WCG’s NFL Power Rankings: Pre-Week 1

The start of the 2025 NFL regular season is upon us after another fun offseason. The Philadelphia Eagles will look to become the second team in a row to win back-to-back Super Bowls, but in an improved division, it won’t be easy. The start of a new season always brings optimism for the 32 teams around the league. After all, there are always a handful of new teams that make the playoffs each year. With the season set to kick off in less than a week, let’s rank each team and where they stand heading into another exciting season of football.  

1. Philadelphia Eagles

The top of the NFC remains unresolved. Despite winning the Super Bowl a year ago, the Eagles lost plenty of talent in free agency over the offseason. With an improved Commanders squad looking to take the next step, and the Dallas Cowboys in a new era under Brian Schottenheimer, the Eagles must keep their foot on the gas if they want to repeat as division champs yet again. 

2025 Headline: Fly Eagles Fly. But how high can they go? Why a repeat performance might be tough. 

2. Kansas City Chiefs

I’ve seen plenty of predictions coming in for the Broncos and Chargers to overtake the AFC West crown this season. Perhaps I’ll be wrong, but I just don’t see it yet. Patrick Mahomes is still great, and their offensive tackle situation looks much better than a year ago. Similar to the Patriots’ dominant run under Bill Belichick, I’ll need to see it to believe it when it comes to the end of a dominant run. For now, I’ll continue to feel the Chiefs are the AFC favorites yet again. 

2025 Headline: Will this finally be the year the Chiefs relinquish the division? Here’s why you shouldn’t count on their demise. 

3. Buffalo Bills

From a talent perspective, there’s no denying that the Bills stack up well against any team in the league. The issue is that once they get into the playoffs, they haven’t been able to get over the hump, even with an MVP-level quarterback. The same could be said about another team on this list, but we’ll get to that later. Although I’m not sure the addition of Joey Bosa will move the needle, this is a complete team with as good a chance as anyone to win it all. It’ll be up to Sean McDermott’s defense to perform once the playoffs roll around. 

2025 Headline: Super Bowl Bills or another disappointing finish? Why 2025 could finally be the year the Bills break through. 

4. Detroit Lions

History has not been kind to head coaches who lose both coordinators in a single offseason. The one exception that comes to mind? The Super Bowl-winning Eagles from a year ago. There’s no question that Dan Campbell is a good head coach, but it’s worth wondering how much of an adjustment period his team will see following the losses of Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and multiple members of their staff. This is still a very talented roster, and because of that, it’s easy to see why they are projected as the NFC North favorites. 

2025 Headline: For the culture: Why Dan Campbell is poised to prove the skeptics wrong, despite losing half his coaching staff this offseason.

5. Baltimore Ravens 

Last year’s second-half run to win the division and get to the AFC divisional round was quite impressive. Especially coming off the heels of a 0-2 start. Quarterback Lamar Jackson had yet another outstanding season, and I felt he should have won the MVP. Even so, their inability to win the “big game” in the playoffs has been a big issue. It feels like one of Baltimore or Buffalo is due to knock off the Chiefs, but the bigger question is which one will be the one to do it. 

2025 Headline: Lamar the Great: Why Jackson must find a way to conquer his last foe, the playoffs. 

6. Washington Commanders

Outside of the 2022 Cincinnati Bengals, it’s hard to recall a better one-year turnaround than what the Commanders experienced last season. The club’s new ownership quickly turned things around, and the front office made many “right” decisions. Despite rumored attempts to move up to No. 1 overall and take the hometown kid in Caleb Williams, Daniels went on a tear that somehow eclipsed C.J. Stroud’s rookie season. Now we’ll see if they can take the next step or if last year was a product of playing over their heads. The pieces are there. 

2025 Headline: And for his encore: Can Jayden Daniels avoid regression in Year 2, or will he follow a similar path to C.J. Stroud? 

7. Green Bay Packers

It’s hard to label any (11-6) season a disappointment, but if you ask any Packers fan how they expected last year to go, most would have said they expected better. The good news is that this is still a young team with plenty of talent. Their defense took a significant step in the right direction under Jeff Hafley, but the offense remained stagnant. Following the big acquisition of edge rusher Micah Parsons, this could be a Top 5 defense in 2025. In theory, the addition of Matthew Golden should take their offense to a new level, but with Jordan Love recovering from thumb surgery, it’s fair to wonder how fast of a start they’ll get off to. The talent is there, but they’ll need to see another jump in development to make the playoffs. Could the Packers be considered a defensive team with a “good” offense in 2025?

