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53-Man Roster Predictions For Every Team: NFC 
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53-Man Roster Predictions For Every Team: NFC 

Originally posted on NFLTradeRumors.co  |  By Logan Ulrich  |  Last updated Jul 31, 2026 8:05 AM ET
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Over the next four-and-a-half weeks, all 32 teams will be analyzing their 91-man rosters in preparation for roster cutdowns on Sunday, August 30th. At that point, every team needs to pare down to a final 53-man roster it will take into the season. 

This felt like a good time to take an initial look at that process, because it’s going to drive a ton of decision-making over the next month, including signings and potential trades. We’ll do this a little differently than some 53-man roster predictions you might see from the reporters covering your favorite team. You don’t need us to tell you that Matthew Stafford will make the team for the Rams. But figuring out how many tight ends they keep is a much more open-ended question. 

This is the second half of this series, with the 16 AFC teams posted on Wednesday.  

Washington Commanders

Roster spots up for grabs: 10

Biggest potential surprise cut?

A third-round pick in GM Adam Peters’ first draft class, McCaffrey hasn’t established himself through two seasons. He has 29 catches and 371 yards combined, although he did score three touchdowns last year. He’s part of a crowded group vying for roles behind No. 1 WR Terry McLaurin, and it’s quite possible Washington adds even more to this room before the start of the season. That could push out McCaffrey. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Running back

Like receiver, this is another crowded position with roles and jobs up for grabs. Rachaad White, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and sixth-rounder Kaytron Allen are locks (or virtual locks barring some sort of major surprise) and will be competing for snaps and touches once the season starts. McNichols and Ford are veterans who will be looking to hang around for their contributions on special teams and as insurance in case one of the backs ahead of them falters. Don’t count out undrafted rookie RB Robert Henry from at least a practice squad berth, either. 

Dallas Cowboys

Roster spots up for grabs: 9

Biggest potential surprise cut?

This would be a shock given the Cowboys just drafted Blue last year and have expressed high hopes for the role he can play for the offense. However, his rookie year was a wash because of maturity and preparation issues, something Blue has copped to himself this offseason. He and the staff are saying all the right things so far, but if he doesn’t clean that up, there are players both on the depth chart and available in free agency who could take his job. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Quarterback

There are a few battles for the last roster spot at a few different positions, but the highest-profile one for the Cowboys is probably backup quarterback. They added Howell this offseason to duke it out with Milton, and it’s quite possible the loser goes on waivers with hopes of being brought back to the practice squad. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Roster spots up for grabs: 8

Biggest potential surprise cut?

Moore is a well-known name who has been talked up by the coaching staff this offseason, including HC Nick Sirianni. But he’s also on his third team in the past year, doesn’t really contribute on special teams and is less versatile than some of the Eagles’ other receivers. He’s not as secure as you might think. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Offensive line

The starting five is set but there’s a lot of competition for the depth, especially because the Eagles are so developmentally minded as an organization. Hinton and OT Cameron Williams were drafted late last year because Philadelphia thought they had starter traits. Lampkin is another stash who spent last year on injured reserve. He has a unique body type but could possibly stick at center. It becomes harder to redshirt them for a second year in a row, though, if they’re not projectable as at least serviceable backups in the short-term. Another wrinkle that will impact everyone is new OC Sean Mannion and the different blocking schemes the Eagles will rely on in his new system. 

New York Giants

Roster spots up for grabs: 9

Biggest potential surprise cut?

I struggled to find a really good surprise cut candidate for the Giants. In the end I settled on Harris even though he got $2.6 million guaranteed from New York this offseason. The team is throwing a bunch at the wall to see what sticks as they try to replace former DT Dexter Lawrence. They enter camp with a dozen defensive tackles on the 90-man roster. Harris turns 35 in early August, and it’s just possible he hits the wall at this point in his career. He could be beat out by the long list of other competitors the Giants have, or by someone not on the team right now, as it’s almost certain New York will churn this position until it finds solutions. 

Bubble players

First five out 

Position to watch: Wide receiver

This position is a major question mark for the Giants entering 2026. Top WR Malik Nabers is coming back from a major knee injury. While he avoided the PUP list to start camp, it’s still up in the air how long it will take for him to be his usual, productive self. Outside of Nabers, the rest of the receiving corps is a little bit of a ragtag collection. Third-rounder Malachi Fields and veteran Darius Slayton are locks, veteran free agents Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin probably are too. After that, it’s a hodgepodge of names including those listed above, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt and more. 

