, Age: 25	29 Tackles, 1 PD, 1 TFL
OLB	#9	Joe Tryon-Shoyinka	Washington 4th year, Age: 25	5 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 7 TFL
OLB	#0	Yaya Diaby	Louisville 2nd year, Age: 25	7.5 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 12 TFL
CB	#35	Jamel Dean	Auburn 6th year, Age: 27	61 Tackles, 2 FR, 4 PD
CB	#27	Zyon McCollum	Sam Houston St. 3rd year, Age: 25	68 Tackles, 2 FF, 9 PD, 1 TFL
S	#31	Antoine Winfield Jr.	Minnesota 5th year, Age: 26	6 Sacks, 122 Tackles, 3 INTs, 6 FF 4 FR, 12 PD, 6 TFL
S	#3	Jordan Whitehead	Pittsburgh 7th year, Age: 27	0.5 Sacks, 97 Tackles, 4 INTs, 9 PD 3 TFL – (NYJ)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#4	Chase McLaughlin	Illinois 6th year, Age: 28	33/33 XP, 29/31 FG — 7/8 50+
P	#5	Jake Camarda	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 25	77 punts, 3,854 yds, 26 <20
KR	#7	Bucky Irving (R)	Oregon Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 125th overall by TB
PR	#10	Trey Palmer	Nebraska 2nd year, Age: 23	NO STATS

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Kyle Trask – #2 (Florida, 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Chase Edmonds* – #22 (Fordham, 7th year, Age: 28)
WR: Jalen McMillan – #15 (Washington, Rookie, Age: 22)
TE: Ko Kieft – #41 (Minnesota, 3rd year, Age: 26)
DE: William Gholston – #92 (Michigan State, 12th year, Age: 33)
DT: Greg Gaines – #96 (Washington, 6th year, Age: 28)
LB: Chris Braswell – #43 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 22)
LB: Anthony Nelson – #98 (Iowa, 6th year, Age: 27)
CB: Bryce Hall – #34 (Virginia, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Tavierre Thomas – #37 (Ferris State (D-II), 7th year, Age: 28)
S: Christian Izien – #29 (Rutgers, 2nd year, Age: 24)

*Chase Edmonds has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 10-7, 1st in NFC South
MVP: WR Mike Evans
Breakout Player: LB Chris Braswell
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Receiving options, re-invented QB, LB core
Weaknesses: Defensive line, offensive line

In the first year after the Tom Brady retirement, the Buccaneers shocked everyone with a leading performance by Bake Mayfield. The former 1st overall pick seemed to be at the end of the ropes in chances, but exploded in a comeback player of the year type season with 28 passing TD’s and over 4,000 passing yards. Future Hall-of-Fame WR Mike Evans returns after a contract year that many expected would lead to him competing elsewhere in 2024. The offensive line will look to add some more star power, led by Tristan Wirfs and many questionable young pieces.

The offense will probably be the better side of the ball for Tampa, as the defense is holding on by a string after losing several big pieces. Devin White was the biggest loss this offseason, as Lavonte David will step up as the star LB in that room. The defensive line will look at two young pieces to step as every day starters, with Calijah Kancey and Logan Hall ready to have increased roles with Vita Vea clogging up the middle. I think Tampa is still the favorite to win the South, and if Baker can perform similar to the way he did last year, they can have one explosive offense. The Mike Evans signing was huge, and in a weak division, they are going to be the main target to knock off.

Arizona Cardinals

HC: Jonathan Gannon
2nd year
Career/Team record: 4-13 – AGE: 41

OC: Drew Petzing
2nd year as ARI OC – AGE: 37
DC: Nick Rallis
2nd year as ARI DC – AGE: 31

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#1	Kyler Murray	Oklahoma 6th year, Age: 27	10 TDs, 5 INTs, 1,799 yds, 47.2 QBR 244 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#6	James Conner	Pittsburgh 8th year, Age: 29	208 carries, 1,040 yds, 7 TDs 27 receptions, 165 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#18	Marvin Harrison Jr. (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 4th overall by ARI
WR	#14	Michael Wilson	Stanford 2nd year, Age: 24	38 receptions, 565 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#10	Chris Moore	Cincinnati 9th year, Age: 31	22 receptions, 424 yds 2 carries, 39 yds – (TEN)
TE	#85	Trey McBride	Colorado State 3rd year, Age: 24	81 receptions, 825 yds, 3 TDs
G	#62	Evan Brown	SMU 6th year, Age: 27
G	#76	Will Hernandez	UTEP 7th year, Age: 28
C	#72	Hjalte Froholdt	Arkansas 6th year, Age: 27
T	#73	Jonah Williams	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26
T	#70	Paris Johnson Jr.	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#93	Justin Jones	NC State 7th year, Age: 27	4.5 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 4 PD, 10 TFL – (CHI)
DE	#56	Darius Robinson (R)	Missouri Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 27th overall by ARI
NT	#92	Bilal Nichols	Delaware 7th year, Age: 27	1.5 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FR 1 PD, 4 TFL – (LVR)
ILB	#7	Kyzir White	West Virginia 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 90 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD 9 TFL
ILB	#2	Mack Wilson Sr.	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	3.5 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 2 FF, 3 PD 2 TFL – (NE)
OLB	#45	Dennis Gardeck	Sioux Falls (D-II) 7th year, Age: 30	6 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 7 TFL
OLB	#25	Zaven Collins	Tulsa 4th year, Age: 25	3.5 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 3 PD, 6 TFL
CB	#23	Sean Murphy-Bunting	Central Michigan 6th year, Age: 27	57 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF, 1 FR 8 PD, 3 TFL – (TEN)
CB	#16	Max Melton (R)	Rutgers Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 43rd overall by ARI
S	#3	Budda Baker	Washington 8th year, Age: 28	87 Tackles, 5 TFL
S	#34	Jalen Thompson	Washington State 6th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 78 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF 9 PD, 5 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#5	Matt Prater	UCF 18th year, Age: 40	22/23 XP, 28/33 FG — 9/12 50+
P	#12	Blake Gillikin	Penn State 5th year, Age: 26	51 punts, 2,580 yds, 11 <20
KR	#20	DeeJay Dallas	Miami 5th year, Age: 25	17 attempts, 440 yds – (SEA)
PR	#20	DeeJay Dallas	Miami 5th year, Age: 25	25 attempts, 265 yds – (SEA)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Clayton Tune – #15 (Houston, 2nd year, Age: 25)
HB: Emari Dermacado – #31 (TCU, 2nd year, Age: 25)
WR: Greg Dortch – #4 (Wake Forest, 4th year, Age: 26)
WR: Zay Jones* – #12 (East Carolina, 8th year, Age: 29)
TE: Tip Reiman – #87 (Illinois, Rookie, Age: 22)
DT: Roy Lopez – #98 (Arizona, 4th year, Age: 27)
DT: Dante Stills – #55 (West Virginia, 2nd year, Age: 24)
LB: B.J. Ojulari** – #9 (LSU, 2nd year, Age: 22)
LB: Victor Dimukeje – #52 (Duke, 4th year, Age: 24)
CB: Kei’Trel Clark – #13 (Louisville, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Starling Thomas – #24 (UAB, 2nd year, Age: 24)

*Zay Jones was suspended for the first 5 weeks for misconduct
**B.J. Ojulari has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 4-13, 4th in NFC West
MVP: QB Kyler Murray
Breakout Player: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: D+
Strengths: QB, defensive line
Weaknesses: Offensive line, secondary, pass rushers

The Cardinals enter the new year fresh off a stinker that saw them at the bottom of the NFC. The year was headlined by the sudden onset play of Joshua Dobbs who was replacing Kyler Murray until their veteran QB could return. As a result of the 4-13 season, Arizona landed promising WR, and son of a Hall-of-Famer, Marvin Harrison Jr. to be Kyler’s new top weapon. Trey McBride also had a great rookie year and looks to be a promising catch passing TE. The run game will consist of James Conner and Emari Dermacado again, while the offensive line is headlined by veterans Hjalte Froholodt and Jonah Williams.

As the offense looks less than impressive, the defense doesn’t seem much better. There is virtually no pass rush, with Zaven Collins, Dennis Gardeck, and Justin Jones relied on as the anchors. The secondary adds veteran CB Sean Murphy-Bunting to matchup with rookie 2nd rounder Max Melton. The safety duo of Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson have become one of the better ones in the league, and will be the shining star of the defense. It’s tough to think Arizona has much of a chance to compete against San Fran, LA, and Seattle in this division. They will probably be bottom dwellers again until they can start filling the holes they have, mainly on defense.

Los Angeles Rams

HC: Sean McVay
8th year
Career/Team record: 70-45, Career Playoff record: 7-4 – AGE: 38

OC: Mike LaFleur
2nd year as LA Rams OC, 4th year as an OC – AGE: 37
DC: Chris Shula
1st year as LA Rams DC – AGE: 38

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#9	Matthew Stafford	Georgia 16th year, Age: 36	24 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,965 yds, 63.5 QBR 65 rush yds
HB	#23	Kyren Williams	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 23	228 carries, 1,144 yds, 12 TDs 32 receptions, 206 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#10	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington 8th year, Age: 31	59 receptions, 737 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#17	Puka Nacua	BYU 2nd year, Age: 23	105 receptions, 1,486 yds, 6 TDs 12 carries, 89 yds
WR	#5	Tutu Atwell	Louisville 4th year, Age: 24	39 receptions, 483 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#89	Tyler Higbee*	Western Kentucky 9th year, Age: 31	47 receptions, 495 yds, 2 TDs
G	#72	Jonah Jackson	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 27
G	#69	Kevin Dotson	Louisiana 5th year, Age: 27
C	#73	Steve Avila	TCU 2nd year, Age: 24
T	#79	Rob Havenstein	Wisconsin 10th year, Age: 32
T	#77	Alaric Jackson**	Iowa 4th year, Age: 26

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#95	Bobby Brown III	Texas A&M 4th year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 4 TFL
DE	#55	Braden Fiske (R)	Florida State Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 39th overall by LAR
NT	#91	Kobie Turner	Wake Forest 2nd year, Age: 25	9 Sacks, 57 Tackles, 2 PD, 8 TFL
ILB	#59	Troy Reeder	Delaware 6th year, Age: 29	23 Tackles, 2 TFL
ILB	#56	Christian Rozeboom	South Dakota St. 4th year, Age: 27	79 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD, 2 TFL
OLB	#0	Byron Young	Tennessee 2nd year, Age: 26	8 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 8 TFL
OLB	#8	Jared Verse (R)	Florida State Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 19th overall by LAR
CB	#24	Darious Williams	UAB 7th year, Age: 31	53 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 2 FF 19 PD, 3 TFL – (JAX)
CB	#27	Tre’Davious White	LSU 8th year, Age: 29	4 GP, 12 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD 1 TFL – (BUF)
S	#3	Kamren Curl	Arkansas 5th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 115 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 5 PD, 3 TFL – (WSH)
S	#43	John Johnson III	Boston College 7th year, Age: 28	42 Tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#16	Joshua Karty (R)	Stanford Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 209th overall by LAR
P	#42	Ethan Evans	Wingate (D-II) 2nd year, Age: 23	63 punts, 3,101 yds, 20 <20
KR	#23	Kyren Williams	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 23	1 attempt, 8 yds
PR	#23	Kyren Williams	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 23	3 attempts, 21 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo – #11 (Eastern Illinois, 11th year, Age: 32)
WR: Demarcus Robinson – #15 (Florida, 9th year, Age: 29)
TE: Colby Parkinson – #86 (Stanford, 5th year, Age: 25)
T: Joe Noteboom – #70 (TCU, 7th year, Age: 29)
DT: Larrell Murchison – #52 (NC State, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: Michael Hoecht – #97 (Brown, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Cobie Durant – #14 (South Carolina State, 3rd year, Age: 26)
S: Quentin Lake – #37 (UCLA, 3rd year, Age: 25)
S: Russ Yeast – #2 (Kansas State, 3rd year, Age: 25)

*Tyler Higbee continues to rehab an ACL tear and may miss the first 3+ weeks
**Alaric Jackson has been suspended for the first 2 weeks due to misconduct

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 9-8, 3rd in NFC West
MVP: WR Cooper Kupp
Breakout Player: LB Jared Verse
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Secondary, WR room, veteran QB
Weaknesses: Offensive line, defensive line, LB core

The Rams have not seen much success in the two seasons removed from their Super Bowl victory in 2022. Matthew Stafford was able to stay relatively healthy in 2023 while he added a new explosive weapon in late-round rookie Puka Nacua. Kyren Williams also bursted onto the scene as an explosive rusher, eclipsing 1,100 yards in his rookie season. Then of course there’s Cooper Kupp who struggled to stay healthy last year but still managed over 700 receiving yards in limited play. A healthy Stafford should lead way for the Rams to be able to put up some solid numbers on the offensive end, with the potential to get back to 2021 form.

The biggest blow on the defensive side was clearly the retirement of star DT Aaron Donald, a no-doubt Hall of Famer. His presence on the defensive line will be very tough to fill, but Kobie Turner and rookie Braden Fiske will attempt their best. Byron Young became a promising EDGE rusher with his 8 sack rookie season, and a new top pick in Jared Verse will look to create a dynamic duo beside him. The secondary will be their strong suit, after landing deals with star S Kamren Curl and star CB Darious Williams. The former All-Pro CB Tre’Davious White was also added, and will look to stay healthy and return to old form. Add these stars to the depth of John Johnson III, Quentin Lake, and Jerry Jacobs, and you have one of the best DB rooms in football. The Rams will be in a tough battle, as it seems the Niners will be a shoeing to win the division again. But if healthy, I expect an up year from the Rams and a strong push to be a Wild Card.

