| The Athletic has 32 important newcomers. You can see them all here, with some of them getting slotted below with their respective teams.- – -Former player Marcellus Wiley has been charged with domestic battery in Orlando. Teddy Ricketson of YahooSports.com: Former NFL defensive end and sportscaster Marcellus Wiley was arrested over the weekend on alleged domestic battery charges. Wiley was arrested on July 4 in Orlando, Florida and booked into Orange County Corrections on one count of domestic battery. Further details of the arrest have not yet been released. The former NFL player is being held without bond while he awaits his court hearing. News of this arrest comes a few months after Wiley was accused of sexual assault by four different people in April. Wiley denied those allegations on an episode of his podcast when he said, “They are attempting to leverage lies for personal gain, as they say, assassination by accusation, that’s their goal. They trying by lying.” The defensive end was selected in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He spent four years with the Bills and then played with the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars before retiring following the 2006 season. After his playing career ended, Wiley made the jump to TV as a sportscaster for both ESPN and Fox Sports. He most notably appeared on “NFL Live” and served as a co-host for “SportsNation.” More recently, Wiley has gotten into podcasting with his “More To It” podcast and “Dat Dude TV” show that airs on YouTube. |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOWe agree with Dan Wiederer of The Athletic that this is a big acquisition for the Bears: Chicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman, safetyThrough months of the pre-draft process, the Bears played out scenarios for whom they might land with the 25th pick in Round 1, but mostly felt like it was a long shot that Thieneman would fall to them. When he did, general manager Ryan Poles pounced. What the Bears saw on Thieneman’s college tape came to life during the spring at Halas Hall. Speed. Instincts. Versatility. Aggressiveness. Passion. Thieneman is a long-term building block for the defense and his pairing with another newcomer, Coby Bryant, offers a dangerous edge to the back end of the secondary. — Dan Wiederer |
| DETROITColton Pouncy of The Athletic highlights Detroit’s new OC as a key acquisition: Detroit Lions: Drew Petzing, offensive coordinatorThere are some strong options here, especially along the offensive line, but I’ll go with Petzing, who beat out a crowded field of candidates for the coveted position of Lions OC. While Petzing’s offenses with the Cardinals weren’t exactly the Greatest Show on Turf, he was chosen because of his ability to communicate complex principles in a digestible manner. That’s the impression he’s left on the organization so far. Factoring in his experience coaching different positions (QBs, WRs and TEs), his work with play-action, his creativity in the running game and his easygoing personality, it’s easy to see why head coach Dan Campbell went with Petzing. But after John Morton flopped, Campbell needs to nail this hire. – Colton Pouncy |
| GREEN BAYThe Packers also have a key new coordinator, who was on the same staff with Petzing last year. Matt Schneideman of The Athletic: Green Bay Packers: Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinatorThe last time Gannon was a defensive coordinator, the team he called plays for (the Philadelphia Eagles) made the Super Bowl. He flamed out as the Arizona Cardinals head coach after three seasons and is back as a defensive coordinator after Jeff Hafley left Green Bay for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job. With the likes of Micah Parsons, Xavier McKinney and Edgerrin Cooper at his disposal, can Gannon properly utilize that talent to help his team reach another Super Bowl? — Matt Schneidman |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASJon Machota of The Athletic on the anticipation for the Dallas defense this year with new coordinator Christian Parker: Dallas Cowboys: Christian Parker, defensive coordinatorThe Cowboys made several interesting player additions to their defense, including Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, Jalen Thompson, Rashan Gary, Dee Winters and Cobie Durant. But the biggest impact will come from their new defensive coordinator. Parker has never called a defense, so there will likely be some growing pains early. If he can successfully navigate his way through them, his addition could be the reason Dallas gets back to the playoffs. Up to this point, Parker has received nothing but praise from those in the building for the way he’s interacting with the players and teaching his new scheme. It should be interesting to see how his group, which was arguably the NFL’s worst last year, holds its own against one of the NFL’s best offenses throughout training camp. — Jon Machota |
