The NFL is back and it’s that time again. Time for predictions!
I wanted to run through each division and properly analyze the rosters and depth charts of contending teams to see who has the strongest squads ahead of this season. In my findings, I have included some teams that should shock no one in their efforts to be competitive and win games, but I also made some picks that will likely be less popular.
I believe in a lot of sleeper picks this year and young breakout candidates (see my last blog for more on this) that could speed up team rebuilds and elevate their teammates to a new level.
Take a look below to see who I think will win each division and why:
NFC East – Philadelphia Eagles
This is as obvious as it gets. The only thing, and I mean the only thing, that could stop this from happening again is Jayden Daniels, who I am a firm believer in. Daniels is the real deal and a very solid leader for Washington, but they are just not there yet in my opinion. They are a likely contender for the Wild Card spot, but not the division.
You could argue the case that the Eagles lost a lot of crucial defensive pieces, but they also had a lot of young talent on that team that contributed greatly to a Super Bowl victory last year. They also still have Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown so it’s going to be very difficult to stop this offense. Barring any major injuries to these three, it should be an easy path to a division title and potentially another Super Bowl.
NFC West – The Arizona Cardinals
Yep, I did it. I picked the Cardinals. Here’s why.
I don’t trust Matt Stafford’s back this year. I love him as a player and hope he stays healthy, but his back is worrying me. They have a very solid team otherwise with Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams running around on offense and Jared Verse leading the defense. The biggest advantage for the Rams is that they have Sean McVay calling the shots and he is more than likely to figure out a successful plan with his current group. I just cannot get past the back injury.
The 49ers could bounce back too as they have a very easy schedule and they will send out elite talents like Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle every week, hopefully. Jauan Jennings needs to get his stuff together and join Ricky Pearsall in the huddle every game to make this offense a legitimate threat again under Brock Purdy. The offense has a shot to be great, but the defense has taken too big of a hit for me to consider them a division-winner this year. Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward and Javon Hargrave left the team this year and they are a very young squad now. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are superstars, but it’s tough for two people to carry a whole defense. The secondary will be enough of a problem to hurt them throughout their easy schedule.
That leaves the Cardinals. By process of eliminating bigger concerns, the Cardinals emerged as my favorite to win this division. I am expecting Marvin Harrison to take a big leap forward this year which should help Kyler Murray tremendously. They have one of the best tight ends in football in Trey McBride and a seemingly ageless James Conner (in Running Back years) who just keeps putting up decent RB1 numbers every season. They have a nice offensive core who can explode for big plays at the drop of a dime and a defensive unit that has grown into a feared presence. They signed Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Calais Campbell whole drafting Walter Nolen III to round out an entirely new defensive line that should provide an ample amount of pressure on offensive lines and quarterbacks all season long. Their defense is way better than San Francisco and arguably better than LA. Their offense has more question marks than both the other teams, but I like their chances to rise up and steal the division from their foes in 2025.
NFC North – Green Bay Packers
Boy oh boy this was a tough one. This may have been the toughest division to predict this season as there are so many possibilities at play. I had the Packers as a solid second place team and a lock for the Wild Card until last week when they traded for Micah Parsons. They were already a good team last year that finished with 11 wins in a tough division, and now they added arguably the best defensive player in football to bolster that defense and give them an even better pass rush.
In addition to this major move, they also are expected to get a fully healthy Jordan Love to join his new high-potential rookie WR, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft on a potentially lethal offense. The idea of all these pieces clicking together was too much for me to ignore and unfortunately, I had to bump the Detroit Lions down to a second-place finish. The Lions are still going to be good, but the loss of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn in the coaching room might cause some transitional pain in the early going. However, they could EASILY win another 13+ games and the division too. This division has untapped fickle energy and could be won by multiple teams.
Let’s also not ignore the Vikings too. If JJ McCarthy is the real deal, that team is ready on all other fronts to make a deep push for the playoffs.
NFC South – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Falcons could be nasty this year if Michael Penix Jr is legit and Bijan Robinson gives them a full season of dominance. Drake London is a star receiver who rounds out the makings of a very young and talented core for them. On defense, they drafted two edge rushers in the first round this year in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr and if both players click, it could be a rapid rise into contention for Atlanta. With that said, there are too many potential-related questions for at least this year and that allows me to give the advantage to Tampa.
The Bucs are still thoroughly enjoying the Baker Mayfield experiment as he continues to be a productive player for them. He has become the player he was promised to be, and it only took his fourth team in a span of 3 years to unlock him. He has back-to-back seasons of 4,000+ yards while eclipsing 4,500 last year as he threw 41 touchdowns too. He has become a legitimately good QB again and it’s awesome to see. Mike Evans is a hall of famer who is the face of consistency and continuous production, Bucky Irving is a rising star in the backfield and Emeka Egbuka could quickly emerge as the top target for Baker. This team should be able to score points frequently and in bunches as I expect them to cruise to their fifth straight division title. It will be fairly easy for them, but please do not lose sight of the Falcons who are quietly lurking in the shadows.
