16. Los Angeles Chargers
No NFL team made a bigger splash in the head coach cycle this year than the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers reeled in the big fish, Jim Harbaugh, from the National Champion Michigan Wolverines program. It may seem like a hot take, but coaching really has been a primary issue for this Chargers team in recent years, and has put a lid on their potential for success.
Brandon Staley was beloved at one point for his willingness to take risks, but some of his unnecessarily bad in-game decisions cost the Chargers on more than a few occasions.
The upgrade from Staley to Harbaugh is going to be felt immediately and in a variety of ways. The Chargers’ roster doesn’t look as great on paper this year as it did last year, especially at the offensive skill positions, but Harbaugh is going to right the ship, make no mistake about it.
15. Chicago Bears
It feels a little bit too much to be putting the Bears up here at 15, but call me a sucker for the hype. I really love what Ryan Pace has been doing over the last couple of years as the Bears have mixed smart free agent signings with aggressive trades and a little bit (maybe a lot) of NFL Draft luck.
The biggest stroke of good fortune came in 2024 when the Bears landed two picks in the top nine overall selections, including 1st overall pick Caleb Williams. Williams has resurrected hope for this franchise in a division that has been competitive for everyone but Chicago in recent years. He now has an elite trio of receivers at his disposal and a defense that improved substantially over the course of the 2023 season.
The Bears may not pose an immediate threat to the Detroit Lions atop the NFC North, but they pose a major threat to take one of the seven NFC playoff spots if Williams lives up to the hype.