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Uncovering each NFL team's 'hidden flaw'
The NFL season will officially kick off on Sept. 4. This week, Yardbarker's NFL writers got together to uncover the "hidden flaw" each team is still looking to address before Week 1.
NFC East
DALLAS COWBOYS | Lack of QB depth | Head coach Brian Schottenheimer wanted to find out what the Cowboys had in backup QB Joe Milton III. Turns out, not much. The former New England Patriots backup has thrown for just 265 yards, a pair of interceptions and a single touchdown across two preseason games. If Dak Prescott were to go down, like he did for most of last season, the Cowboys won’t have a signal-caller who can keep them from spiraling.
NEW YORK GIANTS | Thin wide receiver room | Malik Nabers proved in his rookie year that he’s one of the best receivers in the league after recording 109 receptions for 1,204 yards. The rest of the wide receiver room, however, was not as inspiring. Darius Slayton, Jaylin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson had a combined 1,334 receiving yards. Nabers is the engine of this passing attack, and without him, the Giants’ offense isn’t a threat through the air.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Unequal cornerback pairing | There aren’t many flaws in the reigning Super Bowl champs’ roster, but the question of who plays corner opposite Quinyon Mitchell is still a concerning one. Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett and ex-Giant Adoree' Jackson have yet to claim the No. 2 CB role this summer. Jackson will likely get the nod as a nine-year veteran, but pairing the 57th-best cornerback, per Pro Football Focus, with the 33rd-best in Mitchell creates an unequal duo that offenses can exploit.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Subpar defensive line | Quarterback Jayden Daniels will continue to hide most flaws throughout Washington’s roster, but the lack of talent in the defensive trenches is glaring. The Commanders’ defensive line was ranked 31st in the NFL by PFF, part of a unit that gave up 2,337 rushing yards last season, and the only addition to the team’s front this offseason was journeyman Carl Davis. They lost their 2024 sack leader, Dante Fowler Jr. (10.5 sacks), in free agency to a team they’ll see twice this season — the Cowboys.
— Conor Killmurray
NFC West
ARIZONA CARDINALS | Receiving corps | The Cardinals need second-year WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to break out after recording 885 receiving yards in 17 games in 2024. Arizona’s WR room looks thin heading into 2025. The team has posted a below-average 61.5 receiving grade through two preseason games, via Pro Football Focus.
LOS ANGELES RAMS | Secondary | The Rams' secondary could be their biggest defensive hole. In 2024, L.A. ranked 20th in the league in passing yards allowed (223.1). Surprisingly, the Rams didn’t select a corner in the 2025 NFL Draft.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | WR depth | The 49ers acquired WR Skyy Moore in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday, but that doesn’t solve the WR issues. The 2022 second-rounder had one TD catch in three seasons with the Chiefs. WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee) isn’t expected to return until Week 6, and fellow WR Jauan Jennings is battling a calf issue.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | TE room | Rookie TE Elijah Arroyo has recorded just four receptions for 33 yards through two preseason games. Starting TE AJ Barner had just 245 receiving yards in 17 games during his rookie season in 2024.
— Clark Dalton
NFC North
CHICAGO BEARS | Newness on both sides of the ball | There’s a ton of hype surrounding first-year head coach Ben Johnson in Chicago, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bears start slow with a new HC, offensive coordinator (Declan Doyle) and defensive coordinator (Dennis Allen). Not only does Caleb Williams have to learn and master Johnson’s complicated offense quickly—he also has to build chemistry with rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III and rookie tight end Colston Loveland.
DETROIT LIONS | Backup quarterback | The Lions will once again have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, but they desperately need Jared Goff to stay healthy because the options behind him are worrisome. Hendon Hooker has attempted only nine passes in the NFL and has just 117 passing yards and two touchdowns in the preseason, and Kyle Allen is a career backup with a 7-12 record and nearly as many interceptions (21) as TD passes (26).