AFC East – Buffalo Bills
Any offense that has Josh Allen should be considered a contender to make the Super Bowl, but one that also contains James Cook and a multitude of pass-catching options like Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Josh Palmer and Dalton Kincaid should certainly be considered a favorite to win it.
Losing Stefon Diggs did not hurt Josh Allen at all as he finally won his first MVP award last year. He threw for only 3,731 yards but tossed 28 touchdowns and was only intercepted 6 times. He also ran for 531 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on the ground and proved to everyone that he could essentially carry a team by himself. He showed the world that he is THAT guy. Now he enters this season with a more experienced, but still developing, receiving core and running back. They make for a very solid offense, but their defense is what takes them to that next level in my projections.
This defense was already one of the best in the league as they had elite pass rushers and a solid secondary last year and ADDED Joey Bosa to that. They are an absolute problem on both sides of the ball and should realistically not have much competition in their own division. They should easily win the East and make a serious push (AGAIN) for the Big Game, so long as the Chiefs and Ravens stay out of the way.
AFC West – Kansas City Chiefs
Whoopty Doo. Nothing creative here and I will acknowledge that.
The Chiefs will win this division and be a fierce contender for as long as they have Patrick Mahomes, and that will be a long time. He is not even the best regular season quarterback anymore statistically, but he just wins and wins and wins. He could explode for 5,000 yards and 40+ TDs, of course, but after two years of not doing that and still making it to the Super Bowl in each year, and winning once, he proved it does not matter. Whether its Week 1, 2, 3, 15 or 17, Patrick Mahomes is thinking about the playoffs. It’s clear that his mindset is to stay healthy and competitive in the regular season and then light the world on fire in the playoffs every year.
He is inevitable and so is this entire franchise. The Chargers could be a sneaky good team this year with Omarion Hampton, Ladd McConkey and Justin Herbert leading them and the Broncos could potentially make some noise too but let’s not overthink this one. Mahomes exists, so the Chiefs will indeed win their 10thstraight division title.
AFC North – Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson is going to do Lamar Jackson things. He is looking for his 3rd career MVP award and while most people lean towards Josh Allen being the best QB in the league, you could easily make just as strong a case for Lamar.
Derrick Henry will need to be what he was last year and run for over 1500 yards while continually being a wrecking ball in the endzone. He is the running back that John Harbaugh has dreamed of for years to complement his MVP quarterback. If he stays healthy and stays in his normal realm of production, the Ravens running attack will be the most feared in the league.
Lamar also has a crazy good arm and people seem to discredit that, but his performance last season dropped jaws as he tallied over 4,100 pass yards, threw 41 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. This was largely due to his elite offensive line that just keeps getting better each year and the growth of budding star receiver, Zay Flowers. Flowers took a step forward last year and is primed to be a star every single year in this high-powered offense. He can stretch the field effectively while Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely can control the red zone whenever Henry is not doing just that as well.
This is an elite offensive unit that is also joined by a monstrous defensive squad that is headlined by Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton while also adding Jaire Alexander this year. They are going to make some serious noise this season.
AFC South – Houston Texans
This division is just not great. I like the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence this year who should enjoy his new and young group of weapons around him, but the team will need to undergo a massive transition this year with a new group of coaches. They are a team to watch for the future, kind of like Atlanta, but for now, I do not see them outlasting Houston in the standings as it would require a breakout of historic and epic proportions.
The Texans kind of win this division by default, but they are still a relatively mediocre team. CJ Stroud’s performance is the crucial divider between them being “mid” and them being the most exciting team in football. It is that brutal of a swing for him. If he plays like he did in his sensational 2023 rookie year or better, the Texans could be very fun. Nico Collins could be a superstar, and Jayden Higgins could make a very useful sidekick for him. Regarding the backfield, Joe Mixon is on the shelf for an unknown amount of time and Nick Chubb will be on the hunt for a solid comeback season. With this supporting cast, it may just be a conducive environment for him to do just that.
The defense will continue to be a force in the pass-rush department as Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson are absolute beasts on the edges. This, in turn, should continue to boost star secondary players in Jalen Pitre, Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr. The offense has a ton of questions (and Nico Collins), but the defense is legit. No one else in the division can keep up with this firepower and they will coast to another division title. As a die-hard fan of the game, I hope Stroud takes another step forward because this team could be so fun to watch and root for.
NFC Wild Card – Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Rams
Not much to say here on the Wild Card selections that was not already touched upon in this blog so far, but these are my picks. The Lions could easily win the division and dominate the conference, but I had to favor the surging Packers with the newly acquired Micah Parsons in charge of that defense now. The Lions are still super talented and should be a no-sweat pick to make the playoffs regardless of their divisional rivals. When it comes to playoff time, I certainly give them the edge over Green Bay due to their growing experience in the postseason across their whole roster.
