With NFL training camps set to open next month, Tom Blair and Dan Parr provide a look at 32 players -- one from each team -- to root for in the upcoming season.
Tom provides his NFC selections below. Click here for Dan's AFC picks.
Campbell seems sincerely happy to be back where he began his NFL career 17 years ago, and that's genuinely sweet. But he's not some washed veteran taking a symbolic victory lap in his old uniform colors -- as Campbell put it recently, he feels he "can still ball." The league's active leader in tackles for loss (187, which ranks third all time) has a chance to make an actual difference for a team teetering on the brink of legitimate contention, potentially giving Jonathan Gannon's defense the kind of extra juice (and leadership) it needs to push Arizona over the hump. Of course, even if everything I just typed was stripped away, Campbell would still be worth cheering on simply for lacing 'em up to start his 18th NFL season as a defensive lineman six days after turning 39. We should not sleep on what he's accomplishing; if Campbell compiles at least five sacks (as he's done the past three seasons), he would be just the third player to reach that total at his age since 2000, joining Reggie White (2000) and Bruce Smith (2002 and 2003).
OK, so Pitts has definitely not lived up to his draft status, averaging less than 40 receiving yards per game over the past three seasons -- but there's something that strikes me as a little unfair about writing him off as a complete bust at this point. How many tight ends could meet the expectations that come with being picked fourth overall, especially for an organization that decides to spend much of the next few years wandering the QB wilderness? The last time Pitts worked with a reliably competent signal-caller, catching passes from Matt Ryan as a rookie in 2021, he finished with 1,026 receiving yards, 24th-most in the league. I will admit that the further we get from that season, the less likely it looks that Pitts will turn it around -- but I'm also always pulling for struggling top picks to put it all together. Maybe with a full season of Michael Penix Jr. under center, Pitts can get into a legitimate groove and help the Falcons compete, or at least secure a stronger market for his services elsewhere.
If Bryce Young and Dave Canales stick with their late-2024 trajectory, there's a decent shot this team will log its first winning season since 2017. And if you want to get an early bead on someone to vicariously feel good for, consider Moton, one of just two players on the roster (along with long snapper J.J. Jansen) who was around for that 11-5 campaign. Moton claimed the starting right tackle gig in 2018 and has been plugging away since, hanging tough through losing seasons and regime changes, blocking for a wide range of QBs (Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, Sam Darnold, Young) and backs (Christian McCaffrey, D'Onta Foreman, Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard). He's still effective, credited by Next Gen Stats with allowing the second-lowest pressure rate (5.9%) in the NFL among right tackles with 500-plus pass-blocking snaps last season. With his current deal set to expire after 2025, it would be fitting for Moton to finally taste success in Carolina -- and if he's able to extend his stay, he might even clear a spot for himself in franchise history, given that he currently sits in 13th place on the Panthers' all-time starts list (with 113).
Williams returns from last year's list because, to me, he has only become a more sympathetic figure since enduring a nightmarish introduction to life in the NFL. Any illusions he'd simply waltz to glory as the 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick were shattered by the belly-flop of a conclusion to Matt Eberflus' coaching tenure in Chicago. As exciting as it's been to watch QBs like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield revive their careers, I would really prefer Williams to skip that arc and go right to delivering the kind of transformative QB play Dan was calling for when he named Williams in this space last July. And it's much easier to imagine him doing that now, with Ben Johnson on the headset and Chicago's reinforced O-line in front of him.
Neither the Cowboys nor Pickens are unfamiliar with drama -- which is what would make it extra compelling if he simply went out and thrived as Dak Prescott's new WR2, shining in a complementary role while CeeDee Lamb carried the WR1 load. There would be something undeniably satisfying about a rising big-play monster (Pickens ranks second in the NFL over the past three seasons with a yards-per-catch mark of 16.3) performing so well that we're all forced to focus solely on his on-field contributions, subverting any expectations that his addition to the heavily scrutinized, high-pressure setting in Dallas would generate juicy headlines. (And don't worry, we'll be able to endlessly dissect his status as a potential free agent next offseason soon enough.)
Every rookie contributor makes me happy on some level. Who doesn't love to see a pairing between prospect and team pan out immediately? This could be more than just another feel-good story, though; the second-round pick is in position to play an extremely important role for a Super Bowl contender, easing the impact of Frank Ragnow's retirement, yet another curveball in an offseason that was already marked by changes at both coordinator spots. If he can secure the job as Ragnow's replacement at center, Ratledge could help keep one of the most imposing offensive juggernauts in the league rolling, smoothing over a major potential wrinkle for new play-caller John Morton.
Are you as tired as I am of hearing about the Packers' recent decision to end their decades-long abstinence from selecting receivers in Round 1, or their more recent difficulties uncovering a reliable pass-catcher for Jordan Love? Then join me in hoping the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft zaps any lingering strands of that April narrative out of existence by settling in as Green Bay's first true WR1 since Davante Adams in 2021. No Packers player besides Adams has topped 900 receiving yards in a season since Jordy Nelson did it in 2016. If we are lucky, Golden will make this one of the last times you encounter a stat like that by becoming an instant and regular partner for Love in the passing game.
In the three seasons since he said goodbye to the Packers, Adams has been somewhat adrift, stuck in losing situations marked by uninspiring quarterback play -- including his brief reunion with Aaron Rodgers on the Jets last season. Signing with the Rams put Adams right back into the contention zone, and we should all be richer for it. Sure, he's 32, and his total production has been a bit limited in recent seasons, but his per-catch average (12.5 receiving yards) last year was right in line with his career number heading into 2024 (12.4). And is there a coach-QB combo out there better suited than Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford to get the most out of Adams in Year 12? Whatever Adams' stats ultimately look like, it's good to know he will have at least one more chance to catch passes from a top-tier QB.
