Predicting Teams That Will Finish Last in Every NFL Division for the 2025 Season
All 32 NFL teams made offseason changes to improve rosters, but some will only see minimal results in the standings.
So, which teams will finish last in the divisions?
When the season plays out, you will get those answers, but for now, we can identify teams with below-average rosters, a glaring question at quarterback, a difficult schedule or a combination of the three. Those clubs will sink to the bottom of the standings.
Amid offseason optimism among most fanbases, we projected which teams will finish last in every division for the 2025 season.
Remember that these squads aren't necessarily the league's worst but are a step behind rival clubs in a race for a home playoff game.
AFC East: Miami Dolphins
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Even though the New England Patriots and New York Jets have new coaching staffs, which always brings a level of uncertainty, the Miami Dolphins have glaring question marks that could become flaws in a bottom-out year.
The Dolphins' pass defense is a significant concern, particular at cornerback.
Miami acquired three-time All-Pro Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the blockbuster trade that involved cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. Fitzpatrick can play both safety positions and slot cornerback, but the secondary is vulnerable on the boundaries without clear-cut starters on the perimeter.
Edge-rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are working their way back from significant injuries. The former partially tore his ACL last September, and the latter missed the 2024 season because of a torn ACL, meniscus and patellar tendon.
Defensive lineman Zach Sieler has recorded 10 sacks in back-to-back campaigns. As he's made a name for himself in the pass rush, though, opposing offensive linemen may double-team him until Chop Robinson consistently wins one-on-one matchups on the outside.
Tua Tagovailoa understands that he must protect himself in the pocket. The oft-injured quarterback has missed at least four games in four of five seasons. In 2023, he played in all 17 games and made the AFC Pro Bowl roster.
His availability could be the difference between a 10-win season and a team that finishes with a sub-.500 record in back-to-back years. Based on Tagovailoa's injury history, backup Zach Wilson could start in multiple games, and his poor accuracy (57 percent career completion rate) would hinder the Dolphins' aerial attack.
Miami finishes with seven or eight wins, and head coach Mike McDaniel's job security will come into question at the end of the campaign.
AFC North: Cleveland Browns
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Whoever starts at quarterback will experience his fair share of struggles behind an offensive line with two unreliable tackles. In two seasons, Dawand Jones has missed 13 games, while Jack Conklin has sat out 21 outings over the last two years because of injuries.
Cleveland has a solid core along the interior of its offensive line with Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic and Wyatt Teller between the tackles. Jerome Ford and Quinshon Judkins must find open running lanes because Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel may feel immense pocket pressure off the edges.
In addition to the pocket pressure Browns signal-callers could face, the offense only features one established receiver, Jerry Jeudy.
According to The Athletic's Zac Jackson, third-year wideout Cedric Tillman is "locked in" as a starter with 50 catches on his resume. Jackson noted the 25-year-old suffered a "minor" injury at mandatory minicamp.
Tight end David Njoku needs a productive year similar to his 2023 Pro Bowl campaign for the Browns to pose a consistent threat to defenses through the air.
Led by edge-rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward, Cleveland's defense could be as stout as it was in 2023, but the unit could bend and break if the offense struggles to sustain drives.
The Browns will remain in the AFC North cellar with an eye on quarterbacks next year.
AFC South: Tennessee Titans
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Tennessee Titans fans should be excited about No. 1 overall pick Cameron Ward. He can make throws all over the field, extend plays with his legs and finish drives on quarterback keepers.
However, Tennessee has a below-average supporting cast around him.
Besides wide receiver Calvin Ridley, the Titans don't have a receiver playing at peak performance in his prime years. Van Jefferson hasn't recorded more than 24 receptions in a season since 2021. Tyler Lockett has seen a sharp decline in receiving yards over the last three years. Treylon Burks has battled injuries, hindering his ability to establish consistency in three seasons.
By the way, Titans left tackle Dan Moore Jr. allowed 12 sacks with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, per Pro Football Focus.
Chig Okonkwo is a solid pass-catching tight end, but he averaged less than 10 yards per catch in 2023 and 2024 and has only scored six touchdowns in three seasons.
Tennessee needs running backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears to play significant roles in the offense. The backfield duo can take a lot of pressure off Ward, who shouldn't have to carry an offense in his rookie year. Guard Kevin Zeitler will provide a notable boost to the Titans' ground game.
Unless one of the rookie receivers exceeds expectations, though, Tennessee's offense will be a work in progress. The defense, which allowed the second-fewest yards last season, will keep this team in games.
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AFC West: Las Vegas Raiders
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Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders went 0-6 in the AFC West. They should be more competitive within the division this year, but they are still a step behind their playoff-caliber rivals.
The Silver and Black significantly upgraded their coaching staff, hiring head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. They traded for two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith. The team also drafted top running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick.
With those additions, Las Vegas can hang with some of the top teams across the league.
That said, the Raiders must make up more ground between their roster and legitimate playoff-contending clubs.