Beckham is obviously the biggest name here but he’s 33 and didn’t appear in a game last year. He’s not known as a blocker or for his special teams prowess, and those are going to be bigger factors for the fifth or sixth receiver on the roster than name recognition. Smith-Schuster is also on the wrong side of the hill, but he can block at least. Berrios is worth watching as a return specialist. 

Chicago Bears

Roster spots up for grabs: 8

Biggest potential surprise cut?

The former first-round pick by the Browns spent this past year out of football as he recovered from a pretty gnarly procedure to realign his legs correctly. He’s looking to revitalize his career and compete for an open starting left tackle spot in Chicago. However, any time a player comes back from an extended layoff like that, it’s a challenge. There were also makeup questions about Wills from his time in Cleveland. Those could just be chalked up to his injury issues, but it’s notable the Bears didn’t include any guarantees on his contract. 

Bubble players 

First five out

Position to watch: Defensive line

The biggest weakness on paper for this Bears squad heading into 2026 is the pass rush. Chicago didn’t substantially address the defensive line this offseason, either by choice or because it had to divert resources elsewhere to stave off attrition. There’s going to be a lot put on players already on the roster to take a step forward or for some of the unheralded additions to be diamonds in the rough. Any outside additions could be at the expense of players already on the roster. 

Detroit Lions

Roster spots up for grabs: 9

Biggest potential surprise cut?

A fan favorite thanks to HBO’s Hard Knocks, Rodriguez unfortunately has seen his career spin sideways due to injuries. He tore his ACL in 2024 and the road back from that disrupted much of his 2025 season. Rodriguez appeared in just seven games for the Lions last year. If he’s healthy, he could snag a starting spot and ball out in a contract year. If he’s not, though, the Lions have enough competition at linebacker to where they might not be able to wait around, even after signing him for $2.7 million guaranteed this offseason. 

Bubble players 

First five out

Position to watch: Safety

The Lions might get back half of their super safety duo of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph in Week 1, but it would be a surprise if they had both. Branch and Joseph are coming off serious injuries that prematurely ended their 2025 seasons and have lingered into 2026. Detroit went extra heavy on the safety depth in response, adding Chuck Clark and Christian Izien to a room that already included Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper. It’ll be interesting to see how the Lions handle this. Leaving both on the PUP list to start the season would give them more roster flexibility, but it would remove the possibility of either playing before Week 5. Leave them off the PUP list, though, and they could end up taking up roster spots that might be needed elsewhere, as the Lions would probably still need to carry extra safeties as insurance. 

Green Bay Packers

Roster spots up for grabs: 8

Biggest potential surprise cut?

Cut might be going too far but it’s not looking good for Musgrave to be a productive piece of this Packers team heading into the last year of his rookie contract. He had a big chance last year after Tucker Kraft went down and completely fumbled it. This spring, former journeyman TE Josh Whyle had been running ahead of Musgrave before he suffered a neck injury that still has him sidelined. Musgrave might open the season on injured reserve or the PUP list, and he might not come off it. 

Bubble players

First five out 

Position to watch: Defensive end

Micah Parsons will be out until the season is well underway as he recovers from his torn ACL. I’d expect the Packers to carry plenty of edge rushers in the meantime as they try to make it until then. Lukas Van Ness will have a lot on his plate as the top guy, and fourth-rounder Dani Dennis-Sutton is a lock based on his draft capital. From there, Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver are second-year players the team is high on, and Brenton Cox has flashed at times too. Keeping all of these players when Parsons gets back might be tough but the attrition of the season has a way of clearing that up. The more interesting question is whether Green Bay is content with this group or feels like it needs more firepower. 

Minnesota Vikings

Roster spots up for grabs: 9

Biggest potential surprise cut?

The Vikings really need more receivers to round out the rest of their room behind the big three of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings. Felton was a third-round pick last year and is the prime candidate to emerge as the No. 4 receiver, which Jalen Nailor proved could be an important and productive role for Minnesota. However, Felton had just three catches as a rookie. Obviously the team is expecting him to take a huge step forward, but if he doesn’t, they don’t really have the luxury of waiting given how much urgency there is to be competitive in 2026. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Edge rusher

Just about every position for the Vikings on defense is in some sort of flux, but the biggest questions are probably around the depth at edge rusher. Dallas Turner will step into the starting lineup to replace Jonathan Greenard, but behind him and Andrew Van Ginkel there’s not a clear No. 3 rusher. Minnesota is going to play Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins more on the edge instead of the interior, and they have a trio of former UDFAs in Richter, Chambliss and Tyler Batty competing for spots. The Vikings have also hinted that second-round LB Jake Golday will see snaps on the edge in a similar role to Van Ginkel. It’s also very possible the Vikings sign a veteran here to shake things up even further. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Roster spots up for grabs: 7

Biggest potential surprise cut?

