Bold NFL Depth Chart Predictions for Every Team's Roster

There are surprises on NFL depth charts every year. Quite a few teams have stories of players who weren't expected to win their starting job but still wound up earning the job, like San Francisco's Ahmad Brooks or Washington's Riley Perry beating out Rocky McIntosh last year.

We'll take a look at the following predictions of players who can take over roles that people wouldn't expect them to and other interesting situations on depth charts around the league.

Arizona Cardinals

Jamell Fleming earns the starting cornerback job across from Patrick Peterson out of camp and Justin Bethel emerges as the best nickel corner on the roster.

A.J. Jefferson, William Gay, Greg Toler, Michael Adams and Crezdon Butler are the competition for these two rookies. Fleming was one of the more talented corners in the entire draft this year and had starter potential written all over him.

Bethel is also one of those guys who is just better than the competition and will show his true colors in not just in training camp but in the preseason as well. The top three corners of Peterson, Fleming and Bethel will give the Cardinals a group of guys who, while not top talent now, have top athletic potential.

Atlanta Falcons

Lamar Holmes starts at left tackle for the Falcons for the entire season.

Sam Baker is the worst pass-blocking left tackle in the NFL, and Will Svitek is a journeyman who is a spot starter at best but could end up as one of the top backups in the league. Svitek and Baker will have to compete for the starting role with Lamar Holmes, third-round pick from Southern Mississippi.

Holmes is the kind of player who doesn't let people tell him "no." With his work ethic and his pass-blocking ability, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Falcons start two rookies on their offensive line for the entire 2012 season and still wind up with a much better product than what they had in 2011.

Baltimore Ravens

Jacoby Jones earns the slot WR and both returner roles.

Jones was brought in off the street for his ability as not just a receiver, but a return man. This one isn't stepping out as far as it could be, but the Ravens could easily cut him for younger options in David Reed and Tommy Streeter. 

Jones is the veteran in this situation and with his experience all around the field, he could very well end up as the top slot receiver and the top return specialist for the Ravens like he was for the Texans.

Buffalo Bills

Shawne Merriman wins the starting DE across from Mario Williams over Mark Anderson.

The Buffalo Bills went out and got Mark Anderson and Mario Williams this offseason and also have Chris Kelsay on the roster. However, the 6'4", 265-lb Shawne Merriman is still just 28 and has shown he can get after the passer better than most. 

With his ankle and knee injuries finally healed, Merriman should be able to compete legitimately for the job. Merriman can come in and be not just the unheralded pass-rushing ace across from Mario, but the top run-stuffing linebacker in goal-line sets as well.

Carolina Panthers

Brandon LaFell takes over as a legitimate second option to Steve Smith and will have a breakout year.

LaFell isn't known for being a great pass-catcher or route-runner. However with his ability to separate and his mentoring received from Steve Smith the past two years, he has already started to pay off as he has improved his totals from 2010 to 2011 and will only get better.

Cam Newton had LaFell as one of his favorite targets last year and with Legedu Naanee leaving the Panthers this offseason, LaFell finally has a shot to prove he can take over the role.

Chicago Bears

Stephen Paea wins the starting 1-technique nose tackle spot.

Matt Toeaina was one of the worst pass-rushers in the NFL from the nose tackle spot last year, but he still had the starting job because of his experience. Paea was comparable as a run defender but provides much more pass-rush ability to the Bears.

Paea was last year's second-round pick and could very easily end up surprising some who believe that Paea was a bad fit for the Bears scheme and that he should have been in the 3-4 scheme as a nose tackle.

Cincinnati Bengals

Nate Clements gets cut during training camp.

The Bengals have a plethora of talent at the cornerback spot and can start guys like Dre Kirkpatrick and Leon Hall, while Terence Newman and Jason Allen can play the nickel spot. Even Pacman Jones, Brandon Ghee and Shaun Prater could look better than Clements.

The cornerback jobs are just wide open in Cincinnati and it's safe to say that you will likely see two to three veterans who are expected by the masses to stay on, but will get cut. Clements is looking like one who will get cut in a heartbeat.

Cleveland Browns

Jordan Cameron wins the starting tight end job in Childress's new offense.

If there is one thing that Brad Childress loves, it is using a tight end in his west coast offense. In Minnesota, you saw guys like Vinsanthe Shiancoe and Jim Kleinsasser as focal points in his offenses. 

Jordan Cameron has the same kind of characteristics that people look for in the top tight ends. He was a fourth-round pick last year and should be able to truly compete for playing time and the starting role.

Dallas Cowboys

Marcus Spears earns the starting defensive end job from Kenyon Coleman.

Last year saw Kenyon Coleman get the starting job, but Spears, with a true offseason to learn the scheme from Rob Ryan, should be a great fit for the defense and will be able to regain his starting spot at right defensive end.

Denver Broncos

Ronnie Hillman earns the starting running back job.

While Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno are solid running backs, they both have issues with injuries or the law and could end up as the backups with a good performance from Hillman in training camp and the preseason.

Ronnie Hillman is a fast, agile back who relies on his vision and quick cuts to get through the hole. Hillman will fit in well with the zone blocking scheme and is also a solid receiver out of the backfield.

