1 non-QB question for every NFC team entering camp
Every NFL team is entering training camp with question marks as the regular season fast approaches. Quarterbacks typically steal the headlines, so we're going a different route by identifying one major question that doesn't center on each club's passer.
Below are the biggest questions in the NFC entering camp. Tap a team's abbreviation below to read its entry.
AFC | NFC
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ARI | ATL | CAR | CHI | DAL | DET | GB | LAR | MIN | NO | NYG | PHI | SF | SEA | TB | WAS
Arizona Cardinals
⭐ Can Marvin Harrison Jr. become a star?
Harrison ranked fifth in receiving yards and receptions among all rookie wide receivers in 2024 after being the top wideout selected in the draft at fourth overall. He had a decent first season, but Arizona is looking for him to take a big leap this year. The Cardinals didn't make any big moves at the wide receiver position and are counting on Harrison to become one of the best in the league.
Atlanta Falcons
👀 How do the new edge rushers look?
The Falcons have ranked in the bottom six in total pressures each of the last four campaigns, according to Next Gen Stats. Atlanta prioritized the pass rush this offseason, selecting Jalon Walker 15th overall, trading up for James Pearce Jr. in the first round, and signing veteran edge rusher Leonard Floyd. If the Falcons are going to win their first NFC South crown since 2016, the front seven needs to do a better job of getting after the quarterback.
Carolina Panthers
🔫 Does Bryce Young have enough weapons?
The Panthers are entering Year 3 of the Young experiment after the 23-year-old responded well to getting benched in 2024. For Young to take another leap, Carolina needs its young weapons to step up. The club drafted Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall but will also depend on second-year wideouts Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette. Legette, whom Carolina invested a first-round pick in, had some big drops in his rookie campaign. Coker flashed at times but was a nonfactor too often. Young needs these three young wideouts to figure out their roles quickly.
Chicago Bears
🤔 Will new O-line additions be enough?
Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times last year, the most of any quarterback in the league. General manager Ryan Poles prioritized boosting the offensive line this offseason, adding Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. The additions are upgrades compared to what the Bears had in 2024, but they still come with questions. Thuney is aging, Dalman is under a microscope after signing a huge deal in free agency, and Jackson was benched last year despite being handsomely paid by the Rams. Chicago needs to keep the pressure rate down on Williams if it wants the offense to succeed under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Dallas Cowboys
🏃 Where will the run game come from?
Dallas must provide Dak Prescott with a consistent rushing attack if it wants to compete for an NFC East title. The Cowboys' ground game struggled in 2024, ranking 26th in EPA/rush and 27th in rushing yards per game. Jerry Jones let last year's lead back Rico Dowdle walk and signed Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency. The Cowboys also drafted Jaydon Blue in the fifth round, so the team is rolling into training camp with no clear bell cow.
Detroit Lions
😈 Can Aidan Hutchinson return to full form?
Hutchinson was leading the league in sacks and pressures before fracturing his fibula and tibia in October. The 24-year-old told reporters in May that he's been medically cleared and should be ready for the start of the 2025 season. Outside of Hutchinson, the Lions' edge rusher depth chart lacks firepower. Detroit needs Hutchinson to return to early 2024 form for its defense to rebound after a rough ending to last season.
Green Bay Packers
🤩 Can one of the young receivers emerge as a star?
Green Bay hasn't had a pass-catcher record 900-plus receiving yards in a campaign since Davante Adams in 2021. The Packers made the playoffs in 2024, but their passing offense finished 16th in success rate, according to Ben Baldwin's database. A breakout season from one of Jordan Love's targets would elevate both his game and the team's offense. Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, and first-round rookie Matthew Golden make for an intriguing unit. One of them needs to emerge as the top target.
Los Angeles Rams
📈 Will Davante Adams take this offense to new heights?
The Rams made a big splash this offseason when they signed Adams to pair with Puka Nacua, giving quarterback Matthew Stafford a potentially lethal No. 2 option. Adams has recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, but he's 32 and entering a stage where receivers typically slow down. However, L.A. could compete for an NFC crown if the three-time All-Pro can maintain his high-level play.
