Some NFL teams draft for need, and some draft strictly with an eye on talent. Either way, most teams still have weaknesses on the roster after the 2020 NFL draft and the bulk of free agency are over.
Below, Football Outsiders looks at the biggest hole on each NFL roster now that the draft is complete. Many of the advanced stats referenced below are explained here.
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NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: Tight end
The Cowboys didn't overtly address their impending need at safety -- both starters Xavier Woods and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will be free agents in 2021 -- in the draft, but fourth-round cornerback Reggie Robinson II has played safety and has a physical style that fits that position if they need him as depth. The Cowboys don't have a similar contingency plan at tight end, and with Jason Witten now on the Raiders, their need there is more immediate.
Incumbents Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz have promise. Jarwin, in particular, was one of the most efficient receivers at the position in 2018 and 2019, producing 24.0% and 12.1% DVOA. But that efficiency could be difficult to replicate on more than his 36 and 41 targets the past two seasons and against defenses prepared for him as the Cowboys' top option at the position. Neither Jarwin nor Schultz had the standout traits or production to be a Day 1 or Day 2 draft pick, which sheds some doubt on their potential late breakouts.
New York Giants: Wide receiver
If his 9.6% DVOA in his rookie season is any indication, 2019 fifth-rounder Darius Slayton was a winning lottery ticket. Still, Slayton might remain specialized as a field-stretcher, and even if he doesn't, the Giants need more help at wide receiver. Golden Tate will be 32 in September and has been inefficient the past two seasons, with below-average DVOA rates. An expensive contract might make him a cut candidate after the 2020 season. Sterling Shepard has been more effective and is much younger, but he also has a history of migraines and suffered two concussions within a month in 2019. It's difficult to trust that he can be part of the next Giants contender, which could still be another year or two away in the current rebuild. Odell Beckhams don't grow on trees, but a capable backup or two would help the Giants avoid a dilemma like they faced in 2017, when a Beckham injury left them to rely on the likes of Roger Lewis, Tavarres King and Travis Rudolph. A similar situation in 2020 could derail Daniel Jones' development.
Jeremy Fowler details the Bears' decision to decline Mitchell Trubisky's fifth-year option and why the team is hopeful he'll have the best training camp of his career.
Philadelphia Eagles: Linebacker
Quarterback Jalen Hurts opens the door for some creative offensive playcalling, but with Carson Wentz on the roster, the Eagles' selection of Hurts tends toward luxury. The team will likely feel the effects of that indulgence the most at linebacker in 2020. The Eagles addressed the position with their next pick in the third round, but in between, second-tier linebackers who could be immediate every-down players, Zack Baun and Logan Wilson, went off the board. The Eagles' subsequent pick, Davion Taylor, has the athleticism to become a three-down player in time, but he is inexperienced. He did not play football before he turned 18 and played just two years in the FBS at Colorado. Presumed starters Nathan Gerry and T.J. Edwards have just 19 starts between them, the lion's share by Gerry in 2019, when, according to Sports Info Solutions, he missed an alarming 29% of his attempted tackles, the highest rate among linebackers with 50 or more attempts. Should either Gerry or Edwards falter, Taylor likely will not be ready to fill in during his rookie season.
Washington Redskins: Tight end
The Redskins suffered a precipitous fall from their perch of tight end talent, with Jordan Reed losing his prime to concussions and Vernon Davis finally reaching the end of his extended prime and retiring this offseason at 36 years old. The remaining three tight ends on the roster who saw targets in 2019 -- Jeremy Sprinkle, Hale Hentges and Logan Thomas -- all finished the season with below-average DVOA rates. None figures to be a long-term solution for a team at the start of a rebuild. The Redskins did select some playmakers in the third and fourth rounds in receivers Antonio Gibson and Antonio Gandy-Golden, but presumed first- and second-string quarterbacks Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen struggled with pressure in 2019. Their 12.5% and 8.6% respective sack rates were first- and fourth-highest among quarterbacks with 200 or more pass attempts. The Redskins would make their young quarterbacks' lives much easier if they could add a big tight end the quarterbacks could target on plays on which their primary reads fail to get open.