GREEN BAY PACKERS | Wide receiver drops | Last season, Jordan Love lost 28.2 EPA (Expected Points Added) due to wide receiver errors on third and fourth down, which was the worst mark for any NFL quarterback since 2020. Love needs to get more help from his receivers in 2025, and the Packers are hoping rookie first-round pick Matthew Golden will lead that charge.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Safety coverage | The Vikings are loaded on defense, but opposing offenses are going to test this safety room early and often. Harrison Smith is 36 years old and flirted with retirement in the offseason. Josh Metellus ranked 120th out of 171 safeties in PFF coverage grade (55.0) last year and the backup options are young and inexperienced.
— Jack Dougherty
NFC South
ATLANTA FALCONS | Running back depth | Bijan Robinson is a stud, and Tyler Allgeier is a solid, if unspectacular, RB2, but the options behind the duo are troubling. Nate Carter, a 2025 undrafted free agent, might be the best option, with fellow backups Jashaun Corbin and Elijah Dotson combining for 11 yards on 15 carries (0.7 yards per attempt) this preseason.
CAROLINA PANTHERS | Pass protection | In March 2024, the Panthers invested mightily in their offensive line, signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to deals with $89.215 million in guarantees. Those signings haven’t paid dividends — Carolina’s offensive line ranked 30th in ESPN’s pass-block win rate rankings in 2024 — and the unit has had a rough preseason, allowing three sacks and 16 total pressures over the first two weeks.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Tackling | The Saints, who sat their defensive starters against the Jaguars in preseason Week 2, missed multiple tackles in the 17-17 tie. New Orleans was one of the league’s worst tackling teams a season ago, and it doesn’t bode well that, if called upon, second-string defenders are likely to continue the troubling trend.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Kick returns | The Bucs offense is one of the league’s best, which could mask a potential kick return deficiency. Tampa has averaged just 21 yards per kickoff return this preseason, which ranks 30th in the league, ahead of only the Bears (18.8 yards per return) and Panthers (18 yards per return), per Pro Football Focus data.
— Eric Smithling
AFC East
BUFFALO BILLS | Absentee pass-rushers | Perhaps more forgotten than hidden, early-season suspensions to edge rushers Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi could exacerbate Buffalo’s more obvious problems in the secondary. Hoecht has looked especially good in camp, but a subpar pass rush in the team’s first six games could expose players like safety Cole Bishop and cornerback Tre’Davious White, who have struggled in the preseason.
MIAMI DOLPHINS | Running back depth | The Dolphins have secondary problems as well, especially after losing cornerback Kader Kohou for the season with an ACL tear, but the running back position looks pretty thin with De’Von Achane nursing a calf injury. The team has vowed to be cautious with their No. 1 rusher, and for good reason, considering backup Jaylen Wright averaged just 3.7 yards per carry for 249 yards and no scores as a rookie in 2024.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Turnover differential | The addition of Stefon Diggs should bolster New England's underwhelming group of wide receivers, but the four-time Pro Bowler won’t do anything for the team’s 29th-ranked turnover differential (-11) in 2025. Mike Vrabel’s Titans led the league with a (+11) differential in 2020, but the Patriots’ new head coach couldn’t do any better than (-3) in his last three seasons with Tennessee.
NEW YORK JETS | Penalties | Saturday’s 1-of-5 performance by new starting quarterback Justin Fields aside, New York's biggest flaw hides inside the referee’s pocket. Per Statmuse, no team was called for more penalties (137) for more yards (1,134) last season than the Jets, who trail only the Cowboys (570) with 556 penalties over the past five years.
