Fantasy Questions Before the 2023 NFL Draft

You might have heard that the 2023 NFL Draft is near. The annual offseason football holiday will alter all 32 rosters in a matter of three short days, and plenty of trades and additional free agency signings will also inevitably change the league’s hierarchy as we know it.

The Fantasy Life crew has you covered with all sorts of dynasty rookie profiles as well as an award-winning mock NFL Draft, but today’s goal is to outline the biggest roster construction questions facing skill-position units around the league ahead of Thursday.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

• Is Gabriel Davis going to be the clear-cut No. 2 WR again?

Bills general manager Brandon Beane certainly seems to be giving Gabriel Davis the benefit of the doubt.

Somehow still only 24 years old, Davis profiles as Josh Allen’s rather undisputed No. 2 pass-game option (for now). The Bills’ pass-happy offense has produced the single-most expected WR PPR points per game (PPG) over the past three seasons, so improved health in 2023 *should* yield returns closer to what drafters were hoping for last season for Davis.

Or maybe Davis again won't live up to expectations this coming season. Either way, Davis's current Underdog ADP of WR39 is pretty cheap and actually lower than where he finished last season at WR38.

Miami Dolphins

• Will Miami add another RB to this backfield equation?

There was a lot of potential inside this backfield when free agency started, as Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert, and Myles Gaskin all entered the open market with free reign to sign wherever they wanted.

Fast forward to present day, and all three RBs ended up re-signing with Miami. This leaves the offense with few available opportunities, although it’s tough to be overly confident about either Wilson or Mostert nailing down the starting job considering how often they rotated down the stretch in 2022.

Ultimately, this Dolphins offense figures to continue to flow through Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle over anyone else, but realize that there’s not all that much competition for lead back duties on the 11th-ranked scoring offense from last year.

New England Patriots

• How tight is Rhamondre Stevenson’s stranglehold on a workhorse role?

It's not as though Rhamondre Stevenson was given a workhorse role from Week 1 last season. The Patriots’ backfield was largely a walking graveyard for most of 2022.

James White retired in August before the season, and Ty Montgomery suffered an ankle injury in the final game of the preseason. Montgomery then played and even out-snapped Stevenson in Week 1 before he was placed on injured reserve with an upper body injury, ultimately missing the rest of the season.

And finally, Damien Harris suffered hamstring and thigh injuries that limited him to just 11 games. Note that Harris had more carries (94) than Stevenson (88) in the eight games that Harris was healthy enough to play 15-plus snaps.

Credit to Stevenson for holding off the likes of Pierre Strong Jr., Kevin Harris, and J.J. Taylor down the stretch last season, but this was far more of a committee backfield with the top dogs healthy than most likely remember. While Harris is now a member of #BillsMafia, the Patriots did sign former Jaguars and Jets RB James Robinson to a two-year, $4 million contract.

The addition of Robinson isn't exactly reason to sound the alarms, and it’d be shocking if Stevenson doesn’t again lead this backfield in snaps next season. However, Stevenson's current ADP as the RB13 might be a bit optimistic considering how much injuries played into his role and big-time production in 2022.

New York Jets

• Will this backfield be the Breece Hall show?

I am far less concerned about Breece Hall’s knee recovery than I am about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s history of utilizing committee backfields. This was true both while working with Matt LaFleur in Green Bay and more recently while overseeing the Broncos as their head coach last season.

Maybe the plan was originally for Javonte Williams to take on a larger role as the season went on, but it’s still concerning that Hackett felt the need to keep Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone as involved as they were even prior to Williams's season-ending knee injury in Week 4.

Nobody is debating whether or not Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, or anyone else the Jets might add to the equation will unseat Hall as the team’s lead back. That said, Hall might need to be absurdly efficient (again) to beat his current RB8 ADP and outproduce some of the true workhorse RBs he’s currently being drafted ahead of.

AFC North

Cincinnati Bengals

• Will Joe Mixon still be a Bengal in two months?

 Samaje Perine leaving for Denver doesn’t exactly give the Bengals a ton of depth at the RB position, but Cincinnati could save about $7.3 million by releasing Joe Mixon before June 1st. Upcoming contract talks for the likes of Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase could certainly make the front office take a long look at Mixon’s current deal.