-- Scott Spratt
NFC North
Chicago Bears: Offensive line
With only two picks in the first two days of the draft, the Bears weren't able to address the majority of their holes. Chicago didn't address its offensive line until Round 7, drafting Colorado's Arlington Hambright and Tennessee State's Lachavious Simmons with its final two picks. Neither is likely to make a significant impact in 2020. Hambright will likely shift from tackle to guard, and Simmons is a multiyear project who will probably spend at least 2020 on the practice squad. The Bears' offensive line was charted with 124 blown blocks last season by Sports Info Solutions and has ranked 28th and 29th in adjusted line yards the past two seasons. Chicago will have to count on new line coach Juan Castillo to get more out of the talent already there than has been shown the past couple of seasons.
Saints DE Cameron Jordan discusses the moves the Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers made this offseason and what it will be like to face Tom Brady twice a year.
Detroit Lions: Inside linebacker
Detroit could have spent all its draft picks on defense and been justified, having ranked 28th in DVOA each of the past two seasons. First-round cornerback Jeff Okudah will be a great fit in the secondary, and third-rounder Julian Okwara is an interesting prospect at edge rusher. That leaves the middle of the defense unaddressed, where Jarrad Davis and Christian Jones are once again penciled in as starters alongside free-agent pickup Jamie Collins. Davis is not the every-down linebacker the Lions were hoping for when they used a first-round pick on him in 2017. His 31.8% broken tackle rate in 2019 was the worst among players with at least 30 solo tackles, and he struggled mightily in coverage. The Lions opted not to pick up Davis' fifth-year option, leaving the team with no long-term plan in the center of the defense.
Green Bay Packers: Wide receiver
In what was billed as the deepest receiver draft in recent memory, the Packers drafted zero wide receivers. Davante Adams was the only Packers receiver with more than 35 receptions last season, and the Packers have zero proven options anywhere else on the depth chart. Allen Lazard did flash in limited action and could be a solid second or third option in 2020, but the rest of the corps isn't great. Geronimo Allison had the second-worst receiving DVOA in the league; Marquez Valdes-Scantling had the worst catch rate in the league. New signing Devin Funchess is coming off a collarbone injury and has had only one positive DVOA season in his career. The rest of the depth chart is made up of fliers and lottery tickets. Even if Lazard is twice as good as he was in 2019, the Packers could have used a third receiver to flesh out their 11-personnel sets. It's hard to see how taking Jordan Love instead of Tee Higgins or Michael Pittman Jr. makes the Packers a better team in 2020 or 2021.
Minnesota Vikings: Guard
With 15 picks, the Vikings did a lot of work overhauling a roster that was gutted by salary-cap constraints, replacing Stefon Diggs, providing much-needed secondary help and shoring up offensive tackle. One area in which they didn't significantly improve, however, was the interior offensive line. Oregon State's Blake Brandel and Washburn's Kyle Hinton are late-round projects, and neither is likely to challenge Pat Elflein or Dru Samia anytime soon. Elflein might have been the worst starting guard in football in 2019, and Samia, last year's fourth-round pick, had just 31 offensive snaps last season. Perhaps Dakota Dozier replaces one or the other, but that would still leave the Vikings weak inside, where they were bullied and beaten out of the playoffs in 2019.
-- Bryan Knowles
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: Running back
At their peak with Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator, the Falcons had a top-10 rushing offense to pair with their exceptional passing attack and had multiple backs who could contribute as both runners and receivers. Four years later, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are gone, and their replacements, Todd Gurley and Ito Smith, are trying to overcome injuries -- knee arthritis and concussions, respectively -- that could persist for the rest of or even cut short their careers. So far, Gurley hasn't missed many games, but his performance declined in 2019. He finished below average in both rushing and receiving DVOA for the second time in his career. Reserves Brian Hill and Qadree Ollison will both be 24 in September, but their pedigrees as fifth-round draft picks with below-average rushing DVOA finishes in 2019 temper optimism for their potential breakouts. Running back produces more capable undrafted free agents than most positions. The Falcons would be smart to add one or two to give them more bites at that apple.
