NFL training camp is around the corner, and most teams’ starting rosters are practically set. So, how do all eight NFL divisions stack up against one another?
Let’s dive into our 2024 rankings for all eight NFL divisions from WORST to FIRST.
Which division is the best in the upcoming NFL season?
8. NFC South
The NFC South last produced a team with double-digit wins in 2021.
That was Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who went 13-and-4. Also, this team hasn’t sent a wild card team to the playoffs since 2020, Brady’s first year with the Bucs.
The Atlanta Falcons are now the team to beat in this NFL division after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million. Yet their decision to take Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall strongly indicates that they’re still not really committed to a “win-now” strategy.
Atlanta hasn’t had a winning season since 2017. Cousins should change that, but this team’s ceiling is 10 or 11 wins. And it’s hard to envision them getting past the Divisional Round in a conference with the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles.
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The Bucs overachieved last year with a 9-and-8 record. Color us skeptical that Baker Mayfield will repeat his career year.
The New Orleans Saints are who they are: A mushy middle team that will finish in the 7-9 win range. The refusal to rebuild is catching up on them. It’s only fitting that a mediocre team is committed to the epitome of mediocre quarterbacks in Derek Carr.
At best, New Orleans will win nine games and the NFC South. Then they’ll get crushed in the Wild Card Round.
The Carolina Panthers, well, can’t be any worse after a 2-and-15 season. Bryce Young can only improve after a horrid rookie year, but the Panthers aren’t realistically anywhere close to contention.
7. AFC South
We have no doubt the reigning division champion Houston Texans will make the jump to Super Bowl contender.
CJ Stroud, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Will Anderson Jr., and Derek Stingley Jr. round out an elite young nucleus, and newcomers Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, and Danielle Hunter could be the difference-makers that get this team over the top.
But who are the Jacksonville Jaguars? Trevor Lawrence still hasn’t put it all together throughout the course of a full year. The Josh Allen-led defense has immense potential but also hasn’t reached its ceiling yet.
Brian Thomas and Gabe Davis were nice additions to the offense, but how much will they make up for Calvin Ridley’s departure?
The Indianapolis Colts were a fun story last year, finishing 9-and-8 without rookie QB Anthony Richardson for most of the year. But we still don’t know what Indy has with Richardson, a boom-or-bust quarterback with major injury risk.
The Colts have a nice set of playmakers led by Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr., and their front seven is among the best in football. But this team hasn’t won double-digit games since 2020, so you decide if you wanna buy the hype on this “mushy middle” franchise.
The Tennessee Titans finished last in the division with a 6-11 record last year. They lost Derrick Henry to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency but found a solid replacement in Tony Pollard, not to mention that the Will Levis-led passing game can only improve following the splashy additions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd.
Still, the Titans seem a couple of years away from re-emerging as a contender in the AFC. Their ceiling is seven wins.
So you have one bonafide contender in the Texans, two “hopeful” playoff teams in Jacksonville and Indianapolis, and a rebuilding Titans squad. It’s the ultimate mystery of an NFL division, so we can’t rank it any higher than seventh there.
6. AFC West
If the Kansas City Chiefs weren’t the NFL’s model franchise, this division would garner consideration for the dead-last ranking.
But alas, the Chiefs keep this team out of the basement. They’re in the midst of a dynastic run after winning back-to-back Super Bowls — becoming the first team to hit that feat since the 2003 and ‘04 New England Patriots.
Somehow, Patrick Mahomes’ squad got even scarier with the additions of Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and Xavier Worthy. Once again, Andy Reid’s group is the team to beat heading into this year.
The Los Angeles Chargers are hoping to end years of underachievement with a new head coach-GM regime of Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz. We have no doubt Harbaugh will restore relevance to this franchise, but we’re also not sure if the Bolts are quite ready for the big jump.
They lost Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler on offense. So, Justin Herbert’s set of playmakers consists of Josh Palmer rookie Ladd McConkey and sophomore Quentin Johnston. Not ideal.