2025 Headline: Love Island: Did Jerry Jones just give the Packers the missing piece to their Super Bowl hopes?

8. Los Angeles Rams 

Before Matthew Stafford’s reported back issues that kept him out of the majority of camp, I had the Rams as one of my darkhorse teams to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Now, I’m questioning how high their ceiling can be with an aging quarterback with severe back issues. The Rams are a good team coached by one of the best in the game. If everything is created equal and Stafford is healthy, this is one of my favorites for a Super Bowl berth. If not, I don’t share the same faith in Jimmy Garoppolo. 

2025 Headline: Division favorites or taking a step back? Why Matt Stafford’s health is paramount for the Rams reaching their potential.

9. Denver Broncos 

Most knew that Sean Payton was one of the best coaches in the league, but what he was able to do last year cemented his status as one of the league’s best. He took a quarterback that most had a late first or early second-round grade on and made the playoffs. It’s fair to question Bo Nix’s ceiling, and Year 2 should go a long way in determining that. With an elite defense and an offense that was playing consistently down the stretch, there’s credence to the thought that they could push Kansas City for the division, even if I think it’s premature. 

2025 Headline: Bo knows or Mac Jones? Why Year 2 of the Nix, Payton pairing will define Denver’s future. 

10. Minnesota Vikings 

Speaking of outstanding head coaches, Kevin O’Connell led a team that shocked the entire league last year en route to a 14-win season. He did it all with a journeyman quarterback in Sam Darnold, who landed a big contract in Seattle a year later. Now, he’ll be tasked with working his magic again. If they can get Darnold-level production from McCarthy, this is a Super Bowl contender with the proper breaks. 

2025 Headline: With an elite roster to support him, is J.J. McCarthy ready for prime time? 

11. Los Angeles Chargers

No matter how you cut it, the loss of Slater is a tough one. Just weeks after becoming the highest-paid tackle in the league, a knee injury will force him to miss the entire 2025 season. On the plus side, Joe Alt will slide back over to his natural side, but it’s hard to replace a two-time Pro Bowler. This is a well-rounded team in a tough division. The passing offense, in particular, will need to take the next step if it expects to compete for a division title and achieve playoff success. If there’s a head coach who could get his team to take the next step, it’s Jim Harbaugh. 

2025 Headline: Jimmy and Justin’s sHerbert shop: Can they overcome the loss of Rashawn Slater and challenge for the division? 

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

The NFC South has been one of the weaker divisions from top to bottom over the last few years. As a result, the Buccaneers have benefited from the lack of competition. On paper, this is a good roster, yet they haven’t played to the level of most division winners. How they start the season will be interesting to monitor, especially on offense. With Chris Godwin slowly working his way back to good health and Jalen McMillan out for the first half of the season with a neck injury, early pressure will be on first-round pick Emeka Egbuka to complement Mike Evans. On paper, this should be an 11-12 win team. We’ll see if they can live up to expectations in what should be another down year in the South. 

2025 Headline: How many times can head coach Todd Bowles strike gold at offensive coordinator? Tampa Bay’s offensive success might be the key to their season. 

13. Cincinnati Bengals 

Week 2 of the preseason in Cincinnati was one to forget. Despite keeping the offense on the field for an extended amount of time on Monday Night Football, quarterback Joe Burrow spent the majority of the time running for his life and taking unnecessary hits. The key to the Bengals’ season relies on the offense being elite, especially given the significant resources they invested in that side of the ball this offseason. Even so, it’s fair to wonder if their defense is going to be good enough to get them into the playoffs. That unit still looks atrocious against the run and is still without Trey Hendrickson coming off the edge. 2025 feels like a critical year for all involved in Cincinnati. 