Las Vegas has two rookie receivers in Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton Jr., who may have to take on prominent roles as complementary playmakers to All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and wideout Jakobi Meyers. The coaching staff must also sort out the starters at both guard positions.
The Raiders have a mostly unproven secondary. They don't have a sure-fire starter at cornerback. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao has to make more impact plays this year than he did as a first-year starter in 2024.
According to The Athletic's Tashan Reed, the Raiders have featured Jeremy Chinn in the slot, which opens up a void at safety for backups Lonnie Johnson Jr. or Thomas Harper to fill in a full-time starting role.
In matchups against prolific passing attacks, Las Vegas could struggle to limit big plays and slow down opponents with dynamic receivers.
The Raiders could win seven or eight games, yet still finish last in the AFC West.
NFC East: New York Giants
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The New York Giants significantly upgraded at quarterback with the addition of Russell Wilson. He's not a franchise savior, though.
Over the last two years, the 10-time Pro Bowler has been an efficient passer, throwing for 42 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a 65 percent completion rate. Entering his age-37 campaign, he's a mediocre quarterback with great touch and accuracy on deep balls but lacks the upside to push an offense over the top with spectacular plays in critical moments.
Big Blue will be more competitive than last year because of Wilson, though. He has a decent collection of playmakers with Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson at receiver. Running backs Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. can be a thunder-lightning type backfield duo.
However, one has to question if the Giants can outduel opponents in their division. Their rivals have dynamic quarterbacks (Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels) or a signal-caller who has posted gaudy passing numbers in multiple seasons (Dak Prescott).
Outside the NFC East, the Giants will face arguably two of the NFL's best divisions, the NFC North and the AFC West. Even with the addition of edge-rusher Abdul Carter, cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland, New York's defense may not be able to keep up with the level of competition on its schedule.
The Giants improved their roster this offseason, but it won't amount to much because of a tough schedule.
NFC North: Minnesota Vikings
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The Minnesota Vikings will go from one of the league's biggest surprise playoff teams in 2024 to a disappointing squad this year.
Though head coach Kevin O'Connell has proved himself to be a quality play-caller, he can't wave a magic wand to expedite first-year starter J.J. McCarthy's development.
The 22-year-old is coming off a lost rookie year in which he needed multiple surgeries to repair a torn meniscus from last August. He has to get back into playing shape while building a rapport with his teammates.
The Vikings have the supporting cast to help McCarthy's learning curve with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson in the pass-catching group. Minnesota attempted to strengthen the offensive line by adding rookie first-round guard Donovan Jackson, four-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries.
The defense may be better than last year's unit that ranked fifth in scoring and 16th in total yards with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on the front line.
However, McCarthy's inexperience could cost the Vikings some games against formidable opponents. Since he became head coach, O'Connell's rushing offenses have ranked 19th or worse. Without a complementary ground game, the QB could struggle through the first half of the season before he finds his rhythm.
The Vikings will hover around .500 until McCarthy makes significant strides.
NFC South: New Orleans Saints
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Derek Carr hasn't been an elite-level quarterback, but the New Orleans Saints will notice the drop-off between him and rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener.
Carr's retirement punched the Saints' top-five draft pick ticket for next year.
New Orleans will trot out an inexperienced quarterback or perhaps a rookie in Shough, who started one full year on the collegiate level because of an extensive injury history.
Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks may finish the upcoming season with modest receiving numbers because of the team's quarterback situation.
Also, the Saints would be wise to employ a running back by committee instead of piling on touches to 29-year-old Alvin Kamara's workload.
New Orleans will field a solid defense with play-caller Brandon Staley, who once coached linebackers and defensive backs, getting the most out of Demario Davis, Tyrann Mathieu, Justin Reid and Alontae Taylor on the back seven of the unit.
Still, even with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore taking over as Saints head coach, this club will be one of the three bottom-scoring teams this year unless it makes a move for a starting-caliber quarterback.
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks
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In 2024, the Seattle Seahawks won 10 games and still missed the playoffs, and then they made significant changes to their offense. They fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and traded quarterback Geno Smith, per his request, and wideout DK Metcalf.
The Seahawks replaced Grubb with Klint Kubiak, who should be an upgrade, considering head coach Mike Macdonald wants to run the ball effectively. Kubiak likely learned the intricacies of developing a productive ground game from his father, Gary.
However, Seattle signed Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp to fill voids at quarterback and wide receiver, respectively.
Darnold must prove his 2024 Pro Bowl year with the Vikings wasn't a fluke and his journeyman years are behind him. Meanwhile, Kupp has to stay healthy. He's missed 18 games over the last two years, at least five in each of the previous three seasons.
Macdonald, an accomplished defensive play-caller, should be able to field a top-10 scoring and total defense with All-Pro/Pro Bowl players and budding talent on all three levels of the unit. Yet he may not be satisfied with his offense in consecutive terms.
Darnold will regress behind an offensive line with question marks on the interior, resulting in Seattle taking a slight step back in the standings in a seven- or eight-win campaign.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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