Analysis
5/14/22
14 min read
Every NFL Team's Biggest Needs in 2023
While the NFL Draft past only two weeks ago, teams never stop looking for ways to improve their teams and identifying how they can improve going forward. With players leaving every year in free agency and only a finite amount of cap space available, each team needs to carefully construct their roster while keeping their future needs in mind.
Here we anticipate what every team will need to add to their roster in 2023 based on the current makeup of their projected 53-man squad and their future free agents:
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona has many needs to fill on the defensive side of the ball. Per Sports Info Solutions, they ranked 27th in pressure percentage and did not look to fill that hole in the draft. Their cornerback depth is also stretched thin as Byron Murphy is on the last year of his deal. On the opposite side of the ball, offensive line depth to protect franchise quarterback Kyler Murray is a necessity, as well as addressing the receiver position with an aging AJ Green and Christian Kirk departing in free agency.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are another in need to upgrade the offensive and defensive fronts of their team. They extended Grady Jarrett and drafted Arnold Ebekite, which are solid starts. Offensively, McGary and Ifedi are free agents after this season and that will need to be a focus next offseason with, potentially, a young QB taking over in Ridder. If Ridder is the guy, more weapons in the receiving corps should be of need.
Baltimore Ravens
First and foremost. Extending Lamar Jackson should be priority number one and it should get done. Outside of that, after dealing Marquise Brown, their receiving unit consists of Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche II. Defensively, Marcus Peters is an UFA in 2023 and should be a priority. The Ravens also helped their defensive front in the draft with David Ojabo and Travis Jones. Ojabo will be coming off an Achilles injury, as well as last year's sack leader Tyus Bowser.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills will need to work on their offensive line heading into 2023. Saffold and Cody Ford will both be UFA in 2023. Dawson Knox and OJ Howard also become UFA in 2023 so Tight End will be of focus next off-season as well. Outside of that, the Bills are a team with not many holes other than a few depth spots.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers currently have the most cap space in the NFL, due to a restructuring of Christian McCaffery’s contract. However, Spotrac has them at 30th in 2023 cap space with $-28mm. Hasaan Reddick left this year in free agency, creating a loss of edge rushing ability. Sam Darnold will also be going into the final year of his rookie deal and it is still up in the air whether it will be him or Matt Corral to get the bulk of the snaps this season. Rashard Higgins and Brandon Zylstra were brought on this past season with one year deals so that leaves room for concern in 2023.
Chicago Bears
The Bears are going to have a few big decisions coming up. Roquan Smith and David Montgomery will be UFA in 2023 and both play a vital role on their respected sides of the ball. On top of that, the Bears only took one receiver in the 2022 Draft, in the the 3rd round. That will be a position of need moving forward in order to support a young quarterback. The Bears also spent a good amount of later round picks on OL and will be hopeful one or a few can prove to be starters or good depth role players.
Cincinnati Bengals
Defensive Backfield will be a position to focus on for 2023. Jessie Bates III is playing on the tag and Eli Apple will also be an UFA in 2023. Tight end is also another position where they have no one signed on after this year. Backup receivers Trent Taylor and Michael Thomas are also free agents after the season. While they have the talent in that room, depth is always a necessity in the NFL.
Cleveland Browns
Defensive Line will be a position of highlight going into the 2023 season. The Chase Winowich trade secured that position filled for this season, but he is on the last year of his rookie deal. Another Defensive End in Stephen Weatherly is also going to be a free agent. Another important note is Jack Conklin’s contract. It is voided 5 days into the 2023 league year, so bringing him back should be another top priority.
Dallas Cowboys
Dalton Schultz will be a free agent after this year. He has proved to be one of the better receiving tight ends in the league under Dak Prescott. Dante Fowler Jr. will also be a FA this season, along with NT Trysten Hill. They were also unsuccessful in holding onto Randy Gregory this off-season, so I could see the defensive line, in particular edge rusher, being an area of focus going into the 2023 season.
Denver Broncos
Denver will need to look to retain or add offensive line depth going into 2023. Dalton Risner and Billy Turner will both be UFA. Linebacker will also be another position of focus. Alex Singleton was brought in on a one year deal and most importantly will be retaining Bradley Chubb who is an UFA after this year.
