After a series of draft selections, trades, and free agent signings, the offseason has concluded and the 32 NFL teams have their rosters (for the most part) defined. How do these rosters compare as we approach the 2025 season? That’s the question we’re tackling, as we asked NFL analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder to rank each lineup in the league. We combined their rankings to form the definitive preseason roster ranking, considering factors such as talent, age, and production. That’s only half of it. In addition to projecting each starting lineup, Clay detailed the strongest and weakest position groups for each team, Walder identified the X-factors, and Schatz selected the non-starters who could have a disproportionate role this season. Let’s start, beginning with a team that has been at the top for the last two seasons.
1. Baltimore Ravens
Greatest Strength: Quarterback. Lamar Jackson, All-Pro in each of the last two seasons and the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2019 and 2023, is one of the best in the business. He fell short of his second consecutive MVP last season despite leading the league in QBR (77.3) and producing career-high marks in passing yards (4,172) and passing touchdowns (41, the second-most in the league). The dual-threat quarterback has never finished a season below second in his position in rushing yards. Cooper Rush is also a solid backup. – Clay
Biggest Weakness: Guard. New year, same “weakness” for a roster that is otherwise quite full. On the left side, Patrick Mekari is out and will be replaced by Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, or maybe a rookie. Daniel Faalele returns on the right side after disappointing as a run blocker and ranking among the worst in the league in run block win rate (71.8%). – ClayFactor X for 2025: Left tackle Ronnie Stanley. This is all about his health. Stanley didn’t miss a game last season, which helped him earn a well-deserved contract, but that doesn’t mean all injury risks disappeared. When Stanley and Jackson are on the field, the Ravens’ offense is very difficult to beat. – WalderNoteworthy: Kicker Tyler Loop. The sixth-round rookie had shown inconsistent accuracy in his last two seasons at Arizona, and now has to replace Justin Tucker, the best kicker in NFL history. No pressure. – Schatz2. Philadelphia EaglesGreatest Strength: Offensive tackle. The defending champions have many strengths, but it’s hard to top possibly the best tackle duo in the league, with Jordan Mailata on the left side and Lane Johnson on the right. Mailata ranked among the top tackles in PFF grade, pass-blocking win rate, and run-blocking win rate in both 2023 and 2024. Johnson is 35 but hasn’t missed a beat, ranking in the top 10 among tackles in pass-blocking and run-blocking win rate last season. – ClayBiggest weakness: Edge rusher. Josh Sweat (free agency), Brandon Graham (retirement), and Bryce Huff (trade) are gone, leaving Nolan Smith Jr. as the only established player on the depth chart. Smith will likely be joined in the starting lineup by 2024 third-round pick Jalyx Hunt, who was a solid backup as a rookie. Offseason additions/journeymen Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche will compete for the job. – ClayFactor X for 2025: Guards Tyler Steen and/or Kenyon Green. Last year’s offensive line reclamation project, Mekhi Becton, left in free agency (producing a projected fifth-round compensatory pick for the Eagles in 2026, according to OverTheCap.com). But questions remain. Who will fill his void at right guard? Can offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland continue to work his magic? If the answer to the last question is “yes”, then Philadelphia should have a robust line across the board once again. – WalderNot to be named: Cornerback Kelee Ringo. Ringo hasn’t seen much field time since the Eagles took him in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. He played 10 or more snaps in only three games last season. But he has shown his potential in limited playing time, with an above-average coverage DVOA in both seasons. He has the physical tools at 6-foot-2 with 4.36 speed, but is inconsistent. If veteran Adoree’ Jackson falters, Ringo could earn the starting spot, replacing Darius Slay. – Schatz3. Detroit LionsGreatest Strength: Running Back. Could have gone with safety or offensive tackle, but the Jahmyr Gibbs/David Montgomery duo is elite. Since 2023, Lions running backs have produced the most yards in the league (5,960) and 57 touchdowns. That’s 718 yards and eight touchdowns more than any other team. Gibbs led the NFL with 20 touchdowns last season, and Montgomery produced over 1,000 total yards for the sixth straight season despite missing three games. – Clay
Major weakness: Interior offensive line. This shouldn’t be a surprise after the Lions parted ways with standout center Frank Ragnow (retirement) and right guard Kevin Zeitler (free agency) during the offseason. Graham Glasgow (last season’s starting left guard and the weakest link on the line) is now a candidate to start at center, leaving players like sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany, 2024 second-round rookie Tate Ratledge, and veterans Trystan Colon and Kayode Awosika as the main candidates to start at guard. – ClayFactor X for 2025: Offensive coordinator John Morton. Former OC Ben Johnson often seemed to provide the Lions with a schematic advantage. The big question this season: To what extent was that the case and can Morton do the same? Detroit’s title hopes rest quite a bit on the answer to those questions. – WalderNoteworthy: Offensive tackle Dan Skipper. Everyone in Detroit loves it when Skipper reports as eligible as the sixth offensive lineman. He had an average pass-blocking win rate when forced to start five games due to injuries last season. Will he need to play that much again in 2025? – Schatz4. Buffalo Bills
