2023 NFC Season Preview
With the conclusion of the National Football League (NFL) preseason, the 2023 regular season is quickly approaching with the first game of the year on September 7 when the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl Champions, host the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. With many teams making key offseason additions throughout the draft, free agency and trades; there is plenty of excitement surrounding each team’s new opportunity for the coming season.
In this article, all four of the NFC divisions in the NFL and the teams within them will be ranked based on their promise for the coming season from best to worst. Within these rankings will be an overview of each team and what can lead to them being in that spot.
NFC East
1.) Philadelphia Eagles
Record Prediction: (12-5)
Offseason Additions: The biggest additions to the Eagles this year were the two dominant defensive players out of Georgia’s national championship winning team last year. With the ninth overall pick in the draft, Philadelphia picked Jalen Carter, the feared 6’3”, 313-pound defensive tackle that will replace Javon Hargrave. Carter had plenty of buzz around his name going into the draft because many people believed that he was the top college player going into it. With pick 30 in the first round, the Eagles selected Nolan Smith, who will play outside linebacker. Smith has gained a lot of praise by his teammates who have started to call him ‘Mini Reddick’ in reference to their own star pass rusher Haason Reddick, who led the NFL with 19.5 sacks last year.
Returning Players: Philadelphia has an incredible offense coming back this year that will be led out by Jalen Hurts, the fourth-year quarterback that signed a five-year, $255 million dollar contract over the offseason. They also have one of the best receiving corps in the NFL with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith as wide receivers and Dallas Goedert at tight end. In addition to some of the best offensive playmakers in the league, the Eagles also have the best offensive line with the veteran stars Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. On the defensive side of the ball, Philadelphia will have Brandon Graham, Jalen Carter, Fletcher Cox and Haason Reddick on the line. They will also have Reed Blankenship and Darius Slay as their best defensive backs to help cover the skies.
Why they are ranked here: Coming off last year’s loss in the Super Bowl, the Eagles show no signs of slowing down. They were able to bolster their already stacked defensive line with the addition of Jalen Carter and keep as many of their best playmakers on the team as possible. Even though they have a pretty hard schedule this year, the Eagles should prove that they can stay at the top of the teams for a while.
2.) Dallas Cowboys
Record Prediction: (10-7)
Offseason Additions: One of the biggest moves that the Cowboys made over the offseason was the trade for Brandin Cooks, the veteran receiver who was previously the lead receiver for the Houston Texans. This move adds yet another great target on their offense for Dak Prescott to throw to. One other notable addition to the team is the defensive tackle out of Michigan, Mazi Smith, who they selected as their first-round pick in the draft.
Returning Players: As usual, the Cowboys have a lot of great players returning to their offense with the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Dak Prescott to lead them out. The returning receivers will be the young superstars, Ceedee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Tony Pollard will be the running back who takes the majority of carries after coming off a Pro Bowl year in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards and made 12 touchdowns. The best returning players on the defensive side of the ball for Dallas will be the young superstar Micah Parsons at outside linebacker, veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, veteran linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, and the star cornerback duo of Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore.
Why they are ranked here: The Cowboys are consistently good in the regular season but are often not able to continue that success in the playoffs, even with the amount of talent they have had on their teams lately. They have had plenty of consistent weapons on the offensive side of the ball that should make the team a lot better than how they have performed against some of the better teams in the league. However, it might be possible that Dak Prescott would be the reason as to why Dallas hasn’t been able to win as many games as expected. With Prescott at quarterback, the Cowboys may continue the same pattern that has played out in the past few seasons.
3.) New York Giants
Record Prediction: (9-8)
Offseason Additions: One of the key additions to the Giants this offseason was the trade for Darren Waller, the Pro Bowl tight end from the Raiders that will be looking to have a bounce-back season at his new location. One other addition to the offense was Jalin Hyatt, the star receiver from Tennessee who they picked with their third-round pick in the draft. With their first-round pick, the Giants selected Deonte Banks, the cornerback out of Maryland that will provide some much-needed help to their defensive backs.