San Francisco 49ers

HC: Kyle Shanahan
8th year
Career/Team record: 64-51, Career Playoff record: 8-4 – AGE: 44

No OC
DC: Nick Sorensen
1st year as San Francisco DC – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#13	Brock Purdy	Iowa State 3rd year, Age: 24	31 TDs, 11 INTs, 4,280 yds, 72.8 QBR 144 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#23	Christian McCaffrey	Stanford 8th year, Age: 28	272 carries, 1,459 yds, 14 TDs 67 receptions, 564 yds, 7 TDs
FB	#44	Kyle Juszczyk	Harvard 12th year, Age: 33	14 receptions, 119 yds, 2 TDs 5 carries, 6 yds
WR	#1	Deebo Samuel	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 28	60 receptions, 892 yds, 7 TDs 37 carries, 225 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#11	Brandon Aiyuk	Arizona State 5th year, Age: 26	75 receptions, 1,342 yds, 7 TDs
TE	#85	George Kittle	Iowa 8th year, Age: 30	65 receptions, 1,020 yds, 6 TDs
G	#65	Aaron Banks	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 26
G	#74	Spencer Burford	UTSA 3rd year, Age: 24
C	#64	Jake Brendel	UCLA 8th year, Age: 31
T	#71	Trent Williams*	Oklahoma 15th year, Age: 36
T	#68	Colton McKivitz	West Virginia 5th year, Age: 28

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#97	Nick Bosa	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 26	10.5 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 16 TFL
DE	#56	Leonard Floyd	Georgia 9th year, Age: 31	10.5 Sacks, 32 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 9 TFL – (BUF)
DT	#98	Javon Hargrave	South Carolina St. 9th year, Age: 31	7 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 2 PD, 8 TFL
DT	#99	Maliek Collins	Nebraska 9th year, Age: 29	5 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 1 PD, 8 TFL – (HOU)
MLB	#54	Fred Warner	BYU 7th year, Age: 27	2.5 Sacks, 132 Tackles, 4 INTs, 4 FF 11 PD, 6 TFL
OLB	#57	Dre Greenlaw**	Arkansas 6th year, Age: 27	1.5 Sacks, 120 Tackles, 4 PD, 5 TFL
OLB	#59	De’Vondre Campbell	Minnesota 9th year, Age: 31	75 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD, 3 TFL – (GB)
CB	#7	Charvarius Ward	Middle Tennessee 7th year, Age: 28	72 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 23 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#2	Deommodore Lenoir	Oregon 4th year, Age: 24	84 Tackles, 3 INTs, 10 PD, 1 TFL
S	#29	Talanoa Hufanga***	USC 4th year, Age: 24	52 Tackles, 3 INTs, 3 PD, 1 TFL
S	#27	Ji’Ayir Brown	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 24	35 Tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#4	Jake Moody	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 24	60/61 XP, 21/25 FG — 2/3 50+
P	#3	Mitch Wishnowsky	Utah 6th year, Age: 32	52 punts, 2,480 yds, 26 <20
KR	#10	Ronnie Bell	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 24	1 attempt, 0 yds
PR	#10	Ronnie Bell	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 24	10 attempts, 70 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Joshua Dobbs – #5 (Tennessee, 8th year, Age: 29)
HB: Elijah Mitchell – #25 (Louisiana, 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Jordan Mason – #24 (Georgia Tech, 3rd year, Age: 25)
WR: Jauan Jennings – #15 (Tennessee, 4th year, Age: 27)
WR: Robbie Chosen – #7 (Temple, 9th year, Age: 31)
G: Jon Feliciano**** – #55 (Miami, 10th year, Age: 32)
DE: Yetur Gross-Matos – #94 (Penn State, 5th year, Age: 26)
DT: Kevin Givens – #90 (Penn State, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles – #45 (Arizona, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Ambry Thomas***** – #20 (Michigan, 4th year, Age: 24)
CB: Isaac Yiadom – #22 (Boston College, 7th year, Age: 28)

*Trent Williams continues to holdout while looking for a new contract
**Dre Greenlaw continues to rehab a torn achilles and may miss the first few weeks
***Talanoa Hufanga continues to rehab a torn ACL and may miss the first 1-3 weeks
****Jon Feliciano had knee surgery and will miss at least 4 weeks
*****Ambry Thomas has a broken forearm and may miss the first 8+ weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 13-4, 1st in NFC West
MVP: HB Christian McCaffrey
Breakout Player: S Ji’Ayir Brown
Offensive Grade: A
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Pass game, run game, pass rush, LB core
Weaknesses: Depth at offensive line, depth in secondary

If there is one team in all of football that should have the most pressure on them in 2024, it’s the 49ers. San Fran is coming off their second SB loss to the Chiefs in the past five seasons, and the clock is ticking for how long their talent have in the league. Christian McCaffrey is the best player outside of Patrick Mahomes in the league, and he’s coming off a season where he should have been the first non-QB MVP since Adrian Peterson. Brock Purdy also proved his immaculate season as a rookie 7th rounder was not a fluke, putting up over 30 TDs and 4,000 passing yards. Their receiving duo of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk remains one of the best in the league, and the offensive line is anchored by stars Trent Williams and Jake Brendel. Sure, Aiyuk’s and Williams’ contract negotiations are lingering negatively, but this team is set to be explosive once again.

The defense added two veteran DL’s in Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins to help replace Arik Armstead’s departure. Nick Bosa returns as the leading pass rusher, and Fred Warner is the star of the LB room that also added former Pro Bowler De’Vondre Campbell from the Packers. Charvarius Ward had a stellar season as the lead CB in 2023, with 5 picks and an outstanding 23 passes defended. Tracy Walker was brought in from Detroit as well to aid the safety room that is a bit banged up. San Fran is by far the favorites to win the NFC West, and it should honestly be a pretty easy cake walk. They probably enter the year as the favorites to come out of the NFC again as well, but the pressure is on to make it happen. The Super Bowl window could be slowly closing, as their two losses in this decade are already hanging over their heads.

Seattle Seahawks

HC: Mike Macdonald
1st year – AGE: 37

OC: Ryan Grubb
1st year as Seattle OC – AGE: 48
DC: Aden Durde
1st year as Seattle DC – AGE: 45

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#7	Geno Smith	West Virginia 12th year, Age: 33	20 TDs, 9 INTs, 3,624 yds, 59.5 QBR 155 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#9	Kenneth Walker III	Michigan State 3rd year, Age: 23	219 carries, 905 yds, 8 TDs 29 receptions, 259 yds, 1 TD
WR	#14	DK Metcalf	Ole Miss 6th year, Age: 26	66 receptions, 1,114 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#16	Tyler Lockett	Kansas State 10th year, Age: 31	79 receptions, 894 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#11	Jaxon Smith-Njigba	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 22	63 receptions, 628 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#87	Noah Fant	Iowa 6th year, Age: 26	32 receptions, 414 yds
G	#70	Laken Tomlinson	Duke 10th year, Age: 32
G	#75	Anthony Bradford	LSU 2nd year, Age: 23
C	#57	Connor Williams	Texas 7th year, Age: 27
T	#67	Charles Cross	Mississippi State 3rd year, Age: 23
T	#72	Abraham Lucas*	Washington State 3rd year, Age: 25

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#99	Leonard Williams	USC 10th year, Age: 30	5.5 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 2 PD, 10 TFL – (NYG/SEA)
DE	#55	Dre’Mont Jones	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 27	4.5 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 5 TFL
NT	#90	Jarran Reed	Alabama 9th year, Age: 31	7 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 7 TFL
ILB	#17	Jerome Baker	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	1.5 Sacks, 78 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 3 PD, 2 TFL – (MIA)
ILB	#0	Tyrel Dodson	Texas A&M 5th year, Age: 26	2.5 Sacks, 74 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 8 TFL – (BUF)
OLB	#10	Uchenna Nwosu**	USC 7th year, Age: 27	6 GP, 2 Sacks, 16 Tackles, 2 FF 4 TFL
OLB	#53	Boye Mafe	Minnesota 3rd year, Age: 25	9 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 6 PD, 9 TFL
CB	#27	Riq Woolen	UTSA 3rd year, Age: 25	53 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FR, 11 PD 1 TFL
CB	#21	Devon Witherspoon	Illinois 2nd year, Age: 23	3 Sacks, 79 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FF, 16 PD, 8 TFL
S	#20	Julian Love	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 26	123 Tackles, 4 INTs, 2 FF, 1 FR 10 PD, 1 TFL
S	#2	Rayshawn Jenkins	Miami 8th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 101 Tackles, 2 INTs, 9 PD 7 TFL – (JAX)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#5	Jason Myers	Marist 10th year, Age: 33	33/33 XP, 35/42 FG — 4/8 50+
P	#4	Michael Dickson	Texas 7th year, Age: 28	66 punts, 3,303 yds, 25 <20
KR	#81	Laviska Shenault Jr.	Colorado 5th year, Age: 25	6 attempts, 167 yds – (CAR)
PR	#33	Dee Williams (R)	Tennesee Rookie, Age: 24	UNDRAFTED in 2024

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Sam Howell – #6 (North Carolina, 3rd year, Age: 23)
HB: Zach Charbonnet – #26 (UCLA, 2nd year, Age: 23)
WR: Jake Bobo – #19 (UCLA, 2nd year, Age: 26)
TE: A.J. Barner – #88 (Michigan, Rookie, Age: 22)
DT: Johnathan Hankins – #97 (Ohio State, 12th year, Age: 32)
DT: Byron Murphy II – #91 (Texas, Rookie, Age: 21)
LB: Derick Hall – #58 (Auburn, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Tre Brown – #22 (Oklahoma, 4th year, Age: 26)
S: K’Von Wallace – #24 (Clemson, 5th year, Age: 27)

*Abraham Lucas continues to rehab knee surgery and may miss the first 1-3 weeks
**Uchenna Nwosa has a sprained MCL and will miss 2-6 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 11-6, 2nd in NFC West
MVP: WR DK Metcalf
Breakout Player: TE A.J. Barner
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Secondary, WR core, offensive line, defensive line
Weaknesses: LB core, run game, QB options

The Seahawks shocked a lot of people in what seemed to look like rebuilding years in both 2022 and 2023. Geno Smith has stepped in to be a great replacement for Russell Wilson, but questions will begin to swirl about his effectiveness entering an age-33 season. Long-time HC Pete Carroll retired, leading way for Mike Macdonald to take the reigns as the new play caller. They have developed a pretty solid trio at WR with Metcalf, Lockett, and Smith-Njigba, while Kenneth Walker looks to stay healthy as the lead RB.

Defensively, the team had a few breakout seasons last year and look to be one of the better cores in the NFC. Veterans Jarran Reed and Dre’Mont Jones return on the front line, with Leonard Williams as the headliner after being acquired from the Giants mid-season last year. Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson were both added to be the starting interior LB’s, both of whom had solid seasons a year prior. Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon became one of the best young starting CB duos in football last year and will look to continue their progression. I like this Seattle team a lot, and I think if Geno can be any bit productive they will be a Wild Card threat. Of course other variables will play factors, including the Head Coach capabilities of Mike Macdonald and his new regime of inexperienced coordinators.

AFC

Buffalo Bills

HC: Sean McDermott
8th year
Career/Team record: 73-41, Career Playoff record: 5-6 – AGE: 50

OC: Joe Brady
2nd year as Buffalo OC, 4th year as an OC – AGE: 35
DC: Bobby Babich
1st year as Buffalo DC – AGE: 41

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#17	Josh Allen	Wyoming 7th year, Age: 28	29 TDs, 18 INTs, 4,306 yds, 69.6 QBR 524 rush yds, 15 TDs
HB	#4	James Cook	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24	237 carries, 1,122 yds, 2 TDs 44 receptions, 445 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#1	Curtis Samuel	Ohio State 8th year, Age: 28	62 receptions, 613 yds, 4 TDs 7 carries, 39 yds, 1 TD – (WSH)
WR	#10	Khalil Shakir	Boise State 3rd year, Age: 24	39 receptions, 611 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#88	Dawson Knox	Ole Miss 6th year, Age: 27	22 receptions, 186 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#86	Dalton Kincaid	Utah 2nd year, Age: 24	73 receptions, 673 yds, 2 TDs
G	#76	David Edwards	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 27
G	#64	O’Cyrus Torrence	Florida 2nd year, Age: 24
C	#66	Connor McGovern	Penn State 6th year, Age: 28
T	#73	Dion Dawkins	Temple 8th year, Age: 30
T	#79	Spencer Brown	Northern Iowa 4th year, Age: 26

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#50	Greg Rousseau	Miami 4th year, Age: 24	5 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 12 TFL
DE	#57	A.J. Epenesa	Iowa 5th year, Age: 25	6.5 Sacks, 20 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 1 FF, 1 FR, 8 PD, 7 TFL
DT	#91	Ed Oliver	Houston 6th year, Age: 26	9.5 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 3 PD, 14 TFL
DT	#92	DaQuan Jones	Penn State 11th year, Age: 32	2.5 Sacks, 16 Tackles, 4 TFL
MLB	#52	Nicholas Morrow	Greenville (D-III) 7th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 95 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 5 PD, 12 TFL – (PHI)
OLB	#43	Terrel Bernard	Baylor 3rd year, Age: 25	6.5 Sacks, 143 Tackles, 3 INTs, 3 FR 5 PD, 10 TFL
OLB	#42	Dorian Williams	Tulane 2nd year, Age: 23	40 Tackles, 1 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#7	Taron Johnson	Weber State 7th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 98 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR 8 PD, 3 TFL
CB	#47	Christian Benford	Villanova 3rd year, Age: 23	54 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF, 1 FR 10 PD, 3 TFL
S	#9	Taylor Rapp	Washington 6th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 2 PD, 1 TFL
S	#21	Mike Edwards	Kentucky 6th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 51 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 2 FR, 5 PD, 2 TFL – (KC)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#2	Tyler Bass	Georgia Southern 5th year, Age: 27	49/50 XP, 24/29 FG — 4/6 50+
P	#8	Sam Martin	Appalachian State 12th year, Age: 34	51 punts, 2,334 yds, 24 <20
KR	#26	Ty Johnson	Maryland 6th year, Age: 26	8 attempts, 161 yds
PR	#29	Brandon Codrington (R)	NC Central Rookie, Age: 23	UNDRAFTED in 2024

