Predicting a New Division Winner for Each NFL Division

No one likes seeing the same teams win year after year.

That’s why franchises such as the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s and the New England Patriots in the 2000s became some of the most despised clubs to the casual NFL fan.

The Cowboys and Patriots reigned supreme over their divisions during those time periods as the rest of the world waited for their downfall.

However, every dynasty must come to an end.

While we only had two divisions (the NFC East and West) that had a different champ than the previous season last year, that could mean we’re in store for a major shakeup at the top of the league this year. 

Here, we’ll take a stab a predicting one team in each NFL division that could push to take home the crown in 2025. The only requirement to qualify is that they didn’t finish in first place a year ago, but each selection will be based on the organization's offseason changes. 

Also, there will be a section dedicated to each reigning champ and how likely they are to decline this fall.

AFC East

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

2024 Winner: Buffalo Bills

To be honest, it’s hard to see the Bills not winning the AFC East for the sixth year in a row this season. They didn’t lose much this offseason, with wide receiver Mack Hollins and Amari Cooper being the biggest departures.

Meanwhile, the front office added Joshua Palmer to replace Hollins’ production and could still re-sign Cooper if it wants.

On top of that, Buffalo made several additions to its defense via pass-rushers Joey Bosa and Michael Hoecht, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, defensive tackles T.J. Sanders and Larry Ogunjobi.

Granted, Hoecht and Ogunjobi are suspended to begin the campaign. Plus, Josh Allen is still the best quarterback in the division by a long shot.

So, if a squad is going to dethrone Buffalo, it’s going to be an up-and-coming team.

New 2025 Winner: New England Patriots

Going from worst to first will be a difficult task for the Patriots, but landing one of the most-coveted head coach candidates of the offseason certainly helps.

Mike Vrabel won the AFC South twice and made three playoff appearances during his six seasons leading the Tennessee Titans, providing encouragement that he can turn things around in New England.

Meanwhile, the organization was busy in free agency, signing wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Hollins, in addition to offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury, to give promising young quarterback Drake Maye a chance to take the next step in year two.

Also, picking up left tackle Will Campbell and wideout Kyle Williams in the draft will help the Pats put more points on the board in 2025.

Defensively, the front office added several new starters, headlined by defensive tackle Milton Williams, edge-rusher Harold Landry III and linebacker Robert Spillane.

And the unit’s biggest losses this offseason were defensive linemen Deatrich Wise and cornerback Jonathan Jones, both of whom were starting to show their age and declining last season. 

NFC East

AP Photo/Rey Del Rio

2024 Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Offensively, the Eagles should be able to pick up right where they left off, as guard Mekhi Becton was the unit’s only significant loss from last season. However, the other side of the ball is a different story.

Philadelphia’s defense will be down several key players, including defensive end Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Milton Williams, cornerback Darius Slay and defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. That could lead to some regression for the defending Super Bowl champs, opening the door for an up-and-coming rival.

New 2025 Winner: Washington Commanders

Considering the Commanders are coming off an NFC Championship run, this is the easiest new division winner to pick. 

General manager Adam Peters has done a great job of building around reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, quarterback Jayden Daniels, this offseason.

Peters wasn’t afraid to swing big, making trades for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, both Pro Bowlers, giving Daniels more protection and another weapon.

Additionally, the GM added offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and wide receiver Jaylin Lane during the draft to bring in some young reinforcements behind Tunsil and Samuel.

On top of that, Conerly could contribute this season, as he’s expected to battle for a starting spot at right tackle or guard if Sam Cosmi has to miss time at the beginning of the season.

Granted, Peters did make some questionable decisions defensively. He swapped Jonathan Allen for Javon Kinlaw at defensive tackle, Jeremy Chinn for Will Harris at safety, and Benjamin St-Juste for Jonathan Jones at cornerback.

But the crux of the defense is intact, and second-round pick Trey Amos could be an upgrade over St-Juste.

The Commanders are in their Super Bowl window right now, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them win the NFC East for the first time since 2020.

AFC North

AP Photo/Nick Wass

2024 Winner: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will be hard to dethrone this fall. They return the majority of their starters from a year ago, with guard Patrick Mekari being the biggest loss offensively and cornerback Brandon Stephens defensively.

It will be interesting to see who replaces Mekari at left guard, but it’s not as if he’s irreplaceable, and Baltimore added former LSU offensive lineman Emery Jones in the third round of the draft to potentially take over that role.