2025 Headline: Make or Break: Can a loaded Bengals offense cover up a toothless defense? 

14. Arizona Cardinals

The NFC West is a closely contested division, where a strong argument could be made for any of the four teams. Assuming Stafford is healthy, the Rams feel like the favorites, but would anyone be surprised to see the Cardinals finally break through? Since taking over in 2023, head coach Jonathan Gannon and the front office have made a concerted effort to add young talent to this roster. Now that Gannon has the horses up front for his defense, this could be the year they take the next step. Quarterback Kyler Murray bounced back in 2024 with a fully healthy year, but if this group is going to push for a playoff spot, he’ll need to look like he did coming out of Oklahoma. A significant help to that cause would be Marvin Harrison Jr. becoming the star most believed he would be after coming out of Ohio State. There’s plenty on the line in 2025, but this should be the sexy “breakout” candidate this season. 

2025 Headline: Maserati Marv and the streaking Kylers. Will 2025 finally be the year that Jonathan Gannon’s group breaks through? 

15. Pittsburgh Steelers 

Not much has changed in Pittsburgh over the last decade plus. In some ways, that’s a good thing, but their inability to find any semblance of playoff success is troubling. Following another first-round exit in 2024, the Steelers decided to shake things up on offense once again, allowing both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson to depart in free agency. After a saga that lasted into July, Aaron Rodgers finally committed to playing one last season. Additionally, the team swapped out George Pickens for D.K. Metcalf. Similar to Seattle, there was plenty of shuffling, but it’s worth wondering how much better they are. Maybe Rodgers has one last ride in him, but history shows that’s unlikely to be the case. Either way, this will be an interesting team to monitor in 2025. 

2025 Headline: Age ain’t nothing but a number. That’s what Steelers fans have been telling themselves in hopes that Aaron Rodgers’ (likely) final season doesn’t mirror Brett Favre’s.

16. Houston Texans

By all accounts, last year was a disappointment in Houston. Sure, they won the division, but it felt like a situation where they were the best of a weak division. Despite their lackluster regular season, they were able to win a playoff game, which should be seen as a positive. Going into the offseason, their most significant need came along the offensive line. Yet, it’s easy to wonder if any actual improvements were made. They traded away starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil, added a few journeymen, and drafted Arientay Ersery. On paper, the offensive line is worse than last year, but we’ll see if the shuffle was enough to spark improvement. The good news is that they are in a weak division with no clear-cut challenger. 

2025 Headline: Sack watch: Can a new offensive coordinator and a re-worked offensive line be enough to get C.J. Stroud to the next level?

17. Seattle Seahawks 

You can make a strong argument for the Seahawks having the most confounding offseason of any potential playoff team. Following a year where they missed the playoffs by a game, they swapped out their quarterback and top receiver for more expensive options. Change can be a good thing, but I’m having a hard time believing that this will be one of them. Sure, Sam Darnold is younger than Geno Smith, but is he better? I don’t think so. Swapping out Metcalf for an aging and slower Cooper Kupp was also a choice. We’ll see what Year 2 of Mike MacDonald has in store, but it’s fair to wonder how much better they really are heading into 2025.  

2025 Headline: Change, change, change. Will Seattle’s bold offseason moves pay off, or will Sam Darnold’s clock strike midnight?

18. San Francisco 49ers 

Following a year where the 49ers were marred by injuries galore, 2025 isn’t off to a much better start. Star receiver Brandon Aiyuk still appears to be far off from returning. Depth at running back and receiver is troubling to say the least. Combine that with an aging roster, and it’s fair to wonder how much disaster potential this season could have. There’s no denying that Kyle Shanahan is a great coach, but what happens if they miss the playoffs for a second straight season? The talent is there, but it’s fair to wonder if their window on their current core has already closed. Similar to Seattle, 2025 feels like a potentially deciding year in San Francisco. 

2025 Headline: Has the 49ers window closed? With an aging roster and multiple significant losses this offseason, this might be a make-or-break year for general manager John Lynch. 

19. Atlanta Falcons 

It’s been a rough ride in Atlanta since Matt Ryan’s prime, especially at the quarterback position. Despite changes at head coach, things haven’t changed much. There’s hope in Atlanta that a full season of Michael Penix will cure some of their ails on offense. For my money, the NFC South is wide open for the taking. The talent is there, but the consistency and ceiling are the two big questions for the Falcons. Historically speaking, the chances of all six first-round quarterbacks being “hits” are nearly impossible. Can Penix be one of the outliers? Only time will tell. 

