Roster Holes Each Super Bowl Contender Must Fill Before 2023 NFL Season
With the beginning of NFL training camps just around the corner, it's time to start thinking about what Super Bowl contenders need to do to get their rosters ready to make a run.
Some title hopefuls, such as the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles, are set at nearly every position and have almost no glaring holes in their starting lineups. Others aren't as fortunate. These clubs couldn't address these personnel issues in the draft or the initial waves of free agency, making them a point of concern heading into training camp.
Trades are the most realistic way to find a missing piece at this point in the offseason, but a surprise breakout from an unheralded prospect or veteran signing could do the trick.
Regardless of how it gets accomplished, these Lombardi Trophy hopefuls will want to focus on the following positions to get their lineups set before Week 1.
Buffalo Bills: Wide Receiver
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The Buffalo Bills have been one of the top Super Bowl favorites in each of the last few seasons, but they haven't been able to get over the hump and reach the big game. While they've won more regular-season contests than any team other than the Kansas City Chiefs since the start of 2020, the Bills have been hamstrung in the playoffs for a variety of reasons.
Buffalo lacked a viable ground game in its season-ending loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last year, while defensive lapses cost it a chance to topple Kansas City during the 2021 playoffs.
Going into 2023, the Bills' biggest concern may now be at wide receiver. While they employ one of the league's top pass-catchers in three-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs, there is a concerning lack of depth amongst this unit.
Gabe Davis, the team's No. 2 option, may have had a respectable season in terms of statistical output (he snagged 48 receptions for 836 yards and seven touchdowns), but it took him 93 targets to reach those marks. Davis ranked a concerning 100th out of 111 receivers and tight ends in ESPN Analytics' receiver rankings that were crafted using NFL Next Gen Stats data.
Trent Sherfield—now playing for his fourth franchise in as many years—is Buffalo's next-best outside wideout. The little-used 27-year-old tallied only 18 receptions for 217 yards in 48 contests between the 2019 and 2021 campaigns. While Sherfield saw heavier usage during his lone season with the Miami Dolphins last year, he still only recorded 30 catches for 417 yards while dropping three balls and earning a pedestrian 63.1 Pro Football Focus grade.
Khalil Shakir offers some upside as the Bills' top option in the slot, but he didn't make much of an impact as a rookie. The fifth-round pick saw the field for only 29 percent of Buffalo's offensive snaps, catching 10 of his 20 targets for 161 yards and one touchdown.
Unless Buffalo swings for the fences with a blockbuster trade or marquee free-agent signing, it will have to hope that fifth-round rookie Justin Shorter or fifth-year veteran Deonte Hardy—coming off an injury-plagued 2022 season with the New Orleans Saints—can fill the void here.
Kansas City Chiefs: Defensive Tackle
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Despite being the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs aren't immune to roster issues. They're relatively set at most of the key positions, but they have a noticeable hole at defensive tackle next to Chris Jones.
While the four-time Pro Bowler's presence helps hide deficiencies in the defensive trenches, Kansas City shouldn't feel comfortable keeping Derrick Nnadi in its starting lineup.
Nnandi started all 17 games last year, but he recorded only 25 tackles and not much else of note. His 41.3 PFF grade was a disappointing regression from the 2021 campaign, when he notched three sacks and 38 tackles despite scoring a still-concerning 52.8 PFF grade.
With the 27-year-old now two years removed from his last respectable showing—he earned a commendable 75.3 PFF grade in 2020—it may be time for the Chiefs to go a different direction. Unfortunately, they don't have many alternatives on the roster right now.
Tershawn Wharton is the primary backup, but he's coming off a torn ACL that limited him to only five games last year and could hinder his effectiveness. Danny Shelton has plenty of experience after starting 72 games in his eight NFL seasons, but he spent all but one game on the Chiefs' practice squad last year and appears to be washed up at this point.
The wild card here is Keondre Coburn, the hulking 6'2", 332-pound nose tackle whom Kansas City selected in the sixth round in April. He's far from a complete prospect, but he might be able to parlay a strong training camp into a regular rotational role if the club can't find a more proven option soon.
Baltimore Ravens: Edge-Rusher
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It's rather surprising that the Baltimore Ravens' most glaring roster issue is on defense. They've historically done well developing pass-rushers, but they might not have the depth needed to keep their usual relentless pressure up on opposing quarterbacks.
Baltimore accomplished its top offseason to-do items by coming to terms on a long-term extension with quarterback Lamar Jackson and loading up on skilled pass-catchers. Those moves should make the Ravens more dangerous overall, but the defense's ceiling might be lower.
It hasn't helped that some of Baltimore's recent early-round selections have yet to make a major impact. Odafe Oweh, a first-round pick in 2021, racked up five sacks as a rookie but had only three last season. David Ojabo, a 2022 second-rounder, played only two games after recovering from an Achilles injury that he suffered shortly before the draft.
The two aging veterans who led Baltimore in sacks last year aren't even with the team anymore. Calais Campbell signed with the Arizona Cardinals after recording a respectable 5.5 sacks last season, while Justin Houston is still on the open market despite notching a team-high 9.5 sacks during a resurgent 2022 campaign. It's still possible that Houston will return to Baltimore, as he isn't planning to retire and would like to remain with the franchise.
