Eagles Ranked as NFC's No. 1 Team in Poll of NFL Execs Ahead of 2025 Season

Bringing back a loaded roster after winning the Super Bowl 59 has the Philadelphia Eagles ranked as the best team in the NFC entering the 2025 regular season by people who work in the league.

In a survey of eight executives conducted by The Athletic's Mike Sando, the Eagles were voted as the top team in the NFC ahead of the Green Bay Packers.

Top 5 NFC Teams As Voted on By Executives (Average Ranking)

1. Philadelphia Eagles (1.3)
2. Green Bay Packers (2.6)
3. Detroit Lions (3.8)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4.3)
5. Los Angeles Rams (6.6)

Full rankings available on The Athletic.

Philadelphia received six first-place votes and two second-place votes. The defending Super Bowl champs were the only team that got all first- and second-place votes.

One of the executives who put the Eagles in the No. 2 spot told Sando they think the team will take "a little step back" because of all of the talent they lost in the offseason, as well as the departure of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore when he was hired as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

The Packers, who were already regarded as a top-tier team in the NFC, significantly elevated their profile after acquiring Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys last week.

One executive praised the Packers for building a roster that doesn't have many flaws.

"Green Bay has very few holes on paper," one voter told Sando. "Youngest team in the league. The offense should be loaded. Matt LaFleur is one of the most underrated coaches. You add Parsons to go with a much-improved defense already last year."

The Packers' voting output ranged from first (two votes) to fifth. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the only other team in the conference that didn't receive a vote lower than sixth.

As for the team that traded Parsons, the Cowboys finished as the fourth-worst team in the NFC in the poll. They are ahead of only the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.

One of the most surprising individual votes was for the Detroit Lions. They finished third on average, but one person Sando polled had them at No. 11 in the NFC in part because of the attrition on the offensive line and coaching staff.

"I refuse to believe they keep rolling after losing two starters on their offensive line and their two highest-paid assistant coaches," the voter said.

The Lions finished with the NFC's best record last season (15-2), but they lost in their first playoff game to the Washington Commanders. That defeat marked the end of an era of sorts in Detroit, as Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn were hired as head coaches. They also lost starting right guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency and starting center Frank Ragnow to retirement.

One key takeaway from the vote is the consensus around the top four teams in the NFC, then uncertainty about everyone else. The Eagles, Packers, Lions and Bucs rank one through four in median outcome.

After that group, the Los Angeles Rams (six), Commanders (6.5) and San Francisco 49ers (6.5) are bunched together. The Minnesota Vikings (eight) are the only other team with a median outcome lower than 10.0.