Defense

This team has a lot of new faces up front and at LB, but there are a number of returning players with significant playing time in the secondary.  Not having spring practice and having a fall camp that has been less than typical means they may be sorting some stuff out on the fly.  I’m still a bit uncertain of what we will see from the defensive line but there is one constant I can count on when it comes to Iowa’s defense, Phil Parker.  I’ve learned that no matter what kind of turnover the Hawkeyes are facing, never underestimate Phil Parker. 

Defensive Line

Defensive End Starters:  Chauncy Golston (Sr), John Waggoner (Soph)

Golston is the one known commodity at DE for the Hawkeyes.  He started last year opposite AJ Epenesa and he’s a solid player.  However, he needs to be more than solid for this Hawkeye squad because they need a top pass rusher and he’s the best bet.  Golston could really improve his draft position with an excellent senior year and he would really improve the Hawkeye defense too.  It will be interesting to see if he can raise his game.  At this point, John Waggoner is the best guess as the other starter at DE.  He was a backup last season and while a guy like Joe Evans plays there too, Evans is more of a pass rush specialist than full-time DE.  Waggoner is not guaranteed the spot by any means and there was talk during the spring that the coaching staff was going to try him inside at DT and try Logan Lee outside at DE, that could still be the plan but at this point it’s hard to say. 

Defensive End Backups:  Zach VanValkenburg (Sr), Joe Evans (Soph), Logan Lee (RS Fr) Matt Lorbeck (Sr)

I’m listing four backups because I truly don’t even know who the second starter is going to be and these guys can all be in the rotation so it could be any of them. VanValkenburg was a transfer last season and as a senior he has a lot of playing time in his career. He is versatile enough to play both inside and outside and that might make him better suited as a backup but his experience could give him a shot at starting.  Evans isn’t likely to be a starting DE simply because he lacks the size to play on running downs and he’s mostly a pass rushing specialist.  He fills that role quite well and he should continue to do so as he develops physically.  Logan Lee is an intriguing piece on the d-line.  As a true freshman last season, he practiced at DT and earned quite a bit of praise from the coaching staff.  He was originally a TE recruit who also was a two-time state wresting champ in high school so he’s a very athletic player.  I really like the idea of playing him at DE and seeing what he could do.  Matt Lorbeck is a transfer from Northern Illinois who had planned on redshirting as a graduate transfer and then using his one season of eligibility next year.  However, when the NCAA basically made this season a freebie due to COVID-19 Lorbeck’s plans changed. He will be in the mix this year and he has plenty of experience from his time at NIU. 

DE Depth:  Taajhir McCall (RS Fr), Chris Reames (RS Fr), Deontae Craig (Fr), Lukas Van Ness (Fr), Ethan Hurkett (Fr)

McCall and Reames redshirted last year and they still have some developing to do before they will be major players at DE but there is a potential there for both of them.  Craig is a true freshman who could break through as a pass rushing specialist given his talent level.  Van Ness and Hurkett are true freshman likely to redshirt this season. 

Defensive Tackle Starters: Daviyon Nixon (Jr), Jack Heflin (Sr)

It’s been a while since Iowa had two big DTs at the same time, usually the team looks more like last year’s squad with a big man (Cedrick Lattimore) and a smaller, quick guy (Brady Reiff).  Nixon was a backup last year and he’s looks ready to break out at one spot.  He played well last season and he’s a beast at 6’3 and over 300 lbs. He has the potential to be more of a playmaker on the inside than Lattimore was he just has to show it this season.  The team was looking at having Austin Schulte step into the Reiff role until Heflin transferred in from Northern Illinois.  It’s possible Kirk Ferentz and Phil Parker will be more comfortable starting a known commodity in Schulte, who is a senior, he’s earned their trust with hard work.  However, Heflin started at Northern Illinois and the Iowa coaching staff is quite familiar with him.  They wouldn’t have taken him as a transfer if they didn’t think he was worth it and I think his talent eventually wins the job.  Heflin would actually make Nixon the “little” DT since he’s 6’4 315 lbs.  He should be a monster on the inside and with both Nixon and Heflin at DT this defense will be tough to run on and should be strong up the middle. 

Defensive Tackle Backups:  Austin Schulte (Sr), Noah Shannon (Soph)

Schulte is a senior who has paid his dues and given his all to this team his entire career and while he may not end up being a starter, he will play plenty.  Iowa’s coaching staff places a lot of importance on trusting a player to do what he’s supposed to do and be where he’s supposed to be and Schulte does those things.  Shannon is still a developing player and it may be his inconsistency that holds him back a bit.  These two are the smaller DTs who play the game a bit differently than Nixon and Heflin but Iowa likes to mix and match their DTs so both of these guys will get in a rotation and give the defense some different looks.  You will also see Zach VanValkenburg get some snaps inside so there is some good depth here. 

DT Depth:  Dalles Jacobus (Sr), Jake Karchinski (RS Fr), Yahya Black (Fr), Isaiah Bruce (Fr), Logan Jones (Fr)

Jacobus is a senior walk-on who could possibly see some time based on the trust the coaches have in a senior who’s put in his time.  Karchinski redshirted last year so he could bulk up and he’s still in that process.  Black, Bruce and Jones are all true freshmen who need some time to develop and mature physically.  There is some speculation that Black doesn’t remain on the defensive line and moves over to the offensive side but so far that’s still just speculation.  I don’t know if the coaches plan on playing Bruce or Jones but I have seen Jones in person and while he isn’t DT big, that kid is well put together. 

Linebacker

Starters: LEO Nick Niemann (Sr), MLB Jack Campbell (Soph), WLB Barrington Wade (Sr)

Niemann is the LEO linebacker, which in Iowa vernacular, is the strongside LB.  He plays the position well and he is a multi-year starter.  He is the most reliable player at the position overall and the coaching staff trusts him.  If for some reason Jack Campbell doesn’t take to the MLB position like they hope I would guess they will turn to Niemann first.  They are looking to get their best lineup out there which would be Campbell playing the middle so Niemann can stay at LEO. 

Campbell became the de-facto starting MLB when Dillon Doyle transferred this summer after the whole situation with his dad, former strength coach Chris Doyle, led to him leaving.  Campbell would have been Doyle’s competition for the MLB spot but it’s his now.  He’s a talented kid with very little experience but he’s the best bet for now.  Part of the reason he’s the best bet is the fact there really isn’t a true MLB prospect among the rest of the depth chart.  That’s also why Niemann might be the next best option.  

Djimon Colbert would have been the starter at weakside LB but he is opting out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns.  Whatever his reason is, he is making the best choice for himself and the team will deal with his absence.  Barrington Wade is the most likely to step in for Colbert for now.  Wade is a senior who was earning more playing time last season and he can handle the job.  Truthfully, the Hawkeyes will probably look to use more two LB schemes along with the CASH position which will limit LB snaps overall.  It’s possible Wade plays along side Niemann with Campbell going to the bench in those alignments if only because Campbell lacks experience.  Iowa has a number of combinations it can use at LB and Phil Parker will likely scheme based on matchups. 

