Who are the top beneficiaries from the NFL offseason?

The Jets now have Aaron Rodgers but still supply questions at both tackle positions. Becton remains firmly in the picture despite missing only one game over the past two seasons. By most non-Jets-affiliated accounts, New York hoped to draft Georgia tackle Broderick Jones in Round 1. The Jets swapped picks with the Packers as part of the Rodgers trade, but after sliding down two spots (to No. 15), the team saw the Patriots give the Steelers Jones access. Becton has expressed odd reservations, considering his availability problems, about staying at right tackle. But the 2020 first-round pick has lost over 40 pounds and is a factor to start again.

The offseason Rams purge hit the defensive line hard, with Aaron Donald's most recent sidekicks — A'Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines — signing with the Giants and Buccaneers, respectively. While the Rams drafted Kobie Turner in Round 3, Brown looks set to receive his starter chance. A 2021 fourth-round pick, Brown worked as a seldom-used rotational piece over his first two seasons. Brown played only 164 defensive snaps last season, but the Rams cutting costs should lead to him stepping into a first-string role alongside Donald. 

Despite winning the 2021 Butkus Award and helping a dominant defense secure Georgia the national championship, injury worries dropped Dean to the 2022 third round. The Eagles pounced but gave the linebacker a ramp-up year. After the NFC champions let linebacker regulars T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White walk in free agency, Dean is ticketed to move into the starting lineup. Dean displayed versatility as a Georgia junior, registering six sacks, two interceptions, and 72 tackles. The Eagles have opted to keep costs low at linebacker since the Mychal Kendricks-Nigel Bradham days. Three years remain on Dean's rookie contract.

A year after letting Darious Williams walk in free agency, the Rams are starting over at cornerback. The Jalen Ramsey trade will hand the keys to the bevy of Rams rookie-contract corners—chief among them, Durant, a 2022 fourth-round pick out of South Carolina State. The Division I-FCS product shook off an early-season hamstring injury to become a rotational presence, and Pro Football Focus graded him — albeit on only 281 defensive snaps — as Los Angeles' top corner in 2022. Durant's 151 interception-return yards led the NFL last season. He will be expected to hold a starting job after a one-start rookie year.

While the Bengals effectively wished Jessie Bates farewell ahead of free agency, the team hoped to re-sign three-year starter Vonn Bell. But Cincinnati ended up losing both its safeties on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. In steps Hill, the team's 2022 first-round pick. Hill moving into the starting lineup in Year 2 always appeared as Cincy's plan, with funds needing to be allocated for Joe Burrow's mammoth extension and Ja'Marr Chase's future deal. Hill played just 131 defensive snaps as a rookie, but the Michigan product will be a key presence for the two-time reigning AFC North champs this year.

As Ron Rivera resides on maybe the NFL's hottest seat, the Commanders still scaled back their quarterback pursuit. After making a run at many QBs in 2022 — an effort that included a three-first-rounder offer for Russell Wilson — Washington only added Jacoby Brissett this year. And considering the praise the coaching staff has heaped on Howell, a one-time top prospect who fell to Round 5 last year, Brissett may not be a live underdog to win the job. Gone are 2022 first- and second-stringers Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke. Enter Howell, who started the season finale. The Commanders are letting plenty ride on that Week 18 audition.

Jackson has fallen a bit from his MVP perch, missing 11 games over the past two seasons. But the Ravens have done just about everything possible to appease the dual-threat superstar this offseason. Run-oriented OC Greg Roman is out, with Georgia OC Todd Monken back in the NFL to run Baltimore's offense. The Ravens then signed Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor and drafted a wideout (Zay Flowers) in Round 1 for the third time since Jackson's arrival. And, after the Jalen Hurts deal established the market, Baltimore finally convinced Jackson to sign a long-term extension. The Ravens are pot-committed, but this is easily the best QB in their history.

A one-time top prospect who saw a college knee injury and a COVID-19 opt-out ding his stock, Little filled in for an injured Cam Robinson at left tackle to close last season. That scenario may repeat itself soon, only with Robinson sitting because of a PED suspension. It is unknown how long Robinson will be out, but Walker will be set to play either left or right tackle while he sits. The Jags also let four-year right tackle Jawaan Taylor walk in free agency, and although they drafted tackle Anton Harrison in Round 1, a few openings could exist for Walker. Left guard may also be a possibility for the Stanford alum.