The Bengals and the Vikings are both teams that could look for some salary cap relief by parting ways with their long-time starting RBs. Overall, only Alvin Kamara ($75 million), Christian McCaffrey ($64 million), Dalvin Cook ($63 million), and Derrick Henry ($50 million) are signed to contracts with higher total values than Mixon's current deal ($48 million).

But what if Cincinnati manages to keep Mixon? Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan’s recent comments didn’t exactly paint a Mixon-less picture heading into 2023. If the Bengals don't invest in a RB on Day 1 or Day 2 of the NFL Draft, Mixon, the reigning RB2 in expected PPR PPG could be a screaming value at his current Underdog ADP of RB30.

Baltimore Ravens

• Will there be a resolution to the Lamar Jackson saga?

Now that the Aaron Rodgers trade has finally happened, all eyes are turning to Baltimore's QB situation.

Lamar Jackson allegedly told the Ravens to acquire both Odell Beckham Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins, and then “we can talk.” The first domino has fallen with Baltimore's recent signing of Beckham. Will the Ravens go out of their way to acquire another relatively elderly WR to appease the 2019 league MVP?

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (95) reaches in on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the first quarter of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Jki 112722 Nfl Ravens Jags 19 Photo Credit: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK

The NFL Draft also stands out as an important date because any team looking to sign Jackson could then use their 2024 and 2025 first-round draft picks as trade ammo. A trade for Jackson could make sense for QB-needy squads like the Texans, Colts, and Falcons, all of whom currently have a top-eight overall pick in 2023. Adding Jackson could in theory also make their future first-round draft picks less valuable.

An imminent decision is hardly guaranteed, but there's a fair chance that Jackson could be traded during the upcoming NFL Draft, if it’s going to happen at all.

Pittsburgh Steelers

• How much confidence do the Steelers have in Najee Harris?

Najee Harris played at least 80% of the offense’s snaps on 12 separate occasions as a rookie in 2021. Last year, Harris only hit that mark twice. Playing with a steel plate in his cleat throughout September didn’t help, but it was fewer touches that doomed Harris's 2022 campaign rather than a major drop-off in performance.

While Harris deserves credit for being able to hurdle, truck, and spin his way around defenders of all shapes and sizes, his lack of big-play ability makes it tough for him to overcome any sort of volume decline. This is especially true on a Steelers offense that ranked 21st and 26th in scoring, respectively, in 2021 and 2022.

Undrafted free agent Jaylen Warren proved capable of taking Harris’s workload from great to just good last year, so any additional investment by Pittsburgh in RBs in the 2023 NFL Draft would be dire news for Harris's chances of booming in Year 3.

Cleveland Browns

• Will the Browns invest in replacing Kareem Hunt?

Cleveland has seemingly moved on from their No. 2 RB, who remains an unrestricted free agent as of this writing and seemingly doesn't have much of a market for his services.

Hunt’s poor 2022 campaign was largely due to serving as a pure backup to Nick Chubb even though Hunt had more of a 1B role in the three seasons prior. Hunt's previous usage as a receiver prior to 2022 was warranted, as he had been one of the league’s better receiving backs.

Going forward, it sure would be a lot cooler if Chubb were to finally receive the sort of legit workhorse role that he deserves. Up until this point, it’s a minor miracle how well Chubb has performed in fantasy considering that the Browns have refused to fully feature him:

• 2020: RB28 in expected PPR PPG; RB9 actual PPR PPG
• 2021: RB20 expected; RB12 actual
• 2022: RB18 expected; RB8 actual

The other factor here is the potential for presumed No. 2 RB Jerome Ford to become one of fantasy’s more-valuable handcuffs if Cleveland were to refrain from adding any sort of serious RB competition early on in the NFL Draft.

He could make for an intriguing late-round option in best ball if this becomes the case, too. You can start drafting him on Underdog Fantasy and get a 100% deposit match of up to $100 by signing up below!

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Will the Jaguars draft another RB to complement Travis Etienne?

I have a hard time figuring out why Travis Etienne lost so much work to JaMycal Hasty in passing situations down the stretch last season. Hasty even out-snapped Etienne 35 to 26 against Kansas City in the AFC Divisional Round game despite the Jaguars never having faced a deficit of more than 10 points.

