Training camp is fast approaching, and while there are still opportunities to make additional signings or trades, the roster is nearly complete after free agency and the draft. Looking back at the moves made so far, it’s clear that there are various levels of unknowns in each team’s roster.
Here are the most pressing needs for teams across the AFC:
AFC North Division
Bengals: Running back
Cincinnati was very selective with its free agent acquisitions and draft picks this offseason. The losses of defensive tackle DJ Reeder and offensive tackle Jonah Williams were filled with the signings of Sheldon Rankins and Trent Brown. The return of safety Vonn Bell gives the unit some stability. The draft picks of defensive tackles Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinley Jackson, cornerback Josh Newton, offensive tackle Amarius Mims and wide receiver Jermaine Burton added depth at key positions.
Following the trade for running back Joe Mixon, the Bengals signed running back Zack Moss from Indianapolis. The Bengals are hoping Moss can step up and become a go-to guy, or second-year running back Chase Brown will be forced to step in.
Browns: Linebacker
Cleveland boasts the best roster in the league, and the Browns have no need for a player who could jeopardize their team’s efforts. He has All-Pro potential. But the rest of that unit is up in the air, with veterans Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush competing with youngsters Nathaniel Watson, Tony Fields and Mohamed Diabaté for spots.
Ravens: Offensive Guard
Baltimore is currently in position to start two offensive linemen who played a combined 191 offensive snaps in the NFL last season. Utility man Patrick Mekari can fill any role asked of him, but the Ravens traded Morgan Moses to the Jets and veteran offensive guard Kevin Zeitler signed with the Lions. Roger Rosengarten was drafted in the second round as a replacement right tackle, and Andrew Voorhees, a seventh-round pick last year, is projected as the starter at left guard. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley has struggled with injuries in recent years. There are many unknowns with this unit.
With defensive coordinator Mike McDonald accepting the head coaching job in the Pacific Northwest, there’s even more mystery surrounding how the defense will perform this season. Edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney and linebacker Patrick Queen are no longer on last year’s roster. Will they be able to foster an adequate pass rush with Odafe Oweh, David Ohagbo, Kyle Van Noy and Adisa Isaac?
Steelers: Wide Receiver
Prior to the Deontaie Johnson trade, much of the buzz was focused on the cornerback and offensive tackle positions. Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and cornerback Donte Jackson were options, but having either start would have been frustrating all season, so the team drafted Troy Fautanu to fill the starting offensive tackle position.
With Johnson gone, Pittsburgh has few players to turn to outside of George Pickens, Calvin Austin III will assume a larger role and the hope is that rookie Roman Wilson can quickly adapt to the NFL.
AFC South
Colts: Cornerback
Indianapolis was able to re-sign wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and keep a defensive line that played very well when all of its talent was in place.
The most pressing need is at cornerback. There was a chance of acquiring Rujarious Snead even before Tennessee pulled the trigger. The team added depth by drafting at the position in 2023, but they still need a lockdown cornerback on one side who can open up the defense.
Jaguars: Cornerback
Jacksonville’s offensive line needs to be more consistent, but the Jaguars made some tweaks to the unit this offseason. Cam Robinson available for a full season, Anton Harrison and Walker Little getting another year and veteran leadership from center Mitch Morse should provide some stability.
Darius Williams was a casualty of the team’s salary cap consolidation efforts, and he was replaced by 30-year-old Ronald Darby.
Texans: Defensive tackle
Defensive tackles Sheldon Rankins, Malik Collins and Tear Tart were not on last year’s roster. They signed veterans Folorunso Fatukasi and Denico Autry, but the position remains worth watching. As much as I respect Autry and the career he’s had, he’s 33 years old.
Cornerback, opposite Derek Stingley Jr., and center are also positions to watch. Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter was drafted in the second round and is the top of the clubhouse to start opposite Stingley.
Titans: Defensive line
Tennessee’s defense is a new face in head coach Brian Callahan’s first season and leaves a lot to be desired, with a lineup that highlights second-year quarterback Will Revis.