Carolina Panthers: Cornerback
The Panthers made the unprecedented decision to use all seven of their 2020 draft picks on defensive players, and yet the team somehow still has several holes on defense. Star linebacker Luke Kuechly left a prominent one at middle linebacker when he retired, but his replacement Shaq Thompson is an experienced, capable starter. The Panthers don't have the same to replace departing free agents James Bradberry and Ross Cockrell at cornerback. Alongside Donte Jackson, the team will have to rely on some combination of a 2017 fifth-rounder in Corn Elder, an undrafted second-year player in Cole Luke, and a pair of Day 3 rookies in Troy Pride and Stantley Thomas-Oliver. None of those corners has started an NFL game, and yet two of them will need to play first-team reps in nickel situations this season.
Stephen A. Smith expects the coaching change and weapons on the Browns offense will contribute to a big season for Odell Beckham Jr.
New Orleans Saints: Cornerback
The Saints entered the draft with one of the best and deepest rosters in football, and they took the justifiable approach to draft need and quality over quantity. They traded up for their second, third and fourth selections, forfeiting additional picks in both 2020 and the future that might not have made the cut on such a talented team. Add to that the recent free-agent signings of backup quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, and the Saints shouldn't have any holes to fill until 2021.
The Saints' current privilege shouldn't delay their addressing of potential future needs, especially at cornerback, where players often need multiple seasons to develop. Marshon Lattimore's pair of Pro Bowl berths will likely inflate his free-agent asking price beyond what his coverage success rates suggest it should be. With his fifth-year option already exercised, Lattimore is under contract for two more seasons, but this is a similar situation to what Jalen Ramsey was in with the Jaguars last year. The Saints would gain leverage and a contingency plan if they could add more depth at the position.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Backup quarterback
The Buccaneers built their superteam very differently than the homegrown Saints, but their approach got them to the same place of a talented and complete roster. Like the Saints, the Bucs filled their few outstanding holes in the draft, trading up for blue-chip offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and snagging a safety (Antoine Winfield Jr.), running back (Ke'Shawn Vaughn) and slot receiver (Tyler Johnson) with their second-, third- and fifth-round selections.
The one drawback to the Bucs' free-agent-heavy approach is that it is expensive, and that deprives the team of the Saints' luxury of depth and a succession plan at quarterback. All of the Bucs' eggs are in the Tom Brady basket, and though Brady is obviously skilled enough to shoulder that burden, he will be 43 years old in September. Last year, the Saints went 5-0 with Teddy Bridgewater as the starter when Drew Brees injured his thumb. The Bucs have the overall roster talent to do something similar if Brady misses time, but current backup Blaine Gabbert might not be up to the task. Gabbert has not improved his efficiency since his fall from grace as a former top pick, finishing with poor minus-25.4%, minus-26.4% and minus-35.5% DVOA rates from 2016 to '18 before missing 2019 because of a dislocated shoulder.
-- Scott Spratt
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: Cornerback
Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has made it clear that Isaiah Simmons, Arizona's first-round draft pick, will be a linebacker in the NFL ... while making it equally clear that he's open to using Simmons in the secondary in certain matchups. That can only help a team that gave up a league-worst 73.5 yards per game to tight ends last season, but will it be enough to turn around an Arizona defense that ranked 27th in our pass efficiency rankings? Only six of the 88 qualifying cornerbacks in Sports Info Solutions' charting numbers had a worse success rate in coverage than Byron Murphy, and third corner Robert Alford turns 32 during the season and missed all of 2019 because of a broken leg. There's no reason to worry about Patrick Peterson in 2020, but he is set to hit free agency in 2021.
