When analyzing NFL rosters, it's important to remember that it's all relative. It's easy to say a team is in "good shape" or "loaded" at a particular position, but the fact is each unit is only as good as its relative strength compared with the league's other 31 teams.
That might seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised what you can learn and how your opinions can be adjusted by ranking each positional unit from all 32 teams. This is a project I've done (and kept updated) each of the past several offseasons, which has led to many interesting revelations, including the breakouts of teams such as the 2017 Jaguars, 2020 Buccaneers, 2022 Eagles and 2023 Dolphins.
Here are position-by-position unit rankings for all 32 teams in 2024, covering 10 key offensive and defensive groups. At the end, there is an overall ranking, which is a weighted consensus based on positional importance. (For example, being elite at quarterback is obviously more important in today's game than being elite at running back.) I also included brief outlooks on the best and shakiest units for each position, as well as intriguing groups worth keeping a close eye on. Note that these are 2024 rankings rather than long-term outlooks.
Let's take a look, starting at quarterback.
Jump to a position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL
DL | EDGE | LB | CB | S
OVERALL
Quarterback
Best: Kansas City Chiefs
Two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes has already won the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl MVP three times each. He achieved both of those last season -- despite the Chiefs not being a top-10 offense leaguewide -- further cementing himself as the NFL's best player. With Mahomes only 28, his dominant reign is far from over. (Carson Wentz is Mahomes' new backup.)
Shakiest: Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota would not have been here a week ago, but J.J. McCarthy's season-ending knee injury puts the franchise in a tough spot in 2024. With the rookie sidelined, Sam Darnold is locked in as the early-season starter, and Nick Mullens is the backup plan. Perhaps Kevin O'Connell can turn Darnold's career around, but it's a long shot considering the 27-year-old's résumé, which includes 64 touchdown passes and 56 interceptions over 66 games.
Unit to watch: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers completely overhauled one of the league's worst QB rooms this offseason. Gone are Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph, and in come Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Wilson, who quietly ranked ninth in the league with 26 pass TDs last season, is the favorite to start early on. But Fields, who rushed for a QB-high 1,800 rushing yards over the past two seasons, should see some action this fall.
Running back
Best: San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have the league's best all-around RB in Christian McCaffrey, who has finished his past four healthy seasons no lower than fourth among backs in snaps, touches and yards (and he was first in touches, yards and touchdowns in 2023). Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason and intriguing rookie Isaac Guerendo provide solid depth, and Kyle Juszczyk is arguably the league's best fullback.
Shakiest: Dallas Cowboys
This wasn't a tough choice considering that Dallas clearly decided to deprioritize the position this season. Tony Pollard left for the Titans after two 1,000-yard seasons, paving the way for Ezekiel Elliott's return to the Cowboys. Elliott is a franchise legend, but at 29 he's no more than an innings-eater. He posted his fourth straight season with underwhelming YPC, YAC and YPT marks in New England in 2023. Additionally, Dallas is choosing to run "by committee" this season, but there's not much to get excited about with its other options (Rico Dowdle, 179-pound Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman).
Unit to watch: Cincinnati Bengals
The Joe Mixon era is over, and the Bengals' succession plan was to sign Zack Moss as his "replacement." Moss -- a 2020 third-round pick -- has certainly flashed as a runner with the Bills and Colts, but he has never handled a full workload for an entire season (career-high 183 carries in 2023) and has yet to handle a big load in the passing attack (career-average 9.9 receiving yards per game). Second-year Chase Brown also flashed last season, although the sample was very small (58 touches). He could be the lead back and will at least be busy in passing situations.
Wide receiver
Best: Houston Texans
Houston was already in good shape at wide receiver with the returning duo of Nico Collins and Tank Dell, so adding star Stefon Diggs to the mix cements this as the best WR room in the NFL. Collins posted an 80-1,297-8 receiving line during a breakout 2023. Dell, before suffering a season-ending leg injury in Week 13, had a four-game stretch in which he led the league in TD receptions (five) and was third in receiving yards (369). Diggs is now 30, but he finished in the top seven among WRs in targets, receptions and TDs in Buffalo last season. Noah Brown and John Metchie III lead a loaded bench.