Backups: Seth Benson (Soph), Jestin Jacobs (RS Fr)

Benson has been a solid young player with some potential and he’s going to get a chance to play some more snaps now as he moves up the depth chart.  It will be interesting to see if he can steal some time from Wade or Campbell based on matchups.  Jacobs redshirted last year as he was recovering from an injury and he needed some time to bulk up.  He should be an excellent addition as a very athletic LB added to the mix.  I can see Phil Parker playing different combinations of two or three LBs out of his top five guys based on the team they are playing and how much he wants to use the CASH position.   

Depth:  Logan Klemp (So), Yahweh Jeudy (RS Fr), Jay Higgins (Fr)

The depth at LB has taken a few hits over the years with some transfers leaving Klemp, Jeudy and Higgins as young guys looking to make a move. Klemp has a little more time in and Jeudy and Higgins are still focused on physical development and contributing however they can.  There are only two seniors in Niemann and Wade but they are likely to play a lot so there will be open playing time moving forward. 

Defensive Backs

CASH Starter:  Dane Belton (Soph)

Amani Hooker started the CASH position for the Hawkeyes two years ago and it worked well because he was just the versatile talent needed to inhabit it.  Last year, the team tried DJ Johnson at the position and he failed to be the same player.  Then after going away from it for a few games true freshman Dane Belton stepped into the spot and proved a worthy successor to Hooker.  Now as a sophomore Belton will fill the position again unless the team needs him more at strong safety.  I think Belton will be the CASH most of the time simply because Iowa has more options at strong safety than they do here.  It takes a unique talent to play here and until another young player shows they can handle it; Belton might be the only player able to do it.  I’m not listing a backup because right now, I don’t know if there is one.

Safety Starters:  FS Jack Koerner (Jr), SS Kaevon Merriweather (Soph)

Merriweather started the first game last year at FS and promptly got injured and was replaced by Koerner.  By the time Merriweather returned healthy Koerner had established himself as the starter and Merriweather never regained his spot.  Koerner was a walk-on who knows what to do and where to be and he follows a long line of walk-on safeties to become starters and earn a scholarship for Iowa under Phil Parker.  Koerner had an accident on a lake this summer but one positive of starting the season even later is Koerner has had plenty of time to heal up and he should be ready to go.  Merriweather at least has some starting experience at safety which is more than I can say for the rest of the depth chart.  He may be better suited at FS but he can handle SS and he gives the back end of the defense two guys who can cover deep and come up in run support.  The versatility of both of these guys should pay off for the Hawkeyes in coverage. 

Safety Backups:  Sabastian Castro (RS Fr), Dallas Craddieth (Soph)

These two players are talented guys that are easy to be excited about.  I really like Castro and I think he gives Merriweather some real competition at SS.  He had excellent high school film and he looks the part.  He could truly be an option at SS or CASH but for now, his inexperience leaves him as the backup.  Craddieth was a highly rated prospect coming in a few years ago who hasn’t put it together yet.  However, Iowa has had some late bloomers on the defensive side of the ball before so I’m not counting Craddieth out. 

Depth:  Henry Marchese (Jr), Reggie Bracy (Fr)

Bracy is a good, young talent coming in this year as a freshman and he may have the talent to play safety or even the CASH and coaches like him a lot.  Marchese is still on the roster and has moved back and forth from WR to DB, probably more than once.  He isn’t seeing the field on defense. 

Cornerbacks

Starters: Matt Hankins (Sr), Julius Brents (Soph) or Riley Moss (Jr)

Matt Hankins is a senior and the Hawkeyes would really appreciate it if he would break out and have a huge year this season.  He’s started for the last couple of seasons when healthy but has taken a backseat to guys like Josh Jackson and Michael Ojemudia.  Those two guys made the NFL so that’s understandable but there were times before those two seasons that people expected Hankins to the top guy, expectations abound for Hankins.  He is a talented player who needs to stay healthy and find the consistency to be a playmaker for this defense.  The other CB spot will be a dogfight between Julius Brents and Riley Moss unless Brents becomes a guy Phil Parker wants to try out at the CASH.  Both of these guys fought injuries last season but Brents sat out enough to retain his redshirt.  They both played as true freshmen two years ago and the potential was evident in both of them.  Both of them will get playing time and given recent history they will both start when Hankins gets banged up at some point. 

Backups: Terry Roberts (Soph), Jermari Harris (RS Fr)

Roberts stepped last season as a backup when there were injuries and ineffectiveness and played fairly well in limited duty.  He’s the fourth CB behind Hankins, Brents and Moss and that’s about where I would want him to be.  He’s a developing player but for now he’s best in a limited role. Harris was a true freshman last season who played in a couple of games so the coaches saw something in him.  There’s talent there, he just isn’t ready yet. 

Depth:  AJ Lawson (Fr), Daraun McKinney (RS Fr), Brendan Deasfernandes (Fr)

There is some good, young talent coming up and considering Iowa only has one senior at the CB position there are going to be some battles for playing time over the next several years.  Lawson looks the part of a great athlete playing CB.  McKinney was a quiet Phil Parker addition late in his recruiting class, that’s usually a good sign.  And Deasfernandes was that guy in this latest recruiting class, more good news.

Punter

Ryan Gersonde (Jr) is going to try to have a healthy season in his fourth year with the Hawkeyes and finally be the starting punter.  If he can’t stay healthy or is ineffective there is a 23-year old Australian rules football player, Tory Taylor (Fr), who came in this season and might steal the job.  Taylor is a novice but he’s a big kid with a big leg, apparently.  The other punter on the roster is Nick Phelps (Soph), he’s originally from Iowa and transferred in after being the backup punter at North Dakota St. for a year.  Hopefully one of these guys is good.    

Offense

Love him or hate him Brian Ferentz is back as the offensive coordinator for the Hawkeyes.  I’m not going to get into the off season stuff because at this point he’s still here and the team is moving forward.  As a play caller, Brian has gotten better over the years and if he can build on the success of what he did in the bowl game against USC, Iowa is in good shape.  This team has the best collection of skill position players of any Iowa team I can remember, that includes both Kirk Ferentz teams that won a share of the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl team.  Finding playmakers is not going to be an issue for the Hawkeyes.  The offensive line has the potential to be fantastic if everyone is healthy and they find some continuity.  The success of the Hawkeye offense is going to come down to one position, QB.  Spencer Petras, you’re up. 

Quarterback

Starter: Spencer Petras (Soph)

Petras is a third-year sophomore who saw some minor action last year as the backup to Nate Stanley.  No QB on the roster has any meaningful playing time which means we have no idea what anyone will look like when the games actually count.  Petras won the battle to be the backup last year and while he hasn’t had much practice time to win the job so far, he seems to have it anyway.  There was no spring practice and fall camp started late, then that was interrupted and even stopped for a time.  During all of this I’ve heard nothing but good things about Petras stepping up as a leader and organizing workouts with his receivers and trying to build some chemistry.  He has serious potential.  He has the size and arm strength you look for in a starting QB.  He is a smoother athlete than Stanley was and I think the ceiling on what Petras can be is actually higher than Stanley’s.  That’s saying a lot considering what Stanley accomplished at Iowa but if Petras can find the week-to-week, game-to-game consistency that Stanley never seemed to have, this offense could be electric. 