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Mitchell Trubisky – #11 (North Carolina, 8th year, Age: 30)
WR: Mack Hollins – #13 (North Carolina, 8th year, Age: 30)
WR: Marquez Valdes-Scantling – #81 (South Florida, 7th year, Age: 29)
DE: Dawuane Smoot – #94 (Illinois, 8th year, Age: 29)
DE: Casey Toohill – #99 (Stanford, 5th year, Age: 28)
DT: DeShawn Williams – #93 (Clemson, 5th year, Age: 31)
LB: Von Miller – #40 (Texas A&M, 14th year, Age: 35)
LB: Matt Milano* – #58 (Boston College, 8th year, Age: 30)
CB: Rasul Douglas – #31 (West Virginia, 8th year, Age: 28)
CB: Kaiir Elam – #5 (Florida, 3rd year, Age: 23)
S: Damar Hamlin – #3 (Pittsburgh, 4th year, Age: 26)

*Matt Milano has a torn bicep and hopes to return by the end of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 9-8, 3rd in AFC East
MVP: QB Josh Allen
Breakout Player: WR Khalil Shakir
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Dominant QB, pass rush, LB depth
Weaknesses: WR core, secondary

The Bills enter the new year coming off of what can only be described as a downfall year. Sure, the 11-6 record paints it out to look like it wasn’t terrible, but the inconsistencies especially early on were troublesome. Josh Allen had a rough season, throwing for nearly 20 interceptions and feuding with star WR Stefon Diggs. Diggs was ultimately dealt to the Texans this offseason, leaving the WR room barren headlined by Curtis Samuel. James Cook bursted as a solid starting RB and will look to continue development in the run game. Long-time C Mitch Morse left and the offensive line will have to develop from within to remain consistent.

The defense lost a big piece in Tremaine Edmunds, their star ILB who left in free agency before last season and the team struggled to replace him. Now, Matt Milano will likely miss almost all of the season due to a bicep tear, leaving newly signed Nicholas Morrow and Terel Bernard to headline the room. Von Miller returns for veteran presence off the bench, and the defensive line looks strong with big Ed Oliver in the middle. The secondary lost a couple of key pieces in long-time safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, as well as former All-Pro CB Tre’Davious White. Due to all these losses, I think it’ll be tough for Buffalo to be the favorite in the East. Miami only got better and this season will make or break Sean McDermott’s job stability.

Miami Dolphins

HC: Mike McDaniel
3rd year
Career/Team record: 20-14, Career Playoff record: 0-2 – AGE: 41

OC: Frank Smith
3rd year as Miami OC – AGE: 43
DC: Anthony Weaver
1st year as Miami DC, 2nd year as a DC – AGE: 44

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#1	Tua Tagovailoa	Alabama 5th year, Age: 26	29 TDs, 14 INTs, 4,624 yds, 60.8 QBR 74 rush yds
HB	#31	Raheem Mostert	Purdue 10th year, Age: 32	209 carries, 1,012 yds, 18 TDs 25 receptions, 175 yds, 3 TDs
FB	#30	Alec Ingold	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 28	13 receptions, 119 yds
WR	#10	Tyreek Hill	West Alabama (D-II) 9th year, Age: 30	119 receptions, 1,799 yds, 13 TDs
WR	#17	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama 4th year, Age: 25	72 receptions, 1,014 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#9	Jonnu Smith	Florida International 8th year, Age: 29	50 receptions, 582 yds, 3 TDs – (ATL)
G	#73	Austin Jackson	USC 5th year, Age: 25
G	#77	Isaiah Wynn*	Georgia 7th year, Age: 28
C	#55	Aaron Brewer	Texas State 5th year, Age: 26
T	#72	Terron Armstead	UAPB 12th year, Age: 33
T	#74	Liam Eichenberg	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 26

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#92	Zach Sieler	Ferris State (D-II) 7th year, Age: 28	10 Sacks, 63 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FF, 2 FR, 4 PD, 11 TFL
DE	#93	Calais Campbell	Miami 17th year, Age: 37	6.5 Sacks, 56 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 10 TFL – (ATL)
NT	#95	Benito Jones	Ole Miss 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 26 Tackles, 3 TFL – (DET)
ILB	#20	Jordyn Brooks	Texas Tech 5th year, Age: 26	4.5 Sacks, 111 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FF, 1 FR, 4 PD, 8 TFL – (SEA)
ILB	#11	David Long Jr.	West Virginia 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 113 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 9 TFL
OLB	#2	Bradley Chubb**	NC State 7th year, Age: 28	11 Sacks, 73 Tackles, 6 FF, 2 FR 2 PD, 11 TFL
OLB	#15	Jaelan Phillips***	Miami 4th year, Age: 25	6.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD 7 TFL
CB	#5	Jalen Ramsey	Florida State 9th year, Age: 29	22 Tackles, 3 INTs, 5 PD
CB	#4	Kader Kohou	TAMU-Commerce (D-II) 3rd year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 63 Tackles, 1 FR, 10 PD 5 TFL
S	#8	Jevon Holland	Oregon 4th year, Age: 24	74 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 3 FF 1 FR, 4 PD, 3 TFL
S	#21	Jordan Poyer	Oregon State 12th year, Age: 33	1 Sack, 100 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD 2 TFL – (BUF)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#7	Jason Sanders	New Mexico 7th year, Age: 28	58/59 XP, 24/28 FG — 5/7 50+
P	#16	Jake Bailey	Stanford 6th year, Age: 27	53 punts, 2,424 yds, 20 <20
KR	#0	Braxton Berrios	Miami 7th year, Age: 28	18 attempts, 441 yds
PR	#0	Braxton Berrios	Miami 7th year, Age: 28	23 attempts, 235 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Skylar Thompson – #19 (Kansas State, 3rd year, Age: 27)
HB: De’Von Achane – #28 (Texas A&M, 2nd year, Age: 22)
HB: Jeff Wilson Jr. – #23 (North Texas, 7th year, Age: 27)
WR: Odell Beckham Jr. – #3 (LSU, 10th year, Age: 31)
TE: Durham Smythe – #81 (Notre Dame, 7th year, Age: 29)
DT: Da’Shawn Hand – #91 (Alabama, 7th year, Age: 28)
LB: Emmanuel Ogbah – #51 (Oklahoma State, 9th year, Age: 30)
LB: Duke Riley – #45 (LSU, 8th year, Age: 30)
LB: Anthony Walker Jr. – #8 (Northwestern, 8th year, Age: 29)
CB: Kendall Fuller – #29 (Virginia Tech, 9th year, Age: 29)
S: Marcus Maye – #46 (Florida, 8th year, Age: 31)

*Isaiah Wynn continues to rehab a quad injury and will miss the first 4 weeks
**Bradley Chubb continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss the first 4 weeks
***Jaelan Phillips continues to rehab a torn achilles and may miss 1 week

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 12-5, 1st in AFC East
MVP: WR Tyreek Hill
Breakout Player: DE Chop Robinson
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Passing game, offensive line, veteran defensive depth, secondary
Weaknesses: TE core, health of EDGE rushers

The Dolphins are one of the best on paper teams heading into the 2024 season in my book. They’re coming off of a dreadful Wild Card round loss to the Chiefs, in a game where their offense couldn’t get anyone going in the cold climate. This raised concerns about Tua and his ability to play in non-Florida weather. The Dolphins though don’t seem mightily concerned with that as they signed their star QB to a massive extension. He will have his usual stacked list of weapons with the league’s best WR Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, newly acquired OBJ, and their dynamic backfield duo of Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane. The offensive line will be a huge strength once again as well, with Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson leading the way.

The defense is also looking very scary, with veterans Calais Campbell, Benito Jones, Jordyn Brooks, and Marcus Maye joining the mix. Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips are still a work in progress to get fully healthy, but once they do they’ll become one of the scariest pass rushing duos in the league. Jordan Poyer was added from Buffalo to man up with star S Jevon Holland in the secondary. Jalen Ramsey still leads the CB room with veteran Kendall Fuller joining the mix. The Dolphins are my favorite to win the AFC East and are a strong AFC Championship contender. Beating the Chiefs will be a whole other story, but I like Miami to give them the biggest threat out of anyone in the AFC.

New England Patriots

HC: Jerod Mayo
1st year – AGE: 38

OC: Alex Van Pelt
1st year as New England OC, 6th year as an OC – AGE: 54
DC: DeMarcus Covington
1st year as New England DC – AGE: 35

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#14	Jacoby Brissett	NC State 9th year, Age: 31	3 GP, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 224 yds 19 rush yds – (WSH)
HB	#38	Rhamondre Stevenson	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 26	156 carries, 619 yds, 4 TDs 38 receptions, 238 yds
WR	#2	K.J. Osborn	Miami 5th year, Age: 27	48 receptions, 540 yds, 3 TDs – (MIN)
WR	#84	Kendrick Bourne	Eastern Washington 8th year, Age: 29	37 receptions, 406 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#11	Tyquan Thornton	Baylor 3rd year, Age: 24	13 receptions, 91 yds 3 carries, 51 yds
TE	#85	Hunter Henry	Arkansas 9th year, Age: 29	42 receptions, 419 yds, 6 TDs
G	#69	Cole Strange*	Chattanooga 3rd year, Age: 26
G	#62	Sidy Sow	Eastern Michigan 2nd year, Age: 26
C	#60	David Andrews	Georgia 10th year, Age: 32
T	#71	Mike Onwenu	Michigan 5th year, Age: 26
T	#77	Chukwuma Okorafor	Western Michigan 7th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#90	Christian Barmore	Alabama 4th year, Age: 25	8.5 Sacks, 64 Tackles, 1 FF, 6 PD 13 TFL
DE	#91	Deatrich Wise Jr.	Arkansas 8th year, Age: 30	4.5 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 3 TFL
NT	#92	Davon Godchaux	LSU 8th year, Age: 29	56 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 TFL
ILB	#8	Ja’Whaun Bentley	Purdue 7th year, Age: 28	4.5 Sacks, 114 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 5 TFL
ILB	#48	Jahlani Tavai	Hawaii 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 110 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF 5 PD, 5 TFL
OLB	#55	Josh Uche	Michigan 5th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 15 Tackles, 3 TFL
OLB	#33	Anfernee Jennings	Alabama 5th year, Age: 26	1.5 Sacks, 66 Tackles, 1 FR, 14 TFL
CB	#31	Jonathan Jones	Auburn 9th year, Age: 30	48 Tackles, 7 PD
CB	#0	Christian Gonzalez	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 22	4 GP, 1 Sack, 17 Tackles, 1 INT 1 FF, 1 PD
S	#5	Jabrill Peppers	Michigan 8th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 78 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 1 FR, 8 PD, 5 TFL
S	#23	Kyle Dugger	Lenoir-Rhyne (D-II) 5th year, Age: 28	1.5 Sacks, 109 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 7 PD, 6 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#13	Joey Slye	Virginia Tech 6th year, Age: 28	32/35 XP, 19/24 FG — 3/5 50+ – (WSH)
P	#17	Bryce Baringer	Michigan State 2nd year, Age: 25	98 punts, 4,598 yds, 38 <20
KR	#25	Marcus Jones	Houston 3rd year, Age: 25	NO STATS
PR	#25	Marcus Jones	Houston 3rd year, Age: 25	3 attempts, 21 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Drake Maye – #10 (North Carolina, Rookie, Age: 21)
HB: Antonio Gibson – #21 (Memphis, 5th year, Age: 26)
WR: DeMario Douglas – #3 (Liberty, 2nd year, Age: 23)
WR: Jalen Reagor – #83 (TCU, 5th year, Age: 25)
TE: Austin Hooper – #81 (Stanford, 9th year, Age: 29)
DE: Keion White – #99 (Georgia Tech, 2nd year, Age: 25)
DT: Armon Watts – #94 (Arkansas, 6th year, Age: 28)
LB: Raekwon McMillan – #50 (Ohio State, 7th year, Age: 27)
LB: Sione Takitaki – #16 (BYU, 6th year, Age: 29)
LB: Oshane Ximines – #93 (Old Dominion, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Marco Wilson – #22 (Florida, 4th year, Age: 25)

*Cole Strange continues to rehab a torn patellar tendon and will miss the first few weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 4-13, 4th in AFC East
MVP: S Jabrill Peppers
Breakout Player: CB Christian Gonzalez
Offensive Grade: D+
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Young QB, solid secondary
Weaknesses: WR core, offensive line, pass rushers

The Patriots enter the new season with the door completely closed on their past, looking to the future. Bill Belichick’s nearly three decade long tenure is over, leading way for former player Jerod Mayo to become the newest HC since the 90’s. The Mac Jones experiment has also been called quits after three years, as the Pats dealt him to Jacksonville and will gear up for #3 pick Drake Maye to be their future. It seems former Pat and long-time backup Jacoby Brissett will get the starting nods to begin the season. The receiving core is up for grabs with Kendrick Bourne returning, and youngsters Tyquan Thornton and DeMario Douglas as potential breakout candidates. The offensive line is also the weakest we’ve seen in a long time, still headlined by David Andrews and Mike Onwenu.

