The NFL’s long summer of speculation ends on Thursday night. As preseason action kicks off, training camp promises to give way to real evaluation, where hidden breakouts emerge and fragile contenders face their first real stress test.
First Things First co-host Nick Wright believes he has the script for how the league will play out. On Wednesday afternoon, he revealed his team tiers entering Week 1 of the preseason, complete with plenty of surprises.
Heres how Wright breaks down the league entering Week 1 of the preseason:
Wright made sure to highlight six teams that are 100-to-1 to make the postseason, as recent history shows someone will. However, in this context, he doesnt believe any of the Dolphins, Browns, Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, or Titans have a chance this season.
“Almost every year, a team that has these odds and these are the six teams in the league,” Wright said. “History says one of them is making the playoffs. Do you have the courage to pick it? I dont.”
Wrights tier here is his least enthusiastic on the list. He has very little to say as the Giants, Colts, Steelers and Vikings are hit or miss and could find themselves right in the middle with eight or even nine wins.
“Seems like they could be okay,” Wright said. “I dont really have much to say about them. They could win eight or nine games. They could. I dont know that I believe they will. They could be okay.”
The NFC South sits in a tier of its own as the most unpredictable division in the league. Still, Wright is all-in on the Buccaneers, mostly because of quarterback Baker Mayfield and how hot he can get when playing with something to prove.
“I like the Bucs,” Wright said. “Its the NFC Southâ¦someones gonna go 8-8 and one will win it and I hope its Baker [Mayfield]. I hope he gets hot in the playoffs.”
Not only are the Commanders and 49ers off to a rough start in camp, but Wright is now actively concerned about both organizations. Its a concerning trend, especially considering they are already two of the oldest teams in the league.
“Laremy Tunsils injury is a huge deal,” Wright said. “We dont have time to do the 49ers concerning injuries. I dont. These are older teams we talked about that we dont love. The fact that they have one of them already has one key guy done for months and the other has a bunch of guys out intermittently. Its just a bad part of training camp.”
Among the many teams facing uncertainty this season, none fit the “boom or bust” label quite like the Houston Texans. Their fate won’t just depend on overall roster depth, but the spotlight and pressure reside squarely on C.J. Stroud.
“What is the deal and who is the real C.J. Stroud and who are we going to see if they get just good production from the offense,” Wright said. “That could be a Super Bowl team. The defense and DeMeco Ryans are so good.”
The Lions and Packers both have a missing piece heading into the year, but Wright is particularly worried about Green Bay’s defense. The lack of a clear return timeline for Micah Parsons was a major driving factor behind where he tiered the Packers.
“For the Packers, I know what I think is missing,” Wright said. “Micah Parsons for maybe, it might be the first half of the season. Seems like it and that to me is concerning. I do think these two teams [Lions] could be excellent, but it feels to me right now in the middle.”
The Eagles are the ultimate wild card in the league this season as they could win the Super Bowl or completely miss the playoffs. Wright remains split on the Eagles and questions whether Nick Sirianni can hold it together.
“The Eagles might be the highest ceiling, lowest floor and the best example of any team I can remember in recent memory,” Wright said. “I absolutely think they could be the one seed again in the NFC. I also think they could be below .500 after Thanksgiving and were talking about the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.”
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