NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE
What’s become abundantly clear the last couple of years is that Kyle Pitts is teetering on the edge of being one of the biggest disappointments in recent NFL Draft memory. When he was at Florida, Pitts looked like a man among boys and a truly perfect player for the modern NFL offense to utilize. Now, he’s been the center of a plethora of trade rumors and uncertainty. Blogging Dirty site expert Grayson Freestone offered this about his situation:
“The former fourth-overall pick has been a big disappointment since his near record-breaking rookie season. He has opened up offseason activities with an injury that has held him out of practice. There has been speculation and rumors that he could be traded as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.”
Carolina Panthers: WR Xavier Legette
This is a pivotal year for a lot of players with the Carolina Panthers. You could point to any number of guys defensively who are under pressure to perform, but arguably nobody on this roster has more pressure being heaped up on them in 2025 than second-year wide receiver Xaier Legette.
The Panthers went after Tetairoa McMillan with a top-10 pick this year, and former UDFA Jalen Coker built some exciting chemistry with Bryce Young last year. The Panthers also brought in Hunter Renfrow to join veteran Adam Thielen as two very capable veterans to raise the floor of the group. Struggles for Legette won’t be met with as long of a leash.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rachaad White, RB
The Buccaneers got a breakthrough season in 2024 from stud rookie Bucky Irving, who looks like one of the most exciting every-down backs in the league. They also got some really underrated production out of Sean Tucker, another young back with some team control.
Rachaad White is entering the 2025 season in a contract year and without a clearly defined role thanks to the emergence of Irving last season. White still had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns last year. He has tremendous value on all three downs but will he be playing more of a second fiddle this year than he did a season ago?
New Orleans Saints: QBs Tyler Shough & Spencer Rattler
If the Saints can get any semblance of solid productivity out of their quarterback position this season, they’ll vastly exceed some extremely low expectations. Right now, the competition of Tyler Shough vs. Spencer Rattler isn’t exactly inspiring or riveting.
The Saints have spent a lot of money for a team that’s expected to be bad. They waited a long time to hire Kellen Moore as their head coach after he helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl. They are giving off confidence in their offseason plan but the wrench Derek Carr threw into things makes this an even more pressure-packed situation for a couple of young QBs who could be fighting against the lust for whoever could be the Saints’ next top-5 draft pick.