| PHILADELPHIAZach Berman of The Athletic says that Philadelphia’s sixth playcaller in six seasons with Nick Sirianni as head coach is the key newcomer: Philadelphia Eagles: Sean Mannion, offensive coordinatorMannion will be Nick Sirianni’s sixth play-caller in six seasons, but not every change has been the same. Last year, Kevin Patullo was viewed as the continuity candidate. After the offense’s worst rankings of the Sirianni era, the Eagles did not just change play-callers; they changed schemes. Mannion played for Sean McVay and the Kubiaks, and he coached under Matt LaFleur. His system has roots from that tree. Look for the quarterback to play under center more frequently and for the running game to use wide zone concepts. Mannion will need to adjust to what works for his personnel, but the buy-in from quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and the offensive line during the spring should be encouraging. — Zach Berman |
| NFC SOUTH |
| CAROLINAAn intriguing change with the Panthers highlighted by Joseph Person of The Athletic: Carolina Panthers: Brad Idzik, offensive coordinatorIdzik isn’t new to the Panthers’ staff, but is new to play-calling after Dave Canales turned those duties over to the 34-year-old during the offseason. The move was somewhat surprising, given Canales’ reputation as a QB whisperer when he arrived in Charlotte. The offense doesn’t figure to look radically different under Idzik, a third-generation coach who played receiver at Wake Forest. But expect him to put his own stamp on things. Idzik has been with Canales at two previous stops and would prep Canales before his interviews for OC jobs. Just as importantly, Idzik has built a strong relationship with Bryce Young the past two years. — Joseph Person |
| NEW ORLEANSLarry Holder of The Athletic says the big contract makes RB TRAVIS ETIENNE, Jr. the key newcomer: New Orleans Saints: Travis Etienne Jr., running backSigning Etienne to a four-year deal that can max out at $47 million certainly raised my eyebrows for multiple reasons. First, it’s the first skill position player to receive a hefty contract via free agency coming in from another team in a minute. The former Jaguars standout propelled himself back into a leading rusher role with 1,107 yards on 260 carries last season after watching his touches and yards dip in 2024 (150 carries, 558 yards). This also shows the Saints are seemingly ready to change directions away from Alvin Kamara being the primary tailback. — Larry Holder |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONAA good deed from Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill. John Breech of CBSSports.com: If you’ve ever had to plan a wedding, then you know how stressful it can be: They cost a lot of money, you have to make 7,000 decisions and there’s a 98% chance that something will go wrong, like, say, an NFL team booking the hotel room that you wanted to stay in with your bridal party on the day of your wedding. That exact situation happened to one woman recently and she decided to try and fix the problem by sending a desperate email to the team. This is the tale of how an NFL owner in Arizona ended up helping a bride all the way across the country in New Jersey. How the problem came upOlivia Coppeletti is getting married on Oct. 4 in New Jersey and the night before her wedding, she was hoping to stay in the presidential suite at a local hotel. The only problem is that the hotel room she was hoping to stay in wasn’t available. This specific hotel is commonly used for the visiting team when they’re facing the Giants or Jets at MetLife Stadium and the hotel staff told her that it was “contractually obligated” to reserve several rooms, including the presidential suite, for those visiting teams. Coppeletti hunted down an NFL schedule and noticed that the Giants were playing a home game against the Cardinals on the weekend of her wedding. At that point, she decided to throw a Hail Mary by shooting off an email to the team to see: A) if was was staying in the hotel, and B) if the Cardinals were, would they be willing