Backup:  Alex Padilla (RS Fr), Deuce Hogan (Fr)

Petras has stepped into the role of starter because he was essentially being groomed for it for the past year or so but that doesn’t mean the other two scholarship QBs on the roster are going to just accept it.  They will fight for the starting job but truthfully they are fighting each other for the backup role and the chance to be Petras’ eventual replacement.  Alex Padilla is a redshirt freshman who was supposed to push Petras during spring practice since he was the only other scholarship QB on campus back then.  Of course, that all changed when there was no spring practice.  Padilla is much smaller in stature compared to Petras and Hogan but he was a highly accomplished high school QB in Colorado and he can throw it all over the place.  He would certainly bring a different look to the position and while he has an extra year on campus compared to Deuce Hogan, he’s going to face a challenge.  Hogan is a much ballyhooed 4-star recruit out of Texas who really fits the Iowa QB mold of a big, tall pocket passer with a big arm.  He has already shown strong leadership skills in his recruitment of players in his class.  Hogan and Padilla should have a heck of a battle for the backup job.

Running Back

Starter: Tyler Goodson (Soph)

The Iowa Hawkeyes uncovered a foundational piece for their offense last year in true freshman RB Tyler Goodson.  He didn’t begin last year as the starter but he started to take over the bulk of the carries mid-season and never looked back.  Goodson is a special talent and you don’t have to be a football expert to notice.  He has a different gear running the ball but his real talent is his patience and ability to set up his blocks.  He’s a perfect fit for the Iowa offense and he should enjoy a great year behind a more consistent offensive line.  It has been too long since Iowa had a RB with this kind of talent. 

Backups:  Mekhi Sargent (Sr), Ivory Kelly-Martin (Jr)

If you doubt how good Goodson is just look at who he is starting ahead of on this team.  Sargent and Kelly-Martin have both been starters for the Hawkeyes in their careers.  Sargent was the starter to begin last season and was eventually replaced by Goodson.  Kelly-Martin was a starter a couple of years ago and lost his job to Sargent because of injury.  He actually played a little last season coming back from his injury and then decided to sit out and take a redshirt season since Iowa had enough backs to not need him.  Sargent has proven to be a valuable piece in the offense as a runner and a pass catcher.  He should continue to spell Goodson to keep him fresh.  Kelly-Martin is a bit of an unknown because he has essentially missed the last two seasons.  Before the injuries he was a multidimensional back with game breaking ability.  We will see if any of that ability is still there.  These are two very talented players who have had success running the football and they will try to find ways to contribute as backups to Goodson. 

Depth:  Shadrick Byrd (RS Fr), Gavin Williams (Fr), Leshon Williams (Fr)

The Hawkeyes have some nice young depth with these three freshmen.  Byrd is a bigger back with some power and a year of practice under his belt.  I would say he has a shot as the short-yardage back but there is no way Iowa is taking Goodson off the field when they need a yard or two. Williams and Williams are a pair of true freshmen we haven’t seen at all but they are talented young guys. 

Fullback

Turner Pallissard and Monte Pottebaum are two sophomores that look the part of typical Iowa fullbacks.  They have the unfortunate luck of playing FB in what seems like a new era for the Hawkeyes.  Certainly, there will be times Iowa lines up in their traditional I-formation but this team has way too much WR talent to not use a 3-receiver set a lot and Brian Ferentz still likes his two-TE sets too. 

Wide Receiver

Starters: Ihmir Smith-Marsette (Sr), Brandon Smith (Sr), Nico Ragaini (Soph)

I certainly cannot remember a time when I could say the Iowa Hawkeye WR corps is the strongest and deepest position on the Iowa roster.  It may be that the Hawkeyes start with only two WRs during any game (it would be Smith and Smith-Marsette) but essentially the best lineup has three WRs on the field.  Smith-Marsette (aka ISM) is the deep speed guy who is one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football.  He lit up USC in the Holiday Bowl last year and he’s looking to build on that performance.  He’s also looking to show NFL scouts that he’s one of the top WRs in college football.  ISM is also an excellent kickoff returner so he has value all over.  Brandon Smith is the big, physical receiver who likes to play outside and can be a monster in the red zone.  Smith is hard to handle because of his size and strength.  The offense is better when he’s lining up opposite ISM because their skill sets complement each other so well.  He also has NFL type talent.  Nico Ragaini is the perfect inside slot receiver with reliable hands, quick feet and knack for finding open space.  These three will take the bulk of the snaps and they offer Spencer Petras the opportunity to have an outstanding year.  If Petras just gets the ball to these guys as much as possible the offense is in good hands. 

Backups: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Soph), Max Cooper (Sr)

I’m only listing two guys as backups because Iowa is most likely to only use these five guys in any formations unless one of the younger guys forces their way on to the field with their play.  The young guys are going to have to play exceptionally well to break in to this rotation.  Tyrone Tracy started quite a bit last year with injuries to multiple starters because he happens to possess the skill to fill in at any of the WR positions.  That’s a great skill to have when you’re looking for playing time.  Tracy played well in almost all situations and while he sometimes drops an easy ball, he makes up for it with his playmaking abilities.  Getting Tracy the ball more would be a great idea if it didn’t mean taking it away from the top three guys.  Max Cooper is a guy who has fought some injuries but when he returned last season he took over as the punt returner and that’s not a job the coaching staff trusts to just anyone.  He can play the slot and gives the coaches a solid backup to Ragaini, in case Tracy is busy filling in one of the other spots. 

Depth:  Desmond Hutson (RS Fr), Calvin Lockett (Soph), Diante Vines (Fr), Charlie Jones (Jr)

Desmond Hutson impressed the coaches last season as a true freshman but they just had too much depth to consider playing him and burning his redshirt season.  Calvin Lockett is a sophomore who has simply been waiting his turn behind some very talented WRs.  Hutson and Lockett are the bigger receiver types.  Diante Vines is probably going to be in the same boat as Hutson was last season, a highly talented player who simply won’t be needed.  Vines is a dynamic playmaker but he’ll have to wait for Smith and ISM to graduate to open up some playing time.  Charlie Jones is a transfer from Buffalo, I’ve heard some good things but he might have to make his mark on special teams.  True freshman Quavon Matthews isn’t listed because he needs at least a year to get physically ready for B1G football.

Tight Ends

Starter: Sam LaPorta (Soph)

LaPorta was a true freshman last season and while it took some time for him to get going, he finally stepped into the void left by Hockenson and Fant once Shaun Beyer couldn’t seem to fill it.  LaPorta is a very good athlete who still hasn’t filled out physically so he can still get even better.  It will be interesting to watch him develop his chemistry with Petras and see if he becomes his security blanket.  He has a knack for getting open and he has the athleticism to threaten teams down the seams and make them pay when they double the guys outside.

Backup: Shaun Beyer (Sr)

Beyer is getting one more shot at this thing.  He dealt with injuries early in his career and had to sit behind the ridiculous duo of TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant, those things weren’t his fault.  Last year was supposed to be his chance and he got banged up again and lost the top spot to LaPorta.  Iowa likes to use multiple TEs so he still has a chance to become a big contributor but he needs to stay healthy and take advantage of every opportunity.  Talented kid, who deserves things to break his way his senior year (assuming he doesn’t take an extra COVID year next year. Yep that’s going to be a thing). 