Returning players: The Giants will have Daniel Jones, their fifth-year franchise quarterback that signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension this offseason. Jones’ returning targets for the upcoming season will be Isaiah Hodgins and Darius Slayton. One of the best players on the team is Saquon Barkley, the sixth year running back who has rushed for over 1,000 yards every year and still managed to stay healthy. New York has a very promising defensive line going into the season with the duo of young star Kayvon Thibodeaux and veteran Leonard Williams as their edge rushers and the star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. The main holes in the defense are with the defensive backs in which their best returning player will be Xavier Mckinney at strong safety.
Why they are ranked here: Coming from last year’s surprising success, the Giants have made a couple of decent additions to the team that could help them continue that success. One main key to their success last year was the coaching of Brian Daboll, who has seemed to finally bring in the needed team culture to the organization. However, they lack some receivers for Daniel Jones to throw to that could make their offense more capable of competing with the higher-level teams. The Giants are expected to continue winning games but in order to have continued success in the playoffs, they need to improve on the weaker parts of the team.
4.) Washington Commanders
Record Prediction: (6-11)
Offseason Additions: The best additions to the team this year came from their draft. With their first and second-round picks, Washington boosted their defensive back corps with Emmanuel Forbes and Jartavious Martin as their new cornerbacks. One other player that the Commanders picked in the draft was Sam Howell, their fifth-round quarterback out of Carolina. Howell will be their starting quarterback going into the season and has created a lot of buzz around the Washington fanbase due to how well he played in the preseason.
Returning Players: The Commanders have a solid receiving core with Terry Mclaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel. Terry Mclaurin has already proven to be a great receiver with over 1,000 yards in three of his four total seasons played. To add on to those young playmakers, Washington will have the second year running back Brian Robinson Jr. to take the majority of carries for the offense. On the defensive side of the ball, the Commanders have a dominant defensive line with the combination of the young superstar Chase Young and the veteran Montez Sweat coming off the edge with the dominant Jonathon Allen as their defensive tackle. Washington’s best returning defensive backs will be the third-year safety Kamren Curl and the veteran cornerback Kendall Fuller.
Why they are ranked here: The Commanders have been in the process of trying to rebuild the team over the last few years and have gotten some really great players along the way. However, there are a lot of uncertainties on this team including how well their quarterbacks can play this year and how well they can do in the tough division they are in. With these uncertainties, the Commanders may encounter some struggles and lose more games as they encounter the tougher teams on their schedule.
NFC West
1.) San Francisco 49ers
Record Prediction: (15-2)
Offseason Additions: The biggest move that San Francisco made over the offseason was the free agent signing of Javon Hargrave, the veteran defensive tackle from the Eagles last year and ended the season with 11 sacks. The addition of Hargrave makes their already great defensive line even more dominant. One other notable pickup was Sam Darnold, the first-round pick back in 2018 that has struggled to play at the level he was expected, as a backup quarterback. This adds some insurance to the 49ers quarterback room which has consistently been riddled with injuries over the past couple of years.
Returning Players: Brock Purdy, who was given the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant” after being the last overall pick in the draft back in the 2022 draft, will lead the San Francisco offense. Purdy took the whole league by storm last year after surprising everyone with how well he played considering nobody thought he would be any good. He will have a plethora of dominant players around him with the young duo of Deebo Sameul and Brandon Aiyuk as the lead receivers, four-time Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle and versatile Christian McCafrey who is believed to be one of the best running backs in all of football history. Even with their incredible offense, the 49ers have an equally good defense with some of the best linemen and linebacker groups in the NFL. On the defensive line, they will have Nick Bosa, the superstar right defensive end that recently signed a five-year, $170 million contract, and Drake Jackson as edge rushers with the star defensive tackle Arik Armstead to help in the middle. They will also have some of the best linebackers in the league with the combination of two-time Pro Bowler, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw as the second linebacker. Finally, their best defensive backs will be the fifth-year cornerback Charvarius Ward and the third-year safety Talanoa Hufanga who showed a lot of promise last year.
