My first attempt at this exercise came back in May, but a lot has happened since then. With the deadline for players opting out in the rearview mirror and information trickling in from training camps across the NFL, it’s time to give it another shot now that the 2020 season opener just a few weeks away.
One important thing to point out before I get started — base defenses are not “base” anymore. The average NFL team ran just 27% of their defensive plays in base personnel last season, with nickel and dime packages quickly becoming the prevalent look. With that in mind, I’m listing 12 defenders in each of these starting lineups to include five — or six in some cases — defensive backs who figure to see significant playing time next season.
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AFC East
New England Patriots
Offense
QB: Cam Newton
RB: Damien Harris
WR: Mohamed Sanu
WR: N’Keal Harry
Slot: Julian Edelman
TE: Devin Asiasi
LT: Isaiah Wynn
LG: Joe Thuney
C: David Andrews
RG: Shaq Mason
RT: Yodny Cajuste
Defense
DI: Lawrence Guy
DI: Adam Butler
EDGE: John Simon
EDGE: Chase Winovich
LB: Ja’Whaun Bentley
LB: Josh Uche
CB: Stephon Gilmore
CB: Jason McCourty
CB: J.C. Jackson
CB: Jonathan Jones
S: Kyle Dugger
S: Devin McCourty
Starting spot up in the air: S Kyle Dugger
The trade of Duron Harmon and Patrick Chung’s decision to opt out have left the Patriots injected uncertainty into what is otherwise a loaded secondary. The starting safety position opposite Devin McCourty will come down to a competition for snaps between the Lenoir-Rhyne rookie Dugger, former Los Angeles Chargers’ safety Adrian Phillips and the only returning Patriot of the group — Terrence Brooks.
Per CLNS Media’s Evan Lazar, Dugger has had an impressive start to camp, putting his versatility and athleticism to use well in Bill Belichick’s defense early. As PFF’s Eric Eager wrote prior to the NFL Draft, Dugger brought uncertainty as a fifth-year senior out of a Division II school but had measurables that were worth taking a chance on. The Patriots did just that in the second round, and now, they may opt to let him play through any growing pains while taking the splash plays an aggressive freak-of-nature athlete like himself can provide in the middle of the field. He was listed as the best box safety in the class by PFF’s lead draft analyst Mike Renner in our 2020 NFL Draft Guide.
Phillips is easily the most experienced of the group and should push Dugger at the very least, as should Brooks. It’s a position to monitor as the season nears, and given some of New England's turnover this offseason, it’s not the only one.
Buffalo Bills
Offense
QB: Josh Allen
RB: Devin Singletary
WR: Stefon Diggs
WR: John Brown
Slot: Cole Beasley
TE: Dawson Knox
LT: Dion Dawkins
LG: Quinton Spain
C: Mitch Morse
RG: Cody Ford
RT: Daryl Williams
Defense
DI: Ed Oliver
DI: Vernon Butler
EDGE: Jerry Hughes
EDGE: Mario Addison
LB: Matt Milano
LB: Tremaine Edmunds
LB: A.J. Klein
CB: Tre’Davious White
CB: Josh Norman
CB: Taron Johnson
S: Jordan Poyer
S: Micah Hyde
Starting spot up in the air: CB Josh Norman
Norman may be penciled in as the starter at the moment, but Levi Wallace isn’t going quietly into the night. According to Joe Buscaglia and Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, “Wallace returned from injury on Tuesday and immediately showed off his competitiveness, instincts and new physique.” The piece notes that the competition with Norman is far from over — and for good reason. Wallace has played well in his first two NFL seasons as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama. His 78.0 PFF coverage grade over those two seasons ranks tied for 17th among the 102 cornerbacks with 500 or more coverage snaps since 2018.
Norman, on the other hand, is coming off a disastrous 2019 season in which he produced just a 43.4 coverage grade and allowed a league-worst 133.3 passer rating on 46 targets into his coverage. Optimistic projections for Norman in 2020 center on the fact that he reunites with Sean McDermott, who he had a lot of success with in Carolina. If he doesn’t bounce back from what we saw in 2019, though, the leash may be short with a player such as Wallace waiting in the wings.
New York Jets
Offense
QB: Sam Darnold
RB: Le’Veon Bell
WR: Breshad Perriman
WR: Denzel Mims
Slot: Jamison Crowder
TE: Chris Herndon
LT: Mekhi Becton
LG: Alex Lewis
C: Connor McGovern
RG: Greg Van Roten
RT: George Fant
Defense
DI: Quinnen Williams
DI: Steve McLendon
DI: Henry Anderson
EDGE: Jordan Jenkins
EDGE: Tarell Basham
LB: Avery Williamson
LB: Neville Hewitt
CB: Pierre Desir
CB: Blessuan Austin
CB: Brian Poole
S: Bradley McDougald
S: Marcus Maye
Starting spot up in the air: LB Avery Williamson
This really comes down to health for Williamson. He is comfortably the team’s best off-ball linebacker when healthy, coming off PFF grades of 80.2 in 2017 with the Tennessee Titans and 72.8 in his first season with the Jets in 2018. The issue is that Williamson is still on the PUP list after missing the entire 2019 season with a torn ACL he suffered in the preseason. With C.J. Mosley opting out, the Jets would surely like to have Williamson ready to go by Week 1.
If he isn’t on the field to start the season, though, Charles McDonald of the New York Daily News wrote last week that Neville Hewitt and Blake Cashman have the inside track to claim the team’s two starting inside linebacker spots. Connor Hughes of The Athletic recently noted that Williamson would be the team’s starting Mike linebacker if healthy, but the Jets could use a rotation next to him at Will linebacker. It's clear there is a lot of uncertainty at the position right now.
Once Williamson returns, Hewitt, Cashman, James Burgess and Patrick Onwuasor all figure to be competing for reps at the Will spot. I picked Hewitt given the likelihood he plays more snaps next season with his additional experience at Mike in 2019, but Cashman is a name to watch, as well. He earned just a 49.1 PFF grade on 424 snaps as a fifth-round rookie out of Minnesota last season, but the Jets’ staff seems high on him. He has one of the more impressive athletic profiles at the position.
Miami Dolphins
Offense
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick
RB: Jordan Howard
WR: DeVante Parker
WR: Preston Williams
Slot: Jakeem Grant
TE: Mike Gesicki
LT: Austin Jackson
LG: Ereck Flowers
C: Ted Karras
RG: Robert Hunt
RT: Jesse Davis
Defense
DI: Christian Wilkins
DI: Davon Godchaux
EDGE: Shaq Lawson
EDGE: Emmanuel Ogbah
LB/EDGE: Kyle Van Noy
LB: Jerome Baker
LB: Raekwon McMillan
CB: Xavien Howard
CB: Byron Jones
CB: Noah Igbinoghene
S: Bobby McCain
S: Eric Rowe
Starting spot up in the air: WR Jakeem Grant
The decisions to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season by Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns cracked open the battle for Miami’s starting slot wide receiver. Tight end Mike Gesicki figures to spend plenty of time there himself after running a position-high 461 routes from the slot in 2019, but when Miami goes with three wide receivers, there are still questions as to who will see the most time in that third spot.
Currently, Grant is the favorite to slot in as one of the team’s top three wide receivers with DeVante Parker and Preston Williams, per Charles Trainor Jr. of the Miami Herald. He has been primarily a return man for the Dolphins to this point in his career, but Grant's speed can cause defenses problems inside.
