Like the yellow line you see across your screen on Sundays that signifies the first-down marker, depth charts around this time of year are unofficial. Still, that doesn't mean we can't glean some significance out of them. At the very least, it's fascinating to see where teams decide to stack players as we creep closer to the start of the regular season.
Tuesday saw a wide array of unofficial depth charts drop across the NFL so we scoured through all of the ones that have been made available. Here are a few of the notable nuggets that are particularly interesting. Without further ado, let's get to it.
Falcons list Bijan Robinson as RB3
The Falcons used tremendous draft capital to bring aboard running back Bijan Robinson, deploying the No. 8 overall pick to bring him to Atlanta this past spring. With that in mind, it's downright jarring to see the rookie listed as a third-stringer on the unofficial depth chart behind starter Cordarrelle Patterson and backup Tyler Allgeier. But before you start sinking Robinson to the bottom of your fantasy draft boards, there's a very likely explanation for his positioning here. Both Patterson and, to a lesser extent, Allgeier, are proven commodities in the NFL, and Robinson hasn't earned anything to this point. So, this placement could be a simple message from head coach Arthur Smith that he'll still need to earn his position on the team, no matter how high he was taken. Don't worry, Robinson is going to be the guy in Atlanta in 2023.
First-round QBs looking at starting spot
Three quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and it appears like each of them has a chance to start for their team in Week 1. Carolina's Bryce Young -- the No. 1 overall pick -- has his starting job locked up with head coach Frank Reich already calling him "QB1" after the first practice of training camp. So, it's no surprise to see him atop the Panthers depth chart. While No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud hasn't received a similar definitive answer, it looks like he's well on his way to becoming a Day 1 starter, too. He's atop the Texans unofficial depth chart over veteran Davis Mills and is slated to start for Houston in their preseason opener against New England.
As for No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson, he's been stacking together some strong practices, which has put him in the conversation to start Week 1. However, he still seems to be battling it out with veteran Gardner Minshew. On the unofficial depth chart, the quarterback position reads "Gardner Minshew OR Anthony Richardson," signifying that there is still a job to be won in Indy. But that also means Richardson is legitimately pushing for the job.
Will Levis QB3 in Tennessee
Will Levis -- who fell to the second round after being considered a potential top-five pick -- is once again not getting the same treatment as his draft classmates that were taken before him. The Titans currently have Levis as QB3 behind starter Ryan Tannehill and second-year quarterback Malik Willis. This is less surprising than most placements that we'll talk about on this list. Tannehill is the unquestioned starter coming into the year and Willis has seniority coming into his sophomore season, so it's not totally surprising to see the Kentucky product at the bottom of this unofficial depth chart.
Jonathan Mingo is WR3 over Terrace Marshall
More interesting than Young being listed as QB1 is the situation developing at wide receiver for the Panthers. While free agent signees D.J. Chark Jr. and Adam Thielen are, of course, listed as the top two starters, right behind them and listed as one of the three starting receivers is rookie Jonathan Mingo. The Ole Miss product was taken No. 39 overall and is currently above Terrace Marshall Jr. on this unofficial depth chart. If taken at face value, this is somewhat of a meteoric rise for Mingo, as Marshall was thought to be the third man up in the early going.
Jets list Mekhi Becton as backup
New York's starters at offensive tackle are currently Billy Turner (left) and Max Mitchell (right). That'll likely change whenever veteran left tackle Duane Brown returns to action after starting camp on the PUP list due to offseason shoulder surgery. That said, Mekhi Becton does seem like the odd man out here. The former first-round pick back in 2020 is currently the backup left tackle, but could be pushed even further down the depth chart upon Brown's return.
Bucs QB battle waging on
In the aftermath of Tom Brady's retirement, the Buccaneers will have a new quarterback leading them in 2023. Who that is, however, is still to be determined. Similar to what the Colts did with Richardson and Minshew, Tampa Bay has the starting quarterback job listed as Baker Mayfield OR Kyle Trask. It will be interesting to see how this battle shakes out because the quarterbacks have wildly different backgrounds. Mayfield is by far the more experienced with 72 starts under his belt, while Trask has just nine pass attempts to his name. However, it's worth noting that Trask has been in the system for two seasons after the team used a second-round pick on him in 2021. If the team is looking at it from a long-term angle, Trask may be the more appealing option.
QB2 battle in the Bay Area
These NFL teams sure like to use the word "or" to keep us guessing, don't they? While Brock Purdy is solidified as the 49ers starter heading into 2023, there's a battle going on regarding who'll be his backup. San Francisco has listed Trey Lance OR Sam Darnold as QB2 in that order. This continues Lance's dramatic fall from grace after being the No. 3 overall pick in 2021 after the Niners used a massive amount of draft capital to trade up and select him. While they've seemingly landed on their feet with Purdy, the fact that Lance can't pull away from the likes of Darnold for a backup job is concerning.
