The Good

One of the biggest reasons Frank Reich failed in Indianapolis was due to the quarterback position. Reich had to deal with Andrew Luck‘s early retirement along with mediocre quarterback play from players past their prime. It all came crashing down last year when the Matt Ryan experiment failed miserably and Reich was let go. It’s important to look past that as Reich has shown he can run a successful NFL offense. Expect Reich to get back to his roots in Carolina and that includes the triangle read passing game along with the zone run game.

The Panthers have a lot of new faces on the roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball. One of those pieces is former Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders. Sanders signed a 4-year, $25 million dollar contract with the Panthers this offseason. He is now in a perfect system and I expect him to excel as the Panthers #1 back. Sanders is coming off a Pro Bowl season in Philadelphia in which he amassed 1,347 total yards from scrimmage. Expect Sanders to be a workhorse early on as Young gets accustomed to the speed of the NFL.

The Bad

In order for the Panthers to pull off a trade for the #1 pick they needed to part ways with D.J. Moore. Moore has been a franchise player for Carolina since he was drafted in 2018. Now the Panthers have a giant hole on offense that is likely to hurt them this year.

They did attempt to address this by bringing in Adam Thielen this offseason on a 3-year deal. Thielen has shown he can be an excellent wide receiver but I don’t like him in the #1 role. He is better suited for a number 2 role similar to his position in Minnesota. The wide receiver group for the Panthers will be their weak spot going into next season. The hope is that they can get immediate results from rookie Jonathan Mingo but I expect him to take his rookie lumps.

The Prediction

In any other division, the Panthers would likely be an under .500 team. Thanks to the weak NFC South they will finish their first season under Frank Reich with a winning record. Bryce Young will take some time to learn the pro game but things should start clicking from him mid-season. The future is bright for the Panthers and expect them to be competitive for years to come.

2023 Record: 9-8 (2nd in the division)

The post Carolina Panthers Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Before we look at next season, let’s take a look at the NFL target leaders from 2022. In the table below are the top 5 leaders in targets from last year. The first four finished in the same exact order in terms of total fantasy points amongst wide receivers (Half PPR). The only anomaly was A.J. Brown who jumped CeeDee Lamb and finished 5th in total fantasy points. Brown finished with 2 more touchdowns and 137 more yards.

2022 NFL Target Leaders

Predicting the Target Leaders for 2023-2024

Looking ahead to next season we can almost guarantee the top 5 target leaders will look different. For instance, in 2021 Cooper Kupp was the NFL target leader by a large margin +22. As we know Kupp suffered a serious ankle injury that cut his 2022 season short. Injuries aren’t the only factor to consider. Quarterback changes, coaching changes, free agency and the NFL Draft are all factors. Let’s now look at who I predict will be the NFL target leaders for next season.

2023 NFL Target Leaders (Projected)

Justin Jefferson will once again be the king of targets. I slotted his targets down but only slightly. This is due to the Minnesota Vikings adding Jordan Addison in the draft. It will take some time to get Addison up to speed but once he’s ready he should be productive in this offense. Also, keep in mind that Adam Thielen is no longer with the team.

Stefon Diggs will make the jump from #4 to #2 overall in targets. I am predicting 14 more targets for Diggs as he and Josh Allen continue to develop their chemistry. If somehow the Buffalo Bills end up grabbing DeAndre Hopkins I may re-adjust Diggs’ total targets.

Tyreek Hill‘s targets will drop but not by much. He will once again be the focal point in the Miami Dolphins offense. One major thing to keep an eye on is the health of Tua Tagovailoa. Can he stay healthy the entire season?

Next up it’s our first newcomer on the list. Garrett Wilson finished just outside the top 5 last year in total targets. Now with the addition of Aaron Rodgers, I expect his numbers to climb. I am not worried about Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb taking targets away. Wilson is the Jets #1 WR and they will continue to lean on him.

Last on the list is the always reliable Travis Kelce. Kelce finished 6th last season in total targets with 152. I expect him to hover around this range again in 2023-2024. The Chiefs no longer have JuJu Smith-Schuster and still lack a true #1 receiver. All that means is more target share for the great tight end.

The post Predicting the NFL Target Leaders for Next Season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

BACKGROUND

Jordan Addison is a wide receiver prospect out of Maryland. Coming out of high school, he played multiple positions for his team. Rivals listed him as a three-star wide receiver. He decided to commit to the University of Pittsburgh.

COLLEGE CAREER

As a freshman, he started eight games for the Panthers. He led the team in almost all receiving statistics. He caught 60 passes for 666 yards and four touchdowns. In his second season with Pittsburgh, he was even more phenomenal. In 14 games, he caught 100 balls for 1593 yards. He had 17 TDs, which led all of college football. The awards came pouring in that year as he was a Consensus All-American and the Fred Biletnikoff Award.

