Every NFL team’s got that one guy. The weak link. The starter you watch on NFL Sundays and wonder, “How is he still out there?” Whether it’s a washed-up vet, a draft pick gone sideways, or just a flat-out bad fit, every starting lineup has its soft spot.
So, let’s take a look around the league and go team by team and call out each franchise’s worst projected starter heading into 2025.
Who are the worst starters in every NFL team in 2025?
Arizona Cardinals: Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB
Davis-Gaither can flash some range, but coverage concerns linger, and his instincts versus the run are, let’s say, more theoretical than functional. He just isn’t the kind of physical linebacker you want at the center of your defense… Heading into this season, it is clear that the Cardinals’ front office is trying to make some changes to turn things around—and the patchwork front seven is getting a makeover—but if Davis-Gaither is still playing a major role, the rehab might be cosmetic.
Atlanta Falcons: Morgan Fox, DT
Atlanta’s lack of pass-rush productivity was a huge issue for the team in recent years, and it is hard not to peg Morgan Fox as a key aspect of that problem.
He’s not a bad depth piece. He’s just a shaky starter—and in a division full of mobile QBs, his inability to get pressure up the middle to allow the edges to keep contain is a huge concern.
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Baltimore Ravens: Andrew Vorhees, LG
Andrew Vorhees is the NFL’s version of Schrödinger’s guard—we don’t know if he’s good or not because we haven’t seen enough. The tools are there, the few reps he’s played were promising, but this isn’t preseason. Baltimore needs bodies on the line, and they’re rolling the dice on a seventh-rounder who missed his rookie year, not exactly what you would expect from a team looking to make a push for the Super Bowl.
Buffalo Bills: Larry Ogunjobi, DT
Larry Ogunjobi arriving in Buffalo was supposed to be a big win, but it’s starting look like another swing and a miss.
I mean… for starters, he’s been popped with a suspension. Six games on the shelf due to PEDs, an $8.3 million price tag, and a long track record of underwhelming consistency. Add it up and you’ve got a move that’s aging like milk.
Given his inconsistent performance in recent years, the Bills would’ve loved to have him teed up and ready to go for camp so he could get with the system and all that, but it is looking like he could be a major weakness once he’s back in action.
Carolina Panthers: Tommy Tremble, TE
Tommy Tremble’s stats read like a backup fullback’s, not a starting NFL tight end.
He’s got 548 yards—total—since being drafted in 2021. And now, coming off back surgery and expected to miss the start of camp, and he’s supposed to be the pass-catching tight end to help Bryce Young further his development?
This is why bad teams stay bad… because roster decisions like this make no sense.
Carolina’s new regime must really hate tight ends. Tremble is tough and blocks okay, but in a league where tight ends are supposed to be mismatch nightmares, Tremble’s just kind of… The team is hoping that he won’t be a massive liability.
Chicago Bears: Dayo Odeyingbo, DE
All the noise was about the offense last year, but the Bears needed to improve their pass rush as well and I’d be awful nervous relying on Odeyingbo creating pressure up coming off the edge.
He looks the part and says all the right things. But banking on a guy like Odeyingbo, who had minimal production in recent years, to lead your pass rush? That’s delusional Bears optimism at its peak.
Cincinnati Bengals: Geno Stone, S
Geno Stone had some nice moments last year, but he was a major culprit when it came to missed tackles.
With Vonn Bell gone and depth razor-thin, there is a risk that Stone’s flaws get a lot more exposed. The Bengals want to be aggressive on defense, but if your safety can’t finish plays, that aggression backfires fast. If this group breaks, it’ll be at the back end.
Cleveland Browns: Joe Flacco, QB
Cleveland still has no clear answer at quarterback, and with no real receiving threats and an offensive line that cratered last year, putting Flacco behind center feels like daring the football gods to smite you.
Cleveland is pretending this is a “veteran presence” thing. It’s not. It’s a hard reset post-Deshaun Watson, and I’m hoping that Flacco helps them get the number one pick in next year’s NFL draft, more than a postseason bid.
Dallas Cowboys: Mazi Smith, DT
Mazi Smith was supposed to help bolster Dallas’s run defense, but, frankly, he was part of the problem last year. The Cowboys’ interior got bullied all season, and now they’re asking Smith to make the leap with a new defensive coordinator. Cowboys fans should be worried about this one.
Denver Broncos: Riley Moss, CB
The Denver defense came on very strong last season and more of the same is expected… and while there’s a lot to like about Riley Moss—speed, ball skills, effort—liking isn’t the same as trusting, and right now he’s set to be the starting corner on a team with NFL playoff aspirations and there are some questions if he’s going to be up for the task.
Detroit Lions: Graham Glasgow, LG
The offensive line was a major strength for Detroit last year, but they are going to need a lot out of Graham if they want to maintain that reputation this year. Detroit better hope his body holds up, or that offense will start looking much less explosive, especially without Ben Johnson to scheme up protections.
Green Bay Packers: Kingsley Enagbare, Edge
Enagbare has his moment, but unfortunately, he also has a habit of disappearing for stretches—not what the Packers need, nor what they expect, considering they have him playing across from Rashan Gary.
If Enagbare can’t raise his game, this pass rush will continue to be a one-man show off the edge and will ultimately limit this NFL team’s ceiling.
Houston Texans: Juice Scruggs, RG
Juice Scruggs had a rough rookie year. The Texans tried to make him a center. Didn’t work. Now he’s back at guard, where he’s continuing to struggle in camp.
Houston has a lot of the right pieces on offense, and Scruggs is starting to stand out in a bad way.
Indianapolis Colts: Segun Olubi, LB
Having Segun Olubi, an undrafted free agent from the 2022 class, penciled in as a starter is a major head scratcher, especially when you consider the rest of the otherwise talented Colts defense.
