Which NFL rosters are the best heading into the 2022 season? We rank all 32 from worst to best with eyes on the present and future.
The NFL offseason is a fun time of making predictions, wondering what could happen in the coming season, and for the majority of fan bases, it’s a time for optimism.
Everyone is undefeated at this point, but there are obviously some teams that are poised to be more competitive than others.
When ranking every roster in the league, there are a few things to take into account.
How good a team’s quarterback is plays a role in how good the overall roster can be. If a team doesn’t have a good quarterback or a quarterback is still in developmental stages, the roster around him could elevate the team as a whole.
Some teams are on the upswing, others are on the downswing.
Every NFL roster is at a different place and going in different directions, and the offseason is a time for making new friends with subjective lists. So let’s rank every roster in the NFL from worst to best.
NFL roster no. 32: Chicago Bears
Justin Fields is going to need to put this Bears’ roster on his back if the team is going to have success in 2022.
Offensively, the talent is just not there or not yet proven for the Bears to be considered a viable threat in the NFC North.
Fields’ rookie season was not good to begin with. It’s arguable the Bears’ offensive line didn’t get any better this offseason and may have, in fact, gotten worse.
The skill position talent in Chicago is headlined by Darnell Mooney and David Montgomery, and neither of those players is in the top tier of their respective position groups.
Defensively, the Bears are much better than they are on offense, at least on paper.
The secondary in Chicago is going to be fun to watch with Jaylon Johnson, Eddie Jackson, and 2022 NFL Draft picks Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker.
Unfortunately, general manager Ryan Poles inherited a rather rough situation. He’ll have a ton of cap space and better draft capital next offseason to work with, but for the time being, the Bears’ roster is just not good.
NFL roster no. 31: Houston Texans
It’s hard to hate what the Houston Texans are doing right now.
The team has finally rid itself of the Deshaun Watson distraction and there may be light at the end of that tunnel.
In fact, there’s some gold to be picked up along the way towards that light. The Texans have a king’s ransom of draft selections thanks to the Watson trade, and given all that has continued to come out about Watson’s situation off the field, the Texans may get the picks while the Browns may not get Watson, at least for a period of time.
Regardless of Watson, the Texans have a QB worth developing in Davis Mills. He’ll get a legitimate audition year with upgraded weapons offensively.
The Texans extended Brandin Cooks, one of the most underrated receivers in the game. They used a second-round pick on Alabama receiver John Metchie III and took a flyer on running back Marlon Mack in free agency.
The offensive line will get a boost from the addition of new first-round pick Kenyon Green, the team’s second selection in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Defensively, there are pieces to work with.
The top pieces on Houston’s defensive front are Maliek Collins, who re-signed with the team in free agency after an impressive 2021 season, as well as 2021 breakout player Jonathan Greenard off the edge.
In the secondary, the Texans made Derek Stingley Jr. the CB1 of the 2022 NFL Draft and third pick overall. He’s joined in the revamped secondary by fellow rookie and second-round pick Jalen Pitre, a local product out of Baylor.
The bottom line here — the Texans are young, potentially on the upswing, but they are still very much a work in progress.
NFL roster no. 30: Atlanta Falcons
After trading away franchise legend Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts, the Atlanta Falcons are moving forward with Marcus Mariota as the presumptive starter in 2022 with rookie third-round pick Desmond Ridder potentially in the mix.
It’s arguably the least enviable QB situation in the league.
Cordarrelle Patterson was re-signed this offseason after his really fun 2021 campaign.
The Falcons have Kyle Pitts and Drake London catching passes, and those guys should make life easier on whoever is the quarterback.
Not only that, but they traded for Bryan Edwards in what I feel is a vastly underrated move.
Defensively, the Falcons are banking on a lot of young players stepping up in 2022 including rookie pass rushers Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone.
Cornerback AJ Terrell is arguably the best in the NFL at his position right now and the addition of Casey Hayward at the position gives the Falcons one of the best duos in the league.
Overall, though, this roster lacks depth and a solution at the quarterback position. The Falcons could have some weeks with a big offensive output if Mariota plays well but unless Mariota has a resurgence, this is not a roster built for long-term success.
More pieces need to be added on both sides of the ball.
NFL roster no. 29: Jacksonville Jaguars
Perhaps if the Jacksonville Jaguars can find a way to get the number one overall pick every single year, they’ll finally have a great roster one of these days.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, drafting high pretty much every year hasn’t paid off with a great roster just yet.
Trevor Lawrence had a rocky rookie season and you can’t exactly blame him. The coaching from Urban Meyer and the way he ran this team was an embarrassment to the NFL.
Hopefully, Doug Pederson will be able to come in and get this team back on course.
Lawrence, specifically.
Travis Etienne should provide a huge boost at the running back position if he’s healthy, and the team made some big splashes in free agency by signing receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones as well as tight end Evan Engram.
The offensive line added Brandon Scherff in free agency and third-round draft pick Luke Fortner at the right guard and center positions, respectively.
Defensively, the Jaguars are banking on the tremendous upside of their new-look pass rush duo of Josh Allen and Travon Walker. Walker, the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is a physical freak of nature who can line up anywhere on the defensive front.
Rookie Devin Lloyd will join free agent pickup Foye Oluokun to give the Jaguars a pair of heat-seeking missiles at the linebacker spot.