Yes, Etienne suffered a foot injury in Week 12, but that didn’t stop the Jaguars from handing him an 88% snap share the very next week. Etienne also posted a workhorse 86% snap share during the Jaguars’ thrilling Wild Card comeback over the Chargers, which obviously featured plenty of negative game script, so it's a mystery why his role declined so much the following week against the Chiefs.

On the surface, Hasty and recently signed D’Ernest Johnson shouldn’t be major competition for Etienne handling a workhorse role. Still, it's possible that Jacksonville could still draft a replacement for James Robinson, who handled most of the early-down work prior to being traded to the Jets midseason last year.

It's fair to wonder if head coach Doug Pederson could look to divide up the touches between Etienne and the other RBs on the roster just a bit more evenly in 2023 and beyond. After all, Etienne did log five fumbles last season, and he scored a brutal 49.8 receiving grade per Pro Football Focus (PFF), which placed him 43rd among 47 qualifying RBs.

Tennessee Titans

• Will Tennessee address their still relatively-weak WR room?

The allure of incumbent No. 1 WR Treylon Burks is simple: he flashed down the stretch and remains the clear-cut top pass-game option for a Titans offense with arguably less target competition than any other unit in the league.

Dec 24, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) fights off a tackle attempt from Houston Texans cornerback Steven Nelson (21) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The problem is that Tennessee seemingly remains fully devoted to the religion of giving Derrick Henry as many touches as possible. Perhaps new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly will make a change, but it seems unlikely considering that he ran a run-heavy offense last year while serving as the passing game coordinator.

Burks will be a popular upside pick in the middle rounds should the Titans decline to add another early-round WR during the draft. But if Tennessee were to draft a rookie WR on Day 1 or Day 2, it would be awfully difficult to get excited about either Burks or the incoming rookie WR given that this offense has ranked dead last in expected PPR PPG for WRs over the past three seasons.

Indianapolis Colts

• Which incoming rookie QB will wear a horseshoe on their helmet?

In his latest mock draft, Fantasy Life CEO Eliot Crist gives his reasoning as to why Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud will be that guy:

“A few weeks ago Stroud was sitting as high as -400 to be the first overall selection, and now he is the fourth QB off the board in this mock.

If the Titans (or another team) are not aggressive in leap-frogging the Colts, Stroud could be in for a serious tumble.

Stroud sat at +3500 to be the fourth overall selection a few weeks ago. Now, he sits at +220, the second most likely selection after Will Levis per the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.

While the league may be shying away from Stroud, especially after his 18th percentile S2 cognitive test, I am still a big fan of his future.

His game against Georgia is the best film of any QB in the class.”

Houston Texans

• Is this whole “not taking a QB at No. 2” some kind of sick, twisted, and cruel joke?

Kentucky QB Will Levis is currently a -140 favorite to be the second overall selection, so Vegas certainly seems to think so.

Many view Levis as the QB in this rookie class who's most likely to be a bust, but his history of rushing production is in line with past Year 1 studs, more so than Young or Bryce Young. Levis showed some serious ability as a runner in the open field in college.

As The Athletic’s Dane Brugler notes in his ever-fantastic draft guide, “The Beast”, Levis “offers functional run skills and is a physical finisher to routinely pick up extra yardage after contact.”

Having demonstrated more willingness and ability on the ground than Young or Stroud, fantasy GMs shouldn't underestimate Levis's ability to be a far better fantasy QB than real-life talent, even as a rookie.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs

• Will the Chiefs add a Day 1 or Day 2 WR for the reigning Super Bowl MVP?

Yes, the Chiefs just won the Super Bowl without a single WR who can be considered a true No. 1 option, but it wouldn't be illegal to try and spruce up the position anyway.

Whether it's via trade, free agency, or the draft, Kansas City has some work to do to improve one of the league’s single-most unproven WR rooms. Here's the career receiving production for the WRs currently on the Chiefs' roster:

• Marquez Valdes-Scantling (165-2,840-15)
• Richie James (95-1,258-7)
• John Ross (62-957-11)
• Kadarius Toney (55-591-2)
• Skyy Moore (22-250-0)
• Ihmir Smith-Marsette (6-131-2)
• Justyn Ross (0-0-0)
• Cornell Powell (0-0-0)
• Ty Fryfogle (0-0-0)
• Jerrion Ealy (0-0-0)

Of the Chiefs' top-four WRs in receiving yards from last year, three are no longer on the roster. In fact, Kansas City currently has the 10th-cheapest WR room in the league.

