The NFL isn’t just about who’s winning right now; it’s about who’s built to win for years to come. Some divisions are stacked with young NFL stars, elite coaches, and front offices that seem to nail every draft pick. Others? Well… let’s just say their fans might be in for some long Sundays ahead.
Let’s take a look around the league—and project into the future to see which divisions have the most promising future—and rank them accordingly!
Which divisions have shown much promise in the NFL today?
8. NFC South
The NFC South is essentially like the NFL’s waiting room for the most incompetent organizations—aside from the Buccaneers… But the rest of the teams are just sitting there, flipping through magazines while the rest of the league moves forward. There’s potential, sure, but as of right now, this NFL division is more about “what could be” than “what is.”
Over in New Orleans, the Saints are living in NFL purgatory. Derek Carr is the definition of “fine.” Not great, not terrible – just fine. Chris Olave is legit, and the defense is solid, but where’s the upside? This team feels like it’s stuck in the middle, and in the NFL, that’s the worst place to be.
And while Atlanta has been loaded with offensive talent for a couple of years now, they can never seem to piece together a full season.
Of course, that pales in comparison to the disaster we’ve seen play out in Carolina over the past few seasons… Granted, we have seen some improvement out of Bryce Young in the back half of 2024, but there are still WAY more questions than answers there.
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Let’s face it: The NFC South is bad now, and they are projected to be bad in the future. There simply aren’t the right people calling the shots for those teams—and their rosters and the play on the field reflect that.
7. AFC South
The AFC South feels less like a box of dynamite and more like a firecracker that never quite goes off. There’s potential here, sure – but “potential” doesn’t win divisions, and for the most part, this NFL division has been treading water for years.
Let’s start with Jacksonville. The Jaguars should be the kings of this division by now. Trevor Lawrence has all of the potential in the world but, for some reason, hasn’t been able to get it figured out with any degree of consistency in Duvall.
Houston might be the one team that is actually moving in the right direction. C.J. Stroud looks like the future – calm, confident, and frankly better than most expected—even with a slight regression in year two.
And on the other side of the ball you have Will Anderson Jr. Leading the way… Sounds likethe foundation of something real.
But let’s not pretend this team is really ready to contend just yet. The Texans still feel like a year or two away from scaring anyone in January.
Then there’s Indianapolis. Anthony Richardson’s potential is electric… but the dude can’t stay healthy or, frankly, deliver accurate passes with any consistency. That’s a problem. It doesn’t matter how much potential he has if he’s in street clothes for half the season, and when he’s on the field, he misses guys wide-open in the flats!
At this point, even with Richardson on the field, this Colts team still feels like Jonathan Taylor or bust.
And Tennessee? They’re circling the drain. Will Levis isn’t the answer… and even in year one, it feels like Bill Callahan is coaching on borrowed time.
The only bright side for the Titans has been the defense, but there is not enough there to put much stock in their prospects for the future.
The AFC South has been “building for the future” for half a decade—and the smart money says that trend is going to continue with the way these franchises are run!
6. AFC East
The AFC East feels like a ticking time bomb – but not in the “exciting potential” way. More like the “this could fall apart at any second” kind of way.
Obviously, the Buffalo Bills have proven to be a juggernaut behind Josh Allen. Coming into 2024, people thought that the Bills were teetering on the edge of a major drop-off… that this would be another one of those classic “Super Bowl window closing” stories, but they’ve shown they have the unique ability to reload on the fly.
But, honestly, they are the only NFL team in this division worth believing in going forward.
Sure, Miami has some pieces in place… But Tua can’t seem to stay healthy—and that offense looks lost without him. Not to mention, Tyreek Hill is only getting older—and those nagging injuries are starting to add up.
There’s no question Miami has the talent if everything goes perfectly… But betting on this squad to stay healthy all season feels like playing Russian roulette with three bullets in the chamber.
Then we get to New England. This isn’t just a rebuild – this is scorched earth. Drake Maye is the shiny new toy, but let’s be real – even if Maye turns into the second coming of Tom Brady (spoiler: he won’t), the Patriots’ offense needs serious help. Outside of their defense, keeping games mildly respectable, this is a team that’s going to take its lumps for a while.
And… then there is the New York Jets—a franchise that seems doomed to torture its fanbase for decades to come—or at least as long as the Johnson family and their bizarro world cast of characters continue to run that team into the ground.
What makes New York all the more frustrating is that they have been able to accumulate a ton of talent through the draft… Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson are legit studs—and their defense, aside from 2024, has been one of the most consistent in the league… They were even able to pull off the miracle off-season move of acquiring Aaron Rodgers, but this franchise is straight-up cursed.
Cursed by the incompetence of their ownership.
Even when things are going well, they can’t help but mettle, and sooner rather than later, things will always fall apart at the seams for the Jets.
The AFC East is talented but volatile. If you’re betting on stability going forward, maybe look somewhere else.
5. NFC West
The NFC West feels like an NFL division that could swing wildly in either direction. You’ve got juggernauts and rebuilders all mixed together.
San Francisco has been the alpha for the past few years, but it looks like their roster is starting to turn… while they have the major questions answered under center and with Kyle Shanahan as their head coach—they have a lot of work to do to get that train back on the track.
Credit to the Rams, though, because they’ve proven to be a franchise that may be in transition but doesn’t rebuild. Sean McVay and Co. always manage to reload.