Los Angeles Rams: Offensive line
With left tackle Andrew Whitworth and guard/center Austin Blythe entering free agency, general manager Les Snead had an opportunity to inject some badly needed talent into his offensive line. Instead, he opted to maintain the status quo, re-signing both players to new deals and bringing back every starter from an offensive line that frequently struggled in both run blocking and pass protection last season. Whitworth's position at left tackle is set, but the rest of the line is in flux. Blythe will join a battle royal for the guard and center spots, along with Brian Allen, Austin Corbett, David Edwards and Joseph Noteboom. Veteran Rob Havenstein lost the right tackle job to Bobby Evans last season, but Evans underwhelmed and might let Havenstein win the job back this season.
San Francisco 49ers: Depth at safety
Between defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers found a pair of first-round draft picks to fill the holes left in their Super Bowl lineup by the departures of DeForest Buckner and Emmanuel Sanders. They also swung a trade during the draft for Washington tackle Trent Williams, who will step in for the retired Joe Staley. With the rest of the roster virtually unchanged (17 of 22 starters from Super Bowl LIV will return this season), it's difficult to find a weakness on this roster. That said, it would be nice if safeties Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt made more of an impact next season. The 49ers were the only team in the NFL last season whose safeties failed to record an interception, and they were in the bottom five in tackles at the position too. Although defensive coordinator Robert Saleh often leaves his safeties deep to take away big plays, they are only moderately successful at that, ranking 12th in open-field rushing yards allowed and 10th in coverage against deep passes. Then there's the matter of durability. Ward has started 10 games only twice in six NFL seasons; Tartt has done so once in five. Neither has ever started more than 13 games.
Seattle Seahawks: Edge rusher
This was Seattle's biggest weakness during the 2019 season, it is still the team's biggest weakness after the draft, and it will remain the biggest weakness at least until Jadeveon Clowney puts his name on a Seahawks contract -- assuming that ever happens. If he does not, Seattle's top options will include journeyman veterans Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa, each of whom is on his fourth team in the past four years; Rasheem Green and L.J. Collier, early-round draft picks in 2018 and 2019 who played in a combined 29 regular-season and playoff games last season, with only eight starts (all by Green); and second-round rookie Darrell Taylor, the third edge rusher taken in this year's draft. Barring a late acquisition for another veteran (trading for Jacksonville's Yannick Ngakoue, signing free agent Everson Griffen), these are the weapons the Seahawks will have to trust to overwhelm Kyler Murray, Jared Goff and Jimmy Garoppolo.
-- Vince Verhei
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: Offensive line
This sentence feels as weird to write as it will to read: The Buffalo Bills' roster does not have a position group that poses a clear weakness. Questions about their young quarterback aside, the Bills' roster is about as squeaky clean as can be. They might be lacking stars in some position groups, such as edge defender and tight end, but every position group at least passes the threshold for quality play in the NFL.
If any non-quarterback position stands out as a question for the Bills, it is the right side of the offensive line. Right tackle Cody Ford, in particular, had a rough go of things as a rookie. On just 405 pass-blocking snaps, Ford blew 17 blocks and allowed nine sacks. Ford's 2.2% sacks-allowed rate was the second-highest among tackles with at least 300 pass-blocking reps last season, trailing only that of Panthers tackle Dennis Daley. Being in the same company as any Panthers tackle since Jordan Gross' retirement is never a good sign. However, maybe Ford should be extended some benefit of the doubt, given that he was a rookie and could turn things around next season.
Miami Dolphins: Edge rusher
Miami has a handful of great third or fourth pass-rushers but nobody who should be considered the cornerstone of a pass-rushing unit. Former Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson and former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah were the Dolphins' biggest free-agent signings this offseason, but neither has recorded more than 6.5 sacks in a season since they entered the league in 2016. Although the Dolphins did also sign Kyle Van Noy away from the New England Patriots, Van Noy is more of a utility piece and hybrid linebacker than a legitimate edge defender.
