Biggest strength for every NFC team heading into the regular season

The NFL season is just around the corner. While some teams have more to be excited about than others, each club has areas to lean on to succeed. Let's look at the biggest strength of every NFC squad.

NFC / AFC

Arizona Cardinals

Speed at receiver

The Cardinals are expected to be one of the league's worst teams. However, they have some juice at the receiver position, which can help quarterbacks Josh Dobbs and Clayton Tune while Kyler Murray is out. Marquise Brown has been one of the better deep threats in the NFL since being drafted in the first round in 2019. Wideout Rondale Moore has elite quickness, as evident by his 4.32 40-yard dash. Brown and Moore can keep Arizona's offense somewhat stable without the dynamic Murray.

Atlanta Falcons

Offensive weapons

Atlanta can beat teams in a variety of ways on offense. Starting wide receivers Drake London and Mack Hollins are both 6-foot-4 and can tear squads apart in the intermediate area of the field, while Scott Miller brings speed at the third receiver spot to stretch out the defense. Mix in matchup nightmare Kyle Pitts with running backs Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, and Cordarrelle Patterson, and this offense will give defensive coordinators headaches all season.

Carolina Panthers

Strong secondary

Cornerback Jaycee Horn hasn't allowed a touchdown in coverage since Week 1 of his rookie campaign, according to PFF. The 23-year-old has played in only 16 games since being a first-round pick in 2021, but he's fully healthy heading into his third season and has All-Pro potential. The Panthers added veteran safety Vonn Bell to play with Xavier Woods on the backend of the defense, and the reliable Jeremy Chinn is expected to be Carolina's nickel cornerback. The other outside cornerback job is up in the air as Donte Jackson stumbled in the preseason and has struggled to stay healthy. However, this secondary has the chance to be one of the league's better units.

Chicago Bears

Wide receiver room

Chicago hasn't seen two wideouts eclipse 800 receiving yards in a single season since 2016. That should change in 2022. The Bears made a splash this offseason by acquiring D.J. Moore, who's surpassed 1,100 receiving yards three times since entering the NFL in 2018. Darnell Mooney has been reliable when healthy and is a nice complement to Moore. Chicago dealt a second-round pick for Chase Claypool at last year's trade deadline and will look for him to bounce back after a disappointing 2022 campaign. Claypool exceeded 100 targets and 850 receiving yards in his first two seasons.

Dallas Cowboys

Defense

Edge rusher Micah Parsons has transformed the Cowboys' defense. Since being selected 12th overall in 2021, Dallas has recorded back-to-back campaigns with a top-10 scoring defense. There's optimism the club can make it three straight. The Cowboys fixed their most glaring need by acquiring cornerback Stephon Gilmore for a fifth-round pick, and he should help solidify the backend. Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dorance Armstrong, Sam Williams, and Dante Fowler are as good a pass-rushing unit as you can get in the NFL.

Detroit Lions

Offensive line

The Lions have a top-three offensive line when healthy. Despite suffering the fifth-most games lost by injuries last season compared to other offensive lines around the league, Detroit's unit still anchored the NFL's fifth-best scoring offense. Halapoulivaati Vaitai returns to the starting lineup after missing all of last season with a back injury. He'll help solidify the right side of the line next to former first-round pick Penei Sewell. Jonah Jackson, Taylor Decker, and Frank Ragnow are entering the season healthy, rounding out a scary unit for opposing defensive fronts.

Green Bay Packers

Defensive stars

The Packers are going with a ton of youth on the offensive side of the ball, but they have two stars on defense who can keep this team in playoff contention. Green Bay's pass rush slowed last campaign after edge rusher Rashan Gary tore his ACL in Week 9. The squad went from second in pressure rate with Gary to 28th without him. His return to the lineup is massive for a young Packers squad. And don't forget about cornerback Jaire Alexander, who earned his second All-Pro nod in 2022.

Los Angeles Rams

Star power

The Rams lack depth across the board. Nonetheless, they have two superstars who can help them make some noise in the NFC. Aaron Donald is still the best defensive tackle in football and can wreck an offense's game plan weekly. Cooper Kupp was on pace for another historic campaign in 2022 before an ankle injury forced him to miss the final eight games. He finished with 75 catches on 98 targets for 812 yards and six touchdowns in nine contests. Donald and Kupp can counter the lack of talent elsewhere on the roster.

Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson won the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022 and still has room to grow as he just turned 24. The LSU product has averaged a remarkable 108 catches for 1,608 yards in his first three NFL seasons. Jefferson carried the Vikings to victory in Week 9 last campaign against the Buffalo Bills with an all-time magnificent catch.

With a healthy Jefferson, the Vikings will be competitors in the NFC for years.

New Orleans Saints

Offensive weapons

New Orleans quietly has one of the best collections of offensive playmakers in the league. Chris Olave has top-10 receiver potential and is coming off a tremendous rookie campaign. Michael Thomas has played in only 10 games over the last three seasons but racked up a league-leading 149 catches for 1,725 yards in 2019 and finally appears healthy heading into 2023. Don't forget about Rashid Shaheed, who's emerged as one of the NFL's best deep threats. On throws of 20-plus yards last season, Shaheed had six catches on seven targets for 284 yards and two touchdowns, receiving a 99.9 PFF grade on those throws. Tight end Juwan Johnson scored five touchdowns in his last eight games in 2022. This offense could make significant noise in a weak NFC South when Alvin Kamara returns from a three-game suspension.

New York Giants

Offensive coaching

The Giants have a star-studded coaching staff that's transitioned this team from the disastrous Joe Judge era. Brian Daboll led New York's offense to become one of the most efficient NFL units, ranking ninth in expected points added per play in 2022, according to Ben Baldwin's database. Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160-million contract extension this offseason after Daboll helped the quarterback ascend to new heights last campaign. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is considered one of the more innovative offensive minds in football and will be a head coach someday.

Philadelphia Eagles

Trenches

The Eagles are stacked on the lines on both sides of the ball. Led by veterans Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, Philadelphia has one of the best starting offensive lines in the NFL. Both players earned All-Pro honors last season. On the defensive side, Philadelphia topped the league in sacks by a wide margin with 70. The defense lost Javon Hargrave to the 49ers but will replace him with a mix of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Carter has impressed in training camp and is one of the best defensive tackle prospects in recent memory. Expect the Eagles to dominate the line of scrimmage again in 2023.

San Francisco 49ers

Kyle Shanahan

If any other team in the league rolled out a quarterback room consisting of Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, and Brandon Allen, no one would predict that club to get close to the Super Bowl. Shanahan transforming Purdy into a legit starting quarterback is one of the best coaching jobs we've seen in a long time. On throws from 10-19 yards last season, Purdy went a whopping 31 of 39 for 542 yards and three touchdowns, according to PFF. Shanahan consistently makes the 49ers' offense extremely efficient regardless of who starts under center.

Seattle Seahawks

Young offensive playmakers

Seattle has an impressive group of young offensive playmakers. DK Metcalf is only 25 years old and has consistently been one of the best wide receivers in the league since being drafted in 2019. The Seahawks added wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Zach Charbonnet in this year's draft, and they should contribute immediately. Kenneth Walker is super explosive out of the backfield and produced 29 runs of 10-plus yards in his rookie season. He and Charbonnet create a lethal one-two punch behind quarterback Geno Smith.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Talented veterans

The Tom Brady era in Tampa Bay is over, but this team is still littered with veteran talent. Wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans continue to be one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL and can keep this offense afloat with quarterback Baker Mayfield at the helm. On the defensive side, Lavonte David, Devin White, Shaquil Barrett, Jamel Dean, Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield, and Carlton Davis are all great players who can lead this club to another top-10 defensive performance in 2023. Tampa also has the flexibility to move some of these guys at the trade deadline and recoup draft capital, which it could use to acquire a future quarterback.

Washington Commanders

Defensive line

Washington will have four first-rounders starting on its defensive line in 2023. The headliner is former second overall pick Chase Young, who's fully recovered from a knee injury after playing in only 12 games over the last two seasons. Daron Payne signed a four-year, $90-million extension this offseason, and he and Jonathan Allen create one of the most lethal interior rush pairings in the NFL. Add Montez Sweat to the mix, and this is one of the best defensive fronts.