The NFL offseason is a time for change. Free agency, trades, and the NFL Draft allow teams to supplement their rosters with new talent and fortify specific positions of weakness.
Some clubs’ roster shortcomings were so glaring that offseason additions seemed inevitable. Which NFL position groups should be the most improved in 2024? Let’s go unit by unit.
NFL’s Most Improved Position Groups of 2024
Quarterback | Atlanta Falcons
After firing head coach Arthur Smith and trading quarterback Desmond Ridder, the Atlanta Falcons started over at signal-caller, using the offseason to ensure their QB room was secure.
A four-year, $180 million deal lured Kirk Cousins to the NFC South before the Falcons shocked the NFL world by using the No. 8 pick in the draft on Washington passer Michael Penix Jr.
While Atlanta’s strategy may have been overkill and an unwise use of resources given how close the club is to competing, GM Terry Fontenot has undoubtedly improved the Falcons’ QB situation.
Cousins represents an immediate upgrade for Atlanta, but he isn’t the only new offensive face in the room. First-year OC Zac Robinson will implement the Sean McVay offense while working with a talented core that includes former first-rounders RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts.
Honorable mention: Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers
Running Back | Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings attempted to reset their rushing attack last offseason, parting ways with veteran RB Dalvin Cook while re-signing Alexander Mattison to a palatable two-year contract. But Mattison proved largely incapable of handling a full-time role, ceded touches to Ty Chandler near the end of the 2023 campaign, and was eventually released in March.
Eight days later, the Vikings agreed to terms with ex-Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones, adding a veteran weapon with seven years of experience in the NFC North. Jones turns 30 in December and has dealt with myriad injuries, but should offer a dose of explosion to a Minnesota running game that stagnated last year.
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The Vikings ranked 25th in rushing EPA per play in 2023. Mattison finished 31st in yards after contact per attempt and finished with -0.12 rushing yards over expectation per attempt. Essentially, a league-average running back should have been able to produce better results than Mattison given the same game situation, defensive box count, blocking scheme, etc.
Jones should be better than a league-average RB. Last year, he tied for sixth in yards in yards after contact per carry and finished with positive yards over expectation.
Honorable mention: Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles
Wide Receiver | Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams is a lucky man. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft will be walking into the best situation for a top-drafted QB in modern NFL history — and his WR depth chart is incredibly enticing.
The Chicago Bears already rostered DJ Moore, whom GM Ryan Poles acquired as part of the Carolina Panthers’ package for the No. 1 pick in 2023. Moore arguably should have been in the All-Pro conversation after setting career highs across the board last season. But the Bears didn’t stop there.
In March, Chicago shipped a fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers to land veteran Keenan Allen, who put up 108 catches for 1,243 yards despite missing four games last season. Then, the Bears watched as Washington wideout Rome Odunze fortuitously fell to the ninth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Eighteen months after disastrously trading a second-round pick for WR Chase Claypool (who quickly fell out of favor in Chicago after effort questions arose), the Bears appear to have gotten it right at wide receiver.
Honorable mention: Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans
Tight End | Cincinnati Bengals
Few NFL teams made noticeable upgrades at tight end over the 2024 offseason. Veterans like Dalton Schultz, Hunter Henry, and Noah Fant re-signed with their respective clubs. The Las Vegas Raiders added first-round prospect Brock Bowers, but they already had Michael Mayer on their roster, so it’s hard to label Bowers an actual “upgrade.”
The Cincinnati Bengals hope Mike Gesicki becomes the latest TE to take advantage of the Joe Burrow Career Rehabilitation Plan. C.J. Uzomah and Hunter Henry both landed significant free agent contracts after excellent seasons with Burrow, but Irv Smith Jr. couldn’t capitalize on his time in Cincinnati last season.
Over the past four years, only seven tight ends posted multiple 700-yard campaigns. Gesicki was one of them, but his two best years came in 2020 and 2021. Although he failed to reach 600 yards in 2022 and 2023 combined, Gesicki can be a weapon in the right offense.
Blocking isn’t Gesicki’s strength, but the Bengals already have TE Drew Sample around to play in-line. While Burrow boasts red-zone weapons like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Gesicki’s 6’6″, 245-pound frame should prove useful near the goal line and in a “big slot” role.
Honorable mention: Carolina Panthers
Offensive Line | New York Jets
Aaron Rodgers will return from his 2023 Achilles injury to find a much improved New York Jets offensive line in front of him.
Rodgers infamously went down on the fourth play of last season, and none of his replacements received much help from Gang Green’s front five. Jets quarterbacks were pressured on 27% of their dropbacks in 2023, the second-highest rate in the NFL, and absorbed 64 sacks, tied for fourth-most in the league.
GM Joe Douglas wasted no time in adding more big bodies this offseason. Tyron Smith, a potential future Hall of Famer, is in town to play left tackle. The Jets added two former Baltimore Ravens, trading for OT Morgan Moses while signing guard John Simpson to a two-year deal.