The secondary has a lot of potential with 2021 second-round pick Tyson Campbell along with veterans Shaquill Griffin and 2022 free agent Darious Williams, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams.
Overall, this Jaguars roster has plenty of pieces in place, including a possible franchise QB, but there is still a lot of work to be done for this roster in terms of player development.
NFL roster no. 28: New York Giants
The New York Giants brought in Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll from the Buffalo Bills as their new general manager and head coach, and already, you can see the vision for this team unfolding.
The quarterback position remains a question mark or work in progress, even.
Daniel Jones is probably not the answer, but he’ll get one more year with a couple of new factors in his favor.
- The Giants’ offensive line is upgraded
- The skill players could actually be healthy
Left tackle Andrew Thomas made strides last season. The Giants got arguably the best tackle in this year’s draft in Evan Neal out of Alabama.
Saquon Barkley is back and in a contract year.
The wide receiver position needs to stay healthy, but there’s undoubtedly a lot of talent there between Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton.
There’s so much talent there it will be hard for a QB to fail.
Not only did the offensive line get an upgrade with Evan Neal at tackle, but the Giants also sniped guard Mark Glowinski away from the Indianapolis Colts.
The Giants’ defensive front was already good, but they added Kayvon Thibodeaux in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and even upgraded it further.
The Giants could certainly overachieve this year but I think with another year of development for the players on this roster and a QB change in 2023, this team could be cooking again.
NFL roster no. 27: New York Jets
Year two of the Robert Saleh era with the New York Jets should be an entertaining one if nothing else.
Zach Wilson’s development will be fascinating to monitor and the Jets’ progression as a franchise really hinges on whether or not that happens.
The skill positions got a massive boost in the 2022 offseason with the additions of running back Breece Hall, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and free agent tight ends CJ Uzomah and Tyler Conklin.
Elijah Moore and Corey Davis give this team two relatively established pieces at receiver.
The offensive line looks like it should be greatly improved this year from the acquisition of free agent guard Laken Tomlinson, who made the Pro Bowl for the 49ers last season.
Defensively is where the Jets are going to be interesting.
Saleh has always gotten more out of his guys on that side of the ball than the talent on the roster might suggest, but he’s now got an extremely tough defensive front and arguably got the best cornerback in the 2022 NFL Draft in Cincinnati’s Sauce Gardner.
The Jets are certainly one of those teams that could be on the upswing this season, especially with all of the upgrades they have made on paper.
They are a young team, but I believe in Robert Saleh as a coach to have his guys prepared every single week.
As a roster, though, so much is still in the “prove it” stage.
NFL roster no. 26: Seattle Seahawks
It’s going to be a year of transition for the Seattle Seahawks, who traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos in the 2022 offseason.
The Seahawks replenished their NFL Draft assets with that trade, which was much needed, but it obviously came at a great cost.
Drew Lock or Geno Smith will presumably lead the Seahawks into the 2022 season barring a deal for Baker Mayfield or something else unforeseen.
For the time being, the Seahawks actually have an impressive group of skill players, led by the trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and new tight end Noah Fant.
The running back position could be a major area of strength in 2022 with Rashaad Penny back on a new deal and second-round pick Kenneth Walker coming in as a potential RB1 of the future.
Defensively, the Seahawks need some work done.
Shelby Harris was a nice addition up front in the Wilson trade, but the pass rush off the edge leaves a lot to be desired.
Perhaps rookie Boye Mafe, a second-round pick out of Minnesota, can step up for this team.
The secondary is decent but the defense overall in Seattle is nothing earth-shattering on paper. It could certainly be a better sum of all its parts over the course of the season but ultimately, the Seahawks are poised for a rough season unless Drew Lock or Geno Smith can play better than they ever have before.
NFL roster no. 25: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are actually a team that I feel is on the rise heading into the 2022 season.
I know that’s not saying much — there’s really nowhere to go but up after what we saw from them last season, which was a lot of bad and then some late-season strides.
Jared Goff is still this team’s quarterback, but unlike last year, the Lions aren’t breaking in players at the receiver position or just hoping beyond hope that players actually step up and play well.
I think the Lions have gone from having the worst group of receivers in the NFL to having a formidable group, one of the best parts of this roster.
First-round pick Jameson Williams joins Amon-Ra St. Brown to give the Lions an exciting young duo at the position, but they also brought back Josh Reynolds who was a key acquisition last year, and signed former Pro Bowl receiver DJ Chark in free agency.
The offensive line is significantly upgraded as of last year and is a strength of this team.
Defensively, the Lions used their top pick in this draft on Aidan Hutchinson, who will now be a key cornerstone of their rebuild on that side of the ball.
Jeff Okudah should be back and healthy. Amani Oruwariye is emerging in the secondary. Mike Hughes comes in as the team’s new nickel.
I think there’s a lot to like about this Lions roster as of right now and it’s gone from being arguably the worst last year to being 25th right now, in my eyes. Progress.
NFL roster no. 24: New England Patriots
The New England Patriots certainly have a fascinating roster and will be well-coached as always.
Bill Belichick probably doesn’t “need” Josh McDaniels, even though the only other time he didn’t have McDaniels he still had Tom Brady.
Now, we’ve entered into uncharted waters. Belichick no longer has Brady or McDaniels.
Mac Jones was stellar as a rookie but his development hangs in the balance as the Patriots don’t have a set offensive coordinator, at least not that we know of.