2022-2023 COLLEGE CAREER

In a surprising turn of events, Addison transferred to USC before the start of his third season. With more eyes on him, he was still his elite self. He ended the season with 59 receptions for 875 yards and eight TDs. He was named to the First-team All-Pac 12 at the end of the season.

STRENGTHS: Elite Route Running

It’s very fun to watch Addison run his routes. He can easily separate from his defender due to his crafty moves. The receptions speak for themselves as he had 100 receptions and 17 TDs in his sophomore season. He looks like a fun RAC player especially if he’s open. With his size, he can start probably at the slot.

WEAKNESSES: Drops

Drops were an issue for Jordan from his Pittsburgh days. With his talent, he should be more consistent and use his hands better. If he doesn’t solve his dropping issue, teams can lose patience easily.

PLAYER COMPARISON: DeVonta Smith

TEAMS WHO COULD DRAFT HIM

Jordan Addison is one of the most dynamic WRs in the draft and he will have a lot of love in the late first round. Minnesota and the Giants are two teams that would love to have him. The loss of Adam Thielen and the lack of an elite wide receiver in New York will make him look like a must-have.

The post 2023 NFL Draft Focus: Jordan Addison appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

BACKGROUND

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a wide receiver prospect out of Texas. He had a legendary career out of high school, earning him buzz from almost all colleges in the country. In his senior season, he had 104 catches for 2094 yards and 35 TDs. This performance was rewarded with the Landry Award and Texas Gatorade Football Player of the Year Award. Rivals listed him as a five-star prospect and the fourth-best WR in the class. He committed to play for Ohio State.

COLLEGE CAREER

Ohio State always has elite wide receiver talent, which was shown in Njigba’s first year. With all the talent, he was limited to just seven games as a freshman. He had 10 catches for 49 yards and a TD. His second year was when everything changed for him. In 13 games, he had 95 receptions, 1606 yards, and nine TDs. He broke multiple records that season such as an FBS Bowl Record of 347 yards in the Rose Bowl and 15 receptions in a win against Nebraska. He was awarded Third-team All-Big Ten and Third-team All-American for his performance that season.

2022-2023 COLLEGE CAREER

His junior season was met with disappointment as he only played in three games. He had an opportunity to play in the College Football Playoff but he decided to sit out. He decided to forego his final year at Ohio State for the upcoming NFL Draft.

STRENGTHS: Route-Running

Jaxon has a lot of talent as a slot receiver. He can read defenses, has smooth hips and can make quick adjustments. His focus is unmatched especially in the open field. What’s also impressive is that his co-WRs in the 2021 season are all in the NFL and he was still able to get all those numbers. His soft but strong hands will make him a coach and QB’s dream.

WEAKNESSES: Lack Of Explosion

He has been graded as a not-so-good athlete and lacks serious explosion. The injury with the hamstring can affect his limited athleticism so he has to prove it’s just a one-year thing. This may be a challenge, especially against elite cornerbacks. Another nitpick is that he drops the ball a little too much for a supposed elite WR coming out of college.

PLAYER COMPARISON: Adam Thielen

TEAMS WHO COULD DRAFT HIM

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is seen as either the top or second-best WR in this draft class. With how much offense is prioritized in the NFL, he will be an excellent asset for anyone that drafts him. Teams like Houston, Green Bay, and New England would greatly benefit from having Jaxon in their team to help their young QBs.

The post 2023 NFL Draft Focus: Jaxon Smith-Njigba appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The talented, utterly scrappy Adam Thielen has been amazing since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014. The former Minnesota State wideout unleashed an incredible 113 receptions, 1,373 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns in 2018. Furthermore, Thielen has been like fine wine in the late stage of his career by obtaining 14 touchdowns at the age of 30. A year later, he ousted 10 touchdowns in 13 contests. He will still aim to be a threat across the extremely authentic WR Justin Jefferson this season.

With that enunciated, there has been a fascinating, pivotal question surrounding the Viks WR: Is Thielen a future Hall of Famer?

Thielen has a story that may be as inspiring as Brandon Burlsworth (please watch the film “Greater”) while being a dominant player for many seasons in his career. It’s also undeniable that he’s a Vikings legend.

Although.

I don’t believe Thielen is on a path to making it into Canton. He has only punched two tickets to the Pro Bowl (although, he questionably failed to garner PB honors in two seasons with 10+ touchdowns). He hasn’t garnered any All-Pro nods in his journey & he hasn’t been overly lethal over a long span. In addition, Thielen hasn’t won a pivotal SB ring.