2025 Headline: Year two of Michael Penix is the key to breaking their playoff drought. Do they finally have the right guy under center?

20. Chicago Bears 

The debut of the Bears’ first team offense in Week 2 of the preseason was something, wasn’t it? Bears fans are no strangers to strong preseason performances being the highlight of the season, though. Ben Johnson was brought in with Caleb Williams as a priority. Still, so far, his intense personality has benefited a team that lacked any semblance of culture during the Eberflus era. This is a roster that underwent plenty of changes during the offseason, but in a loaded NFC North, did they do enough to contend for a playoff spot? We’ll see. There’s plenty to be learned in Year 1 of the Johnson era, but all eyes will be on their second-year quarterback, who must take a big step in 2025. 

2025 Headline: Johnson and Williams could be a reliable law firm. Can this pairing bring the offensive success fans have been pining for since the Ditka era? 

21. Jacksonville Jaguars 

Following a somewhat unusual hiring process that led to a few awkward moments for new head coach Liam Coen, the waves have calmed in Jacksonville. The well-traveled offensive mind will be tasked with getting former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence back on track, just a year after signing a massive contract extension. It’s easy to remain skeptical of the offensive line, but as we learned last year in Washington, the correct offensive play caller can scheme around weaknesses. The bigger question(s) for this roster are on the defensive side of the ball. How much of last year’s struggles were coaching versus the talent? Even if Houston is heading into the year as the odds-on favorite for the division, it’s easy to see a scenario where the Jaguars get back on track and challenge for the top spot in the AFC South. 

2025 Headline: Duuuuuuvaaaaaal: Can Travis and Trevor lead the charge back to AFC South relevancy this year? 

22. Indianapolis Colts 

The official results are in, and the starting quarterback for your Indianapolis Colts is none other than Danny Dimes. It’s almost hard to believe, but the only quarterback with a lower quarterback rating than Daniel Jones since 2023 is none other than Anthony Richardson. Simply put, the Colts’ current regime isn’t in a position to allow Richardson to waste another year of development. Ironic, isn’t it? The regime that was responsible for drafting doesn’t have the time to give their No. 4 overall pick another year to develop. As a whole, this isn’t a bad roster, but it’s hard to envision many scenarios where this season ends in anything outside of a complete house cleaning.

2025 Headline: Here’s to hoping the image of Anthony Richardson’s dislocated finger wasn’t a visual description of things to come for Chris Ballard and company.

23. Miami Dolphins 

The Dolphins are heading into a critical 2025 campaign, where changes could be aplenty without a return to the playoffs. Head coach Mike McDaniel is a fun personality, but following a playoff appearance in Year 1, things have not gone well. There are multiple holes on this roster, but when the offense is “right”, they are more than dangerous enough to keep this team afloat. We’ll see if McDaniel can turn things around. I’ve got him as the first head coach fired in 2025. I’m just not buying much with this roster right now, and much of that comes from general manager Chris Grier’s decision-making over the last few offseasons. 

2025 Headline: Can Mike McDaniel save his job? It might be Tua late.

24.  Dallas Cowboys 

The Mike McCarthy era came to an end after four years and a 49-35 regular season record. Despite a quality regular season record, his 1-3 mark in the postseason highlighted his lack of postseason success. Following a typical Jerry Jones-led hiring process, Dallas decided to promote their offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, to the head position. Although he’s put a good coaching staff around him, the contract saga of Micah Parsons dominated most of the offseason headlines and ended any honeymoon phase for this coaching staff when he was traded to Green Bay on the eve of the regular season. The offense appears to be in good shape, but it’s fair to question the overall ceiling of this team with their current defensive depth chart and lack of cap flexibility.

2025 Headline: Can Jerry handshake deal his way back to contention, or has another quality roster core passed him by? 

25. New England Patriots 

For a second straight offseason, the Patriots were the first team to hire a head coach. Last year, it was an internal promotion for Jerod Mayo. This year, it was moving as quickly as possible (and likely too quickly) to bring back Mike Vrabel. Objectively, this is a rebuilding roster with some promising young talent, but in a division with only one clear playoff team, would anyone be surprised to see a quick turnaround? Much of that will depend on their second-year quarterback. If Drake Maye can reach his ceiling, there’s reason to believe they could finish around .500 this year. I’m still in the camp of them being one more year from being ready, but we shall see. 

