The draft is over, but teams still have needs and major questions with much of the offseason to go. These are the questions still facing all 32 NFL teams.
Arizona's defense made strides last season, but they still struggled to rush the passer. The front seven is also completely revamped with notable free agents Josh Sweat, Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Akeem Davis-Gaither, along with first-round pick Walter Nolen. The Cardinals need the new faces to produce in a division with prolific offenses.
Atlanta recorded a pitiful 31 sacks last season, causing a major change in the offseason. The team is younger on the front season, adding a pair of first-round picks in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. The Falcons are putting a lot of pressure on the rookies to pressure, especially after moving on from long-time stalwart Grady Jarrett.
It's rare when the Ravens defense isn't atop the league, but they regressed from first in points in 2023 to ninth last year. The top talent remains intact, and the Ravens added further help in the draft with safety Malaki Starks and pass rusher Mike Green.
Josh Allen continued to put the offense on his shoulders last season, but the team lacked big-play ability at times. Adding deep threat Joshua Palmer and another year under Keon Coleman's belt could help, but the team is still missing star power at wideout.
We saw major progress from Young as 2024 progressed, but the Panthers have had a mostly quiet offseason. The one major exception is first-round wideout Tetairoa McMillan, a physically gifted player who could make an immediate impact.
Williams had a relatively disappointing rookie season, looking like a rookie far too often under the former coaching staff in Chicago. Ben Johnson often looked like a genius running the Lions offense, and jumped at the chance to coach Williams. A revamped offensive line and the addition of Johnson could be the next steps Williams needs to take.
After two years of defensive regression, the Bengals fired coordinator Lou Anarumo. The talent deterioration might have been the biggest culprit, and the team has seen a relatively quiet offseason. The hope is that new coordinator Al Golden and first-round pass rusher Shemar Stewart get the defense back on track.
The Browns have seemingly moved on from Deshaun Watson, signing Joe Flacco and spending draft picks on Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. While Flacco appears to be the favorite to start in Week 1, Sanders could emerge.
A strength of the Cowboys not long ago, the offensive line turned into a liability last year. The team now has three recent first-round picks on the line after selecting guard Tyler Booker this year, and have also added Robert Jones in free agency. Dallas hopes better offensive line play will help Dak Prescott and the new stable of veteran running backs.
The secondary was already a strength for the Broncos last season, led by star corner Pat Surtain, but it looks even better now that the team has added Talanoa Hufanga and first-round pick Jahdae Barron. The team hopes they can continue to lock down defenses with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert in the division.
After a disappointing playoff loss, Detroit took another big hit when offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left for the division rival Bears. Former assistant John Morton was brought back on board to run the offense, but he has big shoes to fill.
Love has shown flashes of brilliance at times for the Packers, but his inconsistency over the last two seasons has also been limiting. Green Bay continues to surround him with more weapons, adding three players on offense in the first three rounds of the draft. The Packers need Love to even out his play in the highly competitive NFC North.
C.J. Stroud's second-year regression was caused in part by Houston's terrible offensive line. The team has a lot of new names at competition on the line, most notably Cam Robinson, Trent Brown, and Aireontae Ersery. A new line can bring with it some bumps, especially as the Texans have also made a change at offensive coordinator, but the team hopes it eventually gets Stroud back on track.
The production of former first-round pick Anthony Richardson has been embarrassing at times, so it wasn't a surprise to see the Colts add competition in Daniel Jones. Jones is looking to revive his career after a mostly down career with the Giants, but is likely a more consistent passing option.
Over four NFL seasons, Lawrence has yet to develop into the star many envisioned. Coming off an injury and 2-8 season as a starter, Lawrence has pressure along with new head coach Liam Coen. Lawrence does have help with a revamped offensive line and rookie wideout Travis Hunter.