Patrick Mahomes just led the NFL in passing yards (5,250) and TDs (41), so it’s easy to imagine him getting the most out of a starting trio of MVS, Toney, and Moore. Still, at this point, Mahomes's contract of $45 million per year ranks “only” fifth-highest in average annual value (AAV) among QBs.

The Chiefs shouldn't make life too hard on their franchise QB.

Los Angeles Chargers

• What's going to happen with Austin Ekeler?

The team hasn’t quite found a suitable early-down replacement for Melvin Gordon since he took his talents to Denver following the 2019 season. The Chargers used Day 3 picks on the likes of Isaiah Spiller, Larry Rountree, and Joshua Kelley in the past three drafts, and they signed free agent Sony Michel last offseason to little avail.

Jan 14, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler (30) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell (32) during the first quarter of a wild card game at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Trade murmurs surrounding Ekeler have persisted throughout the offseason, but even he himself has said that the “worst-case scenario” is simply staying in Los Angeles and searching for a long-term deal after the 2023 season.

The lack of a true No. 2 RB helped Ekeler lead all RBs in expected PPR PPG last season, so his most fantasy-friendly landing spot remains right where he’s been all along. However, Ekeler's usage could somewhat change should Los Angeles look ahead to the future and pull the trigger on a rookie RB on Day 1 or Day 2 of the draft.

Las Vegas Raiders

• Will the Raiders’ fill their moderate-sized hole at TE?

The available TE targets leaderboard based on roster turnover from 2022 to present day is as follows:

1. Raiders (97)
2. Cowboys (89)
3. Texans (87)
4. Bengals (86)
5. Titans (76)

Perhaps the additions of Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard are enough for head coach Josh McDaniels to feel content with the TE room, but this is a loaded TE class, and the Raiders have four picks inside the top 100 selections.

Whether or not Las Vegas drafts a rookie TE, expect Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Hunter Renfrow to lead the team in targets this coming year. That said, Jimmy Garoppolo is well-versed in distributing the ball around to a plethora of playmakers, so Hooper (TE34 ADP) has the potential to be a late-round fantasy gem if the Raiders don't invest in an early-round rookie TE.

Denver Broncos

• How confident is Sean Payton in the Broncos' current backfield?

Samaje Perine himself already said that Payton’s two-back system drew him to Denver, while the general injury vibe around Javonte Williams's recovery from his knee injury has been rough all offseason.

Similar to Jamaal Williams in New Orleans, Perine profiles as a flex option in fantasy for the time being as the de facto No. 1 RB until Javonte Williams is ready to return, which isn’t expected until after the 2023 regular season is underway.

If the Broncos don't spend an early-round pick on a RB, Perine would be in the driver’s seat to work as the team’s featured option in Williams's absence. In that event, Perine's present ADP of RB39 would be a more than reasonable cost considering his production when Williams is out, and Perine would still have upside as Denver's No. 2 RB and prime handcuff even once Williams returns.

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NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles

• Is Philadelphia's leading rusher for 2023 on the roster yet?

On the one hand, Rashaad Penny ranks third among RBs with at least 300 rush attempts in average yards after contact (3.8) since 2018 behind only Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry. Over that same span, Penny registered a 10-plus-yard run on a sparkling 15% of attempts, well above the NFL average of 10.5%.

And Penny has looked good doing it.

On the other hand, Penny’s one-year, $1.35 million deal includes just $600,000 guaranteed. Incumbent Eagles backup Boston Scott also re-signed on a one-year, $2 million deal with $1.08 guaranteed.

One of Matthew Berry's 23 most interesting things he learned at the combine was that head coach Nick Sirianni would be more willing to feature a single workhorse back if he had that sort of player on the roster. So while Penny has flashed borderline erotic rushing ability over the years, his career 27-222-1 receiving line in 42 career games leaves a lot to be desired.

