The NFL is about as good as we've ever seen it from the top to the bottom heading into the 2025 season. Obviously, this is the time of year when every fan base is optimistic. Everybody is feeling decent about their chances to improve or be competitive, but that won't end up being the case for everyone.
The NFC isn't as loaded as the AFC this coming season, but it might be a lot more difficult to peg before the season starts. The NFC is "muddy" in terms of what teams we would consider contenders right now and which teams could emerge.
There are so many NFC teams who have done great things in the past, but have major and obvious question marks heading into the 2025 season. Our latest NFL Power Rankings will try to sort out the NFC as training camps roll along all around the NFL.
2025 NFL Power Rankings: Every NFC team ranked worst to best during training camp
16. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have a few bad things going against them at the moment. They've probably got the worst quarterback situation in the NFC, if not the NFL overall. They've got guys like Tyrann Mathieu retiring. Their offensive line is in a state of transition. They've got a brand-new coaching staff. Some of their best players are injury-prone and/or old.
I don't believe the Saints have a bad enough roster to lose 15 games this season if they mostly stay healthy, but they look like the worst group on paper in the NFC going into training camp.
15. Carolina Panthers
There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the offense if you're a Panthers fan in 2025, but the defense could be the worst in the NFL this season. The Panthers need some young guys to step up off the edge this season, or they're going to be in for a long year on that side of the ball.
Carolina has poor depth overall but the projected starters for this team could at least make them more competitive than some expect this year. I wouldn't be surprised if they hung around in the NFC South for a good chunk of the year.
14. Atlanta Falcons
Just like with the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons have a lot to be excited about this year offensively. There is a young quarterback in place, getting his chance to start, and he's surrounded by exciting playmakers.
The Falcons don't have anything to lose sleep over offensively, but the defense is a different situation entirely. At least this year, there are a couple of first-round picks to get excited about on that defensive front seven with Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. coming in via the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Falcons need a lot of their recent high draft picks on defense to come through in a big way.
13. New York Giants
The defensive front for the New York Giants could end up keeping this team in tight, one-score games for the majority of the year. As bad as some people seem to expect the Giants to be, it's hard to believe that a group that includes Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and first-round pick Abdul Carter is going to get bullied week after week.
When you have that much talent on a defensive line, you're going to be able to keep games tight. And if the Giants can get anything from Russell Wilson, they might be a pesky team in the NFC East this season.
12. Seattle Seahawks
There's a lot of change happening for the Seattle Seahawks yet again this offseason. It's year two of the Mike Macdonald era, but it might as well be year one again with a new quarterback (Sam Darnold), a new offensive system (led by OC Klint Kubiak), and sadly no more DK Metcalf.
The Seahawks made a bunch of moves that carry a ton of risk this offseason, especially offensively. I don't blame them for resetting the clock at quarterback, but was the investment in Darnold worth it after just one solid season in Minnesota? Is that player here to stay? I would have liked it a lot better if they had re-signed Metcalf instead of trading him and swapping him out with Cooper Kupp.
11. Arizona Cardinals
If any team on this list is overrated, it's the Arizona Cardinals. I'm just a huge believer in what we've seen so far from Jonathan Gannon, and if he can get his guys to stay healthy, I think they've boosted that defense enough to win nine or 10 games this upcoming season.
Kyler Murray needs Marvin Harrison Jr. to break through this season, and if he can, that duo of Harrison and Trey McBride in the passing game is going to be so much fun. The Cardinals added Josh Sweat to their pass rush this offseason and he could be one of the biggest impact free agents in the entire league.
10. Chicago Bears
The Bears have done all the right things on paper once again this offseason. I'm not sure they should have extended general manager Ryan Poles before seeing any real progress on the field, but that's the situation we find ourselves in.
The Bears upgrading the offensive line, especially the moves to get Joe Thuney and Drew Dalman, loom large over this team's chances of playing spoiler in the NFC North and making a run in that division. The head coach hire of Ben Johnson was arguably the best in the league. If Johnson can maximize last year's #1 pick Caleb Williams, the Bears could have something special brewing this year.
9. San Francisco 49ers
At this point, I can't tell if everyone in the NFL world is way too low on the 49ers or if everyone is still way too high on them. Putting them as the 9th-best team in their own conference feels like a low blow, and it seems wrong. Maybe it will end up being exactly that.
Regardless, the 49ers have to prove a couple of things on the field before they start rising in these types of arbitrary rankings. They have to stay healthy, first and foremost. We need to see the impact of Robert Saleh's return on the defense and a group of very young players on that side of the ball.
