The NFL draft gives every fan base hope that it is finally their team’s season. What teams actually got better though and what divisions got better? Some divisions went into the draft with solid teams from top to bottom and got better. Some teams, well, drafted Jordan Love, Aj Dillion, and a FB with their first three picks. So what divisions are the best and what are the worst? Let’s find out.
1. NFC South
The NFC South is the most solid division top to bottom. The New Orleans Saints are consistently contenders and look to be again. Tom Brady is now on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is added to a plethora of offensive weapons and a solid defense. The Bucs will look to contend in the NFC this year. The Atlanta Falcons have a solid offense and are continuing to improve on defense. Matt Rhule is taking over the Carolina Panthers and all his attention was on defense in their draft. They are still a couple of years away but will be improved from last year.
2. NFC West
The NFC West comes in as the runner up, much like the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. The 49ers are going to be good again, but will have to compete with the Seattle Seahawks who have arguably the second best player in football in Russell Wilson. The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals should both be solid this year if Jared Goff can improve for the Rams and if the Cardinals defense continues to improve.
3. AFC West
The AFC west comes in third, but have arguably the best team in football in the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. They return most of their starters on offense and defense. They also have the best player in the world in Patrick Mahomes. They have targets on their backs though and the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers are all trying to replicate the Chiefs high flying offense to take them down.
4. AFC North
The Baltimore Ravens pose the biggest threat to Kansas City as kings of the AFC. They have an extremely talented roster and Jon Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the NFL. The big question is if Ben Roethlisberger is healthy how good can the Pittsburgh Steelers be? The answer is very good. Their defense was a force last year and they were challenging for a playoff spot with Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges running the show. Cleveland Browns, again, looks very talented on paper. They are under a new regime and should be improved from last year. Rounding out the division are the Cincinnati Bengals who are still years away from competing but are hoping Joe Burrow is the franchise QB they need.
5. NFC North
The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers will battle for the top of the division. There seems to be some tension in Green Bay between head coach Matt LaFleur and QB Aaron Rodgers, but they have a talented roster that should compete. Matt Stafford for the Detroit Lions was playing at an elite level last year before injury and looks to return to that form this year. The Chicago Bears have a real question at QB and until that is figured out will be at the bottom of the division.
6. NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will battle it out for the top of the NFC East. The Cowboys had a great draft, but need to figure out what they are doing with Dak Prescott’s contract. The Eagles need to stay healthy. After that the New York Giants need to make huge leaps to compete and the Washington Redskins are only competing for the first overall pick in the 2021 draft.
7. AFC South
The AFC south does not have any elite team in it. The Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans are all solid teams, but have questions. Can Bill O’Brien do enough things to help Deshaun Watson to actually have them compete in the AFC? Does Philip Rivers have enough left in the tank have the Colts take the next step? Was Ryan Tannehill a one year wonder or is he the real deal? Then there is Jacksonville Jaguars. They will be competing with Washington for the first overall pick.
8. AFC East
Who is the best team in the AFC East? That is the biggest question. The Buffalo Bills seem to have the best roster top to bottom, but can Josh Allen take another step forward to make them actual contenders? The Dolphins over achieved last year and when will Tua Tagovailoa take over? What are the New England Patriots doing? The New York Jets also have questions at QB and head coach. There doesn’t seem to be any real contenders coming from the AFC East.
The NFL is geared up and ready to go. Soon we will find out which division is the best in football and which teams is the best in the world.
