NFL 2025 Season Preview

Standings

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

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

NFC SOUTH
x-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-7
y-Atlanta Falcons 9-8
Carolina Panthers 6-11
New Orleans Saints 2-15

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

AFC EAST
x-Buffalo Bills 12-5
Miami Dolphins 8-9
New England Patriots 7-10
New York Jets 6-11

AFC NORTH
x-Baltimore Ravens 11-6
y-Cincinnati Bengals 10-7
y-Pittsburgh Steelers 9-8
Cleveland Browns 3-14

AFC SOUTH
x-Houston Texans 12-5
Jacksonville Jaguars 7-10
Tennessee Titans 7-10
Indianapolis Colts 5-12

AFC WEST
x-Kansas City Chiefs 13-4
y-Denver Broncos 11-6
Los Angeles Chargers 8-9
Las Vegas Raiders 7-10

Playoff Predictions

1st Round	2nd Round	NFC Championship
3 – Detroit Lions vs. 6 – Green Bay Packers
	1 – Los Angeles Rams vs. 6 – Green Bay Packers
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. 5 – Washington Commanders		1 – Los Angeles Rams vs. 5 – Washington Commanders
	2 – Philadelphia Eagles vs. 5 – Washington Commanders
2 – Philadelphia Eagles vs. 7 – Atlanta Falcons

1st Round	2nd Round	AFC Championship
3 – Buffalo Bills vs. 6 – Cincinnati Bengals
	1 – Kansas City Chiefs vs. 6 – Cincinnati Bengals
4 – Baltimore Ravens vs. 5 – Denver Broncos		1 – Kansas City Chiefs vs. 2 – Houston Texans
	2 – Houston Texans vs. 5 – Denver Broncos
2 – Houston Texans vs. 7 – Pittsburgh Steelers

SUPER BOWL LX:
Levi Stadium – San Francisco, CA
Kansas City Chiefs over Los Angeles Rams

Award Predictions

MVP: Jalen Hurts, PHI
Offensive Player of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase, CIN
Defensive Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson, DET
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Ward, TEN
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Abdul Carter, NYG
Coach of the Year: Sean Payton, DEN

Roster Projections

NFC

Dallas Cowboys

HC: Brian Schottenheimer
1st year
AGE: 52

OC: Klayton Adams
1st year as Cowboys OC – AGE: 42
DC: Matt Eberflus
1st year as Cowboys DC, 5th year as a DC, 3 years as Bears HC – AGE: 55

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#4	Dak Prescott	Mississippi State 10th year, Age: 31	11 TDs, 8 INTs, 1,978 yds, 45.3 QBR 54 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#33	Javonte Williams	North Carolina 5th year, Age: 25	139 carries, 513 yds, 4 TDs 52 receptions, 346 yds – (DEN)
WR	#88	CeeDee Lamb	Oklahoma 6th year, Age: 26	101 receptions, 1,194 yds, 6 TDs 14 carries, 70 yds
WR	#13	George Pickens	Georgia 4th year, Age: 24	59 receptions, 900 yds, 3 TDs – (PIT)
WR	#1	Jalen Tolbert	South Alabama 4th year, Age: 26	49 receptions, 610 yds, 7 TDs
TE	#87	Jake Ferguson	Wisconsin 4th year, Age: 26	59 receptions, 494 yds
G	#73	Tyler Smith	Tulsa 4th year, Age: 24
G	#52	Tyler Booker (R)	Alabama Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 12th overall by DAL
C	#56	Cooper Beebe	Kansas State 2nd year, Age: 24
T	#78	Terence Steele	Texas Tech 6th year, Age: 28
T	#60	Tyler Guyton*	Oklahoma 2nd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#3	Dante Fowler Jr.	Florida 11th year, Age: 30	10.5 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 2 FF, 1 PD, 14 TFL – (WAS)
EDGE	#54	Sam Williams	Ole Miss 4th year, Age: 26	DNP – Torn ACL
DT	#97	Osa Odighizuwa	UCLA 5th year, Age: 26	4.5 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 5 TFL
DT	#95	Kenny Clark	UCLA 10th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 37 Tackles, 2 FR, 2 PD 4 TFL – (GB)
MLB	#59	Kenneth Murray Jr.	Oklahoma 6th year, Age: 26	3.5 Sacks, 95 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 PD, 8 TFL – (TEN)
OLB	#57	Jack Sanborn	Wisconsin 4th year, Age: 25	1.5 Sacks, 35 Tackles, 2 PD, 2 TFL – (CHI)
OLB	#35	Marist Liufau	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 24	1.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#7	Trevon Diggs**	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	42 Tackles, 2 INTs, 11 PD
CB	#26	DaRon Bland	Fresno State 4th year, Age: 26	41 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 5 PD
S	#6	Donovan Wilson	Texas A&M 7th year, Age: 30	4.5 Sacks, 82 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 1 FR, 5 PD, 6 TFL
S	#28	Malik Hooker	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 29	81 Tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PD, 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#17	Brandon Aubrey	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 30	30/30 XP, 40/47 FG — 14/17 50+
P	#5	Bryan Anger	California 14th year, Age: 36	62 punts, 3,005 yds, 24 <20
KR	#9	KaVontae Turpin	TCU 4th year, Age: 28	27 attempts, 904 yds, 1 TD
PR	#9	KaVontae Turpin	TCU 4th year, Age: 28	18 attempts, 187 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Joe Milton III – #10 (Tennessee, 2nd year, Age: 25)
HB: Miles Sanders – #27 (Penn State, 7th year, Age: 28)
WR: Jonathan Mingo – #81 (Ole Miss, 3rd year, Age: 24)
TE: Luke Schoonmaker – #86 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 26)
DE: Donovan Ezeiruaku – #41 (Boston College, Rookie, Age: 21)
DT: Solomon Thomas – #90 (Stanford, 9th year, Age: 29)
DT: Mazi Smith – #58 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 24)
ILB: Damone Clark – #18 (LSU, 4th year, Age: 25)
OLB: DeMarvion Overshawn*** – #0 (Texas, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Kaiir Elam – #20 (Florida, 4th year, Age: 24)
CB: Josh Butler – #31 (Michigan State, 2nd year, Age: 28)

*Guyton has a bone fracture and will miss the first few weeks
**Diggs is rehabbing a torn ACL and may miss the first couple of weeks
***Overshawn continues to rehab 3 tears in his knee and may return at the end of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR CeeDee Lamb
Addition: WR George Pickens
Breakout Player: DE Sam Williams
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: EDGE rushers, WR duo, front 4
Weaknesses: Offensive line, run game, secondary

The Cowboys lead off the previews after coming off of a 7-10 season where Dak only played 8 games, and Mike McCarthy was subsequently fired. This was a move that came as a bit of a shock to many, as they waited until guys like Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel were off the board. Brian Schottenheimer will now get the reigns as Dallas looks to bounce back heavily. The offense added a huge jolt, acquiring George Pickens from Pittsburgh to pair as a deadly duo of WR’s for Dak. They will still have question marks surrounding their run game and offensive line, which for the first time in over a decade will be looked at as one of the league’s worst.

Familiar faces will headline the defense, as Micah Parsons is the anchor despite drama surrounding him and the team’s negotiations on a long-term deal. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland will look to bounce back after being plagued with injuries in 2024. Kenneth Murray was brought in to man the middle of the LB core, while Dante Fowler was added and Osa Odighizuwa was extended. Their defense should be the more forceful side of the ball, and the Cowboys’ success in 2025 will live and die on what they can do on offense. There’s a lot of what-if’s for this team, and in a division with the Eagles and Commanders they’re going to have to figure it out fast.

New York Giants

HC: Brian Daboll
4th year
Career/Team record: 18-32-1, Career Playoff record: 1-1 – AGE: 50

OC: -NONE-
DC: Shane Bowen
2nd year as Giants DC, 5th year as a DC – AGE: 38

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#3	Russell Wilson	Wisconsin 14th year, Age: 36	16 TDs, 5 INTs, 2,482 yds, 51.3 QBR 155 rush yds, 2 TDs – (PIT)
HB	#29	Tyrone Tracy Jr.	Purdue 2nd year, Age: 25	192 carries, 839 yds, 5 TDs 38 receptions, 284 yds, 1 TD
WR	#1	Malik Nabers	LSU 2nd year, Age: 21	109 receptions, 1,204 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#17	Wan’Dale Robinson	Kentucky 4th year, Age: 24	93 receptions, 699 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#18	Darius Slayton	Auburn 7th year, Age: 28	39 receptions, 573 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#84	Theo Johnson	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 24	29 receptions, 331 yds, 1 TD
G	#76	Jon Runyan	Michigan 6th year, Age: 27
G	#74	Greg Van Roten	Penn 11th year, Age: 35
C	#61	John Michael Schmitz	Minnesota 3rd year, Age: 26
T	#78	Andrew Thomas	Georgia 6th year, Age: 26
T	#72	Jermaine Eluemunor	Texas A&M 9th year, Age: 30

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#0	Brian Burns	Florida State 7th year, Age: 27	8.5 Sacks, 71 Tackles, 2 FF, 8 PD 17 TFL
EDGE	#51	Abdul Carter (R)	Penn State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 3rd overall by NYG
DT	#97	Dexter Lawrence II	Clemson 7th year, Age: 27	9 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 8 TFL
DE	#93	Rakeem Nunez-Roches	Southern Miss 11th year, Age: 32	2 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 2 PD, 2 TFL
DE	#57	Chauncey Golston	Iowa 5th year, Age: 27	5.5 Sacks, 56 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 5 PD, 5 TFL – (DAL)
ILB	#41	Micah McFadden	Indiana 4th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 107 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 8 TFL
ILB	#58	Bobby Okereke	Stanford 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 93 Tackles, 3 FF, 2 FR 3 PD, 6 TFL
CB	#21	Paulson Adebo	Stanford 5th year, Age: 26	7 GP, 52 Tackles, 3 INTs, 10 PD 1 TFL – (NO)
CB	#22	Dru Phillips	Kentucky 2nd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 71 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 1 PD, 7 TFL
S	#8	Jevon Holland	Oregon 5th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 62 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD 2 TFL – (MIA)
S	#27	Tyler Nubin	Minnesota 2nd year, Age: 24	98 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD 4 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#9	Graham Gano	Florida State 16th year, Age: 38	15/15 XP, 9/11 FG — 2/2 50+
P	#6	Jamie Gillan	UAPB 7th year, Age: 28	56 punts, 2,448 yds, 27 <20
KR	#80	Gunner Olszewski	Bemidji State 7th year, Age: 28	DNP – Groin injury
PR	#80	Gunner Olszewski	Bemidji State 7th year, Age: 28	DNP – Groin injury

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jameis Winston – #19 (Florida State, 11th year, Age: 31)
QB: Jaxson Dart – #6 (Ole Miss, Rookie, Age: 22)
HB: Devin Singletary – #26 (Florida Atlantic, 7th year, Age: 27)
HB: Cam Skattebo – #44 (Arizona State, Rookie, Age: 23)
TE: Daniel Bellinger – #82 (San Diego State, 4th year, Age: 24)
DT: Roy Robertson-Harris – #93 (Southern Miss, 11th year, Age: 32)
DT: Darius Alexander – #91 (Toledo, Rookie, Age: 24)
OLB: Kayvon Thibodeaux – #5 (Oregon, 4th year, Age: 24)
ILB: Ty Summers – #47 (TCU, 7th year, Age: 29)
ILB: Darius Muasau – #53 (UCLA, 2nd year, Age: 24)
CB: Cor’Dale Flott – #28 (LSU, 4th year, Age: 23)
S: Dane Belton – #24 (Iowa, 4th year, Age: 24)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DT Dexter Lawrence II
Addition: QB Russell Wilson
Breakout Player: DE Abdul Carter
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Young pass rush, QB options, secondary
Weaknesses: Offensive line, WR core, LB core

The Giants had a dreadful 2024 season, finishing 3-14 and moving on from franchise QB Daniel Jones before the season came to an end. They decided to hold onto the coaching staff led by Brian Daboll, and capitalized in the draft with taking edge-rusher Abdul Carter second overall. The QB room went from paper thin to a solid mix of vets and a rookie, with future HOF Russell Wilson joining as the preemptive Week 1 starter, Jameis Winston, and Ole Miss 1st round pick Jaxson Dart. The franchise has a good history with Ole Miss QB’s and will hope that this one can be similar to #10. The offense was headlined by star rookie WR Malik Nabers and the development of RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. The offensive line has been awful for years, but they will look to continue development while needing Andrew Thomas to stay healthy.

The drafting of Abdul Carter edges Kayvon Thibodeaux to a OLB3 role to start the year, which just might be the chip on his shoulder that the 4th year pass rusher needs. Sexy Dexy returns to stop the run, and Micah McFadden and Bobby Okereke were reliable interior linebackers last year. The secondary added to big upgrades via free agency, with multi-year deals being given to former Saints’ CB Paulson Adebo and former Dolphins’ S Jevon Holland. Two guys who make that secondary room a night and day difference. I think the Giants will have some solid moments this year, but they are probably too young to be a real contender yet. I definitely expect more than 3 wins though.

Philadelphia Eagles

HC: Nick Sirianni
5th year
Career/Team record: 48-20, Career Playoff record: 6-3 – AGE: 44

OC: Kevin Patullo
1st year as Eagles OC – AGE: 44
DC: Vic Fangio
2nd year as Eagles DC, 22nd year as a DC, 3 years as Broncos HC – AGE: 67

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#1	Jalen Hurts	Oklahoma 6th year, Age: 26	18 TDs, 5 INTs, 2,903 yds, 65.6 QBR 630 rush yds, 14 TDs
HB	#26	Saquon Barkley	Penn State 8th year, Age: 28	345 carries, 2,005 yds, 13 TDs 33 receptions, 278 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#11	A.J. Brown	Ole Miss 7th year, Age: 28	67 receptions, 1,079 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#6	DeVonta Smith	Alabama 5th year, Age: 26	68 receptions, 833 yds, 8 TDs
TE	#88	Dallas Goedert	South Dakota St. 8th year, Age: 30	42 receptions, 496 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#81	Grant Calcaterra	SMU 4th year, Age: 26	24 receptions, 298 yds, 1 TD
G	#69	Landon Dickerson	Alabama 5th year, Age: 26
G	#76	Kenyon Green	Texas A&M 4th year, Age: 24
C	#51	Cam Jurgens	Nebraska 4th year, Age: 25
T	#65	Lane Johnson	Oklahoma 13th year, Age: 35
T	#68	Jordan Mailata	Australia 8th year, Age: 28

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#3	Nolan Smith Jr.	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24	6.5 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 2 PD, 8 TFL
EDGE	#52	Azeez Ojulari	Georgia 5th year, Age: 25	6 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 FR, 7 TFL – (NYG)
DT	#90	Jordan Davis	Georgia 4th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 27 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD 3 TFL
DT	#98	Jalen Carter	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24	4.5 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 2 FF, 6 PD 12 TFL
DL	#95	Ty Robinson (R)	Nebraska Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 111th overall by PHI
ILB	#53	Zack Baun	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 28	3.5 Sacks, 151 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 FF 1 FR, 4 PD, 11 TFL
ILB	#17	Nakobe Dean*	Georgia 4th year, Age: 24	3 Sacks, 128 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 FR, 4 PD, 9 TFL
CB	#27	Quinyon Mitchell	Toledo 2nd year, Age: 24	46 Tackles, 12 PD
CB	#33	Cooper DeJean	Iowa 2nd year, Age: 22	0.5 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 FR 6 PD, 3 TFL
S	#32	Reed Blankenship	Middle Tennessee 4th year, Age: 26	78 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FR, 6 PD
S	#24	Andrew Mukuba (R)	Texas Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 64th overall by PHI

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#4	Jake Elliott	Memphis 9th year, Age: 30	47/48 XP, 28/36 FG — 1/7 50+
P	#10	Braden Mann	Texas A&M 6th year, Age: 27	54 punts, 2,633 yds, 20 <20
KR	#28	Will Shipley	Clemson 2nd year, Age: 22	6 attempts, 173 yds
PR	#33	Cooper DeJean	Iowa 2nd year, Age: 22	21 attempts, 211 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Sam Howell (North Carolina, 4th year, Age: 24)
HB: A.J. Dillon – #29 (Boston College, 6th year, Age: 27)
WR: John Metchie III – #80 (Alabama, 3rd year, Age: 25)
WR: Jahan Dotson – #2 (Penn State, 4th year, Age: 25)
ILB: Jihaad Campbell – #30 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 21)
OLB: Josh Uche – #13 (Michigan, 6th year, Age: 26)
OLB: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. – #54 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 22)
CB: Adoree’ Jackson – #8 (USC, 9th year, Age: 29)
S: Tristin McCollum – #36 (Sam Houston, 2nd year, Age: 26)

*Dean is rehabbing a knee injury and may miss the first couple weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: HB Saquon Barkley
Addition: LB Jihaad Campbell
Breakout Player: LB Nolan Smith Jr.
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Offensive line, run game, secondary, run stop
Weaknesses: EDGE rushers, LB core, WR depth

The Eagles returned to the Super Bowl in 2025, this time exacting revenge on the Chiefs who bested them in 2023. It capped off an incredible season for the Birds, who were led by star RB Saquon Barkley in his first year in Philly. Saquon nearly broke Eric Dickerson’s rushing record, eclipsing 2,000 rush yards. They enter the new year with practically the same looking offense, and a new OC with Kellen Moore taking the Saints’ job. You can bet Saquon won’t be able to top the unbelievable production he had this season, so the emphasis may be more on Hurts to pass and run the offense through him, at least at times.

Their offense will flourish, mainly led by their offensive line, but the defense is what is more questionable. Their star duo of run stoppers in Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter did not have the greatest seasons a year ago, and will look to bounce back big time. Zack Baun had a breakout All-Pro year and will now become the anchor of the LB group. With veterans Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson leaving, Quinyon Mitchell will thrust into CB1 duties while rookie safety Andrew Mukuba could likely become a starter in Week 1. I still think Philly is the team to beat in the NFC East, and their only real competition would be the Commanders. A return to the Super Bowl may be a tough battle though with the hungry young cores of the NFC.

Washington Commanders

HC: Dan Quinn
2nd year in Washington, 8th year as a HC
Career record: 55-47, Commanders record: 12-5, Career Playoff record: 5-3 – AGE: 55

OC: Kliff Kingsbury
2nd year as Commanders OC, 4 years as Cardinals HC – AGE: 46
DC: Joe Whitt Jr.
2nd year as Commanders DC – AGE: 47

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#5	Jayden Daniels	LSU 2nd year, Age: 24	25 TDs, 9 INTs, 3,568 yds, 70.6 QBR 891 rush yds, 6 TDs
HB	#30	Austin Ekeler	Western Colorado (D-II) 9th year, Age: 30	77 carries, 367 yds, 4 TDs 35 receptions, 366 yds
WR	#17	Terry McLaurin	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 29	82 receptions, 1,096 yds, 13 TDs
WR	#1	Deebo Samuel Sr.	South Carolina 7th year, Age: 29	51 receptions, 670 yds, 3 TDs 42 carries, 136 yds, 1 TD – (SF)
WR	#85	Noah Brown	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 29	35 receptions, 453 yds, 1 TD
TE	#86	Zach Ertz	Stanford 13th year, Age: 34	66 receptions, 654 yds, 7 TDs
G	#76	Sam Cosmi*	Texas 5th year, Age: 26
G	#67	Nick Allegretti	Illinois 7th year, Age: 29
C	#63	Tyler Biadasz	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 27
T	#78	Laremy Tunsil	Ole Miss 10th year, Age: 30
T	#72	Josh Conerly Jr. (R)	Oregon Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 29th overall by WSH

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#92	Dorance Armstrong	Kansas 8th year, Age: 28	5 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 7 TFL
EDGE	#99	Clelin Ferrell	Clemson 7th year, Age: 28	3.5 Sacks, 26 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 TFL
DT	#94	Daron Payne	Alabama 8th year, Age: 28	4 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 2 PD, 5 TFL
DT	#52	Javon Kinlaw	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 27	4.5 Sacks, 40 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 5 TFL – (NYJ)
ILB	#54	Bobby Wagner	Utah State 14th year, Age: 35	2 Sacks, 132 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 4 PD, 10 TFL
OLB	#4	Frankie Luvu	Washington State 8th year, Age: 28	8 Sacks, 99 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 FR, 7 PD, 12 TFL
CB	#2	Marshon Lattimore	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 29	34 Tackles, 5 PD – (NO/WSH)
CB	#0	Mike Sainristil	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 24	93 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 14 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#6	Noah Igbinoghene	Auburn 6th year, Age: 25	55 Tackles, 7 PD, 1 TFL
S	#20	Quan Martin	Illinois 3rd year, Age: 25	87 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF, 3 PD 2 TFL
S	#3	Will Harris	Boston College 7th year, Age: 29	74 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD, 3 TFL – (NO)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#16	Matt Gay	Utah 7th year, Age: 31	33/33 XP, 31/37 FG — 3/9 50+ – (IND)
P	#10	Tress Way	Oklahoma 12th year, Age: 35	50 punts, 2,343 yds, 22 <20
KR	#30	Austin Ekeler	Western Colorado (D-II) 9th year, Age: 30	19 attempts, 594 yds
PR	#83	Jaylin Lane (R)	Virginia Tech Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 128th overall by WSH

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Marcus Mariota – #10 (Oregon, 11th year, Age: 31)
HB: Jeremy McNichols – #26 (Boise State, 5th year, Age: 29)
TE: John Bates – #87 (Boise State, 5th year, Age: 27)
DT: Eddie Goldman – #97 (Florida State, 8th year, Age: 31)
DT: Jer’Zhan Newton – #95 (Illinois, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DT: Deatrich Wise Jr. – #91 (Arkansas, 9th year, Age: 30)
ILB: Nick Bellore – #57 (Central Michigan, 15th year, Age: 36)
CB: Jonathan Jones – #31 (Auburn, 10th year, Age: 31)
CB: Trey Amos – #23 (Ole Miss, Rookie, Age: 23)
S: Jeremy Reaves – #39 (South Alabama, 6th year, Age: 28)
S: Percy Butler – #35 (Louisiana, 4th year, Age: 25)

*Cosmi is rehabbing a torn ACL and may return towards the end of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Jayden Daniels
Addition: WR Deebo Samuel
Breakout Player: CB Trey Amos
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Budding star QB, WR core, LB core, run stop
Weaknesses: EDGE rushers, offensive line, run game

The Commanders were the surprise of the league in 2024, finishing 12-5 with a breakout rookie season from their #2 pick Jayden Daniels. Daniels looks like the first stud QB the Washington franchise has seen in a long-time, with hopes of bringing them back a Super Bowl crown. They boosted their offense to add more of a supporting cast for their young QB, with Deebo Samuel being acquired from San Fran. Long-time franchise cornerstone Terry McLaurin remains in a holdout on a new contract, which will give some doubt on his future with the team. K.J. Osborn and Michael Gallup were both added to give some WR depth, and both Laremy Tunsil and Tyler Biadasz were added to the offensive line that struggled mightily a year ago. Their offense, overall, should be much improved from the breakout year it had in 2024.

