One Bold Prediction for Each NFC Team Entering 2022

Philadelphia Eagles

A Georgia Bulldog Wins Defensive Rookie of the Year

I’m cheating a little bit here by including both Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean in this section. Davis has proven thus far that he is capable of remaining in top-tier condition, which was essentially the only red flag he had entering the draft. On a similar note, Dean has looked fully healthy, putting to rest one of his biggest demerits. With both guys in peak shape and healthy heading into the 2022 season, they should be competing between themselves for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The slight edge goes towards Dean here, as there are more snaps available in the linebacker room than there are on the defensive line.

Dallas Cowboys

Dalton Schultz Leads All Tight Ends in Receiving Yards

This is quite the claim, considering that Travis Kelce has eclipsed the 1000-yard mark in each of the past six seasons. Mark Andrews led the way in 2021 with 1361 receiving yards, but there’s a real chance that Dalton Schultz surpasses both guys with a strong 2022 season. The Dallas Cowboy tight end has received nearly 200 targets in the past two seasons combined, and this was as the third or fourth option. Amari Cooper is no longer donning the Star on his helmet, and Michael Gallup could potentially miss the majority of the upcoming season. With only CeeDee Lamb and rookie Jalen Tolbert standing in his way, don’t be surprised to see Schultz lead the position in targets. In an offense as pass happy as the Cowboys, those targets should translate into some gaudy receiving statistics.

Washington Commanders

Brian Robinson Jr. Becomes Starter by End of Season

Antonio Gibson is locked into the top spot on the depth chart as of right now, but given his track record of dealing with nagging injuries, the door is open for others to eat into his touches. JD McKissic is an important factor here, as he routinely spells Gibson on obvious passing downs. That is likely to remain unchanged, however, there is someone that is in play to gain early-down carries. Brian Robinson Jr. enters the NFL with an Alabama pedigree, which goes a long way when it comes to the running back position. Robinson (23) is a bit older than most Alabama running backs when they enter the league, but considering he only surpassed 100 carries once in his collegiate career, he also comes with far fewer miles. Robinson has been a revelation for the Commanders this offseason, earning the praise of beat writers and the coaching staff alike. If this continues, it will be hard for the team to keep the former Crimson Tide running back on the bench.

New York Giants

Saquon Barkley Stays Healthy & Regains Form

Saquon Barkley entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and as a rookie, he quickly showed why he was taken so early by the New York Giants. In the 2018 season, Barkley not only ran for 1307 yards on the ground, but he also caught 91 passes for 721 yards. Yes, you read that correctly. The former Penn State Nittany Lion recorded over 2000 all-purpose yards as a rookie. The next season he was still able to get to the 1000-yard plateau on the ground, but he was not as impactful overall. Barkley missed all but two games in 2020 and dealt with injuries on and off all season in 2021. Now, he is considered to be at 100% and is under new leadership with Brian Daboll taking over as both the head coach and play caller of the offense. While he never had a dominant rushing attack during his time as offensive coordinator in Buffalo, expect Daboll to use his best player, Saquon Barkley, frequently.