It’d be tough to call this backfield anything other than a likely three-back committee if Philadelphia heads into the coming season with Penny, Scott, and Kenneth Gainwell. There's also a chance that the Eagles could decide to go all in on Bijan Robinson with their 10th overall pick. In that scenario, Robinson would immediately project to be a top-five fantasy RB, leaving Penny's value in the dust.

Dallas Cowboys

• To what extent will Dallas replace Dalton Schultz?

While it’s not a guarantee that head coach Mike McCarthy will involve the TE position much as ex-offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did, even 90% of Dalton Schultz’s expected PPR points over the years would still be pretty good for fantasy purposes:

• 2020: 9.6 expected PPR PPG (TE14)
• 2021: 10.8 expected PPR PPG (TE9)
• 2022: 11.0 expected PPR PPG (TE5)

Dallas has solid WRs and RBs to help carry the offense with CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Brandin Cooks, and Tony Pollard, so the Cowboys don’t need to spend high-end draft capital here, as Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot are decent-enough young options.

Still, Dalton Kincaid or Michael Mayer could be a great addition for Dak Prescott to throw to, because why not? Did you see the caliber of pass-catchers available to the QBs who made it to last season's AFC and NFC Championship games? Outside of Mahomes and the Chiefs, who are the exceptions to just about every rule, the 49ers, Eagles, and Bengals were all loaded with talented pass-catchers.

Make it happen, Jerry.

New York Giants

• Are the Giants done adding to their short WR room?

The Giants are top-five in both available air yards and targets with little returning proven talent at WR, and they might not even have their top-two projected WR options for the start of the regular season. Both Sterling Shepard and Wan'Dale Robinson are returning from ACL tears, and there's no guarantee that either WR will be 100% or even active for Week 1.

Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Incumbent contributors Isaiah Hodgins and Darius Slayton are capable of working on the outside, but new additions Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder are probably better off as slot-only options.

This is creating a logjam of sorts at the moment with TE Darren Waller currently projected to lead the team in targets for 2023, and all of the Giants WRs' ADPs are currently in the gutter. The addition of a legit WR1 in the first or second round of the NFL Draft could provide some much-needed clarity for a New York passing offense that offers plenty of opportunity.

Washington Commanders

• Is Sam Howell really going to be Washington's QB, or has Ron Rivera just been Drake and Joshing around?

Let’s hope so! Rivera trying to pick between Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett is one of the more ridiculous questions since Fogell was choosing between Mohammed and McLovin for his fake ID name in Superbad.

Howell’s deep-ball goodness and 183-828-11 rushing line in his final season at North Carolina paint the picture of a fantasy-friendly QB, so it’s too early to completely give up on him. Just realize that the hit rate of Day 3 picks isn’t good.

As for Brissett, he was legit good in 2022, having ranked third in completion percentage over expected (+2.8%) and 11th in EPA per dropback (+0.12) among all QBs to play at least 300 snaps. However, the previous six years of Brissett's career have painted a far more depressing picture.

Washington's offense has an awfully good trio of WRs in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel along with the league’s reigning seventh-ranked scoring defense. While more help on the offensive line would be nice, the Commanders aren’t that far off from potentially being contenders in a relatively weak NFC conference.

Here’s to hoping the organization won't let last year’s Carson Wentz-induced scars prevent them from making a more serious effort to address the QB room heading into the 2023 season.

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings

• Who will be Minnesota's No. 2 WR in 2023 and beyond?

Losing Adam Thielen leaves the offense painfully thin behind all-world WR Justin Jefferson. There’s nothing wrong with rising fourth-year WR K.J. Osborn, but his underlying numbers in yards per route run (1.19, 97th among 110 qualifying WRs) and targets per route run (14.5%, 104th) over the last two seasons are nothing to write home about.

Credit to the Vikings for trading for T.J. Hockenson last season, but there's still room for improvement for Minnesota's pass-catchers, as it’d be a shame if Kirk Cousins’s demonstrated ability to enable big-time WR performances were to go to waste.