Shakiest: New England Patriots
The bad news is the Patriots have one of the most unproven WR rooms and are officially out of the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes. The good news is they finally have some potential at the position. DeMario Douglas starred as a fifth-round rookie last season, and New England spent a pair of 2024 draft picks on Ja'Lynn Polk (second round) and Javon Baker (fourth). Kendrick Bourne (recovering from a torn ACL) and K.J. Osborn are among the veterans competing for a role.
Unit to watch: Buffalo Bills
The Bills upended their WR room during the offseason by saying goodbye to Diggs and Gabe Davis. Potential reinforcements were brought in, but the group has plenty to prove. That list starts with second-round pick Keon Coleman, who might need time to develop considering his age (turned 21 in May) after leading the ACC in receiving touchdowns last season at Florida State (11). Veteran Curtis Samuel has settled in as a short-range No. 3 receiver in recent years, whereas third-year Khalil Shakir is an interesting wild-card/breakout candidate after leading the Bills in receiving yards in the final half of 2023. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins and Chase Claypool are among those also battling for work.
Tight end
Best: Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce remains the league's best tight end, having finished no lower than third at the position in receptions and yardage in each of the past eight seasons. He's now 34 years old but remained a force last season, posting a 125-1,339-8 receiving line in 19 total games, including a league-high 32 receptions in the playoffs. Irv Smith Jr. and rookie Jared Wiley were brought in to join Noah Gray on the depth chart.
Shakiest: Carolina Panthers
Hayden Hurst and Stephen Sullivan departed during the offseason, leaving Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas as the top returning tight ends for Carolina. Neither veteran played more than 52% of the snaps last season, and the entire Carolina TE room combined to average a league-worst 5.6 yards per target. Fourth-round rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders led all NCAA tight ends in receiving yards per route at Texas last season (2.3), but the 21-year-old will likely require some development.
Unit to watch: Las Vegas Raiders
One year after spending a second-round pick on Michael Mayer, the Raiders shook up April's draft by selecting Brock Bowers with the 13th pick. Now equipped with arguably the top tight end from each of the past two drafts, the Raiders could rank among the league leaders in 12 personnel, even after having the ninth-fewest plays in that set in 2023. Add Harrison Bryant to the mix and this should be one of the league's most productive TE rooms.
Offensive line
Best: Detroit Lions
Detroit, once again, has an elite line. Four of five starters return from 2023, including star tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, center Frank Ragnow, and versatile guard Graham Glasgow. The only offseason departure was Jonah Jackson, and the Lions actually upgraded at that guard spot by signing former Ravens guard Kevin Zeitler. All five projected starters played 1,000-plus snaps and had good-to-great Pro Football Focus grades in 2023.
Shakiest: Seattle Seahawks
Seattle continues to throw darts at its line, but it has yet to pay off. Three of the team's five projected starters (LG Laken Tomlinson, RG Anthony Bradford and RT Abraham Lucas) posted poor Pro Football Focus grades in 2023, new center Connor Williams is recovering from a torn ACL and LT Charles Cross hasn't lived up to his first-round pedigree. The Seahawks spent three draft picks on the line during April's draft, but only one was before the sixth round (third-rounder Christian Haynes). It's hard to imagine this group improving substantially on last season's below-average finishes in pass block win rate and run block win rate.
Unit to watch: New York Jets
The Jets overhauled their line during the offseason and now have one of the league's best groups on paper. RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (recovered from a torn Achilles) is the lone returning starter, and he'll be joined on the interior by veteran John Simpson (LG) and 2023 second-round pick Joe Tippmann (C). The biggest upgrades were made at tackle, with future Hall of Fame LT Tyron Smith and underrated RT Morgan Moses brought in to start. Smith hasn't played a full season since 2015, but 11th pick Olu Fashanu adds short-term depth and long-term promise to the left tackle position.
