Part two of my look across the NFL at the deepest position groups for every team continues with the NFC. Part one, the AFC, can be found here.
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterbacks: The caveat here is that it’s a deep position when Kyler Murray is healthy, and he won’t be to start the regular season. Colt McCoy, the team’s backup, is expected to hold down the fort until Murray returns. Rookie fifth-round pick Clayton Tune will make the team initially as the backup or third-stringer. Arizona has both Jeff Driskel and David Blough at the back of the depth chart. If neither of them impress in the preseason, and the Cardinals aren’t comfortable with Tune being one play away from seeing the field, it’s conceivable they could make a trade at the end of camp or a waiver claim after final cuts to secure a more reliable backup to McCoy. That could put both Driskel and Blough in play for the XFL.
Atlanta Falcons
Tight Ends: Atlanta seems to have three locks at the position in Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, and Parker Hesse. It’s not a guarantee that they keep four, which means MyCole Pruitt, John FitzPatrick, Feleipe Franks, and Tucker Fisk could be vying for a spot on the practice squad – or to latch onto another team’s 53-man after cuts. Pruitt is on his seventh team since being chosen by Minnesota in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. FitzPatrick made the team out of camp last year as a block-first guy though he was placed on injured reserve in September and basically took a redshirt in his rookie year. Franks is a converted QB who has vacillated between the two positions but seems to be a TE-only at this point. An undrafted free agent last year, Fisk spent nearly the entire season on the practice squad.
Carolina Panthers
Linebackers: The heartbeat of Carolina’s defense is its linebackers, with superb edge rusher Brian Burns on the outside and team leader Shaq Thompson manning the inside. Third-round rookie DJ Johnson was added for depth and special teams alongside Kamu Grugier-Hill and Brandon Smith. Three undrafted free agents were brought aboard in the spring and they’ll help to push some holdovers for roster spots. Bumper Pool (no, really) is likely to make the strongest case among the three, putting Chandler Wooten and Kobe Jones, among others, on notice. Eku Leota and Ace Eley are the other two UDFAs, entering the fray with top-level college experience. Orlando Guardians TE Jordan Thomas was signed by Carolina but it appears he’ll be used as an outside linebacker; if he ends up back in the XFL in 2024, it will be interesting to see where he’ll be utilized. Carolina recently added Deion Jones, a four-time 16-game starter for Atlanta, to the ILB competition.
Chicago Bears
Offensive Line: Chicago is expected to have two new starters along the line in rookie RT Darnell Wright and RG Nate Davis, a free agent signing from Tennessee. Most teams take nine or 10 along the line into the season, and while the top six seem set, that leaves three to four spots up for grabs this summer. Former Raiders first-round bust Alex Leatherwood is in the conversation for a second-string spot, and he can play both guard and tackle. There are some interesting prospects who are deep backups such as mammoth second-year OT Kellen Diesch and a sixth-round pick from last season, C Doug Kramer, who played for the University of Illinois in nearby Champaign. The Bears also currently have three undrafted free agents in camp, with USC’s OT Robert Haskins perhaps the most intriguing.
Dallas Cowboys
Defensive Backs: If everyone stays healthy, the Cowboys defensive backs are in the conversation for strongest position group of any team in the league. They beefed up the secondary with the acquisition of Stephon Gilmore via trade from Indianapolis. The depth is strong with DaRon Bland, Jourdan Lewis, and Israel Mukuamu. There are questions beyond that though with surprise 2022 third-rounder Nashon Wright predictably struggling in his first year. Rookie sixth-round pick Eric Scott, Jr. will slot in somewhere one would imagine. Jayron Kearse and CJ Goodwin are veterans looking to keep a hold on their jobs. For the last few spots, recent college free agents who have hung on such as Tyler Coyle, Marquese Bell, and Juanyeh Thomas will be challenged by this year’s crop of UDFAs in Myles Brooks and D’Angelo Mandell. Sheldrick Redwine is a veteran safety buried on the depth chart who could be on XFL teams’ radars.