Detroit Lions
Detroit will have many decisions to make on players going into the 2023 season. The receiving corps was immensely improved, in part by DJ Chark signing a one year “prove it” deal. The Lions will get to evaluate his performance and see if an extension is in play to cement that group for the future. A decision will also be needed to be made in the secondary with Jeff Okudah and Jerry Jacobs coming back from injury this season. Safeties Deshon Elliott and Will Harris will also be hitting free agency. The offensive line is a strong point of this team but the depth will be lacking heading into 2023, so upgrades to the back end will have to be made.
Green Bay Packers
Losing Davante Adams this past year will hurt any receiving room immensely. However, Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, and Sammy Watkins will hit free agency in 2023. They were able to add Christian Watson early in the second round but more talent will need to be added to that room heading into 2023. Tight end depth will be a question as well. Adrian Amos and Jaire Alexander are going to be priorities in the secondary to be resigned as well.
Houston Texans
Houston will initially need to decide whether Davis Mills will be their quarterback of the future after 2022. Marlon Mack will be a free agent in 2023, as will other running back Royce Freeman. Tight End will need to be a position of focus because Pharaoh Brown will be a free agent, leaving Brevin Jordan and 2022 5th round pick, Quitoriano Teagan. Overall, a lot of holes to fill all over but they have the draft capital to turn things around quicker than expected because of the Deshaun Watson trade.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts will have to evaluate their quarterback situation after acquiring the veteran, Matt Ryan. Quenton Nelson is priority number one for the Colts to resign and this should happen well before the end of the 2022 league year. Yannick Ngakoue will be a free agent and depending on his 2022 season will factor if he will be a part of the team’s future.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tight end is a position that opens up after this season as three will become UFA. Offensive Line is another position where depth will be a problem. Will Richardson and Brandon Murphy will be UFA and K.C. McDermott will be a RFA. Tackle was a position that was rumored to be in play for the number one overall pick this past year. Look to see the Jaguars potentially look to upgrade going into the 2023 season if Trevor Lawrence continues to see constant pressure.
Kansas City Chiefs
Defensive End is a position that stands out on the Chief’s roster. Karlaftis was just drafted in the first round and then there is Frank Clark, but the serviceable depth after that drops. This will need to be a position filled sooner rather than later, especially with the talented quarterbacks in the AFC West. KC will also have to extend or find replacements for their starting tackles, as they both are set to become free agents heading into 2023.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have some question along their offensive line and who will play guard or tackle, which will need to be figured out sooner rather than later. Running back is a position of note as their top two backs of Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake both become UFA. The secondary is another place where numerous spots become free agents such as Rock Ya-Sin and Jonathan Abram, among others.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers made very good additions this past offseason to fill holes in their roster, but there is still room to improve. There is not much depth behind Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. Derwin James is a notable name to be a free agent in 2023, same as free safety Nassir Adderley.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams lost Von Miller and have and will probably look to add a veteran pass rusher before the 2022 season, but look for another player with a one year deal and the Rams back on the market in 2023. Notable free agents in 2023 include A’Shawn Robinson, Rob Havenstein, Troy Hill, and kicker Matt Gay. Spotrac currently projects the Rams to have around $3mm in cap space in 2023. That number will obviously change but it will still be tough to bring back all those players.
Miami Dolphins
Mike Gesicki and Adam Shaheen are both UFA in 2023. Interior offensive line depth is also another concern for the dolphins, especially for a young QB and the versatile RB’s they added to their offense this past season.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings went into the 2022 Draft looking to upgrade the secondary and they did that using their first, second, and fourth round picks on the defensive secondary. Minnesota could look to add better depth at the edge rusher position. They added Za’Darius Smith this offseason, but after him and Everson Griffen, there is not much depth at the position. A decision will have to be made on Patrick Peterson’s future with the team after this season, as well as Garrett Bradbury.
New England Patriots
New England will be heading into the 2023 season with Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers to be free agents. They drafted Tyquan Thornton in the second round but additions will be needed next offseason. Devin McCourty will be 35 next year and a free agent is something to keep an eye out for as well.
New Orleans Saints
Tyrann Mathieu coming in to play safety fills a big defensive need for the Saints. Defensive tackle is going to be a position to watch out for as David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle are due to be free agents. Marcus Davenport and Bradley Roby will also be priorities to extend. This year will also be an evaluation year for Jameis Winston coming off a torn ACL to see if he will be the QB of the future.
