This NFL offseason has been the most explosive and mind-boggling period in recent football history, with some even calling it the best offseason of all time. Stars changed teams at a rapid pace and teams transformed from wild-card hopefuls to on-paper playoff locks. 

Naturally with such crazy moves occurring, fans and pundits alike begin to think about their predictions for the upcoming season whether it be for a player or team. I am no different, and with that, I present my bold predictions for the 2022-23 NFL season.

1. David Njoku Will Finish as a Top 5 TE

Browns TE David Njoku is a physical specimen. Ever since entering the league in 2017, he has always touted the ability to become a great TE. However, his career up to this point has been up and down with flashes of greatness in between.

After playing behind Austin Hooper last year with an injured Baker Mayfield throwing to him, Njoku was ready to leave for a chance to show his worth.

Now with the full support of the front office and a new QB in Deshaun Watson, Njoku is primed to take that step forward and solidify himself as a top TE.

2. The Minnesota Vikings Win the NFC North

Last year the Vikings were a disappointment. For what seemed like a playoff-primed team with a top WR and RB to finish 8-9 was somewhat of an anomaly. However, the Purple People Eaters will bounce back this season with a vengeance — with a new head coach who believes in Kirk Cousins and will completely revamp the offense to better utilize all of their weapons.

In a weakened division with the departure of Devante Adams, the Vikings will look to capitalize and win the division for the first time since 2017.

3. Jalen Hurts Ends the Season as the Best Fantasy QB

Jalen Hurts took a massive leap last year. He tripled his passing yards and more than doubled his rushing yards while leading the Eagles to a wildcard playoff spot. In fantasy, he also proved his value by averaging 20 points per game with a mediocre team at best.

This year, Hurts will finally have consistency with his offensive coordinator but will also have a massive boost at WR in the form of AJ Brown. When you pair him up with second-year WR DeVonta Smith, the options for Hurts to earn fantasy points have greatly increased.

4. Jonathan Taylor Has a Middle-of-the-Pack Season

Jonathan Taylor had one of the best seasons for an RB in recent history and, in my opinion, should’ve capped it off with an MVP award. This year, Taylor is getting all of the hype — and rightfully so — but there is one factor that significantly changes his potential production: a new QB.

Last year, the Colts relied so much on Taylor because they had no faith in Carson Wentz, but with proven veteran Matt Ryan and an increased focus on involving Nyheim Hines, Taylor is bound to see a decrease in production.

5. This Season is Lamar Jackson’s Last with the Ravens

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has had a good career up to this point and the former MVP is widely considered a top QB in the league. However, with Jackson entering the final year of his rookie contract, there has still been little-to-no movement on a contract extension.

With QBs all around the league getting new contracts, such as Kyler Murray, many people wonder why the Ravens hadn’t capitalized on the QB market before it skyrocketed. Not only that, but the fact that Utah’s own Tyler Huntley proved himself with better stats in the games where Jackson was injured spells trouble for Jackson. With Huntley proving he can play and Jackson increasingly showing signs that he’s fed up, all signs point to an end of an era in Baltimore.

6. Drake London Will Win OROY

The rookie out of USC was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the 8th pick in this year’s draft and he couldn’t be in a better situation if he tried. 

The Falcons lost their longtime QB to the Colts and, along with drafting Desmond Ridder, they signed Marcus Mariota to be their starter for the time being. With Drake London immediately slotting into that WR1 role and being the only other pass threat to Kyle Pitts, London will have every single opportunity to make his presence felt, week in and week out.

Just like Elijah Moore and Amon-Ra St. Brown showed last year, you don’t need a great quarterback to get the job done — and London will prove that once more.

7. The Kansas City Chiefs Will Miss the Playoffs

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs got off to a terrible start last year, winning only three of their first seven games, but picked it up to make a run all the way to the AFC Championship game, where they lost in OT to the Bengals.

This year, they will start the season with a weakened offensive line, a Tyreek Hill-less WR room, uncertainty and a lack of depth in the RB room, and a defense without a true leader now that the “Honey Badger” Tyrann Mathieu has departed.

Even with the notable pick-ups of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore and Justin Reid, it won’t be nearly enough to brave the toughest schedule in the league.

[email protected]

@_e__g__m_