Matthew Stafford is still slinging it, Puka Nacua looks like a future star, and the Rams’ defense, led by Aaron Donald’s successor Jared Verse, is quietly rebuilding into something nasty.
Seattle is on the cusp. The Seahawks defense is young and talented – Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon are future stars – but Geno Smith isn’t the long-term answer. If they can find their next quarterback, Seattle is ready to make a run.
Arizona is the wildcard. Kyler Murray is a game-changer, but injuries have slowed his rise. Still, Garrett Williams and Trey McBride are emerging as key pieces, and if the Cardinals keep building through the draft, they’ll be dangerous soon.
The NFC West is unpredictable, but it should remain one of the more competitive divisions going forward.
4. NFC East
With characters like Jerry Jones, Nick Sirianni, and the Mara Family, the NFC East is like a soap opera – dramatic, unpredictable, and somehow always in the spotlight whether it deserves to be or not.
But at this point in time, there is reason to pay attention to this bunch of squeaky wheels.
Let’s start with Philadelphia. The Eagles are still the class of this NFL division – no question. Jalen Hurts continues to play like an MVP candidate, and adding Saquon Barkley to an already-loaded offense almost feels unfair. Philly’s offensive line is elite, and the defense can shut teams down when it matters.
They should continue to contend for years to come.
Dallas, on the other hand, is like a fancy sports car with engine trouble. Dak Prescott can light up the scoreboard one week and look completely out of sync the next. Micah Parsons is a one-man wrecking crew on defense, but the Cowboys still haven’t figured out how to get over that playoff hump—and in 2024, they couldn’t even get out of the gates.
That said, the talent is still there—and the window isn’t closed… but time is ticking.
Then there’s Washington. Look, the Commanders might finally be onto something. Jayden Daniels has injected life into this franchise, and for the first time in what feels like forever, there’s genuine excitement in D.C.
Last and certainly least—the Giants. Woof. This team, no, this entire organization is a mess.
They gambled and lost on Daniel Jones and it looks like they are going to be paying off that debt for years to come.
At least the NFC East has a couple of horses worth backing going forward!
3. AFC North
The AFC North isn’t just tough – it’s downright brutal. Every NFL team in this division, maybe even the Browns, can get their act together post-Deshaun Watson, and maybe they can win now.
Cincinnati has Joe Burrow. That’s enough to keep them in the mix. With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals’ offense is electric, and if they can add a couple more pieces so that the defense can make just enough plays, they will be legit contenders year in and year out.
Baltimore is downright scary, too… With Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, they have a terrifying duo leading the running game—and Zay Flowers and Marc Andrews make things miserable for opposing secondaries.
Lest we forget that when they are humming, the Ravens’ defense hits harder than a freight train.
Pittsburgh’s window is slightly smaller, as they are reliant on Russell Wilson’s resurgence, which was a bit of a surprise, to begin with, but the Steelers’ defense, led by T.J. Watt, is a force to be reckoned with.
At the bottom of the barrel… we have the aforementioned Browns. Cleveland’s defense has elite playmakers, namely Myles Garrett, who is a bonafide game-wrecker, and Jerry Jeudy adds much-needed firepower on offense.
Cleveland just needs to get it figured out under center, and then they, too, could be set up for the future like the rest of their AFC North comrades!
2. NFC North
This isn’t the NFC North of old, where Aaron Rodgers waltzed to division titles year after year. No, this NFL division is wide open and packed with teams that are building the right way.
At the top, you’ve got the Detroit Lions, who are slowly transforming from the league’s lovable underdog into a legitimate powerhouse. Then there’s Green Bay, who might’ve found their next franchise quarterback without needing a 30-year gap of mediocrity—like every other organization seems to need to do…
And let’s not forget about the Vikings, who have one of the best head coaches in the game in Kevin O’Connell and a resurgent Sam Darnold leading the way under center—with a top prospect in J.J. McCarthy sitting behind him.
Even Chicago – yeah, the Bears – have this past year’s number one overall pick in Caleb Williams as their signal caller—and if the front office can get its act together and bring in a coach that can establish a culture to bring order to that talented roster, we could see them competing sooner than later too!
1. AFC West
The AFC West isn’t just loaded – it’s slowly but surely becoming downright unfair.
We’re talking about an NFL division with quarterbacks who can light it up—led by some of the best head coaches in the league, guys like Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh, Sean Payton, defenses that can wreck games, and teams that aren’t just thinking about making the playoffs… they’re thinking about winning it all.
And… of course, there’s the Raiders, who are still toiling away in incompetence, but still!
The top three teams in the division are set up in a big way.
Mahomes is still Mahomes, Herbert is ready to level up under Harbaugh, Bo Nix might be the steal of the draft, and while the Raiders may continue to stink, particularly playing the slugfest of a schedule they will have to in this division, Brock Bowers is already making defensive coordinators lose sleep.
And all three of the top teams also have beastly defenses with some of the best playmakers that side of the ball has to offer… Pat Surtain Jr. In Denver, Chris Jones is in KC, Bosa and Khalil Mack and co. are in L.A.—the list seems to just go on and on!
The Chiefs may own this division for now, but don’t sleep on the rest of the West. The gap is closing… and as far as the rest of the league is concerned, they have a real problem on their hands with this division as a whole.
Also Read: How Do NFL Divisions Work? Everything You Need To Know