It remains to be seen if Tyus Bowser can bounce back after an injury-shortened season and what fourth-round rookie Tavius Robinson will bring to the table. But it's still concerning that Baltimore may have to hope that a 34-year-old edge-rusher will return and continue to play at a high level for its defense to be competent at taking down quarterbacks.
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San Francisco 49ers: Right Tackle
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The San Francisco 49ers reached two of the last three NFC Championship Games and even made a Super Bowl appearance in that span, but they are still looking to win their first championship since 1994. There are plenty of reasons to believe that 2023 could finally be the year that they break through again, but the right tackle spot is not one of them.
San Francisco parted ways with one of their offensive line anchors in Mike McGlinchey this offseason, leaving a gaping hole that the team was ill-equipped to fill. McGlinchey had been a key part of the offensive trenches over the last half-decade, having started 69 games since the Niners drafted him ninth overall in 2018. His absence leaves Colton McKivitz as the team's top option at the position.
McKivitz has been in the league since 2020—the Niners selected the West Virigina product in the fifth round that year—but he's played only 439 career offensive snaps. While he did show improvement last year, scoring a career-best 69.3 PFF grade and not allowing any sacks across his 68 snaps, he's still a raw and untested offensive lineman who will be tasked with keeping an inexperienced quarterback upright for a championship hopeful.
The 49ers are putting a lot of faith in McKivitz—whom they signed to a two-year extension this offseason—as the pickings are slim if he isn't up to the challenge. The little-used Jaylon Moore and journeyman Matt Pryor are the team's top backup options at the tackle position.
Dallas Cowboys: Tight End
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The Dallas Cowboys lost one of their primary pass-catchers this offseason when tight end Dalton Schultz signed with the Houston Texans in free agency. With Schultz out of the picture, they'll need to rely on former backup Jake Ferguson and rookie Luke Schoonmaker.
The Cowboys seemed likely to address that hole in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, but they ultimately waited until Day 2 to get their guy in Schoonmaker. While the rookie has a high ceiling, it would be unwise to expect the 24-year-old to replicate the type of production Schultz had in recent years.
Schoonmaker was never a major part of Michigan's offense during his collegiate career, capping out with a high of 35 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. While he has great size at 6'5" and 250 pounds and possesses the skill set to eventually become a playmaker, it's often difficult for young tight ends to make an impact right away. Schultz had only 13 receptions for 112 yards across his first two NFL campaigns and didn't catch his first touchdown until his third season.
Ferguson isn't much to get excited about, either. Despite seeing the field for 40 percent of the offensive snaps last year, the 2022 fourth-rounder snagged only 19 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns.
Schultz accounted for 89 targets last year, so there's a good amount of volume now up for grabs. However, a good chunk of that will likely get allocated to the receiving corps, a unit bolstered by the addition of Brandin Cooks this offseason.
New York Jets: Offensive Tackle
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The New York Jets made arguably the league's biggest upgrade at a single position when they landed Aaron Rodgers this offseason. The trade massively enhanced their quarterback spot, giving Gang Green a real chance to contend after the 2022 campaign was squandered by pitiful play from second-year signal-caller Zach Wilson.
While Rodgers' presence has given this organization real hope for the first time in years, there is also cause for concern due to the shaky offensive line.
The Jets whiffed on their best chance to solidify their offensive tackles in the 2023 draft. They were seemingly well-positioned to land Broderick Jones with the No. 15 overall pick until the New England Patriots traded down at No. 14 to allow the Pittsburgh Steelers to select the Georgia lineman. New York then pivoted toward edge-rusher Will McDonald IV.
While McDonald will provide the Jets with some much-needed pass-rushing prowess, he won't help keep their 39-year-old quarterback upright. That task will fall on tackles Mekhi Becton and Duane Brown, both of whom have clear flaws.
Becton has been extremely injury-prone since his relatively promising rookie debut. While the 2020 first-rounder gave up seven sacks and was flagged for seven penalties across his 691 snaps during his debut campaign, he still earned a 74.4 PFF grade for his efforts.
However, Becton couldn't build on that performance after suffering a season-ending knee injury just one game into the 2021 campaign. He went on to miss the entire 2022 season with further knee trouble. While the 24-year-old is now back and projected to start at right tackle, it remains to be seen if he's still effective after the injury woes and long layoff.
Brown finally started to show decline after signing with the Jets last offseason. Although he made his fifth Pro Bowl appearance in 2021, he missed five games with injuries last year and finished with a middling 57.8 PFF grade, a noticeable drop from the 71.5 grade he earned a year prior. Now entering his age-38 season, New York clearly needs to find a suitable replacement for Brown in short order.
The Jets may already have a little depth at the tackle spot—including fourth-round rookie Carter Warren, 2022 fourth-rounder Max Mitchell and veteran journeyman Billy Turner—but it's hard to feel confident in any of these players' ability to protect Rodgers at a high level. Gang Green may need to remedy that before the trade deadline to truly contend this year.
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