The defense will also be a work in progress, after losing star edge rusher Matt Judon via trade. Ja’Whaun Bentley and Deatrich Wise still remain as the veterans in the front tier. The pass rush and defensive line will by far be their weakest spots, with the secondary looking solid in most regards. Jabrill Peppers was extended, while Kyle Dugger broke out as a budding star safety last year. Christian Gonzalez will be a key piece to watch in the CB room, as the promising corner dealt with injuries his rookie year. New England won’t be competitive and may be the worst team in the AFC when it’s all said and done. The key will be to have Drake Maye take over somewhere mid-season with ease, and the WR room to have some solid breakout seasons.

New York Jets

HC: Robert Saleh
4th year
Career/Team record: 18-33 – AGE: 45

OC: Nathaniel Hackett
2nd year as NY Jets OC, 10th year as an OC, 1 year as Denver HC – AGE: 44
DC: Jeff Ulbrich
4th year as NY Jets DC, 5th year as a DC – AGE: 47

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#8	Aaron Rodgers	California 20th year, Age: 40	1 GP
HB	#20	Breece Hall	Iowa State 3rd year, Age: 23	223 carries, 994 yds, 5 TDs 76 receptions, 591 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#5	Garrett Wilson	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 24	95 receptions, 1,042 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#18	Mike Williams*	Clemson 8th year, Age: 29	3 GP, 19 receptions, 249 yds, 1 TD – (LAC)
WR	#10	Allen Lazard	Iowa State 6th year, Age: 28	23 receptions, 311 yds, 1 TD
TE	#83	Tyler Conklin	Central Michigan 7th year, Age: 29	61 receptions, 621 yds
G	#71	Wes Schweitzer	San Jose State 9th year, Age: 30
G	#75	Alijah Vera-Tucker	USC 4th year, Age: 25
C	#66	Joe Tippmann	Wisconsin 2nd year, Age: 23
T	#77	Tyron Smith	USC 14th year, Age: 33
T	#78	Morgan Moses	Virginia 11th year, Age: 33

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#94	Solomon Thomas	Stanford 8th year, Age: 28	5 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 1 PD, 7 TFL
DE	#99	Will McDonald IV	Iowa State 2nd year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 14 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 TFL
DT	#95	Quinnen Williams	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	5.5 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 3 PD, 11 TFL
DT	#54	Javon Kinlaw	South Carolina 5th year, Age: 26	3.5 Sacks, 25 Tackles, 3 PD, 4 TFL – (SF)
MLB	#57	C.J. Mosley	Alabama 10th year, Age: 32	0.5 Sacks, 152 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 1 FR, 7 PD, 5 TFL
OLB	#56	Quincy Williams	Murray State 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 139 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 1 FR, 10 PD, 15 TFL
OLB	#11	Jermaine Johnson	Florida State 3rd year, Age: 25	7.5 Sacks, 55 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FF, 1 FR, 7 PD, 11 TFL
CB	#1	Sauce Gardner	Cincinnati 3rd year, Age: 23	57 Tackles, 1 FF, 11 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#4	D.J. Reed	Kansas State 7th year, Age: 27	76 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 9 PD 2 TFL
S	#22	Tony Adams	Illinois 3rd year, Age: 25	82 Tackles, 3 INTs, 5 PD, 6 TFL
S	#21	Ashtyn Davis	California 5th year, Age: 27	37 Tackles, 3 INTs, 3 FR, 8 PD 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#9	Greg Zuerlein	Missouri Western (D-II) 13th year, Age: 36	15/16 XP, 35/38 FG — 5/6 50+
P	#6	Thomas Morstead	SMU 16th year, Age: 38	99 punts, 4,831 yds, 36 <20
KR	#82	Xavier Gipson	Stephen F. Austin 2nd year, Age: 23	22 attempts, 511 yds
PR	#82	Xavier Gipson	Stephen F. Austin 2nd year, Age: 23	33 attempts, 319 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tyrod Taylor – #2 (Virginia Tech, 14th year, Age: 35)
WR: Malachi Corley – #17 (Western Kentucky, Rookie, Age: 22)
T: Olu Fashanu – #74 (Penn State, Rookie, Age: 21)
DE: Haason Reddick** – #7 (Temple, 8th year, Age: 29)
DE: Michael Clemons – #72 (Texas A&M, 3rd year, Age: 27)
DT: Leki Fotu – #92 (Utah, 5th year, Age: 26)
LB: Jamien Sherwood – #44 (Auburn, 4th year, Age: 24)
CB: Michael Carter II – #30 (Duke, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Brandin Echols – #26 (Kentucky, 4th year, Age: 26)
S: Chuck Clark – #36 (Virginia Tech, 8th year, Age: 29)

*Mike Williams continues to rehab a torn ACL and may miss the first 1-2 weeks
**Haason Reddick has requested a trade and is holding out indefinitely

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 12-5, 2nd in AFC East
MVP: QB Aaron Rodgers
Breakout Player: T Olu Fashanu
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Rodgers back, run game, offensive line, pass rush
Weaknesses: Secondary, depth at WR core

In a year that looked to shine new light on the lowly franchise, it was a miserable 2023 season for the Jets. Aaron Rodgers got hurt just a few plays into Week 1 and it caused a whirlpool of auditions at QB. Zach Wilson proved to not be the guy, and was dealt to Denver. Tyrod Taylor will step in as a veteran backup in case anything happens to Rodgers again in his age-40 season. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall emerge as the stud weapons on offense, with Allen Lazard and Tyler Conklin as additional pieces. Mike Williams was signed from the Chargers, and if healthy, could be one of the steals of the offseason. Future Hall of Fame Tackle Tyron Smith was added to be Rodgers’ body guard along with AVT and Morgan Moses.

The defense was the shining spot that kept them hovering around .500 last season, and will look to be the anchor of a Super Bowl contender this year. Quinnen Williams is still the star of the line, with Javon Kinlaw added from San Fran to matchup with Will McDonald and Solomon Thomas. C.J. Mosley had another big year as the leader in the LB room, and Jermaine Johnson looks to continue to develop into a league leading pass rusher. The secondary is led by Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed who have become one of the best CB duos in football. If all goes right, I like the Jets to compete hard with the Dolphins for the AFC East crown and are true candidates to fight the Chiefs for the AFC title.

Baltimore Ravens

HC: John Harbaugh
17th year
Career/Team record: 160-99, Career Playoff record: 12-10 – AGE: 62

OC: Todd Monken
2nd year as Baltimore OC, 6th year as an OC – AGE: 58
DC: Zach Orr
1st year as Baltimore DC – AGE: 32

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#8	Lamar Jackson	Louisville 7th year, Age: 27	24 TDs, 7 INTs, 3,678 yds, 64.7 QBR 821 rush yds, 5 TDs
HB	#22	Derrick Henry	Alabama 9th year, Age: 30	280 carries, 1,167 yds, 12 TDs 28 receptions, 214 yds – (TEN)
FB	#42	Patrick Ricard	Maine 8th year, Age: 30	5 receptions, 52 yds, 1 TD
WR	#4	Zay Flowers	Boston College 2nd year, Age: 23	77 receptions, 858 yds, 5 TDs 8 carries, 56 yds, 1 TD
WR	#7	Rashod Bateman	Minnesota 4th year, Age: 24	32 receptions, 367 yds, 1 TD
TE	#89	Mark Andrews	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 28	45 receptions, 544 yds, 6 TDs
G	#65	Patrick Mekari	California 6th year, Age: 27
G	#72	Andrew Vorhees	USC 2nd year, Age: 25
C	#64	Tyler Linderbaum	Iowa 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#79	Ronnie Stanley	Notre Dame 9th year, Age: 30
T	#77	Daniel Faalele	Minnesota 3rd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#92	Justin Madubuike	Texas A&M 5th year, Age: 26	13 Sacks, 56 Tackles, 1 FF, 12 TFL
DE	#97	Brent Urban	Virginia 11th year, Age: 33	3 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD 5 TFL
NT	#58	Michael Pierce	Samford 8th year, Age: 31	1 Sack, 42 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 2 PD, 2 TFL
ILB	#0	Roquan Smith	Georgia 7th year, Age: 27	1.5 Sacks, 158 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 8 PD, 5 TFL
OLB	#53	Kyle Van Noy	BYU 11th year, Age: 33	9 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 PD 9 TFL
OLB	#99	Odafe Oweh	Penn State 4th year, Age: 25	5 Sacks, 23 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 TFL
CB	#44	Marlon Humphrey	Alabama 8th year, Age: 28	26 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#21	Brandon Stephens	SMU 4th year, Age: 26	74 Tackles, 2 INTs, 11 PD, 2 TFL
S	#14	Kyle Hamilton	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 23	3 Sacks, 81 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD 1 FF, 13 PD, 10 TFL
S	#32	Marcus Williams	Utah 8th year, Age: 27	55 Tackles, 1 INT, 8 PD, 1 TFL
S	#39	Eddie Jackson	Alabama 8th year, Age: 30	37 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD – (CHI)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#9	Justin Tucker	Texas 13th year, Age: 34	51/52 XP, 32/37 FG — 1/5 50+
P	#11	Jordan Stout	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 26	66 punts, 3,158 yds, 28 <20
KR	#3	Deonte Harty	Assumption (D-II) 6th year, Age: 26	1 attempt, 7 yds – (BUF)
PR	#3	Deonte Harty	Assumption (D-II) 6th year, Age: 26	26 attempts, 323 yds, 1 TD – (BUF)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Josh Johnson – #17 (San Diego, 10th year, Age: 38)
HB: Keaton Mitchell* – #34 (East Carolina, 2nd year, Age: 22)
HB: Justice Hill – #43 (Oklahoma State, 6th year, Age: 26)
WR: Nelson Agholor – #15 (USC, 10th year, Age: 31)
TE: Isaiah Likely – #80 (Coastal Carolina, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DT: Travis Jones – #98 (UConn, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DT: Broderick Washington – #96 (Texas Tech, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: David Ojabo – #90 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 24)
LB: Tavius Robinson – #95 (Ole Miss, 2nd year, Age: 25)
LB: Trenton Simpson – #23 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Arthur Maulet** – #10 (Memphis, 8th year, Age: 31)
CB: Nate Wiggins – #2 (Clemson, Rookie, Age: 20)

*Keaton Mitchell has a knee injury and will miss at least 4 weeks
**Arthur Maulet has a knee injury and will miss 1-2 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 10-7, 2nd in AFC North
MVP: QB Lamar Jackson
Breakout Player: DT Travis Jones
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: MVP QB, offensive line, defensive line, secondary
Weaknesses: WR room, pass game

The Ravens enter the new season fresh off of the best record in football, a trip to the AFC Championship, and another Lamar Jackson MVP. Despite all of this, they still fell short to the Chiefs and are looking to beef up their team to knock off KC. Jackson has a couple of good TE weapons in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, with Zay Flowers who bursted onto the scene in his rookie year. Lamar has always proven to be more TE friendly in the passing game so the lack of a WR room makes sense. Star Derrick Henry was also added in hopes to create a nightmare rushing duo for defenses. As long as the offensive line holds up, the run game should be strong.

On defense, Baltimore returns a few stars in Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton, and Justin Madubuike. They were one of the fiercest pass rushing teams in the league a season ago and look to only get better. The safety duo of Marcus Williams and Hamilton is one of the best in the league, while Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens make a great CB duo. I think Baltimore will be a playoff contender, but not nearly as good as they were last year. Lamar needs to develop more in the passing game to become a true contender and their lack of big wins worries me.

Cincinnati Bengals

HC: Zac Taylor
6th year
Career/Team record: 37-44-1, Career Playoff record: 5-2 – AGE: 41

OC: Dan Pitcher
1st year as Cincinnati OC – AGE: 37
DC: Lou Anarumo
6th year as Cincinnati DC, 7th year as a DC – AGE: 58

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#9	Joe Burrow	LSU 5th year, Age: 27	15 TDs, 6 INTs, 2,309 yds, 51.6 QBR 88 rush yds
HB	#31	Zack Moss	Utah 5th year, Age: 26	183 carries, 794 yds, 5 TDs 27 receptions, 192 yds, 2 TDs – (IND)
WR	#1	Ja’Marr Chase	LSU 4th year, Age: 24	100 receptions, 1,216 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#5	Tee Higgins	Clemson 5th year, Age: 25	42 receptions, 656 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#16	Trenton Irwin	Stanford 5th year, Age: 28	25 receptions, 316 yds, 1 TD
TE	#87	Tanner Hudson	So. Arkansas (D-II) 5th year, Age: 29	39 receptions, 352 yds, 1 TD
G	#65	Alex Cappa	Humboldt St. (D-II) 7th year, Age: 29
G	#67	Cordell Volson	North Dakota State 3rd year, Age: 26
C	#64	Ted Karras	Illinois 9th year, Age: 31
T	#75	Orlando Brown Jr.	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 28
T	#77	Trent Brown	Florida 10th year, Age: 31