In what shapes up as a legacy-defining move, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst traded Aaron Rodgers and will bet on Love. The Packers irked Rodgers by trading up for Love in 2020, doing so without informing the future Hall of Famer, and the first-rounder followed Rodgers' rare career path by sitting for three seasons. Love has 83 career pass attempts, and his lone start of consequence — against the Chiefs in 2021 — went poorly. Granted, that was not an ideal warmup for the Utah State alum, who is believed to have shown improvement in 2022. Love also has a less experienced receiving corps around him compared to Rodgers' first set of troops.

Mathis became an early-season starter last year, moving from fourth-round rookie to Pat Surtain II's cornerback sidekick after Ronald Darby's season-ending injury. The Broncos have since cut Darby, clearing a path for Mathis to be a full-timer opposite Surtain. Pro Football Focus graded Mathis just outside the top 50 last season, and playing alongside Surtain will continue to produce plenty of action for the Pittsburgh alum. The Broncos did draft Riley Moss, who is aiming to be the first white cornerback regular since Jason Sehorn, in Round 3. As of now, Moss should be expected to begin his career as a backup. 

With everything pointing to the Vikings ending the Dalvin Cook era after six years, his longtime backup looks set to take over the gig. An effective Cook fill-in for the past four years, Mattison is three years younger and, despite going into his fifth season, should have plenty of tread on his tires due to logging just 404 career carries. The running back game is a cruel business, but Cook is on his way out after pocketing $32 million. Mattison signed a two-year, $7M deal. Minnesota's new middle-class Cook model will make more contractual sense in an offense featuring a record-smashing Justin Jefferson contract.

After using Mike McGlinchey as their right tackle starter for five years, the 49ers let the former top-10 pick leave (for Denver) in free agency. They will go with four low-cost contracts around All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, keeping McKivitz on a two-year deal worth just $4.6 million. A former fifth-round pick out of West Virginia, McKivitz operated as San Francisco's swing tackle previously. McKivitz has five career starts on his resume, and the 49ers did not make any additions at tackle. Barring something unforeseen in training camp, the fourth-year blocker will replace McGlinchey at right tackle.

Some of the best NFL news this offseason came out of Houston. Metchie is back after a leukemia bout derailed his rookie season. The former Alabama starter is also part of a Texans receiving corps that lost Brandin Cooks, whom the team traded after he slogged through a disgruntled season (despite signing a Houston extension in April 2022). With Cooks gone, Houston will hope Metchie can carve out a role. Otherwise, the team's receiving corps looks thin. Robert Woods, who showed decline signs with the Titans, and third-round pick Tank Dell represented Houston's top additions. Metchie also had a year to recover from the torn ACL he sustained in the 2021 national title game.

A Jared Goff auxiliary target in Los Angeles and now Detroit, Reynolds will benefit both from free agency and through the Lions' issues disseminating the NFL's gambling policy. The Lions cut Quintez Cephus after he received an indefinite suspension and will be without Jameson Williams for the first six games. Reynolds, who totaled 479 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season, will also benefit from the team letting DJ Chark walk in free agency. The Lions have Amon-Ra St. Brown locked in as their WR1 and brought back Marvin Jones, but the latter is now 33. Reynolds looks set to keep his starting role to open the season.

An interesting about-face occurred in Atlanta this year. After the team was all set to acquire Deshaun Watson via trade in 2022, it joined the rest of the NFL in not pursuing Lamar Jackson while the Ravens QB was franchise-tagged. Like the Commanders, the Falcons will hope a mid-round pick's late-season experience will provide a sufficient springboard. Ridder submitted an uneven four-game starter sample, after Marcus Mariota's demotion/disappearance, and Atlanta only added Taylor Heinicke in free agency. The Falcons have already announced Ridder has the job, giving HC Arthur Smith some work to do entering his third season on the job.

The Chargers may have something in the 2022 sixth-round pick. They needed Salyer to fill in for injured left tackle Rashawn Slater last season, and he accounted himself well enough a starting job alongside Slater awaits. The Bolts cut veteran guard Matt Feiler and are planning to hand his job to Salyer, who emerged on the NFL radar as Georgia's left tackle in 2021. But he also made a few starts at guard during his junior and senior seasons. Pro Football Focus graded Salyer just outside the top 30 at tackle last season. With Slater returning, Salyer's guard presence could elevate the Chargers O-line.

Displaying the explosive speed that made him a prolific return specialist at the Division I-FCS level, Shaheed now looks set to play a major role in New Orleans' first Derek Carr-piloted offense. The Weber State alum averaged 17.4 yards per catch last season, arriving as an undrafted free agent to help the Saints replace the again-injured Michael Thomas. The former All-Pro re-signed this offseason, but the Saints did not complete their attempted move to draft a first-round wideout. This and Jarvis Landry not being re-signed leaves Shaheed positioned to play alongside Thomas — for as long as he holds up — and Chris Olave.

