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- Kamil Kszaczynski / Associated Press
As the NFL 2022 draft approaches April 28, the teams will make last-minute additions to the flexibility list. Most clubs fill screaming holes before the three-day selection process to keep the general manager’s options open while on the clock.
Despite the team’s efforts to expand the constraint space and meet multiple needs, we can still identify the shallow areas of the depth charts.
Across the league difficulties veterans, inexperienced backups and players with one-year deals are currently being projected as starters without much competition for the lead. Teams can strengthen these positions with the best choices.
We highlighted the three biggest needs for all 32 teams and listed a potential candidate for an early round that could affect one of these positions.
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- Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Rondale Moore Emily Chin / Getty Images
- Edge-rusher
- Wide receiver
- Protected linear
The Arizona Cardinals need to increase their front seven. They lost the champion Chandler Jones along with the defensive end Jordan Phillips in a free position, and the defensive match of Corey Peters remains available on the free market. JJ Watt is not reliable for the whole season. He has missed 18 games since 2019.
Last season, the Cardinals struggled to stop running, denying 4.6 yards of haste attempt, which ranked 26th in the league. With this shortcoming, they have to replace the internal defenders lost in the last few weeks.
Devon Kennard and Dennis Gardek could line up, but the front office needs to look for an upgrade to fill the gap for an All-Pro player at Jones.
In addition to urgent needs on the defensive front, Arizona must take another wide to compensate for the departure of Christian Kirk. The club re-signed with AJ Green, but he is embarking on his campaign at the age of 34. Quarterback Killer Murray would rate another young offensive playmaker against DeAndre Hopkins while Rondale Moore holds the slot position.
Potential early fit: Houston DL Logan Hall
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- Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Cordarrelle PattersonIcon Sportswire / Getty Images
- Quarterback
- Wide receiver
- Edge-rusher
The Atlanta Falcons are moving into the post-Matt era after being traded to the Indianapolis Colts and signed with Marcus Mariota, who has conceded 30 regular-season passes since 2020.
The Falcons can use their choice in the first quarter of the quarterback to learn the ropes while Mariotta plays the bridge gap. However, the veteran who calls the signal needs more weapons than the secret end of Kyle Pitts.
The league has eliminated Calvin Ridley at least for the 2022 season for betting on NFL games, and Russell Gage has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving Cordarel Patterson in the lead among the club’s teams. As he took part in the ground attack last season (153 carriers for 618 yards on the run and six touchdowns), Atlanta will need more than a career backup from Auden Tate and Olamid Zakcho to strengthen their position.
Even before the Falcons released Dante Fowler Jr., who scored just 4.5 sacks and 17 rebounds last season, they had to focus on the draft champions. Atlanta finished with the fewest bags (18) and the lowest pressure level (16.7 percent) in 2021.
Potential early preparation: Liberty QB Malik Willis
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- Baltimore Ravens Cornerback Marcus PetersScott Tech / Getty Images
- Cornerback
- Edge-rusher
- Center
In recent years, the Baltimore Ravens have had a great depth in the cornerback, but this is not the case now and they gave up the most yards last season.
Baltimore lost Anthony Averett, Tavon Young and even Chris Westry to a free agency. The team has not re-signed Jimmy Smith, and Marcus Peters will try to return from a torn ACL. Although Marlon Humphrey can play on the edge and in the slot, the Ravens must add a cover man to complete the top three places in the depth ranking.
Baltimore may also strengthen its air defenses with an edge after Tyus Bowser tore his Achilles tendon in January. Although head coach John Harbo predicts the outside midfielder is returning for training camp, the front office needs to add another player to the rotation. Since Ravens didn’t re-sign Justin Houston or Purnell McPhee, they don’t have much depth behind Bowser and Odafe Owe.
In attack, Patrick McCarthy can replace Bradley Bozeman in the center, but he may fall into a reserve role with the ability to play in several positions. Last year, the all-rounder took most of his shots on the right.
Potential early fit: Iowa IOL Tyler Linderbaum
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- Buffalo Bills Cornerback Tre’Davis White John Amis / Associated Press
The Buffalo Bills improved the right guard, released Daryl Williams and signed with Roger Suffold, who is leaving the Pro Bowl season. At the beginning of the upcoming draft, the club should focus on an internal offensive player to push Ike Boetger to the left.