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#91	Trey Hendrickson	Florida Atlantic 8th year, Age: 29	17.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 3 FF, 3 PD 16 TFL
DE	#94	Sam Hubbard	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 29	6 Sacks, 58 Tackles, 2 FR, 7 PD
DT	#92	B.J. Hill	NC State 7th year, Age: 29	4.5 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR 5 PD, 2 TFL
DT	#98	Sheldon Rankins	Louisville 9th year, Age: 30	6 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FF 1 FR, 9 TFL – (HOU)
MLB	#55	Logan Wilson	Wyoming 5th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 135 Tackles, 4 INTs, 2 FF 9 PD, 5 TFL
OLB	#57	Germaine Pratt	NC State 6th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 118 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF 3 PD, 7 TFL
CB	#21	Mike Hilton	Ole Miss 8th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 84 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR 8 PD, 12 TFL
CB	#29	Cam Taylor-Britt	Nebraska 3rd year, Age: 24	50 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 11 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#23	Dax Hill	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 23	1.5 Sacks, 110 Tackles, 2 INTs, 11 PD 6 TFL
S	#24	Vonn Bell	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 29	69 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD – (CAR)
S	#22	Geno Stone	Iowa 5th year, Age: 25	68 Tackles, 7 INTs, 9 PD – (BAL)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#2	Evan McPherson	Florida 4th year, Age: 25	40/40 XP, 26/31 FG — 7/12 50+
P	#8	Ryan Rehkow	BYU Rookie, Age: 25	UNDRAFTED in 2024
KR	#32	Trayveon Williams	Texas A&M 6th year, Age: 26	12 attempts, 290 yds
PR	#15	Charlie Jones	Purdue 2nd year, Age: 25	23 attempts, 248 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jake Browning – #6 (Washington, 2nd year, Age: 28)
HB: Chase Brown – #30 (Illinois, 2nd year, Age: 24)
WR: Andre Iosivas – #80 (Princeton, 2nd year, Age: 24)
TE: Mike Gesicki – #88 (Penn State, 7th year, Age: 28)
TE: Drew Sample – #89 (Washington, 6th year, Age: 28)
DE: Myles Murphy* – #99 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DE: Cam Sample** – #96 (Tulane, 4th year, Age: 24)
DT: Zach Carter – #95 (Florida, 3rd year, Age: 25)
LB: Akeem Davis-Gaither – #59 (Appalachian State, 5th year, Age: 26)
S: Jordan Battle – #27 (Alabama, 2nd year, Age: 23)

*Myles Murphy has a knee injury and will miss the first 4-6 weeks
**Cam Sample suffered a torn achilles and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 10-7, 3rd in AFC North
MVP: QB Joe Burrow
Breakout Player: TE Tanner Hudson
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Star QB, WR starters, pass rush
Weaknesses: Offensive line, TE core, depth in secondary

The Bengals will be one of the biggest question marks heading into the season, after getting fully healthy for practically the first time since their trip to the Super Bowl in 2022. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both have contract disputes lingering, which is something that could cost them some focus on winning early in the season. Long-time RB Joe Mixon also left for Houston while WR Tyler Boyd headed to Tennessee. To replace them, a RB duo of Zack Moss and Chase Brown will man the backfield as Trenton Irwin and Andre Iosivas could see more opportunities in the passing game. The offensive line still looks weak, with a returning group that was mediocre at best in 2023.

On defense, Cincy dodged a huge bullet when star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson decided to withdraw his trade request and stay with the Bengals. Hendrickson led the way with 17.5 sacks a year ago, and mans a fierce line along Sam Hubbard and B.J. Hill. The secondary starters is what stands out though, with Vonn Bell and last year’s INT leader Geno Stone both being added. I like the Bengals to make a strong comeback this year and surpass Baltimore in the division. I think they’ll stay relatively healthy and as long as Chase and Higgins put their contract disputes to the side, their offensive may be unstoppable.

Cleveland Browns

HC: Kevin Stefanski
5th year
Career/Team record: 37-30, Career Playoff record: 1-2 – AGE: 42

OC: Ken Dorsey
1st year as Cleveland OC, 3rd year as an OC – AGE: 43
DC: Jim Schwartz
2nd year as Cleveland DC, 17th year as a DC, 5 years as Detroit HC – AGE: 58

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#4	Deshaun Watson	Clemson 8th year, Age: 28	6 GP, 7 TDs, 4 INTs, 1,115 yds 142 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#24	Nick Chubb*	Georgia 7th year, Age: 28	2 GP, 28 carries, 170 yds 4 receptions, 21 yds
WR	#2	Amari Cooper	Alabama 10th year, Age: 30	72 receptions, 1,250 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#3	Jerry Jeudy	Alabama 5th year, Age: 25	54 receptions, 758 yds, 2 TDs – (DEN)
WR	#8	Elijah Moore	Ole Miss 4th year, Age: 24	59 receptions, 640 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#85	David Njoku	Miami 8th year, Age: 28	81 receptions, 882 yds, 6 TDs
G	#75	Joel Bitonio	Nevada 11th year, Age: 32
G	#77	Wyatt Teller	Virginia Tech 7th year, Age: 29
C	#55	Ethan Pocic	LSU 8th year, Age: 29
T	#71	Jedrick Wills Jr.	Alabama 5th year, Age: 25
T	#78	Jack Conklin	Michigan State 9th year, Age: 30

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#95	Myles Garrett	Texas A&M 8th year, Age: 28	14 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 4 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 17 TFL
DE	#99	Za’Darius Smith	Kentucky 10th year, Age: 31	5.5 Sacks, 27 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 8 TFL
DT	#94	Dalvin Tomlinson	Alabama 8th year, Age: 30	3 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 4 TFL
DT	#72	Quinton Jefferson	Maryland 9th year, Age: 31	6 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 TFL – (NYJ)
MLB	#58	Jordan Hicks	Texas 10th year, Age: 32	1 Sack, 107 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FF, 2 FR, 5 PD, 4 TFL – (MIN)
OLB	#6	Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 24	3.5 Sacks, 101 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 6 PD, 20 TFL
CB	#21	Denzel Ward	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	34 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 11 PD 1 TFL
CB	#0	Greg Newsome II	Northwestern 4th year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 14 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#23	Martin Emerson Jr.	Mississippi State 3rd year, Age: 23	59 Tackles, 4 INTs, 14 PD, 1 TFL
S	#9	Grant Delpit	LSU 5th year, Age: 25	1.5 Sacks, 80 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD 7 TFL
S	#1	Juan Thornhill	Virginia 6th year, Age: 28	54 Tackles, 1 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#7	Dustin Hopkins	Florida State 11th year, Age: 33	24/26 XP, 33/36 FG — 8/8 50+
P	#13	Corey Bojorquez	New Mexico 7th year, Age: 27	87 punts, 4,294 yds, 31 <20
KR	#20	Pierre Strong Jr.	South Dakota St. 3rd year, Age: 25	8 attempts, 200 yds
PR	#22	Nyheim Hines**	NC State 6th year, Age: 27	DNP – Leg injury – BUF

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jameis Winston – #5 (Florida State, 10th year, Age: 30)
QB: Tyler Huntley – #10 (Utah, 5th year, Age: 26)
HB: Jerome Ford – #34 (Cincinnati, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Cedric Tillman – #19 (Tennessee, 2nd year, Age: 24)
TE: Jordan Akins – #88 (UCF, 7th year, Age: 32)
DE: Ogbo Okoronkwo – #54 (Oklahoma, 7th year, Age: 29)
DE: Alex Wright – #91 (UAB, 3rd year, Age: 23)
DT: Shelby Harris – #93 (Illinois State, 10th year, Age: 33)
LB: Devin Bush – #30 (Michigan, 6th year, Age: 26)
S: D’Anthony Bell – #37 (West Florida (D-II), 3rd year, Age: 27)

*Nick Chubb continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss at least 4 weeks
**Nyheim Hines continues to rehab a leg injury and will miss at least 4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 11-6, 1st in AFC North
MVP: DE Myles Garrett
Breakout Player: HB Jerome Ford
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Pass rush, WR core, offensive line
Weaknesses: LB depth, health at QB

The Browns are coming off an injury filled year that should have thrown them out of contention. But Kevin Stefanski and company were still able to piece together an 11-6 season and a Wild Card round loss, headlined by the play of Joe Flacco who was signed after Deshaun Watson went down. Nick Chubb also got hurt in Week 2, ending his season. Amari Cooper stepped up for a great 1,200 yard season with David Njoku and Elijah Moore becoming solid alternative options. Now, Watson is healthy, Chubb is set to return, and former top pick Jerry Jeudy will help beef up the WR room with veteran talent. The offensive line seems to always be solid in Cleveland, and Joel Bitonio, Jedrick Wills, and Jack Conklin look to dominate in 2023.

The defense will be strong once again as well, headlined by 2023 DPOY Myles Garrett. Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson also return to stack up the defensive line and veteran ILB Jordan Hicks was also brought in. The secondary will be headlined by Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Grant Delpit who are some of the best in the league at their respective positions. I like Cleveland’s chances a lot this year, and I think they should be the favorite to win the AFC North. They have the most structurally sound team in the division, and after an 11-6 season with all of those injuries last year, they should be able to replicate that record, if not do better. As far as where they stack up with KC, Cincy, or the Jets in the playoffs, that remains to be seen.

Pittsburgh Steelers

HC: Mike Tomlin
18th year
Career/Team record: 173-100-2, Career Playoff record: 8-10 – AGE: 52

OC: Arthur Smith
1st year as Pittsburgh OC, 3rd year as an OC, 3 years as Atlanta HC – AGE: 42
DC: Teryl Austin
3rd year as Pittsburgh DC, 8th year as a DC – AGE: 59

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#3	Russell Wilson	Wisconsin 13th year, Age: 35	26 TDs, 8 INTs, 3,070 yds, 50.7 QBR 341 rush yds, 3 TDs – (DEN)
HB	#22	Najee Harris	Alabama 4th year, Age: 26	255 carries, 1,035 yds, 8 TDs 29 receptions, 170 yds
WR/HB	#84	Cordarrelle Patterson	Tennessee 12th year, Age: 33	50 carries, 181 yds 9 receptions, 38 yds, 1 TD – (ATL)
WR	#14	George Pickens	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 23	63 receptions, 1,140 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#11	Van Jefferson	Florida 5th year, Age: 28	20 receptions, 209 yds – (LAR/ATL)
TE	#88	Pat Freiermuth	Penn State 4th year, Age: 25	32 receptions, 308 yds, 2 TDs
G	#73	Isaac Seumalo	Oregon State 9th year, Age: 30
G	#78	James Daniels	Iowa 7th year, Age: 26
C	#54	Zach Frazier	West Virginia Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 51st overall by PIT
T	#77	Broderick Jones	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 23
T	#65	Dan Moore Jr.	Texas A&M 4th year, Age: 25

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#99	Larry Ogunjobi	Charlotte 8th year, Age: 30	3 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 2 PD, 3 TFL
DE	#57	Montravius Adams	Auburn 8th year, Age: 29	24 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD, 2 TFL
NT	#97	Cam Heyward	Ohio State 14th year, Age: 35	2 Sacks, 33 Tackles, 1 PD, 6 TFL
ILB	#6	Patrick Queen	LSU 5th year, Age: 25	3.5 Sacks, 133 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 6 PD, 9 TFL – (BAL)
ILB	#50	Elandon Roberts	Houston 9th year, Age: 30	2.5 Sacks, 101 Tackles, 2 PD, 10 TFL
OLB	#90	T.J. Watt	Wisconsin 8th year, Age: 29	19 Sacks, 68 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 4 FF, 3 FR, 8 PD, 19 TFL
OLB	#56	Alex Highsmith	Charlotte 5th year, Age: 27	7 Sacks, 57 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 2 FF, 3 PD, 8 TFL
CB	#24	Joey Porter Jr.	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 24	43 Tackles, 1 INT, 10 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#26	Donte Jackson	LSU 6th year, Age: 28	59 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD, 5 TFL – (CAR)
S	#39	Minkah Fitzpatrick	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27	64 Tackles, 3 PD, 1 TFL
S	#23	Damontae Kazee	San Diego State 8th year, Age: 31	61 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FR, 3 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#9	Chris Boswell	Rice 10th year, Age: 33	27/28 XP, 29/31 FG — 6/7 50+
P	#5	Cameron Johnston	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 32	66 punts, 3,145 yds, 30 <20 – (HOU)
KR	#84	Cordarrelle Patterson	Tennessee 12th year, Age: 33	7 attempts, 153 yds – (ATL)
PR	#19	Calvin Austin III	Memphis 3rd year, Age: 25	29 attempts, 249 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Justin Fields – #2 (Ohio State, 4th year, Age: 25)
HB: Jaylen Warren – #30 (Oklahoma State, 3rd year, Age: 25)
TE: Connor Heyward – #83 (Michigan State, 3rd year, Age: 25)
DE: Keeanu Banton – #95 (Wisconsin, 2nd year, Age: 23)
DT: Dean Lowry – #94 (Northwestern, 9th year, Age: 30)
LB: Cole Holcomb* – #55 (North Carolina, 6th year, Age: 28)
CB: Cameron Sutton** – #20 (Tennessee, 8th year, Age: 29)
S: DeShon Elliott – #25 (Texas, 7th year, Age: 27)
S: Miles Killebrew – #28 (Southern Utah, 9th year, Age: 31)

*Cole Holcomb continues to rehab a knee injury and will miss at least 4 weeks
**Cameron Sutton was suspended for the first 8 games due to gambling

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 8-9, 4th in AFC North
MVP: LB T.J. Watt
Breakout Player: WR Calvin Austin III
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Pass rush, LB core, QB options
Weaknesses: WR core, run game, offensive line

The Steelers were able to barely hang on to Mike Tomlin’s winning season streak in 2023, finishing 10-7 and losing first round in the playoffs. What Tomlin did to that roster last year was unheard of, as their offense was one of the worst in football. So much so that they abandoned Kenny Pickett after 2 years, and bring in a duo of young speedster Justin Fields and the veteran future HOF Russell Wilson. These two will probably split time at QB, and can go back and forth depending on performance. The WR group is also scarce, with George Pickens being the only reliable piece. Cordarrelle Patterson was added to beef up the run game alongside Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. The offensive line also remain a weakness after being one of the worst in football the last couple of years.

Their defense though is a different story, and is what kept them as a playoff team last year. T.J. Watt is probably the best edge rusher in football with a 19 sack, 8 PD season in 2023. Alex Highsmith was a solid partner on the edge and veteran ILB Patrick Queen was added from the rival Baltimore Ravens. Joey Porter Jr. will step in as CB1 after a great rookie year that saw him as one of the best lockdown corners in the league. It’ll be tough for Pittsburgh to compete with the other three workhorses in their division, especially with such a questionable offense. Tomlin always seems to amaze us, but this year I have to predict them to snap his streak and finish 8-9.