While the contract the Seahawks gave Smith is not as player-friendly as it initially appeared, the reigning Comeback Player of the Year has seen his situation improve. The Seahawks did not draft a quarterback at No. 5, seeing the Colts' Anthony Richardson call to prevent a tough decision, and gave their late-blooming QB another weapon in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The standout Ohio State slot player will team with the high-end Tyler Lockett-D.K. Metcalf duo. Smith's contract is essentially a pay-as-you-go deal, giving the Seahawks 2024 flexibility if 2022 turns out to be a fluke. But Seattle will give Russell Wilson's successor a good chance to prove it was not.

The Dolphins made the strange decision to use their franchise tag on Mike Gesicki ($10.9 million) and dramatically reduce his role. The receiving tight end went from 780 receiving yards in 2021 to 362 last year. His departure opens the door for Smythe, whom the Dolphins signed to an offseason extension. Arriving in the same 2018 draft as Gesicki, the former fourth-round pick is a better fit in Mike McDaniel's offense. After amassing just 129 yards last season, Smythe should see more chances this year. The Dolphins did not draft a tight end and only added backup-caliber options (Tyler Kroft, Eric Saubert) in free agency.

In what looks like one of the riskier Chiefs plans of the Patrick Mahomes era, the defending Super Bowl champions are prepared to roll out Toney as not only a full-time player but perhaps as their lead wide receiver. Mecole Hardman joined the Jets, and talks with JuJu Smith-Schuster led to the team's leading 2022 wideout signing with the Patriots. The Chiefs drafted Rashee Rice in Round 2, but Toney will be needed beyond his gadget duties. Electric with the ball in his hands, Toney is also one of the NFL's biggest injury risks. Countless maladies have plagued him in New York and Kansas City. A dramatic role increase may be a dicey proposition.

The Ravens released Calais Campbell after three seasons, paving the way for younger talents to make their mark. Baltimore both needed funds for the eventual Lamar Jackson contract, and Washington will be one of the rookie-contract players asked to step up. The 2020 fifth-round pick is expected to be a full-time starter on Baltimore's defensive line this year. The part-time starter/rotational presence registered 5.5 sacks last season, presenting promise for a Ravens team that may need plenty from its D-line given its again-iffy edge situation. 

The less said about the Buccaneers' run-game efforts last season, the better. After a last-place (by a wide margin) rushing ranking, the Bucs released Leonard Fournette. They have also largely stood down at the position, signing only Chase Edmonds, who is coming off an ineffective year. While the offseason is not over, Tampa Bay's moves point to White receiving a genuine opportunity to be a full-time starter. The 2022 fourth-round pick showed more explosiveness than Fournette, even with a 3.7-yard average, and should be running behind a better O-line than the injured group the Bucs featured last season.

While this is not quite Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker going from Tim Tebow to Peyton Manning, the Jets' Zach Wilson-to-Aaron Rodgers move represents a borderline-incalculable upgrade. Garrett Wilson managed to win Offensive Rookie of the Year acclaim with Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco and Mike White targeting him. The Ohio State product will be expected to make a substantial leap with Rodgers, who has bucked his recent trend of skipping OTAs. Developing a rapport with Wilson likely was a key factor in Rodgers' earlier-than-usual cameo at workouts (proximity to Taylor Swift shows may have moved the needle as well). A host of new veterans are stationed as Jets receivers now, but Wilson remains the group's centerpiece.

Part of Wilson's 2022 trouble was his own making. The Broncos gave their big-ticket QB addition too much power, and Wilson's effort at being a pocket passer failed. But Wilson also teamed with an overmatched coach (Nathaniel Hackett), an inexperienced OC (Justin Outten) and saw running back Javonte Williams, wideout Tim Patrick, and most of Denver's starting O-line miss extensive time due to injury. The Broncos have since paired Wilson with Sean Payton, one of this era's premier offensive coaches, and the Broncos now have high-priced blockers Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers in place. With starters coming back healthy, Wilson has a bounce-back window.

A steady presence on the Packers' defensive line for seven years, Dean Lowry left in free agency to join the Vikings. This was by design, with Green Bay having completed another two-defender first round in 2022. Wyatt, who did not start a game as a rookie, will step in alongside Kenny Clark up front in the Packers' 3-4 scheme. One of five Georgia defenders chosen in the '22 first round, Wyatt brings upside to a Packers team that should need its defense to offer more dependability now that Aaron Rodgers is in New York.