With the offseason in full swing and the majority of big-name free agents signed, it is more than safe to start projecting next season’s teams, which means it is the start of rankings season. Today, we are going to rank from 1 to 8 (best to worst) based on how tough each division is. This will be based on last year's success combined with projected success for the 2022 season. Let us dive into each division and why they are placed where they are.

1. AFC West (Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos, Raiders)

For the last few seasons, the NFC West has been known as the clear-cut best division in football. One massive trade changed that with QB Russell Wilson going from Seattle to Denver. With the Broncos being the worst team in the division last season, they are now clear postseason contenders, as well as the rest of the teams in this division. What made me put them first is that I believe this division has the highest floor, meaning the worst team may still win 10 games. You cannot say that about any other division in football. It also comes down to the quarterback play, in which there is not a quarterback outside the top 12 in this division. This is going to be a dogfight all season long, with predictions nearly impossible for who wins it.

2. AFC North (Browns, Ravens, Bengals, Steelers)

By the closest of seconds, the AFC North is next on the rankings. The Deshaun Watson trade to the Browns gave this division a massive boost, even though you can argue the division was loaded regardless. The worst team (on paper) is the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they made the playoffs last year with an aging QB Ben Roethlisberger. The Ravens will be getting QB Lamar Jackson back healthy, while the Bengals just made the Super Bowl. If it was not for the Wilson trade, the AFC North would be the best division by a landslide.

3. NFC West (Seahawks, Cardinals, 49ers, Rams)

With the Wilson trade, the NFC West loses a contending team in Seattle, bumping them to number three. This division features the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams, as well as two other playoff teams who look ready to make another push to the postseason. While there are massive question marks for both Arizona and San Francisco, specifically around their QB situations, both teams are playoff-ready, as well as the Rams, obviously.

4. NFC East (Cowboys, Eagles, Commanders, Giants)

While it was known as the NFC “Least” just two years ago, the NFC East is far from the worst division in football. Last season, they sent two teams to the playoffs (Cowboys, Eagles) and with the addition of QB Carson Wentz to the Commanders, they can be in the hunt too. I have them middle of the pack though because I do believe there is a ceiling for each of these teams come playoff time, but all three of these teams have a real chance to take the division. As for the Giants, they are in limbo with QB Daniel Jones and need to figure out how to rebuild their roster around him or someone else in the future.

5. AFC East (Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Patriots)

While much improved, there is still a ton of unknown with the AFC East. The Bills are the clear best team and should win the division by a landslide, but after that, it gets a little dicey. The Dolphins added Tyreek Hill and are coming off a 9-8 season, but can QB Tua Tagovailoa get them over the top to possibly 10, 11, or 12 wins? The Jets, on paper, had an incredible draft, but even if their draft picks hit, the fate of the team’s success is mostly based on QB Zach Wilson. As for the Patriots, for the first time in a long time, it seems like a massive question mark on what they are going to look like in 2022. With that being said, Bill Belichick is still the head coach and will find numerous ways to scratch out wins. This division may have three teams with a winning record, or it might have one team with over 7 wins, and that is the Bills who will probably win at least 11.

6. AFC South (Texans, Titans, Colts, Jaguars)

What pushed me to place the AFC South at sixth in the division rankings below the AFC East is that the East does not have a clear-cut bottom feeder. The AFC South has two in the Jaguars and Texans. While Houston is improved, they have massive question marks on both sides of the ball and are still in the air with their quarterback situation. As for Jacksonville, it is the reset again, something that has gone on for far too long in Duval. The two top teams are the Titans and Colts, who should both be fighting until the end for that division title. While both are good, they are similar to the NFC East in the fact that there is a ceiling on the playoff teams compared to the top divisions.