Houston Texans

HC: DeMeco Ryans
2nd year
Career/Team record: 10-7, Career Playoff record: 1-1 – AGE: 40

OC: Bobby Slowik
2nd year as Houston OC – AGE: 37
DC: Matt Burke
2nd year as Houston DC, 4th year as a DC – AGE: 48

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#7	C.J. Stroud	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 22	23 TDs, 5 INTs, 4,108 yds, 57.5 QBR 167 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#28	Joe Mixon	Oklahoma 8th year, Age: 28	257 carries, 1,034 yds, 9 TDs 52 receptions, 376 yds, 3 TDs – (CIN)
WR	#1	Stefon Diggs	Maryland 10th year, Age: 30	107 receptions, 1,183 yds, 8 TDs – (BUF)
WR	#12	Nico Collins	Michigan 4th year, Age: 25	80 receptions, 1,297 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#3	Tank Dell	Houston 2nd year, Age: 24	47 receptions, 709 yds, 7 TDs 11 carries, 51 yds
TE	#86	Dalton Schultz	Stanford 7th year, Age: 28	59 receptions, 635 yds, 5 TDs
G	#69	Shaq Mason	Georgia Tech 10th year, Age: 31
G	#76	Kenyon Green	Texas A&M 3rd year, Age: 23
C	#70	Juice Scruggs	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 24
T	#78	Laremy Tunsil	Ole Miss 9th year, Age: 30
T	#71	Tytus Howard	Alabama State 6th year, Age: 28

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#55	Danielle Hunter	LSU 10th year, Age: 29	16.5 Sacks, 83 Tackles, 4 FF, 2 PD 23 TFL – (MIN)
DE	#51	Will Anderson Jr.	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	7 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 1 PD, 10 TFL
DT	#91	Folo Fatukasi	UConn 7th year, Age: 29	24 Tackles, 1 PD, 3 TFL – (JAX)
DT	#97	Mario Edwards Jr.	Florida State 10th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 21 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 5 TFL – (SEA)
MLB	#0	Azeez Al-Shaair	Florida Atlantic 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 163 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 PD 9 TFL – (TEN)
OLB	#48	Christian Harris*	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	2 Sacks, 101 Tackles, 1 FF, 7 PD 7 TFL
OLB	#39	Henry To’oTo’o	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 23	61 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 PD 2 TFL
CB	#24	Derek Stingley Jr.	LSU 3rd year, Age: 23	39 Tackles, 5 INTs, 13 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#30	Myles Bryant	Washington 5th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 77 Tackles, 2 FF, 7 PD 7 TFL – (NE)
S	#5	Jalen Pitre	Baylor 3rd year, Age: 25	84 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 5 PD 6 TFL
S	#20	Jimmie Ward	Northern Illinois 11th year, Age: 33	50 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 3 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#15	Ka’imi Fairbairn	UCLA 9th year, Age: 30	21/22 XP, 27/28 FG — 5/6 50+
P	#6	Tommy Townsend	Florida 5th year, Age: 27	59 punts, 2,776 yds, 20 <20 – (KC)
KR	#31	Dameon Pierce	Florida 3rd year, Age: 24	7 attempts, 225 yds, 1 TD
PR	#82	Steven Sims	Kansas 4th year, Age: 27	4 attempts, 49 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Davis Mills – #10 (Stanford, 4th year, Age: 25)
HB: Cam Akers – #22 (Florida State, 4th year, Age: 25)
WR: Robert Woods – #2 (USC, 12th year, Age: 32)
TE: Brevin Jordan – #9 (Miami, 4th year, Age: 24)
DE: Denico Autry** – #96 (Mississippi State, 11th year, Age: 34)
DE: Derek Barnett – #95 (Tennessee, 8th year, Age: 28)
DT: Jerry Hughes – #52 (TCU, 15th year, Age: 36)
CB: Kamari Lassiter – #14 (Georgia, Rookie, Age: 21)
CB: Jeff Okudah – #1 (Ohio State, 5th year, Age: 25)
S: M.J. Stewart – #29 (North Carolina, 7th year, Age: 28)

*Christian Harris has a calf injury and will miss at least 4 weeks
**Denico Autry is suspended for the first 8 weeks due to gambling

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 10-7, 1st in AFC South
MVP: DE Danielle Hunter
Breakout Player: CB Kamari Lassiter
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Young QB, WR core, pass rush
Weaknesses: LB core, depth in run game

The Texans surprised the football world a year ago after a couple straight years of being one of the worst teams in the league. 2nd overall pick C.J. Stroud became one of the games best young QB’s, throwing for over 4,000 yards, only 5 INTs, winning a playoff game, and getting MVP recognition all in year one. The breakouts from young WR’s Tank Dell and Nico Collins also brings plenty of hope for Houston to keep up their dominance. Stefon Diggs was added from Buffalo and will create a nasty trio of passing options for Stroud. Joe Mixon and Cam Akers were both added to be a solid running duo to keep their ground game fierce.

The defense looks to be well improved as well, with star DE Danielle Hunter headlining their offseason acquisitions. He’ll line up with young Will Anderson and currently suspended Denico Autry as the pass rush. Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley Jr. both had great 2nd years in the league and will look to be the leaders in the secondary this season. The AFC South is going to be very wide open, with Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Tennessee all having huge question marks next to them. Any of those three could compete for a Wild Card, but Houston is pretty much the only sure thing. They should be able to win the division barring a sophomore slump from their new franchise QB.

Indianapolis Colts

HC: Shane Steichen
2nd year
Career/Team record: 9-8 – AGE: 39

OC: Jim Bob Cooter
2nd year as Indianapolis OC, 5th year as an OC – AGE: 40
DC: Gus Bradley
3rd year as Indianapolis DC, 12th year as a DC, 4 years as Jacksonville HC – AGE: 58

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#5	Anthony Richardson	Florida 2nd year, Age: 22	4 GP, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 577 yds 136 rush yds, 4 TDs
HB	#28	Jonathan Taylor	Wisconsin 5th year, Age: 25	169 carries, 741 yds, 7 TDs 19 receptions, 153 yds, 1 TD
WR	#11	Michael Pittman Jr.	USC 5th year, Age: 26	109 receptions, 1,152 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#10	Adonai Mitchell (R)	Texas Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 52nd overall by IND
WR	#14	Alec Pierce	Cincinnati 3rd year, Age: 24	32 receptions, 514 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#83	Kylen Granson	SMU 4th year, Age: 26	30 receptions, 368 yds, 1 TD
G	#56	Quenton Nelson	Notre Dame 7th year, Age: 28
G	#75	Will Fries	Penn State 4th year, Age: 26
C	#78	Ryan Kelly	Alabama 9th year, Age: 31
T	#72	Braden Smith	Auburn 7th year, Age: 28
T	#79	Bernhard Raimann	Central Michigan 3rd year, Age: 26

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#51	Kwity Paye	Michigan 4th year, Age: 25	8.5 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR 8 TFL
DE	#54	Dayo Odeyingbo	Vanderbilt 4th year, Age: 24	8 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR 2 PD, 9 TFL
DT	#99	DeForest Buckner	Oregon 9th year, Age: 30	8 Sacks, 81 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 7 PD, 11 TFL
DT	#90	Grover Stewart	Albany State (D-II) 8th year, Age: 30	0.5 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 5 TFL
MLB	#44	Zaire Franklin	Syracuse 7th year, Age: 28	1.5 Sacks, 179 Tackles, 2 FF, 6 PD 3 TFL
OLB	#45	E.J. Speed	Tarleton State (D-II) 6th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 102 Tackles, 3 FF, 4 PD 12 TFL
OLB	#50	Segun Olubi	San Diego State 2nd year, Age: 24	26 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 1 PD
CB	#23	Kenny Moore II	Valdosta State (D-II) 8th year, Age: 29	1.5 Sacks, 93 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 TDs 6 PD, 8 TFL
CB	#29	JuJu Brents	Kansas State 2nd year, Age: 24	43 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 6 PD
S	#32	Julian Blackmon	Utah 5th year, Age: 26	88 Tackles, 4 INTs, 2 FR, 8 PD 5 TFL
S	#25	Rodney Thomas II	Yale 3rd year, Age: 26	34 Tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#7	Matt Gay	Utah 6th year, Age: 30	35/36 XP, 33/41 FG — 8/13 50+
P	#8	Rigoberto Sanchez	Hawaii 8th year, Age: 29	68 punts, 3,281 yds, 21 <20
KR	#21	Dallas Flowers	Pittsburg State (D-II) 3rd year, Age: 27	4 GP, 1 attempt, 19 yds
PR	#1	Josh Downs	North Carolina 2nd year, Age: 23	6 attempts, 63 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Joe Flacco – #15 (Delaware, 18th year, Age: 39)
HB: Trey Sermon – #27 (Ohio State, 4th year, Age: 25)
TE: Mo-Alie Cox – #81 (VCU, 7th year, Age: 30)
TE: Will Mallory – #86 (Miami, 2nd year, Age: 25)
TE: Jelani Woods* – #80 (Virginia, 3rd year, Age: 25)
DE: Laiatu Latu – #97 (UCLA, Rookie, Age: 23)
DE: Samson Ebukam** – #52 (Eastern Washington, 8th year, Age: 29)
DT: Raekwon Davis – #98 (Alabama, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Jaylon Jones – #40 (Texas A&M, 2nd year, Age: 22)
S: Nick Cross – #20 (Maryland, 3rd year, Age: 22)

*Jelani Woods has a toe injury and will miss the entire season
**Samson Ebukam suffered a torn achilles and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 8-9, 3rd in AFC South
MVP: HB Jonathan Taylor
Breakout Player: QB Anthony Richardson
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Run game, elusive QB, pass rushers
Weaknesses: Offensive line, WR core, LB core

The Colts enter the new year coming off of what can only be looked at as a successful first season under new management. 1st round pick Anthony Richardson shined before going down with injury, and will look to become the franchise cornerstone in his first full season. Shane Steichen led his team to a 9-8 record, narrowly missing the playoffs despite a mediocre roster. Gardner Minshew was the main one to thank though, playing solid QB and earning himself a starting contract in Las Vegas. Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman look to become the key pieces for Richardson, with rookie Adonai Mitchell poised to have a good year.

Defensively, veterans Zaire Franklin and DeForest Buckner headline the workforce. Similar to the offense they also look very mediocre, with the secondary being their strong suit. Kenny Moore and Julian Blackmon became two of the best DB’s in the league last year and will look to pile on their development. I like the Colts to have a similar year to last year, and that should be considered high praise after how they over performed. It is a wide open division and a down year from Houston could bode well for Indy. It’s just difficult to see them as being a sure thing with several question marks.

Jacksonville Jaguars

HC: Doug Pederson
3rd year in Jacksonville
Career record: 60-53-1, Team record: 18-16, Career Playoff record: 5-3 – AGE: 56

OC: Press Taylor
3rd year as Jacksonville OC – AGE: 36
DC: Ryan Nielsen
1st year as Jacksonville DC, 3rd year as a DC – AGE: 45

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#16	Trevor Lawrence	Clemson 4th year, Age: 24	21 TDs, 14 INTs, 4,016 yds, 56.1 QBR 339 rush yds, 4 TDs
HB	#1	Travis Etienne Jr.	Clemson 4th year, Age: 25	267 carries, 1,008 yds, 11 TDs 58 receptions, 476 yds, 1 TD
WR	#0	Gabe Davis	UCF 5th year, Age: 25	45 receptions, 746 yds, 7 TDs – (BUF)
WR	#13	Christian Kirk	Texas A&M 7th year, Age: 27	57 receptions, 787 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#7	Brian Thomas Jr. (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 23rd overall by JAX
TE	#17	Evan Engram	Ole Miss 8th year, Age: 30	114 receptions, 963 yds, 4 TDs
G	#68	Brandon Scherff	Iowa 10th year, Age: 32
G	#76	Ezra Cleveland	Boise State 5th year, Age: 26
C	#65	Mitch Morse	Missouri 10th year, Age: 32
T	#74	Cam Robinson	Alabama 8th year, Age: 28
T	#77	Anton Harrison	Oklahoma 2nd year, Age: 22

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#91	Arik Armstead	Oregon 10th year, Age: 30	5 Sacks, 27 Tackles, 4 TFL – (SF)
DE	#95	Roy Robertson-Harris	UTEP 8th year, Age: 31	3.5 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 1 PD, 3 TFL
NT	#94	Maason Smith (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 48th overall by JAX
ILB	#23	Foyesade Oluokun	Yale 7th year, Age: 29	2.5 Sacks, 173 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FF, 3 FR, 6 PD, 8 TFL
ILB	#33	Devin Lloyd	Utah 3rd year, Age: 25	127 Tackles, 2 FR, 7 PD, 2 TFL
OLB	#41	Josh Hines-Allen	Kentucky 6th year, Age: 27	17.5 Sacks, 66 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 1 PD, 17 TFL
OLB	#44	Travon Walker	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 23	10 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD 10 TFL
CB	#32	Tyson Campbell	Georgia 4th year, Age: 24	60 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 5 PD 2 TFL
CB	#25	Ronald Darby	Florida State 10th year, Age: 30	28 Tackles, 7 PD, 1 TFL – (BAL)
S	#5	Andre Cisco	Syracuse 4th year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF 5 PD, 1 TFL
S	#42	Andrew Wingard*	Wyoming 6th year, Age: 27	45 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 2 PD 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#39	Cam Little (R)	Arkansas Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 212th overall by JAX
P	#9	Logan Cooke	Mississippi State 7th year, Age: 29	61 punts, 2,893 yds, 29 <20
KR	#12	Devin Duvernay	Texas 5th year, Age: 26	9 attempts, 174 yds – (BAL)
PR	#12	Devin Duvernay	Texas 5th year, Age: 26	23 attempts, 290 yds – (BAL)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Mac Jones – #10 (Alabama, 4th year, Age: 25)
HB: Tank Bigsby – #4 (Auburn, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Luke Farrell – #89 (Ohio State, 4th year, Age: 26)
DT: Jeremiah Ledbetter – #99 (Arkansas, 3rd year, Age: 30)
CB: Jarrian Jones – #22 (Florida State, Rookie, Age: 22)
CB: Montaric Brown – #30 (Arkansas, 3rd year, Age: 25)
S: Tashaun Gipson Sr.** – #31 (Wyoming, 12th year, Age: 34)
S: Darnell Savage – #2 (Maryland, 6th year, Age: 27)

*Andrew Wingard has a knee injury and will miss at least 4 weeks
**Tashaun Gipson has been suspended the first 6 weeks for PED use

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 8-9, 2nd in AFC South
MVP: QB Trevor Lawrence
Breakout Player: WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: QB, pass rush, WR core
Weaknesses: depth in secondary, depth in run game

The Jaguars entered 2023 as the clear cut favorites to win the South, and things just didn’t go their way. Inconsistent play from top to bottom from the start of the season was to blame. Now we enter Year 4 of Trevor Lawrence and despite being awarded a star level contract, he hasn’t quite lived up to his potential yet. He has two new weapons in newly signed Gabe Davis and rookie WR Brian Thomas to go along with Christian Kirk and Travis Etienne. The offensive line still holds the anchor of Brandon Scherff while adding veteran C Mitch Morse.