to let her use the suite. Coppeletti figured the head coach would be getting the presidential suite, so she addressed the email to Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur/To whomever might see this letter. Here’s a small sample of what she wrote: “I realize there is approximately a 99.9% chance this email never reaches you, and an even smaller chance that if it does, you have any ability (or desire) to help me,” Coppeletti wrote. “But as a bride who has exhausted all conventional options, I have decided to take my chances.” The bride then went on to explain that she was hoping to book the presidential suite because she was hoping to have a room where she could prep on her wedding day with her bridesmaids and family along with her hair and makeup team. She then politely asked if LaFleur would be willing to give up his presidential suite. “I have been told that the presidential suite is often reserved for the visiting team’s coaching staff (or someone on the team),” Coppelletti wrote. “Therefore, I’m respectfully submitting what may be the most ridiculous request you receive all season: If you are not planning to use that suite on Oct. 4, would you consider letting a desperate bride have a chance to book it?” She then ended things by telling the Cards that she’ll be cheering for them on Oct. 4 no matter what. “If the answer is no, I understand and will still be rooting for the Cardinals to beat the Giants (My fiance said something about ‘Let’s go Trey McBride,’ I don’t know who he is, but I’m rooting for him),” Coppelletti wrote. After shooting her shot, Coppelletti probably wasn’t expecting a response, but the Cardinals actually got back to her. How the Cardinals responded to the requestAfter sending the email, Coppelletti eventually got a response from Mark Dalton, the Cardinals senior vice president of media relations. Coppelletti thought that LaFleur would be staying in the presidential suite, but as it turns out, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill was the one who was booked into the room. Dalton informed Bidwill of the situation and the Cardinals owner ended up responding to Coppelletti with a video. “Hi Olivia, I’m Michael Bidwill with the Arizona Cardinals,” the owner said. “Your email, which I absolutely loved, made its way to me. I looked into it. The situation is a little complicated, the suite you requested wasn’t reserved for the coach of the Cardinals, but rather the owner of the Cardinals. The good news is that’s me and I’m happy to give it up to you and your bridesmaids to use during your wedding weekend. Congrats and enjoy your special day.” That’s right, this story has a happy ending: Bidwill decided to give up his suite and let Coppelletti have it. Coppelletti shared the entire story on TikTok, including Bidwill’s video, and you can see all of that below. The moral of the story is that if an NFL team has already booked the room you were hoping to stay in for your wedding, just fire off a friendly and somewhat humorous email, and the team might actually respond. The Cardinals-Giants game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET and the wedding starts at 5 p.m. ET, so who knows, maybe Bidwill will actually make an appearance at the wedding. We would guess that the hotel has other fine suites and that Bidwill will still have exceptional accommodations. |
| SEATTLESaad Yousouf of The Athletic says a rookie running back is the key acquisition: Seattle Seahawks: Jadarian Price, running backThe defending Super Bowl champions are running back most of their championship roster, but the change at running back is significant. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker is now a Kansas City Chief and his backup last season, Zach Charbonnet, is recovering from a significant injury that could keep him out to begin the regular season. Despite his role as the backup to Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, Price was selected in the first round of this year’s draft because of his potential. Sam Darnold proved a lot of doubters wrong last season and Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a breakout campaign. But a dependable rushing attack was at the heart of Seattle’s offensive success, and Price will be tasked with taking over a starring role in the operation. — Saad Yousuf |
| AFC WEST |
