One X-Factor For Every NFL Team Heading Into 2023 Season

Franchises head into the NFL season with players that they feel confident about, and others whose production is uncertain. Those gray areas can turn into positives for a team, or crater a campaign if those individuals can’t get it together. We’ll take a look at wild card players for each NFL team heading into the regular season.

The 49ers have done a great job of stacking their roster with talent, and a lot of the credit should go to general manager John Lynch. However, their ceiling is raised that much higher when Kittle is available to play. He’s one of the best blockers in the NFL, and is an athletic option for the offense when they get into the red zone.

Los Angeles has some of the highest-end skill players in the NFL, but the remainder of their team is filled with question marks. The Rams will need someone else to take pressure off Cooper Kupp on offense, and Jefferson figures to be the best candidate for that. They’ve talked up his skill set for years, and it’s time for that potential to turn into results.

The Seahawks have been a pleasant surprise within the past year or so, but their trade for Adams is looking like one of the worst in recent memory. The safety has not been able to stay healthy, which has put their defense in a bind. Once again, Adams’ status leading into the season is unclear. When he has been able to suit up, he’s one of the most physical players in the league.

It’s looking like 2023 will be a rough campaign in Arizona, so evaluators will hope to find little things to take away from a rebuilding year. One of those observations will center around whether Johnson can be trusted as a building block for the offensive line moving forward. His play will be more important while pocket passers fill-in for Kyler Murray.

The Chiefs continue to bet on themselves and their offensive infrastructure, and so far it’s worked brilliantly. Still, it’s hard to imagine that Kansas City can continue to let go of talented pass catchers and continue to win. It will be important for someone to step up, and Moore is in a good spot to do that in his second season with the team.

The Chargers invested a lot of capital into Jackson, who was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL when he was with the New England Patriots. Injuries cut his season short in 2022, and he wasn’t quite as effective even when he was healthy. Los Angeles is hoping that Jackson can return to form in a division that has some accomplished passing attacks.

There may have been no more underwhelming team than the Denver Broncos last season. The good news is, it can probably only get better from here, but there are legitimate questions surrounding how much Wilson has left in the tank. Expecting his mobility to return to its prime Seattle form is probably not realistic, but Wilson can silence critics with strong play in the pocket.

In one of the more curious decisions this offseason, the Raiders decided to trade Darren Waller away to the New York Giants. This left a huge hole in Las Vegas’ target tree, which others will need to fill. Renfrow had a quiet 2022 campaign, but was a breakout player previously. He could gobble up looks in the slot from new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

It’s hard to imagine the Eagles being scarier than they were a year ago during their Super Bowl run, but Carter’s addition to an already stout defensive line makes that a legitimate possibility. He has Pro Bowl level ability, and would end any discussion about a reunion with veteran linemen such as Ndamukong Suh.

Brian Daboll did one of the best coaching jobs in 2022, playing to the Giants’ strengths. If the team is going to take another step forward, they’ll need to get more production from their wide receivers. New York selected Hyatt in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he figures to be incorporated into a team looking for big play ability.

Rightfully so, the NFL was enamored with Pollard’s explosive ability over the last few years. That came as a complementary player, but Pollard will now be the starting running back in Dallas. It’s going to be fascinating to see whether his output can remain as dynamic while handling additional carries.

It’s hard to find many holes on the Commanders’ team, and that’s been the case for a couple of years. Washington has had a difficult time getting competent play from their quarterbacks, and is hoping that Howell can be their answer. If he struggles throughout the year, the team won’t be shy about turning to reserve Jacoby Brissett.

Before he got injured in Week 7 of the 2022 season, Hall looked like he was well on his way to becoming one of the best players in the NFL. His recovery from the ACL injury he suffered is one of the most monitored storylines of the year. If Hall can resemble anything close to what he showed last year, the Jets will be thrilled.

Miami lost veteran star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to a knee injury during training camp, and it seems like he might not be able to return until December at the earliest. The Dolphins are going to be reliant upon Smith to help fill the void for the majority of the season. They took him in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

For whatever reason, the Patriots have had a difficult time bringing in wide receivers who have made a significant difference. Their latest attempt to address that problem took the form of signing Smith-Schuster, who played with the Chiefs last season. He’s not going to stretch the field for New England, but can serve as a reliable option for young quarterback Mac Jones.

Thinking they would be in the conversation for a Super Bowl title in 2022, the Bills spent a pretty penny to bring Miller in last summer. Their playoff run ended a little earlier than they expected, and so did Miller’s season. He’s working his way back from a knee injury, and Buffalo is hoping that he can provide the pass rushing juice they brought him in for.

