1 | PHILADELPHIA

2017 | 13-3, first in East

Last year in playoffs | 2017

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

QB Carson Wentz: Returning from a devastating knee injury, he needs to prove he can stay healthy and productive for a whole season. He has looked good in camp but won’t start the season opener.

CB Ronald Darby: The Eagles traded for him last season, but Darby sat out eight games after he was injured in the opener. He wasn’t phenomenal when he came back. Tom Brady threw for 505 yards in the Super Bowl, for instance, and a lot of those came against Darby. It’s a prove-it season for the cornerback.

Any weak-side linebacker: A starting job opened when the Eagles cut Mychal Kendricks, and it’s a part-time gig because the defense goes to two linebackers in nickel. Corey Nelson, Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nate Gerry are all vying for the spot.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

TE Dallas Goedert: The second-round pick had a solid training camp. With the team not re-signing Brent Celek or Trey Burton, Goedert has an open path to relevance as a complement to veteran Zach Ertz.

WR Nelson Agholor: Originally seen as a bust, Agholor came on strong last season. Now it’s his chance to become a leader and establish himself as a true top-flight receiver.

CB Sidney Jones: After sitting out all but one regular-season game as a rookie because of an Achilles tendon injury, Jones will be the nickel corner and have a chance to justify his lofty draft position (No. 43 overall).

2 | DALLAS

2017 | 9-7, second in East

Last year in playoffs | 2016

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

QB Dak Prescott: Prescott is entering his third season and is in position for a big contract extension if he performs well. He struggled in the passing game last season, failing to throw for at least 200 yards in six of Dallas’ final eight games. Ezekiel Elliott missed all but the last two of those games.

RB Ezekiel Elliott: “Zeke” makes everything go in the Cowboys offense, and the team plans to use him more in the passing game, and not just on screens and swing passes. With Jason Witten and Dez Bryant gone, Elliott can help pick up the slack.

LB Sean Lee: When Lee, 32, is healthy, he’s among the best inside linebackers in the game. The Cowboys were 1-4 in the five games he sat out last season.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

WR Michael Gallup: This third-round pick isn’t likely to put up huge numbers, but he figures to be a factor, especially in the red zone.

CB Byron Jones: After spending the past two seasons at safety,Jones is moving back to cornerback, the position he played as a rookie, He is big, physical and fits the mold that first-year defensive backs coach Kris Richard preferred when he was Seattle’s coordinator.

LG Connor Williams: A second-round pick, Williams has seamlessly adjusted to his role on the offensive line. He has three Pro Bowl linemates and a solid right tackle in La’el Collins.

3 | WASHINGTON

2017 | 7-9, third in East

Last year in playoffs | 2015

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

QB Alex Smith: The Redskins traded for and signed Smith after he reached a slew of career-high numbers at Kansas City last season. The head-to-head comparisons with Kirk Cousins are inevitable.

LT Trent Williams: The anchor of Washington’s offensive line, Williams had offseason knee surgery and will be tested right away. His first assignment: Neutralize Arizona’s Chandler Jones, who led the league with 17 sacks last season.

CB Josh Norman: Norman didn’t have an interception last season, a tough reality seeing as he makes about $17 million per year. Then again, less than 10 percent of passes by opposing quarterbacks were thrown in his direction.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

WR Paul Richardson: The Redskins lacked a field-stretching receiver after DeSean Jackson left, so they signed Richardson, who had that role in Seattle.

LB Pete Robertson: The under-the-radar Robertson garnered a lot of praise this summer, including from coach Jay Gruden, for his explosive speed off the ball and playmaking ability.

RB Samaje Perine: With the season-ending knee injury to rookie Derrius Guice, Perine and Rob Kelley are back in the spotlight. In eight starts last season, Perine became the first Redskins running back with consecutive 100-yard performances since Alfred Morris in 2013.

4 | GIANTS

2017 | 3-13, fourth in East

Last year in playoffs | 2016

THREE PLAYERS WHO MUST COME THROUGH

QB Eli Manning: This season is a referendum on the quarterback, because the Giants changed just about everything else on offense. His best recent year was 2015, although the Giants had the NFL’s worst defense at the time.

RT Ereck Flowers: For three seasons at left tackle, Flowers was durable but shaky in pass protection. In the spring, coaches moved him to right tackle. That might be a better fit, but it’s hard to hide there because most teams have two quality pass rushers.

LB Alec Ogletree: As he did with the Rams, Ogletree will be making the defensive calls at middle linebacker. New York is looking for him to stabilize the middle of the defense.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

RB Saquon Barkley: The No. 2 overall pick is expected to re-establish the Giants’ running game. Think there are high hopes for him? General manager Dave Gettleman said Barkley was “touched by the hand of God.”

WR Odell Beckham Jr.: The NFL’s best receiver when he’s healthy, Beckham is coming back from a fractured ankle. He agreed to a five-year extension that makes him the highest-paid wide receiver in football.

S Landon Collins: Coming off a subpar season, Collins will rove all over this defense. He’ll be a little like the versatile Tyrann Mathieu in James Bettcher’s system. Collins is a thumper and a ballhawk.

— Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times