The Commanders are a very solid team but nowhere near the Eagles as it stands right now. Key injuries and a massive leap into elite territory for Jayden Daniels could absolutely change things here, but I need to make my predictions off the current roster builds. I think two teams make the playoffs from this division and it will not be the Giants or the Cowboys. Both of those teams could make some noise, but in different ways as Dallas seems to be on the way down and New York could be on the rise. Neither of them should be a serious playoff contender, but football is football, and you can never be too sure of that.
I chose the Rams to make it over San Francisco, and I could possibly regret that. The 49ers schedule is remarkably easy, and they seem to be mostly healthy and possess some serious weaponry on the offensive side of things. However, their defense has taken a massive hit this offseason and it makes them a far less complete team than the Rams. The Rams are a very good team with a battered QB. Stafford’s health is the only reason I have them as a Wild Card, but the rest of the team is very much ready to compete. The NFC Wild Card should be an easy goal for them to achieve this season and the only thing that could really prevent it, aside from the aforementioned schedule for San Francisco, is a massive breakout from Caleb Williams and/or JJ McCarthy and/or Michael Penix Jr. Sounds crazy, but you could realistically have one or more of those three teams (Chicago/Minnesota/Atlanta) knocking on the door of the postseason if their quarterbacks break out.
AFC Wild Card – Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers
In the AFC, I started off with the Bengals because they have Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase and that should be all they need to make the playoffs. Chase Brown has become a great piece in the backfield, Tee Higgins is a star in the WR room, and Mike Gesicki picked up some steam at the end of last season as one of Burrow’s favorite targets and red zone options. The offensive line will continue to be a concern, but Joe Burrow is too good to let that stop him from going off. They could threaten the Ravens for a little bit in the division, but they are very far behind them in terms of overall team strength. They should coast to second place in the AFC North and be good enough to make the playoffs as a Wild Card.
There are some interesting options for the Wild Card in the AFC. Some of these options include the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars. I opted to exclude them all and give the nod to the Denver Broncos and LA Chargers.
The Patriots have significantly improved their roster, but I feel like 2026-27 is a better year for them to break out. It is a big year for Drake Maye though as he needs to sustain his success from last year and show he is here to stay. He must avoid the sophomore slump and continue to perform.
The Steelers have an elite defense, but a very questionable offense. Like very questionable. I cannot rely on Rodgers to carry them to the playoffs, despite the presence of DK Metcalf. TJ Watt and Jalen Ramsey can absolutely carry them enough to be in the mix, but there are better teams here.
I like Trevor Lawrence a lot this year in an offense led by the QB whisperer, Liam Coen. Brian Thomas Jr and Travis Hunter provide a lethal arsenal for the young QB who is still looking to establish himself as a force in the league. I was really tempted to give them the nod over the Chargers, but I can’t discredit Jim Harbaugh like that.
The Chargers are more complete right now and they have a perfect running back to fit their run heavy attack now. Harbaugh is going to be very aggressive and take this team to the postseason. Lastly, I think the Broncos are even more complete than the Chargers and would win many other divisions in this league, but the Chiefs being in their way will ruin that for them in the AFC West. Bo Nix showed everyone that he could be something special last year and he had some monster games in his rookie year. They arguably have the best offensive line in the NFL, and this is great for Nix and his best receivers, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., and Evan Engram. This also sets up JK Dobbins and second-round running back, RJ Harvey, for a nice season as well. Their defense is elite as it is led by the best cornerback on the planet, Pat Surtain II and other key players like Dre Greenlaw and Zach Allen.
The world would love to see Denver steal that division from Mahomes, but the latter is a freak of nature and will never let that happen. Even if it were to happen, he would unleash his fury on anyone in his way in the playoffs and we do not need that.
If I predicted all the division winners and wild card teams, surely I must include Super Bowl predictions, right?
Super Bowl Prediction
Buffalo Bills defeat the Detroit Lions 34-17.
Call me crazy for picking a “Wild Card Team” to make the Super Bowl, but I am also thinking of the most fun option here. The Bills and Lions are very likable teams with exciting players. I do think this is finally the year that Josh Allen gets past the Chiefs and makes it to the big game. The Eagles will be the team to beat, but I do not think they will repeat. As I mentioned earlier, I can see the Packers winning the division, but even if that happens, I do not see them beating the Lions in a postseason game. Not this year. It could be a strong rivalry for a few years, but the Lions are so hungry for a conference title and a shot at the Super Bowl, just like the Bills.
Both teams will get over the hump and face off for the Lombardi Trophy, but only one can win. And it must be Josh Allen. He simply must be a Super Bowl Champ in his career. Let’s make it this year.
Let me know what you think and as always, please feel free to share your thoughts on each division, the Super Bowl and more. The season kicks off tonight as the Dallas Cowboys go to battle against the defending champs and division rival Philadelphia Eagles.
Happy Football Season!