Darrisaw's season-ending knee injury last October was one of the true bummers of the 2024 season. The former first-round pick had signed a long-term extension a few months earlier, and then he had to miss most of their lightning-in-a-bottle run to the playoffs behind Sam Darnold. So it will be nice to see him get back on the field in 2025, especially because this season will be as much about building for the future as maintaining momentum from last year's surprise success. Injury recoveries are always positive, but Darrisaw's will carry extra significance, given the impact he will have on one of the other players I considered for this spot, J.J. McCarthy, whose hopes of becoming the Vikings' long-term QB will only be boosted with solid protection in his first year as the starter.
In a time of uncertainty for the Saints, with Kellen Moore taking over at coach and (probably) Tyler Shough taking over at QB, I would like to see the return of something that used to be the norm for this team: star-level production at receiver. Granted, there are many reasons they haven't had a wideout top 1,000 yards in three straight seasons since Michael Thomas in 2017-19, including the concussions that cost Olave much of 2024, preventing him from matching Thomas' run, plus the general lack of offensive consistency that has taken hold in New Orleans since the Drew Brees-Sean Payton era came to an end. Moore might need more than one offseason to truly get the Saints going, and Olave will not be able to rack up yardage by himself if a reliable signal-caller does not emerge. Regardless of what Olave's final numbers are, it will be great for everyone if he proves he can be the answer for Moore at WR1 going forward.
I tried to focus on what I'm rooting for when selecting players for this piece, but in making a case for Nabers, I'm flipping the formula. Because what I definitely do not want is for Nabers to become yet another talented receiver whose ultimate ceiling is shrouded by a forgettable quarterback and surrounding cast. It's great that he made the Pro Bowl and garnered some Offensive Rookie of the Year votes while catching passes from Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle last year. Next, let's get him into some meaningful late-season or playoff games. Whatever the Giants decide to do between Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart at quarterback, I just hope they're able to find the quickest possible path to an uptick in high-leverage targets for Nabers.
The Tush Push Era lives on, and I have to say, I have become fully push-pilled, seduced by the otherworldly proficiency with which the Eagles are able to steamroll their way to key conversions. One of the appealing elements of the play is the way in which it gives a more visible role to the O-linemen who tend to fall out of the frame otherwise -- like Jurgens, who handled the task of taking over for Jason Kelce with aplomb last season, earning his first career Pro Bowl nod. If Jurgens continues to establish himself alongside his more veteran linemates like Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson, he can help the Eagles keep, erm, pushing the evolution of the game.
I know McCaffrey doesn't really need a boost in the fan department. This is more about a certain level of greediness I'm feeling about one of the most prolific offensive talents of our time. McCaffrey has topped 1,800 scrimmage yards in four separate seasons, a total surpassed by just four other players in NFL history (Hall of Famers Walter Payton, LaDainian Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk and Emmitt Smith). He did it as recently as 2023, when he hit the 2k mark for the second time -- then lost most of last season to injuries, finishing with less than 100 touches for the first time in his career. Maybe 2024 was just a natural step-down from such a high workload, and he'll easily bounce back again, just as he did following a similar blip in production following his first 2,000-scrimmage-yard effort, in 2019 with the Panthers. Then again, he's 29 now, with that much more mileage on his legs. Knowing how time and age generally work, it would be great to get to watch at least one more mega-wattage McCaffrey campaign.
Jones' efforts last season didn't lead to a playoff appearance or earn him any individual awards, but he did do something quietly admirable, at least to me, performing like a consummate pro despite changing teams twice in the span of two months. Dealt from the Rams to the Titans in August, Jones collected 44 total tackles in Tennessee between Weeks 1 and 7, second-most on the team in that span -- and then he was traded to the Seahawks, whom he led in tackles (94) from Week 8 to Week 18. Seattle rewarded him by giving him a long-term home, signing him to a three-year pact this offseason to help keep Mike Macdonald's defense moving in the right direction.
Reddick was quite the pass-rushing mercenary between 2020 and 2023, stacking up 50.5 sacks over four seasons with three different teams. That run came to a spectacular halt last season, with an ultimately fruitless pursuit of a better contract swallowing up most of his brief stay with the Jets. Now he's with the Bucs, a team on the upswing that also happens to roster a good number of likable players on feel-good career tracks. One thing they've missed since the Golden Age of Baker Mayfield commenced in 2023, however, is a consistent pass-rush presence on the edge; Shaq Barrett was the last Tampa player to tally more than 7.5 sacks in a season, back when he posted 10 in 2021. Reddick can restore his reputation as one of the NFL's preeminent QB-chasers-for-hire while keeping Mayfield, Mike Evans, Todd Bowles and Co. relevant in our lives as football fans, and that would be a win-win as far as I'm concerned.
Many of us are already rooting for Jayden Daniels, because, duh, and for Terry McLaurin, because he's A) very good and B) paid his dues in the extreme as a mainstay of the franchise's pre-Daniels days. How about giving some love to the other roster stalwart who has Really Gone Through It in Washington? Jonathan Allen's departure this offseason leaves Payne (drafted 13th overall in 2018) as one of the longest-tenured Commanders, someone who's started 84 straight regular-season games for the team -- just 38 of which ended in victory, including 12 last season. The 28-year-old is as deserving as anyone of reveling in Washington's transformation into a legit contender. All the better if Payne, whose pressure rate and sack totals dipped after an 11.5-sack 2022 season, can translate the positive buzz he's been generating to a renewed dominance on the field.