The defense brings back it’s main core, with veterans Dorance Armstrong and Daron Payne on the defensive front. Future Hall-of-Famer Bobby Wagner had another massive year and will look to do the same as the lead LB at age 35. Marshon Lattimore was a deadline acquisition from New Orleans that didn’t perform too well since coming over. Now with a full year in Washington, the goal will be to return to old All-Pro form. I like the Commanders to repeat as a playoff team in the NFC. There could be a real shot they even sneak past Philly for the division this year, but big games from their sophomore stud need to come into the fold.

Chicago Bears

HC: Ben Johnson
1st year
AGE: 39

OC: Declan Doyle
1st year as Bears OC – AGE: 29
DC: Dennis Allen
1st year as Bears DC, 10th year as a DC, 6 years as Raiders/Saints HC – AGE: 53

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#18	Caleb Williams	USC 2nd year, Age: 23	20 TDs, 6 INTs, 3,541 yds, 46.7 QBR 489 rush yds
HB	#4	D’Andre Swift	Georgia 6th year, Age: 26	253 carries, 959 yds, 6 TDs 42 receptions, 386 yds
WR	#2	D.J. Moore	Maryland 8th year, Age: 28	98 receptions, 966 yds, 6 TDs 14 carries, 75 yds
WR	#15	Rome Odunze	Washington 2nd year, Age: 23	54 receptions, 734 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#14	Olamide Zaccheaus	Virginia 7th year, Age: 27	45 receptions, 506 yds, 3 TDs – (WSH)
TE	#85	Cole Kmet	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 26	47 receptions, 474 yds, 4 TDs
G	#62	Joe Thuney	NC State 10th year, Age: 32
G	#73	Jonah Jackson	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 28
C	#52	Drew Dalman	Stanford 5th year, Age: 26
T	#70	Braxton Jones	Southern Utah 4th year, Age: 26
T	#58	Darnell Wright	Tennessee 3rd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#98	Montez Sweat	Mississippi State 7th year, Age: 28	5.5 Sacks, 32 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 PD 9 TFL
EDGE	#55	Dayo Odeyingbo	Vanderbilt 5th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 7 TFL – (IND)
DT	#99	Gervon Dexter Sr.	Florida 3rd year, Age: 23	5 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 2 FR, 1 PD 4 TFL
DT	#97	Andrew Billings	Baylor 9th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 13 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 TFL
ILB	#49	Tremaine Edmunds	Virginia Tech 8th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 110 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 8 PD, 3 TFL
ILB	#53	T.J. Edwards	Wisconsin 7th year, Age: 28	4 Sacks, 129 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 FR, 3 PD, 12 TFL
CB	#1	Jaylon Johnson*	Utah 6th year, Age: 26	53 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 8 PD 7 TFL
CB	#29	Tyrique Stevenson	Miami 3rd year, Age: 25	78 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 12 PD, 1 TFL
DB	#6	Kyler Gordon	Washington 4th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 75 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 FR 5 PD, 4 TFL
S	#9	Jaquan Brisker	Penn State 4th year, Age: 26	5 GP, 1 Sack, 40 Tackles, 1 FF 2 PD, 3 TFL
S	#31	Kevin Byard III	Middle Tennessee 10th year, Age: 31	2 Sacks, 130 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 FR, 7 PD, 5 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#8	Cairo Santos	Tulane 12th year, Age: 33	25/26 XP, 21/25 FG — 8/9 50+
P	#19	Tory Taylor	Iowa 2nd year, Age: 28	82 punts, 3,911 yds, 34 <20
KR	#12	Devin Duvernay	Texas 6th year, Age: 27	14 attempts, 351 yds – (JAX)
PR	#12	Devin Duvernay	Texas 6th year, Age: 27	19 attempts, 167 yds – (JAX)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tyson Bagent – #17 (Shepherd (D-II), 3rd year, Age: 25)
QB: Case Keenum – #11 (Houston, 13th year, Age: 37)
HB: Roschon Johnson – #23 (Texas, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Luther Burden III – #87 (Missouri, Rookie, Age: 21)
TE: Colston Loveland – #84 (Michigan, Rookie, Age: 21)
DE: Grady Jarrett – #50 (Clemson, 11th year, Age: 32)
DE: Austin Booker – #94 (Kansas, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DT: Shemar Turner – #95 (Texas A&M, Rookie, Age: 22)
CB: Terrell Smith – #32 (Minnesota, 3rd year, Age: 25)
S: Jonathan Owens – #36 (Missouri Western, 7th year, Age: 30)
S: Elijah Hicks – #22 (California, 4th year, Age: 25)

*Johnson has a leg injury and may miss the first 3-4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: LB Tremaine Edmunds
Addition: OG Joe Thuney
Breakout Player: DT Shemar Turner
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Year 2 of Caleb, WR core, secondary, LB core
Weaknesses: Defensive line, offensive line, run game

After the Bears acquired what they hope to be the team’s first ever perennial All-Pro QB with the 1st pick a year ago, his rookie season was met with some inconsistencies. A lot can be blamed on the offensive line, which was historically bad leading to a league leading 68 sacks allowed on Caleb. First step this offseason was to address just that, and the team traded for veteran All-Pro G Joe Thuney from Kansas City. They also signed C Drew Dalman and veteran Jonah Jackson for a fresh and new interior 3. The weapons still remain solid, with D’Andre Swift as the leading back, and D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze as the top WR’s. They also added 1st round TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden III in the draft.

As the offense looks to get going, the defense will need to hold their own as well. Veterans LB’s Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards highlight the group. But their secondary is what will be the headline on the defensive end, with Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon as the top CB’s. Jaquan Brisker also returns from an injury plagued 2024 to pair up with star S Kevin Byard III. I like this defense a lot and think they can do big things, especially in limiting the passing attack in the secondary. Overall, I still think Chicago is a year away from being a playoff team, but the biggest hopes will be to see an improvement on the offensive line and more consistency from Caleb. I think both will come with time.

Detroit Lions

HC: Dan Campbell
5th year in Detroit, 6th year as a HC
Career record: 44-35-1, Lions record: 39-28-1, Career Playoff record: 2-2 – AGE: 49

OC: John Morton
1st year as Lions OC, 2nd year as an OC – AGE: 56
DC: Kelvin Sheppard
1st year as Lions DC – AGE: 37

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#16	Jared Goff	California 10th year, Age: 30	37 TDs, 12 INTs, 4,629 yds, 68.4 QBR 56 rush yds
HB	#0	Jahmyr Gibbs	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	250 carries, 1,412 yds, 16 TDs 52 receptions, 517 yds, 4 TDs
HB	#5	David Montgomery	Iowa State 7th year, Age: 28	185 carries, 775 yds, 12 TDs 36 receptions, 341 yds
WR	#14	Amon-Ra St. Brown	USC 5th year, Age: 25	115 receptions, 1,263 yds, 12 TDs
WR	#1	Jameson Williams	Alabama 4th year, Age: 24	58 receptions, 1,001 yds, 7 TDs 11 carries, 61 yds, 1 TD
TE	#87	Sam LaPorta	Iowa 3rd year, Age: 24	60 receptions, 726 yds, 7 TDs
G	#60	Graham Glasgow	Michigan 10th year, Age: 32
G	#73	Christian Mahogany	Boston College 2nd year, Age: 24
C	#69	Tate Ratledge (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 57th overall by DET
T	#58	Penei Sewell	Oregon 5th year, Age: 24
T	#68	Taylor Decker	Ohio State 10th year, Age: 30

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#97	Aidan Hutchinson	Michigan 4th year, Age: 24	5 GP, 7.5 Sacks, 19 Tackles, 1 FF 7 TFL
EDGE	#92	Marcus Davenport	UTSA 8th year, Age: 28	2 GP, 0.5 Sacks, 2 Tackles
DT	#98	D.J. Reader	Clemson 10th year, Age: 31	3 Sacks, 23 Tackles, 1 PD, 4 TFL
DT	#78	Tyleik Williams (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 29th overall by DET
MLB	#46	Jack Campbell	Iowa 3rd year, Age: 24	1.5 Sacks, 131 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD 5 TFL
OLB	#34	Alex Anzalone	Florida 9th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 63 Tackles, 5 PD, 7 TFL
OLB	#55	Derrick Barnes	Purdue 5th year, Age: 26	3 GP, 10 Tackles, 1 PD
CB	#6	Terrion Arnold	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 22	60 Tackles, 1 FR, 10 PD
CB	#4	D.J. Reed	Kansas State 8th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 64 Tackles, 11 PD, 4 TFL – (NYJ)
S	#31	Kerby Joseph	Illinois 4th year, Age: 24	83 Tackles, 9 INTs, 1 TD, 12 PD 1 TFL
S	#32	Brian Branch	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 109 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF 16 PD, 8 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#39	Jake Bates	Arkansas 2nd year, Age: 26	64/67 XP, 26/29 FG — 6/8 50+
P	#3	Jack Fox	Rice 6th year, Age: 28	45 punts, 2,295 yds, 22 <20
KR	#30	Khalil Dorsey*	Northern Arizona 5th year, Age: 27	4 attempts, 159 yds
PR	#11	Kalif Raymond	Holy Cross 9th year, Age: 30	30 attempts, 413 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Kyle Allen – #8 (Houston, 7th year, Age: 29)
TE: Brock Wright – #89 (Notre Dame, 5th year, Age: 26)
DE: Levi Onwuzurike** – #91 (Washington, 5th year, Age: 27)
DE: Josh Paschal – #93 (Kentucky, 4th year, Age: 25)
DT: Alim McNeill*** – #54 (NC State, 5th year, Age: 25)
DT: Roy Lopez – #51 (Arizona, 5th year, Age: 27)
ILB: Malcolm Rodriguez**** – #44 (Oklahoma State, 4th year, Age: 26)
ILB: Zach Cunningham (Vanderbilt, 9th year, Age: 30)
CB: Avonte Maddox – #29 (Pittsburgh, 8th year, Age: 29)
CB: Amik Robertson – #21 (Louisiana Tech, 6th year, Age: 27)

*Dorsey is recovering from a broken leg and may miss most of the season
**Onwuzurike has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season
***McNeill has a knee injury and may return after 8 weeks
****Rodriguez continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss most of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DE Aidan Hutchinson
Addition: CB D.J. Reed
Breakout Player: CB Terrion Arnold
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Star RB combo, WR core, healthy pass rush, secondary depth
Weaknesses: LB core, interior run stop

What started off looking like a franchise changing year for the Lions, led to another collapse in the playoffs casting uncertainty on the future of the team. Yes, they still retain most of their star players, but the NFC is so wide open that it is difficult to tell if they will retain dominance. The bottom line is that they should have, at least, made it to the NFC Championship in 2024. The offense retains their veteran QB, dominant RB duo, and solid WR core, with an offensive line led by arguably the sport’s best Tackle in Penei Sewell.

The defense is going to be where a lot of factors come in to play, and the biggest one will be the return of star DE Aidan Hutchinson. He’ll add an immediate boost to a pass rush that struggled mightily in QB pressures after he went down with an injury. The secondary will be a strong suit, with one of the best Safety tandems in Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, as well as breakout rookie Terrion Arnold leading the CB room. The NFC is so tough to gauge, and I can see both a repeat of dominance as well as taking a huge step back for Detroit. I’m obviously leaning more towards a great season and a better Postseason run, but the competition in the North especially is being to heat up.

Green Bay Packers

HC: Matt LeFleur
7th year
Career/Team record: 67-33, Career Playoff record: 3-5 – AGE: 46

OC: Adam Stenavich
4th year as Packers OC – AGE: 42
DC: Jeff Hafley
2nd year as Packers DC – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#10	Jordan Love	Utah State 6th year, Age: 26	25 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,389 yds, 69.3 QBR 83 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#8	Josh Jacobs	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27	301 carries, 1,329 yds, 15 TDs 36 receptions, 342 yds, 1 TD
WR	#11	Jayden Reed	Michigan State 3rd year, Age: 25	55 receptions, 857 yds, 6 TDs 20 carries, 163 yds, 1 TD
WR	#13	Dontayvion Wicks	Virginia 3rd year, Age: 24	39 receptions, 415 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#22	Matthew Golden (R)	Texas Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 23rd overall by GB
TE	#85	Tucker Kraft	South Dakota St. 3rd year, Age: 24	50 receptions, 707 yds, 7 TDs
G	#65	Aaron Banks	Notre Dame 5th year, Age: 27
G	#75	Sean Rhyan	UCLA 4th year, Age: 24
C	#74	Elgton Jenkins	Mississippi State 7th year, Age: 29
T	#50	Zach Tom	Wake Forest 4th year, Age: 26
T	#63	Rasheed Walker	Penn State 4th year, Age: 25

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#1	Micah Parsons	Penn State 5th year, Age: 26	12 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 12 TFL – (DAL)
EDGE	#52	Rashan Gary	Michigan 7th year, Age: 27	7.5 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 9 TFL
DT	#96	Colby Wooden	Auburn 3rd year, Age: 24	20 Tackles, 2 PD, 2 TFL
DT	#95	Devonte Wyatt	Georgia 4th year, Age: 27	5 Sacks, 23 Tackles, 2 FR, 9 TFL
MLB	#56	Edgerrin Cooper	Texas A&M 2nd year, Age: 23	3.5 Sacks, 87 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 FR, 4 PD, 13 TFL
OLB	#58	Isaiah McDuffie	Boston College 5th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 97 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 3 TFL
OLB	#7	Quay Walker	Georgia 4th year, Age: 25	2.5 Sacks, 102 Tackles, 2 PD, 9 TFL
CB	#25	Keisean Nixon	South Carolina 7th year, Age: 28	3 Sacks, 88 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF 7 PD, 8 TFL
CB	#21	Nate Hobbs	Illinois 5th year, Age: 26	49 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD, 2 TFL – (LVR)
S	#29	Xavier McKinney	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 88 Tackles, 8 INTs, 1 FR 2 TFL
S	#20	Javon Bullard	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22	90 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD, 2 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#17	Brandon McManus	Temple 12th year, Age: 34	30/30 XP, 20/21 FG — 3/3 50+
P	#19	Daniel Whelan	UC-Davis 3rd year, Age: 26	56 punts, 2,582 yds, 22 <20
KR	#25	Keisean Nixon	South Carolina 7th year, Age: 28	18 attempts, 528 yds
PR	#11	Jayden Reed	Michigan State 3rd year, Age: 25	14 attempts, 110 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Malik Willis – #2 (Liberty, 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Emanuel Wilson – #31 (Fort Valley State (D-II), 3rd year, Age: 26)
WR: Christian Watson* – #9 (North Dakota State, 4th year, Age: 26)
TE: Ben Sims – #89 (Baylor, 3rd year, Age: 25)
DE: Kingsley Enagbare – #55 (South Carolina, 4th year, Age: 25)
DE: Karl Brooks – #94 (Bowling Green, 3rd year, Age: 25)
DE: Lukas Van Ness – #90 (Iowa, 3rd year, Age: 24)
ILB: Isaiah Simmons – #28 (Clemson, 6th year, Age: 27)
CB: Carrington Valentine – #24 (Kentucky, 3rd year, Age: 23)
S: Evan Williams – #33 (Oregon, 2nd year, Age: 24)
S: Zayne Anderson – #39 (BYU, 3rd year, Age: 28)

*Watson is rehabbing a torn ACL and may miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: OLB Micah Parsons
Addition: OLB Micah Parsons
Breakout Player: WR Matthew Golden
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Solid QB, pass rush, options at WR
Weaknesses: WR core, secondary, offensive line

The Packers are coming off of a year that saw a lot of improvement but also highlighted a couple of glaring holes, including their offensive line and WR depth. The core of Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks was subpar at best, while the O-Line struggled all year to protect their franchise QB. They tried solving this by using their first round pick on WR Matthew Golden, and signing former Niner Guard Aaron Banks to sure up their O-Line. Whether these make a huge difference or not, the run game should remain dominant with star Josh Jacobs leading the run. Year 3 of Jordan Love will be one that the team hopes can lead them to a potential NFC North crown.

The defense of Green Bay has always been a staple, and they’ll return long-time centerpieces in Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary. Their pass rush will rely on big improvements from Kingsley Enagbare and Devonte Wyatt, whom both should be starters come Week 1. The secondary let go of long-time CB1 Jaire Alexander, and will now be led Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, and Carrington Valentine. The safety core will headline the secondary, led by Xavier McKinney. I like the Packers chances this year, as they can be a sneaky Wild Card threat in the NFC. I think their offense will take a step forward, but it’s the defense that may struggle to keep points off the board.

Minnesota Vikings

HC: Kevin O’Connell
4th year
Career/Team record: 34-17, Career Playoff record: 0-2 – AGE: 40

OC: Wes Phillips
4th year as Vikings OC – AGE: 46
DC: Brian Flores
3rd year as Vikings DC, 3 years as Dolphins HC – AGE: 44

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#9	J.J. McCarthy	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 22	DNP – Torn meniscus
HB	#33	Aaron Jones Sr.	UTEP 9th year, Age: 30	255 carries, 1,138 yds, 5 TDs 51 receptions, 408 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#18	Justin Jefferson	LSU 6th year, Age: 26	103 receptions, 1,533 yds, 10 TDs
WR	#3	Jordan Addison	USC 3rd year, Age: 23	63 receptions, 875 yds, 9 TDs 3 carries, 20 yds, 1 TD
TE	#87	T.J. Hockenson	Iowa 7th year, Age: 28	41 receptions, 455 yds
TE	#84	Josh Oliver	San Jose State 7th year, Age: 28	22 receptions, 258 yds, 3 TDs
G	#76	Will Fries	Penn State 5th year, Age: 27
G	#64	Blake Brandel	Oregon State 5th year, Age: 28
C	#78	Ryan Kelly	Alabama 10th year, Age: 31
T	#75	Brian O’Neill	Pittsburgh 8th year, Age: 29
T	#71	Christian Darrisaw	Virginia Tech 5th year, Age: 26

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#58	Jonathan Greenard	Florida 6th year, Age: 28	12 Sacks, 59 Tackles, 4 FF, 3 PD 18 TFL
EDGE	#43	Andrew Van Ginkel	Wisconsin 7th year, Age: 30	11.5 Sacks, 79 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 TDs 1 FF, 6 PD, 18 TFL
DT	#93	Jonathan Allen	Alabama 9th year, Age: 30	3 Sacks, 19 Tackles, 3 TFL – (WAS)
DT	#98	Javon Hargrave	South Carolina St. 10th year, Age: 32	3 GP, 1 Sack, 7 Tackles, 1 TFL – (SF)
ILB	#51	Blake Cashman	Minnesota 7th year, Age: 29	4.5 Sacks, 112 Tackles, 1 FR, 8 PD 8 TFL
ILB	#0	Ivan Pace Jr.	Cincinnati 3rd year, Age: 24	3 Sacks, 72 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 1 FR, 1 PD, 7 TFL
OLB	#55	Eric Wilson	Cincinnati 9th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 72 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 PD, 7 TFL – (GB)
CB	#7	Byron Murphy Jr.	Washington 7th year, Age: 27	81 Tackles, 6 INTs, 1 FF, 14 PD 6 TFL
CB	#2	Isaiah Rodgers	UMass 5th year, Age: 27	26 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD – (PHI)
S	#22	Harrison Smith	Notre Dame 14th year, Age: 36	1 Sack, 87 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FR 10 PD, 3 TFL
S	#44	Josh Metellus	Michigan 6th year, Age: 27	103 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 5 PD 2 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#16	Will Reichard	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 24	38/38 XP, 24/30 FG — 8/11 50+
P	#17	Ryan Wright	Tulane 4th year, Age: 25	56 punts, 2,604 yds, 27 <20
KR	#32	Ty Chandler	North Carolina 4th year, Age: 27	8 attempts, 205 yds
PR	#1	Jalen Nailor	Michigan State 4th year, Age: 26	1 attempt, 0 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Sam Howell – #8 (North Carolina, 4th year, Age: 24)
HB: Jordan Mason – #27 (Georgia Tech, 4th year, Age: 26)
FB: C.J. Ham – #30 (Augustana (D-II), 9th year, Age: 32)
WR: Rondale Moore – #4 (Purdue, 5th year, Age: 25)
WR: Tai Felton – #13 (Maryland, Rookie, Age: 22)
DT: Jalen Redmond – #61 (Oklahoma, 2nd year, Age: 26)
OLB: Dallas Turner – #15 (Alabama, 2nd year, Age: 22)
CB: Jeff Okudah – #21 (Ohio State, 6th year, Age: 26)
CB: Tavierre Thomas – #37 (Ferris State (D-II), 8th year, Age: 29)
S: Theo Jackson – #26 (Tennessee, 4th year, Age: 26)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Justin Jefferson
Addition: DT Javon Hargrave
Breakout Player: QB J.J. McCarthy
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Passing game, EDGE rushers, secondary
Weaknesses: QB situation, offensive line

The Vikings entered the post-Kirk Cousins era in 2024 with Sam Darnold at the helm and it couldn’t have worked out any better. Darnold had a career year, leading to a massive deal with the Seahawks, and star WR Justin Jefferson stayed healthy. Now comes the J.J. McCarthy era, as the second year QB will take over the offense after suffering a torn meniscus last preseason. The Vikings entire success is going to ride on the capability of their former 1st round QB, who will have plenty of vets to play with. Aaron Jones returns as the lead RB, with Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson as the key targets. The offensive line could use some work, but should be good enough to keep J.J. upright in the pocket.

