We've only got so much time left to make bold predictions for the 2025 NFL season before games start actually getting played, so we've got to take advantage while there's still time.
The AFC is going to be an incredibly difficult conference this season for teams to actually break through, because there's not only teams at the top end of the conference who could be viable Super Bowl contenders, but a number of other teams throughout who won 10 or more games last season.
Which teams have legitimate opportunities to steal division crowns from last year's champions in the AFC? Is anybody truly a threat to take over, or is it going to be chalk based on last year's standings?
Biggest threats to steal AFC division titles from last year's champions
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers
My faith wavers for both the Steelers and Bengals more and more by the day. Some days, I feel like the Bengals are going to just turn on the jets right at the start of this season and outscore everyone. But right now, the Steelers unquestionably have the more well-rounded roster.
The latest developments with Trey Hendrickson possibly being traded before the start of the season are even more reason to doubt the Bengals as a legitimate option to take over the division. And for what it's worth, the Steelers also feel like a major longshot here. The Baltimore Ravens are a well-oiled machine and look like they're going to lose maybe two games if they get unlucky this season.
AFC South: Jacksonville Jaguars
I'm not sure what it is, but I'm buying the Jacksonville Jaguars more and more these days. The Jags feel like a team that's playing with house money a little bit this year. They have a first-year head coach. Nobody is expecting much from them at all. Trevor Lawrence no longer has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
And I like the moves this team made in 2025. Travis Hunter is such an impactful acquisition on both sides of the ball, but coming together to form a duo with Brian Thomas Jr. at receiver is unfair.
The Jags also play in a division that was relatively wide open last year, and if the Texans falter again, I would bet on the Jags being the ones to swoop in there.
AFC East: New England Patriots
This, like the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, is a very hesitant preseason buy. The Patriots should be a fun team to watch this year with Drake Maye entering his second year, Mike Vrabel taking over as head coach, and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson already looking like a star.
There's a lot to love about this Patriots roster but they play in a division right now with the juggernaut that is the Buffalo Bills. It's hard to see the Bills losing enough games to give a team like New England an edge more than it is hard to see a team like the Pats going from the bottom of the division to the top.
AFC West: Denver Broncos
The Broncos actually finished in third place behind the Los Angeles Chargers last year, and the Broncos also got swept by the Chargers. But Denver has had a much better offseason in 2025 compared to Los Angeles, and they might end up having the best defense in the NFL when the season's overwith.
The Broncos play in a division with the reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, but because of the Chiefs' good fortune in one-score games last year, it really feels like this division is there for the taking. The Broncos are going to be a tougher team to beat this year with Bo Nix entering his second year, the team actually having some weapons around him, and a running game that should be better than it was last year, which was incompetent.