5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are one team that could jump up to 12 wins this coming season if they can stay mostly healthy, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Injuries last year to Vita Vea and Antoine Winfield Jr. may have cost this team a couple of wins, but with the explosivenes of that offense, the Bucs should be in every game.
Baker Mayfield has taken the next step forward as an NFL quarterback as a member of the Bucs, and general manager Jason Licht not only rewarded him with a new contract of his own, but a ton of new weapons to spread the ball to. That Bucs offense will be something special once again with the return of Chris Godwin and the addition of Emeka Egbuka.
The defense will be key for the Bucs taking that next step. Haason Reddick has to return to the form we saw from him in Philadelphia and new additions in the secondary have to step up quickly.
4. Washington Commanders
If the Minnesota Vikings are the most polarizing team in the NFC this coming season, then the Washington Commanders are a close second.
Every part of me wants to buy the ascent of this team after what we saw last season, where Jayden Daniels became a borderline MVP candidate on his way to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The combination of draft picks and free agents along with Dan Quinn and his staff was the perfect year one combination for this particular team.
But how will they do with higher expectations heaped upon them in 2025? How is that defense going to look with a downgraded pass rush on paper? That's my main issue with them right now, and remains my primary reason for skepticism for an otherwise very talented team in 2025.
3. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have a head coach and quarterback who won the Super Bowl together already. They've completely revamped their offensive weaponry since then and the defense is loaded up with young players ready to take the next step in their careers.
The Rams went from the "F*** Them Picks" mantra to making every single pick count, and general manager Les Snead has been doing a bit of flexing. The Rams got Davante Adams this offseason and used their top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on athletic tight end Terrance Ferguson.
They have the weapons offensively to contend in the NFC and that young defense has playmakers all over the defensive front. If they can make one more move to upgrade at cornerback, this team will be poised to coast into the NFC Championship game.