If all breaks right, the Bolts may get a playoff berth, but seven to eight wins feels more likely.
The Las Vegas Raiders went a respectable 8-and-9 last year. We loved the decision to make Antonio Pierce the permanent head coach, plus the additions of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and prized tight end prospect Brock Bowers.
But…but..are you really sold on Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II as their QB room? Neither are we.
The Denver Broncos are in full-scale rebuilding mode after moving on from Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, and Justin Simmons. Either Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson, or rookie Bo Nix will run the offense.
Neither option screams, “Wow.” This is going to be a year of growing pains for Denver following the disastrous Russell Wilson trade.
So, you have the defending champions, two teams with minor postseason hopes, and a rebuilding team that will be lucky to hit five wins. Aside from Kansas City, this division has seen better days.
5. NFC East
Incredibly, the 2003 and ‘04 Philadelphia Eagles are the last team to have won the NFC East division crown in back-to-back years.
This NFL division has two consistent playoff teams, the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. But whereas the Cowboys have a knack for choking in the postseason every year, the Jalen Hurts-led Eagles were this close to a Super Bowl championship two seasons ago.
The Eagles have one of the deepest rosters in football and should be a bonafide Super Bowl contender in 2024. The Cowboys, well, will get you double-digit rounds and then get eliminated in the Wild Card or Divisional Round.
Both the New York Giants and Washington Commanders are in rebuilding mode. The Commanders should be more watchable, with promising rookie Jayden Daniels leading the offense, and the Giants’ passing game should improve with rookie Malik Nabers giving this team a five-star playmaker on offense.
But the Giants and Commanders are nowhere close to playoff contention. The Eagles are a top dog in the NFC, and the Cowboys at least get the job done in the regular season.
So consider this a “mushy middle” division, hence the “mushy middle” ranking here at No. 5.
Also Read: All 32 NFL Teams’ Best Possible Outcome For The Upcoming 2024 Season
4. NFC North
The NFC North is also a tricky division to rank in the NFL. You have one bonafide Super Bowl contender, one hopeful Super Bowl contender, and two teams loaded with young talent that MAY or MAY NOT be ready to compete for a playoff berth.
Obviously, the NFC North starts with the Detroit Lions. This team was a couple of non-miscues away from reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history, only to cough up a 17-point lead to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
Consider it a learning experience for the Lions, who have a top-tier offense and a steady defense that should be even better, with Carlton Davis and Terrion Arnold joining Brian Branch in the secondary.
For the first time ever, we can say it’s “Super Bowl or Bust” in Motor City.
The Green Bay Packers were one of the big surprises of 2023, sneaking into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed before destroying the Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round. The Pack gave the top-seeded 49ers a scare in the Divisional Round before dropping a heartbreaker 24-21.
Green Bay signed former rushing champion Josh Jacobs and star safety Xavier McKinney to help the young core of Jordan Love, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Devonte Wyatt, and Quay Walker. Will these moves help the Packers take that next step forward?
At the very least, this is a wild card team.
The Chicago Bears had perhaps the most exciting offseason of all 32 teams. They drafted Caleb Williams first overall and wasted no time surrounding him with weaponry, bringing in prized rookie wideout Rome Odune, Pro Bowl wideout Keenan Allen, and former 1,000-yard rusher D’Andre Swift.
Chicago’s offense will be can’t-miss stuff, but do they have enough on defense outside of Montez Sweat and Jaylon Johnson to compete in the NFC? That’s the main cause for concern in Windy City.
The Minnesota Vikings moved on from Kirk Cousins and brought in Sam Darnold as a bridge QB before drafting Michigan’s JJ McCarthy. This is a transition year in Minny, but the three-headed monster of Justin Jefferson, TJ Hockenson, and Jordan Addison will ensure that the Vikings don’t bottom out.