If Thielen can have a few more Pro Bowl nods & a Super Bowl ring, he deserves to be cast into football heaven. So, it’s clear that the Vikings WR1 needs a lot more success to garner a gold jacket. Everybody loves Thielen, but it won’t be easy for him to get a key to the Hall of Fame.

The post Is Adam Thielen a future Hall of Famer? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Minnesota Vikings unequivocally have one of the NFL’s top wide receiver combinations with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Of course, Jefferson was second in the league in receiving yards (with 1,616 yds) last season. Jefferson also had 27 catches of 20+ yards — which was good for second in the league. The former LSU WR hauled in 10 receiving TDs, too. Jefferson’s all-around performance garnered him a 90.1 grade by PFF. The Vikings-gifted WR1 is eligible for a contract extension after this season.

His partner, Adam Thielen, might be 31, but he has still honestly been an effective wideout at this stage in his career. He hauled in 10 touchdowns last season — after notching 14 receiving TDs in 2020. Thielen also recorded 925 receiving yds in 2020 and 726 receiving yds in 13 games a season ago. PFF handed the UDFA legend a modest 74.6 grade for his 2021 outcome. Thielen is still under contract in 2022, 2023, and 2024 with the Vikings.

The Vikings WR3, K.J. Osborn, should compete with Irv Smith Jr. as the biggest x-factor in the Vikings offense. Osborn unleashed 50 receptions, 655 receiving yds, and 7 TDs in his sophomore season. Osborn garnered a 64.9 grade by PFF. He has proven to be quite the steal as a fifth-round draft pick. They also will anticipate production from Ihmir Smith-Marsette — who ousted 116 receiving yds and 2 TDs last season.

All in all, the Vikings really have a superb WR group heading into the 2022 season. They should especially leach on the Lions and Bears pedestrian pass defense — as they proceed to help Kirk Cousins (35 passing TDs in 2020 and 33 passing TDs in 2021) return to the post-season.

The post Minnesota Vikings wide receiver outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Kirk Cousins-led Minnesota Vikings are more complex than the INFP personality type. Nonetheless, there is one thing clear in regards to the Vikings outlook in 2022 — the Vikings have a lot of talent and energy under Kevin O’Connell. With that said, I’m going to untwine three bold predictions for the Vikings in 2022 — as the sky might just be the limit.

Danielle Hunter is first-team All-Pro

The Vikings unearthly edge rusher Danielle Hunter ousted 14.5 sacks in 2018 (while making second-team All-Pro) and 14.5 sacks in 2019. I believe he was climbing the ladder last season, as he unveiled six sacks, 10 QB hits, and 38 combined tackles in seven games. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending pectoral injury during the Cowboys contest last season. I imagine a hungry, healthy Hunter with better pass-rushing opportunities will have his best season in 2022 — which should translate to second first–team All-Pro honors.

Irv Smith Jr. catches 10+ touchdowns

The young Vikings TE Irv Smith Jr. hauled in five touchdowns in 13 games during the 2020 season. Smith Jr. missed the entire 2021 season via a meniscus injury. I expect the Vikings TE to be out for blood in a more creative offense under O’Connell moving forward. The days of planning to run the ball down the defense’s throat have adjusted to a high-powered, creative passing attack with the former Rams offensive mind at the HC helm. I also expect the aging Adam Thielen (24 touchdowns in the past two seasons) to share some of his red-zone success with the healthy TE.

The Vikings will beat the Packers twice

The Vikings managed to beat their despised opponent in Green Bay once last season. Well, I believe it’s time for the Vikings to upset the Packers in each match-up in 2022. The Saints have been hell-bent on beating Tom Brady and I believe a Vikings defense led by Hunter will help the Vikings win in two likely shoot-out matches against Rodgers. Rodgers might thrive and be a pillar of consistency in the remainder of the schedule, but I believe the Vikings can attack the Packers’s weaknesses even better than last season.

The post 3 bold predictions for the Vikings in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The young and new faces on the Minnesota Vikings will look to jell in OTAs. One of the exciting, youthful faces that will look to be an x-factor is Kene Nwangu. Per Vikings.com, the Vikings special team coordinator Matt Daniels stated that he planned to meet with the young KR to “get a better understanding of what he likes to run, whether it’s sidelines, counters, bounces, is he a middle guy?”

Outside of special teams catching proper intrigue, it appears that the offense is quite impressive at this point. Per Daily Norseman, the defensive coordinator Ed Donatell expressed “One of the great things is the offense we get to see every day. Our offense has cutting-edge schemes and formations. And that helps us get better. What Kevin and Wes have put together, it can only help us get better”.