There are still plenty of discouraging injuries going on with the 49ers but they are way more talented at the top of the roster than the 9th-best team in the conference.
8. Dallas Cowboys
We called the NFC "muddy" in the title of this post, and the Cowboys are one of the teams muddying the waters the most.
For three straight seasons, the Cowboys -- with a healthy Dak Prescott -- won 12 games in the regular season. Prescott is back healthy again this season, but obviously the Cowboys made a change at head coach, pivoting from Mike McCarthy to Brian Schottenheimer. It's not the most inspiring move, but Dallas has enough talent to be a playoff team and possibly win 10 or 11 games...right?
Prescott is good enough to get them there, and the addition of George Pickens to that offense could be humongous.
7. Minnesota Vikings
I don't want Minnesota Vikings fans coming after me (again) but I'm approaching the 2025 season with some healthy skepticism for this team.
I like JJ McCarthy as much as the next guy, but a first-year starter in the NFL coming off of a major leg injury? That deserves to be approached with a healthy level of skepticism combined with optimism. Kevin O'Connell deserves the benefit of the doubt at this point with the job he's done in Minnesota, but the Vikings also have major concerns in the secondary this year that could burn the team.
I think they're going to be strong again, but are they going to be a 14-win team again? I don't know about that.
6. Detroit Lions
Injuries are already making headlines for the Detroit Lions, and it's barely the start of training camp. They're going to be missing Levi Onwuzurike for the 2025 season on the defensive line, and I already think they didn't do enough to upgrade that defensive front. Especially given what Aidan Hutchinson was dealing with last year, the Lions not upgrading off the edge defensively could end up being a massive mistake.
The biggest losses for this team, however, were offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Having the continuity with those guys the past few years was an underrated advantage and could soon be viewed as an underrated couple of losses for what is perceived to be one of the best teams in the NFC. I think the Lions are poised to take a step back.
5. Washington Commanders
As high as everyone else seems to be on the Commanders, I'm taking their quick rise to the top of the conference along with their division rival Eagles with a grain of salt.
There was a lot more work to do when GM Adam Peters inherited this team, and while the ascent of Jayden Daniels expedited the rebuilding process, the Commanders still have a horrendous group of edge rushers and their defense is going to have to overachieve to keep up with the expectations being heaped upon them this year.
The upgrades made offensively should have that unit humming if Kliff Kingsbury can build off of what we saw last year, especially getting Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. to upgrade that offensive line.
4. Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love is poised to take the Green Bay Packers to the top of the NFC North this season. The Packers are going to look like a well-oiled machine offensively from the first week of the season, and if they can get a breakthrough year from Lukas Van Ness on the defensive front, that side of the ball is going to be cooking with peanut oil as well.
The cornerback position for the Packers is a major concern at this point with the decisions to move on from both Eric Stokes and Jaire Alexander this offseason. They don't have the top-end talent or depth there whatsoever, but there is a ton of talent everywhere else on this roster.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dealing with an injury right now to left tackle Tristan Wirfs, so there is trouble in paradise. With that in mind, the Bucs definitely have one of the most complete rosters in the entire NFC right now and a great combination of top-end talent as well as quality depth on both sides of the ball.
General manager Jason Licht has done a tremendous job in the post-Tom Brady era for the Bucs of not only reloading the roster, but putting together an elite collection of talent to open up another championship window for his team. The Bucs are going to be a tough out in the NFC this coming season unless Baker Mayfield regresses considerably.
2. Los Angeles Rams
If there's one thing I'm certain of for this coming season, it's that the Los Angeles Rams are going to be one of the most impressive all-around teams in the league.
Oddly enough, their struggle is similar to many of the other top teams in the NFC this coming season: They have a bad cornerback group. Good cornerback help seems hard to find in the NFL these days, and the Rams missed out on a reunion with Jalen Ramsey. This isn't a perfect roster, but there isn't such a thing in today's NFL. The Rams have as good of an outfit with outstanding coaching as you will find anywhere in the NFL.
Davante Adams coming aboard this offseason makes this team even more fascinating.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Yes, the Eagles are dealing with some tough losses this offseason, but it shouldn't affect their bottom line all that much. The Eagles have the chance to win 15 regular season games this season with the current group they've got, and it would take a series of devastating injuries to derail that.
Not that Philly is going to coast to another NFC title, because there are good teams in the conference, but I would almost be shocked if we couldn't already pencil them in for an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. And frankly, it would be surprising at this point if they weren't hosting.
The Eagles have so much talent on both sides of the ball, and a defense under Vic Fangio that is going to keep them in every single game, even if the offense falters.