NFL training camps finally get into full swing this week, with veterans from all teams reporting by Wednesday.
In the NFC, major questions hang over several teams: Will Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones throw millions at a veteran star? Will another star wideout remain in San Francisco? Will a touted rookie outshine a veteran in Atlanta?
With all these questions and more in mind, we asked Yardbarker NFL writers to make a bold prediction about every team in the NFC. In addition to a prediction, each writer provides a confidence rating on his take, with “5” being supremely confident and “1” signifying “I’m guessing.”
NFC East
DALLAS COWBOYS | WR CeeDee Lamb signs new deal during camp | Confidence rating: 1 | Hoping to avoid a franchise tag in 2025, Lamb will sign a four-year, $130M contract after the team’s last practice in Oxnard, California. At that number, Lamb would earn less than Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson ($140M) but more than the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown ($120M).
NEW YORK GIANTS | Tyrone Tracy Jr. emerges as a dual-threat weapon | Confidence rating: 4 | A fifth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Tracy led all Big Ten running backs in yards per carry last season (6.3) and took first-team reps over second-year running back Eric Gray during minicamp. Tracy rushed for 1,201 yards at Purdue and Iowa, but the former receiver’s skills as a pass-catcher will give him a leg up on every Giants running back not named Devin Singletary.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Team trades for No. 3 receiver | Confidence rating: 2 | Uncomfortable starting the regular season with Parris Campbell as their No. 3 wide receiver, the Eagles trade for Tennessee’s Treylon Burks, a first-round pick in 2022. Stuck behind free-agent additions Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, the man once considered heir apparent to former Titan A.J. Brown will join him in Philadelphia for one of the Eagles’ two fifth-round picks in 2025.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Rookie WR Luke McCaffrey emerges as Jayden Daniels’ favorite target | Confidence rating: 3 | Terry McLaurin led Washington with 132 targets in 2023, but as a relative newcomer to the wide receiver position, McCaffrey will get more work in preseason games. At 6-foot-2, the one-time college quarterback is the tallest of Washington’s receivers, and with just as much speed as his more famous brother, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, the younger McCaffrey should be an asset for Daniels. — Bruce Ewing
NFC West
ARIZONA CARDINALS | Trey Benson wins RB job | Confidence rating: 3 | James Conner has played well the past two seasons for the Cardinals but is 29 and has a lot of mileage on his tires (1,125 carries in seven seasons). Running back is a young player’s position, and Benson was one of the top backs in this year’s class.
LOS ANGELES RAMS | WR Cooper Kupp bounces back | Confidence rating: 4 | The 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year has been limited to just 21 games over the past two seasons because of injuries. But with better health this season and more defenses shifting their focus to second-year standout Puka Nacua, Kupp should be in line for a bounce-back performance that starts off with a strong camp and preseason.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Wideout Brandon Aiyuk gets traded | Confidence rating: 4 | Aiyuk either wants a big-money contract extension or a trade to a team that has a higher willingness to give him that new deal. The 49ers seem determined to keep him, but at some point, the trade rumors and Aiyuk’s request will be too much for them to deal with. Who wants a receiver who had 75 catches for 1,342 yards last season?
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Jaxon Smith-Njigba becomes a bigger part of the offense | Confidence rating: 5 | Smith-Njigba was the second of Seattle’s two first-round picks in 2023, and even though he did not make a huge impact as a rookie in terms of big plays, he still had 63 receptions and four TD catches. With Tyler Lockett nearing the end of his career, the door is open for Smith-Njigba to catch more passes and be a much bigger part of the offense. — Adam Gretz
NFC North
CHICAGO BEARS | Rookie Austin Booker will push for a starting edge-rusher spot | Confidence rating: 3 | DeMarcus Walker had a solid season in 2023, notching 47 pressures and 3.5 sacks, but Booker will certainly give him a run for his money. Booker had 38 pressures, 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks last season at Kansas, and he could put up even better numbers rushing opposite Montez Sweat, who’s a star.
DETROIT LIONS | Terrion Arnold will look like Detroit’s top CB | Confidence rating: 4 | With Brian Branch placed on the PUP list and Cameron Sutton now in Pittsburgh, the Lions are down their top two cornerbacks from last season. Arnold has all the physical tools to outshine any CB on Detroit’s roster, and camp will be his time to shine.
GREEN BAY PACKERS | Jordan Love’s contract extension exceeds Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence deals | Confidence rating: 2 | Few expected Trevor Lawrence to match Joe Burrow’s $275M contract given his one slightly above-average season, but Jacksonville pulled the trigger anyway. If Lawrence is worth $55M per year, Love, who threw for 4,159 yards and 32 TDs last season, could get a deal in the $55M-$57M annual range.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Sam Darnold outshines J.J. McCarthy | Confidence rating: 4 | The Vikings seem content with letting McCarthy develop at his own pace, and having Darnold around makes that even more feasible. While it’s easy to have a low bar for the former No. 3 overall pick, Darnold is better equipped to handle a starting job this time around after a year in Kyle Shanahan’s system in San Francisco and should have no problem holding off McCarthy. — Michael Gallagher
NFC South
ATLANTA FALCONS | Michael Penix Jr. outshines QB Kirk Cousins | Confidence rating: 3 | Cousins is returning from a torn Achilles and could need time to shake off rust. Penix, the lefty thrower who starred at Washington, will hit the ground running, leaving Falcons fans pining for him.
CAROLINA PANTHERS | HC Dave Canales raves that Bryce Young is “in the best shape of his life” | Confidence rating: 5 | Is any training camp complete without a head coach showering his players with empty platitudes? We’ll hear a lot about how Young looks sharper, stronger and poised for a breakout, but until we see it in a regular season game, we’ll hold our breath. He was awful as a rookie last season, completing 59.8% of his passes and throwing for only 11 TDs.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Spencer Rattler wins backup QB role | Confidence rating: 4 | Jake Haener, the Saints’ fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, will likely begin camp as the No. 2. Rattler, a former five-star high school recruit, has more upside — and after waiting until the fifth round to be drafted in April, he won’t have nearly as long to wait to be Derek Carr’s backup.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Jaguars, Bucs get into heated brawl | Confidence rating: 5 | As great as training camps are for fans, it’s arguably the worst time for players. When the Jags and Bucs meet for joint practices in the sweltering Florida heat from Aug. 14-15, tempers will flare. — Eric Smithling