New York Giants
New General Manager Joe Schoen will have his work cut out for him as they are in a tough cap situation. James Bradberry was recently released which leaves that corner spot void. Daniel Jones is also going to have to prove that he is the franchise QB of the future in New York. Saquan Barkley will need a bounce back season to prove he can be the player he was before the ACL tear and worthy of a new contract. John Feliciano and Blake Martinez are also a notable free agent pending into 2023.
New York Jets
The Jets filled a lot of holes in the 2022 Draft. Mekhi Becton will need to prove he can stay healthy this season. George Fant and Connor McGovern will be a free agents next offseason and will be extension candidates to keep protecting Zach Wilson.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles will have decisions to make along their defensive line next offseason as Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, and Javon Hargrave will all be UFA. Jason Kelce will hit free agency next year and Cam Jurgens was drafted in the second round to be next in line to take over the center position. Miles Sanders and Boston Scott will also be hitting free agency next season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers addressed their wide receiver depth in the 2022 Draft by adding George Pickens and Calvin Austin to help solidify that group, whether it is Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett at quarterback. Offensive line depth is going to be imperative to ensure the success of Kenny Pickett and Najee Harris in the backfield. At OLB, the Steelers have reigning DPOY T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith at the other end, but more depth will be needed at that position as it is pretty thin of talent behind. Heading into free agency this off-season, Stephon Tuitt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cam Sutton, Terrell Edmunds, and Devin Bush are all in line to be free agents. Maintaining that secondary is going to be a priority for the Steelers heading into 2023.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have been the talk of the town in terms of rumors. Jimmy Garoppolo still has not been dealt but it seems clear he will be gone before the 2022 season, leaving sophomore QB Trey Lance to take over for a team that was in the NFC Championship last season. Deebo Samuel has also been rumored to be unhappy and want out but John Lynch has indicated that he won’t be getting moved in the near future. Deebo will be a free agent next year and will be needing a big contract to keep him in the Bay Area. Outside of that, Alex Mack is a veteran and might be retiring and the center depth is thin, which is not ideal for a young QB. Jimmie Ward and Emmanuel Moseley are also a couple free agents in 2023 from the secondary.
Seattle Seahawks
The obvious question is the quarterback situation. Russell Wilson was dealt this off-season to Denver and in return received Drew lock, Noah Fant, and draft picks. It seems Seattle is content rolling with the other quarterbacks on their roster going into the 2022 season. Maybe it works out and the QB of the future is there in Drew Lock or Jacob Eason. However, if not, Seattle will have two first round picks next year and will definitely need to address it there. Seattle will also have a bunch of free agents after this season, D.K. Metcalf highlighting the group. He will certainly demand a big deal because of the talent he brings, but will he want to come back with the situation at quarterback? A big year of decisions ahead.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady returned and cleared up their Quarterback situation but after the reported massive broadcasting deal waiting for him once he retires, the quarterback position for the Bucs might be back to where it was when Brady initially retired. Lavonte David is one of the top inside linebackers in the game and will be a UFA after this season. Sean Murphy-Bunting is also a key piece of their secondary and will be a free agent as well. Retaining those pieces will help keep their defense as one of the top in the league.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans took Malik Willis in the 2022 Draft which might indicate a possible move from Ryan Tannehill in the near future. Tannehill has a potential out in his contract after this season where his dead cap number goes from $57mm to $18mm. If Malik Willis’ progression goes well and they are not as please with Tannehill, that could be something to keep an eye out for in 2023. Aside from Quarterback, Tight End is a position where Austin Hooper and Geoff Swain will become free agents. The Titans will also have questions needing to be answered this year along the offensive line. Nicholas Petit-Frere was selected this year to compete for the right tackle spot and that will remain to be seen.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders traded for QB Carson Wentz and look set to go with him in 2022. They also selected Sam Howell in the 2022 Draft, which could lead to a battle in 2023 if Wentz under performs. Terry McLaurin becomes a free agent and will be a priority extension candidate. Trai Turner came in and signed a one year deal to help with the loss of Brandon Scherff in Free Agency.