Interior defensive line
Best: Indianapolis Colts
This unit is anchored by one of the league's best defenders, DeForest Buckner. The 30-year-old has played 700-plus snaps in all eight NFL seasons and has delivered at least seven sacks in six consecutive campaigns. He'll be joined in the trenches by underrated run stuffer Grover Stewart and newcomer Raekwon Davis. Taven Bryan, Eric Johnson II, Tyquan Lewis and Dayo Odeyingbo add depth.
Shakiest: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have five interior defenders on the roster who played in the league last season, but none played more than 38% of his team's snaps or had more than 21 tackles. Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia and Scott Matlock are the top incumbents, with journeyman Poona Ford and fourth-round rookie Justin Eboigbe notable newcomers to the rotation.
Unit to watch: Seattle Seahawks
There is a strong case for Seattle to be listed under "best" for this category. Leonard Williams is a certified star, and Jarran Reed and Dre'Mont Jones form a quality complementary duo. As if that weren't enough, Seattle spent its first-round pick in April's draft on Byron Murphy II. The Seahawks also have Johnathan Hankins and recent Day 3 picks Mike Morris and Cameron Young as depth.
Edge rusher
Best: Pittsburgh Steelers
T.J. Watt has been a first-team All-Pro in each of his past four healthy seasons and has a league-high 96.5 sacks since entering the league in 2017 (no one else has more than 88.5). Alex Highsmith has played a massive 85% of the defensive snaps over the past two seasons and sits 12th in the league in sacks (21.5) during the span. Depth is a slight concern, although second-year Nick Herbig impressed on 201 snaps as a rookie.
Shakiest: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This position is in flux after Shaquil Barrett (45.0 sacks in five seasons) departed and replacement Randy Gregory ghosted the team during the offseason. Tampa Bay will now turn to a combination of Yaya Diaby, second-round rookie Chris Braswell, underperforming 2021 first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson as its core at the position. None of those veterans played more than half of his team's snaps in 2023. This is a rough situation for a team that finished 17th in pass rush win rate last season (40.4%).
Unit to watch: New Orleans Saints
It doesn't get much deeper than what New Orleans is bringing to the table. Cameron Jordan (NFL-high 116.5 sacks since 2012) is still playing solid ball as he enters his age-35 season and won't need to play a full-time role with Carl Granderson (career-high 8.5 sacks in 2023) and newcomer Chase Young (19.3% pass rush win rate last season) in the mix. Even after losing Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles), the team has additional depth in Isaiah Foskey (2023 second-rounder) and Payton Turner (2021 first-rounder).
Off-ball linebacker
Best: Washington Commanders
Washington revamped its linebacker situation by adding every-down players Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu during free agency. Wagner has shown no sign of drop-off at 34, pacing the NFL with 183 tackles last season. Luvu is one of only two players with 200-plus tackles and 12-plus sacks in each of the past two seasons. 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis, Mykal Walker and rookie Jordan Magee add depth.
Shakiest: Tennessee Titans
Azeez Al-Shaair (who led the team in defensive snaps last season) departed for Houston this offseason, so Tennessee signed Kenneth Murray Jr. -- a 2020 first-round pick who didn't work out for the Chargers -- as a replacement. Murray is a downgrade, and the depth behind him doesn't move the needle much. Former UDFA Jack Gibbens was a serviceable running mate for Al-Shaair last season, and the team will need some production from fourth-round rookie Cedric Gray.
Unit to watch: Philadelphia Eagles
With issues at linebacker over the past several years, the Eagles' offseason investments included Devin White, journeymen Oren Burks and Zack Baun, and fifth-round pick Jeremiah Trotter Jr. White took the 18th-most snaps of any defender in the past five seasons but struggled badly against the run with Tampa Bay. Philadelphia will hope to get the most out of him, as well as a boost from 2022 third-rounder Nakobe Dean.
Cornerback
Best: New York Jets
New York has the league's top cornerback trio. Sauce Gardner is already arguably the league's best corner, having been a first-team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons. D.J. Reed (fourth among CBs in tackles since 2021) is one of the NFL's most underrated defensive backs, and 2021 fifth-round flier Michael Carter has developed into one of the league's top slot corners.