The defense will return a solid group that will be one of the better cores in the NFC. Veteran DL’s Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave were brought in to beef up the run stop, with two 10+ sack guys from a year ago on the edges. Byron Murphy gets the reigns at CB1 once again after a 6 interception season, and 13-year Vikings veteran Harrison Smith leads the safety room. I’m a fan of the Vikings on paper, but the complete unknown of their QB play raises some concerns. They’re in a tough division, with the Packers and Lions, so it is tough to say they’re more than a potential 7-seed.

Atlanta Falcons

HC: Raheem Morris
2nd year as Falcons HC, 6th year as a HC
Career record: 29-47, Falcons record: 8-9 – AGE: 49

OC: Zac Robinson
2nd year as Falcons OC – AGE: 39
DC: Jeff Ulbrich
1st year as Falcons DC, 6th year as a DC, 1 year as Jets Interim HC – AGE: 48

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#9	Michael Penix Jr.	Washington 2nd year, Age: 25	5 GP, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, 775 yds, 51 QBR 11 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#7	Bijan Robinson	Texas 3rd year, Age: 23	304 carries, 1,456 yds, 14 TDs 61 receptions, 431 yds, 1 TD
WR	#5	Drake London	USC 4th year, Age: 24	100 receptions, 1,271 yds, 9 TDs
WR	#1	Darnell Mooney	Tulane 6th year, Age: 27	64 receptions, 992 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#34	Ray-Ray McCloud III	Clemson 8th year, Age: 28	62 receptions, 686 yds, 1 TD 10 carries, 79 yds
TE	#8	Kyle Pitts Sr.	Florida 5th year, Age: 24	47 receptions, 602 yds, 4 TDs
G	#63	Chris Lindstrom	Boston College 7th year, Age: 28
G	#65	Matthew Bergeron	Syracuse 3rd year, Age: 25
C	#64	Ryan Neuzil	Appalachian State 4th year, Age: 28
T	#70	Jake Matthews	Texas A&M 12th year, Age: 33
T	#76	Kaleb McGary	Washington 7th year, Age: 30

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#56	Leonard Floyd	Georgia 10th year, Age: 32	8.5 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 8 TFL – (SF)
EDGE	#96	Zach Harrison	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 26 Tackles, 2 PD, 3 TFL
NT	#90	David Onyemata	Manitoba 10th year, Age: 32	3 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 1 PD, 8 TFL
ILB	#55	Kaden Elliss	Idaho 7th year, Age: 30	5 Sacks, 151 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 3 PD, 8 TFL
OLB	#27	James Pearce Jr. (R)	Tennessee Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 26th overall by ATL
OLB	#0	Divine Deablo	Virginia Tech 5th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 63 Tackles, 2 PD, 4 TFL – (LVR)
CB	#24	A.J. Terrell Jr.	Clemson 6th year, Age: 26	66 Tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#20	Dee Alford	Tusculum (D-II) 4th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 83 Tackles, 1 FF, 11 PD 1 TFL
CB	#21	Mike Hughes	UCF 8th year, Age: 28	66 Tackles, 6 PD, 4 TFL
S	#3	Jessie Bates III	Wake Forest 8th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 102 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD 4 FF, 1 FR, 10 PD, 2 TFL
S	#29	Jordan Fuller	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 27	54 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD – (CAR)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#6	Younghoe Koo	Georgia Southern 8th year, Age: 30	26/26 XP, 25/34 FG — 6/9 50+
P	#13	Bradley Pinion	Clemson 11th year, Age: 31	47 punts, 2,209 yds, 14 <20
KR	#34	Ray-Ray McCloud III	Clemson 8th year, Age: 28	14 attempts, 361 yds
PR	#14	Jamal Agnew	San Diego 9th year, Age: 30	DNP – Steelers Practice Squad

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Kirk Cousins – #18 (Michigan State, 14th year, Age: 36)
HB: Tyler Allgeier – #25 (BYU, 4th year, Age: 25)
WR: D.J. Chark – #16 (LSU, 8th year, Age: 28)
WR: KhaDarel Hodge – #4 (Prairie View A&M , 8th year, Age: 30)
DT: Ruke Orhorhoro – #98 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 23)
OLB: Arnold Ebiketie – #17 (Penn State, 4th year, Age: 26)
OLB: Jalon Walker – #11 (Georgia, Rookie, Age: 21)
ILB: Troy Andersen – #44 (Montana State, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Clark Phillips III – #22 (Utah, 3rd year, Age: 23)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: CB A.J. Terrell Jr.
Addition: DE Leonard Floyd
Breakout Player: QB Michael Penix Jr.
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Run game, offensive line, LB core, secondary
Weaknesses: Defensive line, WR core, QB situation

Despite not being able to get any one to bite on Kirk Cousins, the Falcons will go into the year with Penix as their starter, and Raheem Morris looking to avenge an 8-9 season. Their offensive line is one of the better cores of the NFC, with veterans Jake Matthews, Kaleb McGary, and Chris Lindstrom continuing to play at high levels. The duo of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the backfield was a force last season and will only add power with the sneaky scramble ability of Penix. The WR core remains so-so, with Drake London as the only real difference maker in the pass game.

The defense will be headlined by their secondary, which is one of the better pass defenses in football. A.J. Terrell is one of the best young CB’s in the league, and veterans Jesse Bates and Jordan Fuller provide protection in the safety position. The team spent their top two picks to help out their LB room, adding Georgia’s Jalon Walker and Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. to a core of Kaden Elliss and newly signed Divine Deablo. I like the Falcons a lot this year, as I think both their young QB and young HC will take a step this year. I think they’re a real threat to win the South and take down the Buccaneers reign of consecutive division titles. At the very least they should be a top Wild Card team.

Carolina Panthers

HC: Dave Canales
2nd year
Career/Team record: 5-12 – AGE: 44

OC: Brad Idzik
2nd year as Panthers OC – AGE: 34
DC: Ejiro Evero
3rd year as Panthers DC, 4th year as a DC – AGE: 44

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#9	Bryce Young	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 24	15 TDs, 9 INTs, 2,403 yds, 54.1 QBR 249 rush yds, 6 TDs
HB	#30	Chuba Hubbard	Oklahoma State 5th year, Age: 26	250 carries, 1,195 yds, 10 TDs 43 receptions, 171 yds, 1 TD
WR	#4	Tetairoa McMillan (R)	Arizona Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 8th overall by CAR
WR	#17	Xavier Legette	South Carolina 2nd year, Age: 24	49 receptions, 497 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#19	Adam Thielen	Minnesota St. (D-II) 12th year, Age: 34	48 receptions, 615 yds, 5 TDs
TE	#0	Ja’Tavion Sanders	Texas 2nd year, Age: 22	33 receptions, 342 yds, 1 TD
G	#68	Damien Lewis	LSU 6th year, Age: 28
G	#50	Robert Hunt	Louisiana 6th year, Age: 28
C	#63	Austin Corbett	Nevada 8th year, Age: 29
T	#72	Taylor Moton	Western Michigan 9th year, Age: 30
T	#79	Ikem Ekwonu	NC State 4th year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#98	D.J. Wonnum	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 27	4 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 4 TFL
EDGE	#11	Nic Scourton (R)	Texas A&M Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 51st overall by CAR
DE	#95	Derrick Brown	Auburn 6th year, Age: 27	1 GP, 3 Tackles
DT	#94	A’Shawn Robinson	Alabama 10th year, Age: 30	5.5 Sacks, 80 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 8 TFL
DT	#92	Tershawn Wharton	Missouri S&T (D-II) 6th year, Age: 27	6.5 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 7 TFL – (KC)
ILB	#56	Christian Rozeboom	South Dakota St. 5th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 135 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD 5 TFL – (LAR)
ILB	#32	Trevin Wallace	Kentucky 2nd year, Age: 22	1 Sack, 64 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 2 TFL
CB	#8	Jaycee Horn	South Carolina 5th year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 68 Tackles, 1 INT, 13 PD 5 TFL
CB	#2	Mike Jackson	Miami 5th year, Age: 28	76 Tackles, 2 INTs, 17 PD, 3 TFL
S	#7	Tre’von Moehrig	TCU 5th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 104 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FR 10 PD, 5 TFL – (LVR)
S	#36	Demani Richardson	Texas A&M 2nd year, Age: 24	51 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#35	Ryan Fitzgerald (R)	Florida State Rookie, Age: 24	UNDRAFTED in 2025
P	#6	Sam Martin	Appalachian State 13th year, Age: 35	54 punts, 2,523 yds, 25 <20 – (BUF)
KR	#23	Trevor Etienne (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 114th overall by CAR
PR	#15	Jimmy Horn Jr. (R)	Colorado Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 208th overall by CAR

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Andy Dalton – #14 (TCU, 15th year, Age: 37)
HB: Rico Dowdle – #5 (South Carolina, 6th year, Age: 27)
HB: Jonathon Brooks* – #24 (Texas, 2nd year, Age: 22)
WR: Jalen Coker – #18 (Holy Cross, 2nd year, Age: 23)
WR: David Moore – #83 (East Central (D-II), 7th year, Age: 30)
TE: Tommy Tremble – #82 (Notre Dame, 5th year, Age: 25)
DE: LaBryan Ray – #93 (Alabama, 3rd year, Age: 27)
DT: Shy Tuttle – #99 (Tennessee, 7th year, Age: 29)
ILB: D.J. Johnson – #52 (Oregon, 3rd year, Age: 26)
CB: Chau Smith-Wade – #26 (Washington State, 2nd year, Age: 22)
CB: Akayleb Evans – #29 (Missouri, 4th year, Age: 26)

*Brooks has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: CB Jaycee Horn
Addition: WR Tetairoa McMillan
Breakout Player: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
Offensive Grade: D+
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Defensive line, secondary, offensive line
Weaknesses: Run game, QB situation?

The Panthers entered year 2 of Bryce Young all-in on him being the starter. After a rough start, he seemed to put things into gear in the second half, raising a big question mark for year 3. Will he become the franchise’s savior? Or will Carolina need to start all over again? He’ll have plenty of weapons, as the team used their top pick on Arizona WR Tet McMillan. He joins Xavier Legette, Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker, and more in a solid core of receivers. The offensive line also had a solid 2024 season and will return the entire core of last year.

The defense added a few solid pieces, in former Ram ILB Christian Rozeboom, former Raider DB Tre’von Moehrig, former Chief DT Terk Wharton, and rookie edge rusher Nic Scourton. Derrick Brown will return from an injured filled 2024 and team up with veteran DT A’Shawn Robinson on the interior of the line. The CB group will be headlined by young star Jaycee Horn, with Mike Jackson and Akayleb Evans as the depth. Carolina had plenty of salary cap this offseason and used it primarily on the defense, adding solid veterans while drafting up their offense. I think this team looks much more complete this year, and with the downfall of the Saints, they likely won’t finish in last place in the South. They’re still some time away from being a playoff team, but Dave Canales’ group should build on their 5-win season a year ago.

New Orleans Saints

HC: Kellen Moore
1st year – AGE: 37

OC: Doug Nussmeier
1st year as Saints OC – AGE: 54
DC: Brandon Staley
1st year as Saints DC, 2nd year as a DC, 3 years as Chargers HC – AGE: 42

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#2	Spencer Rattler	South Carolina 2nd year, Age: 24	7 GP, 4 TDs, 5 INTs, 1,317 yds 146 rush yds
HB	#41	Alvin Kamara	Tennessee 9th year, Age: 30	228 carries, 950 yds, 6 TDs 68 receptions, 543 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#12	Chris Olave	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 25	8 GP, 32 receptions, 400 yds, 1 TD
WR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 4th year, Age: 25	6 GP, 20 receptions, 349 yds, 3 TDs 6 carries, 29 yds
TE	#83	Juwan Johnson	Oregon 6th year, Age: 28	50 receptions, 548 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#87	Foster Moreau	LSU 7th year, Age: 28	32 receptions, 413 yds, 5 TDs
G	#51	Cesar Ruiz	Michigan 6th year, Age: 26
G	#77	Dillon Radunz	North Dakota St. 5th year, Age: 27
C	#78	Erik McCoy	Texas A&M 7th year, Age: 27
T	#75	Taliese Fuaga	Oregon State 2nd year, Age: 23
T	#71	Kelvin Banks Jr. (R)	Texas Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 9th overall by NO

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#94	Cameron Jordan	California 15th year, Age: 36	4 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD 7 TFL
EDGE	#96	Carl Granderson	Wyoming 7th year, Age: 28	5.5 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD 9 TFL
DT	#92	Davon Godchaux	LSU 9th year, Age: 30	67 Tackles, 1 PD, 1 TFL – (NE)
DT	#90	Bryan Bresee	Clemson 3rd year, Age: 23	7.5 Sacks, 25 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 7 TFL
ILB	#56	Demario Davis	Arkansas State 14th year, Age: 36	2 Sacks, 136 Tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD 5 TFL
ILB	#20	Pete Werner	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 26	92 Tackles, 1 PD, 3 TFL
CB	#1	Alontae Taylor	Tennessee 4th year, Age: 26	4 Sacks, 89 Tackles, 2 FF, 16 PD 7 TFL
CB	#27	Isaac Yiadom	Boston College 8th year, Age: 29	46 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR 6 PD – (SF)
S	#28	Julian Blackmon	Utah 6th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 86 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FR 4 PD, 1 TFL – (IND)
S	#21	Justin Reid	Stanford 8th year, Age: 28	87 Tackles, 2 INTs, 9 PD, 5 TFL – (KC)
S	#0	Ugo Amadi	Oregon 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 65 Tackles, 7 PD, 6 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#19	Blake Grupe	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 26	31/33 XP, 27/31 FG — 6/8 50+
P	#43	Matthew Hayball	Vanderbilt 2nd year, Age: 28	75 punts, 3,303 yds, 41 <20
KR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 4th year, Age: 25	6 attempts, 171 yds
PR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 4th year, Age: 25	9 attempts, 143 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tyler Shough – #6 (Louisville, Rookie, Age: 25)
WR: Brandin Cooks – #10 (Oregon State, 12th year, Age: 31)
WR: Cedrick Wilson Jr. – #11 (Boise State, 8th year, Age: 30)
TE/QB: Taysom Hill* – #7 (BYU, 9th year, Age: 34)
DE: Jonathan Bullard – #58 (Florida, 10th year, Age: 31)
DE: Chase Young – #99 (Ohio State, 6th year, Age: 26)
DT: Nathan Shepherd – #93 (Fort Hays State (D-II), 8th year, Age: 31)
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry – #4 (Alabama, 2nd year, Age: 22)
S: Jordan Howden – #31 (Minnesota, 3rd year, Age: 25)

*Hill has a torn ACL and will miss the majority of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: ILB Demario Davis
Addition: S Julian Blackmon
Breakout Player: DT Vernon Broughton
Offensive Grade: D
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Secondary, Veteran pass/run stop
Weaknesses: QB situation, receiving depth, offensive line

The Saints’ 2025 outcome will practically live or die on their offensive production. The sudden retirement of Derek Carr this offseason left the team very baron at QB, with 2nd year 5th rounder Spencer Rattler and rookie 2nd rounder Tyler Shough as the two options. Regardless of who wins the Week 1 job, the starting nod will go to whoever looks the most competent, which might be neither. Around them they have a trio of veteran RBs led by Alvin Kamara whose productivity is beginning to go downhill at age 30. The WR core is led by injury prone Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed who is working his way back from a season ending injury in 2024. The offensive line will also not be doing the young QB’s any favors, as it was one of the worst cores in the league in 2024.

The defense though, could be what keeps the team afloat, led by long-time pass rusher Cam Jordan returning for his 15th season. DT Davon Godchaux, Safeties Julian Blackmon and Justin Reid, and CB Isaac Yiadom were all added to bring veteran depth to the core. Demario Davis and Pete Werner are one of the best interior LB duos in the league and will look to keep up the dominance around a rebuilding team. I think it’ll be a tough first year for Kellen Moore at the helm in NOLA. There isn’t much of a path for this team to be a playoff contender, and I don’t anticipate Rattler or Shough being the long-term answers at QB. It feels like a blow up and complete rebuild will have to take place after the season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HC: Todd Bowles
4th year as Buccaneers HC, 8th year as a HC
Career record: 53-65, Buccaneers record: 27-24, Career Playoff record: 1-3 – AGE: 62

OC: Josh Grizzard
1st year as Buccaneers OC – AGE: 35
DC: -NONE-

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#6	Baker Mayfield	Oklahoma 8th year, Age: 30	41 TDs, 16 INTs, 4,500 yds, 61.6 QBR 378 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#7	Bucky Irving	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 22	207 carries, 1,122 yds, 8 TDs 47 receptions, 392 yds
WR	#13	Mike Evans	Texas A&M 12th year, Age: 31	74 receptions, 1,004 yds, 11 TDs
WR	#14	Chris Godwin	Penn State 9th year, Age: 29	7 GP, 50 receptions, 576 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#15	Jalen McMillan	Washington 2nd year, Age: 23	37 receptions, 461 yds, 8 TDs 4 carries, 43 yds
TE	#88	Cade Otton	Washington 4th year, Age: 26	59 receptions, 600 yds, 4 TDs
G	#68	Ben Bredeson	Michigan 6th year, Age: 27
G	#69	Cody Mauch	North Dakota St. 3rd year, Age: 26
C	#62	Graham Barton	Duke 2nd year, Age: 23
T	#78	Tristan Wirfs	Iowa 6th year, Age: 26
T	#67	Luke Goedeke	Central Michigan 4th year, Age: 26

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#0	Yaya Diaby	Louisville 3rd year, Age: 26	4.5 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 13 TFL
EDGE	#5	Haason Reddick	Temple 9th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 14 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 2 TFL – (NYJ)
DE	#90	Logan Hall	Houston 4th year, Age: 25	5.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD 6 TFL
DT	#50	Vita Vea	Washington 8th year, Age: 30	7 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 1 PD, 10 TFL
DT	#94	Calijah Kancey	Pittsburgh 3rd year, Age: 24	7.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 11 TFL
ILB	#54	Lavonte David	Nebraska 14th year, Age: 35	5.5 Sacks, 122 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF 1 FR, 6 PD, 9 TFL
ILB	#8	SirVocea Dennis	Pittsburgh 3rd year, Age: 25	4 GP, 1 Sack, 22 Tackles, 1 TFL
CB	#27	Zyon McCollum	Sam Houston St. 4th year, Age: 26	82 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 17 PD 1 TFL
CB	#35	Jamel Dean	Auburn 7th year, Age: 28	59 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 7 PD
S	#31	Antoine Winfield Jr.	Minnesota 6th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 60 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FR 3 PD, 2 TFL
S	#29	Christian Izien	Rutgers 3rd year, Age: 25	75 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 3 PD 4 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#4	Chase McLaughlin	Illinois 7th year, Age: 29	54/56 XP, 30/32 FG — 8/10 50+
P	#92	Riley Dixon	Syracuse 10th year, Age: 31	77 punts, 3,597 yds, 33 <20 – (DEN)
KR	#44	Sean Tucker	Syracuse 3rd year, Age: 23	15 attempts, 410 yds
PR	#10	Trey Palmer	Nebraska 3rd year, Age: 24	17 attempts, 136 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Teddy Bridgewater – #16 (Louisville, 11th year, Age: 32)
HB: Rachaad White – #1 (Arizona State, 4th year, Age: 26)
WR: Emeka Egbuka – #9 (Ohio State, Rookie, Age: 22)
WR: Sterling Shepard – #17 (Oklahoma, 10th year, Age: 32)
TE: Payne Durham – #87 (Purdue, 3rd year, Age: 25)
DT: Greg Gaines – #96 (Washington, 7th year, Age: 29)
ILB: Deion Jones – #45 (LSU, 9th year, Age: 30)
OLB: Anthony Nelson – #98 (Iowa, 7th year, Age: 28)
CB: Benjamin Morrison – #21 (Notre Dame, Rookie, Age: 21)
S: Tykee Smith – #23 (Georgia, 2nd year, Age: 24)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Mike Evans
Addition: OLB Haason Reddick
Breakout Player: CB Benjamin Morrison
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: WR core, offensive line, veteran LBs
Weaknesses: Secondary, TE depth

The Bucs enter the year as the favorites, once again, to win the South, which may be the weakest division in football. Their offense will run it back with Baker Mayfield at the helm once again, finally living up to his 1st overall pick hype since joining Tampa. Mike Evans remains WR1 as the future Hall-of-Famer enters his age-31 season, all with Tampa. Chris Godwin will likely be sidelined for a while after tearing his ACL last year, and the slack will have to be picked up by Jalen McMillan and rookie Emeka Egbuka. The offensive line remains a huge strength, with star Tackle Tristan Wirfs as the headliner.

