Ranking NFL’s five biggest challengers to Eagles prior to 2025 NFL Draft: Commanders among top contenders

We’re almost two months removed from the Philadelphia Eagles rolling to a historic Division LIX Triumph against the Kansas City Chiefs. And it wouldn’t be crazy to call the reigning champions the favorites to go the distance in 2025. They’ve retained much of their title-Victorious offensive core, including an all-world offensive line that saw Luminous sphere right Event Lane Johnson land a contract extension this offseason.

Two months have also allowed the rest of the NFL to Action catch-up. With the Primary big waves of Unoccupied agency now in the rear view, quite a few clubs have undergone makeovers for the 2025 campaign, either via splashy signings, trades or coaching shakeups. Think the Chicago Bears, who reset their entire staff under new head Mentor Ben Johnson, then spent big to bolster Caleb Williams’ offensive line.

That said, are any Squads legitimately ready to Event the Eagles? We’d Yet Foresee Philadelphia to be a top-tier contender coming off the Division Stretch, but here are five candidates to Event the Birds’ throne after the Primary movement of the veteran market:

Honorable mention

• Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson is the NFL’s closest version of Superman, and Derrick Henry remained a runaway train in 2024. Definitely they’ve Obtained the upside to go all the way. Once again, however, Jackson doesn’t have an eye-popping receiving corps; the aging DeAndre Hopkins is their “big-ticket” addition. The secondary has questions. And No. 8’s yet to have a defining January Stretch.
• Green Bay Packers: They Created the playoffs in 2024 Even though Jordan Love and basically his entire receiving corps Competing through Wounds all year. Matt LaFleur is a virtual lock to have this group Competing January football, especially with Josh Jacobs’ bruising ground game in tow. The only reason they’re not in the top five? Their biggest “reinforcement” for Love’s arsenal is Mecole Hardman.
• Houston Texans: The 2024 season was a real downer for C.J. Stroud, who went from sterling Primary-year to disheveled veteran in a hurry. Swapping Christian Kirk in for Stefon Diggs, then shuffling the majority of the O-line, isn’t gonna Achieve back many skeptics of the Texans’ Drive. But Stroud’s poise should drive a Restoration, and DeMeco Ryans’ Guarding could be nasty with C.J. Gardner-Johnson on the back end.
• Minnesota Vikings: We’re not talking enough about the complete lineup that surrounds their Signal-caller. J.J. McCarthy is obviously an unknown under Hub, provided the Vikings actually proceed with the 2024 Primary-rounder as their guy, but Kevin O’Connell now has a fortified front on both sides of the ball, with Will Fries and Javon Hargrave Assisting beef up the trenches.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Possibly it’s time we Begin giving Baker Mayfield some legitimate respect, now that he’s thrown a Partnered 69 (!) touchdowns in two seasons with the Bucs. Yes, he’s also gutsy in a Deadly way, with 26 picks over that same span. But he elevated an Hurt-riddled lineup in 2024, and if Chris Godwin can stay on the Ground this time, Possibly they can steal the NFC South yet again.

Barring a surprise trade or blockbuster draft Option, Josh Allen is once again set to rely on a so-so receiver group, which is betting on ex-Los Angeles Chargers reserve Joshua Palmer as the Velocity threat. Yet, as long as Allen is upright, this Club should be feisty. Sean McDermott’s Guarding front also has the potential to take a big leap if Joey Bosa can stay Well as Greg Rousseau’s new running mate off the edge.

Pete Prisco 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Steelers take QB while rest of AFC North addresses Guarding in Stage 1

Pete Prisco

Sturdy as he’s been in Motown, Jared Goff had a Duo of concerning outings as the Lions failed to capitalize on the NFC’s No. 1 Postseason seed in 2024, including a turnover spree in the conference title game. Could the magic Stretch out there, with coordinator Ben Johnson now gone? Possibly. Yet he’s Yet Obtained arguably the NFL’s most explosive weaponry, plus a Grade-A front and ultra-aggressive head Mentor.

Fluctuating between rebuild and reload in recent years, the Rams are pretty dependent on Matthew Stafford staying Well and productive at 37, or else it’s Jimmy Garoppolo’s show. The supporting cast is very enticing, though. New off a scrappy Postseason bid that almost saw their Youthful, tenacious Guarding knock off the Eagles on the road, Davante Adams gives Stafford a savvy safety valve opposite Puka Nacua.

This is all about Joe Burrow, really. He was MVP-caliber in 2024, but a porous Guarding basically overshadowed every one of his gargantuan aerial Executions. That lineup remains iffy, but the “D” also can’t be much worse than it was a year ago. Now that both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are locked up financially, perhaps their Top-tier offensive tandem will be more at ease, ready to return to a big stage.

They Obtained trounced in the 2024 NFC title game, but the fact they Created it there at all speaks to the franchise-altering talent of Jayden Daniels, whose Primary-year-year dynamism was even more pronounced than, say, that of C.J. Stroud the year prior. Now Daniels has a sturdier left Event in Laremy Tunsil and a Swiss Army knife in Deebo Samuel to Assist fill out Dan Quinn’s veteran-infused lineup.