Shakiest: New York Giants
With Adoree' Jackson gone, the Giants have a young cornerbacks room with a ton to prove. Deonte Banks (2023 first-round pick) will need to make a leap forward after an uneven rookie campaign. Cor'Dale Flott (2022 third-rounder) is the favorite to start opposite Banks, and converted linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons could be the team's top slot option. Tre Herndon, Nick McCloud, Tre Hawkins III, Darnay Holmes and third-round rookie Dru Phillips are among those competing for work.
Unit to watch: Detroit Lions
Detroit's defensive struggles might be a thing of the past after an offseason of solid additions. The Lions acquired a pair of projected starting cornerbacks in Carlton Davis III and first-round rookie Terrion Arnold. Detroit also spent its second-round pick on Ennis Rakestraw Jr., who will compete against veterans Amik Robertson and Kindle Vildor for work. Brian Branch was excellent as a rookie at nickel, tying for seventh leaguewide in pass breakups (10). He'll most likely stay in the same position this season.
Safety
Best: Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore gets the nod after Kyle Hamilton emerged as a superstar in 2023. The 2022 first-round pick was the only player in the league to reach 80 tackles, 4 INTs and 3 sacks (and one of only seven to do it over the past decade). He's joined in the secondary by Marcus Williams, who sits 10th among safeties in interceptions (20) since entering the league in 2017. Eddie Jackson joins the team as the third safety after seven years as a starter in Chicago.
Shakiest: New York Giants
The Giants' secondary concerns don't end at cornerback. With the departure of Xavier McKinney, New York now has zero players on the roster who recorded more than two interceptions in 2023. Jason Pinnock (who was solid as a full-timer in 2023) and second-round rookie Tyler Nubin are the team's top options at safety. Dane Belton and newcomers Jalen Mills and Elijah Riley are among those battling for time (and perhaps a starting gig if Nubin struggles).
Unit to watch: Miami Dolphins
Jevon Holland is one of the game's best safeties, and he'll have a few new running mates in 2024. Gone are DeShon Elliott and Brandon Jones. In are Jordan Poyer (the only NFL player with at least 650 tackles, 20 INTs and 10 sacks over the past seven years) and Marcus Maye (full-time starter for the Jets and Saints when healthy since being drafted in 2017). If 33-year-old Poyer and Maye hold up, this could be an elite unit.
Overall
Best: San Francisco 49ers
The defending NFC champions remain absolutely stacked. We're still learning about Brock Purdy's ceiling (Kyle Shanahan's system is known to inflate stats), but the plan is certainly working, as Purdy led the NFL in QBR and EPA in 2023). Purdy will once again benefit from the league's best group of skill players (McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel Sr. and George Kittle) and has Trent Williams protecting his blind side. The defense is just as good, with Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Javon Hargrave and Charvarius Ward leading a unit that returns nine of its top 11 players in terms of snaps from 2023.
Shakiest: New York Giants
Let's start with the positives. During the offseason, the Giants traded for Brian Burns, who, along with Kayvon Thibodeaux, gives them a formidable 1-2 edge rusher duo. The defense also has Dexter Lawrence II and Bobby Okereke, and the offense boasts offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and rookie receiver Malik Nabers.
Unfortunately, it's hard to find much else to get excited about this season. Quarterback Daniel Jones has struggled with injuries and effectiveness; running back Saquon Barkley is now in Philadelphia; tight end Darren Waller retired; and recent offensive line investments have yet to work out. I already discussed what might be the league's shakiest secondary, and there are also depth concerns in the front seven. If Jones doesn't make a big leap, there's a good chance the Giants will choose his replacement in April's draft.
Team to watch: New York Jets
I've already written at length about why the Jets are legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but the core of my optimistic outlook is this: The roster is absolutely stacked. Aaron Rodgers is healthy and has a much-improved supporting cast thanks to the aforementioned offensive line upgrades. Mike Williams and Malachi Corley also joined a skill position group that already features Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. New York returns eight of its top nine snap-getters to an elite defense led by Quinnen Williams, C.J. Mosley and Gardner. Even if Rodgers plays average ball, this roster is built for a title run.