7. NFC North (Packers, Bears, Vikings, Lions)

The second to last division in the NFL is the NFC North. It is basically Green Bay and others at this point, with Minnesota being the second-best as of now. Detroit made some moves so they should progress in theory while the Bears are starting to jumpstart their process. Regardless, the Packers will be there in the end, and the Vikings are so Jekyll and Hyde that you never know what team you are getting. That risk gives them an extremely low floor, compared to teams like the Steelers, Patriots, etc. If Detroit does improve though and Minnesota finally plays to expectation, they can easily move up this list

8. NFC South (Buccaneers, Saints, Falcons, Panthers)

By far the worst division in football is the NFC South, which ironically carries the “G.O.A.T.” QB, Tom Brady. Even though the Buccaneers will most likely make the playoffs, the other three teams have a very slim chance. All three teams outside of Tampa Bay do not have their QB situation fully resolved, making those teams that much easier to pick against.

Write

-By: RIchie Dordas

The AFC North was one of the strongest divisions in the National Football League in 2020, sending three of its four teams to the post-season.  The division promises to be equally competitive in 2021.  In some ways, the biggest question for each AFC North team revolves around its quarterback.  Three of the teams in the division have young QBs with tremendous upside, while the Steelers are led by 2-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger, entering his 18th NFL campaign.  Two of the questions revolve directly around the quarterbacks, while the other two are related to them.

Baltimore Ravens – Is LaMar Jackson ready to become a quarterback that can lead a team to a championship? 

Jackson took the league by storm and quickly became one of the most exciting and dynamic players around.  He has led his team to the playoffs in all three of his seasons and in 2020 won his first playoff game after two prior defeats.  His incredible running skills pose a serious problem for opposing Defensive Coordinators, and he has the natural athletic ability to break a game wide open with his legs on any play.  His weakness has been that he has been a tentative and inaccurate passer.  Much like Randall Cunningham early in his career in Philadelphia, Jackson relies too much on his tremendous running skills.  The big question for the Ravens is will Jackson, like Cunningham in his later career in Minnesota, develop into a dangerous pocket passer.  If Jackson can do so, the added dimension of his running ability will make him the most dangerous quarterback in the league.  However, if Jackson remains the player he has been so far, he might become the modern-day Vince Young.  If so, it will be quite some time until Baltimore is the home of the Super Bowl Champions.

Cincinnati Bengals – Can Joe Burrow recover from his terrible leg injury? 

Before suffering a season-ending knee injury, Joe Burrow’s rookie campaign was proceeding better than anyone could have predicted.  In a little over 10 games, Burrow completed 65% of his passes for 2,688 yards with 13 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions.  He added another three touchdowns on the ground for the last-place Bengals. However, in week 11 in a game against Washington Burrow’s season came to a premature end when he tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Medial Collateral Ligament in his left knee along with damaging his meniscus.  The severity of his injuries brings into question how fast he can get back onto the field this season.  If Burrow misses any time during the preseason, it could hamper his development in his sophomore NFL season.  Surgically repaired knees can also be vulnerable to further damage and could affect Burrow’s mobility going forward.  If Burrow is able to get back early enough and continue to improve on his excellent rookie performance the Bengals’ future looks bright.  If not, he could join a long list of first-round quarterbacks that failed to lead Cincinnati to the promised land of a Super Bowl championship.

Cleveland Browns – Are the Browns finally for real, or just the Same Old Browns of the last 20 years? 

In 2020 the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2002.  They won their first playoff game since returning to the NFL in 1999, then played the eventual-AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs tight for most of a second-round playoff game before falling 22-17.  A sound defense and a solid running game give Browns fans reason to believe that 2021 could be an even better year than 2020 was for the home team.  But Cleveland fans have seen this story before.  Prior to the 2019 season, some in the media were predicting a Super Bowl run for the Browns.  Instead, the Browns went a disappointing 6-10 and missed the playoffs once again, leading to the firing of first-year coach Freddie Kitchens.  Quarterback Baker Mayfield flashes outstanding skills but has a tendency to make mistakes at critical times.  He was able to avoid disaster often enough for Cleveland to win 11 games in 2020.  Now expectations are sky-high in Cleveland once again, and the pressure is on the Browns to exceed their excellent 2020 season.  Is this the year that the Browns prove that their young team is a real contender for years to come, or do they once again fall back into the old patterns of losing, losing, and more losing?

Pittsburgh Steelers – What will the offensive line look like? 