Maybe it will be Belichick himself…
The roster is just okay on both sides of the ball. The Patriots lack star power offensively, but they can be a very strong sum of their parts.
Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, DeVante Parker, and Nelson Agholor are not exactly the most terrifying group of receivers in the league.
You love the Pats’ tight end room with Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, arguably the best (and certainly the most expensive) tight end duo in the league.
The Patriots’ offensive line is solid and the interior got even stronger this year with first-round pick Cole Strange coming in.
The Patriots’ defense doesn’t have a ton of young superstar players. It’s a veteran-laden group and a bunch of guys who know how Bill Belichick likes things done.
There’s value in that, just not in terms of ranking overall rosters in the NFL.
There are a lot of good and promising rosters in the league, but the Patriots’ roster appears to be one on the downswing instead of already loaded and getting better.
NFL roster no. 23: Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings’ roster rounds out the bottom 10 in the NFL right now, which speaks frankly to the overall volume of strong rosters in the league and how tough it is to differentiate a lot of teams.
Kirk Cousins is an average starting QB in today’s NFL. He posts some big numbers at times, but he’s far from a game-changer.
The Vikings’ top skill players are absolutely outstanding.
Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, and Irv Smith Jr. are all dangerous when fully healthy. KJ Osborn really emerged last season with seven touchdown catches and gives the Vikings another threat while Bisi Johnson returns healthy in 2022.
The Vikings also added one of my personal favorite underrated wide receivers, Albert Wilson.
The offensive line in Minnesota has been invested in heavily. That should translate to success, but they’ve had mixed results.
Defensively, the Vikings are in rebuild mode.
The team made some low-risk, high-reward types of pickups on the defensive front this offseason by bringing in free agents Harrison Phillips (IDL) and Za’Darius Smith (EDGE).
New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah really emphasized this side of the ball in the offseason with some big-time additions both in free agency and the NFL Draft.
- Za’Darius Smith, EDGE
- Harrison Phillips, DL
- Jordan Hicks, LB
- Brian Asamoah, LB
- Andrew Booth Jr., CB
- Lewis Cine, S
In addition to all of those moves, Danielle Hunter should be back and healthy. The Vikings need some pieces to progress quickly, but they’ve got a good overall roster, just not a great one.
NFL roster no. 22: Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals had one of the best records in the NFL last season, but they have a borderline bottom-10 roster?
What is this about?
Let’s take a look.
Kyler Murray is obviously a foundational piece for this team. They need to extend him, but he’s a cornerstone piece.
DeAndre Hopkins is suspended, but he’ll be back eventually, and he’s joined in a strong receiver group by AJ Green, newcomer Hollywood Brown, and second-year player Rondale Moore.
Zach Ertz and Trey McBride give the Cardinals a strong presence at tight end, and the overall skill position talent in Arizona is very good.
The offensive line is solid, and the Arizona offense as a whole undoubtedly bumps this roster up quite a bit.
The issues are on the defensive side of the ball.
The Cardinals lost their best pass rusher in Chandler Jones, who signed with the Raiders in free agency.
I think this team has higher hopes for JJ Watt than perhaps he’s capable of delivering at this point. He played just seven games last season and is 33 this year.
The overall depth in the secondary and even the starting lineup is just not very good right now for Arizona.
The defense of this team could hold their championship hopes back. I think in terms of the roster construction, you’ve got a team that is ready to win some shootouts in the Wild Wild NFC West, but their title contention hopes are diminished substantially by the overall construction of the defense.
NFL roster no. 21: Carolina Panthers
I’m going to cut the Carolina Panthers some slack here as I’ve been absolutely shredding them this offseason as having the most embarrassing QB situation in the league.
That could change in the coming months with Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo still available, players the Panthers could afford and should make moves for.
With that being said, I think the Panthers have a good roster besides the QB situation.
If Christian McCaffrey can stay healthy, he’s one of the top superstars offensively in the NFL.
DJ Moore, Terrace Marshall, Robby Anderson, and Rashard Higgins are a strong top four at the receiver position and I like the tight end duo of Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas.
The offensive line for Carolina has been substantially upgraded with the addition of new left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, a projected top overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft for much of the offseason, as well as a stud at the guard position in Austin Corbett.
The Panthers also made one of the more underrated moves of the 2022 offseason by signing center Bradley Bozeman at well under market value.
Defensively is where the Panthers are really impressive on paper.
Derrick Brown, Brian Burns, and Yetur Gross-Matos are the cornerstone pieces up front with a loaded secondary, at least in terms of talent.
Xavier Woods will start at safety along with young stud Jeremy Chinn, and the cornerback position is fully stocked:
- Jaycee Horn
- CJ Henderson
- Donte Jackson
- Rashaan Melvin
The Panthers’ roster is far from perfect but they have a lot of pieces on both sides of the ball.
Scott Fitterer needs to trade for Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo yesterday.
NFL roster no. 20: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are breaking in a new quarterback for the first time since the 2004 season when they drafted Ben Roethlisberger.
To vastly understate the last 18 years, it’s been a good run.
The Mitchell Trubisky/Kenny Pickett era is now officially upon us and those quarterbacks are stepping into a rather favorable situation.