In the draft, Miami's only two swings at pass-rusher came in the fifth round, with North Carolina's Jason Strowbridge, who should be more of a "big end" than a traditional pass-rusher, and Boise State sack specialist Curtis Weaver. At 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Weaver has a short and hefty build, but he bends quite well for someone his size. He racked up 34 sacks in three seasons at Boise State, earning at least 9.5 sacks each year. Our SackSEER projection system liked him as this year's sleeper edge rusher in the draft. Still, a pair of middling free-agent signings coupled with two fifth-round picks is not going to turn around the Dolphins' pass rush in one offseason.
New England Patriots: Wide receiver
You're probably wondering why this spot doesn't say "quarterback." Certainly, we've insisted in past articles that analytics see Jarrett Stidham as a very unsure thing, but that clearly isn't a hole the Patriots plan on filling. Like it or not, this is their guy, and they're going with him. Going into the draft, the lack of pass-catchers was just as glaring a need but was getting a lot less attention. With two third-round picks invested in UCLA's Devin Asiasi and Virginia Tech's Dalton Keene, it is fair to assume that the Patriots have found some players who will eat up snaps at tight end. Whether either of them turns out to be a quality player is yet to be seen, but at least there is some hope that top-100 picks can produce as fresh faces in the lineup. Wide receiver, however, is still a big ol' "maybe" featuring almost entirely the same cast as last season.
Maybe Julian Edelman will recover well from the handful of injuries that plagued him during the 2019 season. Maybe last year's first-round pick, N'Keal Harry, will take the next step after a lackluster rookie year. Maybe a healthier Mohamed Sanu will be able to operate in the middle of the field better with a healthier Edelman to help him. Maybe 2019 undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers will build on a surprising rookie season and blossom into more than a role player. The Patriots' only effort to address all this uncertainty was signing Damiere Byrd, who posted a minus-4.6% DVOA rating with the Cardinals in 2019.
New York Jets: Edge rusher
Both in free agency and in the draft, the Jets threw everything they had at one side of the trenches. After signing tackle George Fant, tackle Greg Van Roten, guard Josh Andrews and center Connor McGovern, New York went out and drafted Louisville tackle Mekhi Becton 10th overall and Charlotte guard Cameron Clark in the fourth round. If they wanted to, the Jets could field an entirely new starting offensive line and still have a new sixth man left out.
The other side of the trenches, however, was mostly ignored. Jordan Jenkins and Tarell Basham remain the team's top two pass-rushers from last season, with Harvey Langi serving as backup. On any decent pass-rushing unit, none of these players would be more than a third option, yet here the Jets sit, needing two of them to start. The only draft pick the Jets used to address this hole was in the third round, with Florida edge rusher Jabari Zuniga, who was a moderately productive player for four seasons yet never really broke out for the Gators. Expectations on this pass-rushing unit should be low.
-- Derrik Klassen
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: Interior offensive line
If we're being honest, the Ravens' massive influx of picks at least touched on all their holes and then some. But if there's one situation that could be a little shaky, it's the torch-passing up the middle. The Ravens spent a pair of midround picks there in third-rounder Tyre Phillips (Mississippi State) and fourth-rounder Ben Bredeson (Michigan). Those two will pair with Matt Skura, Patrick Mekari and 2019 fourth-rounder Ben Powers to try to fill the shoes of Marshal Yanda at right guard and put an above-average center out there. As good as Baltimore's running game was last season, and as old as Yanda was, this is probably best regarded as a talent downgrade until proved otherwise.
