20. New York Giants
The closer we’ve gotten to the start of the 2025 season, the more I’ve been buying the hype with the New York Giants. Is there hype? I don’t know exactly where the hype train is at with this team, but I’ll say I’m buying Giants stock early this season. I don’t think Russell WIlson is going to be a complete disaster, and the Giants have weapons on offense to get the ball to. They also might have the best defensive line in their division, which is saying something. Heck, they might have more talent than any other defensive line in the conference. That’s worth something.
19. Chicago Bears
This is as high as I want to go with the Chicago Bears right now. I was buying the moves they made last year on paper, and I’m buying them again this year, but I was way too ready to send the Bears to the playoffs. Caleb Williams has a lot to prove as a starting QB in the NFL going into his second season. Can he hit layups consistently? How long before we see him meshing well with head coach Ben Johnson? I felt like the Bears got the best head coach prospect on the market this offseason, and if that offense can be cohesive early, this Bears team is going to be tough in the NFC North.
18. Arizona Cardinals
Since he came on board as the team’s head coach a couple of years ago, Jonathan Gannon has seemingly had his guys playing above their talent level. Certainly when he took over in 2023, that was the case. The Cardinals now have some serious talent to go along with the coaching of Gannon, so how quickly can they get back into the mix in the NFC West? It might be this year. The Cardinals could easily be a 10-win team if they get a breakthrough year from Marvin Harrison Jr. and their pass rush, which has been revamped considerably.
17. Miami Dolphins
I feel like I’ve been justifiably hard on the Miami Dolphins all offseason, but let’s not forget what this team is capable of offensively when everyone is healthy. Yes, we can talk about “if” they don’t stay healthy all day long, but the Dolphins obviously have everyone ready to go on that side of the ball, and their best players on the defensive front are also all full go to start the season. The secondary is a major area of concern, especially at cornerback, but we can’t rule out the Dolphins scoring 30 points a game if their offense fully intact.