Why they are ranked here: The 49ers have built one of the best rosters in the NFL going into this season. However, one of the uncertainties on the team will be if Brock Purdy will be able to return to the same level of play he was at before he suffered the torn UCL in his throwing arm during the NFC Championship game last year. If Purdy can continue his success, San Francisco should be able to win most of their games and make a push for a Super Bowl run.
2.) Seattle Seahawks
Record Prediction: (10-7)
Offseason Additions: Some of the best additions to the Seahawks over the offseason came from the draft. With the fifth overall pick, the Seahawks selected Devon Witherspoon, the cornerback out of Illinois. The addition of Witherspoon could add yet another great young cornerback to team up with Tariq Woolen, who came second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting last year. With the number 20 overall pick in the draft, Seattle selected Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the wide receiver out of Ohio State who put up great numbers in his freshman season before missing most of his sophomore season due to a hamstring injury. This was a great pick because it adds another incredible receiver to the duo of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. One other notable addition that the Seahawks made was the signing of Bobby Wagner, the veteran linebacker who spent most of his career in Seattle before spending last year on the Rams.
Returning Players: The Seahawks offense will be led out by Geno Smith, the veteran quarterback that surprised many last year with his great level of play that rewarded him with his first ever Pro Bowl selection and a three-year, $105 million contract extension with Seattle. Smith will have many great returning targets to throw to with the superstar duo of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as the lead receivers and Noah Fant at tight end. The running back that will take the majority of carries for the offense will be Kenneth Walker, the second year running back that showed plenty of potential in his rookie year where he rushed for over 1,000 yards. The best returning players on the defensive side of the ball for the Seahawks will be in their defensive back corps. At the cornerback position, they will have Tariq Woolen, the second-year player that finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting last year. Seattle will also have the combination of Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs at the safety positions.
Why they are ranked here: In last year’s campaign, the Seahawks surprised many by making the playoffs even though most people believed they would struggle to win most of their games due to the loss of their long-time superstar quarterback Russell Wilson. After last year’s success, Seattle has added some solid young players to the roster to help them continue to build up on enough promising talent to complete a rebuild. The Seahawks may be well on their way to that mission as they have gotten great playmakers on the offensive and defensive side of the ball which should help them win games and possibly make the playoffs.
3.) Los Angeles Rams
Record prediction: (5-12)
Offseason Additions: The Rams did not make any major changes to the team over the offseason. However, they were able to try and boost their offensive line with Steve Avila, the guard out of TCU that was selected in the second round in the draft this year. The Rams also picked Byron Young, an edge rusher out of Tennessee, with their third-round pick.
Returning Players: The Rams will have Mathew Stafford, the veteran quarterback that led the Rams to a Super Bowl win back in 2022, to lead the offense. Stafford’s lead target will be Cooper Kupp, the superstar receiver that became just the third player ever to win the triple crown for receiving stats back in 2021. The Rams will also have the young running back Cam Akers to take the majority of the carries for the team and the reliable tight end Tyler Higbee returning to the lineup. On the defensive side of the ball, the most notable player is their right end Aaron Donald who has accomplished many things in his colorful NFL career that includes being a Defensive Rookie of the Year, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time First-team All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowler, and a Super Bowl Champion in 2021.
Why they are ranked here: The Rams will have a lot of work to do to improve and rebuild the team after they went all out in 2021 by trading away a lot of their future draft picks so that they could get some of the best players in the league. This resulted in a Super Bowl win. However, the consequences of going all out could be coming to them soon as the best players on their team are starting to regress having played so long in the NFL. They also have not had the ability to draft some of the top young players coming into the league due to them trading away their first-round picks. As of this season, the Rams still have some great players on the team, but the team is expected to keep going downhill until they can fully rebuild it.
4.) Arizona Cardinals
Record Prediction: (2-15)
Offseason Additions: The best new player that the Cardinals will have this year will be Paris Johnson, the left tackle out of Ohio State that was selected with the sixth overall pick in the draft this year. Johnson will be a key piece for the future as he will be trusted to protect the blindside from any quarterback they may have. One other major change to the team this year is their brand-new head coach Jonathon Gannon, the defensive coordinator for the Eagles over the last two seasons.