Najee Harris leads a star-studded group of offensive skill players for the Steelers which, for the time being, includes:
- Diontae Johnson
- Chase Claypool
- Pat Freiermuth
- George Pickens
The Steelers are always loading up with skill position talent and they have upgraded their offensive line in the 2022 offseason with the acquisition of James Daniels on the interior as well as the emergence last year of fourth-round pick Dan Moore Jr.
Defensively, the Steelers certainly deserve recognition as being one of the top units in the NFL, but they have a question mark at the cornerback position.
TJ Watt is one of the best defensive players in the game today.
Alex Highsmith is poised for a breakthrough year in 2022.
Devin Bush and Myles Jack are a strong duo of off-ball linebackers and Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the best all-around safeties in the NFL.
Ahkello Witherspoon turned out to be a good pickup for the Steelers last year and they added Levi Wallace this offseason, but ultimately, the secondary leaves a bit to be desired.
Given the team’s quarterback situation, a solid roster with some outstanding individual pieces gets bumped down a bit. on the rung of overall NFL rosters.
NFL roster no. 19: Washington Commanders
It’s a new era for the Washington franchise, now known as the Commanders.
Although I think this is one of the more underrated NFL rosters, I think it’s partly underrated due to the fact that so many questions about this roster need answering.
First and foremost, how is Carson Wentz going to do playing in another new NFL city? How is he going to do playing for an old rival?
Wentz’s return to the NFC East will be fun to watch, and hopefully it involves him throwing passes to Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin is unhappy with his contract and as of right now, it feels like there’s about a 50-50 chance that receivers in the midst of contract disputes get traded or not.
I don’t think Commanders fans would be happy to see their best offensive player on the move, even with the addition of first-round pick Jahan Dotson in 2022.
The Commanders’ skill talent is certainly there.
- Terry McLaurin
- Jahan Dotson
- Antonio Gibson
- Logan Thomas
- Curtis Samuel
- JD McKissic
- Brian Robinson Jr
There’s a lot to like if everyone can stay healthy and play up to their potential.
The offensive line in Washington might be one of the more underrated units in the league right now.
Defensively, Chase Young will be back in 2022 and that is great news for the Commanders, who desperately need that dynamic presence off the edge.
This defensive front is absolutely wild on paper. The Commanders seemingly have an endless supply of high draft picks making up their defensive front, and pretty much all of those guys have lived up to their pre-draft hype: Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Chase Young, Montez Sweat, and newcomer Phidarian Mathis make up a ferocious unit up front.
The second level of defense is led by 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis, a super talented athlete who has the ability to be one of the most complete linebackers in the game.
The Commanders’ secondary has some question marks going into 2022 but also some decent veteran talent with William Jackson, Kendall Fuller, and Bobby McCain with younger, up-and-coming players like Benjamin St-Juste and Kamren Curl.
Overall, there’s a lot to like with this roster if they can stay mostly healthy and if Carson Wentz can play like a former top draft pick.
NFL roster no. 18: Tennessee Titans
This is sure to bring out plenty of raging Titans fans but I think it also speaks to the job Mike Vrabel has done in recent years.
I don’t think the Titans have that good of a roster and I would argue it got worse in 2022.
Ryan Tannehill is an average NFL QB at best, in my opinion. That doesn’t mean he’s done a poor job. He’s done his job and helped keep the offense humming, limiting turnovers.
Derrick Henry might be the best back in the league and he’s the most important and valuable player to the Titans’ offense.
The team traded AJ Brown for rookie Treylon Burks, a move I absolutely cannot stand.
Even adding Robert Woods and Austin Hooper into the mix offensively this offseason, I would grade the Titans’ offensive weaponry a “B” at best, even with Derrick Henry in the fold.
The offensive line is obviously solid here and even with some moving parts should be exactly that once again in 2022.
Defensively, the Titans have invested plenty of draft capital in recent years and have seen some good fruit from that. The defensive backfield has gotten a lot of attention in their recent drafts with the picks of Roger McCreary and Caleb Farley the last two years at cornerback, as well as Kristian Fulton in 2020.
Amani Hooker and Kevin Byard make up one of the best safety duos in the game but I will reiterate what I said before — I think the Titans are a better sum of their parts than they are a great overall roster.
NFL roster no. 17: New Orleans Saints
Is Jameis Winston going to be a true catalyst for this New Orleans Saints team coming off of a major knee injury?
We’re fixing to find out.
The Saints have some of the best offensive skill talent in the NFL today. Who wouldn’t want a core like this?
- Alvin Kamara
- Michael Thomas
- Jarvis Landry
- Chris Olave
Who could forget Taysom Hill the tight end?
The Saints have a ton of high draft picks on the offensive line and just replaced longtime starting left tackle Terron Armstead with the nasty Trevor Penning, one of the team’s first-round picks in 2022.
I don’t think the Saints are going to have issues offensively unless we get the 30-interception version of Jameis Winston.
Defensively, the Saints are also pretty strong.
Even with Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport on the defensive front, the part of this roster really worth writing home about defensively is in the secondary.
The Saints have one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in Marshon Lattimore, whose supporting cast has gotten a lot better in recent years.
The Saints drafted Paulson Adebo in round three last year. They took Alontae Taylor in the second round this year.
They traded for Bradley Roby last year and brought in guys like veterans Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye to revamp the safety position after losing Marcus Williams in free agency.
There’s a lot to like about this Saints roster.