Isaiah Ford will likely push Grant hardest for that job. Ford saw significant action over the final four weeks of this past season and caught 21 passes for 235 yards in those four contests — earning a respectable 68.9 PFF grade in the process. He has also reportedly shown some nice rapport with Ryan Fitzpatrick early in training camp.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
Offense
QB: Carson Wentz
RB: Miles Sanders
WR: Jalen Reagor
WR: DeSean Jackson
TE: Zach Ertz
TE: Dallas Goedert
LT: Andre Dillard
LG: Isaac Seumalo
C: Jason Kelce
RG: Jason Peters
RT: Lane Johnson
Defense
DI: Fletcher Cox
DI: Javon Hargrave
EDGE: Brandon Graham
EDGE: Derek Barnett
LB: Nate Gerry
LB: T.J. Edwards
CB: Darius Slay
CB: Avonte Maddox
CB: Nickell Robey-Coleman
S: Will Parks
S: Jalen Mills
S: Rodney McLeod
STARTING SPOT UP IN THE AIR: LB T.J. EDWARDS
Not many would argue with the assessment that the linebacker position is the Eagle's thinnest group. Even though Will Parks is the third safety on the depth chart, his versatility and experience should put him on the field a fair amount. Nate Gerry figures to be atop the linebacker depth chart after playing 669 defensive snaps in 2019 (second on the team to Nigel Bradham) and earning a 62.2 PFF grade. That one year isn’t exactly a wealth of experience, but it does lead the way at the position.
Edwards is the presumed starter next to Gerry, and his grading profile — both in the collegiate ranks and in limited action as a rookie last season — suggests that it’s worth seeing what he can do as a starter. Edwards put up a 90.0-plus overall grade in each of his final two seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers, but poor testing at the NFL scouting combine resulted in a slip into undrafted territory. He worked past some of those athletic limitations as a rookie with an 83.4 PFF grade on just over 100 defensive snaps.
Duke Riley should be Edwards’ primary challenger for snaps next to Gerry when the Eagles are in a nickel (or “base”) defense. It’s Riley’s second year in Philadelphia after spending the first two seasons of his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons. Most of his action came on special teams, but he did play 200-plus snaps at linebacker in each of 2017 and 2018, earning PFF grades of 54.5 and 41.4 respectively. Don’t count out Temple rookie Shaun Bradley in the competition, either. The Athletic’s Zach Berman reported that he would expect Bradley to get playing time over third-round rookie Davion Taylor.
Dallas Cowboys
Offense
QB: Dak Prescott
RB: Ezekiel Elliott
WR: Amari Cooper
WR: Michael Gallup
WR: CeeDee Lamb
TE: Blake Jarwin
LT: Tyron Smith
LG: Connor McGovern
C: Joe Looney
RG: Zack Martin
RT: La’el Collins
Defense
DI: Tyrone Crawford
DI: Dontari Poe
EDGE: Demarcus Lawrence
EDGE: Everson Griffen
LB: Jaylon Smith
LB: Leighton Vander Esch
LB: Sean Lee
CB: Chidobe Awuzie
CB: Trevon Diggs
CB: Jourdan Lewis
S: Xavier Woods
S: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Starting spot up in the air: LG Connor McGovern
With the retirement of Travis Frederick — one of the league’s best centers — two of the three spots on the Cowboys’ interior offensive line are in flux. Zack Martin is one of the best interior offensive linemen in all of football at right guard, but there will be battles at left guard and center for Dallas throughout training camp in the lead up to the 2020 NFL season.
Connor Williams has manned the left guard spot in Dallas for much of the past two seasons, but ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Dallas’ 2019 third-round pick (McGovern) worked exclusively at left guard through the first four practices. After McGovern missed his rookie season due to injury, many expected him to compete for Frederick’s former spot at center, so the fact that he has played at only left guard and seen some first-team reps seems noteworthy. Williams has been a weak link in the Cowboys’ offensive line over the past two years, earning PFF grades of 59.1 and 60.9, but he still brings experience. In a shortened offseason, that serves as a significant threat to McGovern’s aspirations of starting the season at left guard.
New York Giants
Offense
QB: Daniel Jones
RB: Saquon Barkley
WR: Sterling Shepard
WR: Darius Slayton
Slot: Golden Tate
TE: Evan Engram
LT: Andrew Thomas
LG: Will Hernandez
C: Nick Gates
RG: Kevin Zeitler
RT: Cameron Fleming
Defense
DI: Leonard Williams
DI: Dalvin Tomlinson
DI: Dexter Lawrence
EDGE: Kyler Fackrell
EDGE: Markus Golden
LB: Blake Martinez
LB: David Mayo
CB: James Bradberry
CB: Corey Ballentine
CB/S: Julian Love
S: Jabrill Peppers
S: Xavier McKinney
Starting spot up in the air: RT Cameron Fleming
Nate Solder may be at the receiving end of his fair share of criticism from Giants’ fans for his play and the compensation he’s receiving for it, but it’s hard to argue that New York's offensive line gets better with him opting out of the 2020 season. Now, what was once a question as to whether Andrew Thomas plays left tackle becomes a given, and there will be a battle to fill the second starting spot at right tackle.
The three main competitors figure to be Nick Gates, rookie Matt Peart and Fleming. Gates manned that right tackle spot for portions of last season and is a player who Giants’ fans are excited about. It appears he may be the front-runner for the center position at this point, however. Per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, “Nick Gates has looked comfortable in his transition to center. The center competition remains open, but the 24-year old Gates has higher upside.”
That leaves Peart and Fleming to compete at right tackle. I gave the nod to Fleming primarily because of the experience he brings to the table, having spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Peart was strong in pass protection across multiple seasons as a starter in college, earning PFF pass-blocking grades of 75.0 or higher in four consecutive years. There’s a lot of things to like for him developmentally, but until he adds to his play strength, things could get ugly if he's forced into early action. He should still factor into the competition, though. Fleming has turned in PFF grades below 60.0 in limited action with Dallas each of the past two seasons.
Washington Football Team
Offense
QB: Dwayne Haskins
RB: Adrian Peterson
WR: Terry McLaurin
WR: Dontrelle Inman
Slot: Steven Sims
TE: Logan Thomas
LT: Cornelius Lucas
LG: Wes Schweitzer
C: Chase Roullier
RG: Brandon Scherff
RT: Morgan Moses
Defense
DI: Jonathan Allen
DI: Daron Payne
EDGE: Chase Young
EDGE: Montez Sweat
LB: Reuben Foster
LB: Cole Holcomb
LB: Thomas Davis Sr.
CB: Ronald Darby
CB: Fabian Moreau
CB: Kendall Fuller
S: Landon Collins
S: Sean Davis
Starting spot up in the air: All of the linebackers
There may be no linebacking corps in the NFL less settled at this moment than that of Washington’s. Thomas Davis, Cole Holcomb, Reuben Foster, Jon Bostic, Ryan Anderson, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Kevin Pierre-Louis — it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see any of these players get significant playing time as it currently stands.
If Foster is truly healthy and looks anything like he did as a rookie in 2017 — a season in which he earned an 81.2 PFF grade — then he should be one of the team’s three starters in the transition to a 4-3 base defense under head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Foster has been removed from the PUP list, and all indications are that he’s looking more and more comfortable on the field, per The Athletic’s Rhiannon Walker. Bostic is the incumbent middle linebacker or “Mike” on this team, but I think that it’s ultimately Foster’s job if he shows he can take it.
Holcomb should also factor heavily into the battle for snaps after playing more than 700 defensive snaps at linebacker on Washington’s defense last season as a fifth-round rookie. His instincts weren’t always there, putting himself in compromising positions at times, but Holcomb has the athleticism that you want and produced a respectable 71.3 run-defense grade in his first season.
Lastly, Davis has a lot of familiarity with Rivera from his time spent with the Carolina Panthers next to Luke Kuechly, and it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t play a role in this defense in 2020. He may not quite be the same player he once was now at 37 years old, but he still turned in a 61.7 PFF grade on more than 800 snaps last season with the Los Angeles Chargers (41st out of 91 qualifying linebackers).
Shaun Dion Hamilton is one player to watch who I didn't list as a starter. He looked great in coverage this past season (89.7 coverage grade) and has continued that excellence in training camp. He could make some noise this season.