Like Chicago, Minnesota’s ceiling feels like ten wins. But the worst-case scenario feels like seven or eight wins for both.
3. NFC West
This division has sent at least two teams to the NFL postseason every year since 2018. Since that year, the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers have both won the NFC Championship twice — with LA winning the Super Bowl in the 2021 season.
The San Francisco 49ers remain the class of the NFC West heading into 2024. Nobody in the division can challenge their star-studded roster headlined by Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Brock Purdy, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, and Fred Warner.
San Fran remains the team to beat in the NFC heading into 2024. Pure and simple.
Sean McVay’s Rams won 10 games and snatched a wild card berth in a rebuilding year. Losing Aaron Donald to retirement hurts, but there’s a great mix of veteran studs and young stars to keep this team competitive.
If Matthew Stafford stays healthy and runs this offense efficiently again, the Rams will be a dark horse contender in the NFC. Remember, they only lost by one point to a much-deeper Lions team in the Wild Card Round.
The Seattle Seahawks missed the postseason in 2023 despite a 9-and-8 record. We don’t buy them as a Super Bowl contender, but the potent offense and young secondary led by Riq Woolen and Devon Weatherspoon will keep them in the playoff hunt. Double-digit wins and a wild card berth aren’t out of the question here.
The Arizona Cardinals aren’t quite ready for prime time, but it’s hard not to get excited about a Kyler Murray-led offense that just added a generational wide receiver prospect in Marvin Harrison Jr.
Arizona won’t be boring in 2024; we can say that much. They may embrace the spoiler role, but the Redbirds are still a couple of years away from re-emerging as a playoff team in the NFC.
So you have one NFL heavyweight, a darkhorse Super Bowl contender, a third playoff hopeful, and a rebuilding team that should make some progress in 2024. It’s a really strong division, alright.
2. AFC East
There was a time where this division was ruled entirely by the New England Patriots in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era. In a complete tables-turning era, the Pats are now the division cellar dwellers.
This division is headlined by Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills, who’ve won four straight division crowns and qualified for the postseason in five straight years. Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins are no slouches either, with four straight winning seasons and consecutive wild card berths.
The Dolphins explosive offense led by Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle should have them in title contention this year. Ditto for the Bills if Allen can get by with the departure of Stefon Diggs.
You also have a New York Jets squad that WILL contend for the playoffs — and hopefully a Super Bowl — if Aaron Rodgers stays healthy. There’s just too much talent on both sides of the ball for these Jets to disappoint.
And the Patriots? Well, they’re in rebuilding mode with new head coach Jerod Mayo and rookie QB Drake Maye.
But the Pats aren’t going to move this NFL division out of the No. 2 spot. Not when the other three teams have realistic Super Bowl aspirations.
1. AFC North
The AFC North boasted four teams with winning records in 2023 — marking the first time since 1935 that every team in one division finished above .500.
The Baltimore Ravens reached the AFC title game for the first time in the Lamar Jackson era. Jackson, who claimed his second MVP award, will always have the Ravens in contention as long as he’s healthy.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2023 season was washed away with Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury. The Bengals have gone to one Super Bowl and two AFC Championships in Burrow’s two healthy seasons.
So if Burrow is healthy in 2024, the Bengals are a legitimate player for the Super Bowl.
The Cleveland Browns won 11 games and reached the postseason despite using five quarterbacks last year. If Deshaun Watson stays healthy and regains his Houston Texans star-like form, the Browns will also be a contender for the Lombardi Trophy.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won 10 games and earned a playoff berth with the QB trio of Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph a year ago. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are significant upgrades over both men, so another 10-win season and postseason berth is very much within reach for Mike Tomlin’s squad.
So, three bonafide championship contenders and a team that’s in the playoff race every year? Folks, there’s no debating that the AFC North is the golden standard of NFL divisions heading into 2024.
Also Read: We Gave All 8 NFL Divisions A Major Shakeup: Where Does Your Favorite Team Move?