| LAS VEGASSam Warren of The Athletic tabs his key newcomer, and it is not QB FERNANDO MENDOZA: Las Vegas Raiders: Tyler Linderbaum, centerFernando Mendoza might be the obvious pick here, but his debut might not come until late in the season. Linderbaum can and should have a noticeable impact from Week 1. The Raiders’ offensive line was the worst in the league last season and a big reason for their dreadful campaign. They signed Linderbaum to a record deal to anchor the group, but made little other impact moves to improve outside of a coaching change. Whether the center can raise the level of play of his new teammates will have a major impact on Las Vegas’ success this year. — Sam Warren |
| AFC NORTH |
| PITTSBURGHQB AARON RODGERS has some thoughts on the Steelers offense under Mike McCarthy. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy are in their first year together in Pittsburgh, but after 13 years together in Green Bay, they know each other as well as any quarterback and head coach in the NFL. Rodgers says he knows exactly what he needs to do in the McCarthy system, and it’s all about him having his timing down with his teammates. “It’s just the next generations of the West Coast offense,” Rodgers said, via TribLive.com. “It went kind of Bill Walsh to kind of what Mike was doing with Paul Hackett, and then it’s kind of grown from there. From a real fundamental level, it’s all about the quarterback’s timing.” Rodgers said McCarthy has changed some of the terminology in his offense since the two were last together on the 2018 Packers, but the system is fundamentally the same. “I spent 13 years in [McCarthy’s offense],” Rodgers said. “He’s changed some stuff when he was in Dallas. . . . It’s stuff that we used to run, but he’s just called it something different now.” In three months, McCarthy will hope to see Rodgers running that offense the same way he did in Green Bay. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| TENNESSEETitans DT Jeffrey Simmons has some thoughts on former Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons played his first five NFL seasons with Mike Vrabel as his head coach, and never reached the Super Bowl. That gave him mixed emotions when he saw Vrabel get to the Super Bowl last year with the Patriots. Simmons said on Terron Armstead’s podcast that he still has a great relationship with Vrabel and was happy for his success in Year One in New England, but also disappointed Vrabel couldn’t help Simmons reach the Super Bowl in Tennessee. “Was I surprised?” Simmons said. “I think we all would be surprised if this guy, first year in New England, they go straight to the Super Bowl. First off, I’m jealous as hell. Like what? I was just with you four years, and you couldn’t get me to the Super Bowl? But I could call Vrabel right now and he’d answer the phone. You build that relationship off the football field, and I think that’s the thing with Vrabel. It’s the same with Saleh, when you can build that relationship with players off the football field, and not just on the football field, they’re going to play as hard as they can for you.” Simmons said that as he watched Vrabel and many of the assistant coaches who were with him in Tennessee get to the Super Bowl in their first year in New England, it gave him high hopes for what the Titans can do this year with new head coach Robert Saleh. “I was surprised. He took the whole Tennessee Titans staff with him,” Simmons said. “Coach Robert Saleh, first year? Why not?” The Titans taking that kind of leap forward in Year One with Saleh would likely require the same second-year turnaround from Cam Ward that Drake Maye had last season. Simmons said he sees the hard work Ward is putting in, and is a believer that the Titans have the right people in place to make a big turnaround in 2026. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOOne of Tim Graham’s newcomers to watch: Buffalo Bills: Jim Leonhard, defensive coordinatorEveryone will learn together how Leonhard runs an NFL defense because he never has done it before. The former Broncos assistant head coach and pass game coordinator last oversaw the entire shebang at the University of Wisconsin from 2017 to 2022. Leonhard will deploy a 3-4 scheme in Buffalo, but nobody knows for sure how the 43-year-old will attack opponents. Rookie head coach Joe Brady has professed his desire for an aggressive defense that frazzles quarterbacks and offensive coordinators before the snap as well as after. Leonhard’s personnel also will be drastically different from what previous coach Sean McDermott worked with; six of the Bills’ 11 defensive starters in the postseason have remained unemployed throughout the offseason. — Tim Graham |