After beginning the 2020 season 11-0, the Steelers staggered to a 12-4 record and a disappointing first-round home playoff loss to the rival Cleveland Browns.  Despite veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning from injury to lead the team, the Steelers’ offense was one-dimensional and predictable.  A short passing game that relied upon the young wide receivers to pick up considerable yards after the catch fell apart when opposing defenses played tight and Roethlisberger was unable to make them pay.  Big Ben’s downfield passing was inaccurate and erratic, and the team totally abandoned the running game as the season wore on.  The offensive line was a major weakness for the team in 2020, and in 2021 it will be manned by almost totally new faces.  Gone are the retired 9-time Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey and perennial Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro, released this summer for injury reasons.  Gone with them are 5 first-team All-Pro selections. Also gone is left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a solid veteran starter and twice a Pro Bowler.  The Steelers’ offensive line will enter 2021 as a major question mark.  It will need to be effective to open holes for the Steelers’ first-round draft pick in 2021, Alabama running back Najee Harris.  The line’s success, or lack thereof, will go a long way to determining the team’s fate in the upcoming season. 

Writer

-By: Damian Mastrangelo

With the Julio Jones trade likely being the last blockbuster move of the offseason, the time has finally come where we can make knowledgeable season predictions. In this edition of “Stock Up, Stock Down”, we will discuss every projected starting QBs outlook for 2021 and whether it’s gone up, remained the same, or plummeted.

AFC North

PITTSBURGH: Ben Roethlisberger

Age 39, 3803/33/10 (YDS/TD/INT) in 2020

Stock: DOWN

The Steelers collapsed last season after starting 11-0, leading to many rightfully scrutinizing the play of longtime QB Ben Roethlisberger. Although his basic stats don’t tell the whole story, his abysmal mark of 6.3 yards per attempt shows that he’s far from his former gunslinging glory. The Steelers are the only team in their division without a young franchise QB.

BALTIMORE: Lamar Jackson

Age 24, 2757/26/9 (YDS/TD/INT), 1005/7 (rYDS, rTD) in 2020

Stock: UP

In 2019, Lamar Jackson led the league in passing touchdowns despite Marquise Brown being his #1 receiver. In 2020, Jackson returned from a bout with COVID-19 and dragged Baltimore to the postseason in spectacular fashion (with Marquise Brown still his #1). Now in 2021, Jackson may finally have a competent receiving corps for the first time in his career. Defenses, beware.

CLEVELAND: Baker Mayfield

Age 26, 3563/26/8 (YDS/TD/INT) in 2020

Stock: UP

After tossing 35 interceptions in his first two professional seasons, Mayfield took a backseat to the Browns backfield and became a hyper-efficient game manager. He now oversees arguably the most talented roster in football and will benefit from the return of Odell Beckham, Jr. If last year wasn’t enough of a breakout, 2021 could be special.

CINCINNATI: Joe Burrow

Age 24, 2688/13/5 (YDS/TD/INT) in 2020

Stock: NEUTRAL

With a season (injury-shortened) under his belt and the addition of former college teammate Ja’Marr Chase in the draft, Burrow’s stock should be going up. The issue is that the 2020 #1 overall pick needed OL to help much more than he needed receiving help. Chase won’t see many targets if Burrow is always on his backside.

AFC South

TENNESSEE: Ryan Tannehill

Age 32, 3819/33/7 (YDS/TD/INT) in 2020

Stock: UP

After the losses of Jonnu Smith and Corey Davis, Ryan Tannehill’s stock was plummeting in the wrong direction. Next thing you know, the Titans trade for Julio Jones and give themselves the league’s best-receiving duo. Oh, and Taylor Lewan is coming back to protect Tanny’s blindside.

INDIANAPOLIS: Carson Wentz

Age 28, 2620/16/15 (YDS/TD/INT) in 2020

Stock: UP

After an abysmal 2020 season, Carson Wentz’s stock had dropped to nearly nothing. His fortunes flipped when Philadelphia traded him to Indianapolis, reuniting him with the coach that oversaw his 2017 All-Pro campaign. Asking someone to turn back the clock four years is a bit much, but the 2019 version of Wentz should satisfy Colts fans for the next half-decade.

