NFL Top 5 Five Players (and Teams) to Keep an Eye on This Season

The NFL regular season starts on September 8, after the pre-season finishes. Teams and players were making some big moves around the league, which could mean that the 2022 season is something to look forward to. What were some of those off-season moves that are going to make this league worth watching? Many Pro-Bowl selections, season award winners, and even Super Bowl champions. So let’s look at five who are moving around during the NFL off-season. Moves that could be an eye-catcher for die-hard fans of their teams.

5: Khalil Mack

In one of the earlier trades in the NFL offseason, The Chicago Bears sent the former defensive player of the year to the Los Angeles Chargers for a Round 2 and a Round 6 pick in the draft. Though he’s 31 and coming off a recent foot injury, Mack being an addition to the Charger put another strawberry on the cake for the team. Before his injury, he had six sacks within the seven games last season. Since 2015 he’s been selected for the Pro-Bowl the last six times in the seven seasons and First-Team All-Pro three times. He’ll be joined by another defensive end Pro-Bowl selection, Joey Bosa, as his “partner in crime” pass rusher.

4: Davante Adams

After being traded to the Raiders, it’s going to be something to get used to seeing another QB throwing the ball to him instead of Aaron Rodgers, since he and the superstar quarterback have been together for the past 4 years. Though Packers fans worry about who Rodgers is going to throw it to for the new season, the Raiders fans will be sitting comfortably. At 29 years old, Adams has around 100 receptions, 1000 plus yards, and 11 touchdowns within the last three of the last four seasons. With his route-running, steady hands, and big-game presence, he’ll fit right well the assets Las Vegas already has. He’ll join tight end Darren Waller and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow on the field with Derek throwing the ball, who he’s played with in college at Fresno State, and also trained with during the off-season.

3: Baker Mayfield

Mayfield may not be the first quarterback they wanted in mind, but after Sam Darnold did not do much that season and Cam Newton’s homecoming party ended in shambles, something is honestly better than nothing. Will the panthers be contenders for the Super Bowl? Not likely. But that’s not to say Baker is a terrible QB, in his four seasons he has a 61.1% career average in passes completed and a QB rating of 87.8. His biggest accomplishment so far is ending Cleveland Brown’s playoff drought in his third season with the team. With an improved offensive line at Carolina and Christian Mccaffery to run the ball to, Baker may be seen in the playoffs once again.

2: Tyreek Hill

With one of the NFL’s most exciting and efficient wide receivers in Hill, all eyes will be on him and definitely Tua Tagovailoa. With Hill known for his inhuman speed and being a threat downfield, and Tua having a 92.2 QB rating and a 69.7% completion rate, this gives the Dolphin QB ample opportunity to raise himself among the ranks of the star QBs we have currently.

Not only that, it opens up the field for players like Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson, and Mike Gesicki who in their own right are someone who can get extra yards. With all of these factors in mind, it is safe to say Miami would for sure be seen making a playoff run.

1: Deshawn Watson

Watson, in his own right, has been dealing with his own controversial topics this off-season. As he still deals with a suspension due to the sexual allegation investigation brought on by the NFL, he won’t be the QB for games with contenders like the Bengals, Ravens, and Bills.

This puts the Browns in a bit of a situation for this season, having the backup now have to start for those games, it’s going to be pretty hard for the teams to make the playoffs this year. But let’s not forget that Watson is still an elite quarterback, and the Browns knew that. The organization gave up three first-round picks and a five-year deal of $230 million for the trade to happen. With that being said, once Watson gets back the Browns are for sure SuperBowl favorites, from even acquiring Watson to having one of the deepest-build teams in the league.

Written By Daylontie Jasper
Edited by Sheena Roberton

Sources:

NFL: Ten most impactful Trades of the 2022 Season; by Jeffri Chadiha

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Jonathan Moreau’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

Inset Image Courtesy of All-Pro Reels’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License