Minnesota Vikings
🤜 Are Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave still difference-makers?
Minnesota took a swing this offseason by signing Hargrave and Allen, who are both in their 30s and set to start on defense. Hargrave is coming off a torn tricep muscle suffered in September, while Allen dealt with a pec injury that sidelined him for nine games last year. We don't know what these two have left in the tank, but Brian Flores is the ideal defensive coordinator to help revive their careers.
New Orleans Saints
⌛ How quickly can Kellen Moore establish this team's identity?
New Orleans is in dire need of a culture shift within the organization. The Saints have failed to make the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, despite playing in a weak NFC South. In comes head coach Kellen Moore, who ran the offense for the Super Bowl-champion Eagles in 2024. With major questions at the quarterback position and beyond, the 37-year-old is tasked with creating an offensive identity that can help turn around the franchise's recent woes.
New York Giants
3️⃣ Can the 3 marquee edge rushers all succeed?
If the Giants are going to have success in 2025, they'll have to get elite production from their pass rush. Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and third overall pick Abdul Carter give New York one of the best edge presences on paper. But Thibodeaux and Burns haven't always produced, and it'll be hard for New York to give all three maximum snaps. Shane Bowen, entering his second season as the team's defensive coordinator, must get creative in maximizing the talent up front.
Philadelphia Eagles
🔒 Who will win the CB2 job?
With Darius Slay moving on after a five-year run in Philly, the Eagles have one of their starting cornerback positions up for grabs. Quinyon Mitchell is expected to secure one of those spots, leaving Adoree' Jackson and Kelee Ringo as the likely candidates to start opposite him. Jackson joined Philly this offseason after spending the last four campaigns with the Giants. The 29-year-old started five of the 14 games he suited up for last season and is looking to reclaim a starting job. Ringo, 23, was drafted in the fourth round in 2023 and has been waiting in the wings on the Eagles' roster after a successful college career at Georgia.
San Francisco 49ers
🧑🔬 Will Robert Saleh revitalize a new-look defense?
San Francisco's defense finished 27th in points per game allowed last season. Saleh, who ran the 49ers' unit for four years before taking the New York Jets head coaching job in 2021, will return as defensive coordinator in hopes of getting the defense back on track. The depth chart will look a lot different than last season after players like Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, Leonard Floyd, and Javon Hargrave left this offseason. Saleh's defense in New York wasn't his downfall, as the Jets ranked sixth in success rate under him from 2021-23.
Seattle Seahawks
💰 Will the WR overhaul pay dividends?
Seattle arguably had the most newsworthy offseason of any NFL team, as it completely reworked its offensive depth chart. Sam Darnold replaces Geno Smith as the starting quarterback, and Cooper Kupp swaps in for DK Metcalf after the Seahawks dealt the disgruntled wideout to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They also signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling and selected Tory Horton on Day 3 of the draft, but they'll rely on Kupp to be the No. 2 option across from Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Kupp has struggled to remain healthy in recent years, suiting up in 33 of a possible 51 regular-season games since his stellar 2021 campaign when he won Offensive Player of the Year. His production also fizzled down the stretch last season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
🤝 How does the WR pecking order shake out?
Tampa Bay caught the NFL world off guard when it drafted Emeka Egbuka 19th overall. With general manager Jason Licht also re-signing Chris Godwin to a long-term deal this offseason, the club has a packed wide receiver room. Mike Evans and Godwin have been the team's top wideouts in recent years, but pass-catcher Jalen McMillan also flashed in his 2024 rookie campaign. New offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard will need to determine how to distribute the targets.
Washington Commanders
🪫 What does Deebo Samuel have left in the tank?
Washington made a splash by acquiring Samuel for a fifth-round pick from the 49ers. The 29-year-old is projected to slot in as the No. 2 target on the offense, but there are questions about how productive he can be. Samuel's 40.7% receiving success rate in 2024 was the worst mark of his career, according to PFR. He also totaled 51 receptions on 81 targets, with both numbers marking his fewest since an injury-riddled 2020 season. Samuel needs to prove he hasn't lost a step, especially with the threat of Terry McLaurin sitting out due to a contract dispute.