HOUSTON: Deshaun Watson

Age 25, 4823/33/7 (YDS/TD/INT) in 2020

Stock: DOWN

Deshaun Watson had an incredible statistical campaign in 2020, setting himself up to be traded to a less dysfunctional organization. Then over 20 women accused him of sexual assault. Not much more to say there.

JACKSONVILLE: Trevor Lawrence

Age 21, Rookie

Stock: DOWN

As the most-hyped QB prospect since Andrew Luck, Lawrence’s pre-draft stock was through the roof. Nothing has changed about the long-locked signal-caller, but as the #1 overall pick, he is joining the NFL’s worst team. 

AFC East

BUFFALO: Josh Allen

Age 25, 4544/37/10 (YDS/TD/INT), 421/8 (rYDS, rTD) in 2020

Stock: NEUTRAL

Following one of the best breakout seasons (relative to prior production) you’ll ever see, there’s not much more room for Allen’s stock to go up. The Bills haven’t changed all that much in the offseason, but Allen should be happy that his OC Brian Daboll is hanging around for at least one more year.

MIAMI: Tua Tagovailoa

Age 23, 1814/11/5 (YDS/TD/INT) in 2020

Stock: UP

Similar to Ben Roethlisberger, Tua was simply not as good as his stats might suggest. In the middle of a potential playoff run, he had to be benched for the NFL’s resident journeyman, Ryan Fitzpatrick. Of course, he was just a rookie, so a year of growth alone should send his stock soaring. Adding Will Fuller helps too.

NEW ENGLAND: Cam Newton

Age 32, 2657/8/10 (YDS/TD/INT), 592/12 (rYDS, rTD) in 2020

Stock: UP

It appears that Bill Belichick and I share the same idea that Cam Newton’s horrible 2020 performance was due to a complete lack of receiving talent. The Patriots addressed the issue in free agency, bringing in Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, and Jonnu Smith. Don’t let the presence of Mac Jones scare you, either. We’ve seen New England draft a QB early on just to ship them out a few years later.

NEW YORK (JETS): Zach Wilson

Age 21, Rookie

Stock: DOWN

Wilson’s stock soared during the pre-draft process, but life is going to be a lot harder as a New York Jet than as a BYU Cougar. With one of the worst offensive lines in football and an offense that leaves a lot to be desired, we could see some growing pains for the 21-year-old.

AFC West

KANSAS CITY: Patrick Mahomes

Age 25, 4740/38/6 (YDS/TD/INT)

Stock: UP

After watching their superstar quarterback get pressured a historic amount of times in Super Bowl 55, the Chiefs quickly brought in reinforcements to their offensive line. Joe Thuney, Kyle Long, and Orlando Brown Jr-- all former Pro Bowlers/All-Pros-- were acquired this offseason.

LAS VEGAS: Derek Carr

Age 30, 4103/27/9 (YDS/TD/INT)

Stock: DOWN

Derek Carr actually had a great season last year, but the Raiders aren’t getting any better. They continue to trot out terrible defenses and just lost their second-leading receiver to free agency. Jon Gruden could be nearing the end of his time in Vegas.

LOS ANGELES (CHARGERS): Justin Herbert

Age 23, 4336/31/10 (YDS/TD/INT)

Stock: UP

Justin Herbert put together the best statistical season a rookie QB has ever experienced and the Chargers rewarded him with an All-Pro lineman. Assuming the team stays healthy (never a guarantee with the Bolts), Herbert’s impressive first-year could be his floor.

DENVER: Drew Lock

Age 24, 2933/16/15

& Teddy Bridgewater

Age 28, 3733/15/11 (YDS/TD/INT)

Stock: DOWN

Unless they pull off a wild move, the Broncos will be wasting one of the league’s most talented rosters by starting a less-than-mediocre quarterback. It says a lot about both of these players that they’re even in competition with one another, but either way, the city of Denver loses. Now about that Aaron Rodgers guy…

*All statistics are sourced from Pro Football Reference and/or StatMuse

Writer

-By: Micah Jimoh