Depth: Josiah Miamen (RS Fr), Elijah Yelverton (Fr), Luke Lachey (Fr)

These three guys are the reason Beyer will have to step it up this year.  LaPorta can’t do it all on his own and these are three talented athletes who can all bring something to the table.  They don’t have Beyer’s years of experience in the Iowa offense but they can make plays and that’s what will matter.  Oh, and they are young and healthy.   

Offensive Line

Starters: LT Alaric Jackson, LG Mark Kallenberger, C Tyler Linderbaum, RG Kyler Schott, RT Coy Cronk

While the Hawkeyes lost the most talented offensive lineman from last season, Tristan Wirfs, this unit has a chance to be better overall, let me explain.  The biggest issue with last year’s unit was consistency. When Alaric Jackson got injured to start the year it threw the line into chaos as Wirfs moved back and forth from RT to LT and back and guys came in and out of the lineup at guard.  By the end of the year, Jackson was back, even if he wasn’t 100%, and Kallenberger and Schott had stepped up and solidified the guard spots.  Coy Cronk isn’t going to be Tristan Wirfs at RT but he doesn’t have to be for this line to be excellent. 

Jackson returned to college instead of turning pro because he wanted to get healthy, dominate and show the NFL scouts how good he can be.  That’s a scary proposition for the rest of the B1G.  Coy Cronk is a transfer from Indiana who started at LT for three years before missing last season with an injury.  He came to Iowa to get healthy and prove he’s still a force in the conference.  He moves to RT and gives Iowa a pretty solid replacement for Wirfs.  The unsung star of this offensive line is Tyler Linderbaum at center.  He stepped in as a redshirt freshman last season, after being a defensive tackle his first year, and was fantastic.  He was so good NFL teams are already looking at him as one of the next top center prospects and he’s only been at the position a year. 

The two guard spots went through some issues last season and when Jackson got hurt and Wirfs moved, that moved a Paulsen twin to RT and others moved around and it was a mess.  When Kyler Schott stepped in, he played well and stabilized the RG spot.  Of course, then he got hurt.  More movement and more instability happened.  Once he came back at the end of the year he played well when he was healthy.  Mark Kallenberger did some shuffling too, playing guard, playing some RT and even playing some LT.  He finally settled in at LG next to Jackson and he played well.  He was though to be the next RT until Cronk transferred in and now, he should settle back in at LG.  With Schott and Kallenberger flanking Linderbaum on the inside it could actually because a strong point up front.   

Backups: OG/C Cole Banwart (Sr), OG Justin Britt (RS Fr), OT Jack Plumb (Soph), OT Nick DeJong (RS Fr) 

I’m only listing four backups because in reality the Hawkeyes would only like to have to play eight if necessary and that’s the five starters with Banwart and Britt rotating inside and Plumb maybe getting some time at OT.  Nick DeJong is a redshirt freshman walk-on the coaches really liked last year so he’s next.  The truth is, if the team needs to, plenty of these guys are cross trained to play multiple positions.  For example, if one of the starting OTs gets injured the likely first step is to slide Kallenberger outside to that spot and insert Britt or Banwart at LG.  At this moment, I’m not sure the coaches know who the backup center is given that last season’s backup center Jeff Jenkins left the team.  If I were a betting man, I would say Banwart would be the first choice because as far as I know he’s the only player to really take snaps at center other than Linderbaum.  Justin Britt actually started for a bit last year as a true freshman but got banged up and ended up taking his redshirt.  He’ll be in a dogfight with Kallenberger, Schott and Banwart to start at guard, and who knows maybe the team trains him at either center or even OT.  Plumb is a third-year sophomore who is finally filling out his frame and looking like a legitimate OT prospect.  He better play like one too because there are some guys coming up behind him.  The team has a ton of young talent coming up to keep the offensive line rolling for years but I’m not sure the coaches have decided where they all will play.  The backups even include two redshirt freshman and a sophomore. 

Depth:  Coy Kirkpatrick (Jr), Cody Ince (Soph), Tyler Endres (RS Fr), Noah Fenske (RS Fr), Josh Volk (Fr), Tyler Elsbury (Fr), Mason Richman (Fr)

I’m not sure it’s clear who the 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, and so forth, offensive linemen are but Coy Kirkpatrick and Cody Ince have more time in the program than the others.  Endres and Fenske join Britt and DeJong as redshirt freshmen while Volk, Elsbury and Richman are true freshmen this season.  Throw in the 2021 recruiting class and Iowa’s offensive line future is very bright.  I didn’t list positions on these guys because they are young and Iowa likes to develop guys a bit before they decide if a guy is going to be a guard, a tackle or a center and they usually train them at more than one spot early on anyway.   

Kicker

Starter: Keith Duncan (Sr)

I don’t usually talk about kickers much but Duncan is an interesting story. He hit a big kick to win a big game when he was a true freshman and then spent two years behind Miguel Recinos.  Last year he won the kicking competition and proceeded to have one of the best years ever for an Iowa kicker.  He should have won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s best kicker but got screwed out of it by that dude with the googles from Georgia.  One guy I’m really happy gets to have this season, even if it’s shortened is Duncan because he deserves a chance to win the award his year. 

Kickoff Specialist: Caleb Shudak (Sr)

Shudak considered transferring from Iowa but has returned and should handle kickoffs again, he’s excellent at that particular skill.   

Most Valuable Player

Contenders:  QB Patrick Mahomes, QB Lamar Jackson, QB Drew Brees, QB Tom Brady, RB Christian McCaffrey, QB Russell Wilson, QB Dak Prescott

Sleepers: QB Drew Lock

Mahomes and Jackson are the last two league MVPs and it’s quite possible these two just pass this award back and forth over the next decade or so.  Both players are immensely talented and play on teams that look like they will contend for a while.  Quarterbacks always have an advantage in the MVP race which is why this list has so many of them.  Drew Brees and Tom Brady may be older but both of them are on teams that should be major contenders and both could be considered sentimental favorites. As good as Russell Wilson has been throughout his career, he has still never even garnered a single MVP vote, that is one of the strangest stats ever. I don’t think he wins the award but I do think he gets votes this year.  Dak Prescott is often overlooked and Ezekiel Elliott usually gets more credit than him but I think voters take note this year as Prescott puts up some big numbers and the Cowboys win their division.  Christian McCaffrey went for over 1000 yards rushing and receiving last year and if he does it again this year, he’ll get some MVP votes.  Drew Lock is my sleeper because the Broncos offense is set up for him to put up some big numbers if all goes well.  He won’t win the award but he will have a good year. 

My Pick: Mahomes.  I know Jackson won it last year but that actually makes it more difficult to win again because you have to have an even better year than you had before and it has to be significantly better for people to notice.  Jackson suffered the same fate in college after winning the Heisman. It’s okay, he can take it back next year.  Mahomes has all the momentum coming off his Super Bowl MVP and the Chiefs are going to be great.  He wins his second MVP, but not his last. 

