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Predicting the standings for each NFL division
With the NFL season about to kick off, there's no better time to look ahead and predict how the division standings will shake out by season's end.
This week, Yardbarker's NFL crew came together to do just that.
NFC East
1. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | The Eagles were the last NFC East team to win back-to-back division titles, and in 2025, expect the reigning Super Bowl champs to do it again. Even with some secondary turnover, young talents like Cooper DeJean and Andrew Mukuba should excel under coordinator Vic Fangio. And if running back Saquon Barkley stays healthy after rushing for 2,005 yards last season, the Eagles will be NFC favorites every week.
2. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Washington’s contract standoff with its No. 1 wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, came to its inevitable conclusion — a new deal worth up to $96M. Now, 2024 offensive rookie of the year Jayden Daniels has all his weapons in place to help avoid a second-year slump. Moreover, the Commanders' defensive unit hasn’t changed much from the one that allowed an average of 326.9 yards per game last year, meaning the team can chase the Eagles for first place but won’t be able to overcome them.
3. NEW YORK GIANTS | The Giants' revamped quarterback room and game-wrecking pass rush are giving Giants fans reason to hope they’ll have a better record than last year’s 3-14. Still, the roster may be on the upswing, but the depth behind key starters, like WR Malik Nabers and left tackle Andrew Thomas — both dealing with injuries heading into Week 1 — is too thin. They’ll give the top of the NFC East more fits this year, but they aren’t ready to leap into contender status.
4. DALLAS COWBOYS | However the Micah Parsons contract saga ends, the world of the Cowboys is more about drama, and this may finally be the year it’s too much for the team to handle. Owner Jerry Jones will be the center of attention if the team spirals, which is not hard to imagine after he replaced head coach Mike McCarthy with the uninspiring first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. The team added George Pickens this offseason to complement top WR CeeDee Lamb, but behind them, there isn’t much of an offensive threat.
— Conor Killmurray
NFC West
1. ARIZONA CARDINALS | The Cardinals were trending toward earning a playoff berth entering their bye last season before crumbling down the stretch, losing five of their last seven to finish third in the division and two games behind the Rams and Seahawks. Arizona is thin along the defensive line with rookie first-rounder Walter Nolen, B.J. Ojulari and Bilal Nichols on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, but it benefits from a favorable early-season schedule, with four of its first six games against the New Orleans Saints (Sep. 7), Carolina Panthers (Sep. 14), Tennessee Titans (Oct. 5) and Indianapolis Colts (Oct. 12).
2. LOS ANGELES RAMS | We’d like the Rams’ chances of repeating as division champs more if we were sold that Matthew Stafford was 100 percent healthy entering the season. The 17-year veteran Super Bowl-winning quarterback sat out most of the preseason with a nagging back injury, and ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano recently cautioned that it wouldn’t be a surprise if backup Jimmy Garoppolo is forced to start at some point this season, which would drastically diminish Los Angeles’ odds of competing in the division.
3. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | It was a painful offseason for San Francisco, which was forced to part with several key veterans to make room for quarterback Brock Purdy’s massive extension. The Niners are thin at the skill positions, with the team’s top two wideouts, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, nursing injuries, and the defense could be forced to rely on several rookies after the front office used six of its first eight 2025 NFL Draft picks on that side of the ball.
4. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | The Seahawks could easily surpass expectations if their offensive line, a major question mark, surprises. Last season, free-agent quarterback addition Sam Darnold benefitted from the Minnesota Vikings' offensive line, which ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s pass-block win rate rankings, whereas Seattle’s was No. 21, which spells trouble for Seattle in 2025.
— Eric Smithling
NFC North
1. GREEN BAY PACKERS | The Packers went 11-6 and made the playoffs last season despite Jordan Love and the entire wide receiver room battling injuries all year, so the sky is the limit for this offense with a healthy quarterback and rookie wideout Matthew Golden joining the fold. Green Bay has difference-makers on all three levels of the defense with defensive end Rashan Gary, linebacker Quay Walker and safety Xavier McKinney, and it is the favorite to land Micah Parsons in a trade.
2. MINNESOTA VIKINGS | The Vikings have a high floor thanks to their deep, talented roster and elite head coach in Kevin O’Connell, but their ceiling will depend on how first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy performs. If O’Connell can get a career season and a 14-3 record out of Sam Darnold, he can lead Minnesota to the playoffs with McCarthy under center.
3. DETROIT LIONS | The Lions have enough talent to win the NFC North for the second straight year, but it’s more likely that they’ll take a step back after offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn left for head coaching gigs. This defense has a ton of question marks outside of defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and safety Brian Branch, and Detroit didn’t do enough to improve the unit this offseason.
4. CHICAGO BEARS | The Bears are trending up after hiring Johnson, upgrading the offensive line and giving Caleb Johnson new toys in tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III, but the turnaround likely won’t materialize right away. Chicago could finish close to .500 and come in last in arguably the toughest division in the NFL.
— Jack Dougherty
NFC South
1. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Don’t count on Tampa’s reign ending in 2025. Coming off a fourth consecutive division title, the Bucs are poised to repeat once more, thanks to their high-powered offense and veteran defense, which features playmakers at all three levels.
2. CAROLINA PANTHERS | Quarterback Bryce Young will build on his impressive end to 2024 by leading Carolina to a second-place NFC South finish. While the offense’s growth might steal the headlines, the Panthers' defense will spur a turnaround by markedly improving after finishing last in yards and points allowed a season ago.
3. ATLANTA FALCONS | The Falcons addressed their horrid pass rush this offseason, but the rush defense, which was already mediocre, might be worse off after parting ways with veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Four of the Falcons' first five games are against 2024 playoff teams, and coupled with head coach Raheem Morris’ curious decision to sit quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who has three career starts, during the preseason, Atlanta could be in an early hole it spends the entire season climbing out of.
4. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | The Saints aren’t just an easy pick for last-place in the division; they might be the league's worst team by the end of the season. New Orleans has a bleak quarterback situation, and the defense may need time to coalesce as it transitions to a 3-4 look under coordinator Brandon Staley, making it hard to imagine many positives for the Saints in 2025.
— Eric Smithling
AFC East
1. BUFFALO BILLS | Seen as early favorites to win every regular-season game by ESPN BET, the Bills will lose their Week 1 matchup against the Ravens before ripping off an 11-game win streak that includes a Week 9 home victory over the AFC champion Chiefs. They’ll fall to the Bengals in Week 14 and the Eagles in Week 17, teams they failed to beat in 2023, finishing with a 3-14 record and a sixth straight division title.
2. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | Second-year quarterback Drake Maye should thrive in Josh McDaniels’ offense, under new head coach Mike Vrabel and behind rookie left tackle Will Campbell, the fourth-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Assuming wide receiver Stefon Diggs can stay healthy after suffering a torn ACL in 2024, last year’s 24th-ranked passer should finish in the top-15 while leading the Patriots to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
3. MIAMI DOLPHINS | After struggling to beat teams like the Jets, Patriots and Panthers in the early part of the season, the Dolphins will lose six straight games heading into a Week 12 bye, when head coach Mike McDaniel will be asked to leave. Some thought McDaniel would be fired after missing the playoffs in 2024, but as team owner Stephen Ross made clear in January, “continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that the status quo is good enough.”
4. NEW YORK JETS | With quarterbacks Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and former Jet Aaron Rodgers on the schedule in the first two months, New York will be lucky to have two wins by the end of October when new head coach Aaron Glenn replaces quarterback Justin Fields with backup Tyrod Taylor. New York may have had the NFL’s third-ranked defense in 2024, but it won’t be enough to overcome what could be the league’s worst offense in 2025.
— Bruce Ewing
AFC West
1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | The Chiefs’ dynasty could be cracking after a 40-22 Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but it’s hard to bet against a team that has won nine consecutive division titles. Plus, the 2025 season could be tight end Travis Kelce’s last. That gives the team more motivation, as it wants the future Hall of Famer to go out on top.
2. DENVER BRONCOS | Cornerback Patrick Surtain II and QB Bo Nix make the Broncos a team on the rise. Until it proves itself against elite competition, though, Denver should be considered a tier below the NFL’s best teams. The club went 2-5 against playoff teams last season.
3. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told the media on Wednesday that their goal is the Super Bowl, but that may have to wait. After right tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp, L.A. could struggle to protect QB Justin Herbert. The QB took a career-high 41 sacks in 17 starts in 2024 when Slater played 15 games.
4. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | The Raiders offense could be much better after adding rookie running back Ashton Jeanty and QB Geno Smith this offseason. The problem is their defense probably won’t be. Except for signing three-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams, the Raiders did little to improve a unit that tied for 25th in the league in points allowed last season (25.5).
— Clark Dalton
AFC North
1. BALTIMORE RAVENS | On paper, this is not only the best team in the AFC North, but it is one of the best teams in all of football. The Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry duo is a perfect match for Baltimore’s run-heavy approach, while the Ravens have also assembled an outstanding defense with a potentially game-changing secondary. The only question is whether or not they can get over the hump in the playoffs.
2. PITTSBURGH STEELERS | Aaron Rodgers is not the long-term answer at quarterback, and he may not even be the short-term answer. They will struggle to score points again, but because of their defense, they will be able to do what they always do: Scratch and claw their way to 10 ugly regular-season wins that are a chore to watch and then lose to a team in the playoffs with a better quarterback.
3. CINCINNATI BENGALS | It is going to be the same story for the 2025 Bengals as it was for the 2024 Bengals. Quarterback Joe Burrow is going to tear it up offensively with his dynamic wide receiver duo – Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins – and one of the NFL’s worst defenses will waste it by losing too many games.
4. CLEVELAND BROWNS | The Browns will continue to take up residence in the basement of the AFC North due to the brutal combination of no quarterback, few offensive playmakers and a defense that revolves entirely around Myles Garrett. Garrett might be one of the best players in football, but he can not win enough games on his own to make this team anything resembling competitive.
— Adam Gretz
AFC South
1. HOUSTON TEXANS | There is only one team in the AFC South that did not make a quarterback or head coach change this offseason, and that team is the Texans. The offensive line is a concern, but QB C.J. Stroud should bounce back after he experienced somewhat of a sophomore slump. Houston had a top-10 defense in 2024, and almost all of the key players from that unit have returned.
2. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | New head coach Liam Coen, who revived Baker Mayfield’s career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, should have success with Trevor Lawrence. No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter has a legitimate chance to make an impact on both sides of the ball, and he won’t need to be the focal point of the passing offense with Brian Thomas Jr. coming off a monster rookie year. Jacksonville has tremendous upside, and playing in a weak division should help.
3. TENNESSEE TITANS | No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward will almost certainly experience growing pains, but the rookie QB represents a significant upgrade over Will Levis. The Titans revamped their offensive line in free agency and the draft, which should help Ward. Star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed needs to find a way to stay on the field for Tennessee’s defense to keep the team in games.
4. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | Unless Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson suddenly turns into a serviceable NFL starting quarterback, the Colts could be in for a long season. Jonathan Taylor is one of the best running backs in the league, but Indy could quickly become one-dimensional if Jones and/or Richardson cannot get the ball down the field. An improved secondary led by free-agent signing Charvarius Ward might keep the Colts competitive for stretches.
— Steve DelVecchio
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