The defense will be solid once again, with long-time run stopper Vita Vea clogging up the front, and Lavonte David remaining the key piece in the LB core. Haason Reddick was added after a terrible 2024 season that saw him sit out for the Jets while demanding more money, only to return and record 1 sack. He’ll look at 2025 as a bounce back season to lead the pass rush that doesn’t have many key pieces. The secondary will be a little depleted, still led by Antoine Winfield and Zyon McCollum becoming CB1. I still like the Bucs to win the South, although I do think the Falcons will be hot on their tails this time around.

Arizona Cardinals

HC: Jonathan Gannon
3rd year
Career/Team record: 12-22 – AGE: 42

OC: Drew Petzing
3rd year as Cardinals OC – AGE: 38
DC: Nick Rallis
3rd year as Cardinals DC – AGE: 32

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#1	Kyler Murray	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 28	21 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,851 yds, 66.5 QBR 572 rush yds, 5 TDs
HB	#6	James Conner	Pittsburgh 9th year, Age: 30	236 carries, 1,094 yds, 8 TDs 47 receptions, 414 yds, 1 TD
WR	#18	Marvin Harrison Jr.	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23	62 receptions, 885 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#14	Michael Wilson	Stanford 3rd year, Age: 24	47 receptions, 548 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#4	Greg Dortch	Wake Forest 5th year, Age: 27	37 receptions, 342 yds, 3 TDs 5 carries, 31 yds
TE	#85	Trey McBride	Colorado State 4th year, Age: 25	111 receptions, 1,146 yds, 2 TDs 1 carry, 2 yds, 1 TD
G	#63	Evan Brown	SMU 7th year, Age: 28
G	#74	Isaiah Adams	Illinois 2nd year, Age: 25
C	#72	Hjalte Froholdt	Arkansas 7th year, Age: 28
T	#70	Paris Johnson Jr.	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#73	Jonah Williams	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#10	Josh Sweat	Florida State 8th year, Age: 28	8 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 2 PD, 9 TFL – (PHI)
EDGE	#25	Zaven Collins	Tulsa 5th year, Age: 26	5 Sacks, 57 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 7 TFL
DT	#94	Dalvin Tomlinson	Alabama 9th year, Age: 31	3 Sacks, 26 Tackles, 6 TFL – (CLE)
DT	#97	Walter Nolen III (R)	Ole Miss Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 16th overall by ARI
DE	#91	L.J. Collier	TCU 7th year, Age: 29	3.5 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD 4 TFL
ILB	#2	Mack Wilson Sr.	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 75 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 5 PD, 4 TFL
ILB	#27	Akeem Davis-Gaither	Appalachian State 6th year, Age: 27	82 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 4 TFL – (CIN)
CB	#21	Garrett Williams	Syracuse 3rd year, Age: 24	58 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 9 PD
CB	#0	Will Johnson (R)	Michigan Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 47th overall by ARI
S	#3	Budda Baker	Washington 9th year, Age: 29	2 Sacks, 164 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD 10 TFL
S	#34	Jalen Thompson	Washington State 7th year, Age: 27	98 Tackles, 2 FR, 3 PD, 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age
K	#38	Chad Ryland	Maryland 3rd year, Age: 25	26/27 XP, 28/32 FG — 4/4 50+
P	#12	Blake Gillikin	Penn State 6th year, Age: 27	38 punts, 1,887 yds, 19 <20
KR	#4	Greg Dortch	Wake Forest 5th year, Age: 27	7 attempts, 186 yds
PR	#4	Greg Dortch	Wake Forest 5th year, Age: 27	21 attempts, 202 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jacoby Brissett – #7 (NC State, 10th year, Age: 32)
HB: Emari Demercado – #31 (TCU, 3rd year, Age: 26)
WR: Zay Jones – #17 (East Carolina, 9th year, Age: 30)
TE: Elijah Higgins – #84 (Stanford, 3rd year, Age: 24)
TE: Tip Reiman – #87 (Illinois, 2nd year, Age: 23)
DT: Calais Campbell – #93 (Miami, 18th year, Age: 38)
DT: Justin Jones – #98 (NC State, 8th year, Age: 28)
DT: Bilal Nichols* – #92 (Delaware, 8th year, Age: 28)
DT: Dante Stills – #55 (West Virginia, 3rd year, Age: 25)
OLB: B.J. Ojulari** – #9 (LSU, 3rd year, Age: 23)
OLB: Baron Browning – #5 (Ohio State, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Max Melton – #16 (Rutgers, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Sean Murphy-Bunting*** – #23 (Central Michigan, 7th year, Age: 28)
CB: Starling Thomas V**** – #24 (UAB, 3rd year, Age: 25)
S: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson – #42 (Texas Tech, 2nd year, Age: 24)

*Nichols has a neck injury and will miss the first few weeks
**Ojulari continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss the first few weeks
***Murphy-Bunting had knee surgery and will miss the entire season
****Thomas has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: S Budda Baker
Addition: OLB Josh Sweat
Breakout Player: CB Will Johnson
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Offensive line, QB, pass rush, DL depth
Weaknesses: Secondary, WR core, run game

The Cardinals enter the new year coming off a solid 8-9 season, but in a division that their rivals only got stronger in. The Rams are going to be a big bounce back threat, as well as the Niners, and of course the new look Seahawks. Kyler Murray enters year 7 at the helm, and whether you think he’s worth the long-term contract or not, Arizona will keep running out with their former #1 pick. Marvin Harrison Jr. had a solid rookie year and will be looked at as WR1. Trey McBride exploded for an 1,100-yard season and has become one of the best receiving TE’s in the game. The offensive line is also one of the league’s better young cores, with Paris Johnson Jr., Hjalte Froholdt, and Evan Brown as the anchors.

The defense returns a solid core, headlined by the big acquisitions of Dalvin Tomlinson and Josh Sweat to beef up the pass rush. Veterans Calais Campbell, Bilal Nichols, and Justin Jones will all be depth pieces with how many DL’s they have on their roster. B.J. Ojulari will be a highly anticipated pass rusher, as he’s set to return from a torn ACL at some point in the early weeks of the season. Budda Baker returns as possibly the best safety in football, despite being in a secondary that lacks depth around him. I like Arizona’s team but I feel they’ll be the odd man out, as usual, in a tough division. The Seahawks and Niners are real question marks though, as down years from them will open up opportunities for the Cardinals to be a playoff team.

Los Angeles Rams

HC: Sean McVay
9th year
Career/Team record: 80-52, Career Playoff record: 8-5 – AGE: 39

OC: Mike LaFleur
3rd year as Rams OC, 5th year as an OC – AGE: 38
DC: Chris Shula
2nd year as Rams DC – AGE: 39

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#9	Matthew Stafford	Georgia 17th year, Age: 37	20 TDs, 8 INTs, 3,762 yds, 64.7 QBR 41 rush yds
HB	#23	Kyren Williams	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 24	316 carries, 1,299 yds, 14 TDs 34 receptions, 182 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#12	Puka Nacua	BYU 3rd year, Age: 24	79 receptions, 990 yds, 3 TDs 11 carries, 46 yds, 1 TD
WR	#17	Davante Adams	Fresno State 12th year, Age: 32	85 receptions, 1,063 yds, 8 TDs – (LVR/NYJ)
WR	#5	Tutu Atwell	Louisville 5th year, Age: 25	42 receptions, 562 yds
TE	#89	Tyler Higbee	Western Kentucky 10th year, Age: 32	3 GP, 8 receptions, 66 yds, 2 TDs
G	#69	Kevin Dotson	Louisiana 6th year, Age: 28
G	#73	Steve Avila	TCU 3rd year, Age: 25
C	#50	Beaux Limmer	Arkansas 2nd year, Age: 24
T	#79	Rob Havenstein	Wisconsin 11th year, Age: 33
T	#77	Alaric Jackson	Iowa 5th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#8	Jared Verse	Florida State 2nd year, Age: 24	4.5 Sacks, 66 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR 2 PD, 11 TFL
EDGE	#0	Byron Young	Tennessee 3rd year, Age: 27	7.5 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 12 TFL
DE	#91	Kobie Turner	Wake Forest 3rd year, Age: 26	8 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 10 TFL
DE	#55	Braden Fiske	Florida State 2nd year, Age: 25	8.5 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR 10 TFL
NT	#95	Poona Ford	Texas 8th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD 8 TFL – (LAC)
ILB	#51	Troy Reeder	Delaware 7th year, Age: 30	6 GP, 46 Tackles, 1 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#31	Darious Williams	UAB 8th year, Age: 32	45 Tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#14	Cobie Durant	South Carolina St. 4th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 40 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 8 PD, 4 TFL
S	#3	Kamren Curl	Arkansas 6th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 79 Tackles, 1 TD, 2 FF 1 FR, 9 PD, 1 TFL
S	#37	Quentin Lake	UCLA 4th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 111 Tackles, 5 PD, 1 TFL
S	#26	Kamren Kinchens	Miami 2nd year, Age: 22	57 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 1 FR, 6 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#16	Joshua Karty	Stanford 2nd year, Age: 23	32/36 XP, 29/34 FG — 6/7 50+
P	#42	Ethan Evans	Wingate (D-II) 3rd year, Age: 24	55 punts, 2,530 yds, 30 <20
KR	#88	Jordan Whittington	Texas 2nd year, Age: 24	16 attempts, 453 yds
PR	#19	Xavier Smith	Florida A&M 2nd year, Age: 27	16 attempts, 149 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo – #11 (Eastern Illinois, 12th year, Age: 33)
HB: Blake Corum – #22 (Michigan, 2nd year, Age: 24)
TE: Colby Parkinson – #84 (Stanford, 6th year, Age: 26)
TE: Terrance Ferguson – #18 (Oregon, Rookie, Age: 22)
DE: Tyler Davis – #90 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 24)
ILB: Nate Landman – #53 (Colorado, 4th year, Age: 26)
ILB: Omar Speights – #48 (LSU, 2nd year, Age: 24)
CB: Ahkello Witherspoon – #4 (Colorado, 9th year, Age: 30)
CB: Emmanuel Forbes Jr. – #25 (Mississippi State, 3rd year, Age: 24)
S: Jaylen McCollough – #2 (Tennessee, 2nd year, Age: 24)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Matthew Stafford
Addition: WR Davante Adams
Breakout Player: TE Terrance Ferguson
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Passing game, offensive line, defensive front
Weaknesses: Depth in secondary, run stop

The Rams are coming off of a solid bounce back 10-7 season that saw them narrowly miss the NFC Championship game in a close loss to the Eagles. Hungry for more, the Rams should be one of the powerhouses of the NFC this year, with a fully healthy squad. Davante Adams was added this offseason to replace the hole that Cooper Kupp leaves behind, despite battling injuries for each of the last two years. Matthew Stafford could be entering the final year of his career, with Jimmy G and Stetson Bennett as options to succeed him. Kyren Williams was extended to sure up the run game, and the offensive line remains a force, headlined by Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein.

The defense hasn’t been as dominant since the retirement of Aaron Donald, but they have a solid core heading into the new year. Byron Young and Jared Verse are the young pass rushers, both having good years in 2024 and look to take the next step as a pass rush duo. The secondary will be the biggest question mark, with Darious Williams and Cobie Durant as the likely starting CB’s. Kamren Curl and Quentin Lake were a great safety duo a year ago, and surprise rookie Kam Kitchens should be a main-stay as a Nickelback. I like the Rams to not only win the West, but potentially make a push for the whole thing this year. Them and the Eagles, a rematch of last year’s playoffs would be one heck of an NFC Championship game.

San Francisco 49ers

HC: Kyle Shanahan
9th year
Career/Team record: 70-62, Career Playoff record: 8-4 – AGE: 45

OC: Klay Kubiak
1st year as 49ers OC – AGE: 38
DC: Robert Saleh
1st year as 49ers DC (2nd stint), 5th year as a DC, 4 years as Jets HC – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#13	Brock Purdy	Iowa State 4th year, Age: 25	20 TDs, 12 INTs, 3,864 yds, 67.9 QBR 323 rush yds, 5 TDs
HB	#23	Christian McCaffrey	Stanford 9th year, Age: 29	4 GP, 50 carries, 202 yds 15 receptions, 146 yds
FB	#44	Kyle Juszczyk	Harvard 13th year, Age: 34	19 receptions, 200 yds, 2 TDs 5 carries, 26 yds, 1 TD
WR	#15	Jauan Jennings	Tennessee 5th year, Age: 28	77 receptions, 975 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#1	Ricky Pearsall	Florida 2nd year, Age: 24	31 receptions, 400 yds, 3 TDs 3 carries, 45 yds
TE	#85	George Kittle	Iowa 9th year, Age: 31	78 receptions, 1,106 yds, 8 TDs
G	#77	Dominick Puni	Kansas 2nd year, Age: 25
G	#78	Ben Bartch	St. John’s (MN) (D-III) 6th year, Age: 27
C	#64	Jake Brendel	UCLA 8th year, Age: 32
T	#71	Trent Williams	Oklahoma 16th year, Age: 37
T	#68	Colton McKivitz	West Virginia 6th year, Age: 29

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#97	Nick Bosa	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	9 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 1 PD, 15 TFL
EDGE	#98	Mykel Williams (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 11th overall by SF
DT	#92	Jordan Elliott	Missouri 6th year, Age: 27	19 Tackles, 2 TFL
DT	#91	Sam Okuayinonu	Maryland 3rd year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 35 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 6 TFL
MLB	#54	Fred Warner	BYU 8th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 131 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 4 FF, 7 PD, 5 TFL
LB/DB	#2	Deommodore Lenoir	Oregon 5th year, Age: 25	85 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 9 PD 2 TFL
OLB	#53	Dee Winters	TCU 3rd year, Age: 24	44 Tackles, 4 PD
CB	#0	Renardo Green	Florida State 2nd year, Age: 24	61 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 13 PD
S	#25	Jason Pinnock	Pittsburgh 5th year, Age: 26	3 Sacks, 85 Tackles, 1 PD, 4 TFL – (NYG)
S	#27	Ji’Ayir Brown	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 25	77 Tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD, 3 TFL
S	#6	Malik Mustapha	Wake Forest 2nd year, Age: 23	72 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD, 2 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#4	Jake Moody	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 25	32/33 XP, 24/34 FG — 4/9 50+
P	#7	Thomas Morstead	SMU 17th year, Age: 39	63 punts, 2,972 yds, 19 <20 – (NYJ)
KR	#31	Isaac Guerendo	Louisville 2nd year, Age: 25	6 attempts, 163 yds
PR	#19	Jacob Cowing	Arizona 2nd year, Age: 24	28 attempts, 245 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Mac Jones – #10 (Alabama, 5th year, Age: 26)
HB: Brian Robinson (Alabama, 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Ameer Abdullah* – #38 (Nebraska, 11th year, Age: 32)
HB: Patrick Taylor Jr. – #32 (Memphis, 5th year, Age: 27)
WR: Brandon Aiyuk** – #11 (Arizona State, 6th year, Age: 27)
WR: Demarcus Robinson – #5 (Florida, 10th year, Age: 30)
DE: Yetur Gross-Matos – #94 (Penn State, 6th year, Age: 27)
DE: Bryce Huff – #47 (Memphis, 6th year, Age: 27)
DT: Alfred Collins – #95 (Texas, Rookie, Age: 23)
DT: Evan Anderson – #58 (Florida Atlantic, 2nd year, Age: 23)
LB: Luke Gifford – #57 (Nebraska, 7th year, Age: 29)
LB: Nick Martin – #45 (Oklahoma State, Rookie, Age: 22)
S: Richie Grant – #24 (UCF, 5th year, Age: 27)

*Abdullah has a rib injury and will miss the entire season
**Aiyuk continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss the first 6+ weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: ILB Fred Warner
Addition: S Jason Pinnock
Breakout Player: DE Mykel Williams
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Secondary, LB core, passing game
Weaknesses: Offensive line, run defense

The 49ers were one of the biggest disappointments of 2024, as they defended another Super Bowl loss by going a shocking 6-11. In fairness, injuries plagued the offense, with Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk missing big chunks of the season. Deebo Samuel also never seemed right, and was subsequently dealt to the Commanders this offseason. Now, Purdy and company will look to implement a new style, with CMC getting a solid goal line option behind him in Brian Robinson Jr. Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall will need to step up in much bigger roles as a couple of Purdy’s bigger targets. The offensive line could be an issue though, as they look like one of the weaker cores in the league.

The defense should be solid once again, and will likely be the better side of the ball for San Fran. Nick Bosa returns as the leading pass rusher and one of the best in the game at that. The team spent their 11th overall pick on pass rusher Mykel Williams to start alongside Bosa. Fred Warner remains the leader of the defense with Deommodore Lenoir alongside him as an LB/DB hybrid. The secondary looks strong, with Jason Pinnock added to a strong group of ball hawks. I like the Niners to have a bounce back year, but I think their offense is too questionable to predict them as a threat to come out of the NFC. I fully believe in the run game and even the pass game when Aiyuk comes back, what I worry about is the offensive line’s stability. I’m not sure that core will be able to keep Purdy upright for an entire year.

Seattle Seahawks

HC: Mike Macdonald
2nd year
Career/Team record: 10-7 – AGE: 38

OC: Klint Kubiak
1st year as Seahawks OC, 3rd year as an OC – AGE: 38
DC: Aden Durde
2nd year as Seahawks DC – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#14	Sam Darnold	USC 8th year, Age: 28	35 TDs, 12 INTs, 4,319 yds, 60.4 QBR 212 rush yds, 1 TD – (MIN)
HB	#9	Kenneth Walker III	Michigan State 4th year, Age: 24	153 carries, 573 yds, 7 TDs 46 receptions, 299 yds, 1 TD
WR	#11	Jaxon Smith-Njigba	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 23	100 receptions, 1,130 yds, 6 TDs 5 carries, 26 yds
WR	#10	Cooper Kupp	E. Washington 9th year, Age: 32	67 receptions, 710 yds, 6 TDs – (LAR)
WR	#1	Marquez Valdes-Scantling	South Florida 8th year, Age: 30	19 receptions, 411 yds, 4 TDs – (BUF/NO)
TE	#18	Elijah Arroyo (R)	Miami Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 50th overall by SEA
G	#75	Anthony Bradford	LSU 3rd year, Age: 24
G	#76	Grey Zabel (R)	North Dakota St. Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 18th overall by SEA
C	#55	Olu Oluwatimi	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 26
T	#67	Charles Cross	Mississippi State 4th year, Age: 24
T	#72	Abraham Lucas	Washington St. 4th year, Age: 26

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#0	DeMarcus Lawrence	Boise State 12th year, Age: 33	4 GP, 3 Sacks, 7 Tackles, 1 FF 4 TFL – (DAL)
EDGE	#99	Leonard Williams	USC 11th year, Age: 31	11 Sacks, 64 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 3 PD, 16 TFL
NT	#91	Byron Murphy II	Texas 2nd year, Age: 22	0.5 Sacks, 36 Tackles, 2 TFL
ILB	#13	Ernest Jones IV	South Carolina 5th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 94 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 PD, 1 TFL
ILB	#48	Tyrice Knight	UTEP 2nd year, Age: 24	1.5 Sacks, 88 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD 3 TFL
OLB	#53	Boye Mafe	Minnesota 4th year, Age: 26	6 Sacks, 40 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 8 TFL
OLB	#58	Derick Hall	Auburn 3rd year, Age: 24	8 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 1 TD, 2 FF 1 FR, 6 TFL
CB	#27	Riq Woolen	UTSA 4th year, Age: 26	46 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 14 PD
CB	#21	Devon Witherspoon	Illinois 3rd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 98 Tackles, 1 FF, 9 PD 6 TFL
S	#20	Julian Love	Notre Dame 7th year, Age: 27	109 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 FF, 1 FR 12 PD, 3 TFL
S	#8	Coby Bryant	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 26	73 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 6 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#5	Jason Myers	Marist 11th year, Age: 34	37/40 XP, 26/30 FG — 9/12 50+
P	#4	Michael Dickson	Texas 8th year, Age: 29	76 punts, 3,756 yds, 31 <20
KR	#84	Steven Sims	Texas 5th year, Age: 28	7 attempts, 195 yds – (HOU/BAL)
PR	#84	Steven Sims	Texas 5th year, Age: 28	21 attempts, 122 yds – (HOU/BAL)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Drew Lock – #2 (Missouri, 7th year, Age: 28)
QB: Jalen Milroe – #6 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 22)
HB: Zach Charbonnet – #26 (UCLA, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Jake Bobo – #19 (UCLA, 3rd year, Age: 27)
TE: A.J. Barner – #88 (Michigan, 2nd year, Age: 23)
DT: Jarran Reed – #90 (Alabama, 10th year, Age: 32)
DT: Johnathan Hankins – #97 (Ohio State, 13th year, Age: 33)
OLB: Uchenna Nwosu – #7 (USC, 8th year, Age: 28)
CB: Shaquill Griffin – #24 (UCF, 9th year, Age: 30)
CB: Josh Jobe – #29 (Alabama, 4th year, Age: 27)
S: Nick Emmanwori – #3 (South Carolina, Rookie, Age: 21)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DE Leonard Williams
Addition: QB Sam Darnold
Breakout Player: DT Byron Murphy II
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Secondary, pass rush, passing attack
Weaknesses: Offensive line, run defense

Rounding out the NFC, we have the Seahawks who shook up their roster big time heading into the new season. They had a surprise 10-7 season, just missing the playoffs a year ago to begin the Mike Macdonald era. They let Geno Smith go, and replaced him with Sam Darnold who had a career resurgent year for the Vikings in 2024. They also added former Ram All-Pro Cooper Kupp to be their main supporting piece in the receiver group with JSN. Kenneth Walker returns as the lead back, with Zach Charbonnet looking to get a heavy dose of the workload after a good 2024 season.

