One Bold Prediction for Each NFC Team Entering 2022

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady Rides Off into the Sunset with an 8th Super Bowl Ring

It should never be bold to predict that a team with Tom Brady at quarterback is going to win the Super Bowl. However, the Buccaneers have been dealt several blows to their roster since the end of last season. Chris Godwin is still on the mend from an ACL injury that he suffered last December. The offensive line is missing multiple starters after Alex Cappa signed with the Bengals, Ali Marpet retired, and Ryan Jensen suffered a season-ending injury. Furthermore, Bruce Arians retired as head coach this offseason, leaving Todd Bowles in charge of the locker room. Not to mention, this will only be the second season that Tom Brady has played without Robert Gronkowski on the same roster since Gronk was drafted by the Patriots in the 2010 NFL Draft. Just because these are all true, does not mean they’re all a bad thing. The Bucs added Julio Jones and Akiem Hicks to sure up the wide receiver room and defensive line. They selected Logan Hall, Rachaad White, Zyon McCollum, and Cade Otton in the draft, and all of them could reasonably have a role in 2022. Ultimately, I am betting on Tom Brady to figure it all out because he has a career that seems destined to end with a Super Bowl championship.

New Orleans Saints

Michael Thomas Doesn’t Lead the Team in Receptions or Receiving Yards in 2022

Michael Thomas is coming off of a disastrous 2021 campaign that never saw him reach the field for game day. Having only played seven games in the past two seasons, there’s a serious case to be made that Thomas’ best days are behind him. While I do believe Thomas will rebound and regain his status as a top wide receiver in the league, I do not believe he will lead the team in receptions or receiving yards in 2022. Rookie Chris Olave is my choice to lead the Saints in receiving yards, as I expect him to serve as the field stretcher both vertically and horizontally. The most receptions will go to running back Alvin Kamara. Kamara set a career-low in receptions in 2021, but he averaged over 80 receptions in the four years prior. Sure, Drew Brees was a major reason, but new head coach Dennis Allen will surely look to lean on Kamara in both facets of the game.

Carolina Panthers

Matt Corral Starts More Games than Baker Mayfield/Sam Darnold

The Carolina Panthers have been on a perilous pursuit of acquiring a franchise quarterback. Teddy Bridgewater didn’t quite cut it a couple of seasons ago, the trade for Sam Darnold blew up in the team’s face last season, and now they are going to have Baker Mayfield as their starter heading into the 2022 season. There’s a chance that Mayfield proves to be the guy they’ve been searching for all along, but I believe their long-term answer is a different guy on the roster. Their third-round pick, Matt Corral, is very intriguing as a prospect. He ran a bunch of RPO plays in college, which is something that has been in play for Carolina ever since Matt Rhule took over as the head coach. Corral is also extremely confident and is a natural leader of the locker room. If the season becomes a disaster with Mayfield at the helm, he will be on a very short leash before the team wants to see what they have in Corral. There’s a world where Corral, and not Mayfield or Darnold, starts the most games for the Panthers in 2022.

Atlanta Falcons

Arnold Ebiketie Leads All Rookies in Sacks

In 2021, the Atlanta Falcons easily ranked dead last in total sacks as a team with 18. No other team was even within 10 sacks of the Falcons, highlighting just how dismal they were last season. The team has made a few additions this offseason in hopes of improving the unit, and the most exciting of those moves came when they traded up in the second round to draft Arnold Ebiketie. Ebiketie burst onto the scene with a 9.5 sack performance as a senior for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He is still raw in some aspects, but Ebiketie is among the twitchiest players I’ve ever watched come off the edge. This trait should follow him to the league and result in several sacks. He still has to earn the starting role and prove that he’s worthy of playing first-team reps, but the potential is there for a spectacular rookie season.