20. Chicago Bears
With the amount of talent that the Chicago Bears added in the 2025 NFL Season, it is hard to imagine that this team does not drastically improve. Ben Johnson may have been the most crucial addition, but their moves along the interior offensive line were slam-dunks by Ryan Poles, who has built a top-12 roster.
If Caleb Williams can get rid of the ball quicker and not take too many sacks, Chicago is going to be dangerous immediately.
19. Miami Dolphins
This could be the final year of this current Miami Dolphins era, as there isn't a ton to love with this team, but you have to give GM Chris Grier credit, as they did prioritize physicality in the 2025 NFL Draft, but it might be too little, too late.
Tua Tagovailoa has struggled to stay on the field, and the one thing a team can't do in today's NFL is invest in the wrong QB, and that might be the case for the Miami Dolphins. They are right around average.
18. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots added a ton of talent this offseason and now have a legitimate coaching staff and a competent offensive line. Their projected starting tackles in 2025 are Will Campbell and Morgan Moses, which are great additions for Drake Maye, who played a lot better than the stats may indicate.
The Pats are the second-best team in the AFC East and could shock the NFL very soon.
17. Arizona Cardinals
Another team I believe could shock the NFL in 2025 is the Arizona Cardinals. They rebuilt their defensive line in free agency and should be a lot more stout up front. They were also 6-4 at one point in 2024, so it's not like Arizona isn't competitive.
Right now, though, it's hard to rank them any higher, as there is still a lot unknown with this team approaching 2025.