Don’t get it twisted. All of the WRs listed below were and are very talented in their own right. However, at some point, Cousins deserves at least some credit for consistently helping them to produce these sorts of high-end numbers:

• 2018: Thielen (113-1,373-9) and Stefon Diggs (102-1,021-9)
• 2019: Diggs (63-1,130-6) and Thielen (30-418-6 in 10 games)
• 2020: Jefferson (88-1,400-7) and Thielen (74-925-14)
• 2021: Jefferson (108-1,616-10) and Thielen (67-726-10)
• 2022: Jefferson (128-1,809-8) and Thielen (70-716-6)

Obviously, Jefferson will be the alpha No. 1 target regardless of who the Vikings add, but Osborn’s fantasy value will rise or decline in a major way depending on the choices the front office makes or doesn't make on Thursday and Friday.

Detroit Lions

• Will the Lions address their rather weak WR and TE rooms?

I love Amon-Ra St. Brown, you love Amon-Ra St. Brown, and we all love Amon-Ra St. Brown. It’s the state of the rest of the Lions’ WRs and TEs that's more troubling. The current top-four WR options behind the Sun God are Marvin Jones, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, and Jameson Williams.

Prime Marv was a helluva drug, but he turned 33 years old in March, and the list of elderly WRs who've put up big-time fantasy numbers is no bueno. Jones looked like a shell of his former self in Jacksonville last season while averaging just 6.5 yards per target and 33.1 yards per game, his lowest marks since his rookie 2012 season.

Reynolds has been a long-time complementary WR for Jared Goff since their days with the Rams, but Reynolds has totaled a rather mediocre 57-785-5 receiving line in 21 games with the Lions. He's a perfectly fine depth option but probably not someone you should be overly thrilled about as the potential No. 2 WR.

Raymond has logged respectable 48-576-4 and 47-616-0 receiving lines over the past two seasons, but the pint-sized speedster turns 29 in August and isn’t exactly someone who offenses should be thrilled about relying on.

And finally, Williams has been suspended for the first six games of the 2023 season, and he already got off to a slow start coming back from an ACL tear as a rookie. Williams has potential, but his one reception in six games of action last year didn't show much.

Nov 20, 2022; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) runs against the New York Giants safety Dane Belton (24) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit's TE room is pretty barren as well following Hockenson's midseason trade to Minnesota in 2022. That leaves Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra, James Mitchell, and Derrick Deese Jr.

Wright is a former undrafted free agent who managed just one game with more than 25 receiving yards after the Hockenson trade, and Zylstra is another former undrafted free agent. Although Zylstra did pop off for a 5-26-3 receiving line in Week 16 of last season, his production in 16 other career games is a paltry 9-68-1 combined.

Mitchell might be the most intriguing receiving prospect of the group, having fallen to the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft in large part because of a torn ACL just two games into his senior season. Mitchell’s 11-113-1 receiving line in 14 games as a rookie wasn’t dominant by any stretch of the imagination, but his collegiate reviews were largely sterling from a route-running and burst perspective.

And finally, Deese is yet another former undrafted free agent who hasn’t played an NFL snap, although his 47-730-4 receiving line during his final season at San Jose State does paint the picture of a TE with some receiving upside.

Maybe the 2023 version of Goff will continue to look more like the productive Goff we saw in 2022 than in his final seasons in Los Angeles, but the current state of the Lions' pass-catchers sure doesn’t seem like it will help matters. Here’s to hoping that Detroit's front office will use at least one or two of their selections in the top 55 overall picks to bolster their pass-catching corps.

Green Bay Packers

• Will the Packers finally draft a first-round WR, RB, or TE for the first time since 2002?

Yes, Christian Watson looked good as a rookie. In fact, Watson’s average of 2.26 yards per route run (YPRR) ranked 11th among 80 qualifying WRs, so just imagine how great things would have been without his infamous drop on the Packers’ first offensive play of the 2022 season.

Even so, no NFL team has less money devoted to their WR and TE rooms than the Packers ($9.4 million total) at the moment. Hell, the Titans ($13.6 million) are the only other team under $22 million.

Watson’s sidekick is currently Romeo Doubs (42-425-3 as a rookie), who flashed to an extent but remains a far from proven commodity, and the other WRs presently employed by the Packer are Samori Toure, Johnny Hopkins, Bo Melton, Sloan Kettering, and Jeff Cotton.

Okay, fine…I made two of those names up. But I bet you didn't notice!

The expected drop-off from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love won’t help matters for anyone involved, but this remains one of the league’s most wide-open passing games with Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Robert Tonyan all gone.

