All classes have some elements that make for good NPCs. But some classes often make better NPCs than PCs. As primary protagonists rather than side-kicks or support characters these classes can limit the adventures and challenges that the DM can present and still have an interesting game. The classes I'm talking about include bard, cleric, ranger, druid, and rogue.
Bard
Bards are traveling minstrels that spread news through performative story telling, acting, or song. Experienced in social graces, performance, and perhaps as con-artists, this archetype supports a party of adventurers by influencing the narrative, helping them make social connections, hiding in plain sight, or infiltrating the gates of high society. Without magic, they have little use in the wilderness or deep in a dungeon - which is likely why they were given magic in the first place. A typical bard will struggle as a primary protagonist outside of games focused on urban intrigue. Their services are better utilized on an as-needed basis - that is, when the party hires one to spread tales of their deeds or influence the perception of the general population.
Cleric
Clerics are a strange combination of religious and moral authority, zealotry, and... healing magic? If your adventure is not about fighting literal evil - the role of the cleric is also support. They're medics in the back of the party and generally do not hunger for treasure or glory, except for their deity. An adventure that does not specifically target the enemies of the deity (e.g. fighting undead, vampire hunting, cleansing unholy or cursed ground, etc.) makes a poor fit for a cleric as a primary protagonist. In this case, the role is best left to a supporting character - an NPC in town or perhaps for hire to heal wounds and maladies, break curses, etc.
Ranger
Rangers are ideal scouts, foragers, hunters, and guides. They are useful when traveling overland in familiar terrain and are otherwise a less-good fighter. Unless the majority of the adventure takes place in the ranger's favored terrain, they are better off hired as needed. This role supports the party getting safely to its destination and struggles as a primary protagonist unless the adventure is specifically about taming or protecting their favored terrain for a grander purpose.
Druid
Druids make poor protagonists for reasons similar to both Clerics and Rangers. If the majority of the adventure takes place outside of terrain familiar or important to the druid - their support as scouts, foragers, or guides become less valuable. If the antagonists are not in conflict with nature, their involvement makes little sense.
Rogue
Rogues are skilled assassins, thieves, and navigators of the underworld in both the literal and social sense. That being said, if the adventure isn't an assassination, heist, or urban intrigue - the rogue's usefulness is suddenly limited to picking locks and disarming traps in the dungeon. Not a bad party member to have, but again more of a supporting role rather than a primary protagonist.
Conclusion
Probably the worst offender is Ranger which, to me, should feel like having an Ace up your sleeve for overland travel (but how do you make that satisfying except in contrast to parties without one?) but otherwise you should be a subclass of Fighter at best. In the same vein, having an assassin, thief, or bard should feel awesome when you need one but can be useless when you don't. The con-artist Bard could really be another subclass of Rogue in my opinion.
I wouldn't not allow these classes in my game, but I feel compelled to homebrew or modify an adventure to let the PCs all shine as primary protagonists, or I would discourage players from these classes entirely if they don't fit the adventure.
Final thought: perhaps playable races, classes, backgrounds, etc. should always be tailored to the adventure? What you allow in your game implies things about the game and the world it's played in. Just because Fighter is a core class in your system doesn't mean you need to allow it in your Urban Intrigue campaign.
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