The defense, in usual Seahawk fashion, looks to be one of the better cores in the league. Leonard Williams headlines the pass rush once again, with former Cowboy DeMarcus Lawrence joining him. The big talk is going to be around their secondary, with one of the best starting four’s you will see in all of football. Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen are two of the best young CBs, with Julian Love and Coby Bryant headlining the safety room. Veteran Shaquil Griffin provides some depth in the secondary as well. I like the Seahawks a lot and can see them hovering right around 10-7 again this year. They’re definitely a notch outside of the Rams, but definitely a true Wild Card threat.

AFC

Buffalo Bills

HC: Sean McDermott
9th year
Career/Team record: 86-45, Career Playoff record: 7-7 – AGE: 51

OC: Joe Brady
3rd year as Bills OC, 5th year as an OC – AGE: 36
DC: Bobby Babich
2nd year as Bills DC – AGE: 42

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#17	Josh Allen	Wyoming 8th year, Age: 29	28 TDs, 6 INTs, 3,731 yds, 77.3 QBR 531 rush yds, 12 TDs
HB	#4	James Cook	Georgia 4th year, Age: 25	207 carries, 1,009 yds, 16 TDs 32 receptions, 258 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#10	Khalil Shakir	Boise State 4th year, Age: 25	76 receptions, 821 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#0	Keon Coleman	Florida State 2nd year, Age: 22	29 receptions, 556 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#5	Joshua Palmer	Tennessee 5th year, Age: 25	39 receptions, 584 yds, 1 TD – (LAC)
TE	#86	Dalton Kincaid	Utah 3rd year, Age: 25	44 receptions, 448 yds, 2 TDs
G	#76	David Edwards	Wisconsin 7th year, Age: 28
G	#64	O’Cyrus Torrence	Florida 3rd year, Age: 25
C	#66	Connor McGovern	Penn State 7th year, Age: 27
T	#73	Dion Dawkins	Temple 9th year, Age: 31
T	#79	Spencer Brown	Northern Iowa 5th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#97	Joey Bosa	Ohio State 10th year, Age: 30	5 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 2 FF, 5 TFL – (LAC)
EDGE	#50	Greg Rousseau	Miami 5th year, Age: 25	8 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 16 TFL
DT	#91	Ed Oliver	Houston 7th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 3 FF, 5 TFL
DT	#92	DaQuan Jones	Penn State 12th year, Age: 33	2.5 Sacks, 23 Tackles, 1 PD, 5 TFL
ILB	#58	Matt Milano	Boston College 9th year, Age: 31	4 GP, 16 Tackles, 2 FR, 1 TFL
ILB	#8	Terrel Bernard	Baylor 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 104 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR 3 PD, 5 TFL
ILB	#42	Dorian Williams	Tulane 3rd year, Age: 24	117 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 FR, 5 TFL
CB	#47	Christian Benford	Villanova 4th year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 64 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF 1 FR, 10 PD, 3 TFL
CB	#7	Taron Johnson	Weber State 8th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 65 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 TDs 1 FF, 1 FR, 5 PD, 1 TFL
S	#9	Taylor Rapp	Washington 7th year, Age: 27	82 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 6 PD 2 TFL
S	#3	Damar Hamlin	Pittsburgh 5th year, Age: 27	89 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 5 PD 2 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#2	Tyler Bass	Georgia Southern 6th year, Age: 28	59/64 XP, 24/29 FG — 4/4 50+
P	#40	Brad Robbins	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 26	DNP – Quad injury – (CIN)
KR	#29	Brandon Codrington	NC Central 2nd year, Age: 24	11 attempts, 306 yds
PR	#29	Brandon Codrington	NC Central 2nd year, Age: 24	27 attempts, 313 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Mitchell Trubisky – #11 (North Carolina, 9th year, Age: 31)
HB: Ray Davis – #22 (Kentucky, 2nd year, Age: 25)
HB: Ty Johnson – #26 (Maryland, 7th year, Age: 27)
WR: Curtis Samuel – #1 (Ohio State, 9th year, Age: 29)
WR: Elijah Moore – #18 (Ole Miss, 5th year, Age: 25)
TE: Dawson Knox – #88 (Ole Miss, 7th year, Age: 28)
DE: A.J. Epenesa – #57 (Iowa, 6th year, Age: 26)
DE: Michael Hoecht* – #55 (Brown, 5th year, Age: 27)
DT: Larry Ogunjobi** – #99 (Charlotte, 9th year, Age: 31)
ILB: Shaq Thompson – #45 (Washington, 11th year, Age: 31)
CB: Cam Lewis – #39 (Buffalo, 6th year, Age: 28)
CB: Maxwell Hairston – #31 (Kentucky, Rookie, Age: 22)
S: Cole Bishop – #24 (Utah, 2nd year, Age: 22)

*Hoecht has been suspended for 6 weeks
**Ogunjobi has been suspended for 6 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Josh Allen
Addition: DE Joey Bosa
Breakout Player: WR Keon Coleman
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Star QB, better WR core, LB core, run defense
Weaknesses: Secondary, offensive line, pass rush

Coming off of, yet another, fall to the Chiefs come playoff time, the Bills continue to put their fanbase through the ultimate teases. But if there’s one guy who can flip the script with this franchise, it’ll be Josh Allen who took home his first MVP last year. He returns with James Cook on a fresh contract, and a receiving core full of veterans. Keon Coleman was a good surprise last year, and will look to continue his development into a true WR1. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are a good TE duo, but the offensive line is still going to be a struggle.

The defense brought in star edge rusher Joey Bosa who was cut by the Chargers as he’ll headline the edge with Greg Rousseau. Matt Milano should be fully healthy and ready to be the star interior LB that he usually is, with Terrel Bernard who was a good surprise last year. The secondary is the most questionable core on the defense, as Christian Benford and Taron Johnson will be tasked as the starting CBs. The Bills will once again be atop the AFC, and should have a cakewalk to another AFC East title. Their true goal of making the Super Bowl is still yet to be seen, as they may need luck from some of the other playoff teams in the AFC to knock off the Chiefs early in the playoffs. That’s what will stand between the Bills and their first SB appearance in over 30 years.

Miami Dolphins

HC: Mike McDaniel
4th year
Career/Team record: 28-23, Career Playoff record: 0-2 – AGE: 42

OC: Frank Smith
4th year as Dolphins OC – AGE: 44
DC: Anthony Weaver
2nd year as Dolphins DC, 3rd year as a DC – AGE: 45

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#1	Tua Tagovailoa	Alabama 6th year, Age: 27	19 TDs, 7 INTs, 2,867 yds, 60.3 QBR 49 rush yds
HB	#28	De’Von Achane	Texas A&M 3rd year, Age: 23	203 carries, 907 yds, 6 TDs 78 receptions, 592 yds, 6 TDs
FB	#30	Alec Ingold	Wisconsin 7th year, Age: 29	11 receptions, 96 yds 10 carries, 17 yds, 1 TD
WR	#10	Tyreek Hill	West Alabama (D-II) 10th year, Age: 31	81 receptions, 959 yds, 6 TDs 8 carries, 53 yds
WR	#17	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama 5th year, Age: 26	58 receptions, 744 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#83	Darren Waller	Georgia Tech 8th year, Age: 32	DNP – Retired
G	#78	James Daniels	Iowa 8th year, Age: 27
G	#72	Jonah Savaiinaea (R)	Arizona Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 37th overall by MIA
C	#55	Aaron Brewer	Texas State 6th year, Age: 27
T	#73	Austin Jackson	USC 6th year, Age: 26
T	#52	Patrick Paul	Houston 2nd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#2	Bradley Chubb	NC State 8th year, Age: 29	DNP – Torn ACL
EDGE	#44	Chop Robinson	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 22	6 Sacks, 26 Tackles, 4 PD, 8 TFL
DE	#92	Zach Sieler	Ferris State (D-II) 8th year, Age: 29	10 Sacks, 55 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 2 PD, 13 TFL
DT	#90	Kenneth Grant (R)	Michigan Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 13th overall by MIA
DT	#95	Benito Jones	Ole Miss 5th year, Age: 27	24 Tackles, 4 TFL
ILB	#20	Jordyn Brooks	Texas Tech 6th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 143 Tackles, 2 FR, 6 PD 11 TFL
ILB	#11	Tyrel Dodson	Texas A&M 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 107 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF 6 PD, 5 TFL – (SEA/MIA)
CB	#36	Storm Duck	Louisville 2nd year, Age: 24	35 Tackles, 4 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#23	Jack Jones	Arizona State 4th year, Age: 27	69 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD, 16 PD 3 TFL – (LVR)
S	#29	Minkah Fitzpatrick	Alabama 8th year, Age: 28	96 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 4 PD 1 TFL – (PIT)
S	#21	Ashtyn Davis	California 6th year, Age: 28	35 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PD, 5 TFL – (NYJ)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#7	Jason Sanders	New Mexico 8th year, Age: 29	26/28 XP, 37/41 FG — 12/14 50+
P	#16	Jake Bailey	Stanford 7th year, Age: 28	56 punts, 2,639 yds, 22 <20
KR	#6	Malik Washington	Virginia 2nd year, Age: 24	14 attempts, 430 yds
PR	#6	Malik Washington	Virginia 2nd year, Age: 24	18 attempts, 134 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Zach Wilson – #0 (BYU, 5th year, Age: 26)
HB: Alexander Mattison* – #8 (Boise State, 7th year, Age: 27)
HB: Jaylen Wright – #5 (Tennessee, 2nd year, Age: 22)
WR: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine – #18 (Indiana, 6th year, Age: 28)
TE: Julian Hill – #89 (Campbell, 3rd year, Age: 25)
ILB: K.J. Britt – #3 (Auburn, 5th year, Age: 26)
ILB: Willie Gay Jr. – #40 (Mississippi State, 6th year, Age: 27)
OLB: Matthew Judon – #8 (Grand Valley State, 10th year, Age: 33)
OLB: Jaelan Phillips – #15 (Miami, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Kader Kohou** – #4 (East Texas A&M (D-II), 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Artie Burns*** – #23 (Miami, 10th year, Age: 30)
S: Ifeatu Melifonwu – #9 (Syracuse, 5th year, Age: 26)

*Mattison had neck surgery and will miss the entire season
**Kohou has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season
***Burns has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Tyreek Hill
Addition: S Minkah Fitzpatrick
Breakout Player: DT Kenneth Grant
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Star receivers, LB depth
Weaknesses: Injuries, aging stars, secondary, offensive line

The Dolphins are coming off of a disappointing year where they couldn’t seem to get anything going offensively. Another injury to Tua’s head kept him sidelined for a few weeks, and when he returned, he wasn’t the same player he usually is. This caused Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to have statistically down years as no one could seem to get them the ball through the air consistently. Health will be the key factor with this group, and the happiness of Hill whom teased that he wanted out after last year’s disaster.

The defense should be a bit improved with Bradley Chubb looking to have his first fully healthy year since 2022. Zack Sieler has become one of the league’s better, and less talked about, pass rushers as he and second year DL Chop Robinson are guys to look out for. Minkah Fitzpatrick was brought back after being dealt to the Steelers a few years ago and he’ll headline the DB core that is without Kader Kohou and Artie Burns for the entire year. I think the Dolphins will struggle again this year, and it may be the end of the Mike McDaniel experiment. A lot rides on this season, including the future of Tua and Tyreek Hill in the turquoise and yellow. Another down year should certainly call for the franchise to re-evaluate McDaniel and Tua as the leaders.

New England Patriots

HC: Mike Vrabel
1st year as Patriots HC, 7th year as a HC
Career record: 54-45, Career Playoff record: 2-3 – AGE: 50

OC: Josh McDaniels
14th year as Patriots OC (3rd stint), 4 years as Broncos/Raiders HC – AGE: 49
DC: Terrell Williams
1st year as Patriots DC – AGE: 51

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#10	Drake Maye	North Carolina 2nd year, Age: 22	15 TDs, 10 INTs, 2,276 yds, 58.6 QBR 421 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#38	Rhamondre Stevenson	Oklahoma 5th year, Age: 27	207 carries, 801 yds, 7 TDs 33 receptions, 168 yds, 1 TD
WR	#8	Stefon Diggs	Maryland 11th year, Age: 31	47 receptions, 496 yds, 3 TDs 3 carries, 8 yds, 1 TD – (HOU)
WR	#9	Kayshon Boutte	LSU 3rd year, Age: 23	43 receptions, 589 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#84	Kendrick Bourne	E. Washington 9th year, Age: 30	28 receptions, 305 yds, 1 TD
TE	#85	Hunter Henry	Arkansas 10th year, Age: 30	66 receptions, 674 yds, 2 TDs
G	#71	Mike Onwenu	Michigan 6th year, Age: 27
G	#58	Jared Wilson (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 95th overall by NE
C	#65	Garrett Bradbury	NC State 7th year, Age: 30
T	#76	Morgan Moses	Virginia 12th year, Age: 34
T	#66	Will Campbell (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 4th overall by NE

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#2	Harold Landry III	Boston College 8th year, Age: 29	9 Sacks, 71 Tackles, 4 PD, 15 TFL – (TEN)
EDGE	#44	K’Lavon Chaisson	LSU 6th year, Age: 26	5 Sacks, 32 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 PD, 7 TFL – (LVR)
DE	#97	Milton Williams	Louisiana Tech 5th year, Age: 26	5 Sacks, 24 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 7 TFL – (PHI)
DE	#99	Keion White	Georgia Tech 3rd year, Age: 26	5 Sacks, 56 Tackles, 2 FF, 5 PD 7 TFL
DT	#90	Christian Barmore	Alabama 5th year, Age: 26	4 GP, 1 Sack, 6 Tackles, 1 TFL
ILB	#14	Robert Spillane	Western Michigan 7th year, Age: 29	2 Sacks, 158 Tackles, 2 INTs, 7 PD 10 TFL – (LVR)
ILB	#48	Jahlani Tavai	Hawaii 7th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 115 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD 7 TFL
CB	#7	Carlton Davis III	Auburn 7th year, Age: 28	56 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 2 FR 11 PD, 2 TFL – (DET)
CB	#0	Christian Gonzalez	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 23	59 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FR 11 PD, 1 TFL
S	#23	Kyle Dugger	Lenoir-Rhyne (D-II) 6th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 81 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD 8 TFL
S	#21	Jaylinn Hawkins	California 6th year, Age: 27	48 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD, 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#36	Andy Borregales (R)	Miami Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 182nd overall by NE
P	#17	Bryce Baringer	Michigan State 3rd year, Age: 26	70 punts, 3,486 yds, 31 <20
KR	#4	Antonio Gibson	Memphis 6th year, Age: 27	9 attempts, 239 yds
PR	#25	Marcus Jones	Houston 4th year, Age: 26	26 attempts, 386 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Joshua Dobbs – #11 (Tennessee, 9th year, Age: 30)
HB: TreVeyon Henderson – #32 (Ohio State, Rookie, Age: 22)
WR: Mack Hollins – #13 (North Carolina, 9th year, Age: 31)
WR: DeMario Douglas – #3 (Liberty, 3rd year, Age: 24)
TE: Austin Hooper – #81 (Stanford, 10th year, Age: 30)
DT: Khyiris Tonga – #95 (BYU, 5th year, Age: 29)
ILB: Jack Gibbens – #51 (Minnesota, 3rd year, Age: 26)
ILB: Christian Elliss – #53 (Idaho, 4th year, Age: 26)
OLB: Anfernee Jennings – #33 (Alabama, 6th year, Age: 27)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: OLB Harold Landry III
Addition: OLB Harold Landry III
Breakout Player: HB TreVeyon Henderson
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Young QB, run game, defensive line
Weaknesses: WR core, safeties, offensive line

Some luck at the Patriots as a completely re-tooled and sneaky team in the AFC, but I just don’t see it. Make no mistake, Mike Vrabel will certainly be an upgrade over Jerod Mayo and Drake Maye also had a solid rookie season, giving hope towards being their long-time answer at QB. But the receiving core looks depleted with veterans Mack Hollins and Kendrick Bourne leading the group. DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boute will be interesting young pieces to see if they can develop into valuable starters. TreVeyon Henderson was a sneaky draft pick, and he will likely take the starting job away from Rhamondre Stevenson at some point in the year.

The defense will be headlined by the signing of Harold Landry who was a star as a pass rusher in Tennessee. He leads the front with other newcomers K’Lavon Chaisson and Milton Williams. Christian Barmore will look to stay healthy after playing in only 4 games last year for New England. The DB room took a bit of a hit with the surprise cut of Julius Peppers, especially with Kyle Dugger reportedly being unhappy as well. Christian Gonzalez and newly added Carlton Davis should hold down the CB starting duo role all year. Again, the Pats should be improved but them being a true playoff team in the AFC is just something that won’t happen. I can’t see them being in the same class as any of the top 7 teams in the Conference.

New York Jets

HC: Aaron Glenn
1st year
AGE: 53

OC: Tanner Engstrand
1st year as Jets OC – AGE: 43
DC: Steve Wilks
1st year as Jets DC, 4th year as a DC, 2 years as Cardinals/Panthers HC – AGE: 56

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#7	Justin Fields	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 26	5 TDs, 1 INT, 1,106 yds, 50.8 QBR 289 rush yds, 5 TDs – (PIT)
HB	#20	Breece Hall	Iowa State 4th year, Age: 24	209 carries, 876 yds, 5 TDs 57 receptions, 483 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#5	Garrett Wilson	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 25	101 receptions, 1,104 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#10	Allen Lazard	Iowa State 7th year, Age: 28	37 receptions, 530 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#83	Josh Reynolds	Texas A&M 9th year, Age: 30	13 receptions, 194 yds, 1 TD – (DEN/JAX)
TE	#85	Mason Taylor (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 42nd overall by NYJ
G	#75	Alijah Vera-Tucker	USC 5th year, Age: 26
G	#76	John Simpson	Clemson 6th year, Age: 28
C	#66	Joe Tippmann	Wisconsin 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#74	Olu Fashanu	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 24
T	#70	Armand Membou (R)	Missouri Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 7th overall by NYJ

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#9	Will McDonald IV	Iowa State 3rd year, Age: 26	10.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 11 TFL
EDGE	#72	Michael Clemons	Texas A&M 4th year, Age: 28	4.5 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 TFL
DT	#95	Quinnen Williams	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27	6 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 8 TFL
DT	#98	Harrison Phillips	Stanford 8th year, Age: 29	2 Sacks, 56 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 2 TFL – (MIN)
ILB	#56	Quincy Williams	Murray State 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 116 Tackles, 4 FF, 3 FR 4 PD, 14 TFL
ILB	#44	Jamien Sherwood	Auburn 5th year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 158 Tackles, 3 PD, 10 TFL
OLB	#11	Jermaine Johnson	Florida State 4th year, Age: 26	2 GP, 4 Tackles, 1 TFL
CB	#1	Sauce Gardner	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 49 Tackles, 1 INT, 9 PD 1 TFL
CB	#21	Brandon Stephens	SMU 5th year, Age: 27	1.5 Sacks, 70 Tackles, 10 PD, 3 TFL – (BAL)
S	#22	Tony Adams	Illinois 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 84 Tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD 2 TFL
S	#8	Andre Cisco	Syracuse 5th year, Age: 25	68 Tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD, 1 TFL – (JAX)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#18	Nick Folk	Arizona 18th year, Age: 40	25/25 XP, 21/22 FG — 6/6 50+ – (TEN)
P	#14	Austin McNamara (R)	Texas Tech Rookie, Age: 24	UNDRAFTED in 2024
KR	#3	Xavier Gipson	Stephen F. Austin 3rd year, Age: 24	17 attempts, 489 yds
PR	#3	Xavier Gipson	Stephen F. Austin 3rd year, Age: 24	33 attempts, 266 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tyrod Taylor – #2 (Virginia Tech, 15th year, Age: 36)
HB: Braelon Allen – #0 (Wisconsin, 2nd year, Age: 21)
HB: Isaiah Davis – #32 (South Dakota State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Jeremy Ruckert – #89 (Ohio State, 4th year, Age: 25)
DT: Leonard Taylor III – #96 (Miami, 2nd year, Age: 23)
DT: Byron Cowart – #93 (Maryland, 5th year, Age: 29)
CB: Michael Carter II – #30 (Duke, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Isaiah Oliver – #26 (Colorado, 8th year, Age: 28)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Garrett Wilson
Addition: QB Justin Fields
Breakout Player: TE Mason Taylor
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Run game, pass rush, secondary
Weaknesses: QB situation, WR depth, offensive line

Well, the Aaron Rodgers experiment is finally over and it was a straight up disaster at that. The team decided to completely clean house, bringing in former Lions DC Aaron Glenn to be the next HC. He brings a disciplined, smash mouth mindset to a team that needs a shake up in the worst way. Justin Fields will be tasked as the new QB, and star WR Garrett Wilson was extended on a long-term deal to be the offense’s cornerstone. The duo of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen returns and the offensive line brings back a young group with their number 7 pick Armand Membou as a key tackle.