Credit to the organization for spending the 34th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft on Watson, but now let’s see if Green Bay will spend a first-round pick on a WR or TE for the first time since Javon Walker in 2002.

Chicago Bears

• Will Khalil Herbert still be the Bears' projected RB1 by this time next week?

Khalil Herbert has made the most out of his opportunities during his two years with the Bears. In the five games that Herbert has played at least 60% of offensive snaps, he's shown well.

• Week 6, 2021: 19-97-1 rushing, 2-15-0 receiving, 89% snaps
• Week 7, 2021: 18-100-0 rushing, 5-33-0 receiving, 77% snaps
• Week 8, 2021: 23-72-0 rushing, 2-(-)4-0 receiving, 84% snaps
• Week 3, 2022: 20-157-2 rushing, 2-12-0 receiving, 60% snaps
• Week 4, 2022: 19-77-0 rushing, 1-24-0 receiving, 77% snaps

No RB averaged more rushing yards over expected per carry than Herbert (+1.44) in 2022, so he checks all the boxes as a pure rusher and could certainly supply some solid RB2 fantasy value with a featured role.

So far, Herbert’s main competition for touches are newly-signed free agents D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer. Homer profiles as more of a special teams contributor, but Foreman could steal some touches in short-yardage situations.

Overall, Herbert ranked just 34th out of 42 RBs in success rate last season, so Foreman could challenge Herbert for rushing opportunities, and Justin Fields also figures to vulture some goal-line touches given his mobility.

Herbert has a lofty volume ceiling if the Bears refrain from using one of their four picks inside the top-64 overall selections on the RB position. However, things could turn into a messy committee rather quickly if Chicago were to add a Day 1 or Day 2 pick to the equation.

Either way, there are reasons to be high on the Bears this season, especially with Rodgers out of the division. You can bet on their 2023 Futures with BetMGM and get up to $1,000 paid back in bonus bets if your first bet does not win. All you have to do is sign up for a new account below to get started!

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Who will Mike Evans and Chris Godwin be catching passes from in 2023 and beyond?

Because I don’t like the current answers of Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.

The “glass half-empty” view on Mayfield is that he’s spent the better part of the last two seasons being an objectively bad QB.

The “glass half-full” version is that Mayfield has at least flashed more upside than your typical low-level QB. After all, he did set the NFL record for TD passes by a rookie in 2018 (27 TDs before Justin Herbert broke it again in 2020), and Mayfield also led the Browns to their first playoff victory since 1994 during the 2020 postseason.

Meanwhile, Trask’s most newsworthy moment through two seasons was probably his own coaching staff dubbing him a slow learner. That's not great.

Tampa Bay's offense still boasts one of the league’s better WR duos in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Any young QB could do a lot worse than getting to throw to those guys while learning the game.

It’s unclear exactly how much the Buccaneers will try to seriously contend in 2023, but at the very least, their pass-game weapons are good enough to provide some 2022 Seahawks vibes.

Carolina Panthers

• Is the front office done adding pass-game weapons to this offense?

I'm not saying that Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, and Terrace Marshall aren’t legit WRs. Okay, actually that is what I’m saying.

The Panthers still rank just 30th in salary devoted to their WR and TE rooms even after the Thielen, Chark, and Hayden Hurst signings in free agency. The history of players changing teams in free agency and then putting up big-time numbers is rather brutal, so this doesn’t exactly profile as a great environment for whichever QB Carolina selects with the No. 1 overall pick.

New Orleans Saints

• Just how sturdy is Derek Carr’s stranglehold on the long-term QB1 gig?

As is often the case with NFL contracts, Derek Carr’s four-year, $150 million deal isn’t as secure as it looks at first glance.

Mar 11, 2023; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) speaks at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The deal is essentially only good for two years, as the Saints can save $40 million and $50 million, respectively, against the salary cap by designating Carr as a post-June 1 cut in 2025 or 2026. Even a post-June 1 trade in 2024 could save them $30 million against the cap while only leaving $5.7 million in dead money.

New Orleans's annual salary cap hijinks regularly leave them in win-now mode, at least from a roster construction standpoint. However, there's still a chance they could trade up for a first-round QB or use pick No. 29 or No. 40 on someone like Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker. What the Saints do on Day 1 or Day 2 will be a good indication as to whether or not they view Carr as their long-term answer at QB.