Detroit Lions
Special Teams: The specialists’ battles in Detroit have a particular XFL flavor to them. Punter Jack Fox (a St. Louis Battlehawk draft pick in 2019 who didn’t report as he picked up this job) is safe, having signed a three-year extension last October that makes him the highest-paid punter in the league. At long snapper, Scott Daly wobbled a bit last year after taking the job in 2021. Twelve-year vet Jake McQuaide was brought in to provide a challenge, and it’s a legitimate one. Daly snapped in five games for the New York Guardians of the XFL in 2020 before winning the Lions job in ’21. Kicker Michael Badgley finished out the season last year with the Lions, connecting on 83% of field goals and all extra points. It was expected that he would make this a three-person race this summer; however, he was waived on the eve of camp. That leaves Parker Romo, the best kicker in the XFL in 2023, and Riley Patterson whom the team acquired from Jacksonville after the Jaguars brought in Brandon McManus. Neither of the contenders distinguished themselves at minicamp, both seemingly inconsistent in their performances. This battle will rage on through training camp, appearing to start out with the two of them neck-and-neck.
Green Bay Packers
Linebackers: An already strong position group was strengthened in the draft when Green Bay selected edge rusher Lukas Van Ness in the first round. He’ll begin as a backup at OLB, provided Rashan Gary fully recovers from a torn ACL suffered last November. Some interesting names that settle in as third-stringers for now including Tariq Carpenter, a converted safety, and Kingsley Enagbare, a fifth-round draft choice last year. Justin Hollins, claimed from the Rams during last season, put up some good numbers after arriving in the Midwest, but the drafting of Van Ness could cost him playing time. Four undrafted free agents, notably Brenton Cox, Jr. out of Florida, round out the second-level of the defense.
Los Angeles Rams
Defensive Backs: On a roster already teeming with rookies, the Rams spent two draft picks on their defensive backfield then went out and signed an astounding seven undrafted free agents at corner and safety. While the two-deep is pretty sound, it’s hard to imagine one or two of those UDFAs not finding a way to sneak onto a team that is in a clear rebuild. The top four safeties appear locked in, though how the playing time is divvied up remains to be seen. There are three quality UDFAs behind that quartet in Quindell Johnson (Memphis), Rashad Torrence II (Florida) and Tanner Ingle (NC State). At corner, the Rams have had a history of keeping just four CBs on their initial roster, which is a low number compared to the rest of the teams in the league. This is where a standout UDFA could find a job if the Rams expand on that number. Vincent Gray would be a veteran on the outside of that core four along with undrafted players Timarcus Davis (Arizona State), Tyon Davis (Tulsa), Cameron McCutcheon (Western Carolina) and Jordan Jones (Rhode Island). Given the number of fringe players, this is a spot the Rams could continuously look to upgrade throughout camp.
Minnesota Vikings
Defensive Line: There will be some big bodies on the interior in Minnesota who will be looking for work in September. The heftiest include Khyiris Tonga, a seventh-round pick of the Bears in 2021 whom the Vikings signed from Atlanta’s practice squad last year; rookie Jaquelin Roy from LSU; and 343-pound UDFA Calvin Avery out of Illinois. Avery is a roster longshot. Well-traveled vet Sheldon Day may be another one on the chopping block. Ross Blacklock didn’t play well after a trade from Houston last year and will have to fight for a spot. End TJ Smith has bounced on-and-off Minnesota’s roster since 2021, and he could be destined to do that dance again this year. Joining Avery as a college free agent is Junior Aho, another player with long odds. Edge rusher Curtis Weaver is also in camp; the DE/OLB hybrid was drafted last year by the Seattle Sea Dragons and they’d have his rights if the Vikings cut him and he chose the XFL in 2024.
New Orleans Saints
Wide Receivers: This is a more veteran group than many others I’ve profiled here – of the 13 receivers New Orleans is taking to camp, only two are rookies. In other words, it’s going to be a tough rotation for UDFA Shaquan Davis to crack. The other rookie is sixth-round pick AT Perry, whose size (6’5″) gives him a leg up on making the team. After Michael Thomas and Chris Olave, there seem to be a number of wide-open backup jobs available. An undrafted free agent last year, Rashid Shaheed not only bucked the odds by making the team, but he also elbowed his way into a starting role. Tre’Quan Smith and Bryan Edwards are probably the next men up behind the starting three. James Washington was a May addition, never having quite lived up to expectations as a second-round draft choice in Pittsburgh. He’ll be battling the likes of Keith Kirkwood, Kirk Merritt, Kawaan Baker, Lynn Bowden, and Keke Coutee for the final one or two spots.