Greatest Strength: Quarterback. Who else but reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen? Allen has finished no lower than sixth in QBR in each of the last five seasons (third or better in four of those seasons, including 2024). His counting stats were down last season, but he still finished in the top eight among quarterbacks in both passing (28) and rushing touchdowns (12) for the fifth straight year. Mitchell Trubisky is the backup. – ClayMajor weakness: Safety. The Bills’ roster is in very good shape, so we have to choose a safety group with some uncertainty. Taylor Rapp, Cole Bishop, Damar Hamlin, and Cam Lewis return after each played more than 400 snaps last season, although the last three recorded a weak PFF grade. Veteran Darrick Forrest was the only depth addition to the group. Bishop, a 2024 second-round pick, is a candidate for a Year 2 leap. – ClayX-Factor for 2025: Wide receiver Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid. The Bills need at least one of the two to take a big step forward. If they do, general manager Brandon Beane will be very justified in not investing more in another receiver. More importantly, that would give Allen another true playmaker to throw to besides Khalil Shakir (I don’t think much of former Chargers receiver Joshua Palmer). If neither breaks out, then Buffalo has a receiving weakness. – WalderNoteworthy: Wide receiver Elijah Moore. The slot target has never finished higher than 70th in DYAR (Defense-Adjusted Yards Above Replacement) and ESPN’s receiver tracking metrics gave him a score of 24 last season, near the bottom of the league. But Moore played for the Jets and Browns for four seasons. Will he finally show his talent in a good offense with a great quarterback? – Schatz5. Kansas City Chiefs
Greatest Strength: Quarterback. I was tempted to switch to wide receiver, but even after finishing eighth in QBR the last two seasons, Patrick Mahomes is still Kansas City’s best player. The two-time league MVP has led his team to 10 or more wins (a personal record of 15 in 2024) and the AFC Championship for seven straight seasons. He has won the Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP three times each, and he’s not even 30 years old. Mahomes’ dominant reign is far from over. – ClayBiggest Weakness: Offensive tackle. Tackle has remained the Chiefs’ primary problem spot since 2024. The baffling four-year, $80 million contract handed to right tackle Jawaan Taylor two years ago hasn’t worked out, as he has posted poor marks in PFF grade and run-blocking win rate in both seasons in Kansas City. With Joe Thuney out, Wanya Morris (benched last season, forcing Thuney to kick from guard) and former 49ers reserve Jaylon Moore are the top veteran left tackle options. There’s some hope here, as the No. 32 overall pick, Josh Simmons, could win the starting LT job and solidify the position. – ClayX-Factor for 2025: Wide receiver Rashee Rice, awaiting league disciplinary action. Is this the season Rice truly ascends to the No. 1 receiver role in Kansas City, and puts up the numbers to prove it? The signs are there. The Chiefs gradually increased Rice’s role throughout his rookie season in 2023, but he still finished with 2.6 yards per route run. In four games before a season-ending knee injury last season, that number jumped to a massive 3.6 yards per route run. A healthy and productive Rice could elevate the Chiefs’ passing game to something more akin to Mahomes’ offenses of old. It could also help free up Xavier Worthy downfield. – WalderNoteworthy: Edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Raised in the Kansas City suburbs, it was incredible for Anudike-Uzomah to win a Super Bowl in his first season with the hometown team. It’s less incredible to have only 3.0 sacks in two NFL seasons as a first-round pick. The Chiefs are really hoping there’s still a butterfly inside that cocoon, and that a better outing can bring out Anudike-Uzomah’s natural instincts. – Schatz6. Denver Broncos
Strongest strength: Offensive line. This was an easy call after the Broncos led the NFL in both pass-blocking and run-blocking win rates in 2024. Denver returns all five starters from that unit, all of whom played more than 800 snaps (including playoffs) last season. LT Garett Bolles, LG Ben Powers, C Luke Wattenberg, RG Quinn Meinerz, and RT Mike McGlinchey each recorded a pass-blocking win rate well above the league average. Incredibly, Wattenberg (first), Meinerz (third), and Powers (fourth) ranked in the top four in the league in that category. – ClayGreatest Weakness: Wide receiver. It’s difficult to find a major area of concern, so we’ll choose a unit that still has something to prove. Courtland Sutton (a career-high 81 receptions last season) is fantastic, but it remains to be seen who will emerge as a consistent target behind him. The leading candidates at WR2 are 2023 second-round pick Marvin Mims Jr. (who finished strong in 2024, but was still a part-time player), third-round rookie Pat Bryant, as well as second-year players Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele. – ClayFactor X for 2025: Mims. Mike just alluded to that, as he recorded an efficient 2.8 yards per route run last season. But that was only on 182 routes. More importantly, 20 of his 52 targets were screens. If Mims could become a more reliable traditional receiver and maintain reasonably high efficiency, it would help solve the aforementioned wide receiver weakness. – WalderNoteworthy: Edge rusher Jonah Elliss. Elliss was third among rookies with five sacks last season, and he was incredible against the run, averaging a tackle after a gain of just 1.8 yards. He’s versatile, with the ability to move inside to rush on passing downs or drop into coverage from the outside. There’s some doubt about when he’ll be available, as a broken scapula from the wild-card loss to the Bills could cost him some of training camp. – Schatz7. Washington Commanders
Greatest strength: Off-ball linebacker. It was tempting to go with Jayden Daniels and the quarterbacks, but the fantastic Bobby Wagner/Frankie Luvu duo is too good to pass up. Wagner is entering his 35th season, but he has shown almost no signs of decline, ranking in the top 10 among off-ball LBs in pass-rush wins, tackles for loss and quarterback hits last season. Luvu is the only NFL player with more than 250 tackles and more than 20.0 sacks in the last three seasons (he has 335 and 21.0, respectively). The duo combined to play 98.2% of Washington’s defensive snaps last season. – ClayBiggest weakness: Safety. It was a decision between this and the slot corner, but Luvu’s contributions to the pass rush pushed me towards the safety. Jeremy Chinn is gone and will be replaced by journeyman Will Harris, who will work opposite Quan Martin. Percy Butler is also returning as competition at the position. Neither of these players recorded a quality PFF grade in recent seasons. – ClayFactor X for 2025: Cornerback Marshon Lattimore. In his limited time with Washington last season, Lattimore didn’t look like the top-tier cornerback he has been in the past… but the Commanders need him. Pass rush is a serious concern, and Washington will need Lattimore, Mike Sainristil, and