Offensive Player of the Year

Contenders: QB Patrick Mahomes, QB Lamar Jackson, RB Christian McCaffrey, RB Saquon Barkley, WR Michael Thomas, QB Kyler Murray, RB Alvin Kamara

Sleeper: RB Joe Mixon

Mahomes and Jackson are on this list for obvious reasons.  McCaffrey is also an obvious choice given the fact he goes for over 2000 yards combined.  Saquon Barkley is one of the most talented players in football and if he stays healthy, he can also go 1000/1000 like McCaffrey.  Alvin Kamara is another back with the potential to go 1000/1000 because he’s equally effective running and catching the ball.  Michael Thomas won this award last year because he had 149 catches last year, I think that’s some kind of record.  Kyler Murray put up some good stats last year as a rookie QB and this year he adds DeAndre Hopkins to his passing game, that’s going to help.  Joe Mixon doesn’t get talked about a lot but with Joe Burrow around to open up the passing game Mixon should have some extra room to run and he’s a talented guy. 

My Pick: McCaffrey.  He had almost 1400 yards rushing and just over 1000 yards receiving last year and that was with Kyle Allen being his QB.  Teddy Bridgewater is better and I think this year he gets over 1500 yards rushing and over 1200 receiving as the Panthers offense is a bit better than last year and he’s still carrying the load. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Contenders:  DE Aaron Donald, OLB Khalil Mack, OLB TJ Watt, OLB Chandler Jones, OLB Shaq Barrett, DE Nick Bosa, DE Myles Garrett, CB Stephon Gilmore, CB Jalen Ramsey

Sleeper: DE Yannick Ngakoue

Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack are guys that just belong on the list due to their long history of being great defensive players. It might work against them for the award at this point because their level of play is expected to be great.  Gilmore won the award last season, rightfully so, but that makes winning it again harder.  It will be tough for him to have a better season on a Patriots defense that has been compromised by free agency and Covid-19 opt outs.  Chandler Jones and Shaq Barrett were two of the best pass rushers in the league last season, this year they will try to not be overshadowed by their teams’ offenses.  Nick Bosa was a star as a rookie and took home defensive rookie of the year, he’ll be making this list for the foreseeable future.  Myles Garrett has to mend his reputation before he gets votes for DPOY but he’ll play well enough to be considered.  Jalen Ramsey is one of the best CBs in the game but he plays on the Rams and I don’t think he will get many votes.  TJ Watt broke out as one of the best OLB in the game last season.  Ngakoue will shine under Mike Zimmer in Minnesota and on a better overall defense than he played on in Jacksonville.

My Pick:  Watt.  TJ Watt is the leader of the Steelers defense this year and if the team had been better last season, he might have had more recognition.  With the offense set to rebound with Big Ben back the spotlight on Watt should be brighter.  He could have 15-18 sacks and have an even bigger impact than last year. 

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Contenders: QB Joe Burrow, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, WR Jerry Jeudy, WR Henry Ruggs III, WR Justin Jefferson, RB Jonathan Taylor, RB Cam Akers

Sleeper: RB D’Andre Swift

Burrow is the only rookie QB slated to start right away as Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa wait behind veterans.  Burrow is going to put ups some numbers even if they aren’t in the win column.  Clyde Edwards-Helaire got off to a great start for the Chiefs and he will continue that all season.  Jerry Jeudy is supposed to be the #2 WR behind Courtland Sutton but if Sutton’s shoulder injury lingers Jeudy will be asked to step up.  Ruggs is likely Derek Carr’s top target but the question is, does Carr have the arm to take advantage of Ruggs’ deep speed?  Justin Jefferson will be the #2 WR behind Adam Thielen, will he get enough usage to win this award?  Jonathan Taylor and Cam Akers are sitting behind veteran RBs right now but no one thinks that will last.  Both will be eventual starters, their chances at the ROY award comes down to how soon they take over the jobs.  Swift was one of my early favorites and he only becomes the sleeper because the Lions added Adrian Peterson and that means Swift has to climb over both Peterson and Kerryon Johnson to get the job. 

My Pick: Burrow.  This will be an interesting award.  The RBs are almost all in a time share except Edwards-Helaire and he will be overshadowed in an offense filled with playmakers.  The WRs are always a dicey proposition as rookies, usage and consistency can be issues.  Burrow is the high-profile player and he’s got some weapons in the passing game.  If the Bengals can keep him up right, he wins this award.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Contenders: DE Chase Young, DT Javon Kinlaw, LB Isaiah Simmons, LB Patrick Queen, LB Kenneth Murray, DT Derrick Brown, CB AJ Terrell

Sleeper: Antoine Winfield Jr.          

Let’s be honest, this is Chase Young’s award to lose.  He’s the best pass rusher of all the rookies and he’s almost assuredly going to get double digit sacks.  Washington isn’t a great team but they have a very good defensive line which means you can’t double Young all the time, he’s going to get his.  Javon Kinlaw isn’t a starter yet but he will be and the 49ers have a great defense. Derrick Brown is a starter but on a defense that isn’t great.  Simmons, Queen and Murray are all slated to be starters but they will have to put up huge numbers that stand out.  Queen and Murray should both play on top 10 defenses so that should help them stand out.  Terrell is the one rookie CB who is going to face the firing squad given the division he plays in, if he plays well, he could win the award.  Winfield is a playmaker and playing for Todd Bowles defense in Tampa is going to give him some opportunities to stand out.

My Pick: Young.  I’m not stupid, Young is going to have 12-15 sacks and be one of the best defensive players in the league even as a rookie.  He has Pro Bowl potential in his first year.

Playoff Predictions

This year the NFL starts their new playoff format with 14 teams meaning one more playoff team per conference.  Only the top seed gets a 1^st round playoff bye making it that much more important to have the best record in each conference.   

NFC Playoff Teams (* Wild Card teams)

Dallas

New Orleans

Minnesota

San Francisco

* Seattle

* Tampa Bay

* Green Bay

AFC Playoff Teams (*Wild Card teams)

Buffalo

Baltimore

Tennessee

Kansas City

* Pittsburgh

* Indianapolis

* Denver

NFC Championship Game

New Orleans over San Francisco

AFC Championship Game

Kansas City over Baltimore

Super Bowl

New Orleans over Kansas City

Drew Brees goes out a winner as he gets the Saints team over the playoff failures of the past few years, wins Super Bowl MVP and retires a champion. 

New Orleans Saints

You can’t start a discussion of the Saints offense without Drew Brees being front and center.  Brees is 41-years old, he missed five games last year and still nearly threw for 3000 yards.  The team has utility man Taysom Hill behind him but they hedged their bet by bringing in Jameis Winston also.  This team will only go as far as Brees takes them and this may be his last season so he plans to make it count.  WR Michael Thomas proved he’s one of, if not the best, WRs in the game last year and he is Brees’ favorite target.  They did finally find Thomas a legit #2 WR to take some pressure off of him by bringing in veteran Emmanuel Sanders, he is a major improvement at the position.  TE Jared Cook was also a solid weapon for Brees but he’s not getting any younger either.  The other major offensive weapon is RB Alvin Kamara.  He had to take over more of the running game last year after Mark Ingram left but Kamara is a dangerous player running or receiving and that’s what makes him special.  The offensive line has been one of the better ones for the past several years.  LT Terron Armstead, LG Andrus Peat and RT Ryan Ramczyk are established, high-level veterans.  Erik McCoy stepped in at center last season and proved quite capable.  This year, RG Cesar Ruiz was drafted in the first round and he steps in immediately.  The line shouldn’t miss a beat and that should keep the offense humming. 