Tennessee’s defensive line has changed dramatically over the past few years, losing key players like Denico Autry and Teare Tartt, and everyone outside of Jeffery Simmons is out of place. The team added former Longhorns T’VonDre Sweat and KeonDre Coburn, but that doesn’t make the picture clear. The Titans need to find a way to apply pressure more consistently after finishing in the bottom five in team pressure rate last year (per TruMedia).
AFC East
Bills: Interior offensive line
Wide receiver, defensive tackle, safety and linebacker are positions that may already have answers on the roster, even if the team as a whole still has a lot to prove.
The options were cornerback or interior offensive line. Rasul Douglas has played really well since being traded from Green Bay. Christian Benford and Kaiah Elam are again tasked with playing opposing defenses now that Tre’Davious White has been shipped to Los Angeles. Connor McGovern moved from offensive guard to center this offseason, and the team signed David Edwards in free agency. It could work out, but there’s a lot of uncertainty from last season.
Dolphins: Defensive tackle
The Dolphins are a good example of a team that took more out of the offseason than they added. Offensive guard Robert Hunt, defensive tackles Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis and linebacker Jerome Baker are all gone. Edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah and cornerback Xavien Howard were waived and center Connor Williams remains unsigned. Draft picks have added a potential pass rusher, a replacement for Terron Armstead and competition at running back, but they have done little to address talent deficiencies in specific areas.
They signed Neville Gallimore, Teare Tartt, Da’Shawn Hand, Benito Jones and Callais Campbell in an attempt to build a respectable defensive line while competing with Zach Seeler.
Jets: Safety
There’s every chance they’ll get some bad luck this season with 32-year-old C.J. Mosley at linebacker, but safety is the easier choice. New York returns Chuck Clark and Tony Adams from injuries, but will that be enough?
There are also questions about Haason Reddick’s future with the team, and if he sits out this season, that will put undue pressure on the shoulders of former first-round draft pick Will McDonald IV.
Patriots: Offensive tackle
The selections at wide receiver and offensive tackle were tough battles. Both are important needs, but it all starts with the offensive line. If that doesn’t gel, the rest means very little. At wide receiver, there are at least a few interesting young players, including Jalynn Polk and Javon Baker.
The Steelers signed Chukwuma Okorafor from Pittsburgh as a free agent but have already determined he isn’t good enough to start in the Steel City. He is the team’s leading option at third tackle. Mike Onwenu is projected as the starter at right tackle and has filled that role well thus far.
AFC West
Broncos: Offensive line
Denver has one of the worst roster depth charts in the NFL, with the offensive line being a particular concern. Lloyd Cushenberry left the team in free agency, and Denver’s interior offensive line is made up of Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg and Quinn Miners. During his time in New Orleans, Sean Payton has consistently invested big-money draft assets into the offensive line every year, but the offensive line hasn’t necessarily been a strength for a Broncos team heralding a new era at quarterback.
Chargers: Wide receiver
Coach Jim Harbaugh wants to build a tough, physical football team, which means first and foremost tenacity on the field, which led him to draft Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick. The wide receiver position is in high demand after trading for Keenan Allen and releasing Mike Williams. Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey are likely candidates to start at the plate when the season begins. DJ Chark and Brenden Rice are likely to be the secondary picks.
Cornerback is also a significant area of weakness.
Chiefs: Offensive tackle
As a fan of Waniya Morris heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, it’s a stretch to think the former Oklahoma right tackle could slip seamlessly into left tackle, with Kingsley Suamataia being added to add to the competition.
Cornerback is a primary need with the departure of Rujarious Snead this offseason. It will be interesting to see if they play Trent McDuffie, the game’s rising star, on the boundary or keep him in the slot. Joshua Williams, Jalen Watson, Chamari Connor and Najee Johnson will compete for the remaining two starting spots.
Raiders: Cornerback
The quarterback outlook isn’t great, but there’s not much that can be done about that at this stage of the offseason. Cornerback is the bigger problem. Jack Jones was a good find on waivers, but the team lost Amik Robertson in free agency. Nate Hobbs is a great player. Expect Ja’Korian Bennett or DeCamerion Richardson to step up and grab the starting spot. Both of those guys were drafted in the fourth round the past two years.
Linebacker and defensive tackle are secondary needs.