Defensively, they’re looking at a solid core again. Their pass rush is the strong suit, with Josh Hines-Allen and former #1 pick Travon Walker as the stars on the edge. Both will look to tally 10+ sack seasons again. Veteran DT Arik Armstead was also brought in to beef up the front defensive line that is very young. I still think the Texans are the favorites in this division, and the Jags need to prove a lot before they are a shoeing to be a playoff team. The Colts aren’t too far off from being in the same class as Jacksonville.

Tennessee Titans

HC: Brian Callahan
1st year – AGE: 40

OC: Nick Holz
1st year as Tennessee OC – AGE: 40
DC: Dennard Wilson
1st year as Tennessee DC – AGE: 42

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#8	Will Levis	Kentucky 2nd year, Age: 25	8 TDs, 4 INTs, 1,808 yds, 33.2 QBR 57 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#20	Tony Pollard	Memphis 6th year, Age: 27	252 carries, 1,005 yds, 6 TDs 55 receptions, 311 yds – (DAL)
WR	#0	Calvin Ridley	Alabama 6th year, Age: 29	76 receptions, 1,016 yds, 8 TDs – (JAX)
WR	#10	DeAndre Hopkins	Clemson 11th year, Age: 32	75 receptions, 1,057 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#83	Tyler Boyd	Pittsburgh 9th year, Age: 29	67 receptions, 667 yds, 2 TDs – (CIN)
TE	#85	Chigoziem Okonkwo	Maryland 3rd year, Age: 24	54 receptions, 528 yds, 1 TD
G	#77	Peter Skoronski	Northwestern 2nd year, Age: 23
G	#75	Dillon Radunz	North Dakota St. 4th year, Age: 26
C	#79	Lloyd Cushenberry III	LSU 5th year, Age: 26
T	#55	J.C. Latham (R)	Alabama Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 7th overall by TEN
T	#78	Nicholas Petit-Frere	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DT	#98	Jeffery Simmons	Mississippi State 6th year, Age: 27	5.5 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 10 TFL
DT	#69	Sebastian Joseph-Day	Rutgers 7th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 36 Tackles, 3 TFL – (LAC/SF)
ILB	#56	Kenneth Murray Jr.	Oklahoma 5th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 107 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD 7 TFL – (LAC)
ILB	#53	Ernest Jones IV	South Carolina 4th year, Age: 24	4.5 Sacks, 145 Tackles, 6 PD, 14 TFL – (LAR)
OLB	#58	Harold Landry III	Boston College 7th year, Age: 28	10.5 Sacks, 70 Tackles, 14 TFL
OLB	#49	Arden Key	LSU 7th year, Age: 28	6 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 PD 4 TFL
CB	#38	L’Jarius Sneed	Louisiana Tech 5th year, Age: 27	78 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 14 PD 5 TFL – (KC)
CB	#21	Roger McCreary	Auburn 3rd year, Age: 24	2 Sacks, 86 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 6 PD, 7 TFL
S	#37	Amani Hooker	Iowa 6th year, Age: 26	85 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 7 PD, 3 TFL
S	#26	Quandre Diggs	Texas 9th year, Age: 31	95 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD, 1 TFL – (SEA)
S	#33	Jamal Adams	LSU 7th year, Age: 28	48 Tackles, 2 PD, 7 TFL – (SEA)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#6	Nick Folk	Arizona 17th year, Age: 39	28/30 XP, 29/30 FG — 5/6 50+
P	#4	Ryan Stonehouse	Colorado State 3rd year, Age: 25	53 punts, 2,812 yds, 28 <20
KR	#19	Jha’Quan Jackson (R)	Tulane Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 182nd overall by TEN
PR	#19	Jha’Quan Jackson (R)	Tulane Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 182nd overall by TEN

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Mason Rudolph – #11 (Oklahoma State, 7th year, Age: 29)
HB: Tyjae Spears – #2 (Tulane, 2nd year, Age: 23)
WR: Treylon Burks – #16 (Arkansas, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine – #15 (Indiana, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: Jack Gibbens – #50 (Minnesota, 2nd year, Age: 25)
LB: Otis Reese IV – #41 (Ole Miss, 2nd year, Age: 26)
CB: Chidobe Awuzie – #13 (Colorado, 8th year, Age: 29)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 6-11, 4th in AFC South
MVP: WR DeAndre Hopkins
Breakout Player: LB Arden Key
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: WR core, secondary
Weaknesses: Defensive line, young QB, offensive line

After a long tenure that resulted in nothing besides one AFC Championship appearance, the Titans let go of HC Mike Vrabel. They also let loose of Ryan Tannehill and have gone all in on Will Levis, who as a rookie, showed some promise with a strong arm and accuracy. A few big time pieces were added in WR’s Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, along with RB Tony Pollard. Pollard and Tyjae Spears make for an interesting and explosive combo, while Ridley and Boyd join D-Hop in a crowded WR room. The question will be, can the ball get to these receivers and will the O-Line hold up enough?

Their biggest defensive upgrade came in the sign-and-trade for KC star CB L’Jarius Sneed to become their DB room’s leader. Kenneth Murray and Ernest Jones, two former LA players were also added to be the starting interior LB’s. The safety room from Seattle in 2023 will now be the same for Tennessee in 2024 as Quandre Diggs and Jalen Adams were both added to be the starting Safeties. Tennessee definitely went out of their way to try to upgrade, and there is plenty of potential for some success. The QB question and the depth at all of these skill level positions worry me and make me think it’ll be a year of growing pains for Tennessee. I don’t see them being a real contender with the other three in the division.

Denver Broncos

HC: Sean Payton
2nd year as Denver HC
Career record: 160-98, Team record: 8-9, Career Playoff record: 9-8 – AGE: 60

OC: Joe Lombardi
2nd year as Denver OC, 6th year as an OC – AGE: 53
DC: Vance Joseph
2nd year as Denver DC, 7th year as a DC, 2 years as Denver HC – AGE: 52

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#10	Bo Nix (R)	Oregon Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 12th overall by DEN
HB	#33	Javonte Williams	North Carolina 4th year, Age: 24	217 carries, 774 yds, 3 TDs 47 receptions, 228 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#14	Courtland Sutton	SMU 7th year, Age: 28	59 receptions, 772 yds, 10 TDs
WR	#11	Josh Reynolds	Texas A&M 7th year, Age: 29	40 receptions, 608 yds, 5 TDs – (DET)
WR	#19	Marvin Mims Jr.	Oklahoma 2nd year, Age: 22	22 receptions, 377 yds, 1 TD 9 carries, 30 yds
TE	#82	Adam Trautman	Dayton 5th year, Age: 27	22 receptions, 204 yds, 3 TDs
G	#77	Quinn Meinerz	UW-Whitewater (D-III) 4th year, Age: 25
G	#74	Ben Powers	Oklahoma 6th year, Age: 27
C	#60	Luke Wattenberg	Washington 3rd year, Age: 26
T	#72	Garett Bolles	Utah 8th year, Age: 32
T	#69	Mike McGlinchey	Notre Dame 7th year, Age: 29

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#98	John Franklin-Myers	Stephen F. Austin 7th year, Age: 27	3.5 Sacks, 33 Tackles, 3 PD, 6 TFL – (NYJ)
DE	#99	Zach Allen	Boston College 6th year, Age: 27	5 Sacks, 60 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 8 TFL
NT	#93	D.J. Jones	Ole Miss 8th year, Age: 29	2 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 3 FF, 2 FR 5 TFL
ILB	#49	Alex Singleton	Montana State 6th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 177 Tackles, 2 FR, 4 PD 6 TFL
ILB	#55	Cody Barton	Utah 6th year, Age: 27	121 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 1 PD 3 TFL – (WSH)
OLB	#0	Jonathon Cooper	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 26	8.5 Sacks, 72 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FF, 2 FR, 2 PD, 8 TFL
OLB	#42	Nik Bonitto	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 24	8 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 13 TFL
CB	#2	Pat Surtain II	Alabama 4th year, Age: 24	69 Tackles, 1 INT, 12 PD
CB	#39	Levi Wallace	Alabama 7th year, Age: 29	38 Tackles, 2 INTs, 11 PD – (PIT)
S	#22	Brandon Jones	Texas 5th year, Age: 26	48 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 2 TFL – (MIA)
S	#6	P.J. Locke	Texas 5th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 5 PD, 2 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#3	Wil Lutz	Georgia State 9th year, Age: 30	29/31 XP, 30/34 FG — 3/5 50+
P	#9	Riley Dixon	Syracuse 9th year, Age: 31	79 punts, 3,659 yds, 27 <20
KR	#19	Marvin Mims Jr.	Oklahoma 2nd year, Age: 22	15 attempts, 397 yds, 1 TD
PR	#19	Marvin Mims Jr.	Oklahoma 2nd year, Age: 22	19 attempts, 312 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Zach Wilson – #4 (BYU, 4th year, Age: 25)
QB: Jarrett Stidham – #8 (Auburn, 5th year, Age: 28)
HB: Jaleel McLaughlin – #38 (Youngstown State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Greg Dulcich – #80 (UCLA, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DT: Malcolm Roach – #97 (Texas, 5th year, Age: 26)
LB: Baron Browning – #5 (Ohio State, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Ja’Quan McMillian – #29 (East Carolina, 2nd year, Age: 24)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 5-12, 4th in AFC West
MVP: CB Pat Surtain II
Breakout Player: QB Bo Nix
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Secondary, run game
Weaknesses: QB issue, pass rush, offensive line, WR core

Entering year 2 of the Sean Payton era, Denver decided to cut ties with Russell Wilson, whom they are still on tab to pay off a few years of his contract. They decided to draft Bo Nix with the 12th pick, and acquire both Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, giving them three young guys to choose from as their next cornerstone. Jerry Jeudy was also shipped off and the WR room now is led by Courtland Sutton and newly signed Josh Reynolds. The offensive line has some bright spots in Quinn Meinerz and Garett Bolles, but there’s just too much rebuild going on to get excited about this core.

Defensively, they bring back a few core pieces of Pat Surtain, Zach Allen, and Alex Singleton while adding Cody Barton from Washington as an ILB. I’m not excited at all about Denver and I think they will be bottom dwellers yet again. Barring any huge breakout from Nix or young receivers, it’ll be a struggle to put points on the board all year for Denver.

Kansas City Chiefs

HC: Andy Reid
12th year in Kansas City
Career record: 258-144-1, Team record: 128-51, Career Playoff record: 26-16 – AGE: 66

OC: Matt Nagy
4th year as Kansas City OC (2nd stint), 4 years as Chicago HC – AGE: 46
DC: Steve Spagnuolo
6th year as Kansas City DC, 12th year as a DC, 3 years as St. Louis HC – AGE: 64

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#15	Patrick Mahomes	Texas Tech 8th year, Age: 28	27 TDs, 14 INTs, 4,183 yds, 63.1 QBR 389 rush yds
HB	#10	Isiah Pacheco	Rutgers 3rd year, Age: 25	205 carries, 935 yds, 7 TDs 44 receptions, 244 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#4	Rashee Rice	SMU 2nd year, Age: 24	79 receptions, 938 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#5	Marquise Brown*	Oklahoma 6th year, Age: 27	51 receptions, 574 yds, 4 TDs – (ARI)
WR	#1	Xavier Worthy (R)	Texas Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 28th overall by KC
TE	#87	Travis Kelce	Cincinnati 12th year, Age: 34	93 receptions, 984 yds, 5 TDs
G	#62	Joe Thuney	NC State 9th year, Age: 31
G	#65	Trey Smith	Tennessee 4th year, Age: 25
C	#52	Creed Humphrey	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 25
T	#74	Jawaan Taylor	Florida 6th year, Age: 26
T	#76	Kingsley Suamataia (R)	BYU Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 63rd overall by KC