At cornerback, free-agent signing Chidobe Awuzie is an upgrade over what the team got from Stephens last season, if he can stay healthy.

New 2025 Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals were the most frustrating and confusing team in the league last year. They entered the bye week at 4-7, with six of the seven losses being by one possession, including two nail-biting defeats against Baltimore.

Then, after a one-score loss versus Pittsburgh, Cincinnati rattled off five straight wins to finish above .500 but fall just short of the playoffs.

That alone gives the club a chance to bounce back and win the division, as one has to imagine a few of those close contests will go the other way this fall.

Plus, the offense managed to keep wide receiver Tee Higgins via the franchise tag and add potential solutions up front via third-round pick Dylan Fairchild and free-agent signing Patrick Lucas. 

Granted, Cincinnati has to figure out its contract situations defensively, most notably with defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and rookie Shemar Stewart. But if that gets rectified and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. can stay healthy, look for the Bengals to at least give the Ravens a run for their money this fall. 

NFC North

AP Photo/Duane Burleson

2024 Winner: Detroit Lions

If this was a betting column, the Lions would be the pick to three-peat as NFC North winners. The team didn’t lose much with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson being the biggest subtraction. 

On the field, guard Kevin Zeitler was a quality player last year, but second-round draft pick Tate Ratledge is a good replacement option. Meanwhile, free-agent signing D.J. Reed is an upgrade over free-agent loss Carlton Davis at cornerback. 

So, Detroit is the favorite to win the division again, unless one of the other playoff teams from last season can knock them off.

New 2025 Winner: Green Bay Packers

Last year, the Packers could beat just about anyone except for their division rivals. Five of their seven losses (including playoffs) were within the NFC North, and the Philadelphia Eagles accounted for the other two defeats. 

So, if Green Bay can win a couple more inter-division games this year, it will have a good shot at taking home the crown.

As far as the offseason goes, the Packers didn’t lose much. Starting center Josh Myers is now in New York, but he was Green Bay’s weak link up front, and Elgton Jenkins projects to take over. 

Meanwhile, free-agent signing Aaron Banks can replace Jenkins at guard, or 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan, or this year’s second-round pick Anthony Belton. The point is, the offense has options in the trenches.

Defensively, cornerback Keisean Nixon proved to be an upgrade on the boundary at cornerback over Eric Stokes, who signed with Las Vegas during free agency. The Packers essentially did a one-for-one swap at corner with the Raiders, signing Nate Hobbs off the open market to fill the void at nickel.

Edge-rusher opposite Rashan Gary is still a question mark for Green Bay, but Lukas Van Ness will be entering his "make-or-break" third season, and fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell gives the team another option if Van Ness can’t get the job done.

If any team in the division is going to knock off the Lions this year, it’ll be the franchise with the most NFC North titles.

AFC South

AP Photo/John Raoux

2024 Winner: Houston Texans

The Texans are another club that will likely repeat as division champs. Partially because the AFC South is pretty weak outside of them. 

Trading left tackle Laremy Tunsil was a questionable move, but the front office did add a decent replacement option to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud in Cam Robinson. 

Also, Stroud has plenty of new weapons at wide receiver between Christian Kirk and rookies Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. That helps offset the losses of Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell, assuming the latter misses this season, or at least the majority of it, while recovering from a gruesome knee injury he suffered at the end of 2024. 

New 2025 Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars

Of the other three AFC South teams, the Jaguars have the best quarterback situation with Trevor Lawrence behind center.

He has his flaws, but he gives Jacksonville a better shot to take down Houston this fall than rookie Cam Ward in Tennessee or whoever starts in Indianapolis between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. 

Additionally, hiring Liam Coen as head coach should help the Jags score more points. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator is coming off a campaign where his unit ranked fourth in points scored.

While losing Kirk could hurt since the wideout was productive when healthy, drafting two-way star Travis Hunter and signing Dyami Brown in free agency gives the team a couple of options to replace what Kirk brought to the team.

Defensively, Jacksonville returns the majority of its starters from last season, while adding safety Eric Murray and nickelback Jourdan Lewis to help give the secondary a boost.

So, if you’re betting on any team to dethrone the Texans this year, the Jaguars seem like the safest.

NFC South

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

2024 Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucaneers have dominated the NFC South since the turn of the decade, winning four out of five division titles, with all four coming in consecutive seasons.

They have a good chance to make it five in a row this fall as the majority of their starters return from last year.

