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With some new talent entering the NFL in the 2023 NFL Draft and due to the trade of Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets last month, the NFL offseason has once again heated up. Rodgers’ move caused a stir in both the league and among the Super Bowl LVIII contenders.
After the 2023 NFL Draft, we are back to examine how the league has changed as a result of hires, firings, retirements, free agency activity, and the addition of a new class of collegiate stars.
The Chiefs and Eagles still maintain the top two slots in the rankings, but three out of the top ten contenders are from the AFC East. Fans of the Jets and Dolphins are hoping to escape a similar fate after this same excitement last summer proved to be the AFC West’s final straw.
As you might anticipate, the Kansas City Chiefs, who just defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, have the greatest chances to win it all again at +600 odds, according to Ohio sports wagering websites.
With the acquisition of a future Hall of Famer in Rodgers, the Jets’ prospects increased, and each team inside the top five saw its odds lengthen. The Jets were matched for the 10th-best odds before the offseason started at +3500, but they have since climbed to sixth place with +1400 odds last week. Only the Chiefs (+600), the NFC runner-up San Francisco 49ers (+700), the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles (+850), and Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills (+850) have odds that are less than those of the Jets.
Below, we’re taking a look at the early favorites to win Super Bowl LVIII.
Kansas City Chiefs
Tyreek Hill was traded away by the Chiefs last year, yet they still managed to win the Super Bowl. With the pick of SMU playmaker Rashee Rice last Friday, Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach carried out the second phase of their WR room reconstruction.
Rice enters the scene a year after Skyy Moore was selected in the second round and six months after Kadarius Toney was acquired after the trade deadline. All three players must leave their mark: Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster’s free agency departures resulted in 103 receptions and 1,230 yards being lost.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles general manager struck gold once more, selecting two incredibly talented defenders in the first round in Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith before finalizing a sensible, astute deal with the Lions on Saturday to get running back D’Andre Swift.
The changes improve Philadelphia’s performance on both ends of the field and solidify the Eagles’ position as the NFC’s top team. NFL Network reports that general managers from all across the league are complaining about how much respect Roseman gets from football insiders.
Cincinnati Bengals
There was a lot of talk leading up to the draft that Cincinnati would try to replace Joe Mixon, the veteran running back who is coming off a disappointing season and is being charged with a crime related to an event that occurred off the field.
The top two running backs in this draft class, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, each left the market before Cincinnati had to start their clock on Thursday night, ending any uncertainty around Mixon in Round 1. On Saturday, the team did choose Illinois RB Chase Brown in the fifth round, but by the time the day was over, head coach Zac Taylor had backed up his current starter. “His future is here with the team,” Taylor remarked. “I like Joe Mixon.”
Buffalo Bills
By designating the top of their draft board in Kansas City to guys who would make Josh Allen’s job easier, the Bills made the proper decision. Buffalo selected Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid, a smooth-operating playmaker and intriguing complement to starting tight end Dawson Knox, after trading up in the first round.
After that, Buffalo used its second selection to address the interior of the offensive line by selecting Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence. After taking 33 sacks a season ago, Allen gains a much-needed throwing weapon and the prospect of stronger front-line protection with two picks. The offseason will be viewed as a huge accomplishment if the Bills are successful in acquiring DeAndre Hopkins.
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners have a reputation for selecting a lot of running backs in the middle rounds of the NFL draft, but on Friday they surprised everyone by selecting Michigan kicker Jake Moody at number 99 overall. Since the Bucs selected Roberto Aguayo in the second round of the 2016 draft, this is the highest a kicker has gone.
Shanahan didn’t appear concerned about history repeating again, despite the fact that Tampa Bay suffered as a result of that decision. “You gotta know how high we think of you, man,” the coach said in a phone call to Moody. “We didn’t take a running back; we spent a third-round pick on a kicker.”
