• The Packers rightfully bucked their wide receiver draft trend: Green Bay selected a wide receiver, Matthew Golden, in the first round of the draft for the first time since 2002.

• Dallas added a needed deep threat to complement CeeDee Lamb: Pickens was one of five qualified wide receivers who earned a perfect 99.9 deep PFF receiving grade last season.

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Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

Offseason decision-making can be the foundation of success in the NFL. Perhaps it’s a free-agent signing that becomes the final piece of a championship team, or maybe it’s a franchise-altering draft pick that turns a team’s long-term outlook on its head. The butterfly effect of a franchise’s offseason decisions can drastically change the course of the following season and beyond.

As such, we’ll take a look at the best decision by every NFC team this offseason. Click here for the AFC version.

JUMP TO A TEAM:

ARZ | ATL | CAR | CHI | DAL | DET | GB | LAR | MIN | NO | NYG | PHI | SF | SEA | TB | WSH

Arizona Cardinals: Drafting Will Johnson

The Cardinals used most of their offseason resources to bolster their defensive line. However, they also needed to shore up their outside cornerback group and were presented with a perfect opportunity to improve that spot in the second round of the draft.

Michigan’s Will Johnson was still available in round two due to injury questions. He was a top-15 talent who earned a 91.3 PFF coverage grade during his three seasons in Ann Arbor. If Johnson lives up to his true talent level, he could change the complexion of Jonathan Gannon’s defense.

Atlanta Falcons: Going all-in on the pass rush

On one hand, the Falcons took a couple of big risks in the draft by selecting hybrid linebacker Jalon Walker and trading back into the first round for James Pearce Jr.. On the other hand, they did the right thing by addressing their biggest flaw: rushing the passer.

Atlanta ranked among the three worst teams in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade, pressure rate and pass-rush win rate last season. Walker, Pearce, and 2024 third-rounder Bralen Trice may be able to improve that in short order if developed properly.

Carolina Panthers: Drafting Tetairoa McMillan

The Panthers already possessed a handful of viable options at wide receiver heading into the offseason, but first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan could provide them with the top-flight pass catcher they’ve been missing.

McMillan earned an elite 90.9 PFF receiving grade over the past two seasons. He should be the perfect vertical threat for Bryce Young to continue his excellent play from last season. Selecting McMillan in the first round also allowed Carolina to dig into the defensive depth of the draft class later on. The Panthers had an excellent offseason, built on their selection of McMillan with the eighth-overall pick.

Chicago Bears: Hiring Ben Johnson

The Bears made a slew of offseason moves, particularly on offense, that should significantly improve their team. All were borne out of new head coach Ben Johnson’s vision.

The offensive line could be an elite unit after picking up Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. Additional receiving weapons were added in Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. The onus is now on quarterback Caleb Williams to improve upon a mediocre rookie season. Johnson has set up his supporting cast properly in order for him to do so.

Dallas Cowboys: Trading for George Pickens

Dallas’ decision to send a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for George Pickens, who has only one year remaining on his contract, may seem questionable due to the price, but he is an excellent fit for their offense.

Pickens was one of five qualified wide receivers who earned a perfect 99.9 deep PFF receiving grade last season. Dallas was missing that type of complement for CeeDee Lamb, who has always played his best when there is another player who can threaten safeties downfield. Expect a bounce-back campaign for Lamb and Dak Prescott this season, largely due to Pickens’ presence.

Detroit Lions: Signing D.J. Reed

The Lions lost Carlton Davis III in free agency, which left them without veteran leadership in their cornerback room. Given the struggles of Terrion Arnold in his rookie season and the lack of experienced depth behind him, the team needed to find a stable presence for its outside coverage unit.

D.J. Reed is the very definition of stability; he has earned at least a 70.0 PFF coverage grade in six straight seasons. If he offers that again and Arnold makes a significant second-year improvement, the Lions’ secondary could become a fearsome unit.

Green Bay Packers: Drafting Matthew Golden

The Packers selected a wide receiver, Matthew Golden, in the first round of the draft for the first time since 2002. Among the players available, Golden made the most sense as the vertical threat the team was missing.

The Texas speedster earned a near-perfect 99.6 deep PFF receiving grade during his breakout season in 2024. While that skillset is helpful, Golden should also be able to threaten safeties enough for Jordan Love to more effectively attack the intermediate range, where he ranked 35th in PFF passing grade last season.

Los Angeles Rams: Re-signing Alaric Jackson

Alaric Jackson’s status for this season is suddenly up in the air due to a blood clot issue. Despite those concerns, which formed well after he signed his new contract, retaining Jackson was the correct move.