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#56	George Karlaftis	Purdue 3rd year, Age: 23	10.5 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 7 TFL
DE	#51	Mike Danna	Michigan 5th year, Age: 26	6.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 3 PD, 7 TFL
DT	#95	Chris Jones	Mississippi State 9th year, Age: 30	10.5 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 4 PD, 13 TFL
DT	#91	Derrick Nnadi	Florida State 7th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 29 Tackles, 1 PD, 1 TFL
MLB	#32	Nick Bolton	Michigan 4th year, Age: 24	60 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD, 1 TFL
OLB	#23	Drue Tranquill	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 29	4.5 Sacks, 78 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 7 TFL
OLB	#54	Leo Chenal	Wisconsin 3rd year, Age: 23	3 Sacks, 65 Tackles, 1 PD, 8 TFL
CB	#22	Trent McDuffie	Washington 3rd year, Age: 23	3 Sacks, 80 Tackles, 5 FF, 7 PD 3 TFL
CB	#35	Jaylen Watson	Washington State 3rd year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 33 Tackles, 6 PD, 2 TFL
S	#20	Justin Reid	Stanford 7th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 95 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 7 PD, 5 TFL
S	#6	Bryan Cook	Cincinnati 3rd year, Age: 24	42 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 2 FR 2 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#7	Harrison Butker	Georgia Tech 8th year, Age: 29	38/38 XP, 33/35 FG — 5/5 50+
P	#49	Matt Araiza (R)	San Diego State Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED in 2022 by BUF
KR	#17	Mecole Hardman	Georgia 6th year, Age: 26	1 attempt, 14 yds – (NYJ/KC)
PR	#1	Xavier Worthy (R)	Texas Rookie, Age: 21	–

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Carson Wentz – #11 (North Dakota State, 9th year, Age: 31)
HB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire** – #25 (LSU, 5th year, Age: 25)
HB: Samaje Perine – #34 (Oklahoma, 8th year, Age: 28)
WR: Justin Watson – #84 (Penn, 7th year, Age: 28)
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster – #9 (USC, 8th year, Age: 27)
TE: Noah Gray – #83 (Duke, 4th year, Age: 25)
DE: Charles Omenihu*** – #90 (Texas, 6th year, Age: 27)
DT: Tershawn Wharton – #98 (Missouri S&T (D-II), 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Joshua Williams – #2 (Fayetteville State (D-II), 3rd year, Age: 24)
S: Chamarri Conner – #27 (Virginia Tech, 2nd year, Age: 24)

*Marquise Brown has a shoulder injury and will miss the first 1-3 weeks
**Clyde Edwards-Helaire is dealing with mental health issues and will miss at least 4 weeks
***Charles Omenihu is rehabbing a torn ACL and may miss the whole season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 13-4, 1st in AFC West
MVP: QB Patrick Mahomes
Breakout Player: WR Xavier Worthy
Offensive Grade: A+
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Mahomes & Kelce, WR depth, offensive line, defensive line
Weaknesses: Secondary depth, LB depth

What is there to say that hasn’t already been said about the back-to-back champs? Patrick Mahomes is creating a dynasty before our eyes, and now has 3 rings in 4 tries since taking over as starter in 2018. He also added another SB MVP to his collection. Now, KC’s eyes are on a 3-peat, the first to ever do it in the Super Bowl era. The receiving core looks stronger than their shaky core from last year, with Rashee Rice as the clear #1 and Hollywood Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy as big additions. The backfield will be led by Isiah Pacheco with Clyde Edward-Helaire being retained to back him up. The offensive line will once again be one of the best in football, with all-pros Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey leading the way.

On defense, Chris Jones was finally extended and will look to spend the rest of his career manning the defensive line in KC. George Karlaftis and Leo Chenal were two huge breakout players in their sophomore seasons and Chenal will now be a starting LB with the loss of Willie Gay. L’Jarius Sneed leaving for Tennessee leaves a big hole in the secondary, making Trent McDuffie the leader and springing Jaylen Watson into a starting role. Overall KC is the team to beat, there’s no doubt about it and it will take an all out effort from all 31 other franchises to make sure they don’t 3-peat.

Las Vegas Raiders

HC: Antonio Pierce
2nd year
Career/Team record: 5-4 – AGE: 46

OC: Luke Getsy
1st year as Las Vegas OC, 3rd year as an OC – AGE: 40
DC: Patrick Graham
3rd year as Las Vegas DC, 6th year as a DC – AGE: 45

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#15	Gardner Minshew	Washington State 6th year, Age: 28	15 TDs, 9 INTs, 3,305 yds, 60.4 QBR 100 rush yds, 3 TDs – (IND)
HB	#3	Zamir White	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24	104 carries, 451 yds, 1 TD 15 receptions, 98 yds
WR	#17	Davante Adams	Fresno State 11th year, Age: 31	103 receptions, 1,144 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#16	Jakobi Meyers	NC State 6th year, Age: 27	71 receptions, 807 yds, 8 TDs 4 carries, 24 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#11	Tre Tucker	Cincinnati 2nd year, Age: 23	19 receptions, 331 yds, 2 TDs 10 carries, 77 yds
TE	#87	Michael Mayer	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 23	27 receptions, 304 yds, 2 TDs
G	#75	Andrus Peat	Stanford 10th year, Age: 30
G	#66	Dylan Parham	Memphis 3rd year, Age: 25
C	#68	Andre James	UCLA 6th year, Age: 27
T	#74	Kolton Miller	UCLA 7th year, Age: 29
T	#77	Thayer Munford Jr.	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#98	Maxx Crosby	Eastern Michigan 6th year, Age: 27	14.5 Sacks, 90 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 23 TFL
DE	#51	Malcolm Koonce	Buffalo 4th year, Age: 26	8 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 3 FF, 9 TFL
DT	#94	Christian Wilkins	Clemson 6th year, Age: 28	9 Sacks, 65 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 2 PD, 10 TFL – (MIA)
DT	#95	John Jenkins	Georgia 12th year, Age: 35	1 Sack, 61 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FR 4 PD, 4 TFL
MLB	#41	Robert Spillane	Western Michigan 6th year, Age: 28	3.5 Sacks, 148 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF 1 FR, 4 PD, 7 TFL
OLB	#5	Divine Deablo	Virginia Tech 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 106 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD 4 TFL
OLB	#59	Luke Masterson	Wake Forest 3rd year, Age: 26	27 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD
CB	#39	Nate Hobbs	Illinois 4th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 86 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 7 PD, 6 TFL
CB	#18	Jack Jones	Arizona State 3rd year, Age: 26	37 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 TDs, 5 PD 1 TFL – (NE/LVR)
S	#1	Marcus Epps	Wyoming 6th year, Age: 28	66 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 7 PD 6 TFL
S	#7	Tre’von Moehrig	TCU 4th year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 83 Tackles, 3 INTs, 8 PD 1 TFL

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Aidan O’Connell – #12 (Purdue, 2nd year, Age: 26)
HB: Alexander Mattison – #22 (Boise State, 6th year, Age: 26)
TE: Brock Bowers – #89 (Georgia, Rookie, Age: 21)
TE: Harrison Bryant – #84 (Florida Atlantic, 5th year, Age: 26)
DE: Tyree Wilson – #9 (Texas Tech, 2nd year, Age: 24)
DT: Adam Butler – #69 (Vanderbilt, 6th year, Age: 30)
CB: Darnay Holmes – #30 (UCLA, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Jakorian Bennett – #0 (Maryland, 2nd year, Age: 24)
S: Isaiah Pola-Mao – #20 (USC, 3rd year, Age: 25)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 8-9, 3rd in AFC West
MVP: WR Davante Adams
Breakout Player: TE Brock Bowers
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: TE options, defensive line, offensive line
Weaknesses: Secondary, run game, LB core

The Raiders had a nightmarish 2023 season that seemed to turn around when the team let go of Josh McDaniels and rallied around Antonio Pierce. The former Super Bowl winning LB now has the full-time gig and a new QB in the arsenal. Gardner Minshew played amazing for Indianapolis after Anthony Richardson went down and will now be the starting man for the Raiders, beating out last year’s starter Aidan O’Connell. Davante Adams returns as the #1 piece on offense, and they will look to replace two departing key pieces in Josh Jacobs and Hunter Renfrow. Zamir White and Alexander Mattison will lead the RB room and young TE’s Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers will get cracks at having big years.

Maxx Crosby returns as the leader of the defense, with former Dolphin DT Christian Wilkins joining him on the defensive line. The rest of the defense is filled with plug and play talent, with many guys getting a shot at starting roles. I like Jack Jones in the secondary to have a good year, as he had 2 pick six’s before going down with injury last season. Las Vegas is definitely further along than Denver, but it’ll be tough to imagine them as a playoff team this year. There are way too many growing pains to deal with.

Los Angeles Chargers

HC: Jim Harbaugh
1st year in Los Angeles
Career record: 44-19-1, Career Playoff record: 5-3 – AGE: 60

OC: Greg Roman
1st year as LA Chargers OC, 11th year as an OC – AGE: 52
DC: Jesse Minter
1st year as LA Chargers DC – AGE: 41

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
QB	#10	Justin Herbert	Oregon 5th year, Age: 26	20 TDs, 7 INTs, 3,134 yds, 64.1 QBR 228 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#4	Gus Edwards	Rutgers 7th year, Age: 29	198 carries, 810 yds, 13 TDs 12 receptions, 180 yds – (BAL)
WR	#5	Joshua Palmer	Tennessee 4th year, Age: 24	38 receptions, 581 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#1	Quentin Johnston	TCU 2nd year, Age: 23	38 receptions, 431 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#15	Ladd McConkey (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 34th overall by LAC
TE	#81	Will Dissly	Washington 7th year, Age: 28	17 receptions, 172 yds, 1 TD – (SEA)
G	#68	Jamaree Slayer	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24
G	#77	Zion Johnson	Boston College 3rd year, Age: 24
C	#75	Bradley Bozeman	Alabama 7th year, Age: 29
T	#70	Rashawn Slater	Northwestern 4th year, Age: 25
T	#76	Joe Alt (R)	Notre Dame Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 5th overall by LAC

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
DE	#56	Morgan Fox	Colorado St.-Pueblo 8th year, Age: 29	5.5 Sacks, 15 Tackles, 5 TFL
DE	#95	Poona Ford	Texas 7th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 9 Tackles, 1 TFL – (BUF)
NT	#90	Teair Tart	Florida International 5th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 24 Tackles, 8 TFL – (TEN/HOU)
ILB	#6	Denzel Perryman	Miami 10th year, Age: 31	0.5 Sacks, 76 Tackles, 3 PD, 6 TFL – (HOU)
ILB	#31	Nick Niemann	Iowa 4th year, Age: 26	40 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD, 1 TFL
OLB	#97	Joey Bosa	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 29	6.5 Sacks, 20 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 6 TFL
OLB	#52	Khalil Mack	Buffalo 11th year, Age: 33	17 Sacks, 74 Tackles, 5 FF, 10 PD 21 TFL
CB	#26	Asante Samuel Jr.	Florida State 4th year, Age: 24	63 Tackles, 2 INTs, 13 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#22	Elijah Molden	Washington 4th year, Age: 25	73 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 FF 1 FR, 4 PD, 1 TFL – (TEN)
S	#3	Derwin James Jr.	Florida State 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 125 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FR 7 PD, 5 TFL
S	#32	Alohi Gilman	Notre Dame 5th year, Age: 26	73 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 FF, 2 FR 10 PD, 2 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2023 Season Stats
K	#11	Cameron Dicker	Texas 3rd year, Age: 24	35/35 XP, 31/33 FG — 7/9 50+
P	#16	JK Scott	Alabama 6th year, Age: 28	75 punts, 3,475 yds, 30 <20
KR	#12	Derius Davis	TCU 2nd year, Age: 23	17 attempts, 374 yds
PR	#12	Derius Davis	TCU 2nd year, Age: 23	24 attempts, 385 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Taylor Heinicke – #8 (Old Dominion, 10th year, Age: 31)
HB: J.K. Dobbins – #27 (Ohio State, 5th year, Age: 25)
WR: D.J. Chark Jr. – #9 (LSU, 7th year, Age: 27)
TE: Hayden Hurst – #88 (South Carolina, 7th year, Age: 31)
DT: Otito Ogbonnia – #93 (UCLA, 3rd year, Age: 24)
LB: Bud Dupree – #48 (Kentucky, 10th year, Age: 31)
LB: Troy Dye – #43 (Oregon, 5th year, Age: 27)
LB: Tuli Tuipulotu – #45 (USC, 2nd year, Age: 22)
CB: Kristian Fulton – #7 (LSU, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Ja’Sir Taylor – #36 (Wake Forest, 3rd year, Age: 25)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
Projected Record: 9-8, 2nd in AFC West
MVP: QB Justin Herbert
Breakout Player: WR Ladd McConkey
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Pass rush, dynamic QB, run game
Weaknesses: Defensive line, TE core

After a huge letdown of a season in 2023, the Chargers finally parted with Brandon Staley and bring in former Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh in his return to the NFL. He’ll be tasked with righting the ship of a team that has plenty of talent but a lack of production. Justin Herbert will need to be more consistent, despite having a WR room that loses it’s two best pieces in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston will be tasked as the main targets, with rookie second rounder Ladd McConkey getting plenty of looks. Long-time RB Austin Ekeler also left, and the former Ravens duo of Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins was brought in.

Khalil Mack had a resurgent season last year with 17 sacks in a vintage Raiders era level of play. Joey Bosa will hope to stay healthy and dominate on the edge with Mack. Asante Samuel Jr. and Derwin James will now become the leaders of the DB room after a few departures that leave that position a bit flat. The defense and offense both look solid but it’ll all come down to coaching, injuries, and the play of Herbert to see if this team will make the playoffs. They have the talent to be a Wild Card for sure, but will they get to that point?

NFL 2024 Season Preview

Standings

Playoff Predictions

Award Predictions

MVP: C.J. Stroud, HOU
Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, SF
Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt, PIT
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams, CHI
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jared Verse, LAR
Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan, SF

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: C.J. Stroud, HOUOffensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, SFDefensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt, PITOffensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams, CHIDefensive Rookie of the Year: Jared Verse, LARCoach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan, SF

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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MVP: C.J. Stroud, HOU
Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, SF
Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt, PIT
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams, CHI
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jared Verse, LAR
Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan, SF