In 2021, Boettger shared photos of the left guard with John Feliciano, who signed a deal with the New York Giants in a free position, and Ryan Bates, a backup with experience in all five positions beyond the offensive line. A good prospect for Day 2 can win a straight battle for the lead role.
Buffalo has bigger problems in the secondary.
Cornerback Levi Wallace left for the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving a gap in the starting lineup against Tre’Davias White, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
On top of that, Jordan Poyer’s new agent Drew Rosenhouse turned to the extension team in the hope that safety could play his career at Buffalo (h / t Tim Graham of The Athletic).
With only $ 2.2 million in restricted space, bills could draft a security bill if they are unsure of the direction of enlargement talks with Rosenhaus.
Potential early fit: Washington CB Trent McDuffy
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- Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam DarnoldIcon Sportswire / Getty Images
- Quarterback
- Offensive strike
- Internal offensive linear
The Carolina Panthers lost their leader in a 2021 dismissal to free agent Haason Reddick, but Jetur Gross-Matos, a second-round player in 2020 with six career layoffs, could fill that gap in an expanded role.
Carolina needs to use her resources for a project to improve on an attack that scored the fourth lowest point and scored the third lowest yard in 2021.
The Panthers are struggling with a quarterback with Sam Darnold, who is coming out of an unequal campaign, throwing in nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions with 59.9 percent completion. It can only start one year in Carolina. According to Albert Brewer of The MMQB, the team has planned visits with the best callers in class 2022.
If the Panthers choose a quarterback in the first round, they need to add competition for the offensive line group with their Day 3 pick. Or maybe Carolina acquires Day 2 selections in return from overall number 6.
Last year, Brady Christensen played in several positions in the offensive line. It is not yet fully tuned in the left grip. Bradley Bozeman and Pat Elfline have experience in the center and in the guard, but the latter fights mostly in both positions.
Potential early preparation: Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett
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- Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell MooneyIcon Sportswire / Getty Images
- Wide receiver
- Offensive strike
- Cornerback
The new Chicago Bears regime has not done enough to support quarterback Justin Fields. In addition to opening when gripping, it needs a wide receiver that can complement Darnell Mooney.
In 12 games (10 starts), Fields took the 10th highest number of savers (36) in the entire league last season. Even if he gets rid of the ball a little faster, emergency passes may be able to kill him due to the inexperience of the bears in the grip. Larry Borom, who is a fifth-round player in 2021, started with the first unit in eight games last year. He is projected to be the current starter against Thevon Jenkins, who has played 161 photos in his career.
Fields and successor Alan Robinson did not make much of a connection last season, so moving the latter to the Los Angeles Rams is not a big loss, but the front office must find a playmaker on the perimeter to step up its 30th airstrike from the 2021 campaign. .
Last off-season, the Bears released Kyle Fuller, putting Kindle Wildor in the lead. However, it did not perform at the level of initial caliber, allowing 69.5 percent completion rate, six touchdowns and a rating of 136.1 passers in the coverage. The new cover of Tavon Young will probably play in the slot, leaving the question mark at the border.
Potential early preparation: Georgia WR George Pickens
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- Cincinnati Bengals Cornerback Eli Apple Emily Chin / Associated Press
- Cornerback
- Narrow end
- Safety
The Cincinnati Bengals have met their biggest needs for a free agency, so they need to target potential clients who may challenge some of the veterans to take a shallow spot in the depth chart.
The Bengals re-signed corner quarterback Eli Apple, who had a decent season, allowing 60.3 percent completion and an 86.6 coverage rating. He has a one-year contract and the team released the often injured man from the cover of Trey Waynes. Cincinnati can draw a corner back capable of taking the title at some point in the upcoming campaign.
Cincinnati also signed a one-year contract with Hayden Hearst after CJ Uzoma signed a deal with the New York Jets to a free agency. Hearst can produce in a featured position and did so with the Atlanta Falcons in the 2020 campaign, setting career records of 56 assists at 571 yards and six touchdowns. However, he is already in his third team, heading to his fifth season.
In addition, Drew Sample, a second-round player from 2019, has caught just 56 passes for 460 yards and a touchdown in his career. In the draft, Cincinnati can find a playmaker who catches a pass that will take the position long after the 2022 season.
The Bengals have not yet signed a long-term security contract with Jesse Bates III, and Von Bell has only one year left from his deal. The team needs depth behind it.
Potential early fit: Florida CB Kaiir Elam
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- Free agent …
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