AFC South
Houston Texans
Offense
QB: Deshaun Watson
RB: David Johnson
WR: Brandin Cooks
WR: Will Fuller V
Slot: Randall Cobb
TE: Darren Fells
LT: Laremy Tunsil
LG: Max Scharping
C: Nick Martin
RG: Zach Fulton
RT: Tytus Howard
Defense
DI: Ross Blacklock
DI: Brandon Dunn
DI: Charles Omenihu
EDGE: J.J. Watt
EDGE: Whitney Mercilus
LB: Zach Cunningham
LB: Benardrick McKinney
CB: Bradley Roby
CB: Gareon Conley
CB: John Reid
S: Justin Reid
S: Eric Murray
Starting spot up in the air: TE Darren Fells
Fells is coming off a career year with 34 receptions for 341 yards and seven touchdowns while splitting receiving duties with Jordan Akins, so he gets the nod as the incumbent starter here. It wasn’t exactly a dominant showing, though, and the Texans do have several younger players who should push Fells for playing time early on.
Along with Akins, Jordan Thomas and Kahale Warring are back from injury. Both profile as players who can produce more as receivers than either Fells or Akins has to this point. As a rookie in 2018, Thomas earned a 72.5 receiving grade on limited opportunities (23 targets), and he has some speed for a bigger guy. Realistically, he has the best chance to push Fells and Akins for playing time.
Warring profiles even better than Thomas does athletically, but there are just a lot of unknowns with the San Diego State product after he missed his entire rookie season on injured reserve. Per The Athletic’s Aaron Reiss, head coach Bill O’Brien has indicated that Warring still faces a steep learning curve. The oft-used “potential” tag applies to Warring, but it comes down to whether he can show enough on the field in the coming weeks to warrant regular-season opportunities.
Tennessee Titans
Offense
QB: Ryan Tannehill
RB: Derrick Henry
WR: A.J. Brown
WR: Corey Davis
Slot: Adam Humphries
TE: Jonnu Smith
LT: Taylor Lewan
LG: Rodger Saffold
C: Ben Jones
RG: Nate Davis
RT: Dennis Kelly
Defense
DI: Jeffery Simmons
DI: DaQuan Jones
DI: Larrell Murchison
EDGE: Harold Landry III
EDGE: Vic Beasley Jr.
LB: Rashaan Evans
LB: Jayon Brown
CB: Adoree’ Jackson
CB: Malcolm Butler
CB: Kristian Fulton
S: Kevin Byard
S: Kenny Vaccaro
Starting spot up in the air: DI Larrell Murchison
Long-time defensive stalwart Jurrell Casey is out in Tennessee, making second-year player Jeffery Simmons the centerpiece of the Titans’ defensive line. Casey’s departure also opens up opportunities for several younger players to start alongside Simmons and DaQuan Jones in Tennessee’s base defense.
There aren’t any sure things with filling that spot. Jack Crawford comes over to Tennessee after eight years combined with the Raiders, Cowboys and Falcons, but he’s coming off just a 49.6 PFF grade on 431 snaps with Atlanta in 2019. He was recently activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Beyond him, though, players such as Isaiah Mack (undrafted in 2019) and Murchison (fifth-round draft pick in 2020 NFL Draft) will push for playing time.
In my opinion, Murchison will ultimately take on that role. As PFF’s Mike Renner put it in the 2020 NFL Draft Guide, “There’s not much flash to Murchison’s game, but there’s not much bad, either. He was one of the most reliable run defenders in the country and can hold his own anywhere on the line of scrimmage. Listed at under 300 pounds, that’s pretty impressive.” Without much in the way of competition, he should get the opportunity to show what he can do early.
Indianapolis Colts
Offense
QB: Philip Rivers
RB: Jonathan Taylor
WR: T.Y. Hilton
WR: Michael Pittman Jr.
Slot: Parris Campbell
TE: Jack Doyle
LT: Anthony Castonzo
LG: Quenton Nelson
C: Ryan Kelly
RG: Mark Glowinski
RT: Braden Smith
Defense
DI: DeForest Buckner
DI: Grover Stewart
EDGE: Justin Houston
EDGE: Denico Autry
LB: Darius Leonard
LB: Anthony Walker
LB: Bobby Okereke
CB: Rock Ya-Sin
CB: Xavier Rhodes
CB: Kenny Moore
S: Khari Willis
S: Malik Hooker
Starting spot up in the air: EDGE Denico Autry
It’s going to be tough for opposing teams to beat Indianapolis in the trenches whether it be along the offensive line or defensive line, especially after the addition of DeForest Buckner this offseason. The one weak spot along the defensive line comes at the edge defender position opposite Justin Houston.
Returning players like Kemoko Turay and Al-Quadin Muhammad figure to be firmly in the competition for that job. The Colts used Turay almost exclusively as a situational pass rusher before his injury this past season, and he was thriving in that role with a 91.0 pass-rushing grade in just a four-game sample. If I have to guess, I’d say he’ll end up in a similar role in 2020. Muhammad, meanwhile, has the most experience at defensive end in the Colts’ defense, but he hasn’t done anything over the past two seasons that has you really excited about his presence there, with PFF pass-rushing grades in the 50s each of the past two seasons.
Ultimately, I think Buckner’s arrival takes Autry from the 3-technique and kicks him outside to edge. The Athletic’s Stephen Holder wrote this about Autry: “Here’s what I see as the best-case scenario for Autry: He becomes a Jabaal Sheard-like presence at left defensive end, creating disruption and applying pressure from the strong side.” He played relatively well in 2019, with a PFF grade of 71.0 and 30 total pressures. He could end up being the Colts’ best option at that defensive end spot in base.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Offense
QB: Gardner Minshew
RB: Leonard Fournette
WR: DJ Chark
WR: Laviska Shenault Jr.
Slot: Dede Westbrook
TE: Tyler Eifert
LT: Cam Robinson
LG: Andrew Norwell
C: Brandon Linder
RG: A.J. Cann
RT: Jawaan Taylor
Defense
DI: Taven Bryan
DI: Davon Hamilton
EDGE: Josh Allen
EDGE: K’Lavon Chaisson
LB: Myles Jack
LB: Joe Schobert
CB: CJ Henderson
CB: Tre Herndon
CB: D.J. Hayden
CB: Josiah Scott
S: Jarrod Wilson
S: Ronnie Harrison
Starting spot up in the air: RG A.J. Cann
Cann is one of those guys who may be tough to beat out just because he’s been the starter at that right guard position for five years now in Jacksonville, but his recent play suggests that there should at least be some competition this offseason. After earning PFF grades of 69.0 or higher in his first two seasons in the NFL, Cann’s overall grade of 60.3 over the last three seasons ranks 31st among 40 qualifying right guards across the league. The Jaguars have room to upgrade if someone pushes him for the job.
You would think the Jaguars are hoping that the rookie out of St. John’s, Ben Bartch, can be that guy. He played tackle at St. John’s — and that may be where his future is — but his quickest path to meaningful playing time will be at guard. Bartch impressed against stiffer competition at the Senior Bowl, and by all accounts he’s doing so again to start the Jaguars' training camp across multiple positions. He has reportedly been holding his own against both Taven Bryan and Davon Hamilton (two of the Jaguars’ more talented interior defensive linemen). Cann’s job is far from secure if Bartch continues to impress.
NFC South
New Orleans Saints
Offense
QB: Drew Brees
RB: Alvin Kamara
WR: Michael Thomas
WR: Emmanuel Sanders
WR: Tre’Quan Smith
TE: Jared Cook
LT: Terron Armstead
LG: Andrus Peat
C: Erik McCoy
RG: Cesar Ruiz
RT: Ryan Ramczyk
Defense
DI: David Onyemata
DI: Malcom Brown
EDGE: Cameron Jordan
EDGE: Marcus Davenport
LB: Demario Davis
LB: Alex Anzalone
LB: Zack Baun
CB: Marshon Lattimore
CB: Janoris Jenkins
CB/S: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
S: Malcolm Jenkins
S: Marcus Williams
Starting spot up in the air: WR Tre’Quan Smith
Now returning for his third year with New Orleans, Smith has experience in this offense. His 647 routes run are second on the team at wide receiver since 2018, making him the favorite to retain a starting job in three wide-receiver sets along with Emmanuel Sanders complementing Michael Thomas. It’s far from a secure job given Smith’s lack of high-level impact in those two seasons, though. His 64.6 receiving grade ranks 68th out of the 92 receivers to run 500 or more routes over the last two years. There aren’t any clear options as of right now to push him on the depth chart, however.