But New York didn’t stop there. The Jets used their first-round pick on Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu, adding a contingency plan for the aging Smith and Moses. New York now has high-end starting talent plus enviable depth up front and finished seventh in PFN’s offensive line rankings.
Honorable mention: Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans
EDGE | New York Giants
The New York Giants ranked 18th in pressure percentage in 2023 but had to blitz at the NFL’s second-highest rate (45.4%) to get there. New Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen — whose Tennessee Titans blitzed at just a 22% rate last season — needed another pass rusher to play alongside Kayvon Thibodeaux on New York’s front.
Bowen got his man when the Giants acquired Brian Burns from the Panthers in a March trade. New York sent a package that included a 2024 second-round pick to Carolina in exchange for Burns before giving him a five-year extension worth $28.2 million annually.
Burns was incredibly consistent for the Panthers, posting at least eight sacks and 18 QB hits in four straight years. And perhaps most importantly, he’s still only 26 years old.
Young, talented, franchise-caliber pass rushers like Burns don’t often become available.
Honorable mention: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins
Defensive Tackle | Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders already had one of the NFL’s best edge rushers in Maxx Crosby, but they needed more force from the interior.
Enter Christian Wilkins, whom Las Vegas made the league’s second-highest-paid DT with a four-year contract worth $27.5 million per year. Wilkins might represent an overpay, but the Raiders had to find something close to a dominant presence at defensive tackle.
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The former first-round pick posted career highs with nine sacks and 23 QB hits while continuing to play excellent run defense for the Miami Dolphins in 2023. Wilkins recorded 18 double-team pressures last season; the entire Raiders DT room managed only 15.
Meanwhile, 2023 first-rounder Tyree Wilson should spend more time on the interior, where he thrived near the end of last season. Fifteen of Wilson’s 24 pressures came after Las Vegas moved him to DT in Week 14. He might not be twitchy enough to dominate as an edge rusher, but Wilson’s size and power will work on the inside.
Honorable mention: Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks
Linebacker | Washington Commanders
Few teams needed as much help at linebacker as the Washington Commanders this offseason. Former first-round pick Jamin Davis hasn’t developed into a quality starter (forcing the Commanders to decline his 2025 fifth-year option), while Cody Barton struggled on 800+ snaps and left in free agency.
Washington’s defense was a disaster at every level, and the club’s LBs weren’t spared. The Commanders were a bottom-four pass defense by DVOA in the short and middle areas of the field. They ranked 26th in DVOA allowed to opposing TEs and finished 27th in second-level yards, suggesting Washington’s ‘backers couldn’t stop the run, either.
The Commanders signed former Panther Frankie Luvu to a three-year deal, hoping his versatile skill set as a blitzer and coverage defender can buoy their linebacker room. Bobby Wagner, a longtime disciple of new Washington head coach Dan Quinn, is also in town and should help against the run even if his movement abilities have somewhat eroded.
Honorable mention: Pittsburgh Steelers
Cornerback | Tennessee Titans
While the Titans made notable improvements on offense by adding WR Calvin Ridley, RB Tony Pollard, OT JC Latham, C Lloyd Cushenberry, and others, let’s not forget about their enhancements on the defensive side of the ball.
Change was needed at cornerback, where the Titans simply couldn’t hold up in coverage. They ranked 22nd in yards per attempt but fared worse in underlying metrics, finishing just 30th in pass defense EPA.
As such, Tennessee wasted no time in finding new CBs. Chidobe Awuzie joined the club on a three-year deal after three seasons with the Bengals and is hoping to stay healthy after tearing his ACL in 2022 and posting an up-and-down 2023 campaign. At his best, Awuzie has offered CB1 play.
A few weeks later, the Titans made an even bigger splash, trading a 2025 third-round pick for Kansas City Chiefs corner L’Jarius Sneed. Arguably an All-Pro snub in 2024, Sneed ranked sixth in passer rating allowed and didn’t give up a touchdown until the postseason.
Honorable mention: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles
Safety | Green Bay Packers
Poised to lose three safeties who played 600+ snaps each in 2023, the Green Bay Packers had to address their defensive backfield this offseason — and they didn’t disappoint.
Green Bay struck early in free agency, signing former Giants defensive back Xavier McKinney to a four-year deal worth $67 million. The Alabama product played the best football of his career, spending time deep, in the box, and manning the slot while playing over 1,000 defensive snaps. McKinney allowed the fifth-lowest passer rating (52.1) among safeties with at least 200 coverage snaps.
Then, the Packers took a volume approach in this year’s draft, adding Georgia’s Javon Bullard in Round 2 before double-dipping with Oregon’s Evan Williams and Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo in Round 4. Bullard should be the favorite to start alongside McKinney, but Green Bay has given itself options.
Honorable mention: Cincinnati Bengals