| THIS AND THAT |
| THE GUEST LISTMike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com takes note of some attendees at the wedding of the century: I wasn’t going to say anything more about the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift wedding, but an item from Drew Lerner of Awful Announcing got the addled gears of my brain turning. Lerner notes that both FOX and Amazon had a very strong presence at the ceremony, with even rules analyst Dean Blandino on the guest list. And while there also was a solid presence from ESPN (Jason Kelce’s current employer), no one seemed to be present from CBS or NBC. The inclusions and omissions invite speculation that Travis may be thinking about future media employment with Fox or Amazon. Or possibly both. There were rumors in media circles last year that Travis was interested in Kirk Herbstreit’s seat in the Thursday Night Football booth. (Neither Herbstreit nor his dog were among the Amazon personnel spotted at the event.) With Herbstreit’s deal running through 2026, Travis (who already has a relationship with Amazon through the New Heights podcast) could be in line to take the spot. And he could then, if he wanted, join the desk at Fox NFL Sunday when the next spot opens. Doing both would be easier, if Travis wanted to do it. It would be much easier than Herbstreit’s current triple duty of ESPN College GameDay, the top ESPN/ABC college football game, and Thursday Night Football. Frankly, Travis would get whichever gig he wants, at any network with an available spot. The only question is the price. And the over-under for the combined gigs would be, in our view, $40 million per year, easily. UPDATE 8:00 p.m. ET: A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, the members of the top CBS broadcast team, were present for the wedding. |
| RANKING THE ROSTERS – 1 to 32A huge project at ESPN.com as Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder combine to rank the NFL rosters 1 to 32. We have the top five and the one at the bottom. You can read the rest here: After an offseason chock-full of trades, free agent signings and draft picks, all 32 NFL teams have their rosters mostly set for the 2026 season. But how do they stack up when compared to each other? We’ve tasked NFL analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder with finding that answer. We asked them to individually rank every lineup in the league, then combined their ballots to form the ultimate preseason roster rankings, considering factors such as talent, age and production. Clay projected every starting lineup, and then he identified each team’s position of strength and weakness. Walder picked X factors for each roster, while Schatz chose nonstarters who could end up being key players this season. 1. Los Angeles Rams Projected starters for the RamsQB Matthew Stafford DT Kobie TurnerRB Kyren Williams DT Poona FordWR Puka Nacua DT Braden FiskeWR Davante Adams Edge Myles GarrettWR Konata Mumpfield Edge Byron YoungTE Terrance Ferguson LB Nate LandmanTE Colby Parkinson LB Omar SpeightsLT Alaric Jackson CB Trent McDuffieLG Steve Avila CB Quentin LakeC Coleman Shelton CB Jaylen WatsonRG Kevin Dotson S Kam CurlRT Warren McClendon Jr. S Kamren Kinchens Biggest strength: Quarterback. It’s tough to pick one strength, as edge rusher, cornerback, wide receiver and both lines are strong points on the league’s clear-cut best roster. Of course, the Rams’ Super Bowl chances hinge most on the health and continued strong play of reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, 38. He dominated in 2025, pacing the NFL in both passing yards (4,707) and passing TDs (46) while finishing fourth in QBR. With the league’s best roster around him, Stafford is set up for another elite season. First-round rookie Ty Simpson is his new backup. — Clay Biggest weakness: Tight end. “None” might be the best answer, but I’ll pick a position that has a lot of depth but no clear No. 1 option. Tyler Higbee is 33 years old and no longer an every-down player. That has allowed more work for veterans Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen. There is some upside here in the form of recent second-round picks Terrance Ferguson (2025) and Max Klare (2026). A Year 2 breakout from Ferguson could quickly make this another strength area. — Clay X factor for 2026: The health of Stafford and wide receiver Davante Adams. Less than 12 months ago, Stafford couldn’t get on the practice field due to a back issue and was a major question mark entering the season. He