A returner such as Austin Carr may see more time in the slot where he ran 67% of his limited routes during the 2019 season. They could also opt to give the electric return specialist Deonte Harris more time on offense at wide receiver after he ran just 37 routes this past season. Per The Athletic’s Curtis Holder, Saints’ offensive assistant Curtis Johnson recently said of Harris, “I love working with Deonte Harris. We’ve got to steal him from the special teams a little bit. We think he can be dynamic.” Beyond those options, you have young, unproven guys like Emmanuel Butler, Marquez Callaway, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Juwan Johnson along with a recently signed veteran such as Bennie Fowler. With Sanders in town, the Saints’ receiver depth is in a better place than it was last season, but they will still be hoping that either Smith elevates his game or one of the players below him makes it an easy decision to give them more snaps.
Atlanta Falcons
Offense
QB: Matt Ryan
RB: Todd Gurley
WR: Julio Jones
WR: Calvin Ridley
Slot: Russell Gage
TE: Hayden Hurst
LT: Jake Matthews
LG: James Carpenter
C: Alex Mack
RG: Chris Lindstrom
RT: Kaleb McGary
Defense
DI: Grady Jarrett
DI: Tyeler Davison
EDGE: Dante Fowler Jr.
EDGE: Takkarist McKinley
LB: Deion Jones
LB: Foyesade Oluokun
CB: A.J. Terrell
CB: Isaiah Oliver
CB: Darqueze Dennard
S: Keanu Neal
S: Damontae Kazee
S: Ricardo Allen
Starting spot up in the air: Starting cornerbacks
It remains to be seen how the Falcons’ secondary will look in 2020, but it’s a group that isn’t short on competition. At safety, I opted to list each of Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen and Damontae Kazee as starters because all three should see significant action in at least a rotational capacity. Cornerback brings even more uncertainty heading into Week 1. There are four players — A.J. Terrell, Isaiah Oliver, Kendall Sheffield and the recently signed Darqueze Dennard — battling for three starting jobs, and the Falcons appear to be high on all four.
Oliver and Sheffield both took their lumps this past season in Atlanta, each with PFF coverage grades below 55.0 on the year, but both are young guys who the Falcons want to be key parts of the secondary in the coming years. Terrell — the 16th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — was listed in the PFF Draft Guide as having “the length NFL teams covet and the fluidity to continue to play any scheme.” Atlanta needs him to step up outside early after losing longtime cornerback Desmond Trufant to the Detroit Lions in free agency this offseason. By most accounts, he has been impressing early on. That leaves Dennard — the most proven player of the quartet. His 78.5 PFF grade in the slot over the last three seasons ranks 14th out of 55 defenders with at least 500 snaps at the position.
I imagine the biggest competition will come down to Sheffield and Oliver outside given that Dennard is the best option in the slot and Terrell is a first-round pick who has shown a lot to like early in camp. Per ESPN’s Vaughn McClure, the starting rotation early has Terrell and Oliver outside with Dennard in the slot, but Atlanta still views Sheffield as a starter as he works back from a foot injury. It will be interesting to see who ends up seeing the majority of snaps come Week 1 and once the season progresses.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Offense
QB: Tom Brady
RB: Ronald Jones
WR: Chris Godwin
WR: Mike Evans
TE: Rob Gronkowski
TE: O.J. Howard
LT: Donovan Smith
LG: Ali Marpet
C: Ryan Jensen
RG: Alex Cappa
RT: Tristan Wirfs
Defense
DI: Ndamukong Suh
DI: Vita Vea
DI: William Gholston
EDGE: Shaquil Barrett
EDGE: Jason Pierre-Paul
LB: Devin White
LB: Lavonte David
CB: Carlton Davis
CB: Jamel Dean
CB: Sean Murphy-Bunting
S: Mike Edwards
S: Jordan Whitehead
Starting spot up in the air: S Mike Edwards
The Buccaneers’ defense was much improved over the tail end of last season, and continued progression from Tampa Bay’s young safeties will be key in making sure it’s a group that doesn’t regress in 2020. Right now, there is still work to be done by players such as Edwards, Jordan Whitehead and rookie Antoine Winfield Jr. to show that they deserve to be on the field in two-safety groupings. That means beating out each other and a steady veteran presence like Andrew Adams.
According to Scott Smith of the Buccaneers’ team website, this is what Bruce Arians had to say recently about the three young safeties:
“Jordan looks good — he's playing the pass better, he's a little bit stronger to a point. You know he's going to throw his face in the fan — no question about that — so the weight should help him there. I like Mike's progress. He's getting his hands on balls, breaking on balls, getting out to center field [and] covering a lot of ground, and he's doing a better job tackling when we're tackling.
[Winfield] is a player that could be dime, nickel, back end safety — his versatility allows him to be with any group of guys we want out there, whether it's three corners, three safeties, whatever package we want to put in, he could be in there.”
I do think there is a good chance that Winfield earns a larger role at some point in the season. His bottom line in the PFF Draft Guide stated that no safety in the class had better instincts. Those instincts could make a difference in a deep role in Tampa Bay, and his insertion into the starting lineup would most likely come at Edwards’ expense. Edwards earned a 58.2 PFF grade as a rookie in 2019 in primarily a free safety role. It’s likely that all three players see their fair share of the field in 2020.
Carolina Panthers
Offense
QB: Teddy Bridgewater
RB: Christian McCaffrey
WR: D.J. Moore
WR: Robby Anderson
WR: Curtis Samuel
TE: Ian Thomas
LT: Russell Okung
LG: Dennis Daley
C: Matt Paradis
RG: John Miller
RT: Taylor Moton
Defense
DI: Kawann Short
DI: Derrick Brown
EDGE: Brian Burns
EDGE: Stephen Weatherly
LB: Shaq Thompson
LB: Tahir Whitehead
LB/S: Jeremy Chinn
CB: Donte Jackson
CB: Eli Apple
CB: Troy Pride Jr.
S: Juston Burris
S: Tre Boston
Starting spot up in the air: CB Troy Pride Jr.
It’s hard to imagine that Donte Jackson and Eli Apple aren’t the team’s starting outside cornerbacks for Week 1 given their experience compared to the rest of the cornerback depth chart in Carolina. It’s assumed that Pride is the team’s third cornerback, likely fitting into the slot early in his NFL career.
It makes sense that the Panthers would want to incorporate Pride early on. He was the 61st-ranked player on the PFF Big Board because he has legitimate man coverage skills — something that certainly can’t be said for every cornerback coming out of the college ranks. Pride does still have some question marks, though. As PFF’s lead draft analyst Mike Renner put it, “Pride’s inability to play both the quarterback and the wide receiver is maddening to watch.” That lack of ball skills may open the door for a few other guys on the roster to make an impact.
Panthers’ fans may not want to hear it after a certain 2018 game against Seattle, but one of those players is Corn Elder. According to The Athletic’s Joseph Person, “Elder has had his struggles in coverage in the past, but he’s got a clean slate with the new coaching staff.” His name is one that has shown up several times over the last several days as a guy making plays in coverage. He has played just 63 defensive snaps in three NFL seasons to this point.
T.J. Green is another name to watch. After being selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Green has bounced around a bit from the Colts to the Saints and now to the Panthers, but he has an opportunity to turn his career around despite playing just 10 defensive snaps across the last two seasons. Green brings some versatility to the table and has even been getting some first-team reps outside, per Jeff Siner of the Charlotte Observer. Pride is the favorite in that third cornerback role, but he has some competition.
AFC West
Offense
QB: Patrick Mahomes
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WR: Tyreek Hill
WR: Sammy Watkins
WR: Mecole Hardman
TE: Travis Kelce
LT: Eric Fisher
LG: Kelechi Osemele
C: Austin Reiter
RG: Andrew Wylie
RT: Mitchell Schwartz
Defense
DI: Chris Jones
DI: Derrick Nnadi
EDGE: Frank Clark
EDGE: Alex Okafor
LB: Anthony Hitchens
LB: Damien Wilson
LB: Willie Gay Jr.