The former second-round pick still has two years left on his rookie contract but so far through two seasons has just 2.5 sacks to show for Tampa Bay’s investment. The Bucs have a super crowded edge rusher room, too, adding Rueben Bain in the first round and Al-Quadin Muhammad in free agency to join Yaya Diaby and Anthony Nelson. With 2025 fourth-rounder David Walker coming off a de facto redshirt year after an injury, that makes Braswell the sixth edge rusher. He contributes a lot on special teams, which will help him in the final reckoning, but most teams don’t keep six edge rushers through cutdowns. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Safety

The Buccaneers just signed Melifonwu to the roster this week, giving them an experienced option behind starters Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith. They do have Miles Killebrew but he’s primarily a special teams player. Assuming fourth-rounder Keionte Scott is more of a corner/nickel than a safety, that leaves one spot for a few younger options, with Roberts a potential frontrunner. The team liked him a lot as an undrafted signing last year but he ended up effectively redshirting with an injury. 

Atlanta Falcons

Roster spots up for grabs: 10

Biggest potential surprise cut?

Woerner was signed to be a blocker and give the Falcons more versatility with their formations on offense. However, he’s been a liability more often than not in the run game. New Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski loves to lean heavily on tight ends, but if Woerner doesn’t perform well in camp, Atlanta can save $4.75 million by moving on before Week 1. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Wide receiver

I’m assuming there will be some kind of discipline before Week 1 for OLB James Pearce Jr., meaning he won’t count against the active roster and the Falcons can go heavy with five edge rushers. The other major need is at receiver where the depth chart in Atlanta is pretty wide open. Drake London is the star, Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus were signed to provide some veteran stability and third-rounder Zachariah Branch was drafted to hopefully add some explosiveness. That leaves one or two spots open for a big batch of former UDFAs to duke it out over, assuming the Falcons don’t add another veteran. My guess is the Falcons might be biased toward the rookies, especially because both have special teams experience. Anthony was a returner at Wisconsin and Jones is a former walk-on at Georgia who did a little bit of everything. 

Carolina Panthers

Roster spots up for grabs: 10

Biggest potential surprise cut?

Brown was a free agent signing the team was really excited about just last season, and he has half of his $5.5 million salary guaranteed. However, he was not as impactful as the team hoped in 2025, and he has yet to practice so far in camp. There’s a lot of turbulence in Carolina’s front seven due to injuries but that’s creating opportunities for younger players. If they look ready to go, the Panthers can save a few million in cash by cutting or trading Brown. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Wide receiver

The top two are pretty set but roles and jobs are fairly open beyond Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker. Carolina had high hopes for third-rounder Chris Brazzell II before a knee injury that proved to be season-ending. That slightly lessens the pressure on former first-rounder Xavier Legette but he’s still got to raise his level from his first two years (so far so good, per camp reports). Brazzell’s injury also makes it easier to keep both Metchie and Horn, who before might have been competing for just one spot as the smaller, more elusive changeup in one of the NFL’s biggest receiver rooms. Tremayne is valued for his size, blocking and special teams acumen. Moore shouldn’t be counted out either but because he’s a veteran, the Panthers can get him to the practice squad easier than some of the other players. 

New Orleans Saints

Roster spots up for grabs: 7

Biggest potential surprise cut?

Losing DT Bryan Bresee to a probable torn ACL is a big blow to the Saints’ defensive line. But I don’t think it automatically takes Godchaux off the hook, as he entered camp on shaky ground. He’s in the final year of his deal and was a trade acquisition last year to shore up the nose tackle position. Half of his salary is guaranteed, so the Saints would be on the hook for that if they couldn’t find a trade partner. However, if you flip the perspective, they could shed half his salary if they decide the other options on the roster are just as effective. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Edge rusher

The Saints have six players that have great profiles for a 53-man roster spot at edge rusher, but teams typically just keep four or five. That could leave Jennings and Rumph competing for just one spot. Rumph played about a third of the snaps and had a couple sacks last year. Jennings is coming over from New England as a dirty work player. 

San Francisco 49ers

Roster spots up for grabs: 4

Biggest potential surprise cut?