There might not be a more dangerous player with the ball in his hands than Justin Jefferson, so it stands to reason that teams will do everything in their power to keep him from beating them. Enter Addison, who the Vikings took in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. His presence will help space the field for Jefferson if the former USC pass catcher can do damage of his own.

There’s a chance that Fields might be the most polarizing player heading into the 2023 NFL season. His rushing talents were unleashed down the stretch of the 2022 campaign, but the jury is still out regarding his ability to deliver accurate passes down the field. Chicago is hopeful that he can take a step forward in that regard.

The Packers will be turning over a new leaf this year as they hand the keys of their offense to Jordan Love. He’ll need all the help he can get, which means that Watson will play a big role. At certain points last season, Watson struggled with drops and route running. He’ll have to minimize the mistakes in 2023 as their new quarterback gets acclimated under center.

Gardner-Johnson has been known as a player who likes to get under opponents’ skin, but had an excellent year with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022. He now joins a Lions team that is looking to take the next step in the NFC North. Gardner-Johnson will look to stabilize the secondary, and provide leadership on a young team.

After an impressive rookie campaign, Harris seemingly took a step back during his second season. The running back battled injury and was less of a factor behind a suspect offensive line. The former first round pick should have an easier time finding holes in 2023, and could be primed for a huge bounce back campaign.

It seems bizarre to tab a reserve running back as the key to a team’s season, but Williams will likely play some meaningful snaps in 2023. Starter Joe Mixon wasn’t able to stay healthy for all of last season, and Samaje Perine came in and played well in relief. Perine is now with the Denver Broncos, so it’ll be up to Williams to maintain that high backfield standard.

Under head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have consistently been one of the better defensive teams in the NFL. That trend turned last season, as their defensive backs were routinely burned for big gains. Baltimore has revamped their cornerback room, and will turn to Ya-Sin to help improve that area.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Browns will go as far as Watson takes them. The franchise has put all their eggs in the quarterback’s basket, fully guaranteeing his contract. Cleveland has a pretty good team, and is hopeful that the former Pro Bowler can get back to the level he played at with the Houston Texans.

Tampa Bay is really high on White, who showed signs that he could be a feature back last season. The Buccaneers struggled in the running game, but White ripped off longer gains than starter Leonard Fournette. He also showed an ability to catch passes in the flat, which may come into play with Tom Brady no longer in town.

This might fall under the “we’ll believe it when we see it” category, but Thomas has been deemed fully healthy by the Saints heading into the year. After sensational campaigns with Drew Brees under center, the wide receiver has not been able to establish rhythm for a couple of seasons. His NFL career has spiraled since being one of the best players in the league a short time ago.

Coming out of Ohio State, Okudah was thought to be a can’t miss prospect. The Detroit Lions used the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to that end, but sent the cornerback to Atlanta this offseason. He has the blue chip pedigree to swing his career back in the right direction, and the Falcons are hoping he can become the star many assumed he would be.

The Panthers are turning the page, as rookie quarterback Bryce Young will lead a new phase of Carolina football. It is often said that a young quarterback’s best friend is a strong running game, which is where Sanders comes in. The team signed the veteran back this offseason, who set a career high in rushing yards in 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s anyone’s guess as to what the Jaguars will get out of Ridley this season. He missed all of 2022 due to a league suspension for wagering on games. He should be fresh physically, but it will be interesting to see how he fits into Jacksonville’s offense. Ridley was an impressive playmaker with the Atlanta Falcons.

When Tennessee traded away A.J. Brown during the 2022 NFL Draft, they thought they’d have an immediate replacement with Burks. It turns out that Burks needed some time to get accustomed to the NFL, and may not have the same type of talent as Brown. Tennessee would be happy if Burks became a solid NFL starter.

Much like the Panthers, the Texans are also rolling out a rookie quarterback in 2023. C.J. Stroud has an unproven group of skill players around him, which could make his first NFL season turbulent. He’ll rely on players like Schultz who have a little bit more experience. The tight end had been a solid contributor for the Dallas Cowboys in recent years.

The Colts find themselves enveloped in a huge controversy with starting running back Jonathan Taylor. There’s a chance that he might not be on the Week 1 roster, which means that Indianapolis will need help elsewhere in their running back room. Jackson had some nice weeks filling in for Taylor in 2022, and may get more of a chance to play this season.