Depth is an important factor in differentiating a true contender from a full-blown contender. A team’s starting 22 might be the biggest difference between a win and a loss on Sundays, but the NFL is a next-man-up league. Few teams are lucky enough to avoid the injury bug throughout the season.
It should be no surprise that each team on this list made the playoffs in 2024. Bad teams usually can’t afford to allocate an excess of resources to one position group. This might be jarring to some, but the Browns QBs do NOT have a place on this list. They might have five guys who could conceivably start a game for them this year, but I would bet a Five Guys combo (roughly $500 in value) they don’t have their QB of the future on the roster this year.
This was a tough list to narrow down, as there are a handful of stacked position groups across the NFL. However, a few groups stand out with a potent combination of depth and premium talent.
5. Ravens Running Backs
Saquon Barkley stole headlines last year by becoming the ninth player to reach the 2000-yard mark in NFL history. His performance led Derrick Henry to fly under the radar even though he was only 79 yards away from becoming the first player to reach that goal on two occasions. He quietly produced the best season we’ve ever seen from a running back on the wrong side of 30.
Many forget that Keaton Mitchell was on a tear midway through the ’23 season before tearing his ACL late in the year. The rook was averaging over EIGHT yards per carry before going down. He was stuck in Henry’s shadow after returning from IR in Week Ten last year and could remain there as long as the big guy remains healthy, but they would still be in great hands if he were to go down.
The Ravens also have another capable back in Justice Hill, who has thrived whenever he has gotten opportunities throughout his career. He is limited to a change-of-pace role, but he would have more of a defined impact in a less talented room. Just an elite room all the way around.
4. Vikings Wide Receivers
Everyone knows the Vikings have one of the league’s premier receiver duos in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. However, they also have great depth behind the star pass-catchers, which sets their room apart from others that also have an argument for the league’s premier pass-catching duo.
Jalen Nailor might not be flashy, but he proved he could make plays as the third receiver (and fourth option) in the passing game last season. Third-round pick Tai Felton and the newly-added Rondale Moore round out a rock-solid and DEEP group of receivers. Three quality starters, a field-stretcher (at the very least), and a quality gadget player. It’s tough to imagine a more well-rounded group.
I didn’t factor the tight end position into the equation with this list, but TJ Hockenson’s presence also raises the bar for the overall supporting class. JJ McCarthy has more than enough talent around him to have a great first year at the helm, especially with offensive mastermind Kevin O’Connell calling the shots.
3. Eagles Linebackers
The defending Super Bowl champs have a few position groups that could round out a list of honorable mentions for this list. I almost included their offensive line and receiving corps here, but their linebacker room is their most talented unit.
The Eagles’ defense is malleable. Unlike most schemes, they don’t funnel into a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. While they technically run a hybrid 3-4, Vic Fangio is a defensive genius who is adept at taking advantage of matchups and one-on-one situations. Some would classify Nolan Smith Jr. and Azeez Ojulari as “linebackers” but I didn’t include them in my evaluation. Their off-the-ball linebackers are more than talented enough to land them on this list on their own.
Zach Baun is the obvious headliner of the group, as he is coming off a breakout All-Pro season. He will have to show it wasn’t a fluke (I wouldn’t bet against him), but he’s on the fast track to being one of the league’s premier ‘backers. While on that topic, how unfair is it that Jihaad Campbell has a similar ceiling, and Philly somehow managed to get him with the 31st pick? As if those two don’t provide enough juice, Nakobe Dean is also coming off a breakout season.. and there’s reason to believe he’s only getting better. Just think of all the exotic blitzes Fangio can scheme up.
2. Steelers Defensive Line
I’m staying in Pennsylvania and moving west to the land of black and yellow with the next entry. The already stacked Steelers defensive line got even stronger with the addition of Derrick Harmon in the first round this offseason. Pittsburgh tends to take it slow with their rookie defensive linemen, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the University of Oregon product running with the starters from the jump.
TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith are one of the league’s premier pass-rushing duos, and Nick Herbig flashed whenever he got in the field last season. Cameron Heyward has played at a high level on the interior for a long, long, time. Keeanu Benton might not have blown up the stat sheets through his first two years, but he ranked 19th among DTs in pass-rush win % last year. He will have to get better at finishing to take the next step, but he has more than enough talent to do just that.
They also fortified their depth with two potential late-round gems in Jack Sawyer and YahYa Black. With the recent departures to the Eagles’ front seven, they now undoubtedly have the deepest and most talented defensive line in the league.
1. Buccaneers Wide Receivers
The Buccaneers receiving core has my vote for the league’s best unit, and they worked hard to earn that recognition. Not only did they convince Godwin to take significantly less money to stay in Tampa Bay (he turned down an offer that would pay him more than $30 million per year with New England to make $22 million with the Bucs), but they also shocked the league by selecting Ohio State pass-catcher Emeka Egbuka in the first round.
Everyone knows how good Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are (and if you don’t – they have been one of the league’s premier receiver duos since 2019), but they also have incredible depth at the position. Ebguka and Godwin are both primarily considered slot receivers, so one of them will have to show they can win from the outside, but I’m certainly not betting against them.
I don’t think Jalen McMillan, who is coming off an impressive season that saw him grab eight touchdowns on only 37 targets, would be anything less than a top-three receiver for any other offense. Sterling Shepard and Trey Palmer also provide great depth behind the big four.
As if that weren’t enough, seventh-round pick Tez Johnson was also a highly-regarded receiver prospect before running an abysmal 40-yard-dash (for his diminutive size) at the NFL Combine. Something tells me other teams will watch this situation closely during the 53-man roster cut-down. Incredible talent and depth all the way around.
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Here’s another article one of our writers recently did ranking every starting quarterback entering the 2025 season!