Detroit Lions

Ryan Broyles earns the starting wide receiver job across from Calvin Johnson.

Broyles had an ACL injury in the 2011 season and there is still question as to whether he will be able to play for the entire year. However, when he does come back, Broyles is the most comparable receiver to Wes Welker in this past year's draft. 

Broyles is a top route-runner and has amazing hands. He should start as someone who can play in both the slot and as the second option at wide receiver. Broyles will be a solid complement to Johnson and Titus Young in the offense, as he is more of a possession guy.

Green Bay Packers

Casey Hayward wins the starting corner job and Charles Woodson moves to free safety.

While Charles Woodson is one of the best corners and defensive players in the league still, it makes more sense to move him back to free safety, where they lost Nick Collins last season to a career-threatening neck injury.

Casey Hayward is a great fit for the Packers' defensive scheme and will remind a lot of people of Brent Grimes in Atlanta. He's an athletic playmaker who can cover in any scheme and is the kind of player who will end up as a defensive leader for the Packers.

Houston Texans

Whitney Mercilus wins the starting outside linebacker job and Brooks Reed slides to inside linebacker.

Darryl Sharpton and Bradie James are great options, but you don't use a first-round pick on someone just to have them sit on the bench long-term. Mercilus is the kind of player who will be in the lineup sooner rather than later.

Brooks Reed reminds me a lot of Tedy Bruschi as someone who can play either inside or outside linebacker in the 3-4 and defensive end in four-lineman sets. Reed should be able to make the switch very easily and can end up as the true thumper in the middle over guys like James and Sharpton.

Indianapolis Colts

Josh Chapman earns the starting nose tackle job.

The Colts are switching to the 3-4 defense and took one of the best defensive tackles in the draft for their scheme in Josh Chapman. Had Chapman not had the knee injury this past year, he would have been a first-round pick for a team that runs the 3-4. 

Chapman will come right in and compete for the starting role and will win. This is all assuming he is completely healthy with his knee, though.

Jacksonville Jaguars

William Middleton starts at corner.

Middleton was just too good in the defense last year to sit. He was one of the better cover players in the NFL in 2011 and should be able to compete for the starting role again in 2012 since Mularkey decided to keep Mel Tucker.

Middleton could very easily end up pushing long-time starter Rashean Mathis to the safety and nickel spot of the defense and Mathis could end up as a better fit there.

Kansas City Chiefs

Dwayne Bowe plays for someone other than the Chiefs in 2012.

Bowe is currently under the franchise tag and the players nowadays are even more against the franchise tag than ever before. Bowe will be either traded or will sit out until he gets the deal he wants. It is very unlikely that the Chiefs give Bowe that long-term deal.

Expect Bowe to head to a team that needs a true number one option in their offense like the Rams, who have needed a true number one for Bradford since they drafted him.

Miami Dolphins

Sean Smith and Vontae Davis win the starting corner jobs in the 2012 season.

They were the starting corners in 2009 and have been solid corners for the past few years. Miami is going into a new scheme that will take advantage of their talents much like Paul Pasqualoni did in the 2009 season.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings start three rookies in the secondary in Robinson at right corner, Blanton at free safety and Smith at strong safety.

Robert Blanton and Harrison Smith are two of the better coverage rookies in the draft. Robert Blanton was a corner in college and has a can-do attitude and one of the better athletic profiles in the draft.

Harrison Smith is the player the Vikings traded up for in the first round and Josh Robinson is a player who was selected in the third who had first-round potential for the 2013 draft. The Vikings will have a lot more talent by starting the three rookies back there and then having them learn through trial by fire.

New England Patriots

The Patriots completely switch to a 4-3 defense and start Chandler Jones and Jake Bequette at the end spots.

The Patriots essentially made that switch last year, but with Chandler Jones as a right end and Bequette at left end, the Patriots will have the ability to truly have the right personnel in the right spots.

Jones is the brother of a UFC fighter and rushes the passer like one and Bequette was a top pass-rushing left end in college for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees gets aggravated with his contract situation and sits out at least five games.

There are a lot of issues with the franchise tag situations around the league. Brees could very easily sign his tender but still not show up to any practices and hold out until he has to play. Right now, Brees doesn't look like he wants to be in New Orleans and New Orleans doesn't want to pay him. 

Brees could still gain the year of eligibility towards the franchise spot and sit out as many as 10 games to get that year needed to lose the franchise tag again. This could make them lose eight or nine games of their first 10, which would completely screw their season.

New York Giants

Brandon Mosley wins the starting right tackle job.

The Giants let Kareem McKenzie walk this offseason and have last year's fourth-round pick James Brewer and free agent Sean Locklear as the top two candidates for the starting right tackle role and will make this an uphill battle. 

However, Brandon Mosley is a better pass-blocker than either of those players and while his run-blocking abilities are not as good as Brewer and Locklear, he could end up as the as the starting right tackle because he is the best all-around player at that spot.

New York Jets

Tim Tebow wins the starting quarterback job for the New York Jets in training camp.

We all know the story of Tim Tebow. However, some people think that because of Sanchez's contract, the Jets would be completely screwed if they decided to release him for Tebow.