ended up playing the whole way — and winning MVP — but that’s no guarantee that he can repeat that in 2026 at age 38. And Adams has played at least 14 games in each of the past six seasons, but I bring him up because he is 33 and the depth behind him and Puka Nacua is severely lacking. The Rams are the best team in football, but they have a couple of Achilles’ heels they must protect. — Walder Nonstarter to know: Edge rusher Josaiah Stewart. Myles Garrett must come off the field occasionally, right? A 2025 third-round pick, Stewart had three sacks and an impressive 17.6% pass rush win rate as a rookie. He has a high motor but can also drop into coverage when necessary. — Schatz 2. Philadelphia Eagles Projected starters for the EaglesQB Jalen Hurts DT Jalen CarterRB Saquon Barkley DT Moro OjomoWR DeVonta Smith DT Jordan DavisWR Makai Lemon Edge Jonathan GreenardWR Dontayvion Wicks Edge Nolan Smith Jr.TE Dallas Goedert LB Zack BaunTE Eli Stowers LB Jihaad CampbellLT Jordan Mailata CB Quinyon MitchellLG Landon Dickerson CB Cooper DeJeanC Cam Jurgens CB Riq WoolenRG Tyler Steen S Andrew MukubaRT Lane Johnson S Marcus Epps Biggest strength: Offensive tackle. The Eagles have many strengths, especially on defense, but it’s tough to beat arguably the NFL’s top tackle duo of Jordan Mailata (left) and Lane Johnson (right). Mailata has ranked no lower than sixth at tackle in Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade each of the past three seasons. Johnson is 36 years old and missed time due to injury last season, but he continues to play at a high level, ranking in the upper quarter of the league in PFF grade, pass block win rate and run block win rate. — Clay Biggest weakness: Safety. Reed Blankenship signed with Houston, which positions second-year man Andrew Mukuba (who missed half of his rookie season with a broken ankle) and Marcus Epps (a backup for most of 2025) as the team’s top full-time options. Cooper DeJean will also get a run at safety, but his role as the team’s primary slot corner will keep him occupied most of the time. — Clay X factor for 2026: CB Riq Woolen. I’m a Woolen believer. He has the best yards per coverage snap among all cornerbacks with at least 500 coverage snaps over the past four seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but there’s no question opinions are divided on him. He has been benched before and started only seven games (out of 16 played) last season for Seattle. Woolen presents a wide range of outcomes for the Eagles. — Walder Nonstarter to know: WR Hollywood Brown. He’s not going to start, but the 2019 first-rounder is going to play a role in the Eagles’ offense. Last season, he had 49 catches in Kansas City for 587 receiving yards and five touchdowns, and his average of 12.0 yards per reception was his highest since 2020. But he also registered a 32 overall score (out of 100) in ESPN’s receiver scores. — Schatz 3. Seattle Seahawks Projected starters for the SeahawksQB Sam Darnold DT Leonard WilliamsRB Zach Charbonnet DT Byron Murphy IIWR Jaxon Smith-Njigba DT Jarran ReedWR Rashid Shaheed Edge DeMarcus LawrenceWR Cooper Kupp Edge Uchenna NwosuTE AJ Barner LB Ernest Jones IVTE Elijah Arroyo LB Drake ThomasLT Charles Cross CB Devon WitherspoonLG Grey Zabel CB Nick EmmanworiC Jalen Sundell CB Josh JobeRG Anthony Bradford S Julian LoveRT Abraham Lucas S Ty Okada Biggest strength: Interior defensive line. The defending champs allowed a league-low 17.2 points game last season and finished third in the league in run stop win rate (32.5%). They remain stacked up front, with Leonard Williams (18.0 sacks over the past two seasons) leading the way and still playing at a high level at age 32. Byron Murphy II (fourth among interior linemen with 7.0 sacks in 2025) made a big Year 2 leap and Jarran Reed remains a quality rotational player. — Clay Biggest weakness: Running back. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III signed with the Chiefs and Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in January, leaving Seattle’s backfield with a much different look in 2026. Rookie Jadarian Price — the final pick of the first round — could emerge as a standout player, but he is an unknown and has minimal experience as a pass catcher. Holdovers George Holani and Kenny McIntosh, as well as journeyman Emanuel Wilson, will battle for work until Charbonnet makes his return. — Clay X factor for 2026: WR Rashid Shaheed. While Shaheed delivered a kick return touchdown in the playoffs, his receiving production after he was traded to Seattle was lower than expected. Shaheed recorded 1.8 yards per route run with the Saints in the first half of 2025 but only 1.1 with Seattle, postseason included. With a full offseason as a Seahawk, perhaps he can emerge as a productive No. 2 option behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba. — Walder Nonstarter to know: Edge Derick Hall. Rotating the edges is very important in Seattle’s defense, and Hall played 37% of the defensive snaps in 2025. Though he had only two sacks in the regular season, he had another two and a forced fumble in the Super Bowl victory over the Patriots. He also had a strong 15.3% pass rush win rate off the edge. The Seahawks gave Hall a three-year, $42 million extension this offseason, highlighting how much he means to their defense. — Schatz 4. Buffalo Bills Projected starters for the BillsQB Josh Allen DT Ed OliverRB James Cook III DT Deone WalkerWR DJ Moore DT T.J. SandersWR Khalil Shakir Edge Greg RousseauWR Keon Coleman Edge Bradley ChubbTE Dalton Kincaid LB Terrel BernardTE Dawson Knox LB Dorian WilliamsLT Dion Dawkins CB Christian BenfordLG Austin Corbett CB Maxwell HairstonC Connor McGovern CB Dee AlfordRG O’Cyrus Torrence S Cole BishopRT Spencer Brown S C.J. Gardner-Johnson Biggest strength: Quarterback. What else could be the answer, as the team has 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen? Allen has finished no lower than seventh in QBR in each of the past six seasons (third or better in four of them). He hasn’t been asked to throw the ball as much in recent years, but he has still finished in the top 10 in passing TDs six seasons in a row. Allen remains a major factor with his legs, leading all QBs in carries, rushing yards and rushing TDs last season. Only Derrick Henry (44) has more rushing TDs than Allen (41) over the past three seasons. — Clay Biggest weakness: Off-ball linebacker. Terrel Bernard remains the team’s top LB, but he has battled injuries (nine total games missed) and ineffectiveness in each of the past two seasons. Running mate Dorian Williams has generally been a situational player but might need to play an expanded role this season. Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and fourth-round rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr are his primary competitors. Buffalo might lean a bit more on three-safety looks in the post-Sean McDermott era due to its LB situation. — Clay X factor for 2026: Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. One of the upsides of promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach is keeping the consistency and continuity of the potent Bills offense. But on the defensive side, Buffalo is replacing a good coach in Sean McDermott. Will Leonhard be able to get enough out of an imperfect defensive roster to make Buffalo title contenders? — Walder Nonstarter to know: RB Ray Davis. James Cook III deservedly gets the accolades, but Davis was excellent in backing up Cook last season. Davis averaged 4.7 yards per carry (14.8% DVOA) and 8.6 yards per reception with two receiving touchdowns (23.9% DVOA). He was also one of the top kick returners in the NFL. — Schatz 5. Baltimore Ravens Projected starters for the RavensQB Lamar Jackson DT Nnamdi MadubuikeRB Derrick Henry DT Travis JonesWR Zay Flowers DT Calais CampbellWR Rashod Bateman Edge Trey HendricksonWR Ja’Kobi Lane Edge Mike GreenTE Mark Andrews LB Roquan SmithTE Durham Smythe LB Teddye BuchananLT Ronnie Stanley CB Nate WigginsLG John Simpson CB Marlon HumphreyC Danny Pinter CB Chidobe AwuzieRG Olaivavega Ioane S Kyle HamiltonRT Roger Rosengarten S Malaki Starks Biggest strength: Safety. Kyle Hamilton is one of the league’s best defenders and is entering only his age-25 season. He led all NFL safeties in pass rush attempts last season and finished in the top 10 at the position in tackles, passes defensed and tackles for loss. He is joined by 2025 first-round pick Malaki Starks, who was solid as a rookie. Newcomer Jaylinn Hawkins was an every-down player for the Patriots last season, and all three players played at least 950 snaps in 2025. — Clay Biggest weakness: Interior offensive line. The coaching staff is new, but this is the same weakness the Ravens had in the previous two seasons. Baltimore could have three new starters on the interior. Standout center Tyler Linderbaum signed with the Raiders, leaving journeyman Danny Pinter (264 snaps played over the last three seasons) as the projected replacement. John Simpson was brought in as a slight upgrade over