CB: Charvarius Ward
CB: Bashaud Breeland
CB: Rashad Fenton
S: Tyrann Mathieu
S: Juan Thornhill
Starting spot up in the air: CB Bashaud Breeland (four-game suspension)
Breeland’s starting job should be secure once he returns from his four-game suspension this upcoming season, but I wanted to include him here to talk about what the Chiefs are going to do to replace him outside in those four games that he’ll be sidelined because they’re not very deep at the cornerback position.
Charvarius Ward stands out as the lone remaining player with extensive starting experience and is locked into one of the starting jobs. Rashad Fenton is the next player on the depth chart, but even he is coming off just 244 defensive snaps as a rookie in 2019, most of which came in the slot. Beyond Ward and Fenton, you quickly get to options that have played just 200 snaps across four NFL seasons (Antonio Hamilton) or mid-to-late round rookies like L’Jarius Sneed and Thakarius Keyes.
One outcome that I think was going to happen regardless of Breeland’s suspension is that Tyrann Mathieu is going to get significant playing time in the slot. It’s a role he took on more as the season progressed in 2019, and it’s one in which he has thrived throughout his career. His 13 interceptions from the slot since 2013 leads the NFL, and his PFF coverage grade ranks fourth among 36 defenders to see at least 1,000 coverage snaps inside over those seven seasons. A continued large role in the slot for Mathieu means more playing time for Daniel Sorensen at safety. His PFF grade of 59.4 last season ranked 67th among 82 qualifying safeties. He figures to remain one of the Chiefs’ five top defensive backs with Breeland sidelined, joining Ward, Fenton, Mathieu and Juan Thornhill.
Denver Broncos
Offense
QB: Drew Lock
RB: Melvin Gordon
WR: Courtland Sutton
WR: Jerry Jeudy
Slot: KJ Hamler
TE: Noah Fant
LT: Garrett Bolles
LG: Dalton Risner
C: Lloyd Cushenberry
RG: Graham Glasgow
RT: Elijah Wilkinson
Defense
DI: Jurrell Casey
DI: Mike Purcell
DI: Shelby Harris
EDGE: Von Miller
EDGE: Bradley Chubb
LB: Alexander Johnson
LB: Todd Davis
CB: AJ Bouye
CB: Bryce Callahan
CB: De’Vante Bausby
S: Kareem Jackson
S: Justin Simmons
Starting spot up in the air: RT Elijah Wilkinson
The Broncos’ offensive line expected to get a boost from tackle Ja’Wuan James returning from an injury that sidelined for all but 63 snaps during the 2019 season. That boost won’t be coming, though, after James was one of the players who decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL season. The returning options on the Broncos’ roster to fill that hole are Wilkinson and Jake Rodgers, neither of which are overly exciting. Wilkinson started at right tackle for much of last season in relief of James, and he managed just a 59.6 overall grade on the year. He was one of just four tackles who was charged by PFF as responsible for 10 or more sacks during the regular season. Rodgers, meanwhile, graded pretty well in his final two games with the Broncos late last season — particularly as a run blocker — but those were the only two regular season NFL games that he’s seen offensive snaps in his five-year career.
The player who should push for the starting job at right tackle is Demar Dotson. He brings easily the most experience to the group, with five-plus years of starting experience in Tampa Bay, and while he’s not a dominant force by any means, he is a solid starter. Out of the 92 tackles to play at least 2,000 snaps since 2013, Dotson’s 79.0 PFF grade ranks 28th and his 81.2 pass-blocking grade ranks even better at 26th. He comes into Denver a step behind Wilkinson and Rodgers in experience with the team, but if the Broncos are looking to get their best offensive linemen on the field for Drew Lock next season, he’s the guy at right tackle.
Las Vegas Raiders
Offense
QB: Derek Carr
RB: Josh Jacobs
WR: Henry Ruggs III
WR: Tyrell Williams
Slot: Hunter Renfrow
TE: Darren Waller
LT: Kolton Miller
LG: Richie Incognito
C: Rodney Hudson
RG: Gabe Jackson
RT: Trent Brown
Defense
DI: Maurice Hurst
DI: Jonathan Hankins
EDGE: Maxx Crosby
EDGE: Clelin Ferrell
LB: Cory Littleton
LB: Nick Kwiatkoski
LB: Nicholas Morrow
CB: Trayvon Mullen
CB: Prince Amukamara
CB: Lamarcus Joyner
S: Johnathan Abram
S: Damarious Randall
Starting spot up in the air: CB Prince Amukamara
Prior to the start of training camp, I thought that Amukamara was going to be one of the Raiders’ starting cornerbacks outside come Week 1. He’s been a consistent starting option throughout his career, never dipping below a 66.3 overall grade during his eight years in the NFL, and he brings a veteran presence to what is otherwise a young secondary with recent high draft picks like Trayvon Mullen, Johnathan Abram and Damon Arnette.
It doesn’t appear as if Arnette is simply going to hand Amukamara that job opposite Mullen — a promising development for the Raiders after many thought they overdrafted Arnette midway through the first round. There is even a feeling starting to build now that it’s Arnette’s job to lose. The Athletic’s Tashan Reed said in a recent piece, “Damon Arnette is positioning himself to be a Day 1 starter. He’ll continue to compete with veteran Prince Amukamara throughout camp, but Arnette seems to have the edge right now.” Arnette earned 70.0-plus PFF coverage grades in each of the past three seasons with Ohio State.
Los Angeles Chargers
Offense
QB: Tyrod Taylor
RB: Austin Ekeler
WR: Keenan Allen
WR: Mike Williams
Slot: K.J. Hill
TE: Hunter Henry
LT: Sam Tevi
LG: Dan Feeney
C: Mike Pouncey
RG: Trai Turner
RT: Bryan Bulaga
Defense
DI: Linval Joseph
DI: Justin Jones
EDGE: Joey Bosa
EDGE: Melvin Ingram III
LB: Denzel Perryman
LB: Drue Tranquill
LB: Kenneth Murray
CB: Casey Hayward Jr.
CB: Michael Davis
CB: Chris Harris Jr.
S: Derwin James
S: Rayshawn Jenkins
Starting spot up in the air: WR K.J. Hill
The Chargers’ third receiver was an afterthought during the 2019 season. Andre Patton occupied the role for much of the season, but he averaged just 0.18 receiving yards per route run — easily the worst mark in the NFL. The Chargers didn’t invest much in improving on what Patton provided them there this offseason, though.
The Chargers did draft a pair of wide receivers late in the 2020 NFL Draft — Joe Reed and Hill. Heading into training camp, I thought there was a good chance that Hill would be the favorite to man the slot heading into the season when Keenan Allen wasn’t lined up inside. His route-running ability allowed him to consistently separate in the short and intermediate range from the slot at Ohio State. He brings an NFL-ready skill set despite his slide to the seventh round. Additionally, he has reportedly looked good early in training camp. Gilbert Manzano of the Orange Country Register recently wrote, “Rookie wide receiver K.J. Hill had the best Week 1 of training camp among wide receivers not named Allen or Williams.”
That fits with the idea that Hill is their third-best receiver, but he isn’t at the top of that battle right now. The Chargers are looking for speed to complement Allen and Williams — something Hill doesn’t really have. Jalen Guyton, on the other hand, does bring that speed and appears to be the leader in the clubhouse for that reason, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Hill’s skill set eventually earn him that starting job, though.