Returning Players: Due to Kyler Murray tearing his ACL late in the season last year, Joshua Dobbs will be the starting quarterback for the Cardinals going into this year. His lead targets will be the young speedsters Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown as the main receivers and the veteran Zach Ertz at tight end. The Cardinals will also have James Connor at running back to take many carries. On the defensive side of the ball, their best returning player is Budda Baker, the five-time Pro Bowl and 2021 First Team All Pro safety.
Why they are ranked here: The Cardinals were looking like they were going to be one of the rising teams a couple of years ago with Kyler Murray proving to be a great quarterback at a young age and a lot of talent being built around him. However, since then they have continued to go downhill as Kyler will miss most, if not all of the upcoming season and his relationship with the organization continues to deteriorate. Additionally, many of those talented players have left the team which has left the Cardinals in a bad situation. All signs point to the Cardinals going into a full rebuild which could take them a while to get back to the top.
NFC North
1.) Detroit Lions
Record Prediction: (12-5)
Offseason Additions: Two of the best free agent signings that the Lions made this offseason were with David Montgomery at running back who will split some of the carries in the backfield and C.J. Gardner Johnson at safety who will provide some much-needed help to that secondary. Detroit also had some very good draft picks with their first-round picks Jahmyr Gibbs, the running back out of Alabama, and Jack Campbell, the linebacker out of Iowa. Jahmyr Gibbs has the ability to become an incredible weapon as he has shown potential to become a threat in the passing and running game. Jack Campbell can also prove to be a great player as he has the size and explosiveness to become a great linebacker.
Returning Players: The Lions will have the reliable veteran quarterback Jared Goff at quarterback to lead the offense. Goff will also have some solid targets to throw to with the rising star Amon-Ra St. Brown with Marvin Jones and Josh Reynolds filling in for Jameson Williams while he is out on suspension. On the defensive side of the ball, their best returning players will be Aidan Hutchinson, the second-year star defensive end who shows a lot of potential for the future, and Kerby Joseph, the safety who was also selected in the 2022 draft.
Why they are ranked here: Coming out of last season’s surprising success that ended with them barely being left out of the playoffs, the Lions are looking like they have a bright future ahead of them. Detroit has continued to load up on some young talent throughout the draft and through free agency that can help take them above their results from last year and make a push for the playoffs by the time the season ends.
2.) Minnesota Vikings
Record Prediction: (11-6)
Offseason Additions: The biggest addition to the Minnesota Vikings over the offseason was their first-round pick Jordan Addison, the 21-year-old receiver out of USC. Addison could be a great pick as he will look to fill the shoes Adam Thielen, the precious receiver, left when he signed with the Panthers. With this addition to the offense, the Vikings will continue to have one of the top receiving corps in the NFL.
Returning Players: Kirk Cousins, the reliable veteran quarterback that will head into his 11th season in the NFL, will lead out the high-powered Vikings offense. Cousins will have many great targets to throw to with Justin Jefferson, the 24-year-old receiver that is known as one of the best in the NFL, K.J. Osborn at receiver, and the young star T.J. Hockenson at tight end. The Vikings will also give Alexander Mattison the starting nod at running back for the first time going into a season. On the defensive side of the ball, the best returning Vikings playmakers will be the star edge rusher Danielle Hunter as the lead pass rusher and the veteran star Harrison Smith at safety.
Why they are ranked here: The Vikings came off a great season last year that ended in disappointment after they lost to the Giants in the wild card round of the playoffs. They should be able to continue some of that success that they have had recently in the regular season as they continue to have some great playmakers on their team. However, if Kirk Cousins is their quarterback, they may be able to win games in the regular season and struggle against some of the better teams in the NFL if they reach the playoffs.