Andrew Vorhees at guard. There’s some upside at the other guard spot after the team spent its first-round pick on Olaivavega Ioane. — Clay X factors for 2026: WRs Devontez Walker, Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt. It’s hard to get too excited about the receivers room behind Zay Flowers (Rashod Bateman is the team’s No. 2 WR on paper). But if Baltimore could get a breakout from one of these three — the latter two are rookies — it would go a long way to rounding out the offense beyond Lamar Jackson. — Walder Nonstarter to know: DT Broderick Washington Jr. Washington missed most of 2025 after an Achilles injury, but he’ll play an important role for the Ravens as a 5-technique end if Nnamdi Madubuike doesn’t return from his neck injury or Calais Campbell finally plays to his age. Washington will need to step up, as his pressure rate of 2.9% in 2024 was near the bottom of the league for interior linemen. — Schatz 6. Detroit Lions 7. New England Patriots 8. Denver Broncos 9. Houston Texans 10. Green Bay Packers 11. San Francisco 49ers 12. Kansas City Chiefs 13. Los Angeles Chargers 14. Dallas Cowboys 15. Cincinnati Bengals 16. Jacksonville Jaguars 17. Chicago Bears 18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19. Pittsburgh Steelers 20. Indianapolis Colts 21. Washington Commanders 22. Minnesota Vikings 23. New York Giants 24. Carolina Panthers 25. New York Jets 26. New Orleans Saints 27. Las Vegas Raiders 28. Tennessee Titans T-29. Arizona Cardinals T-29. Atlanta Falcons 31. Cleveland Browns 32. Miami Dolphins Projected starters for the DolphinsQB Malik Willis DT Zach SielerRB De’Von Achane DT Kenneth GrantWR Malik Washington Edge Chop RobinsonWR Jalen Tolbert Edge Josh UcheWR Tutu Atwell LB Jordyn BrooksTE Greg Dulcich LB Tyrel DodsonTE Will Kacmarek LB Jacob RodriguezLT Patrick Paul CB Chris JohnsonLG Kadyn Proctor CB Storm DuckC Aaron Brewer CB Jason Marshall Jr.RG Jonah Savaiinaea S Dante Trader Jr.RT Austin Jackson S Lonnie Johnson Jr. Biggest strength: Running back. The recently extended De’Von Achane is the star of Miami’s offense, and it’s not close. The 2023 third-rounder has scored either 11 or 12 touchdowns in each of his three NFL seasons and gained a career-high 1,838 scrimmage yards in 2025. Achane’s elite receiving production is nothing new (he has finished in the top five among backs in targets and receiving yards in each of the past two seasons), but he made another leap forward as a rusher in 2025, finishing fifth in rushing yards. His 5.62 yards per carry is best among qualified backs since he entered the league. Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II add depth. — Clay Biggest weakness: Secondary. The Dolphins are in full rebuild mode and have several units that rank among the league’s worst. That makes it hard to pick for this exercise, but we’ll go secondary. On paper, this is a worse group than the one that allowed a 58.3 QBR last season (fifth worst). First-round rookie Chris Johnson figures to immediately become an every-down starter, with Storm Duck, slot Jason Marshall Jr., Darrell Baker Jr., JuJu Brents and Alex Austin battling for substantial roles. With Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ashtyn Davis gone, 2025 fifth-rounder Dante Trader Jr. and journeyman Lonnie Johnson Jr. are strong candidates to start. — Clay X factor for 2026: Edge rusher Chop Robinson. From Week 10 on in his rookie season of 2024, Robinson recorded a 20.5% pass rush win rate at edge — fifth best in the league in that span. He seemed destined to be a sack machine. But he took a step back in Year 2, with just a 14.6% pass rush win rate at edge and only four sacks last season (after six as a rookie). After resetting this offseason, Miami needs to find core players it can build around. Robinson might be one of those players, but he must prove it. — Walder Nonstarter to know: DT Jordan Phillips. Phillips started 16 games at nose tackle as a fifth-round rookie last season but will move to the bench as the Dolphins transition to a 4-3 base under new coach Jeff Hafley. Nonetheless, Phillips will be an important part of stopping the run for the Dolphins, especially if they want to come back when trailing late in games. Based on down and distance, he stopped opposing runners short of a successful gain on 77% of his run tackles last season. — Schatz Interesting that the Cardinals and Falcons are tied for 29th, but due to the divisions Arizona is headed for something like 3-14 while Atlanta could be something like 8-9. |