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
Offense
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo
RB: Raheem Mostert
FB: Kyle Juszczyk
WR: Deebo Samuel
WR: Brandon Aiyuk
TE: George Kittle
LT: Trent Williams
LG: Laken Tomlinson
C: Ben Garland
RG: Daniel Brunskill
RT: Mike McGlinchey
Defense
DI: Javon Kinlaw
DI/EDGE: Arik Armstead
EDGE: Dee Ford
EDGE: Nick Bosa
LB: Fred Warner
LB: Kwon Alexander
LB: Dre Greenlaw
CB: Richard Sherman
CB: Emmanuel Moseley
CB: K’Waun Williams
S: Jaquiski Tartt
S: Jimmie Ward
Starting spot up in the air: CB Emmanuel Moseley
There is currently a three-way battle for the starting cornerback job across from Richard Sherman in San Francisco’s defense. Moseley is the presumed favorite to win the job after taking it from Ahkello Witherspoon late last season. Moseley played well in his opportunity, too, earning a 70.4 PFF grade across just over 700 defensive snaps. Witherspoon really struggled down the stretch this past season — picking up coverage grades below 50.0 in each of his final four games — but has made some plays thus far in camp and is still a factor in the battle for that spot.
The guy who could really shake things up, though, is Jason Verrett. Via a recent piece by The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, Sherman spoke to how good Verrett looked in camp this year: “He’s way further along this year. His feet look incredible … He’s so sound, and he’s so hard on himself and tough on himself.”
We’ve seen this story play out before only for Verrett to get hurt yet again. Because of that, it’s hard to be anything other than skeptical that he’ll be a real difference-maker in 2020. If he truly does look like the player that turned in a 90.9 coverage grade back in 2015, and if he’s able to stay healthy, there’s a good chance it’s his job to lose.
Seattle Seahawks
Offense
QB: Russell Wilson
RB: Chris Carson
WR: Tyler Lockett
WR: DK Metcalf
TE: Will Dissly
TE: Greg Olsen
LT: Duane Brown
LG: Mike Iupati
C: B.J. Finney
RG: Damien Lewis
RT: Brandon Shell
Defense
DI: Poona Ford
DI: Jarran Reed
EDGE: Benson Mayowa
EDGE: Rasheem Green
LB: Bobby Wagner
LB: KJ Wright
LB: Jordyn Brooks
CB: Shaquill Griffin
CB: Quinton Dunbar
S: Marquise Blair
S: Jamal Adams
S: Quandre Diggs
Starting spot up in the air: C B.J. Finney
The center position appears to be fielding one of the more open competitions on the Seahawks’ roster. Ethan Pocic has been on the Seahawks’ roster for three seasons now after they selected him in the second round out of LSU, but he’s seen his playing time take a hit in each of the past two seasons, largely due to injury. In all, he’s played just over 1,000 career snaps on offense and has a PFF grade of 45.7 to show for it. Nearly all of those snaps have come at guard, but now, the Seahawks want to see him at center, and he appears to be firmly in the mix for that job.
Via John Boyle of Seahawks.com, Pete Carroll said of the competition, “It's just a battle. They're competing like crazy … The competition will just keep going. We've had enough opportunities so far to see that B.J. can handle it, and Ethan Pocic can handle it, so it's a good healthy competition … It's a good comp, and we'll call it before too long. No deadline is set yet.”
Finney served as a swing interior offensive lineman for the Steelers over the last several seasons, drawing spot starts at each of the guard spots and center. He hasn’t dominated in the run game, but he has been very impressive over the course of his career in pass protection. Since 2016, he has recorded a PFF pass-blocking grade of 87.7. That kind of reliability as a pass-blocker is why he gets the edge over Pocic as the projected starter, but Seattle could certainly opt to stick with the player they already know as they head into Week 1.
Los Angeles Rams
Offense
QB: Jared Goff
RB: Cam Akers
WR: Robert Woods
WR: Cooper Kupp
WR: Van Jefferson
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Joseph Noteboom
C: Austin Blythe
RG: Austin Corbett
RT: Rob Havenstein
Defense
DI: Aaron Donald
DI: A’Shawn Robinson
DI: Michael Brockers
EDGE: Leonard Floyd
EDGE: Samson Ebukam
LB: Micah Kiser
LB: Travin Howard
CB: Jalen Ramsey
CB: Troy Hill
CB: Darious Williams
S: Taylor Rapp
S: John Johnson
Starting spot up in the air: LG Joseph Noteboom
Noteboom started the 2019 season as the Rams’ starting left guard, sliding into the spot Rodger Saffold had manned for years on the Rams’ offensive line. It’s safe to say things didn’t get off to a great start in his first season at the position. Noteboom earned just a 37.0 PFF grade in the first five games of the season — 33rd out of 34 qualifying left guards — before tearing both his ACL and MCL in Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks. It appears as if he is the favorite to reclaim that left guard job heading into the 2020 season, though.
Per The Athletic’s Jordan Rodrigue, that is where he lined up when the Rams took the field for their first scrimmage at SoFi stadium, and he’s been getting first-team reps there for several practices now. Noteboom also recently said in an interview that he feels “more comfortable” at guard this season than he did last year after moving from tackle.
It’s going to be tough to keep him in the starting rotation if he comes out playing as he did early in 2019, and David Edwards is waiting in the wings if Noteboom gets an early hook. Given the landscape of the rest of the Rams’ offensive line last season, the play of the fifth-round rookie out of Wisconsin was a bright spot. His 64.1 overall grade at right guard after taking over the starting job in Week 10 ranked 12th among 38 qualifiers at the position. If Noteboom — or Austin Corbett, for that matter — don’t pan out early, it probably won’t be long until Edwards gets put back into the starting lineup.
Arizona Cardinals
Offense
QB: Kyler Murray
RB: Kenyan Drake
WR: Deandre Hopkins
WR: Christian Kirk
Slot: Larry Fitzgerald
TE: Maxx Williams
LT: D.J. Humphries
LG: Justin Pugh
C: Mason Cole
RG: J.R. Sweezy
RT: Justin Murray
Defense
DI: Corey Peters
DI: Jordan Phillips
EDGE: Chandler Jones
EDGE: Devon Kennard
LB: Jordan Hicks
LB: Isaiah Simmons
LB: De’Vondre Campbell
CB: Patrick Peterson
CB: Byron Murphy
CB: Dre Kirkpatrick
S: Budda Baker
S: Jalen Thompson
Starting spot up in the air: RT Justin Murray
Many expected Marcus Gilbert to return from injury and take over the starting right tackle job in Arizona, but Gilbert's decision to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season opened the door for competition.
Justin Murray manned the position in Gilbert’s stead this past season, something that probably gives him a leg up on the competition heading into the upcoming campaign. It is still a competition, however, because Murray didn’t close the door with his play last year. His 62.9 PFF grade across 841 snaps at right tackle ranked 25th among 39 qualifiers at the position. It was the first time Murray had gotten the chance to start in his four-year NFL career. Still, his return as a starter would bring back four of last year’s five starters — the fifth being Mason Cole stepping back into the starting center job that he manned as a rookie in 2018. Continuity matters along the offensive line.
The Cardinals do have two players pushing Murray for that spot, though. Veteran tackle Kelvin Beachum was signed after three seasons as the New York Jets’ starting left tackle, but he’s been practicing at right tackle for Arizona. Training partner and new teammate D.J. Humphries said of Beachum’s transition to right tackle, “It’s definitely a challenge. It’s like writing with your left hand. If anybody can make that transition, it’s Beachum. He’s a pro’s pro. He’s one of those guys; he does everything right.” The last time Beachum saw significant playing time at right tackle was as a rookie with the Steelers in 2012 — another factor that may push him behind Murray despite a stronger track record.