Cincinnati Bengals: Offensive line
Jonah Williams returns from injury, and Trey Hopkins was decent enough last season. But the Bengals spent just one pick -- a sixth-rounder on Kansas' Hakeem Adeniji -- on a line that was woeful last season. Now, the Bengals had plenty of other needs, they got good value in the draft, and there isn't a lot of hole-poking to be done with their selections. But Joe Burrow is going to have to deal with Bobby Hart at right tackle, Year 3 of trying to make center Billy Price a thing and probably Michael Jordan or stopgap Xavier Su'a-Filo at the other guard spot. It's likely that all of those players will get some run this season. That isn't ideal.
Turron Davenport reports on the Titans' decision to decline WR Corey Davis' fifth-year option and at the same time exercising the fifth-year option on CB Adoree' Jackson.
Cleveland Browns: Cornerback
Yet another AFC North team that had an excellent draft, the Browns plugged a lot of their obvious holes. Denzel Ward's status as No. 1 corner is pretty secure, but Greedy Williams had an up-and-down rookie season. The Browns brought in Kevin Johnson off a nice rebound year in Buffalo, and Terrance Mitchell has had some decent years but hasn't exactly been steady. The elements to have a good full cornerback unit might be somewhere in this group -- maybe even Andrew Sendejo gets involved in the middle of the field -- but that is far from a certainty.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Quarterback
The one team that did not touch its main pre-draft hole in this division was Pittsburgh, which is rolling with Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges as the members of the quarterback room. Roethlisberger has missed portions of four of the past five seasons and made several in-season cameos in which the "240 pounds" he was listed at appeared to be just a suggestion. We can understand that Steelers fans believe he'll be good next season, and we're not counting that out by any chance -- there's absolutely a scenario in which he plays 16 games and throws for 5,000 yards -- but if he can't stay healthy, the terrific remainder of this roster is going to be shackled with subpar quarterback play because we have no faith in the backups.
-- Rivers McCown
AFC South
Houston Texans: Edge rusher
The trade of Jadeveon Clowney last season and another major injury to J.J. Watt meant that the Texans' pass rush, formerly the strength of their defense, struggled in 2019. Whitney Mercilus has proved to be a fine ancillary rusher, but he is overmatched as the focus of the pass protection: Of his 7.5 sacks, 5.5 came in Weeks 1-9, with Watt still healthy, but in his seven games after Watt was lost for the regular season, his only sacks came in Week 16 against the collapsing Jaguars.
Watt's injury history suggests that the team needs a more reliable stable of rushers to combine with Mercilus, but a lack of draft capital meant that the Texans spent only a single third-round pick at the position, for Jonathan Greenard of Florida. Clowney is still a free agent, but absolutely nothing suggests that he is considering a return to Houston. That leaves the team hoping against hope for Watt's second healthy season in five years, for Greenard to take the league by storm or for somebody else to make a significant leap into a starting role.
Indianapolis Colts: Right guard
Depending on your assessment of the team's quarterback situation -- specifically how much Philip Rivers has left -- the Colts do not appear to have any major roster holes going into 2020. Rivers should be a significant upgrade on Jacoby Brissett, which means Brissett will once again be one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league. The few spots on defense that needed upgrades have, in theory, been upgraded, another second-round receiver has been added to the targets mix, and Trey Burton makes up for the departure of Eric Ebron. That probably leaves Mark Glowinski's spot at right guard as the weakest starting spot on the team, but even that can hardly be considered a hole: Glowinski is a perfectly decent starter when surrounded by other talented linemen. Given the condition of the roster and salary cap, it is easy to see why the Colts chose to go all-in this offseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Cornerback
In contrast to the Colts, narrowing the Jaguars' roster down to a single hole was a challenge. Even if we assume that Gardner Minshew-mania will resume after a difficult second half of 2019, the Jaguars have problem spots in the offensive line, the offensive backfield, the front seven and the secondary. Of those, the most glaring remains cornerback, despite the addition of CJ Henderson with the team's top draft pick. Henderson not only has to step right into a starting role as a rookie and replace 2017 All-Pro Jalen Ramsey but also has to do it without anyone nearly as good as A.J. Bouye across from him and without Calais Campbell or Yannick Ngakoue (who will likely be traded before the season) wreaking havoc in the front seven. That is simply too big an ask for one rookie. Rashaan Melvin is a solid veteran, and Henderson might prove to be a fine pick, but the Jaguars' cornerback room needs a strong infusion of talent and depth to get even close to the level of what was, only one year ago, one of the best in the game.