NFL roster no. 16: Indianapolis Colts
For the first time in his NFL career, we’re going to see Matt Ryan playing for a team besides the Atlanta Falcons.
It’s going to be weird at first.
Matty Ice isn’t the league MVP he used to be but he could be the missing piece for a Colts team that needed a veteran leader at the position, as good as Carson Wentz was for them last year statistically speaking.
The Colts’ 98 percent playoff chances disappeared, and a 98 percent chance disappearing is something Matt Ryan is unfortunately familiar with.
The Colts’ roster overall I think is more than meets the eye.
They have a legitimate NFL MVP candidate at running back in Jonathan Taylor.
Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has really emerged for this team lately and that position will also get a boost from second-round pick Alec Pierce.
The wild card at receiver is Parris Campbell. If he can stay healthy, the Colts’ receiver room might be one of the league’s most underrated.
The Colts lost some pieces on the offensive line and are banking on young players taking over, but that area of the team is not considered a major concern.
Defensively, the Colts have a scary front seven with Pro Bowl caliber players left and right.
DeForest Buckner and Darius Leonard are superstars. The team got a massive boost in the pass rush department with the trade to acquire Yannick Ngakoue.
Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo were the team’s top two picks last year and should be core pieces moving forward.
The secondary was already good and got even better with the addition of veteran Stephon Gilmore at cornerback.
Between Gilmore and Kenny Moore II, the Colts certainly have a couple of players that can create a lot of turnovers.
Third-round pick Nick Cross can also be a factor at the safety position early on with Julian Blackmon, Khari Willis, and veteran Rodney McLeod.
Overall, the Colts’ roster is just solid. The team feels like it’s missing a piece at receiver and the offensive line is in transition. Defensively, they should be good again and a playoff contender in 2022.
NFL roster no. 15: Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens reloaded in the 2022 NFL offseason and they desperately need Lamar Jackson to bounce back.
Jackson was the league’s MVP in 2019 but his production fell off a cliff in 2021 and entering a contract year, there’s no better time for a resurgence.
The Ravens need to get healthy, plain and simple. If that happens, they’ll be contenders to win the AFC North.
JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards can be one of the best running back duos in the league.
Rashod Bateman is a breakout candidate and Mark Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the game.
The Ravens revamped their offensive line which looks pretty strong from left to right after the 2022 NFL Draft.
- Ronnie Stanley, LT
- Tyre Phillips, LG
- Tyler Linderbaum, C
- Kevin Zeitler, RG
- Morgan Moses, RT
That kind of offensive line could help carry this team.
Defensively, the Ravens leave something to be desired up front. There are some strong veterans but that area of the team could be better.
Baltimore needs Odafe Oweh to become a force consistently off the edge in his second NFL season and they need someone else off the edge to really step up while David Ojabo continues to heal.
The secondary in Baltimore is rather stacked.
Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Brandon Stephens, Chuck Clark, and newcomers Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams make this one of the most dangerous groups of defensive backs in the league.
This Ravens roster feels incomplete overall, but they have star power at key positions and can win with balance offensively despite not having a bunch of superstar receivers.
NFL roster no. 14: Cleveland Browns
I’m sure a lot of Cleveland Browns are going to be irate over this, but that’s just too bad.
The Deshaun Watson trade and subsequent contract extension this offseason were absolutely foolish moves to make considering Watson’s off-field situation, which has gotten worse in recent weeks.
Football-wise, Watson has been a very good player in the NFL but the last time we saw him play a full season, his team won just four games. Wins are not a QB stat, but that is intriguing nonetheless.
Outside of Watson, the Browns have a strong roster.
They have the best running back duo in the game with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
They have newfound faith in big-money tight end David Njoku, who was seemingly on the way to being traded just a year or so ago.
They have one of the best offensive lines in football.
Defensively, the Browns are almost flawless on paper.
Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are this team’s superstars but there are plenty of other pieces that make this unit one of the league’s best when you compare to the rest of the NFL.
Jadeveon Clowney is back.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was outstanding last year as a second-round pick.
Greg Newsome gives the Browns one of the best starting cornerback duos in the league.
John Johnson, Grant Delpit, Ronnie Harrison, and rookie Martin Emerson help make this one of the best and deepest defensive backfields in the league.
The question mark right now on this roster is at QB with Watson’s future up in the air. Nobody knows if he’ll be suspended or what’s going to happen.
At wide receiver, Amari Cooper comes over from the Cowboys and although he’s not the most dynamic receiver in the game, he’s solid in all facets.
Even with third-round pick David Bell coming in, though, this isn’t the best group of receivers in the NFL and I think the Browns could upgrade there and on the interior defensive line.
NFL roster no. 13: Las Vegas Raiders
When looking across the league at which rosters are the best, it’s more than just having good starting plyaers at every position.
It’s also about having the best players at the most important positions.
The Las Vegas Raiders check a lot of those boxes, quite frankly.
They have one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Derek Carr.
They have the best receiver in the game in Davante Adams.
They have a very good left tackle in Kolton Miller.
They have arguably the best duo of edge players in Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby.
This offseason, they also added to the cornerback position by trading for Rock Ya-Sin.
Not every area of this Raiders’ roster is spectacular, but I don’t think there’s a better trio of pass-catchers in the NFL than Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller.
The offensive line got some upgrades in the 2022 offseason and defensively, the Raiders are going to be able to close out games late with their elite duo of edge players.
