The 2023 NFL season is going to be full of parity and electricity, but some divisions are going to be much more competitive than others. Let’s take a stab at ranking them from worst to best ahead of the season. It’s been yet another offseason of fireworks in the NFL.
Big moves were made in free agency and in the 2023 NFL Draft, as teams hope to angle themselves to becoming true contenders now or in the near future. There’s also a ton at stake for many coaches, players, GMs, and everyone in between.
And once again, there are major QB names in new places, a trend that seemed to start when Tom Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in the 2020 offseason. It’s clear that a few divisions stick out as being the best in the NFL, but there are some others that are simply filled with horrid teams.
Let’s rank the divisions ahead of the 2023 NFL season from worst to best.
2023 NFL Season: Ranking the divisions from worst to best
#8 – NFC South
I’m not sure there is a single team in this division that can truly be viewed as a playoff team. Most notably, this division features not a single team with an elite quarterback. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons each have young QBs that might end up being great, but the New Orleans Saints are set to start the 15th best QB in the league in Derek Carr, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look poised to start the 35th best QB in the league in Baker Mayfield.
One team does have to win this division, and I personally think the Panthers end the 2023 NFL season as being better than originally thought.
#7 – AFC South
At least in the AFC South there is a true contender and an elite quarterback. The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to go 6-0 in their division this year en route to 12 wins and a trip deep into the AFC playoffs. Trevor Lawrence is going to receive some MVP votes as well. Outside of the Jags, though, there really isn’t much else.
The Tennessee Titans look to want to run it back one last time with the Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry core, but I don’t see them winning more than six or seven games, and both the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans look to be embracing a full rebuild with young QBs of their own.
The 2024 season might end up being much different for this division, though.
2023 NFL Season: Ranking the divisions from worst to best
#6 – NFC North
The NFC North has the potential to be a great division when the 2023 NFL season begins, but there’s a lot of unproven teams and players that occupy it now. I think the best team in this division is the Detroit Lions, but they won just nine games last year. I don’t believe the Minnesota Vikings are going to recreate their 2022 season, so I think they end up being and eight or nine win team.
The Green Bay Packers have no clue what Jordan Love will do, and many are hyping up the Chicago Bears after a fine offseason even though Justin Fields has not proven to be an adequate passer in the NFL. By season’s end, we could be looking at this division housing three playoff teams, though.
#5 – NFC West
Each team in this division has massive question marks. The Arizona Cardinals simply have a bad roster and a new regime in town, so I don’t think they’ll win five games. They are a team to watch for the Caleb Williams saga. Could they move off of Kyler Murray already for the chance to draft Williams?
The Los Angeles Rams bottomed out last year with a slew of injuries and an inefficient Matthew Stafford. With Stafford’s lengthy injury history and his age getting up there, along with the aging Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald, is this even a .500 win team anymore? Besides their core three, the rest of the roster is missing a ton of talent.
The San Francisco 49ers are likely going to end up back in the divisional round at least in the 2023 NFL season, but who the heck is playing quarterback for them? Will Brock Purdy be ready for week one? If not, who holds the fort down in the meantime, and was Purdy’s 2022 season just a stroke of luck?
The Seattle Seahawks better hope the newly-extended Geno Smith does not fall into a historical trend of backup-caliber QBs shockingly playing well one year before crashing back down to Earth the next year. If this is who Smith is now, the Seahawks might win another game or two if their defense can take a step forward.
2023 NFL Season: Ranking the divisions from worst to best
#4 – NFC East
You’d think that I’d have this division ranked higher since three playoff teams came from it last year, but I am very low on the New York Giants and Washington Commanders. The Dallas Cowboys also always seem to play down to their competition and consistently fail when the pressure is highest. While the division isn’t the “NFC Least” anymore, it’s not the best in the NFL.
#3 – AFC West
The AFC West is very talented, but every team outside the defending Super Bowl champions has huge question marks. Will the Los Angeles Chargers avoid the injury bug for once, an can they finally break free of this “Chargers Curse” that has been plaguing them for years? What in the heck are the Las Vegas Raiders even doing? They dumped Derek Carr for an inferior QB in Jimmy Garoppolo, have a bad offensive line, bad defense, and poor coaching.
While the Denver Broncos seem to have great coaching and roster, their biggest question mark is Russell Wilson, who was horrid in 2022. Will the 2023 NFL season bring better fortune for the veteran QB? If the Chargers and Broncos can get out of their own way, both can be playoff teams and both can make life a bit annoying for the Chiefs.
At best, the Raiders can remain in the AFC playoff hunt for most of the season, but I think they’d ultimately fall short.
2023 NFL Season: Ranking the divisions from worst to best
#2 – AFC North
The AFC North has a ton of talent. The Cincinnati Bengals are among the elite teams in the NFL and there is a pretty good chance they end up back in the AFC Championship Game for the third straight season. Joe Burrow is bound to win a Super Bowl. This team feels so close, right?
The Baltimore Ravens made the playoffs last year and didn’t have Lamar Jackson for the final weeks. They figure to be right back in it and will likely flirt with double-digit wins yet again. They are a well-oiled machine that doesn’t seem to stop running.
The Cleveland Browns might vault back into the AFC playoff picture if Deshaun Watson can regain his old form. The Browns are excellent in the trenches, which is huge for winning in the NFL. Their offensive line is perhaps the best in the league and Nick Chubb might be the best running back in the NFL.
They also have talent at other crucial positions like cornerback, EDGE rusher, and QB.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a strong offseason, but I am not bought in on Kenny Pickett. I don’t see them as a playoff team but they haven’t had a losing season in nearly two decades, so there’s reason to believe they’ll be right in the middle of the playoff hunt in the 2023 NFL season.
#1 – AFC East
I don’t think this is much of a debate. The AFC East is the most talented division in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills have won the division three years in a row and have a very good quarterback, but now appear to have some legitimate competition.
The New York Jets added Aaron Rodgers to what is now a very good roster, and the Miami Dolphins went 9-8 last year with an elite offense but a defense that needed some help. Well, help might be in the way with additions of Jalen Ramsey and Vic Fangio. If the Dolphins can figure their defense out, they’ll be a complete team.
The New England Patriots, well, they still have Bill Belichick, right? I don’t think they are a playoff team, but they did win 10 games just two years ago, so I suppose anything is possible.