The last option is the rookie Josh Jones, who we viewed as one of the steals of the draft here at PFF. Jones comes into the NFL with four years of starting experience at Houston and three straight seasons with pass-blocking grades of 80.0 or higher. He is also making the move from left tackle to right tackle, lengthening what is already one of the steepest learning curves of any position in the NFL. For now, he probably comes in behind Murray and Beachum in the competition for the starting job, but the Cardinals are hoping he becomes the future bookend opposite D.J. Humphries.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Offense
QB: Lamar Jackson
RB: Mark Ingram
WR: Marquise Brown
WR: Miles Boykin
TE: Mark Andrews
TE: Nick Boyle
LT: Ronnie Stanley
LG: Bradley Bozeman
C: Matt Skura
RG: D.J. Fluker
RT: Orlando Brown
Defense
DI: Derek Wolfe
DI: Brandon Williams
DI: Calais Campbell
EDGE: Matthew Judon
EDGE: Jaylon Ferguson
LB: Patrick Queen
LB: L.J. Fort
CB: Marcus Peters
CB: Marlon Humphrey
CB: Tavon Young
S: Chuck Clark
S: Deshon Elliott
Starting spot up in the air: S DeShon Elliott
The Ravens’ decision to release Earl Thomas is clearly something that leadership in the organization wanted in order to maintain the dynamics of what is widely considered one of the better-run organizations in the NFL, but from an on-field perspective, the options remaining to replace Thomas at free safety are few and far between.
In-house options will come down to young, inexperienced players such as Geno Stone or Elliott. Elliott is heading into his third NFL season out of Texas, but injuries have limited him to just 40 defensive snaps across his first two seasons. As things stand right now, though, Elliott has a real opportunity to be the team’s starting free safety in 2020. Beyond Elliott, Stone also has an opportunity to see some free safety snaps as a seventh-round rookie out of Iowa. Stone was a favorite of PFF’s lead draft analyst Mike Renner, and as my colleague Eric Eager wrote, he had some of the best college-to-pro projections of any safety in the 2020 NFL Draft. Theoretically, the playmaking ability that he showcased in college is a terrific fit at free safety in Baltimore’s defense if he can get up to speed by Week 1.
There’s also a very good chance that the Ravens could target a potential starter in free agency given the inexperience currently at the position. Brandon Carr is someone they could look to bring back after he made the switch to safety over the second half of last season with Baltimore.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Offense
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
RB: James Conner
WR: Diontae Johnson
WR: James Washington
Slot: JuJu Smith-Schuster
TE: Eric Ebron
LT: Alejandro Villanueva
LG: Matt Feiler
C: Maurkice Pouncey
RG: David DeCastro
RT: Zach Banner
Defense
DI: Cam Heyward
DI: Tyson Alualu
DI: Stephon Tuitt
EDGE: T.J. Watt
EDGE: Bud Dupree
LB: Devin Bush
LB: Vince Williams
CB: Joe Haden
CB: Steven Nelson
CB: Mike Hilton
S: Terrell Edmunds
S: Minkah Fitzpatrick
Starting spot up in the air: RT Zach Banner
After signing Stefen Wisniewski — who manned the left guard position well for the Kansas City Chiefs as they made their Super Bowl run last season — the natural assumption would be that Wisniewski would fill the void left by Ramon Foster, and Matt Feiler would remain the team’s starting right tackle. He was an under-the-radar, strong contributor there in what was a down season for the Steelers’ offense.
Feiler appears to be in line to take over that left guard job, however. Offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett spoke to the reasoning for that move recently. Via Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley, Sarrett said of the situation, “We were in a pandemic in the spring. We lost our whole spring,” said Sarrett. “The evaluation period gets cut in half. I had seen Anchor [Feiler] go in there and play guard last year. I have seen Chuks play tackle. I have seen Banner play tackle. We had to evaluate fast. We are going to start there and make our evaluation from there.”
He’s referencing Feiler’s start at left guard against the Los Angeles Rams — a game in which he posted easily his lowest single-game grade of the season (46.9) and understandably so with the position change and a matchup with Aaron Donald.
His move opens a right-tackle competition between Chukwuma Okorafor and Banner. By all accounts, there is no clear front runner in the competition. Both players are limited on the experience front. Banner played 216 snaps in 2019 and graded well (78.3 overall grade), but it’s not a grade that translates given that nearly all of his snaps came as a sixth offensive lineman and run-blocker. Okorafor was a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Western Michigan, and he did start that Rams’ game last season at right tackle, allowing four pressures in 41 pass-blocking snaps.
I ultimately gave Banner the nod, as reports indicate that he’s having a strong camp, but it is truly an open competition that still has a long way to go. My feeling is that the Steelers may be more comfortable with Okorafor’s ability to play left tackle, as well, which could lead to keeping him as a swing tackle with Banner as the starting right tackle.
Cleveland Browns
Offense
QB: Baker Mayfield
RB: Nick Chubb
WR: Odell Beckham Jr.
WR: Jarvis Landry
TE: Austin Hooper
TE: David Njoku
LT: Jedrick Wills
LG: Joel Bitonio
C: JC Tretter
RG: Wyatt Teller
RT: Jack Conklin
Defense
DI: Sheldon Richardson
DI: Larry Ogunjobi
EDGE: Myles Garrett
EDGE: Olivier Vernon
LB: B.J. Goodson
LB: Sione Takitaki
LB: Jacob Phillips
CB: Denzel Ward
CB: Greedy Williams
CB: Kevin Johnson
S: Karl Joseph
S: Grant Delpit
Starting spot up in the air: LB Jacob Phillips
A Cleveland linebacking corps that was already thin was dealt a blow when Mack Wilson went down with a hyperextended knee. Cleveland is optimistic that he can avoid surgery and return to the field this season, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to be playing early on.
B.J. Goodson and Sione Takitaki should be the top two linebackers on the depth chart. Goodson isn’t going to bring much to the table in the way of coverage — he's notched three consecutive coverage grades below 60.0 — but he has played 300-plus snaps in each of the past three seasons with Green Bay and New York. Takitaki, meanwhile, saw just over 100 defensive snaps in his rookie season with Cleveland last year and earned an overall grade of 64.4 in his time on the field. Per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, those are the two linebackers handling first-team duties in nickel packages, with Phillips and Tae Davis splitting reps as the third linebacker in base packages.
Phillips — the third-round selection out of LSU in the 2020 NFL Draft — has some tools to work with, but he still has a decent way to go at this stage. His bottom line in the PFF Draft Guide read, “Phillips has the ideal build and burst for the linebacker position in the NFL, but he’s far from a difference-maker in coverage. You have to like the room he has for development though late in the draft.”
That could mean Davis or even the recently signed Malcolm Smith ends up getting the nod until Wilson returns from injury. Davis didn’t see any time on defense last season with Cleveland after his release from the Giants, but he did play 344 snaps as a rookie in 2018 and picked up a PFF grade of 40.6. There aren’t many strong options for the Browns to turn to at this point. They just have to hope one of their young guys really steps forward.
Cincinnati Bengals
Offense
QB: Joe Burrow
RB: Joe Mixon
WR: A.J. Green
WR: John Ross
Slot: Tyler Boyd
TE: C.J. Uzomah
LT: Jonah Williams
LG: Michael Jordan
C: Trey Hopkins
RG: Xavier Su’a-Filo
RT: Bobby Hart
Defense
DI: Geno Atkins
DI: DJ Reader
EDGE: Carlos Dunlap
EDGE: Sam Hubbard
LB: Josh Bynes
LB: Logan Wilson
LB: Germaine Pratt
CB: William Jackson III
CB: Darius Phillips
CB: Mackensie Alexander
S: Jessie Bates III
S: Vonn Bell
Starting spot up in the air: CB Darius Phillips
This wasn’t supposed to be a competition at all. The Bengals gave Trae Waynes a three-year, $42 million contract so that it wouldn’t be a competition, but surgery on a torn pec is expected to sideline Waynes for a sizable portion of the 2020 season.
Phillips is the clear favorite to join William Jackson III as the team’s second outside cornerback after a 2019 season where he didn’t see many defensive snaps but showed a knack for the big play. Phillips was targeted just 15 times on the season but intercepted four passes and broke up another three. He did get beat several times in a Week 17 contest against the Cleveland Browns, but in all, Phillips showed enough to get excited about heading into 2020, and now he should have an opportunity to show what he can do in a larger role.
Phillips does have some competition for the job, however. Via Sports Illustrated’s James Rapien, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said of the depth in the Bengals’ cornerback room: “Don’t sleep on Leshaun Sims. Don’t sleep on Winston Rose. Those guys are guys that have been successful. Winston up in Canada, having all those interceptions the last couple of years. Leshaun Sims has played meaningful football in big games. They’re all big guys. They all have length to them. It’s exciting.”