— Bruce Ewing
AFC West
DENVER BRONCOS | Lack of TE depth | Despite missing eight games because of shoulder and hamstring injuries in 2024, the Broncos still signed former Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram in free agency. Denver needs the two-time Pro Bowler to stay healthy in 2025. TE Adam Trautman had 188 receiving yards in 17 games last season, while fellow TE Lucas Krull logged 152 receiving yards in 13 games.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | Secondary | Except for 2023 first-team All-Pro Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs are thin at cornerback. Kansas City ranked 18th in the NFL in passing yards allowed last season (218.8). The Chiefs signed CB Kristian Fulton in free agency, but he allowed a career-high five touchdown catches in 15 games with the Chargers last season, per Pro Football Reference.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | Pass-rush | EDGE Khalil Mack could start slowing in 2025 after turning 34 on Feb. 22. The Chargers took South Carolina Gamecocks EDGE Kyle Kennard (pick No.125) in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, he has no sacks through three preseason games.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | Pass blocking | New Raiders QB Geno Smith could be on the run this season. The Raiders tied for seventh in the league in sacks allowed (50) in 2024, and their pass blocking doesn’t look improved. Pro Football Focus gave Vegas a 54.1 pass-block grade through its first two preseason games, 23rd in the NFL.
— Clark Dalton
AFC North
BALTIMORE RAVENS | Lack of offensive line depth | As dominant as the Ravens' ground game can be, their offensive line still isn’t one of their biggest strengths and their depth is even shakier. If something were to happen to starting tackles Ronnie Stanley or Roger Rosengarten, the Ravens don’t have an established player behind them, while third-round pick Emery Jones has yet to play in the preseason.
CINCINNATI BENGALS | Offensive line | The Bengals' defense is bad and is going to be worse without Trey Hendrickson, we know that. But there is another big concern brewing on the team’s strength – offense – when it comes to the offensive line and their ability to keep quarterback Joe Burrow upright. The trio of Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins needs to carry this team, and if Burrow does not have time to pass the ball – or takes too many hits – there are going to be big problems.
CLEVELAND BROWNS | Cornerback depth | We know the Browns have concerns all over the offense, but some defensive concerns are also starting to lurk, especially when it comes to their cornerback depth. Martin Emerson’s training camp injury was a big blow to that unit, and while Denzel Ward is one of the league’s better cornerbacks, he is also prone to missing time throughout a season.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS | Running game | The Steelers want to be a running team, and are built to be a running game, but so far in the preseason and training camp, their running game has failed to gain any sort of traction. If that does not change when the regular season begins, their offense is going to be just as inept as it’s been over the past two years, if not more.
— Adam Gretz
AFC South
HOUSTON TEXANS | Running back durability | Joe Mixon was better than expected in his first season in Houston last year, but the 29-year-old missed some time with an ankle injury. He has dealt with another ankle injury during the preseason and is not a lock to play in Week 1. The Texans signed Nick Chubb (who is also 29) this offseason to serve as the backup behind Mixon, and his lengthy injury history is well-documented.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | | Pass rush ability | The Colts have a talented defensive front that features three former first-round picks in DeForest Buckner, Laiatu Latu and Kwity Paye, but they did a poor job of getting after the quarterback last season. Indy had just 36 sacks as a team in 2024, which ranked 26th in the NFL. It remains to be seen if second-round defensive end JT Tuimoloau can make an impact as a rookie.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | Lack of WR depth | Brian Robinson Jr. had an outstanding rookie season with 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he is the only proven wideout on Jacksonville’s roster. While No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter has tremendous upside, there is no guarantee he will make a huge impact in his first year. The Jaguars also traded Christian Kirk and do not have another WR on their roster with more than 30 catches in a season.
TENNESSEE TITANS | | Linebacker experience | The Titans made a nice addition when they signed Cody Barton, who has 100 or more tackles in each of the last three seasons. Outside of him, they have almost no linebacker experience. As PFF notes, Tennessee had five linebackers who played at least 200 snaps last season, and all have since left the team.
— Steve DelVecchio
More must-reads:
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- Changing of the guard: Power ranking 2025's NFL Week 1 QB changes
- The 'Sack leaders by NFL franchise' quiz
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