The guy has made just 39 tackles in his first three NFL seasons, and they think they can just toss him into the starting lineup and he’ll slide in seamlessly?
Not sure what they are thinking on this one.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Eric Murray, SS
Jacksonville brought Eric Murray in hoping he could be a helpful “veteran presence,” but what they’ve got is a placeholder who hasn’t made a real impact in years. This secondary isn’t good enough to hide a weak link, and Murray is shaping up to be the guy every quarterback circles before the snap.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kingsley Suamataia, LG
With Joe Thuney’s departure, an opportunity has been opened, and the Chiefs are hoping Kingsley Suamataia is the guy to fill it. Kansas City is taking a gamble on a raw talent and hoping he can handle the move inside. But if he doesn’t adapt—and fast—this line at large could go from strength to sore spot.
Las Vegas Raiders: Devin White, LB
Devin White has been a well-known name since his college days and has had some big moments, particularly early in his career, but his reputation has really taken a hit in recent years.
He is reckless in coverage, reckless in pursuit, and more often than not makes highlight reels for the wrong NFL team because he is way too over-aggressive at the wrong times.
Los Angeles Chargers: Mike Williams, WR
Mike Williams is back in LA, which is less a triumphant homecoming and more of a last-chance salvage job. He’ll look to revive his career and prove that he can be a legit starter, albeit behind Ladd McConkey, but we are not getting our hopes up.
Los Angeles Rams: Steve Avila, OG
Granted, injury made his season more challenging, but 2024 was a rough stretch for Steve Avila, whom the Rams expected to be a lynchpin of their line protecting Matthew Stafford when they took him 36th overall out of TCU in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Miami Dolphins: Jonah Savaiinaea, RG
You’re not supposed to rely on rookies to stabilize a mess, but that hasn’t stopped the Dolphins from throwing second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea into a pressure cooker, trying to keep Tua Tagovailoa upright.
Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Jones, RB
Aaron Jones is obviously an accomplished player, but at his advanced age, it is clear that he has lost more than a step or two. He still has the vision and knowledge of the game, but the burst is gone, and it is shocking that the Vikes are heading into the season with him as “the guy.”
New England Patriots: Garrett Bradbury, C
Garrett Bradbury was a liability in Minnesota, and now he’s the anchor of a Patriots offensive line trying to rebuild its identity. Good luck with that.
New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough, QB
A soon-to-be 26-year-old rookie, coming off injuries and inconsistency in college, was thrust into a starting role in the NFL behind a patchwork offensive line and no real ground game to lean on. This could get ugly fast.
New York Giants: Russell Wilson, QB
Russ is not the guy he used to be, plain and simple… The rest of this Giants team is starting to come into form, but you have to think the Giants are hoping that Jaxson Dart will come along sooner rather than later.
New York Jets: Andre Cisco, S
On a Jets defense that’s supposed to be elite, Cisco feels like the soft spot. He’s not the worst starter on talent alone, but the inconsistencies are too glaring to ignore.
Philadelphia Eagles: Kelee Ringo, CB
At this point in his NFL career, Ringo is still just an elite athlete who needs to develop on the technical side of things.
Ringo can hang vertically and stay with burners, but ask him to play zone, work the slot, or react to complex routes, and it can get sketchy…
And on an uber-talented Eagles roster, that is enough to get tagged as the worst starter.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mason Rudolph, QB
If Mason Rudolph is still taking first-team reps come September, somebody in Pittsburgh’s front office needs to be held accountable. I get that they are trying to win the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, though—I’m not sure that the prize there will be worth it… But at this point, Rudolph is slotted in as QB1, and that should be a major concern.
San Francisco 49ers: Jordan Elliott, DT
You can’t fault the 49ers for taking a shot on Jordan Elliott, given the turnover they are experiencing across their aging roster, but when the biggest compliment you can give a starting defensive tackle is that you almost forgot he was really meant to be a rotational player—you’ve got problems.
Last year, Elliott looked overwhelmed in Cleveland, and there is a good chance that he sticks out like a sore thumb this year in San Fran.
Seattle Seahawks: Noah Fant, TE
Noah Fant is one of those guys that everyone always expects to produce and never seems to deliver. Considering where he’s at as a pass catcher, he should definitely be a better blocker as well. Fant looks the part—big, athletic, rangy—but he’s the NFL equivalent of a concept car that never hits the market. At some point, it’s fair to question not just the production, but the effort.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Antoine Winfield Jr., S
Coverage over the middle was a big weakness for the Bucs last season, and Winfield’s inconsistencies didn’t help. If he doesn’t bounce back, Tampa’s safety room goes from “thin” to “critical failure” real fast. Unfortunately for Tampa, he has not looked like the same player in recent years and is expected to be a big weakness again this season.
Tennessee Titans: Tony Pollard, RB
The Titans have a whole lot more problems than running back, but at this point, it is safe to say that Tony Pollard isn’t the solution there… He has completely lacked the explosiveness he put on display as the change of pace back in Dallas, struggles in pass protection, which is not a good combination when the team is expected to start a rookie NFL quarterback.
Pollard was electric in spurts in Dallas when he had Ezekiel Elliott doing the dirty work. In Tennessee, with no one to soften up defenses, it has been a much different story.
Washington Commanders: Dorance Armstrong, DE
Washington’s defensive line was not among its emerging strengths last season, and Dorance Armstrong was at the center of the concern last year. He notched just five sacks and struggled to get regular pressure on the opposing quarterback.
Armstrong is really just a depth piece forced into a starting role, and the results have been as predictable as they are underwhelming. If the Commanders are serious about taking the next step, they need more pop at the edge because Armstrong just isn’t cutting it.