Sims has played 200-plus snaps in each of the past four seasons with Tennessee, but he’s coming off a career-low 46.3 coverage grade this past season. Rose is coming from the CFL ranks. Both have been getting some opportunity with the first-team defense and could push the favorite, Phillips, for the job.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers
Offense
QB: Aaron Rodgers
RB: Aaron Jones
WR: Davante Adams
WR: Allen Lazard
WR: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
TE: Jace Sternberger
LT: David Bakhtiari
LG: Elgton Jenkins
C: Corey Linsley
RG: Billy Turner
RT: Rick Wagner
Defense
DI: Dean Lowry
DI: Kenny Clark
EDGE: Rashan Gary
EDGE: Za’Darius Smith
EDGE: Preston Smith
LB: Christian Kirksey
LB: Oren Burks
CB: Jaire Alexander
CB: Kevin King
CB: Chandon Sullivan
S: Darnell Savage Jr.
S: Adrian Amos
Starting spot up in the air: TE Jace Sternberger
Much of the talk with Green Bay this offseason was that they didn’t really address what many thought to be the team’s biggest need heading into this offseason — additional threats in the passing game to pair with Davante Adams. A healthy Jace Sternberger in his second season is, in some ways, one of the biggest “additions” to this offense after the 2019 third-round pick missed much of his rookie season with injury and was a non-factor in the passing game upon his return. Sternberger did not catch a pass until the postseason despite drawing his first snaps in Week 10. Still, it was assumed that he would become the team’s primary tight end upon the departure of Jimmy Graham.
It’s been Sternberger’s teammate, Robert Tonyan, who has generated much of the buzz, however. With just 14 receptions in two seasons with the Packers, Tonyan is far from a proven option for Rodgers to work with, but he’s reportedly — wait for it — in the best shape of his life and having an impressive start to training camp. His friendship and offseason training sessions with George Kittle have also fueled the hype. It’s not unsubstantiated hype, though.
Per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, when asked about whether Tonyan was in the conversation for TE1 on Green Bay, Lafleur responded “absolutely” without hesitation. When all is said and done, he may end up being the guy who sees the most snaps at the position.
Minnesota Vikings
Offense
QB: Kirk Cousins
RB: Dalvin Cook
WR: Adam Thielen
WR: Olabisi Johnson
TE: Kyle Rudolph
TE: Irv Smith Jr.
LT: Riley Reiff
LG: Dakota Dozier
C: Garrett Bradbury
RG: Pat Elflein
RT: Brian O’Neill
Defense
DI: Shamar Stephens
DI: Armon Watts
EDGE: Danielle Hunter
EDGE: Ifeadi Odenigbo
LB: Eric Kendricks
LB: Anthony Barr
LB: Eric Wilson
CB: Holton Hill
CB: Cameron Dantzler
CB: Mike Hughes
S: Harrison Smith
S: Anthony Harris
Starting spot up in the air: WR Olabisi Johnson
A player like Stefon Diggs is never easy to replace. The Vikings made an effort to mitigate his loss by selecting LSU’s Justin Jefferson in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but early reports out of Vikings training camp indicate that Jefferson may not be the second wide receiver on the depth chart to start the season.
The Athletic’s Chad Graff recently wrote of the battle for WR2, “The expectation was (and still may be) that Jefferson is the Vikings’ No. 2 receiver when the Green Bay Packers visit for the season-opener. And while that may happen, it’s notable that Jefferson is the clear No. 3 option right now behind Thielen and Bisi Johnson.” That can’t be what the Vikings were hoping for early on.
Jefferson may very well still show he is the man for that WR2 role when the Vikings go with 12 or 21 personnel (which should be often compared to most NFL teams). He flashed strong hands and after-the-catch ability with the Tigers this past season, and from a production standpoint, it’s hard to get better than Jefferson’s 2019 season. Johnson, meanwhile, played better than expected as a seventh-round rookie for the Vikings in 2019, but his 62.0 receiving grade still ranked just 90th among 122 qualifying wide receivers this past season. Jefferson should be able to move past him on the depth chart. He just hasn’t yet.
Chicago Bears
Offense
QB: Nick Foles
RB: David Montgomery
WR: Allen Robinson
WR: Anthony Miller
WR: Darnell Mooney
TE: Jimmy Graham
LT: Charles Leno Jr.
LG: James Daniels
C: Cody Whitehair
RG: Germain Ifedi
RT: Bobby Massie
Defense
DI: Akiem Hicks
DI: Bilal Nichols
DI: Roy Robertson-Harris
EDGE: Khalil Mack
EDGE: Robert Quinn
LB: Roquan Smith
LB: Danny Trevathan
CB: Kyle Fuller
CB: Jaylon Johnson
CB: Buster Skrine
S: Tashaun Gipson
S: Eddie Jackson
Starting spot up in the air: WR Darnell Mooney
PFF’s lead draft analyst Mike Renner listed Mooney as an ideal later-round option for teams that were looking for explosiveness out of the slot. Anthony Miller may already have the slot job locked down for Chicago, but it appears that the Bears want to get Mooney’s speed on the field early. The Athletic’s Adam Jahns recently listed his top five players from Bears camp, and Mooney was one of the five players to make the cut.
Jahns wrote, “The Bears are definitely in the process of sketching out a role for Mooney this season. He’s playing with the starters and against the Bears’ best defenders. His speed and quick-twitch elusiveness definitely stand out. He’s also different than the rest of the Bears’ offensive threats. He’s Taylor Gabriel, but with better moves after he has the ball.”
Any time you see a rookie getting first-team reps early in an offseason like this, it’s noteworthy. Coaches usually tend to slot them behind veterans by default. Mooney produced plenty of big plays at Tulane, averaging over 15 yards per reception in each of the last three seasons. That big-play threat may get him on the field sooner than many think.
The Bears also signed veteran Ted Ginn Jr. this offseason, and he is coming off the worst PFF receiving grade in nearly a decade (56.7). Even at 35 years old, defenses still have to respect Ginn’s speed, though. He will factor into the WR3 competition, as will 2019 fourth-round pick Riley Ridley and 2018 seventh-round pick Javon Wims.
Detroit Lions
Offense
QB: Matthew Stafford
RB: Kerryon Johnson
WR: Kenny Golladay
WR: Marvin Jones Jr.
Slot: Danny Amendola
TE: T.J. Hockenson
LT: Taylor Decker
LG: Joe Dahl
C: Frank Ragnow
RG: Jonah Jackson
RT: Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Defense
DI: Danny Shelton
DI: Da’Shawn Hand
DI: Nick Williams
EDGE: Trey Flowers
EDGE: Julian Okwara
LB: Jamie Collins Sr.
LB: Jarrad Davis
CB: Desmond Trufant
CB: Jeffrey Okudah
CB: Justin Coleman
S: Tracy Walker
S: Duron Harman
Starting spot up in the air: WR Danny Amendola
It’s hard to read up on the start to training camp for the Detroit Lions and not come across the name Quintez Cephus. The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner recently wrote this about Cephus’ early success: “He looked like a receiver who belonged in the NFL when the week started and has yet to fade away. Seven days into camp, the former Wisconsin receiver continues to score wins in just about every drill, rep or workout format. Against starters or backups. With the first team or the second team.”
Cephus was identified in the PFF Draft Guide as a player who “could step on an NFL field tomorrow and not look out of place” thanks to his ability to handle press coverage, strong hands and the ability to play through contact. It’s what allowed him to put up consecutive overall grades of 82.0 or higher in 2018 and 2019 without elite athleticism.
Given that he’s likely limited to a slot role early, Cephus will be pushing Amendola for that role in Detroit’s offense. Even at nearly 35 years old, Amendola is still an effective weapon out of the slot. This past season, he earned a 71.5 PFF grade (47th out of 122 qualifying wide receivers) on the year. If Cephus does end up getting the majority of the work inside, it will have most likely been a case of him impressing rather than Amendola’s performance not being up to par.
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