The defense will definitely be the better side of the football, with Sauce Gardner also extended long-term to be their star CB. Will McDonald, Quinnen Williams, and newly acquire Harrison Phillips headline the defensive front that should be pretty dominant if healthy. The LB core also brings back Jermaine Johnson who was looking promising until an injury sidelined him for almost the entirety of the season. Brandon Stephens was signed from Baltimore to pair with Sauce as the starting CB’s, and both Tony Adams and Andre Cisco will lead the safeties. It’ll likely be another unenthusiastic year for the Jets, as it’s tough to see them being a real competitor. A lot will ride on Glenn’s competence as a HC and if Justin Fields is actually a legit NFL QB. Both we will have to wait to see.

Baltimore Ravens

HC: John Harbaugh
18th year
Career/Team record: 172-104, Career Playoff record: 13-11 – AGE: 63

OC: Todd Monken
3rd year as Ravens OC, 7th year as an OC – AGE: 59
DC: Zach Orr
2nd year as Ravens DC – AGE: 33

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#8	Lamar Jackson	Louisville 8th year, Age: 28	41 TDs, 4 INTs, 4,172 yds, 77.3 QBR 915 rush yds, 4 TDs
HB	#22	Derrick Henry	Alabama 10th year, Age: 31	325 carries, 1,921 yds, 16 TDs 19 receptions, 193 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#4	Zay Flowers	Boston College 3rd year, Age: 24	74 receptions, 1,059 yds, 4 TDs 9 carries, 56 yds
WR	#7	Rashod Bateman	Minnesota 5th year, Age: 25	45 receptions, 756 yds, 9 TDs
TE	#89	Mark Andrews	Oklahoma 8th year, Age: 29	55 receptions, 673 yds, 11 TDs
TE	#80	Isaiah Likely	Coastal Carolina 4th year, Age: 25	42 receptions, 477 yds, 6 TDs
G	#77	Daniel Faalele	Minnesota 4th year, Age: 25
G	#66	Ben Cleveland	Georgia 5th year, Age: 27
C	#64	Tyler Linderbaum	Iowa 4th year, Age: 25
T	#79	Ronnie Stanley	Notre Dame 10th year, Age: 31
T	#70	Roger Rosengarten	Washington 2nd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#99	Odafe Oweh	Penn State 5th year, Age: 26	10 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 1 FF, 9 TFL
EDGE	#53	Kyle Van Noy	BYU 12th year, Age: 34	12.5 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 14 TFL
DT	#92	Nnamdi Madubuike	Texas A&M 6th year, Age: 27	6.5 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 11 TFL
DT	#96	Broderick Washington	Texas Tech 6th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 21 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 1 TFL
DT	#98	Travis Jones	UConn 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 42 Tackles, 4 TFL
ILB	#0	Roquan Smith	Georgia 8th year, Age: 28	1.5 Sacks, 154 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 4 PD, 4 TFL
ILB	#32	Trenton Simpson	Clemson 3rd year, Age: 24	1.5 Sacks, 73 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 PD 5 TFL
CB	#44	Marlon Humphrey	Alabama 9th year, Age: 29	0.5 Sacks, 67 Tackles, 6 INTs, 1 TD 2 FF, 15 PD, 5 TFL
CB	#23	Jaire Alexander	Louisville 8th year, Age: 28	7 GP, 16 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 1 FR, 7 PD – (GB)
S	#14	Kyle Hamilton	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 24	2 Sacks, 107 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 1 FR, 9 PD, 4 TFL
S	#29	Ar’Darius Washington	TCU 4th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 64 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 8 PD, 5 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#33	Tyler Loop (R)	Arizona Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 186th overall by BAL
P	#11	Jordan Stout	Penn State 4th year, Age: 27	55 punts, 2,551 yds, 22 <20
KR	#43	Justice Hill	Oklahoma State 7th year, Age: 27	5 attempts, 183 yds
PR	#16	Tylan Wallace	Oklahoma State 5th year, Age: 26	6 attempts, 67 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Cooper Rush – #15 (Central Michigan, 8th year, Age: 31)
HB: D’Ernest Johnson – #30 (South Florida, 7th year, Age: 29)
FB: Patrick Ricard – #42 (Maine, 9th year, Age: 31)
WR: DeAndre Hopkins – #10 (Clemson, 13th year, Age: 33)
TE: Charlie Kolar – #88 (Iowa State, 4th year, Age: 26)
DE: Brent Urban – #97 (Virginia, 11th year, Age: 34)
DT: John Jenkins – #62 (Georgia, 13th year, Age: 36)
ILB: Tavius Robinson – #95 (Ole Miss, 3rd year, Age: 26)
OLB: David Ojabo – #90 (Michigan, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Nate Wiggins – #2 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 21)
CB: Chidobe Awuzie – #3 (Colorado, 9th year, Age: 30)
S: Malaki Starks – #24 (Georgia, Rookie, Age: 21)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Lamar Jackson
Addition: CB Jaire Alexander
Breakout Player: CB Nate Wiggins
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Secondary, Run game, MVP QB, pass rushers
Weaknesses: Offensive line, run defense

It was another typical Lamar Jackson and Baltimore season, a great regular season that resulted in a division crown, only to suffer another defeat in the playoffs. Things need to change before Baltimore’s window closes as their star QB enters his 8th season. Derrick Henry returns after a stellar year leading the run duo that took the league by storm. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Mark Andrews all will headline the receiving core, with veteran DeAndre Hopkins back in the mix. The offensive line may struggle as Tyler Linderbaum and Ronnie Stanley will have to lead a young and unproductive group.

Although the offense can be explosive, the side of the ball that should shine will be the defense. Odafe Oweh and newly minted edge rusher Kyle Van Noy both had 10+ sack seasons as the lead edge rushers. Roquan Smith is still one of the league’s best interior LB’s and Jaire Alexander will join a CB room headlined by long-time CB1 Marlon Humphrey. Kyle Hamilton has also become a star as this team will be cutthroat for offenses to get anything going through the air against them. They should win the North again and will likely end up right back in the position they normally are. The question will be, can they actually get the job done this time?

Cincinnati Bengals

HC: Zac Taylor
7th year
Career/Team record: 46-52-1, Career Playoff record: 5-2 – AGE: 42

OC: Dan Pitcher
2nd year as Bengals OC – AGE: 38
DC: Al Golden
1st year as Bengals DC – AGE: 56

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#9	Joe Burrow	LSU 6th year, Age: 28	43 TDs, 9 INTs, 4,918 yds, 74.7 QBR 201 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#30	Chase Brown	Illinois 3rd year, Age: 25	229 carries, 990 yds, 7 TDs 54 receptions, 360 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#1	Ja’Marr Chase	LSU 5th year, Age: 25	127 receptions, 1,708 yds, 17 TDs
WR	#5	Tee Higgins	Clemson 6th year, Age: 26	73 receptions, 911 yds, 10 TDs
TE	#86	Noah Fant	Iowa 7th year, Age: 27	48 receptions, 500 yds, 1 TD – (SEA)
TE	#89	Drew Sample	Washington 7th year, Age: 29	20 receptions, 109 yds, 1 TD
G	#61	Cody Ford	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 28
G	#62	Lucas Patrick	Duke 9th year, Age: 32
C	#64	Ted Karras	Illinois 10th year, Age: 32
T	#75	Orlando Brown Jr.	Oklahoma 8th year, Age: 29
T	#71	Amarius Mims	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#91	Trey Hendrickson	Florida Atlantic 9th year, Age: 30	17.5 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 2 FF, 6 PD 19 TFL
EDGE	#97	Shemar Stewart (R)	Texas A&M Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 17th overall by CIN
DT	#92	B.J. Hill	NC State 8th year, Age: 30	3 Sacks, 56 Tackles, 4 PD, 7 TFL
DT	#98	T.J. Slaton Jr.	Florida 5th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 30 Tackles, 2 TFL – (GB)
ILB	#55	Logan Wilson	Wyoming 6th year, Age: 29	104 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR, 1 PD 2 TFL
ILB	#44	Demetrius Knight Jr. (R)	South Carolina Rookie, Age: 25	DRAFTED: 49th overall by CIN
CB	#29	Cam Taylor-Britt	Nebraska 4th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 77 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD 16 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#23	Dax Hill	Michigan 4th year, Age: 24	5 GP, 1 Sack, 26 Tackles, 2 PD 1 TFL
CB	#20	D.J. Turner II	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 24	29 Tackles, 8 PD, 1 TFL
S	#22	Geno Stone	Iowa 6th year, Age: 26	81 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FR 6 PD
S	#27	Jordan Battle	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 24	58 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 3 PD 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#2	Evan McPherson	Florida 5th year, Age: 26	37/38 XP, 16/22 FG — 3/7 50+
P	#8	Ryan Rehkow	BYU 2nd year, Age: 26	53 punts, 2,603 yds, 25 <20
KR	#15	Charlie Jones	Purdue 3rd year, Age: 26	5 attempts, 200 yds, 1 TD
PR	#15	Charlie Jones	Purdue 3rd year, Age: 26	14 attempts, 99 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jake Browning – #6 (Washington, 3rd year, Age: 29)
HB: Samaje Perine – #34 (Oklahoma, 9th year, Age: 29)
WR: Andre Iosivas – #80 (Princeton, 3rd year, Age: 25)
TE: Mike Gesicki – #88 (Penn State, 8th year, Age: 29)
DE: Cam Sample – #96 (Tulane, 5th year, Age: 25)
DE: Myles Murphy – #99 (Clemson, 3rd year, Age: 23)
DT: Kris Jenkins Jr. – #90 (Michigan, 2nd year, Age: 23)
ILB: Oren Burks – #42 (Vanderbilt, 8th year, Age: 30)
CB: Josh Newton – #28 (TCU, 2nd year, Age: 24)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Joe Burrow
Addition: TE Noah Fant
Breakout Player: DE Shemar Stewart
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Star QB, passing attack, pass rush
Weaknesses: Offensive line, secondary, LB core

The Bengals are coming off yet another disappointing season in what should be a huge window to win a championship. The issue in 2024 wasn’t as much offensive line, although that still was a problem, it was the defense. The looming decision that had to be made on Tee Higgins also hung over the team, and they responded with paying him WR1 money. Now, with most of their cap caught up in Borrow, Chase, and Higgins, there’s no running from the grind of winning the AFC. Noah Fant was also added to provide a pass catching TE to the mix, while the O-Line retains their key pieces in Brown and Karras.

As I said above, the defense was the real issue and not much work was put in to fix it. Star edge Trey Hendrickson grew tired with the lack of pay and will test free agency after the year. They used their 1st round pick to take Shemar Stewart to pair on the edge with Hendrickson after the sudden retirement of Sam Hubbard. The secondary is going to be the biggest issue, as the pass attack destroyed them last year and likely will again. A CB core of Dax Hill and D.J. Turner is going to be tough to get by with all of the great receivers in the AFC. It’s tough to tell what the Bengals will do, as their offense still has the potential to be the best in the league. It will all depend on how much the defense steps up, and if they’re able to limit the high power offenses of Chiefs, Bills, and Texans.

Cleveland Browns

HC: Kevin Stefanski
6th year
Career/Team record: 40-44, Career Playoff record: 1-2 – AGE: 43

OC: Tommy Rees
1st year as Browns OC – AGE: 33
DC: Jim Schwartz
3rd year as Browns DC, 17th year as a DC, 4 years as Lions HC – AGE: 59

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#15	Joe Flacco	Delaware 18th year, Age: 40	12 TDs, 7 INTs, 1,761 yds, 53.4 QBR 26 rush yds – (IND)
HB	#34	Jerome Ford	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 25	104 carries, 565 yds, 3 TDs 37 receptions, 225 yds
WR	#3	Jerry Jeudy	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	90 receptions, 1,229 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#19	Cedric Tillman	Tennessee 3rd year, Age: 25	29 receptions, 339 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#2	DeAndre Carter	Sacramento State 8th year, Age: 32	9 receptions, 72 yds – (CHI)
TE	#85	David Njoku	Miami 9th year, Age: 29	64 receptions, 505 yds, 5 TDs
G	#75	Joel Bitonio	Nevada 12th year, Age: 33
G	#77	Wyatt Teller	Virginia Tech 8th year, Age: 30
C	#55	Ethan Pocic	LSU 9th year, Age: 30
T	#78	Jack Conklin	Michigan State 10th year, Age: 31
T	#79	Dawand Jones	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#95	Myles Garrett	Texas A&M 9th year, Age: 29	14 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 22 TFL
EDGE	#90	Joe Tryon-Shoyinka	Washington 5th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 24 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 3 TFL – (TB)
DT	#96	Maliek Collins	Nebraska 10th year, Age: 30	5 Sacks, 33 Tackles, 2 FR, 5 TFL – (SF)
DT	#94	Mason Graham (R)	Michigan Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 5th overall by CLE
MLB	#17	Jerome Baker	Ohio State 8th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 2 TFL – (SEA/TEN)
OLB	#30	Devin Bush Jr.	Michigan 7th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 76 Tackles, 3 PD, 8 TFL
OLB	#49	Carson Schwesinger (R)	UCLA Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 33rd overall by CLE
CB	#21	Denzel Ward	Ohio State 8th year, Age: 28	49 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 19 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#0	Greg Newsome II	Northwestern 5th year, Age: 25	27 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD
S	#9	Grant Delpit	LSU 6th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 111 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD 7 TFL
S	#33	Ronnie Hickman	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 23	45 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#47	Andre Szmyt (R)	Syracuse Rookie, Age: 26	UNDRAFTED in 2023
P	#13	Corey Bojorquez	New Mexico 8th year, Age: 28	89 punts, 4,387 yds, 36 <20
KR	#2	DeAndre Carter	Sacramento State 8th year, Age: 32	15 attempts, 479 yds – (CHI)
PR	#2	DeAndre Carter	Sacramento State 8th year, Age: 32	17 attempts, 158 yds – (CHI)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Deshaun Watson* – #4 (Clemson, 9th year, Age: 29)
QB: Dillon Gabriel – #5 (Oregon, Rookie, Age: 24)
QB: Shedeur Sanders – #12 (Colorado, Rookie, Age: 23)
HB: Quinshon Judkins** – #10 (Ohio State, Rookie, Age: 21)
TE: Harold Fannin Jr. – #88 (Bowling Green, Rookie, Age: 21)
DE: Isaiah McGuire – #57 (Missouri, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DT: Shelby Harris – #93 (Illinois State, 11th year, Age: 34)
ILB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah*** – #6 (Notre Dame, 5th year, Age: 25)
ILB: Mohamoud Diabate – #43 (Utah, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Martin Emerson Jr.**** – #1 (Mississippi State, 4th year, Age: 24)
S: Rayshawn Jenkins – #28 (Miami, 9th year, Age: 31)
S: Damontae Kazee – #23 (San Diego State, 9th year, Age: 32)

*Watson has a torn achilles and will likely miss the entire season
**Judkins still hasn’t signed his rookie deal and is out indefinitely
***Owusu-Koramoah has a neck injury and will miss the entire season
****Emerson has a torn achilles and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DE Myles Garrett
Addition: DT Mason Graham
Breakout Player: DT Mason Graham
Offensive Grade: D+
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Pass rush, secondary
Weaknesses: QB situation, offensive line, LB core

It was a dreadful year in 2024 for the Browns and things only seemed to get worse in the offseason. The Deshaun Watson experiment is over, and he will spend the last year of his contract sidelined with a torn achilles. They drafted two late round QB’s in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, neither of whom were able to win the job over 40-year-old Joe Flacco. Nick Chubb left and their other rookie HB is holding out to sign his rookie deal, causing Jerome Ford to lead the run game. The receivers aren’t terrible, but getting them the ball will be the main issue.

The defense is headlined by a solid secondary and Myles Garrett, whose talent speaks for itself. It seemed like Garrett was on his way out before signing a lucrative extension to stay with the rebuilding Browns. The rest of the defense will be held together by a few veterans and some young pieces like 5th overall pick Mason Graham. There isn’t much hope for Cleveland in 2025 and it feels like we say that every year. Their one hope will be that either Gabriel or Sanders can show that they can be the future QB.

Pittsburgh Steelers

HC: Mike Tomlin
19th year
Career/Team record: 183-107-2, Career Playoff record: 8-11 – AGE: 53

OC: Arthur Smith
2nd year as Steelers OC, 4th year as an OC, 3 years as Falcons HC – AGE: 43
DC: Teryl Austin
4th year as Steelers DC, 9th year as a DC – AGE: 60

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#8	Aaron Rodgers	California 21st year, Age: 41	28 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,897 yds, 48 QBR 107 rush yds – (NYJ)
HB	#30	Jaylen Warren	Oklahoma State 4th year, Age: 26	120 carries, 511 yds, 1 TD 38 receptions, 310 yds
WR	#4	DK Metcalf	Ole Miss 7th year, Age: 27	66 receptions, 992 yds, 5 TDs – (SEA)
WR	#19	Calvin Austin III	Memphis 4th year, Age: 26	36 receptions, 548 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#88	Pat Freiermuth	Penn State 5th year, Age: 26	65 receptions, 653 yds, 7 TDs
TE	#81	Jonnu Smith	Florida International 9th year, Age: 30	88 receptions, 884 yds, 8 TDs – (MIA)
G	#73	Isaac Seumalo	Oregon State 10th year, Age: 31
G	#66	Mason McCormick	South Dakota State 2nd year, Age: 25
C	#54	Zach Frazier	West Virginia 2nd year, Age: 24
T	#77	Broderick Jones	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#76	Troy Fautanu	Washington 2nd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#90	T.J. Watt	Wisconsin 9th year, Age: 30	11.5 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 6 FF, 2 FR 4 PD, 19 TFL
EDGE	#56	Alex Highsmith	Charlotte 6th year, Age: 28	6 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 9 TFL
DE	#97	Cameron Heyward	Ohio State 15th year, Age: 36	8 Sacks, 71 Tackles, 11 PD, 12 TFL
DT	#95	Keeanu Benton	Wisconsin 3rd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 36 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 6 PD, 2 TFL
DT	#99	Derrick Harmon (R)	Oregon Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 21st overall by PIT
ILB	#6	Patrick Queen	LSU 6th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 129 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 7 PD, 6 TFL
ILB	#41	Payton Wilson	NC State 2nd year, Age: 25	78 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 FF 2 FR, 2 PD, 3 TFL
CB	#5	Jalen Ramsey	Florida State 10th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 60 Tackles, 2 INTs, 11 PD 6 TFL – (MIA)
CB	#24	Joey Porter Jr.	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 25	70 Tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD, 2 TFL
S	#25	DeShon Elliott	Texas 8th year, Age: 28	108 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF, 3 FR 6 PD, 4 TFL
S	#21	Chuck Clark	Virginia Tech 9th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 69 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 6 PD, 1 TFL – (NYJ)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#9	Chris Boswell	Rice 11th year, Age: 34	35/35 XP, 41/44 FG — 13/15 50+
P	#3	Corliss Waitman	South Alabama 3rd year, Age: 30	65 punts, 3,015 yds, 27 <20
KR	#14	Kenneth Gainwell	Memphis 5th year, Age: 26	18 attempts, 456 yds – (PHI)
PR	#19	Calvin Austin III	Memphis 4th year, Age: 26	28 attempts, 289 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Mason Rudolph – #2 (Oklahoma State, 8th year, Age: 30)
HB: Kaleb Johnson – #20 (Iowa, Rookie, Age: 22)
WR: Scotty Miller – #13 (Bowling Green, 7th year, Age: 28)
TE: Darnell Washington – #80 (Georgia, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DT: Daniel Ekuale – #96 (Washington State, 7th year, Age: 31)
ILB: Cole Holcomb – #55 (North Carolina, 7th year, Age: 29)
ILB: Malik Harrison – #50 (Ohio State, 6th year, Age: 27)
CB: Darius Slay – #23 (Mississippi State, 13th year, Age: 34)
S: Juan Thornhill – #22 (Virginia, 7th year, Age: 29)
S: Miles Killebrew – #28 (Southern Utah, 10th year, Age: 32)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: OLB T.J. Watt
Addition: QB Aaron Rodgers
Breakout Player: HB Kaleb Johnson
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Veteran QB, pass rush, run stop
Weaknesses: Offensive line, secondary

The Steelers opted to follow up a solid season of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields splitting the QB duties with Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has a golden opportunity to right the wrongs he caused with the Jets and prove he still has it. The offense, although not amazing, has some solid weapons in newly acquired DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren, and Pat Freiermuth. The offensive line will need to keep the 41-year-old QB upright, led by Isaac Seumalo and a few other young solid pieces.