3.) Chicago Bears
Record Prediction: (6-11)
Offseason Additions: The most notable offseason addition to the Bears is from the trade with the Panthers that sent them the 26-year-old superstar receiver D.J. Moore. Moore will be a great new player for Chicago as their new lead receiver. In addition, the Bears used their first-round pick on Darnell Wright, the offensive tackle out of Tennessee. Wright will be expected to help with the glaring need for protection on the offensive line for Justin Fields.
Returning Players: Chicago will have Justin Fields, the 24-year-old rising quarterback who showed some great flashes of his potential last season, as the leader of the offense. Fields will also have his favorite young targets with Darnell Mooney at receiver and Cole Kmet at tight end. The Bears will also be giving the young running back, Khalil Herbert, the starting nod going into the season. On the defensive side of the ball, the returning players that show the most potential are Jaylon Johnson at cornerback and both Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker as their safeties.
Why they are ranked here: The Bears are another team that looks like they have a bright future due to the amount of potential they have built up on the offensive side of the ball. If Justin Fields continues to develop as a passer, Chicago could have one of the best offenses in their division which benefits with many possible wins in the future. However, their defensive side is not as strong and skilled as the Bears offense. If the Bears can continue their progress in rebuilding their team and improve on their defense, they could be able to make a playoff push in a couple of years.
4.) Green Bay Packers
Record Prediction: (5-12)
Offseason Additions: The most notable additions to the Green Bay Packers in the offseason were through the draft in which they were able to get Lukas Van Ness, the linebacker out of Iowa, and Luke Musgrave, the tight end out of Oregon, with their first and second-round picks.
Returning Players: The Packers will have Jordan Love, their first-round pick back in 2020, as the starting quarterback going into a season for the first time in his career. However, Love has some very big shoes to fill as he will be the replacement for Aaron Rodgers, the future hall of fame quarterback that spent 18 seasons with the Packers. Love will have a very young receiving core with the Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs as the lead receivers. Green Bay will also have the star running back Aaron Jones coming back that will look to carry a large workload going into the season. On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers have the superstar defensive tackler, Kenny Clark, the lockdown cornerback Jaire Alexander, and Darnell Savage to help cover the skies as well.
Why they are ranked here: The Packers are another team looking to rebuild for the future. However, there has been some buzz around Jordan Love over minicamp and preseason as he has proven to have some great accuracy on his passes. If Love turns out to be what the Packers hoped he would be when they drafted him, they would be in a great situation to turn around the team. Until then, Green Bay will need to stack up on some talented young players that can continue to develop until the team is more well-rounded.
NFC South
1.) New Orleans Saints
Record Prediction: (11-6)
Offseason Additions: The biggest change to the Saints this offseason was from the quarterback position as they have brought in Derek Carr, the four-time Pro Bowl veteran quarterback from the Las Vegas Raiders. New Orleans has a lot of hope that Carr can turn out to be the quarterback that they need to put them on the top of the division and make the playoffs. The Saints were also able to sign Jamaal Williams, the talented running back who split carries for the Lions last year. New Orleans used their first-round pick on Bryan Bresee, the defensive tackle out of Clemson.
Returning Players: The Saints will have a very talented receiving corps coming back this year with Chris Olave, who ended second in last year’s voting for the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Michael Thomas, the former dominant receiver in the league before missing most of his games in the last few years due to injuries. They will also have Alvin Kamara, the five-time Pro Bowl running back that is a threat in both the passing and running game, coming back in October from suspension. On the defensive side of the ball, the Saints have the eight-time Pro Bowler Cameron Jordan to highlight the defensive line, the superstar linebacker Demario Davis, and the speedy trio of Tyrann Mathieu, Marshon Lattimore, and Marcus Maye as their top defensive backs.
Why they are ranked here: Coming off last year’s disappointing season for the Saints, they are already favorites to win the NFC South going into the new season due to how weak the division is. New Orleans has been able to stack up on some solid players over the last couple of years which could end up in more wins this year if everything works out the way it should. If Derek Carr is able to play quarterback at a consistently good level, the Saints will be able to make the playoffs this season and try to make a run.