2025 Headline: In Drake we (Maye) Trust. Why Mike Vrabel’s team is primed for a quick turnaround. 

26. Carolina Panthers 

Although things didn’t start as planned last season, the Panthers ended the season with plenty of optimism. Former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young was benched early in the season, but when he earned the starting job back, he looked like a completely different quarterback. Head coach Dave Canales has demonstrated his ability to develop quarterbacks, but is the rest of the roster ready to compete? Similar to the Patriots, this team could surprise many people. Year 3 of Young is likely to define his future, which makes this a critical year for everyone involved in Carolina. Buckle in!

2025 Headline: The year of Bryce: Is this the year this Young team breaks out? 

27. Las Vegas Raiders 

It’s hard to envision a scenario where Pete Carroll took this job with an extensive rebuild in mind. History has not been kind to head coaches on their third NFL team, but even if he can act as a stabilizing force and bring some credibility back to the organization, he will have done his job. On paper, this doesn’t look like a playoff team, but they profile as a group that could make significant gains in 2025. It’s just a shame they play in such a deep division. 

2025 Headline: Can Pete Carroll break the cycle of instability?

28. New York Jets 

On the surface, Aaron Glenn was simply a defensive-minded coach coming from a successful organization. Upon deeper review, you’ll see a hard-nosed head coach with a versatile background on both sides of the ball. It’s easy to feel good about the Jets’ long-term future, while also questioning their ceiling in Year 1 of a brand new regime. 2025 feels like a make-or-break year for quarterback Justin Fields. If he can take a step forward in his development, there’s a future in New York for him; if not, the Jets might be in the market for their long-term starter next offseason. This season should be about establishing a new culture and finding as many long-term answers as possible. After all, there’s a quality core of young talent already on the roster. 

2025 Headline: Culture changes take time. But how much time is the question?

29. Tennessee Titans 

Don’t let Cam Ward’s preseason numbers fool you. He was much better than what it appeared to be on paper. Last year, I had this team as a sneaky Wild Card contender; this year, I’m just hoping they will do enough not to set Ward up for a second head coach in two years. There’s some talent on this Titans roster, but the primary focus should be growth on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line settling in would be a good start, and there’s plenty of talent to do so. At some point soon, ownership needs to end the yearly cycle of firing the general manager or head coach. 

2025 Headline: Cam the Titans avoid a new head coach with a second-year quarterback in 2026? (See what I did there?)

30. New York Giants 

On the plus side, the Giants’ front four is one of the best in the league. Their defense alone should help things stay close in the first half of the season. Another positive development throughout training camp has been that Jaxson Dart has looked pretty damn good. That said, the future of this regime is uncertain and leaning toward a complete reset in 2026 without any semblance of progress. We’ll see if they can ride a quality defense to a respectable record. If not, Giants fans can expect changes galore once again next offseason. 

2025 Headline: Let’s ride, New York. Changes are a comin’… again.

31. New Orleans Saints 

Since the retirement of Drew Brees, the Saints have a 30-36 record, including their most recent 5-12 season under former head coach Dennis Allen, who was fired. As general manager, Mickey Loomis has continued to kick the can down the road regarding a poor cap situation, which worsens the future outlook for this team. With Kellen Moore at the helm as head coach, the primary goal should be solving the quarterback dilemma and trying to get out of cap hell. Whether either of these two can be accomplished remains to be seen. Thus, it could be another rough season for Saints fans in 2025. 

2025 Headline: I can’t believe it’s not cap space: Dead money edition. 

32. Cleveland Browns 

There’s not a whole lot to feel optimistic about for the upcoming season if you’re a Browns fan. The defense is still in solid shape, but their quarterback situation severely limits their ceiling. As if their four-horse quarterback race wasn’t enough, injuries forced another move to sign Tyler “Snoop” Huntley in the short term. The image of Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel sitting on the bench with a doomed look on their face feels like a symbolic prelude to what’s to come in 2025. The team’s sole objective should be securing the No. 1 overall pick. Good luck to you, Joe Flacco. You’re going to need it. 

2025 Headline: “With the first pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select…”