Tebow is the best leader on that team and should be able to win the starting spot at quarterback.

Oakland Raiders

Christo Bilukidi ends up as the primary backup behind Richard Seymour in the new 3-4 alignment.

Bilukidi was one of the most interesting players in the draft this year and natural raw ability is something that makes him unique to the Raiders. Richard Seymour is nearing the end of his career at 32 years old and needs someone who can learn from him long term. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Fletcher Cox starts at under tackle and Mike Patterson is relegated to a rotational role.

This is something that should be pretty simple to see from the get-go. Fletcher Cox is a great fit for Juan Castillo's defense as someone who can play the starting under tackle role and has been an exceptional player at Mississippi State for their defensive line.

Cox should be able to win the starting job very easily and Mike Patterson has had some brain issues that will hurt his recovery for this coming season. Patterson should be a great fit for the rotation at this point in his career and will be able to come in and play limited snaps until he is fully healed.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers defensive line will feature four starters drafted in the last three years in Adams, Gilbert, Pouncey and DeCastro.

The Steelers took four guys in the past three years to help reconstruct one of the worst offensive lines in football. Spending two first-round picks in Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro and two second-round picks in Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert, the Steelers finally have talent for their line.

Adams and Gilbert are tackles who are able to pass block and run block equally well and will push Willie Colon to the starting left guard spot, while DeCastro and Pouncey will help fortify the interior offensive line with some of the stronger more powerful interior linemen in the NFL once they get into their prime.

San Diego Chargers

Melvin Ingram wins the starting job as the weak inside linebacker over Takeo Spikes.

Jarret Johnson is an extremely good linebacker who signed a big contract with the Chargers this offseason to help fortify the outside linebacker spot. However, the Chargers drafted pass-rush phenom and linebacker prospect Melvin Ingram from South Carolina in the first round. 

This may sound crazy, but Ingram is too good of a player to not be on the field for every snap. Whether it is as a pass-rusher or as a coverage player, Melvin Ingram is the kind of player who can impact a game.

Ingram will be able to compete as a linebacker both inside and outside this offseason and could surprise by winning the starting job over Spikes.

San Francisco 49ers

Randy Moss earns the starting job at wide receiver across from Michael Crabtree.

Randy Moss is arguably one of the best wide receivers of all time, and while the 49ers did spend a first-round pick on A.J. Jenkins out of Illinois, it wouldn't surprise anyone to see him as the third wide receiver during the 2012 season and a starting wide out in the future. 

Randy Moss has had a year off to rest not just his body and fully recuperate from all of his injuries, but also to let his mind relax from the pressures of the NFL.

Moss can still stretch a defense like no other player and with a guy like Harbaugh, he'll want to give his all every play.

Seattle Seahawks

Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin earn starting spots at MLB and RDE.

As ridiculous as it sounds, Bruce Irvin can win the starting spot at defensive end as early as this season. He's one of the best pass-rushers in the draft and is just an absolutely insane athlete who can play multiple spots in any formation. 

Wagner, on the other hand, is a field general as a linebacker and should have been taken in the first round instead of the second. Wagner has all the tools and abilities to be a great middle linebacker in the NFL and could very well win Rookie of the Year honors.

St. Louis Rams

Brian Quick earns the spot as Sam Bradford's No. 1 receiver.

Sam Bradford needs a true number one wide receiver. His biggest issue in the St. Louis offense wasn't just his inability to get protection, it was that the receivers also couldn't get open quick enough for Bradford to make it through his reads. 

Brian Quick is someone I've personally watched carve up college defenses in the Southern Conference for years now and he has always been impressive. His combination of size, speed and catching ability is tough to stop for any defense and he had his best games against guys that are currently on NFL rosters.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Amobi Okoye earns the starting role at nose tackle and never looks back.

Amobi Okoye is 24 years old. He also has five years of experience in the 4-3 defense at a professional level because he started his career at 19 years old. Okoye is a very quick player off the snap and can play the run or the pass very well. 

Another factor here is the Brian Price situation. For those that don't know by now, Brian Price has had a lot of family tragedy and his emotional hardships have been a big cause for his recent hospitalization from exhaustion.

Tennessee Titans

Coty Sensabaugh earns the starting corner job in training camp.

Another player from the Carolinas that I have been touting is Coty Sensabaugh. He is one of the more unique players because he was drafted to a team that needs a starting corner to replace Cortland Finnegan and will have a good five to six guys competing for the role. 

Sensabaugh was one of the best starting corners in the ACC in 2011 and will be able to stick with any man in coverage, much like Finnegan did early in his career. Sensabaugh should be able to win the job over the likes of Devin McCourty, Tommie Campbell and Ryan Mouton.

Washington Redskins

Josh LeRibeus wins the starting left guard role.

If there has ever been a perfect fit for the left guard role in the Shanahan-style zone-blocking scheme, it's Josh LeRibeus. He's just too quick and too strong to not start.

He should be a great complement next to Trent Williams as someone who can take on a defensive tackle in any alignment and will do very well with the "one-cut-and-go" concepts of the ZBS.