TE
WR
The Niners seem to be headed in
with the Falcons) and drafting WRs
yards receiving at Baylor in his lone
also gets starting QB Jimmy
Garoppolo and RB Jerick McKinnon
back from knee injuries. And TE
George Kittle will continue to play a
key role. The 6' 4" 250-pounder set
the league’s single-season record for
receiving yards by a tight end (1,377)
despite playing most of the season
without Garoppolo. With Jimmy G
expected to be healthy, Kittle could
reach new heights.
While the 49ers gave up the
13th-fewest yards in the NFL,
they allowed the fifth-most points.
DE Nick Bosa, the second overall
pick, should help them hold their
ground in the red zone, as should
LB Dee Ford (13 sacks with the
Chiefs). But no amount of heroics
from Garoppolo will fix a leaky D.
The offseason saw plenty of changes
for the Cardinals, who hired a new head
coach, Kliff Kingsbury, and spent the
top pick of the draft on a quarterback,
Kyler Murray. Kingsbury brings a wide-
open, spread system to the desert,
one meant to highlight his new QB’s
dual-threat skills. Murray won’t have
to do everything himself, though, as
he has veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald
(69 catches, 734 yards) and versatile
RB David Johnson (940 yards rushing,
446 yards receiving) at his disposal.
The offensive line is a work in progress,
but Murray’s elusiveness will help
prevent sacks.
Chandler Jones (13 sacks) will star
in Arizona’s new-look D. Since being
acquired from the Patriots three years
ago, he has 41 sacks, including an NFL-
best 17 in 2017, all while playing end in
a 4–3 scheme. Under new coordinator
Vance Joseph, the Cards will transition
to a 3–4, and Jones has lost weightWith the retirement of WR Doug
Baldwin, Tyler Lockett (57 catches,
965 yards, 10 TDs) will be
QB Russell Wilson’s clear-cut
favorite target. Bonus: Wilson did
not throw a single interception in
70 passes to Lockett last season.
He will see a lot of time in the slot,
where Baldwin made his name.
That’ll suit the quick-twitch Lockett,
an instinctual route-runner who can
blow past most cornerbacks.
Right now Lockett is Wilson’s
only proven threat, though third-
year WR David Moore (445 yards,
5 TDs) showed promise last season,
and D.K. Metcalf, a rookie from
the University of Mississippi, was
a combine star. The Seahawks will
lean on RB Chris Carson, who
was fifth in the league with 1,151
yards, as well as 2018 first-round
pick Rashaad Penny (419 yards) to
move the ball downfield. And if the
offense stalls, Seattle has a weapon
to help its mediocre defense: Michael
Dickson, a first-team All-Pro punter,
was second in the NFL in yards
per kick (48.2).LB
Chandler
Jones