I kept the Raiders outside the top 10 because I don’t think they have the best all-around roster despite having some elite pieces at key positions.
Those pieces can take this roster far, but a lot of areas of this team still need tweaking.
With that said, the Raiders are one of the most vastly improved overall rosters in 2022 with the acquisitions they have made.
NFL roster no. 12: Philadelphia Eagles
If you want to talk about a roster that is no worse than “solid” in any one area, it’s probably the Philadelphia Eagles.
Unlike some other teams, the Eagles may not have any of the league’s very best players at crucial positions, but they have one of the best overall collections of talent in the league.
At quarterback, Jalen Hurts took a major leap forward last year and proved that he could be this team’s franchise QB. The 2022 season will be critical for him.
The running back position is stacked with Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott.
At receiver, the Eagles already had Devonta Smith but added AJ Brown with one of the smartest trades of the entire 2022 NFL Draft.
That duo should be dynamic enough, but then you factor in Dallas Goedert and the passing game should be tough to stop on a weekly basis for opposing teams.
The offensive line in Philadelphia has always gotten a ton of attention from general manager Howie Roseman and is once again one of the strengths of this team.
Defensively, the Eagles’ only true “weakness” may be at the safety positions.
They have a solid veteran duo at cornerback in Darius Slay and James Bradberry.
They landed some huge pieces for the defensive front seven throughout the offseason in free agent pass rusher Haason Reddick and draft picks Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean.
The Eagles were somewhat of a surprise playoff team last year but they won’t sneak up on anybody in 2022, and they got a lot better this year with the additions they made on both sides of the ball.
NFL roster no. 11: San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are going to be transitioning into the Trey Lance era at the QB position, something that will be absolutely fascinating to watch in 2022.
What we have been able to see with the 49ers the last few years is that this roster is extremely good. They have been to the NFC Championship game twice in the last three seasons with Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback.
With all due respect to Garoppolo, that truly speaks volumes to this roster’s construction and how good of a coach Kyle Shanahan is, not to mention how good of a staff he’s put together through the years.
The 49ers are one of the league’s best teams at developing and maximizing talent.
They have some of the best offensive pieces in the NFL:
- Deebo Samuel, WR
- Trent Williams, OT
- George Kittle, TE
Those three players are truly superstars at their respective positions and they merely represent the core of one side of the ball for this team.
Defensively, the 49ers have so much elite-level talent.
- Nick Bosa, EDGE
- Arik Armstead, DL
- Fred Warner, LB
All of the players listed above are some of the best at their respective position groups in the entire NFL.
That kind of star power has been almost entirely home-grown by the 49ers, who also brought in some key pieces in the 2022 offseason like free agent cornerback Charvarius Ward, rookie pass rusher Drake Jackson, and sleeper rookies on offense like Danny Gray and Tyrion Davis-Price.
If Trey Lance can play well as a rookie, this team is once again poised for huge success.
NFL roster no. 10: Dallas Cowboys
Are the Dallas Cowboys too high on this list?
Maybe. But their roster is also pretty darn good.
Starting with the offensive side of the ball, the Dallas Cowboys have outstanding top-end talent.
Dak Prescott is one of the best quarterbacks in the game.
Ezekiel Elliott is one of the best running backs in the game, and his backup — Tony Pollard — is also one of the top 32 backs in the NFL.
CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup are one of the best receiver duos in the NFL.
Dalton Schultz had a massive 2021 season.
The offensive line in Dallas is not dominant as it once was, but it’s still solid.
Defensively, the Cowboys have one of the most dynamic weapons in the league in Micah Parsons. Although it’s hard to remember back this far at this point, Parsons didn’t even play in 2020 during the pandemic-affected season.
He absolutely dominated in 2021 regardless, and was a borderline Defensive MVP-caliber playmaker for Dallas.
Trevon Diggs gave up a lot of touchdowns, but he also picked off a ton of passes.
The Cowboys found a ton of team success defensively last season under Dan Quinn, who is shockingly back after getting interviewed by almost every team on this year’s head coaching circuit.
The Cowboys did lose Randy Gregory but they have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to once again be a viable threat in the NFC.
NFL roster no. 9: Miami Dolphins
Right now, it’s really hard to know what to make of the Miami Dolphins.
Do they have a strong roster? Yes, but part of the strength of this team was the fact that former head coach Brian Flores got the most out of some guys that were otherwise castoffs or unknowns before landing in Miami.
Andrew Van Ginkel was second on the team in QB hits with 20 last season.
Nik Needham has become a very good slot corner.
Zach Sieler had 62 tackles for this team in 2021.
This team isn’t a motley crew of former UDFAs, either. There are high draft picks and big-money free agents contributing to the success this team has had — back-to-back winning seasons — but there are also guys who were just outstanding fits with the previous staff.
The biggest question mark on this team is simple: Can Tua Tagovailoa maximize the talent around him?
Many are skeptical that the answer to that particular question is yes. But just because Tua Tagovailoa is the QB (Teddy Bridgewater is a good backup, too) doesn’t mean this Dolphins roster is not good. It’s tough to find a major area of weakness at all, actually.
The Dolphins added arguably the toughest receiver to cover in the entire NFL this offseason. Tyreek Hill comes over from the Kansas City Chiefs to pair with Jaylen Waddle and give the Dolphins an enviable, speedy duo at one of the game’s most important position.