Despite spending a third-round pick on Guerendo just two years ago, there are some signs that the 49ers might already be disillusioned. They’ve spent mid-round picks in each of the subsequent drafts on runners, adding Jordan James last year and Kaelon Black this past April. They’re competing for the No. 2 job while Guerendo is sidelined with the latest in a long line of injuries. Guerendo is the fastest back on the roster and a potentially legitimate weapon as a kickoff returner. But if he can’t stay healthy, it’s hard to see a spot for him in San Francisco. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Cornerback

This spot is unusually deep for the 49ers, who were active at the position this offseason despite bringing back all three starters from last year (Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout). They signed Hobbs and Jack Jones while also adding Ephesians Prysock in the fourth round. San Francisco still has developmental players who have hung around for a few years in Darrell Luter and Jakob Robinson, plus former first-rounder Eli Apple. Hobbs might be on the shakiest ground of the new additions just because of his injury history but this is a deep room. The 49ers are perpetually dealing with injuries it seems, so maybe they just wanted to have the depth. There’s the possibility of making a trade from this position of strength. 

Arizona Cardinals

Roster spots up for grabs: 5

Biggest potential surprise cut?

The Cardinals went out this offseason and gave one of the biggest running back contracts of the spring to Tyler Allgeier, kept veteran James Conner on a pay cut that guaranteed his remaining salary, then finally used the No. 3 pick on Jeremiyah Love. None of this bodes well for Benson, a third-round pick in 2024 who missed most of last year with an injury. Although the front office that drafted him remains in place, there’s a new coaching staff and a new run scheme that emphasizes attributes Benson has struggled with in the past. Arizona will probably try to trade Benson if it can but the roster math makes his spot look tenuous. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Cornerback

The Cardinals have had a lot of draft capital the last few seasons as GM Monti Ossenfort has tried to rebuild the roster, and a ton of it has been spent on the secondary. There are seven corners on the roster right now who have been drafted since 2023. Four were with Day 2 capital. Ossenfort has to juggle keeping someone like Jones, a third-rounder who has played sparingly but was obviously viewed as a potential starting-level talent, versus Thomas, a less-heralded waiver claim whose on-field contributions have been meaningful so far. And that’s not the only example at this position. 

Los Angeles Rams

Roster spots up for grabs: 6

Biggest potential surprise cut?

  • QB Stetson Bennett

For now, Bennett looks like the frontrunner to be the primary backup for the Rams behind Matthew Stafford and ahead of first-rounder Ty Simpson given Bennett’s experience in the scheme. However, what if Simpson is a super quick study? Obviously there’s a talent differential given the Rams took Simpson No. 13 overall and Bennett No. 128. The former Georgia starter hasn’t even appeared in an NFL game yet, though he did bank a lot more college starts than Simpson did. I do think the chances of the Rams getting Bennett to the practice squad through waivers would be pretty strong. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Offensive line

For as much as the Rams look like a Super Bowl frontrunner on paper, they have a couple of sneaky weaknesses that could derail their season if they catch some bad breaks. That includes the depth at receiver and on the offensive line. The latter is much more likely to be needed — odds are high the Rams will be missing LT Alaric Jackson due to a suspension for another domestic incident. They did use a third-round pick on OT Keagen Trost and center Beaux Limmer has started games before, but a lot of the other reserve OL spots are up in the air. 

Seattle Seahawks

Roster spots up for grabs: 5

Biggest potential surprise cut?

There’s not much in the way of competition for Wilson in Seattle’s backfield, and he’s got the longest NFL resume of a group that includes first-rounder Jadarian Price and former UDFA George Holani. But Wilson isn’t just competing against the rest of the backs on the roster; he’s competing against any back potentially available. The Seahawks have been patient with how they’ve handled their running back room but they almost certainly will move to upgrade before or early in the season if things aren’t up to par. And it’s worth noting Wilson’s contract contains just $300,000 guaranteed — equivalent roughly to a practice squad salary. 

Bubble players

First five out

Position to watch: Secondary

The Seahawks are replacing two starters on the back end of their defense after S Coby Bryant and CB Riq Woolen left in free agency. They drafted four new defensive backs, including second-round S Bud Clark and third-round CB Julian Neal, but those players have to prove themselves against the incumbents. Their roster spots are safe but they won’t just be handed jobs. In another wrinkle, safety/nickel Nick Emmanwori is questionable for Week 1 with an ankle injury. It’s a point of pride for the Seahawks that they’re a developmental organization on defense, so the players currently on the wrong side of the bubble for whatever reason will have a chance to change their fate. 

The post 53-Man Roster Predictions For Every Team: NFC  appeared first on NFLTradeRumors.co.

This article first appeared on NFLTradeRumors.co and was syndicated with permission.

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