Jackson earned a 79.2 PFF pass-blocking grade last season that easily led the team and ranked 22nd among all qualified tackles. Pass protection will be the key to the Rams’ championship hopes this season. Re-signing Jackson, and hoping he is healthy enough to play significant snaps, is the most crucial decision Los Angeles made to assure championship contention.

Minnesota Vikings: Reinforcing the trenches

Minnesota won 14 games in 2024 but wasn’t shy about reinforcing the trenches on both sides of the ball. The Vikings’ interior offensive line ranked 23rd in PFF grade last season, and the front office responded by signing former Colts Ryan Kelly and Will Fries and drafting Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson in the first round.

The Vikings’ interior defensive line ranked 29th in PFF pass-rush grade last season, so the team acquired veterans Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to reinforce the unit. Minnesota carries potentially excellent trench units on both sides of the ball heading into the 2025 campaign.

New Orleans Saints: Drafting Kelvin Banks Jr.

The lack of high-end quarterback talent in the 2025 NFL Draft provided the Saints, who picked ninth overall, with a conundrum. In the end, they made the correct decision in drafting their new left tackle, Kelvin Banks Jr. New Orleans earned the lowest PFF pass-blocking grade in the NFL last season. No quarterback would have been able to succeed behind that anyway.

Banks earned an outstanding 89.9 PFF pass-blocking grade in his final season at Texas. His presence also allows Taliese Fuaga to move back to his natural position at right tackle. If the Saints are going to build an elite offensive attack over the next few seasons, Banks and Fuaga will be crucial components.

New York Giants: Bolstering the secondary

Lost in the shuffle of the Giants’ quarterback controversy and drafting of third-overall pick Abdul Carter is the fact that they significantly improved their secondary in free agency. New York’s coverage unit was left wounded after Xavier McKinney’s departure last offseason. They’ve remedied that by signing ex-Dolphin Jevon Holland, who is tied for fifth in the NFL in PFF coverage grade since 2021.

The Giants also acquired veteran cornerback Paulson Adebo, who earned an 80.5 PFF coverage grade in 2023. With these additions, as well as their outstanding defensive line, the Giants’ defense carries a ton of potential into 2025.

Philadelphia Eagles: Re-signing Zack Baun

Zack Baun rightfully won PFF’s Breakout Player of the Year Award after finishing the 2024 season as the NFL’s highest-graded linebacker. His presence was a huge reason the Eagles boasted the league’s best defense last season.

Re-signing Baun was the right thing for the team to do. He returns to lead the league’s best linebacker unit alongside fellow 2024 breakout star Nakobe Dean and first-round pick Jihaad Campbell. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is known for coaching excellent linebackers, and he’ll continue to do so in 2025.

San Francisco 49ers: Drafting dominant run defenders

San Francisco’s biggest defensive flaw in 2024 was its porous run defense. The team’s 28th-ranked PFF run-defense grade marked its worst placement in that category since 2016. The 49ers responded by reuniting with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and acquiring multiple run stuffers in the draft. Edge defender Mykel Williams earned an excellent 86.6 PFF run-defense grade across his three seasons at Georgia. Alfred Collins and CJ West both ranked among the top 20 FBS defensive tackles in PFF run-defense grade in 2024. Those three, along with Nick Bosa, will be the new foundation of the 49ers’ run defense up front.

Seattle Seahawks: Hiring Klint Kubiak

Seattle’s offseason was defined by the stalwarts who departed for other teams. However, the Seahawks could still have hope for offensive success behind new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Kubiak, a Shanahan disciple, did a nice job of creating offense for New Orleans last season when he had a viable quarterback. He was also the quarterbacks coach in San Francisco in 2023, which gives him some level of familiarity with Sam Darnold. If Kubiak can find enough functional offensive linemen in Seattle, he could be one of the NFL’s best coordinator hires of this cycle.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Re-signing Chris Godwin

Tampa Bay has one of the most loaded wide receiver units in the NFL, which will be made even more dangerous if Chris Godwin can return to his 2024 form. Before he suffered a season-ending injury, Godwin recorded an outstanding 85.7 PFF receiving grade. He may have had a chance to challenge his career-high 90.4 PFF receiving grade that he earned in 2019. The Buccaneers’ offense continued its explosive habits in Godwin’s absence, and they will only get better with his return.

Washington Commanders: Trading for Laremy Tunsil

The Commanders made one of the blockbuster moves of the offseason when they sent a haul of draft capital to Houston in exchange for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Tunsil’s 89.1 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked him fourth among qualified tackles last season. Meanwhile, the Commanders ranked 23rd in the NFL in PFF pass-blocking grade. That unit crumbled down the stretch, placing 30th in that category after Week 9.

Tunsil’s presence should make the rest of their offensive line better as he protects Jayden Daniels’ blind side at an elite level.