Atlanta Falcons

• Will the Bijan Robinson at No. 8 overall smoke turn into fire?

Ace Fantasy Life mock draft extraordinaire Eliot Crist sure seems to think the fit makes sense, although his most recent version did have the Falcons trading down to pick No. 10 to make the selection:

“The Falcons sit as +200 favorites to be the landing spot of a generational, blue-chip prospect in Bijan Robinson.

While I have given Robinson to the Falcons in both of my previous mock drafts, the ability to pay a premium price tag, for a non-premium position, becomes easier to swallow when you add draft capital in a trade back.

Ultimately I think the Falcons walk away with either Robinson or Nolan Smith as their top selection.”

Is taking Robinson necessary? Absolutely not. Tyler Allgeier emerged as a late-round gem in 2022, and Cordarrelle Patterson has racked up 1,983 total yards and 19 total TDs in 29 games with the Falcons over the last two seasons.

Of course, Robinson has the sort of three-down skillset to make all 32 NFL teams better with his services. Let’s see what happens!

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers

• Will San Francisco add more skill-position players to an already-loaded offense?

Probably not, but then again, this was true last year as well. San Francisco then proceeded to spend third-round picks on little-used RB Tyrion Davis-Price and WR Danny Gray.

There isn’t a better RB1/WR1/WR2/TE1 core in the league than Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. If anything, the most fantasy-friendly thing the 49ers could do is take yet another swing at finding a definitive answer at QB.

Seattle Seahawks

• Will the Seahawks draft a “Robin” to Kenneth Walker’s “Batman”?

I hope not. There were times in 2022 when Kenneth Walker appeared to be moving at a different speed compared to everyone else on the football field.

More targets would be ideal, and the departure of Travis Homer opens up some added opportunity for Walker to see pass-down work.

Of course, the Seahawks managed to feed Walker at least 15 touches in each of his 10 non-injured starts. This included six games with 20-plus carries for Walker, which is close enough to a true workhorse role on the ninth-best scoring offense from 2022.

Los Angeles Rams

• Who is going to emerge as the Rams' No. 2 WR?

There are currently three contenders on the roster: Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, and Tutu Atwell, but none have shown much promise.

Last year, Jefferson struggled to build on his 50-802-6 campaign from 2021 despite not having to share the offense with Cooper Kupp or Allen Robinson down the stretch. Overall, Jefferson totaled just 24 receptions for 369 yards and three scores in 11 games last season.

As for Skowronek, the former seventh-round pick has 50 catches for 509 scoreless yards in 28 games over the past two seasons. At 6'3 and 224 lbs., Skowronek is an able blocker in Sean McVay's offense but shouldn’t be relied on as a true No. 2 option.

And finally, while Atwell does possess legit field-stretching speed and has proven capable of tracking the deep ball, it's probably wishful thinking to expect him to command target volume at 5'9 and 155 lbs.

The Rams have picks No. 36, 69, and 77 overall to make meaningful additions to their pass-catching corps should they choose to do so. If they don't select any impact WRs, we might as well project Kupp for 600 targets in 2023.

Arizona Cardinals

• How much competition will James Conner face for workhorse duties in 2023?

James Conner has never played an injury-free season, although he's suited up for at least 13 games in every season of his career except for 2019. He’ll also be 28 years old in May, so the age cliff is near. And with the Cardinals offense tentatively expected to be without Kyler Murray for a chunk of early-season action, there isn’t a ton to like about Conner's fantasy prospects heading into 2023.

That is, except for one little thing: volume.

It’s not a given that new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will be willing to give Conner the same sort of every-down role that Kliff Kingsbury did, but at a minimum, the veteran RB has proven capable of playing on all three downs at a solid level. Arizona left Conner on the field for at least 90% of the offense’s snaps in five games last season, and reaching the 60% mark is usually good enough for any RB to have fantasy potential.

Even though it's not exactly exciting to draft elderly RBs in likely bad offenses, Conner has now posted back-to-back top-10 finishes in PPR PPG over the last two seasons. If the Cardinals don't add any significant backfield competition in the NFL Draft, it might be tough not to rank Conner as a top-15 RB for next year with his current projected role and volume.

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