Mike Gesicki is back on the franchise tag.
The running back position has been revamped.
There are talented players on the offensive line which got a huge boost in the form of left tackle Terron Armstead in free agency.
This Dolphins roster has a lot of good going on, but their success as a team hinges on Tua Tagovailoa.
NFL roster no. 8: Kansas City Chiefs
I will be honest, I struggled putting the Kansas City Chiefs this high, but that’s the power of Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes makes this roster so much better and you have to respect the Chiefs no matter if they lost arguably their best players on offense and defense in the 2022 offseason or not.
Okay, it’s debatable if Tyrann Mathieu was the “best” defensive player on the KC roster, but certainly one of the most important.
And they let him go.
The Chiefs lost plenty in 2022, but they also reloaded with some very interesting players that could excel with Mahomes pulling the strings.
JuJu Smith-Schuster could be this team’s WR1. Skyy Moore might not be far behind. All due respect to Mecole Hardman, I think those players are the future for the Chiefs.
Travis Kelce hasn’t gone anywhere.
The offensive line got a massive upgrade last offseason and the Chiefs kept that unit intact.
Defensively, there’s some reloading happening but Kansas City found a stride last year and could carry that momentum into 2022 even with a lot of new pieces in the secondary.
Justin Reid, Trent McDuffie, and Bryan Cook are the most critical pieces coming on board in 2022 to join L’Jarius Sneed, one of the best defensive backs in the game.
The Chiefs have speed and aggressiveness at linebacker with young Willie Gay Jr. and Nick Bolton as the top guys heading into 2022.
The defensive front features Chris Jones and Frank Clark, but will also get a boost from first-round pick George Karlaftis, a high-effort player out of Purdue who always seems to be making plays behind the line of scrimmage.
This Chiefs roster has more in 2022, but without Tyreek Hill, Tyrann Mathieu, and Charvarius Ward, are they really better? The jury is out on that one, at best.
NFL roster no. 7: Green Bay Packers
Let’s get the obvious out of the way.
The Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver room stinks.
There are some decent young players there and some upside with newcomer Christian Watson, but the Packers lost the best receiver in the league and didn’t appropriately replace him.
At least, not yet.
Aaron Rodgers is the tide raising all the boats in the harbor here. The Packers have two very good running backs in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, but pedestrian receivers and tight ends.
The offensive line is anchored by David Bakhtiari but is also getting younger at other positions.
Defensively is what sets this roster apart from others.
The Packers are loaded on the defensive side of the ball, which should come as no surprise considering how much draft ammunition they have invested on that side of the ball in recent years.
The defensive front is anchored by Kenny Clark, one of the most underrated defensive stars in the game today.
He is getting some help from new first-round pick Devonte Wyatt and free agent Jarran Reed.
The pass rush for the Packers includes Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, and fifth-round pick Kingsley Enagbare who was massively under-drafted.
The linebacker position with De’Vondre Campbell and 2022 first-round pick Quay Walker will be one of the fastest and most dynamic in the league.
Where the Packers rise above other rosters in the NFL today? The secondary.
- Jaire Alexander
- Eric Stokes
- Rasul Douglas
- Darnell Savage
- Adrian Amos
You’re not going to find a better starting group in the league.
NFL roster no. 6: Cincinnati Bengals
The job the Cincinnati Bengals have done revamping this roster in recent years has been nothing short of remarkable.
Of course, it helps to pick high in the draft for a long period of time, including first overall in a year where Joe Burrow is coming out.
Some luck is involved, but the Bengals have also had to make some tough calls that have paid off, including the choice in the 2021 NFL Draft to take wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase over Penei Sewell, an unpopular decision for many at the time.
Joe Burrow has one of the best trios of wide receivers in the NFL to throw the ball to in Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd.
He’s got one of the best running backs in the league behind him in Joe Mixon.
No team transformed its offensive line more in 2022 than the Bengals, who added new starters at three positions to keep Burrow upright and protected, something that has been a problem through his first two years in the NFL.
Defensively, the Bengals have progressed exceptionally over the last few seasons.
The acquisition of Trey Hendrickson off the edge was a gift from the football gods for this team, and in combination with the likes of DJ Reader, Sam Hubbard, and BJ Hill, the Bengals have a versatile and formidable defensive front.
The linebacker play in Cincinnati is outstanding as well from Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt.
The secondary has received a necessary infusion of young talent this offseason with Dax Hill coming in as the team’s first-round pick and Cam Taylor-Britt as the team’s second-rounder.
Those two will play plenty early on and help round out a phenomenal roster.
NFL roster no. 5: Los Angeles Chargers
It’s June, so you know what that means…
It’s time to hype up the Los Angeles Chargers.
A tradition unlike any other.
In all seriousness, the Los Angeles Chargers truly appear to have one of the best and most well-rounded rosters in the league.
Offensively, they are led by third-year QB Justin Herbert, who has quickly become one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.
He has no shortage of weapons to get the ball to with all of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler being viable Pro Bowl candidates every year.
Gerald Everett has joined the mix this offseason as the team’s potential TE1 along with Donald Parham and 2021 third-round pick Tre McKitty.
The offensive line has gotten upgrades in the last two offseason with the additions of left tackle Rashawn Slater — one of the best rookies regardless of position in 2021 — and veterans Corey Linsley and Matt Feiler last year, as well as the addition of first-round pick Zion Johnson in 2022.