The Saints defense doesn’t usually get mentioned with the best defenses in the NFL but Dennis Allen has done an excellent job for several years now and the they more than hold up their end.  Cam Jordan is one of the best and least talked about DEs in the game.  In the past seven years he’s had double digit sacks five times.  They drafted Marcus Davenport two years ago to be the starter opposite Jordan and it’s time for him to really show up.  Sheldon Rankins and Malcolm Brown are really good DTs even if people talk even less about them than they do Jordan.  At LB, Demario Davis is the elder statesman and he has proven to be an effective blitzer for Dennis Allen’s defense.  Alex Anzalone and Kaden Ellis are two young guys the team is trying to develop.  Keep an eye on rookie Zack Baun, he may not be a full-time player for them yet but he may be a situational guy that can make a difference.  CB Marshon Lattimore is a star at the position and the team got Janoris Jenkins from the Giants to play opposite him.  Janoris Jenkins has always been a talented CB with some off-the-field issues that sometimes get in the way of his abilities.  The team signed one-time Saint Malcolm Jenkins to come back at safety to give the back end of the defense a smart, steady veteran presence.  He’s a leader they hope will solidify the defense overall.  Marcus Williams is an emerging talent at the other spot they hope will learn from Malcolm Jenkins going forward. 

The Saints have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the past several years and yet they have three consecutive heart-breaking playoff losses that have killed them.  This is likely Drew Brees’ last season and I would think Sean Payton and the entire organization will be doing everything they can to win him a second Super Bowl.  This is arguably the most talented roster in the NFC, now it’s up to them to get over the playoff hump. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Apparently, the Bucs have new QB, it would be nice if the media covered these kinds of things a little bit.  Just to update you, the new Bucs QB is Tom Brady, yes, that Tom Brady.  Brady couldn’t be a bigger change from Jameis Winston.  Winston was a turnover machine who liked to chuck the ball down the field and hope for the best.  Brady is turnover averse, 20 years with Bill Belichick will do that to you, and he’s a better intermediate passer who always knows the best place to go with the ball.  This offense will offer Brady the best group of skill position talent he’s worked with since Randy Moss and Wes Welker were his WRs in New England.  Mike Evans is a prototypical #1 WR, he’s big, fast and talented.  He gives the offense a homerun threat. Chris Godwin is the move-the-chains guy that Brady will go to when he needs to keep a drive alive.  Brady convinced Rob Gronkowski to come out of retirement and give it another go down in Tampa but Gronk won’t be alone at TE.  The Bucs have OJ Howard, a talented youngster they hope Brady can unleash and Cameron Brate, a steady veteran.  The running game consists of Ronald Jones II, LeSean McCoy, rookie Ke’Shawn Vaugh and new addition Leonard Fournette.  Jones is the starter for now but that’s only because Fournette just signed.  I’m skeptical of Fournette because he’s disappointed for years in Jacksonville but he is the most talented back they have and he’s still young enough to be a real force.  McCoy is likely the third down back with Vaughn around for depth.  The offensive line wasn’t great last year but Brady will help because he won’t hold the ball too long like Winston did at times.  They return four starters; LT Donovan Smith, LG Ali Marpet, C Ryan Jensen and RG Alex Cappa.  The only new starter is rookie RT Tristan Wirfs.  He’s extremely talented and should prove an upgrade over the departed Demar Dotson. 

Most don’t realize that the Bucs actually had a top 10 defense last year overall.  Todd Bowles is an excellent defensive coordinator and he brought the best out of so many of his players.  The front three has Ndamukong Suh (yes, he’s still around), Vita Vea and William Gholston.  They held up pretty well last season.  ILBs Lavonte David and Devin White are a playmaking pair that don’t let much get by them.  OLB Shaq Barrett was a revelation coming over from Denver after being a part-time pass rushing specialist and became a Defensive Player of the Year candidate under Bowles.  Jason Pierre-Paul may not be as dynamic as he once was but he was a solid complement to Barrett. Bowles did a great job with a secondary that is somewhat overmatched.  Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting were solid at CB.  At safety, the team will start rookie Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead while Justin Evans rehabs an injury.  Winfield isn’t the biggest player around but he’s a dynamic guy in the secondary.  

This Tampa Bay team should be considerably better than last year simply by having Tom Brady around to not throw 30 interceptions like Jameis Winston.  The team will be good but I don’t know if I’m ready to anoint them a Super Bowl team just yet. The NFC has a number of really good teams including one in Tampa’s own division, the Saints.  New Orleans, San Francisco, Dallas, Minnesota and Green Bay are all legitimate NFC contenders, it won’t be an easy road to Super Bowl Sunday for anyone.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons offense should be good but they need a healthy offensive line, a healthy Todd Gurley and dare I say a better game plan from Dirk Koetter.  Matt Ryan somehow turned 35, Julio Jones is 31, Alex Mack will be 35, and Todd Gurley’s knees are 127 years old so this team needs to make a move now.  That’s easier said than done in a division with Drew Brees and Tom Brady.  Julio Jones is still one of the best WRs in the NFL and Calvin Ridley is an emerging player as his sidekick.  Gurley is hoping to reestablish himself as a top RB by carrying the load in Atlanta but I’m skeptical he can stay healthy after a couple of less-than-stellar seasons.  The team lost Austin Hooper in free agency and they are hoping to reinvigorate the career of former Ravens’ first-round pick Hayden Hurst.  Hurst is talented but he wasn’t used much in Baltimore and their offense uses the TE plenty.  The offensive line returns LT Jake Matthews and C Alex Mack, two stalwarts up front.  They hope rookie Matt Hennessey can get healthy and take over the starting LG job and be better than James Carpenter.  They are hoping their two first-round picks from last season, OG Chris Lindstrom and OT Kaleb McGary, can get healthy, stay healthy and be a top tandem on the right side. There’s a lot of hoping in Atlanta this year as they watch their franchise QB run out of time to win them a Super Bowl.

The defense was a shell of their former selves last year due to injury and ineffectiveness but they played better when Raheem Morris moved from wide receivers’ coach to coaching the secondary last year and he had more input into the defense.  Morris is a defensive coach originally and now that he’s taking on the coordinator role it should improve the defense overall.  The defensive line welcomes Dante Fowler Jr. who they hope will bring some pass rush from the DE spot.  Takkarist McKinley hasn’t broken out yet but the team is still hoping it happens.  Grady Jarrett and Tyeler Davison are set to start at DT but look for rookie Marlon Davidson to have an impact.  The LB corps will see a major turnover as Deion Jones returns but De’Vondre Campbell left for Arizona and Duke Riley was traded away.  Jones is an excellent MLB but he’ll have to direct Mykal Walker and Foyesade Oluokun around due to their inexperience.  The secondary will be much improved if Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee can stay healthy, not having those two last year was devastating.  Ricardo Allen is the third safety and he’ll play plenty when they move Neal up to act as more of a LB.  Rookie AJ Terrell is going to be counted on to be the teams new #1 CB as they hope Isaiah Oliver can hold down the other spot.  It’s a tough assignment for a rookie considering the division houses Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Michael Thomas and even DJ Moore is improving in Carolina. 

