2024 NFL Season: Predicting all eight division winners heading into the new year
NFC North - Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions won the NFC North division last year, again got better this offseason, and should be in line to win it again this year. I could see the Green Bay Packers making a run at the NFC North, but they might not have quite enough to takedown Detroit. Last year, both the Lions and Packers advanced far into the postseason, so this divison could be among the best in the NFL.
And heck, there is no use counting out the new-look Chicago Bears, who now have Caleb Williams at the QB spot. However, Detroit has all the momentum.
NFC South - Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have the best quarterback in the NFC South, and that does usually dictate who wins the division in a given season. The team inked Kirk Cousins to a massive deal, but then proceeded to use a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Michael Penix Jr.
Honestly, both moves are thoroughly awful, but in a weird way, Atlanta should be a good team in 2024 if Cousins can return to his pre-Achilles tear self. It's a major injury, and it's an injury that Cousins has never had to deal with before.
However, he's stayed amazingly healthy his entire career, so Kirk Cousins should bounce back and given the Falcons a viable QB for the short-term.
NFC East - Philadelphia Eagles
It's hard for me to peg the Cowboys as the NFC East winners in 2024. The Cowboys lost a good bit this offseason, notably losing Dan Quinn to the Washington Commanders. On the flip side, while I am lower on the Eagles than most, they did add a good bit of talent and are in the driver's seat to recapture the NFC East title.
Even though Dak Prescott is better than Jalen Hurts, I like the Eagles roster talent more and think they have enough to push themselves over the edge and earn a top-4 seed in the NFC playoff race.
NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
This is another obvious division winner for me personally, but please do not count out the LA Rams, who rebounded last year and won 10 games. The Rams might not have quite enough talent to dethrone the San Francisco 49ers, but if this division was only decided by tiebreakers, I would not be surprised.
The Rams are going to be excellent, but the 49ers are excellent-er, if that makes sense. The Niners should also have a great shot at earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, but I would also not count out the Detroit Lions to be able to do that.