Stephen A. Smith believes Patrick Mahomes' supporting cast gives the Chiefs enough to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Tennessee Titans: Pass rush
2018 second-round pick Harold Landry broke through as a highly effective edge rusher in 2019, but the rest of the Titans' pass rush was underwhelming, finishing No. 30 in Sports Info Solutions' pressure rate. That was before the cap-clearing trade of their best interior rusher, Jurrell Casey, and the free-agency departure of cornerback Logan Ryan, who was surprisingly effective as a secondary blitzer. Those departures increase the need for the team to get more from its outside rush.
Post-draft rumors have the Titans heavily linked with former Texans edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, whose most productive season in Houston came under the tutelage of Mike Vrabel. Clowney would make a huge difference for a defense that struggled to get pressure from its front seven in 2019. Even if they don't snag Clowney, however, the Titans should look to upgrade the list of hopefuls and reclamation projects currently competing to start across from Landry.
-- Andrew Potter
AFC West
Denver Broncos: Backup quarterback
The Broncos had a terrific draft, running out of it with Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler and exactly zero excuses for Drew Lock to not play well in 2020. Lock and, in theory, these new weapons should unlock the deep passing game that is his strong suit. However, the Broncos also have no real backup of acclaim. No Case Keenum, no Joe Flacco -- they're rolling with Jeff Driskel. Lock's rookie season showed some promise, but QBASE 2019 compared him to Brady Quinn. Given how good the rest of the roster looks after a strong draft and the trades for A.J. Bouye and Jurrell Casey, you could argue that there isn't a player in the league who could make more of a difference between contention and flopping than Lock without a real backup plan in 2020.
Mike Reiss explains why the Patriots are confident with second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham moving forward.
Kansas City Chiefs: Edge rusher
The Chiefs did not re-sign Emmanuel Ogbah or Terrell Suggs, and they spent only a fifth-round pick on Michigan's Mike Danna in the draft as a way to patch the hole next to Frank Clark. First crack probably goes to Alex Okafor, but Okafor has not notched more than five sacks in a season since 2014 and has exactly one season of experience as a full-time starter. Breeland Speaks and Tanoh Kpassagnon are better fits on run defense. In a league in which waves of pass-rushers are becoming the norm, the Chiefs increasingly look like a two-man show with Clark and Chris Jones.
Las Vegas Raiders: Pass rush
The newly moved Raiders finished 27th in adjusted sack rate in 2019 and didn't make an impact addition off the edge for the 2020 season, drafting nobody and bringing in only Carl Nassib in free agency. Now, Maxx Crosby had an impact rookie season with 10 sacks, Clelin Ferrell is still young, and Maurice Hurst has shown some promise. But Crosby appears to be the only rusher for whom other teams have to game plan, and that's something that could cost the Raiders the negative plays they'll need to create over the season to get their young secondary off the field.
Los Angeles Chargers: Offensive tackle
Justin Herbert, welcome to the NFL! We have good news: Your franchise made the decision to sign Bryan Bulaga in free agency. Bulaga started all 16 games in 2019 for the first time since 2016, and with that signing paired with the trade for Trai Turner, the Chargers are building some solid offensive line talent. Here's some bad news: Sam Tevi is probably starting at right tackle, and he has one of the worst multiyear résumés at tackle of any full-timer. Backup Trent Scott struggled last season when called upon in relief of Russell Okung, and given Bulaga's injury history, we should probably expect Scott to get more work in 2020. Herbert's arm has drawn a lot of praise, but he might have to deal with plenty of snaps on which he is hurried out of using it early in his career.
-- Rivers McCown