2.) Atlanta Falcons
Record Prediction: (7-10)
Offseason Additions: The biggest addition to the Falcons this season will be Bijan Robinson, their first-round pick in the draft out of Texas that will be the starting running back. There is plenty of excitement around Robinson as many believe that he is a generational talent at the running back position and that he will fit in nicely with the Falcons offensive scheme that uses the run game quite a bit.
Returning Players: The Falcons will be led out by Desmond Ridder, the second-year quarterback that will be the starting quarterback going into the season for the first time. Ridder has some highly skilled players to throw the ball to. Their talent and precision will make a significant impact on the new season especially with the combination of Drake London at wide receiver and Kyle Pitts at tight end. On the defensive side of the ball, the best playmakers will be Grady Jarrett and Calais Campbell on the defensive line, young stars A.J. Terrell and Jeff Okudah at cornerback, and the combination of Jessie Bates and Richie Grant as the safeties.
Why they are ranked here: The Falcons have acquired some very talented players throughout the draft over the past couple of years and hope to continue that trend as they wait to see what the rookie Bijan Robinson can do. However, there are a lot of uncertainties around the other positions on the team and especially the quarterback position. If Desmond Ridder shocks the world, the Falcons will be in a great spot for future seasons to win games. However, due to the number of uncertainties on this team, they may have a harder time winning games this year.
3.) Carolina Panthers
Record Prediction: (5-12)
Offseason Additions: The biggest additions to the Panthers over the offseason came from the offensive side as they have been looking to rebuild a major portion of the team. After trading up in the draft to get the first overall pick, Carolina selected Bryce Young, the talented quarterback out of Alabama. There is a lot of hope for Young and what he can develop into at the quarterback position after proving his ability to extend plays by escaping the pocket and being highly accurate at Alabama. Carolina also added a couple of talented free agents to the roster with the signing of the veteran and two-time Pro Bowl receiver Adam Theilen, young receiver D.J. Chark, and Miles Sanders, who has spent all three of his seasons with the Eagles. They also ended up signing Hayden Hurst, who spent some time as Joe Burrow’s tight end in Cincinnati.
Returning Players: After the reset over the offseason, the best returning players for the Panthers are on the defensive side of the ball. The leaders of the defensive line will be Derrick Brown, the 25-year-old star defensive tackle who is going into his third season, and Brian Burns, the 25-year-old star edge rusher who will be going into his fourth season. The returning playmakers in the secondary for the Panthers are Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson as the corners with Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods as the safeties.
Why they are ranked here: The Panthers are yet another team that look to have a bright future ahead of them as they have made a huge step in the right direction with the amount of young talent that they loaded up on the offense. However, the Panthers are expected to have plenty of struggles this season as their number one mission will be to develop Bryce Young so he can be their franchise quarterback of the future. Even though they might not do that well this season, Panthers fans should be happy about the way the team is going and what they can potentially be in future seasons.
4.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record Prediction: (2-15)
Offseason Additions: The biggest change for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the offseason was the signing of Baker Mayfield, the quarterback who is a former first-round pick who many people had high expectations for before his struggles in his five seasons of play. Mayfield will be filling in the hole left by Tom Brady, the future hall of fame quarterback who is considered to be the greatest player to ever play the game. However, due to Mayfield’s past struggles it looks like he is just a fill in until the Buccaneers can find a true franchise quarterback.
Returning Players: Tampa Bay has some very good receivers with the star duo of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans that have proven to be both a dominating and healthy pair. Buccaneers also have Rachaad White, the second year running back that proved to be a weapon in the passing and running game near the end of last years the season. On the defensive side, the Buccaneers have many great playmakers returning to the team. Their best players on the defensive line are the veterans Vita Vea and Shaquill Barrett. Tampa Bay also has main linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White. The best players in the Tampa Bay secondary are Carlton Davis at corner and Antoine Winfield at safety.
Why they are ranked here: Like the Rams, the Buccaneers went all out to win the Super Bowl back in 2020 but are starting to face the consequences of giving away a huge portion of their future to get there. With most of their good players starting to regress and the loss of Tom Brady, the Buccaneers are expected to struggle for a while until they can build up some young talent again.