The defense will, in typical Steeler fashion, be the better side of the ball. Headlined by star pass rusher T.J. Watt who just signed a lucrative extension to stay with the Steel Curtain. Cam Heyward is in dispute over his contract, but when he returns, he’ll continue to clog up the running lane for opposing RBs. Patrick Queen has been a star since leaving the rival Ravens to be the star LB in Pitt. The secondary though, made a head-scratching move by trading star S Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami for aging CB Jalen Ramsey. This sures up their CBs alongside Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay, but their safety room looks a bit decimated. With this core, you can easily chalk up another above .500 season for Tomlin and company. It will just be interesting to see if they can be any better than a 9 or 10 win Wild Card.

Houston Texans

HC: DeMeco Ryans
3rd year
Career/Team record: 20-14, Career Playoff record: 2-2 – AGE: 41

OC: Nick Caley
1st year as Texans OC – AGE: 42
DC: Matt Burke
3rd year as Texans DC, 5th year as a DC – AGE: 49

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#7	C.J. Stroud	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 23	20 TDs, 12 INTs, 3,727 yds, 49.8 QBR 233 rush yds
HB	#21	Nick Chubb	Georgia 8th year, Age: 29	8 GP, 102 carries, 332 yds, 3 TDs 5 receptions, 31 yds, 1 TD – (CLE)
WR	#12	Nico Collins	Michigan 5th year, Age: 26	68 receptions, 1,006 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#81	Jayden Higgins (R)	Iowa State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 34th overall by HOU
WR	#13	Christian Kirk	Texas A&M 8th year, Age: 28	8 GP, 27 receptions, 379 yds, 1 TD – (JAX)
TE	#86	Dalton Schultz	Stanford 8th year, Age: 29	53 receptions, 532 yds, 2 TDs
G	#75	Laken Tomlinson	Duke 11th year, Age: 33
G	#69	Ed Ingram	LSU 4th year, Age: 26
C	#60	Jake Andrews	Troy 3rd year, Age: 25
T	#74	Cam Robinson	Alabama 9th year, Age: 29
T	#57	Blake Fisher	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 22

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#55	Danielle Hunter	LSU 11th year, Age: 30	12 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 17 TFL
EDGE	#51	Will Anderson Jr.	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	11 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 16 TFL
DT	#91	Folo Fatukasi	UConn 7th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 24 Tackles, 4 TFL
DT	#97	Mario Edwards Jr.	Florida State 10th year, Age: 31	3 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 2 FR, 2 PD 3 TFL
ILB	#0	Azeez Al-Shaair	Florida Atlantic 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 70 Tackles, 2 FF, 4 PD 7 TFL
ILB	#39	Henry To’oTo’o	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 24	1.5 Sacks, 105 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 3 PD, 7 TFL
CB	#24	Derek Stingley Jr.	LSU 4th year, Age: 24	54 Tackles, 5 INTs, 18 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#4	Kamari Lassiter	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22	58 Tackles, 3 INTs, 10 PD, 4 TFL
S	#5	Jalen Pitre	Baylor 4th year, Age: 26	65 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 8 PD 6 TFL
S	#23	C.J. Gardner-Johnson	Florida 7th year, Age: 27	59 Tackles, 6 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 12 PD, 2 TFL – (PHI)
S	#2	Calen Bullock	USC 2nd year, Age: 22	54 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 FR, 11 PD 4 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#15	Ka’imi Fairbairn	UCLA 10th year, Age: 31	34/36 XP, 36/42 FG — 13/16 50+
P	#6	Tommy Townsend	Florida 8th year, Age: 28	76 punts, 3,649 yds, 39 <20
KR	#31	Dameon Pierce	Florida 4th year, Age: 25	9 attempts, 339 yds
PR	#17	Braxton Berrios	Miami 8th year, Age: 29	7 attempts, 103 yds – (MIA)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Davis Mills – #10 (Stanford, 5th year, Age: 26)
HB: Joe Mixon* – #28 (Oklahoma, 9th year, Age: 29)
HB: Dare Ogunbowale – #33 (Wisconsin, 7th year, Age: 31)
WR: Tank Dell** – #3 (Houston, 3rd year, Age: 25)
WR: Justin Watson – #84 (Penn, 8th year, Age: 29)
TE: Cade Stover – #87 (Ohio State, 2nd year, Age: 25)
DE: Derek Barnett – #95 (Tennessee, 9th year, Age: 29)
DT: Tim Settle – #98 (Virginia Tech, 8th year, Age: 28)
DT: Tommy Togai – #72 (Ohio State, 4th year, Age: 25)
LB: E.J. Speed – #45 (Tarleton State (D-II), 7th year, Age: 30)
CB: Tremon Smith – #11 (Central Arkansas, 8th year, Age: 29)
S: Jimmie Ward*** – #20 (Northern Illinois, 12th year, Age: 34)

*Mixon has a foot injury and will miss the majority of the season
**Dell suffered several knee injuries and will miss the entire season
***Ward has a hamstring injury and will miss the first 4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DE Danielle Hunter
Addition: S C.J. Gardner-Johnson
Breakout Player: WR Jayden Higgins
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Young QB, WR options, edge rushers
Weaknesses: LB core, offensive line, TE group

The Texans had a very up-and-down season a year ago, where their rookie star QB struggled a bit hitting a sophomore slump. The third year is poised to be a good one though, in a division now that they basically own, and a couple of new pieces. Joe Mixon will likely miss the whole season as veteran Nick Chubb will look to bounce back in his first year outside of Cleveland. Tank Dell will also miss the whole year, and Nico Collins and rookie Jayden Higgins will carry the load as the top receivers. The offensive line has struggled over the last few years, and they lost star T Laremy Tunsil this offseason. Veterans Cam Robinson and Laken Tomlinson enter to hold down the core.

The defense returns star DE Danielle Hunter who hasn’t missed a beast with another 12 sack season in 2024. Will Anderson on his opposite side will once again create a feared force for opposing offenses. The secondary is looking strong with Derek Stingley Jr. developing into a star CB and veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson added to the safety room with youngsters Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock. I like the Texans a lot to bounce back and make a run in the AFC. Not only do I see them win the South, but I see them making a deep run close to the Super Bowl.

Indianapolis Colts

HC: Shane Steichen
3rd year
Career/Team record: 17-17 – AGE: 40

OC: Jim Bob Cooter
3rd year as Colts OC, 6th year as an OC – AGE: 41
DC: Lou Anarumo
1st year as Colts DC, 8th year as a DC – AGE: 59

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#17	Daniel Jones	Duke 7th year, Age: 28	8 TDs, 7 INTs, 2,070 yds, 47.8 QBR 265 rush yds, 2 TDs – (NYG)
HB	#28	Jonathan Taylor	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 26	303 carries, 1,431 yds, 11 TDs 18 receptions, 136 yds, 1 TD
WR	#11	Michael Pittman Jr.	USC 6th year, Age: 27	69 receptions, 808 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#14	Alec Pierce	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 25	37 receptions, 824 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#1	Josh Downs	North Carolina 3rd year, Age: 24	72 receptions, 803 yds, 5 TDs
TE	#84	Tyler Warren (R)	Penn State Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 14th overall by IND
G	#56	Quenton Nelson	Notre Dame 8th year, Age: 29
G	#68	Dalton Tucker	Marshall 2nd year, Age: 25
C	#60	Tanor Bortolini	Wisconsin 2nd year, Age: 23
T	#72	Braden Smith	Auburn 8th year, Age: 29
T	#79	Bernhard Raimann	Central Michigan 4th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#51	Kwity Paye	Michigan 5th year, Age: 26	8 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 10 TFL
EDGE	#52	Samson Ebukam	E. Washington 9th year, Age: 30	DNP – Torn achilles
DT	#99	DeForest Buckner	Oregon 10th year, Age: 31	6.5 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 1 PD, 8 TFL
DT	#90	Grover Stewart	Albany State (D-II) 9th year, Age: 31	3.5 Sacks, 74 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 10 TFL
ILB	#44	Zaire Franklin	Syracuse 8th year, Age: 29	3.5 Sacks, 173 Tackles, 2 INTs, 5 FF 6 PD, 11 TFL
ILB	#55	Chad Muma	Wyoming 4th year, Age: 25	32 Tackles – (JAX)
CB	#23	Kenny Moore II	Valdosta State (D-II) 9th year, Age: 30	0.5 Sacks, 78 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD 1 FR, 7 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#40	Jaylon Jones	Texas A&M 3rd year, Age: 23	100 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 12 PD 3 TFL
CB	#7	Charvarius Ward	Middle Tennessee 8th year, Age: 29	54 Tackles, 7 PD, 1 TFL – (SF)
S	#20	Nick Cross	Maryland 4th year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 146 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF 5 PD, 6 TFL
S	#0	Cam Bynum	California 5th year, Age: 27	96 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 FR, 10 PD 2 TFL – (MIN)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#3	Spencer Shrader	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 26	4 GP, 9/9 XP, 5/5 FG – (NYJ/KC/IND)
P	#8	Rigoberto Sanchez	Hawaii 9th year, Age: 30	68 punts, 3,382 yds, 27 <20
KR	#6	Anthony Gould	Oregon State 2nd year, Age: 24	7 attempts, 206 yds
PR	#6	Anthony Gould	Oregon State 2nd year, Age: 24	10 attempts, 95 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Anthony Richardson Sr. – #5 (Florida, 3rd year, Age: 23)
HB: Tyler Goodson – #31 (Iowa, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Adonai Mitchell – #10 (Texas, 2nd year, Age: 22)
TE: Mo Alie-Cox – #81 (VCU, 8th year, Age: 31)
DE: Laiatu Latu – #97 (UCLA, 2nd year, Age: 24)
DE: J.T. Tuimoloau – #91 (Ohio State, Rookie, Age: 22)
CB: Xavien Howard – #4 (Baylor, 9th year, Age: 32)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: ILB Zaire Franklin
Addition: S Cam Bynum
Breakout Player: TE Tyler Warren
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Run game, defensive line
Weaknesses: QB situation, LB core

The Colts enter the new year already off to a bang as Daniel Jones was named QB1 over Anthony Richardson. A bit of a shocking move and one that I don’t think will last very long, as we all know how Jones will play… The WR core is a bit improved, Michael Pittman will become WR1 with Alec Pierce and Josh Downs as supporting pieces. Mo-Alie Cox and rookie Tyler Warren could be a solid receiving TE duo. The offensive line is headlined by Quenton Nelson and a bunch of young pieces that they hope can develop into quality starters.

The defense will be better although not great either. They return Kwity Paye as the lead edge rusher, and Samson Ebukam returning from injury. DeForest Buckner and Ziare Franklin will headline the up front defense as the two are a couple of the best in the league at their positions. Kenny Moore will step up as CB1, with Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum as newcomers to the DB room. This is a team that’s tough to get a gage on, as it does feel like they’re a QB away from being a 7-seed contender. But with what Richardson and DJ have shown us in their careers, it doesn’t seem like valuable QB play will be in the books.

Jacksonville Jaguars

HC: Liam Coen
1st year
AGE: 40

OC: Grant Udinski
1st year as Jaguars OC – AGE: 29
DC: Anthony Campanile
1st year as Jaguars DC – AGE: 43

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#16	Trevor Lawrence	Clemson 5th year, Age: 25	11 TDs, 7 INTs, 2,045 yds, 59.5 QBR 119 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#1	Travis Etienne Jr.	Clemson 5th year, Age: 26	150 carries, 558 yds, 2 TDs 39 receptions, 254 yds
WR	#7	Brian Thomas Jr.	LSU 2nd year, Age: 22	87 receptions, 1,282 yds, 10 TDs 6 carries, 48 yds
WR	#12	Travis Hunter (R)	Colorado Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 2nd overall by JAX
WR	#11	Parker Washington	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 23	32 receptions, 390 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#85	Brenton Strange	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 24	40 receptions, 411 yds, 2 TDs
G	#76	Ezra Cleveland	Boise State 6th year, Age: 27
G	#65	Patrick Mekari	California 7th year, Age: 28
C	#73	Robert Hainsey	Notre Dame 5th year, Age: 27
T	#72	Walker Little	Stanford 5th year, Age: 26
T	#77	Anton Harrison	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#44	Travon Walker	Georgia 4th year, Age: 24	10.5 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 1 TD, 2 FF 1 FR, 1 PD, 13 TFL
EDGE	#41	Josh Hines-Allen	Kentucky 7th year, Age: 28	8 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 10 TFL
DT	#91	Arik Armstead	Oregon 11th year, Age: 31	2 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 3 PD, 3 TFL
DT	#52	DaVon Hamilton	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 28	62 Tackles, 5 TFL
MLB	#23	Foyesade Oluokun	Yale 8th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 108 Tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD 6 TFL
OLB	#0	Devin Lloyd	Utah 4th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 113 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 4 PD, 7 TFL
OLB	#51	Ventrell Miller	Florida 3rd year, Age: 26	80 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#2	Jourdan Lewis	Michigan 9th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 71 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 8 PD, 3 TFL – (DAL)
CB	#3	Tyson Campbell	Georgia 5th year, Age: 25	59 Tackles, 6 PD, 2 TFL
S	#6	Darnell Savage	Maryland 7th year, Age: 28	51 Tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD, 2 TFL
S	#29	Eric Murray	Minnesota 10th year, Age: 31	1 Sack, 75 Tackles, 1 INT, 10 PD 2 TFL – (HOU)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#39	Cam Little	Arkansas 2nd year, Age: 22	27/27 XP, 27/29 FG — 5/6 50+
P	#9	Logan Cooke	Mississippi State 8th year, Age: 30	68 punts, 3,359 yds, 34 <20
KR	#11	Parker Washington	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 23	5 attempts, 122 yds
PR	#11	Parker Washington	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 23	6 attempts, 144 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Nick Mullens – #14 (Southern Miss, 7th year, Age: 30)
HB: Tank Bigsby – #4 (Auburn, 3rd year, Age: 23)
HB: Bhayshul Tuten – #33 (Virginia Tech, Rookie, Age: 22)
WR: Dyami Brown – #5 (North Carolina, 5th year, Age: 25)
DE: Emmanuel Ogbah – #90 (Oklahoma State, 10th year, Age: 31)
DT: Khalen Saunders – #68 (Western Illinois, 7th year, Age: 29)
DT: Austin Johnson – #69 (Penn State, 9th year, Age: 31)
ILB: Dennis Gardeck – #57 (Sioux Falls, 8th year, Age: 31)
CB: Montaric Brown – #30 (Arkansas, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Jarrian Jones – #22 (Florida State, 2nd year, Age: 24)
S: Antonio Johnson – #26 (Texas A&M, 3rd year, Age: 23)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Addition: WR/CB Travis Hunter
Breakout Player: WR/CB Travis Hunter
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: WR core, run game, LB core
Weaknesses: Secondary, unproven offensive line

The Jaguars flipped the script from their misfortunes while still holding onto hope that Trevor Lawrence will be the franchise’s saving grace. Liam Coen and his solid offensive mind will take over as HC, with a few fun weapons to utilize. 2nd pick Travis Hunter will likely play mostly WR while also being a backup CB in his rookie year. Brian Thomas has become one of the “can’t miss” young WR’s in the league. Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne also look like a solid HB duo to become a force.

The pass rush of Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen has been the one saving grace of the Jags defense that has been below expectations over the past few years. The LB core has also been good with Devin Lloyd and Foye Oluokun as two of the best interior LB’s in the game. The secondary will be an interesting group and how much Hunter will be an impact in the CB core. Jourdan Lewis was signed to be CB1 and is the only clear cut starting CB in the group. The Jags are once again in a spot that it is difficult to predict them to win more than 6 games. We all want to see them do well, but T-Law needs to take it to the next level to put this team in contention in a loaded AFC.

Tennessee Titans

HC: Brian Callahan
2nd year as Titans HC
Career/Team record: 3-14 – AGE: 41

OC: Nick Holz
2nd year as Titans OC – AGE: 41
DC: Dennard Wilson
2nd year as Titans DC – AGE: 43

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#1	Cam Ward (R)	Miami Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: 1st overall by TEN
HB	#20	Tony Pollard	Memphis 7th year, Age: 28	260 carries, 1,079 yds, 5 TDs 41 receptions, 238 yds
WR	#0	Calvin Ridley	Alabama 7th year, Age: 30	64 receptions, 1,017 yds, 4 TDs 8 carries, 55 yds, 1 TD
WR	#4	Tyler Lockett	Kansas State 11th year, Age: 32	49 receptions, 600 yds, 2 TDs – (SEA)
WR	#11	Van Jefferson	Florida 6th year, Age: 29	24 receptions, 276 yds, 2 TDs – (PIT)
TE	#85	Chig Okonkwo	Maryland 4th year, Age: 25	52 receptions, 479 yds, 2 TDs
G	#70	Kevin Zeitler	Wisconsin 14th year, Age: 35
G	#77	Peter Skoronski	Northwestern 3rd year, Age: 24
C	#79	Lloyd Cushenberry III	LSU 6th year, Age: 27
T	#75	Dan Moore Jr.	Texas A&M 5th year, Age: 26
T	#55	J.C. Latham	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 22

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#49	Arden Key	LSU 8th year, Age: 29	6.5 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 11 TFL
EDGE	#7	Oluwafemi Oladejo (R)	UCLA Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 52nd overall by TEN
DE	#69	Sebastian Joseph-Day	Rutgers 7th year, Age: 30	2.5 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 1 PD, 3 TFL
DT	#98	Jeffrey Simmons	Mississippi State 7th year, Age: 28	5 Sacks, 76 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR 4 PD, 11 TFL
DT	#93	T’Vondre Sweat	Texas 2nd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 51 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 4 TFL
ILB	#50	Cody Barton	Utah 7th year, Age: 28	1.5 Sacks, 106 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 1 FF, 1 FR, 5 PD, 2 TFL – (DEN)
CB	#38	L’Jarius Sneed	Louisiana Tech 6th year, Age: 28	5 GP, 23 Tackles, 2 TFL
CB	#29	Jarvis Brownlee Jr.	Louisville 2nd year, Age: 24	75 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 9 PD 7 TFL
S	#25	Xavier Woods	Louisiana Tech 9th year, Age: 30	119 Tackles, 3 INTs, 6 PD, 2 TFL – (CAR)
S	#37	Amani Hooker	Iowa 7th year, Age: 27	71 Tackles, 5 INTs, 2 FF, 9 PD 4 TFL
S	#28	Quandre Diggs	Texas 11th year, Age: 32	8 GP, 42 Tackles

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#6	Joey Slye	Virginia Tech 7th year, Age: 29	25/26 XP, 26/33 FG — 6/9 50+ – (NE)
P	#3	Johnny Hekker	Oregon State 14th year, Age: 35	73 punts, 3,338 yds, 24 <20 – (CAR)
KR	#17	Chimere Dike (R)	Florida Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 103rd overall by TEN
PR	#17	Chimere Dike (R)	Florida Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 103rd overall by TEN

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Brandon Allen – #10 (Arkansas, 9th year, Age: 32)
QB: Will Levis* – #8 (Kentucky, 3rd year, Age: 26)
HB: Tyjae Spears** – #2 (Tulane, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DE: James Lynch – #97 (Baylor, 6th year, Age: 26)
OLB: Dre’Mont Jones – #45 (Ohio State, 7th year, Age: 28)
OLB: Jihad Ward – #53 (Illinois, 10th year, Age: 31)
CB: Roger McCreary – #21 (Auburn, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Darrell Baker Jr. – #39 (Georgia Southern, 3rd year, Age: 27)
S: Mike Brown – #44 (Miami (OH), 3rd year, Age: 26)

*Levis had shoulder surgery and will miss the entire season
**Spears has an ankle sprain and will miss the first 4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DT Jeffrey Simmons
Addition: QB Cam Ward
Breakout Player: QB Cam Ward
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Young QB, defensive front, WR options
Weaknesses: Secondary, offensive line, run game

The Titans are in full-on rebuild mode and they hope to be headed in the right direction with 1st overall pick Cam Ward leading the crew. He immediately joins a group of veterans on offense that have winning experience and plenty of pedigree. Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley are layovers from acquisitions the team made before 2024 in hopes of competing. Veterans Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett were also added in a WR room that has no young pieces. The offensive line looks roughed up as the additions of Dan Moore and Kevin Zeitler will hope to give protection for Ward.

The defense retains a few of it’s long-time stars, with Jeffrey Simmons still as the cornerstone. He leads a solid defensive front, with Arden Key, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and rookie Oluwafemi Oladejo. Former Chief star CB L’Jarius Sneed will look to stay healthy and anchor the secondary as CB1, living up to the long-term contract he got before last year. Veterans Amani Hooker and Quandre Diggs will both look to bounce back as the starting safeties. I don’t see much coming from Tennessee this year, although I do like their outlook. They still have some solid veterans, but accumulating draft picks will be crucial for sustained winning with Ward.