It’s clear that the Vikings offense has that “Chip Kelly aura”, as Kevin O’Connell aims to be utterly creative and intense. The Vikings will look to improve Kirk Cousins even after his 2021 season that showcased 33 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and 4,221 passing yards.

Irv Smith Jr. will look to be a force for his QB in 2022, so it’s important that the QB-TE duo can get in sync in May. Of course, the beloved TE missed all of last season and it’s safe to say that he will have excellent match-ups for Cousins. He was able to be somewhat productive in the red zone in 2020 (5 touchdowns), so Smith Jr. and Thielen (24 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined) will really look to torch defenses in the red zone. Expect the Vikings to continue to keep striving to be more well-rounded, create strong chemistry, and keep the pedal to the metal in the summer.

The post Minnesota Vikings rumors and news appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

Kirk Cousins clearly liked his 2021 season, as he threw 33 touchdowns, unleashed 4,221 passing yards, and only tossed 7 interceptions. I firmly believe Captain Kirk and his new partner in crime, Kevin O’Connell, will take the next step in 2022. With that said, I believe the outlook for Cousins suggests that he is one of the biggest darkhorse MVP candidates at this moment. Here are three reasons why Cousins could surprise the world and win MVP gold at 33 years old next season.

Healthy weapons

It’s impressive that Cousins threw 33 touchdowns in 2021, but it’s forgotten that Cousins was a TD machine without Adam Thielen for four games and Irv Smith Jr. for the entire 2022 season. The former UDFA Thielen hauled in 10 touchdowns last season, so it’s clear he still has a lot left in the tank. Meanwhile, the young TE in Smith Jr. will reportedly be very involved in the Vikings offensive attack, per NBC Sports. The Vikings 23-year-old TE is clearly one of the biggest dynasty TE sleepers.

NFC North competition

The Vikings are fortunate to reside in a porous NFC North division. The Detroit Lions ranked 31st in PPG allowed and the Chicago Bears ranked 21st in PPG allowed a season ago. Plus, the Vikings were able to pour it on the Packers defense in Minny last season (as the Vikings won 34-31). Although, they were stifled in their second contest against the Pack (with GB winning 37-10). Nonetheless, the Vikings should feel very confident in their match-ups against the DET, CHI, and GB defenses next season. Perhaps the Vikings will run up the score against CHI or DET late in the season, so Cousins and Jefferson can have a stronger 2022 outcome.

The rise of Justin Jefferson

Kirk Cousins may have a very productive 2022 season, but the Vikings most gifted player will always be Justin Jefferson. The former LSU WR has nicely climbed the ladder over the past two seasons. Jefferson had career-high marks in targets (167), receptions (108), yards (1,616 yds), and touchdowns (10). If Jefferson can have a slightly more productive season in 2022, while helping his QB in prime-time games, he may help Cousins be utterly productive and help his team oust a playoff berth (and potentially a divisional title). It would be poetic if Jefferson won OPOY, while his QB won MVP.

The post 3 reasons why Kirk Cousins is a darkhorse MVP candidate appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Minnesota Vikings haven’t won the frigid NFC North since 2017. It’s clear that the Green Bay Packers have been a true superpower in the NFC North, as they’ve won their division in each of the past three seasons. With that said, I believe fate (and talent) will lead the Vikings to an NFC North title in 2022. Here are a few reasons why the Vikings first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell can win an NFC North title next season.

• Healthy star players

The Vikings had many key players miss significant game-time in 2021. Adam Thielen missed four games, Danielle Hunter missed 10 matchups, and Dalvin Cook was out of the line-up for four contests.

They clearly missed Hunter more than anyone else last season. The Vikings had 51 sacks (second in the league), but they also gave up the fifth-most passing yards in 2021. Hunter was also on a monster pace, as he notched six sacks in 7 games a season ago. The Vikings impressively managed to win eight games last season with many of their Top 10 players MIA. Expect Hunter, Thielen (10 touchdowns in 2021), and Cook to be important profiles for their team in 2022.

• The demise of the Packers

It’s safe to say that the Packers don’t need to worry about adding a quality WR2 this offseason. They really need to focus on adding a talented WR1! It’s great news for the Vikings that Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have Davante Adams in his arsenal anymore. The Packers also don’t have DE Za’Darius Smith (26 sacks from 2019 and 2020 combined), who was actually inked by the Vikings in free agency. The Packers starting TE Robert Tonyan is also coming off a torn ACL, so Rodgers could struggle to be in sync with an impressive weapon.

The post 3 reasons why the Vikings could win the NFC North appeared first on Pro Football Mania.