The offensive line was a big problem for the Chiefs last season, and came back to bite them in the Super Bowl. While the team got rid of All-Pro Joe Thuney, they addressed left tackle with Jaylon Moore and first-round pick Josh Simmons. It remains to be seen if the additions will fix the line.
The Raiders made waves this offseason, hiring Pete Carroll and acquiring former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. The moves make the team more competitive on paper, but the AFC West is arguably the toughest division in football.
The Chargers made the playoffs last year despite their major offensive cuts and lack of receiving help beyond Ladd McConkey. The team made a big effort to help Justin Herbert with the additions of Mike Williams, Tyler Conklin, as well as rookies Tre Harris and Omarion Hampton. It remains to be seen if the offense will have more excitement.
The Rams surprised last season, remaining very competitive despite some major defensive losses led by Aaron Donald. They're clearly making one more attempt at a run, replacing Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams as Matthew Stafford approaches the end of his career.
There remain big questions and potential distractions for the Dolphins, as superstars Ramsey and Hill look at murky futures. Ramsey continues to seek a trade, while Hill has also shown signs of discontent. The situations could play out before training camp.
The Vikings were the surprise team of 2024, with Sam Darnold's outstanding quarterback play. Back from knee surgery, McCarthy has been handed the reins and is out to prove he can be a franchise quarterback. Offensive mastermind Kevin O'Connell should help him along the way.
Maye showed nice flashes in his rookie season, but was also in over his head with a Pats roster deficient of talent. The Patriots have added talent across the offense, most notably Stefon Diggs, Garrett Bradbury, and rookies Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson.
The Saints entered the draft in a murky situation, as a shoulder injury reportedly puts Carr's 2025 season in doubt. The team added insurance with second-round pick Tyler Shough, but the starting quarterback for 2025 remains unclear.
After adding veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in the offseason, the Giants spent a first-round pick on Jaxson Dart. Dart looks like the long-time play, but it remains to be seen who will be under center entering the year.
Following the Aaron Rodgers debacle, the Jets made the surprising move to give Fields significant money on a two-year deal this offseason. He's set to be the starter, but has yet to lead a winner in Chicago or Pittsburgh.
No front office reloads defenses as seamlessly as the Eagles, and Howie Roseman hopes to be up to the task again. The team couldn't afford to keep Williams or Sweat, but were able to re-sign Zack Baun and added rookie first-rounder Jihaad Campbell.
The quarterback situation remains a mess for the Steelers, with Mason Rudolph the penciled in starter as the team flirts with Aaron Rodgers. While the weapons are improved after adding DK Metcalf and drafting Kaleb Johnson, the Steelers haven't adequately addressed the most important position.
Wide receiver has quickly gone from an overwhelming strength to a concern for the 49ers, who traded Deebo Samuel and are waiting for Brandon Aiyuk to recover from knee surgery. The pressure will be on Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings to pick up the slack, and the team also signed Demarcus Robinson.
Darnold got his big contract in Seattle after a breakout season with the Vikings. A few hiccups late in the year and a new offense add concern, but Darnold is out to prove the doubters wrong.
The Bucs defense regressed to the middle of the pack last season after being a strength for several years. They haven't made many big changes, but the addition of Haason Reddick could get the pass rush back on track.
Brian Callahan's first year in Tennessee was painful, but he has a more talented quarterback in first overall pick Cam Ward. It still remains to be seen if Callahan will be in Tennessee long term, especially after the team hired a new front office.
New head coach Dan Quinn worked a miracle with Washington's defense last season, going from dead last in the league to the middle of the pack. The team has continued to make changes, most notably losing Jonathan Allen, but holding serve could allow Washington to take another step forward with a great offense led by Jayden Daniels.
Seth Trachtman is a sportswriter, digital marketer, and fantasy sports expert based in St. Louis, Missouri. He’s a two-time winner of the Tout Wars Fantasy Baseball Expert’s League, and his work has appeared in hundreds of fantasy baseball and fantasy football newsstand and online publications
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