Denver Broncos

HC: Sean Payton
3rd year as Broncos HC, 18th year as a HC
Career record: 170-105, Broncos record: 18-16, Career Playoff record: 9-9 – AGE: 61

OC: Joe Lombardi
3rd year as Broncos OC, 7th year as an OC – AGE: 54
DC: Vance Joseph
3rd year as Broncos DC, 7th year as a DC, 2 years as Broncos HC – AGE: 53

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#10	Bo Nix	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 25	29 TDs, 12 INTs, 3,775 yds, 53.5 QBR 430 rush yds, 4 TDs
HB	#37	R.J. Harvey (R)	UCF Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 60th overall by DEN
WR	#14	Courtland Sutton	SMU 8th year, Age: 29	81 receptions, 1,081 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#19	Marvin Mims Jr.	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 23	39 receptions, 503 yds, 6 TDs 13 carries, 42 yds
TE	#1	Evan Engram	Ole Miss 9th year, Age: 31	47 receptions, 365 yds, 1 TD – (JAX)
TE	#82	Adam Trautman	Dayton 6th year, Age: 28	13 receptions, 188 yds, 2 TDs
G	#77	Quinn Meinerz	UW-Whitewater (D-III) 5th year, Age: 26
G	#74	Ben Powers	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 28
C	#60	Luke Wattenberg	Washington 4th year, Age: 27
T	#72	Garett Bolles	Utah 9th year, Age: 33
T	#69	Mike McGlinchey	Notre Dame 8th year, Age: 30

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#15	Nik Bonitto	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 25	13.5 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 TDs 2 FF, 1 FR, 4 PD, 16 TFL
EDGE	#0	Jonathon Cooper	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 27	10.5 Sacks, 58 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 11 TFL
DE	#99	Zach Allen	Boston College 7th year, Age: 28	8.5 Sacks, 61 Tackles, 1 PD, 15 TFL
DE	#98	John Franklin-Myers	Stephen F. Austin 8th year, Age: 28	7 Sacks, 40 Tackles, 8 TFL
DT	#93	D.J. Jones	Ole Miss 9th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 42 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD 1 TFL
ILB	#49	Alex Singleton	Montana State 7th year, Age: 28	3 GP, 31 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD 1 TFL
ILB	#57	Dre Greenlaw	Arkansas 7th year, Age: 28	2 GP, 9 Tackles – (SF)
CB	#2	Pat Surtain II	Alabama 5th year, Age: 25	45 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 1 FR, 11 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#29	Ja’Quan McMillian	East Carolina 3rd year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 81 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 1 FF, 10 PD, 4 TFL
S	#22	Brandon Jones	Texas 6th year, Age: 27	115 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 10 PD, 2 TFL
S	#6	P.J. Locke	Texas 6th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 74 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#3	Wil Lutz	Georgia State 10th year, Age: 31	46/46 XP, 31/34 FG — 5/7 50+
P	#16	Jeremy Crawshaw (R)	Florida Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: 216th overall by DEN
KR	#19	Marvin Mims Jr.	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 23	7 attempts, 194 yds
PR	#19	Marvin Mims Jr.	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 23	26 attempts, 408 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jarrett Stidham – #8 (Auburn, 6th year, Age: 29)
HB: J.K. Dobbins – #27 (Ohio State, 6th year, Age: 26)
HB: Jaleel McLaughlin – #38 (Youngstown State, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Troy Franklin – #11 (Oregon, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DT: Malcolm Roach – #97 (Texas, 6th year, Age: 27)
ILB: Justin Strnad – #40 (Wake Forest, 6th year, Age: 29)
OLB: Jonah Elliss – #52 (Utah, 2nd year, Age: 22)
CB: Jahdae Barron – #12 (Texas, Rookie, Age: 23)
CB: Riley Moss – #21 (Iowa, 3rd year, Age: 25)
S: Talanoa Hufanga – #9 (USC, 5th year, Age: 25)
S: Devon Key – #26 (Western Kentucky, 2nd year, Age: 27)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: CB Pat Surtain II
Addition: ILB Dre Greenlaw
Breakout Player: HB R.J. Harvey
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: A
Strengths: Pass rush, offensive line, young/star QB, secondary
Weaknesses: WR core, LB core

The Broncos were a pleasant surprise a year ago and are poised to be one of the AFC’s best young teams. Some are even going as far to say that they’ll knock off the Chiefs for the West crown, and although I don’t agree, they will make it close. Bo Nix had a stellar rookie year and looks to not fall victim to a sophomore slump. R.J. Harvey could be one of the steals of the draft as the team’s future RB and a duo with veteran JK Dobbins. Courtland Sutton remains WR1 and Evan Engram was added as a pass catching TE. The offensive line remains solid, headlined by Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz.

The defense was their main talking point last season and looks like possibly the best core in the AFC. Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper have become a deadly pass rush duo, with Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers as threats to get to the QB as well. The secondary is stellar as well, led by Pat Surtain and Brandon Jones defending the pass game. I like the Broncos a lot this year, and they should be a real threat to win the West, and if not, be the top Wild Card team. There may finally be a threat to ending the Chiefs’ 9-straight division titles.

Kansas City Chiefs

HC: Andy Reid
13th year as Chiefs HC, 27th year as a HC
Career record: 273-146-1, Chiefs record: 143-53, Career Playoff record: 28-17 – AGE: 67

OC: Matt Nagy
5th year as Chiefs OC (2nd stint), 4 years as Bears HC – AGE: 47
DC: Steve Spagnuolo
7th year as Chiefs DC, 13 years as a DC, 4 years as Rams/Giants HC – AGE: 65

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#15	Patrick Mahomes	Texas Tech 9th year, Age: 29	26 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,928 yds, 64.6 QBR 307 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#10	Isiah Pacheco	Rutgers 4th year, Age: 26	7 GP, 83 carries, 310 yds, 1 TD 12 receptions, 79 yds
WR	#4	Rashee Rice	SMU 3rd year, Age: 25	4 GP, 24 receptions, 288 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#1	Xavier Worthy	Texas 2nd year, Age: 22	59 receptions, 638 yds, 6 TDs 20 carries, 104 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#5	Hollywood Brown	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 28	2 GP, 9 receptions, 91 yds
TE	#87	Travis Kelce	Cincinnati 13th year, Age: 35	97 receptions, 823 yds, 3 TDs
G	#65	Trey Smith	Tennessee 5th year, Age: 26
G	#77	Jaylon Moore	Western Michigan 5th year, Age: 27
C	#52	Creed Humphrey	Oklahoma 5th year, Age: 26
T	#74	Jawaan Taylor	Florida 7th year, Age: 27
T	#71	Josh Simmons (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 32nd overall by KC

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#56	George Karlaftis	Purdue 4th year, Age: 24	8 Sacks, 35 Tackles, 5 PD, 9 TFL
EDGE	#51	Mike Danna	Michigan 6th year, Age: 27	3.5 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 5 TFL
DT	#95	Chris Jones	Mississippi State 10th year, Age: 31	5 Sacks, 37 Tackles, 1 FF, 9 TFL
DT	#92	Derrick Nnadi	Florida State 8th year, Age: 29	11 Tackles
MLB	#23	Drue Tranquill	Notre Dame 7th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 94 Tackles, 2 FR, 2 PD 4 TFL
OLB	#32	Nick Bolton	Missouri 5th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 106 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 FR, 6 PD, 11 TFL
OLB	#54	Leo Chenal	Wisconsin 4th year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 60 Tackles, 3 FF, 3 PD 4 TFL
CB	#22	Trent McDuffie	Washington 4th year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 59 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 13 PD, 6 TFL
CB	#35	Jaylen Watson	Washington State 4th year, Age: 26	6 GP, 32 Tackles, 6 PD
S	#6	Bryan Cook	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 25	78 Tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PD, 1 TFL
S	#27	Chamarri Conner	Virginia Tech 3rd year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 77 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 TD 1 FF, 1 FR, 4 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#7	Harrison Butker	Georgia Tech 9th year, Age: 30	29/31 XP, 21/25 FG — 2/5 50+
P	#14	Matt Araiza	San Diego State 2nd year, Age: 25	62 punts, 3,027 yds, 25 <20
KR	#81	Nikko Remigio	Fresno State 2nd year, Age: 25	11 attempts, 295 yds
PR	#81	Nikko Remigio	Fresno State 2nd year, Age: 25	11 attempts, 104 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Gardner Minshew – #17 (Washington State, 7th year, Age: 29)
HB: Kareem Hunt – #29 (Toledo, 9th year, Age: 30)
WR: JuJu Smith-Schuster – #9 (USC, 9th year, Age: 28)
TE: Noah Gray – #83 (Duke, 5th year, Age: 26)
DE: Charles Omenihu – #90 (Texas, 7th year, Age: 28)
DE: Felix Anudike-Uzomah* – #91 (Kansas State, 3rd year, Age: 23)
DT: Jerry Tillery – #99 (Notre Dame, 7th year, Age: 28)
CB: Kristian Fulton – #8 (LSU, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Joshua Williams – #2 (Fayetteville State (D-II), 4th year, Age: 25)
S: Jaden Hicks – #21 (Washington State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
S: Nazeeh Johnson** – #13 (Marshall, 4th year, Age: 27)

*Anudike-Uzomah has a hamstring injury and will miss the entire season
**Johnson has a shoulder injury and will miss the first 4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Patrick Mahomes
Addition: OT Josh Simmons
Breakout Player: S Jaden Hicks
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Star QB, healthy receivers, defensive front, LB core
Weaknesses: Offensive line, secondary

The Chiefs will once again be the bullseye on all 31 other franchise’s dart boards for this year. Despite losing big in the Super Bowl to the Eagles, Mahomes and company have played in 5 of the last 6 Super Bowls, winning 3 of them, including a back-to-back. This type of run has rarely every been seen in the NFL and is the model of modern day success. Mahomes and Kelce return in what could be their final year together, with the WR core desperately relying on Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy to give Pat options in passing. The offensive line is what will be the question mark, as the team let go of veteran Joe Thuney in order to pay Trey Smith. Now, Jawaan Taylor, newly signed Jaylon Moore, and rookie Josh Simmons will need to carry their weight if this team wants any chance of making it back to the Super Bowl.

The defense is, quite honestly, what has led this team over the past two seasons. Spags’ core lost a couple veterans in Justin Reid and Terk Wharton, leading way for some young pieces to need to step up. Chris Jones is still the anchor, with George Karlaftis extended as the star edge rusher. Nick Bolton was also re-signed to lead the LB core, but the secondary is what gives question marks. Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner, and Jaden Hicks have all looked promising, and will be tasked with being the entire safety roster. I think a road to the Super Bowl is there again, as we have learned we can never count this team out, no matter what. I just think development needs to go right, especially with the offensive line and the pass defense.

Las Vegas Raiders

HC: Pete Carroll
1st year as Raiders HC, 19th year as a HC
Career record: 170-120-1, Career Playoff record: 11-11 – AGE: 74

OC: Chip Kelly
1st year as Raiders OC, 4 years as Eagles/49ers HC – AGE: 62
DC: Patrick Graham
4th year as Raiders DC, 7th year as a DC – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#7	Geno Smith	West Virginia 13th year, Age: 34	21 TDs, 15 INTs, 4,320 yds, 50.4 QBR 272 rush yds, 2 TDs – (SEA)
HB	#2	Ashton Jeanty (R)	Boise State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: 6th overall by LV
WR	#16	Jakobi Meyers	NC State 7th year, Age: 28	87 receptions, 1,027 yds, 4 TDs 2 carries, 23 yds
WR	#1	Tre Tucker	Cincinnati 3rd year, Age: 24	47 receptions, 539 yds, 3 TDs 9 carries, 44 yds, 1 TD
TE	#89	Brock Bowers	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22	112 receptions, 1,194 yds, 5 TDs
TE	#87	Michael Mayer	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 24	21 receptions, 156 yds
G	#66	Dylan Parham	Memphis 4th year, Age: 26
G	#65	Alex Cappa	Humboldt St. (D-II) 8th year, Age: 30
C	#58	Jackson Powers-Johnson	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 22
T	#74	Kolton Miller	UCLA 8th year, Age: 30
T	#71	D.J. Glaze	Maryland 2nd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#98	Maxx Crosby	Eastern Michigan 7th year, Age: 28	7.5 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 5 PD, 17 TFL
EDGE	#9	Tyree Wilson	Texas Tech 3rd year, Age: 25	4.5 Sacks, 27 Tackles, 1 FF, 6 TFL
DT	#69	Adam Butler	Vanderbilt 8th year, Age: 31	5 Sacks, 65 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 8 TFL
DT	#96	Jonah Laulu	Oklahoma 2nd year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 35 Tackles, 3 PD, 3 TFL
ILB	#45	Devin White	LSU 7th year, Age: 27	7 GP, 19 Tackles – (HOU)
ILB	#57	Germaine Pratt	NC State 7th year, Age: 29	143 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF, 2 FR 6 PD, 5 TFL – (CIN)
OLB	#52	Elandon Roberts	Houston 10th year, Age: 31	1 Sack, 46 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 TFL – (PIT)
CB	#25	Decamerion Richardson	Mississippi State 2nd year, Age: 24	46 Tackles, 3 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#22	Eric Stokes	Georgia 5th year, Age: 26	41 Tackles – (GB)
S	#11	Jeremy Chinn	Southern Illinois 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 117 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 FR, 5 PD, 7 TFL – (WAS)
S	#20	Isaiah Pola-Mao	USC 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 89 Tackles, 2 FF, 5 PD 2 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#8	Daniel Carlson	Auburn 8th year, Age: 30	23/25 XP, 34/40 FG — 7/11 50+
P	#6	A.J. Cole	NC State 7th year, Age: 29	65 punts, 3,304 yds, 27 <20
KR	#1	Tre Tucker	Cincinnati 3rd year, Age: 24	NO STATS
PR	#1	Tre Tucker	Cincinnati 3rd year, Age: 24	8 attempts, 72 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Kenny Pickett – #15 (Pittsburgh, 4th year, Age: 27)
QB: Aidan O’Connell* – #12 (Purdue, 3rd year, Age: 27)
HB: Raheem Mostert – #31 (Purdue, 11th year, Age: 33)
WR: Jack Bech – #18 (TCU, Rookie, Age: 22)
DE: Malcolm Koonce – #51 (Buffalo, 5th year, Age: 27)
DT: Leki Fotu – #95 (Utah, 6th year, Age: 27)
OLB/S: Jamal Adams – #33 (LSU, 9th year, Age: 29)
CB: Darnay Holmes – #30 (UCLA, 6th year, Age: 27)
S: Terrell Edmunds – #28 (Virginia Tech, 8th year, Age: 28)

*O’Connell has a fracture wrist and will miss the first 6-8 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: TE Brock Bowers
Addition: QB Geno Smith
Breakout Player: WR Jack Bech
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Veteran QB, run game, LB core
Weaknesses: Secondary, offensive line, WR core, defensive front

The Raiders enter the new season fresh off of another down year and another HC turnover. Super Bowl winner Pete Carroll has taken the reigns, trying to turn around a franchise that can’t seem to get out of its own way. There’s a new QB in town as Geno Smith was dealt from Seattle to lead the young core, and Ashton Jeanty was taken with their 1st round pick to replenish the run game. The WR core is not great, but the TE duo of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer could end up seeing the majority of targets on offense.

The defense is going to also be a group of misfits, led by star pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Veteran LB’s Germaine Pratt and Devin White were brought in to lead the group that lost all of their starters from a year ago. The secondary could also be in shambles, with the CB group completely filled with a couple of young and inexperienced top level DB’s. The Raiders are going to be a door mat once again in the AFC, and it’s tough to predict even a great coach like Carroll being able to revive them. They have a long way to go to be competitive again.

Los Angeles Chargers

HC: Jim Harbaugh
2nd year as Chargers HC, 6th year as a HC
Career record: 55-25-1, Chargers record: 11-6, Career Playoff record: 5-4 – AGE: 61

OC: Greg Roman
2nd year as Chargers OC, 12th year as an OC – AGE: 53
DC: Jesse Minter
2nd year as Chargers DC – AGE: 42

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
QB	#10	Justin Herbert	Oregon 6th year, Age: 27	23 TDs, 3 INTs, 3,870 yds, 61.7 QBR 306 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#8	Omarion Hampton (R)	North Carolina Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: 22nd overall by LAC
WR	#15	Ladd McConkey	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 23	82 receptions, 1,149 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#13	Keenan Allen	California 13th year, Age: 33	70 receptions, 744 yds, 7 TDs – (CHI)
WR	#1	Quentin Johnston	TCU 3rd year, Age: 24	55 receptions, 711 yds, 8 TDs
TE	#83	Tyler Conklin	Central Michigan 8th year, Age: 30	51 receptions, 449 yds, 4 TDs – (NYJ)
G	#73	Mekhi Becton	Louisville 6th year, Age: 26
G	#77	Zion Johnson	Boston College 4th year, Age: 25
C	#75	Bradley Bozeman	Alabama 8th year, Age: 30
T	#76	Joe Alt	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 22
T	#79	Trey Pipkins III	Sioux Falls 7th year, Age: 29

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
EDGE	#52	Khalil Mack	Buffalo 12th year, Age: 34	6 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 9 PD, 6 TFL
EDGE	#48	Bud Dupree	Kentucky 11th year, Age: 32	6 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 PD, 6 TFL
DT	#90	Teair Tart	Florida International 6th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 29 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 2 PD, 5 TFL
DT	#93	Otito Ogbonnia	UCLA 4th year, Age: 25	37 Tackles
ILB	#0	Daiyan Henley	Washington State 3rd year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 147 Tackles, 1 INT, 8 PD 7 TFL
ILB	#6	Denzel Perryman	Miami 11th year, Age: 32	1 Sack, 55 Tackles, 2 TFL
CB	#2	Elijah Molden	Washington 5th year, Age: 26	75 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 FR, 7 PD 2 TFL
CB	#29	Tarheeb Still	Maryland 2nd year, Age: 23	0.5 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD 10 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#24	Benjamin St-Juste	Minnesota 5th year, Age: 28	71 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 7 PD – (WAS)
S	#3	Derwin James Jr.	Florida State 8th year, Age: 29	5.5 Sacks, 93 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 7 PD, 10 TFL
S	#32	Alohi Gilman	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 50 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2024 Season Stats
K	#11	Cameron Dicker	Texas 4th year, Age: 25	33/36 XP, 39/42 FG — 9/11 50+
P	#16	JK Scott	Alabama 7th year, Age: 29	72 punts, 3,362 yds, 28 <20
KR	#28	Hassan Haskins	Michigan 4th year, Age: 25	1 attempt, 35 yds
PR	#12	Derius Davis	TCU 3rd year, Age: 24	19 attempts, 235 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Trey Lance – #5 (North Dakota State, 5th year, Age: 25)
HB: Najee Harris – #22 (Alabama, 5th year, Age: 27)
FB: Scott Matlock – #44 (Boise State, 3rd year, Age: 25)
WR: Tre’ Harris – #9 (Ole Miss, Rookie, Age: 23)
TE: Will Dissly – #89 (Washington, 8th year, Age: 29)
OT: Rashawn Slater* – #70 (Northwestern, 5th year, Age: 26)
DT: Da’Shawn Hand – #91 (Alabama, 8th year, Age: 29)
ILB: Troy Dye – #43 (Oregon, 6th year, Age: 28)
OLB: Tuli Tuipulotu – #45 (USC, 3rd year, Age: 23)
CB: Donte Jackson – #26 (LSU, 7th year, Age: 29)

*Slater has a torn patellar and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Justin Herbert
Addition: OG Mekhi Becton
Breakout Player: HB Omarion Hampton
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Passing game, secondary, offensive line
Weaknesses: Run game, LB core

Finally, we have the Chargers who have just not seem to be able to put things together in the Justin Herbert era. Sure, they have had their moments but last year was another example of a stellar year from him that went to waste. A few new faces will hope to lead them a bit better, as Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris will team up in the run game. The offensive line looks elite, despite Rashawn Slater being sidelined for the whole year. The WR core brings back long-time Charger Keenan Allen to go with rookie breakout star Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, who shows glimpses of being a valuable WR.

The defense lost one of it’s most recognizable faces when Joey Bosa was cut to free up cap space. Khalil Mack and Bud Dupree now highlight the pass rush, with Tuli Tuipolotu who is looking like their future star edge. The secondary is going to be the anchor of the defense, with Derwin James returning, and the breakouts of youngsters Elijah Molden and Tarheeb Still from last year. The Chargers will be a playoff contender, for sure, but in a tough division they will need to prove a lot early on to be taken seriously. Or else they’ll be leapfrogged by the new look Broncos.

NFL 2025 Season Preview

Standings

Playoff Predictions

Award Predictions

MVP: Jalen Hurts, PHI
Offensive Player of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase, CIN
Defensive Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson, DET
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Ward, TEN
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Abdul Carter, NYG
Coach of the Year: Sean Payton, DEN

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: Jalen Hurts, PHIOffensive Player of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase, CINDefensive Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson, DETOffensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Ward, TENDefensive Rookie of the Year: Abdul Carter, NYGCoach of the Year: Sean Payton, DEN

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: Jalen Hurts, PHI
Offensive Player of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase, CIN
Defensive Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson, DET
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Ward, TEN
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Abdul Carter, NYG
Coach of the Year: Sean Payton, DEN