The defensive line got some underrated help in 2022 with the additions of free agents Sebastian Joseph-Day as well as Austin Johnson, but the biggest piece to join the Chargers’ revamped defensive front is former Defensive MVP Khalil Mack.
Mack isn’t the player he once was, but still a phenomenal edge player when healthy.
As great as the Khalil Mack move was for the Chargers, the most impactful move this team made in the 2022 offseason was the addition of free agent cornerback JC Jackson, who has 17 interceptions over the last two years.
Jackson’s inclusion in the secondary gives the Chargers a truly enviable group on the back end with tons of ball skills and turnover potential.
The Chargers are loaded. They are pretty deep, and they have few weaknesses.
NFL roster no. 4: Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are the reigning Super Bowl champions, and as is typically the case, you have a Super Bowl champ dealing with a lot of changes on the roster.
The Rams have certainly spent a ton of money this offseason (and in the last year), as usual.
They’ve given new deals to their most valuable players:
- Matthew Stafford, QB
- Aaron Donald, DL
- Cooper Kupp, WR
In addition to spending money on their own guys, they’ve made some important additions on outside free agents like wide receiver Allen Robinson and linebacker Bobby Wagner.
The offensive line is going to have to endure some changes with Andrew Whitworth retiring and Austin Corbett leaving for the Panthers.
Defensively, the Rams’ biggest loss is the departure of free agent pass rusher Von Miller, who wasn’t effectively replaced in free agency or the NFL Draft.
The defensive backfield also took a loss with Darious Williams leaving for the Jaguars.
Still, this Rams roster is among the NFL’s elite. They have such outstanding skill-position talent, made even better with the presence of Sean McVay calling the shots and pulling the strings as well as Matthew Stafford as the field general.
Defensively, the Rams have arguably two of the top five overall defensive players in the game today with Donald and Jalen Ramsey.
This roster is probably good enough to repeat as a Super Bowl champion but they will need to get some help off the edge.
NFL roster no. 3: Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos had a good roster last year, they just needed the missing piece — a franchise quarterback.
You could certainly see the pieces of this roster falling into place the last couple of years with a tremendous group of offensive skill players, an improving offensive line, and a defense that has always been solid under Vic Fangio.
Now, Nathaniel Hackett takes the helm as the team’s new head coach with former Los Angeles Rams defensive assistant Ejiro Evero as the defensive coordinator.
Those guys have the task of leading the Russell Wilson era in Denver starting in 2022, and Wilson’s presence certainly makes the skill position group in Denver even more exciting.
Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon are back as this team’s running back duo.
Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Jerry Jeudy, and KJ Hamler return as the team’s core of receivers, and they are joined by the athletic young duo of Albert Okwuegbunam and Greg Dulcich at tight end.
Defensively, the Broncos have a healthy Bradley Chubb and one of the top free agent pass rushers available in 2022 — Randy Gregory.
Not only that, but the team used its top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto for added pass rush depth.
The secondary is led by Pat Surtain II, one of the best young corners in the game, as well as Justin Simmons, arguably the top ball-hawking safety in football right now.
This roster is ready to compete for a title again.
NFL roster no. 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to be thanking the football gods for bringing Tom Brady back after his short retirement this offseason.
Brady is playing at such a high level, it would have been surprising to see him hang up the cleats after last season, even considering his now in his mid-40s.
Brady’s defiance of Father Time is nothing short of shocking. A close second is the Buccaneers’ ability to keep the majority of their roster intact over the last few seasons and truly become a powerhouse in the NFC.
Assuming this team is able to add Rob Gronkowski back at some point later in the offseason, they will be poised to be the team to beat in the NFC once more in 2022.
The Bucs are just so well-balanced on both sides of the ball with virtually no roster weaknesses.
Last season, a weakness was exposed with this team’s depth at the cornerback position, so they brought in veteran Logan Ryan this offseason along with fifth-round pick Zyon McCollum, a versatile defensive back and one of the most ridiculous athletes in the entire draft.
On the defensive front, it looks like the Bucs will be saying goodbye to Ndakmukong Suh but he’s been replaced by veteran Akiem Hicks, who will be a great pickup for Todd Bowles and the defense as well as second-round pick Logan Hall, a steal in this draft for the Bucs.
NFL roster no. 1: Buffalo Bills
MVP-caliber quarterback? Check.
Elite skill position talent? Check.
Defensive front seven? Quadruple check.
The Buffalo Bills have it all. They have star power. They have depth. They have an elite and dynamic quarterback.
This offseason, they took things to the next level with all of the acquisitions they made on the defensive front.
Going out and getting Von Miller is the type of move that could really put this team over the top in January and February.
Adding to Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, and Dawson Knox, the Bills went out and made one of the most underrated moves in free agency by bringing in former first-round pick OJ Howard as a secondary option at tight end.
They also brought in a stud slot player in Jamison Crowder, who replaces Cole Beasley in the lineup.
After their debacle in the secondary in last year’s playoffs, the Bills spent their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Florida’s ultra-talented cornerback Kaiir Elam.
They simply got better in every possible way this offseason, including adding another dynamic option at the running back in Georgia’s James Cook with their second-round pick.
The Bills have the best and most well-rounded overall roster in the NFL right now, there is no question about it.