New York Giants
Wide Receivers: It’s good news for QB Daniel Jones that the Giants have upgraded this position in the off-season with, potentially, two new starters. Parris Campbell comes over as a free agent from Indianapolis, while speedster Jalin Hyatt was drafted in the third round. Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins will be in the mix to start as well. A couple former Jets, Jamison Crowder and Jeff Smith, will have to fight for roles. Last year’s second-round receiver, Wan’Dale Robinson, could start the season on the PUP list after tearing his ACL in November. The Giants are likely to keep six or seven receivers on the 53-man. They ended last year with five receivers on the practice squad. David Sills, Kalil Pimpleton, and Jaydon Mickens, are three of them who are back in camp this year trying to make the jump to the active roster. Their one UDFA rookie at this position is Bryce Ford-Wheaton of West Virginia, who measured in at nearly 6’4″ and ran a 4.38 40 at the Combine. That size/speed combo is rare and while he’d be in-demand among XFL teams, it’s likely he’s ticketed for a practice squad.
Philadelphia Eagles
Tight Ends: Dallas Goedert is your starter, a top player at the position over the last four years. Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra are the likely backups, with Stoll as the blocker and Calcaterra as the receiver. The Eagles could keep one more here – Dan Arnold and Tyree Jackson are the top candidates to either be the #4 or to win a practice squad role. Arnold played all 17 games as a reserve with Jacksonville last year but has back-to-back 30+ catch seasons to his name in ’20 and ’21. Jackson is a converted QB – you’ll remember him with the DC Defenders in the XFL in 2020 – who has struggled to stay healthy despite showing promise since the switch to TE. A return to the XFL to develop at that position could be in the cards. Brady Russell is a longshot: A former walk-on at Colorado, he was signed as a UDFA.
San Francisco 49ers
Defensive Line: The Niners have a stout starting four and they also have tremendous depth behind them. There are competent, NFL-level players stationed as deep as the fourth-team on the depth chart, so those cut could find a home elsewhere in the league, or they could look to the XFL. Fifth-round rookie Robert Beal isn’t even guaranteed a roster spot, though it’s hard to imagine he won’t make it. Among those buried deep on the depth chart: Darryl Johnson, a seventh-round pick of the Bills in 2019; Alex Barrett, who ended last season on San Fran’s practice squad and has been waived 11 times by teams since entering the NFL in 2017; Marlon Davidson, late of the Falcons, who has busted since being a second-round draft pick in 2020; and rookie free agent Spencer Waege, a player that despite the depth here, does have a shot at making the roster.
Seattle Seahawks
Defensive Backs: Seattle has rebuilt their defensive backs room with draft picks, as five selections in recent years are on the two-deep. They’ve added two starters via trade (Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs) and brought in Julian Love as a free agent this off-season. Joey Blount, who made the team as an undrafted free agent last season and whose battle with two other top UDFAs I wrote about last year, could make the team again. There are six undrafted free agents in this group. S Jonathan Sutherland of Penn State contributed mostly on special teams at Penn State, which will help him in the pros. He and Christian Young (Arizona) are safety/linebacker hybrids. Another UDFA, CB Arquon Bush, attended the NFL Combine and was thought by some to be a draftable prospect.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Offensive Line: Rookie second-round pick Cody Mauch is expected to slide in at right guard to replace Shaq Mason, who was traded to Houston. The other guard spot also needs to be filled, and the clubhouse leader seems to be Matt Feiler, signed in April after being released by the Chargers. The rest of the starting line returns intact from 2022. Most of the immediate backups also spent time with the Bucs in 2022. Not all of them will make the roster out of camp, however. John Molchon and Aaron Stinnie may be competing for one backup guard spot. Michael Niese and Grant Hermanns could be doing the same at offensive tackle. Four undrafted rookies will try to make it more difficult for those vets to retain their positions.
Washington Commanders
Offensive Line: Washington recently released G Andrew Norwell, a 16-game starter for them last season. There are both starting and backup positions up for grabs in the capital. There are three players vying for what is likely to be two center jobs. They drafted Ricky Stromberg in the third round this year so he’s secure, which could leave Tyler Larsen looking for work. There are few veteran offensive tackles at the back of the depth chart like Trent Scott, Aaron Monteiro and former St. Louis Battlehawk Jaryd Jones-Smith. Only one player along the line was signed as a UDFA, that being Mason Brooks out of Ole Miss. Nolan Laufenberg and Keaton Sutherland are among the guards battling to make the team this summer.