I’m not convinced the Falcons can compete within their own division let alone the entire NFC.  They have too many aging or injury prone players at important positions.  Counting on Todd Gurley’s knees to hold out and carry your running game is not a solid plan at this point.  They hope the offensive line is better and that gets them through.  This team has a lot of hopes and dreams but I don’t see a lot of solid planning here. 

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are in a state of transition as new head coach Matt Rhule puts his plan in place for long-term success.  Rhule is coming in from turning around the Baylor program in college football and he knows this is a rebuild.  The team brought in Teddy Bridgewater to hold down the QB spot until they find their permanent solution.  This offense will be based on the unbelievable talent of RB Christian McCaffrey. He is one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the NFL and will almost assuredly go for 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving, that’s hard to do but he’s done it already.  McCaffrey is the one established playmaker on the team but WR DJ Moore is an emerging one.  He isn’t in the upper echelon of WRs yet but the kid is still working towards it.  He gives Teddy Bridgewater someone to throw to on the outside.  The team signed free agent Robby Anderson from the Jets and while he has been productive, he’s not always reliable.  He’s better than what they have had and he does bring a downfield element to the offense.  Greg Olsen is off to the great northwest so Ian Thomas is left to handle the TE spot, he’s okay but he’s not Olsen.  The offensive line is a work in progress.  They traded for LT Russell Okung but they had to give up OG Trai Turner to get him.  Taylor Moton moves to RT and they hope Matt Paradis has a solid season in the pivot.  The guard spots are not stellar and could be an issue. 

The Panthers defense is going to be starting at least three rookies right off the bat with safety Jeremey Chinn likely to get plenty of playing time too.  The defensive line has two rookie starters; DT Derrick Brown and DE Yetur Gross-Matos.  Considering how the d-line was last year, new starters are a good thing.  DE Brian Burns and DT Kawann Short are the holdovers and the team expects more from them both.  At LB, the team lost future Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly and there is no replacing him.  Tahir Whitehead will fill his spot but in no way will he fill his shoes.  Shaq Thompson is the strength at LB now as they break in new guys.  CB Donte Jackson will be asked to step up and rookie Troy Pride Jr. is slated to start opposite him.  Juston Burris and Tre Boston are the safeties and that’s not great.  This secondary is going to have problems especially in a division with Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Matt Ryan.  Rookie Jeremy Chinn isn’t set to start but part of that might be because the team doesn’t know if he’s better suited to safety or LB so for now he’ll play where they can get him in. 

I’m not sure the team is going to be bad enough to be in a position to draft Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville is going to be hard to beat for the worst team in the league.  However, they may be in a position to grab Justin Fields or another QB they like instead.  Rhule was given a long contract so he may not reach for a QB if he doesn’t like one and may draft a guy like OT Penei Sewell or a defender he likes.  Bridgewater has a three-year deal and Rhule’s is even longer, he doesn’t have to hurry. 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers went to the Super Bowl last season on the strength of an impressive running game and an outstanding defense.  They hope the passing game can come around a little bit this year and give them a little more balance.  That’s going to take some development by QB Jimmy Garoppolo and some young WRs.  Jimmy G is a talented guy who just needs to put it together.  It would go a long way if he could get some help in the passing game from someone other than TE George Kittle.  Kittle is one of the two best TEs in the game but he would be even more productive if the WRs would take some pressure off of him.  Deebo Samuel started to really come on last year as a rookie but they need more.  The team drafted Brandon Aiyuk out of Arizona St. and he has big play potential.  They still need more but Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle are the passing offense for now.  Luckily, this team runs the ball as well as anyone in the league because Kyle Shanahan is as great at calling a running game as his father.  Raheem Mostert returns to be the lead guy and Tevin Coleman will be his complement.  The team traded Matt Breida to the Dolphins to clear up the rotation a bit and hey, perhaps this is the year the team finally gets something out of Jerick McKinnon.  The offensive line brought in Trent Williams to replace the retired Joe Staley at LT and they have to replace two interior players.  One of those guys is C Weston Richburg and that hurts because he’s quite good, however, it’s hard to bet against Kyle Shanahan having a good offensive line. 

If your team is going to be predicated on running the ball and playing defense, this is the defense you want to have.  Up front this team is loaded and that’s after trading away DeForest Buckner.  At DE they have Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead with Dee Ford as the third guy.  Ford would not only be a starter on most teams, he would be the #1 pass rusher on about half the teams in the league.  At DT DJ Jones is the unsung hero, he gets no press because of the enormous shadows of the guys around him but he is good.  The team drafted DT Javon Kinlaw with the pick (or actually one pick later after trading down one spot) they got from the Colts for Buckner.  Kinlaw should start but former top three pick Solomon Thomas hasn’t handed over the job just yet.  He will though, it’s just a matter of time, Kinlaw is a monster.  When you have six d-linemen like those guys it makes the back-seven’s jobs that much easier.  The three LBs are all tackling demons who run free most of the time because everyone is dealing with the front four.  Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are both second-year guys who aren’t household names but they are highly effective players.  Kwon Alexander was a big free agent signing a few years ago and he completes this trio of tackling machines.  CB Richard Sherman is still getting it done at one spot while the other corner is held down by Emmanuel Moseley.  Moseley replaced Ahkello Witherspoon after he proved less than effective.  Jaquiski Tartt and Jimmie Ward man the safety spots and while they aren’t flashy, they do get the job done.

Kyle Shanahan proved to be an excellent head coach as he got the 49ers to the Super Bowl faster than what was expected.  He really trusts his coordinators, it’s easy on offense because he is the coordinator and he’s arguably the best play caller in the NFL.  Robert Saleh runs the defense and if the 49ers hadn’t been playing all the way to the Super Bowl last year someone might have hired Saleh away to be their head coach.  The 49ers are lucky enough to hold on to him and he’s lucky to have a defense that is absolutely stacked with talent. 

Seattle Seahawks 

The Seahawks offense used to be built around a power running game, now it’s built around whatever Russell Wilson can do for them.  Wilson is one of the best QBs in the game but the team asks a lot of him.  The running game now consists of Chris Carson, who is frequently banged up, and the newly signed Carlos Hyde.  Carson can be effective but he needs to stay on the field.  Hyde can be a power back but he seems to always be just good enough that his team wants to replace him.  Maybe as the backup to Carson he’ll find a home.  Tyler Lockett has proven to be Wilson’s favorite target in the passing game and he plays like a legitimate #1 WR.  The passing attack got a shot in the arm with rookie DK Metcalf proving to be a perfect partner for Lockett.  The team relies heavily on these two as they don’t have much else at WR.  At TE the team signed veteran Greg Olsen to give them a consistent player at the position.  Olsen is aging but he can still get it done.  Will Dissly is a nice, young developmental TE if he can come back from his injury.  The offensive line has 35-year old LT Duane Brown and 33-year old LG Mike Iupati protecting Wilson’s blindside so they have to hope they have another year in them.  Ethan Pocic is taking over at center while rookie Damien Lewis steps in at RG and Brandon Shell comes in as a free agent at RT.  This isn’t the greatest o-line ever but Wilson makes it work. 

