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

The Baltimore Ravens were named the best team in the AFC ahead of the 2025 NFL regular season based on a poll of eight NFL team executives.

Conducted by Mike Sando of The Athletic, the anonymous poll asked the execs to rank all 16 AFC teams in order, and there was a clear separation between the Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and the rest of the field.

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

1. Baltimore Ravens: 1.8
2. Buffalo Bills: 2
3. Kansas City Chiefs: 2.3
4. Cincinnati Bengals: 5
5. Houston Texans: 5.6

Only the Ravens, Bills and Chiefs received top-three rankings by the eight execs with the Ravens earning four first-place rankings and the Bills and Chiefs getting two each.

Baltimore has made three consecutive playoff appearances and reached the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons overall.

With a 12-5 record, the Ravens won their second straight AFC North title last season, spearheaded by the superstar combo of quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry on offense.

Jackson nearly won his second straight NFL MVP Award and third NFL MVP overall by virtue of throwing for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions, and rushing for 915 yards and four scores.

However, Jackson was denied by Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who was named NFL MVP for the first time in his career.

Allen and the Bills also ended the Ravens' season in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, beating them 27-25. That marked the second time Allen has beaten Jackson head-to-head in a postseason game.

Buffalo has won five straight AFC East titles and made six straight playoff appearances, but the Chiefs have continued to be a thorn in the Bills' side.

The Bills lost a 32-29 heartbreaker to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game last season, which was the fourth time in five years that quarterback Patrick Mahomes beat Allen and the Bills in the playoffs.

KC has won a remarkable nine straight AFC West titles, made 10 straight playoff appearances and reached the Super Bowl three straight years.

The Chiefs were denied a third consecutive Super Bowl win last season, as they were thoroughly dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX.

Kansas City being third in the AFC rankings may have something to do with voter fatigue, but it could also be a sign that execs are expecting at least a slight drop-off given Mahomes' lessened production the past couple of years and the apparent erosion of tight end Travis Kelce's skills.

Still, the Ravens, Bills and Chiefs are the popular picks to be at or near the top of the AFC in 2025, and no other team is particularly close.