While Tampa Bay did lose one first-stringer in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, the front office replaced him with Haason Reddick, who is an upgrade if Reddick can return to his 2022 and 2023 Pro Bowl form. 

The biggest questions the Bucs have are if they can get improved cornerback play from last season, which second-round pick Benjamin Morrison can help answer, and if third-year pro SirVocea Dennis or free-agent signing Anthony Walker can rise to the occasion at the linebacker spot next to Lavonte David.

New 2025 Winner: Atlanta Falcons

An argument could be made that the Falcons would have won the NFC South last year had they made the quarterback switch from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr. earlier in the campaign. Cousins was holding the offense back while Penix looked sharp in his three starts at the end of the year. 

Regardless, the 2024 No. 8 overall pick taking over under center provides more optimism for Atlanta heading into the fall.

Defensively, general manager Terry Fontenot needed to make dramatic changes to the unit’s lackluster pass rush, and he clearly understood that assignment this offseason. 

He signed a quality interior pass-rusher in Morgan Fox, then tripled downed on edge-rushers by adding Leonard Floyd in free agency and using first-round picks on Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.

Between improved quarterback play and being able to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the Falcons have the best chance to dethrone the Bucs this season.

AFC West

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

2024 Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

In addition to three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, the Chiefs have been a dominant force in the AFC West over the last decade with nine consecutive division titles. However, that run could be coming to an end.

Kansas City lost more than it gained this offseason, trading away All-Pro guard Joe Thuney while letting Swiss Army knife safety Justin Reid and up-and-coming pass-rusher Tershawn Wharton walk in free agency.

That leads to a few question marks for the team’s offensive line, secondary and pass rush, which could result in some regression this fall.

New 2025 Winner: Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are entering year two of the Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz era, and the head coach-general manager duo did a good job improving the roster this spring.

While the offense’s leading rusher, J.K. Dobbins, still hasn’t re-signed, free-agent addition Najee Harris has been a 1,000-yard rusher every year of his career and out-produced Dobbins last season. 

Also, the club used its first-round pick on North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, who was widely considered the second-best running back in the draft, and plucking guard Mekhi Becton off the open market is a big boost to the interior offensive line.

Out wide, Harbaugh and Hortiz double-dipped to find a replacement for Joshua Palmer, bringing Mike Williams back after a year away, while spending a second-round pick on Ole Miss’ Tre Harris.

That gives Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert a couple of fresh options for his No. 2 receiver behind first-year standout Ladd McConkey.

Defensively, the Chargers do have a few question marks after letting defensive end Joey Bosa, defensive tackle Morgan Fox and both of last year’s Week 1 starting cornerbacks go in free agency. 

However, Tuli Tuipulotu has racked up 13 sacks in two seasons and is ready for a bigger role. It’s just a matter of whether young players can step up at the other spots mentioned.

Look for Los Angeles to put an end to Kansas City’s run in the AFC West this year.

NFC West

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

2024 Winner: Los Angeles Rams

The NFC West is always tough to predict, seeing as each team in the division has won the title at least once over the last decade. However, the Rams have been the most consistent squad of the bunch, taking home four crowns during that period, including last season.

Looking ahead to this year, Los Angeles is primed to repeat for the first time since 2017-2018. The team’s two most significant losses, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and guard Jonah Jackson, were by their own accord.

Kupp was let go after battling injuries over the last three years, and Jackson was traded after getting squeezed out of the starting lineup by Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson. Meanwhile, Davante Adams and Coleman Shelton were added to stabilize the receiving corps and center position.

If any team is going to take down the Rams this year, it will be an up-and-coming squad rather than the reshuffling San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.

New 2025 Winner: Arizona Cardinals

Defensively, the Cardinals had a big offseason. They dramatically improved the defensive line by signing edge-rusher Josh Sweat and defensive tackles Calais Campbell and Davlin Tomlinson in free agency.

That’s in addition to trading for edge-rusher Baron Browning at the deadline and using a first-round pick on defensive lineman Darius Robinson a year ago.

Arizona didn’t stop there this spring when it came to adding players who can keep opponents off the scoreboard. The organization used six of its seven draft picks on defenders, including top-100 selections defensive tackle Walter Nolen III, cornerback Will Johnson and defensive lineman Jordan Burch.

That should lead to a much improved defense for the Cards, complementing the team’s already strong offense, which is headlined by quarterback Kyler Murray, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., tight end Trey McBride and running back James Conner. 

Look for the club to make a playoff push this fall, including threatening the Rams as NFC West champs.