The Seahawks built their championship teams on their defense, this isn’t that defense.  Up front they need last year’s first-round pick DE LJ Collier to actually show up, he was a complete non-factor as a rookie and now he’s a starter.  Benson Mayowa was a pass rushing specialist last year for the Raiders and now he’s the other starting DE in Seattle.  They need both of these guys to be more than they were.  They are better inside with Jarran Reed and Poona Ford at DT but there is no depth behind them.  At LB, Bobby Wagner is the best MLB in football with Luke Kuechly retired.  Veteran KJ Wright is a high-volume tackler who’s been around a long time.  The team brought back Bruce Irvin to be an OLB and they hope he can juice up the pass rush a bit.  They also drafted Jordyn Brooks and he looks like the eventual replacement for Wright.  The secondary has been overhauled over the last year or so.  It started with the trade last year for safety Quandre Diggs from Detroit.  It continued with the early off season trade for CB Quinton Dunbar from Washington.  Finally, they traded for safety Jamal Adams from the Jets just a few weeks ago.  They join holdover CB Shaquill Griffin to form a new Legion of Boom, or so everyone in Seattle hopes.  There’s going to be a lot of pressure on the secondary if they team can’t manufacture some pass rush but this group might actually be able to withstand it. 

Pete Carroll’s team is always tough and they will give the 49ers everything they can but they will come up short.  I question the defensive front four and with San Francisco’s running game that is going to come back to bite the Seahawks.  Arizona will be an improved team but I don’t think they will be quite ready to overtake Seattle for second in the division

Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray was the Offensive Rookie of the Year last season after carrying the load for an offense that lacked a lot of playmakers.  The team did trade for RB Kenyan Drake during the season and he finished strong and they brought him back to solidify the running game.  That’s a solid addition.  They followed that up this off season with the major trade for WR DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans.  That is an amazing addition and it only came at the cost of trading David Johnson and a draft pick.  They gave Hopkins a big extension to be Murray’s go to guy. Hopkins joins Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk as a pretty good trio of WRs who should make Murray that much more effective.  The offensive line is still a bit suspect. They brought back DJ Humphries at LT and Justin Pugh, Mason Cole and JR Sweezy make up the interior.  Kelvin Beachum is slated to start at RT over last year’s starter Justin Murray.  That should be an upgrade but not by a lot.  Kyler Murray’s elusiveness comes in handy behind a line that struggles with consistency.  Maxx Williams is the starting TE but the team doesn’t really include him in the passing game. 

The defense is built around OLB Chandler Jones who is one of the better pass rushers in the NFL.  To be more precise, Jones was the Cardinals defense last year and this year he’s hoping for some help.  Up front, the three-man front consists of Zach Allen, Corey Peters and Jordan Phillips.  Phillips comes over from Buffalo and the Cardinals hope he brings some consistency and playmaking they have been missing.  The team signed Devon Kennard to play OLB opposite Jones and while he’s not the most impressive pass rusher he won’t be worse than they had.  The big addition at LB came in the draft as they got the most athletic player in the 2020 draft in Isaiah Simmons from Clemson.  He steps in at ILB next to veteran Jordan Hicks.  Simmons is multitalented player that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph can deploy in a variety of ways.  The secondary is still led by CB Patrick Peterson even though he is chronically mentioned as a trade candidate.  He may not be as elite as he once was but he’s still the best CB they have.  Byron Murphy is the other starter but the team recently signed Dre Kirkpatrick after losing Robert Alford to an injury and Kirkpatrick is a steady veteran, they might find him more reliable.  Budda Baker has proven to be an excellent safety and he is becoming a leader of the secondary.  Jalen Thompson didn’t become a starter right away last year but he worked his way into the role and seems to have solidified the job. 

This team isn’t quite ready to compete with the big boys in the NFC West but they should be better than they were last year.  Murray gets a lot of help with Hopkins and having Kenyan Drake all season long.  The defense should improve with more consistency up front and Isaiah Simmons as a playmaker in the middle.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams were 9-7 last year but it was an ugly 9-7 at times.  Sean McVay clearly agreed as he brought in Kevin O’Connell as the new offensive coordinator and Brandon Staley as the new defensive coordinator.  You don’t change coordinators when things are going well.  The team had plenty of injuries to deal with especially on the offensive line and to RB Todd Gurley, who was never himself even when he played.  This season the team is trying to replace Gurley with three RBs; Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson, and Cam Akers.  Not a great strategy in my opinion and I don’t think it will take too long for them to realize Brown and Henderson aren’t the guy and go to Akers.  He’s a talent but he’s also a rookie.  At WR, the jettisoned Brandin Cooks, while that doesn’t seem like a huge dea,l Cooks was the real deep threat of the team and he made teams have to cover deep.  Cooper Kupp is a reliable player when healthy, Robert Woods moves the chains and Josh Reynolds is fine but none of them really threaten defenses down the field.  At TE they have Tyler Higbee, an emerging talent, and Gerald Everett who is a steady veteran.  The offensive line needs health more than anything because there is little depth.  LT Andrew Whitworth is 38-years old to start the year and that is worrisome.  Austin Blythe stepped in at center last year, moving over from guard, and looks to solidify that spot.  Joseph Noteboom is returning from injury and he and Austin Corbett, the guy that replaced him, look to be the new starting guards.  Rob Havenstein is the RT, he’s fine but not really noteworthy.  Jared Goff was paid a lot of money to direct this unit and he struggled last year when the running game came to a screeching halt when Gurley was ineffective.  He needs the team to find balance to be effective because the offense works best when the play-action game is good. 

The defense is where some real regression could take place.  They still have Aaron Donald wreaking havoc up front and Michael Brockers came back after his free agent deal with Baltimore fell through.  Donald is one of the most feared defenders in football but even he needs some help.  The team lost Cory Littleton and Clay Matthews at LB and even though Matthews wasn’t great I don’t think his replacement Leonard Floyd is going to be a big upgrade.  They will certainly miss Littleton in the middle.  The team traded for Jalen Ramsey last year and recently gave him a huge extension, that makes one great CB on the team.  However, that just puts a whole lot of pressure on Troy Hill on the other side.  If he crumbles under that pressure it gets ugly quickly because this team only has one elite pass rusher, Donald.  Taylor Rapp and John Johnson III are a decent safety duo but the team will miss the leadership and experience of Eric Weddle who retired this off season. 

The 49ers and the Seahawks are going to be good, that’s a given.  The Cardinals look like they will be much improved with the additions they made in the off season.  The Rams look like they downgraded at several key positions; RB, LB, WR, maybe more.  Two new coordinators means there will be some adjustment time needed too.  Unless Sean McVay can pull a rabbit out of his hat, this season could be a struggle.