After breaking down the TOP 10 NFL teams in the league, here are the BOTTOM 10 teams heading into the regular season. There will be plenty of movement here over the weeks, but make sure to drop your feedback and thoughts in the comment section!
No. 10: Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are an incredibly young and inexperienced roster, fighting to compete in what’s become a very competitive AFC South. The Colts have a boom-or-bust roster headlined by second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. The Colts’ first-round pick in last year’s draft missed the majority of his rookie season due to a shoulder injury but is looking to bounce back in the upcoming campaign. Richardson, however, threw a pick-six in Week 3 of the preseason that has some fans concerned about his preparedness for the season. But with new weapons around him, Richardson could have that year two breakout and help the Colts become competitive.
No. 9: Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are arguably the NFL’s most improved team of the offseason. They seem to finally have an answer under center with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, who they drafted with the second-overall pick. Their defense gained some reinforcements, too, which should go a long way in helping new defensive-minded head coach Dan Quinn in his first season at the helm. The Commanders are far from a perfect team, but they are a young and up-and-coming squad that could exceed expectations.
No. 8: New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are likely running it back with Derek Carr as their starting quarterback this season, but it feels like it will only be a matter of time before fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler takes over under center. The Saints have some weapons on both sides of the ball, but their overall roster lacks talent despite a 9-8 finish last season. The Saints will only go as far as their quarterback(s) will take them.
No. 7: Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders hired fan-favorite head coach Antonio Pierce as their next head coach after an impressive stint as an interim. But Pierce, the ultimate “player’s coach” doesn’t exactly have the best group of players to coach. The Raiders’ roster has some impressive talent on the defensive side of the ball, but their lineup has many holes — the biggest one coming at quarterback. With Gardner Minshew set to start under center, it’s hard to envision this Raiders team being uber-competitive in 2024-25.
No. 6: Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals finally gave quarterback Kyler Murray an elite pass-catching option with first-round draft choice Marvin Harrison Jr. The rookie wideout should serve as a major boost to the Cardinals’ offense, however, the rest of their team is still questionable. The Cardinals have a laundry list of weaknesses on both sides of the ball. Their roster might struggle to win games, but as long as Murray and Harrison can flash some potential this season, Arizona can feel like their rebuild is on the right path.
No. 5: Tennessee Titans
All eyes in Tennessee are on Titans second-year quarterback Will Levis. He was a projected top-10 pick last year who somehow fell all the way to the second round where the Titans eventually drafted him. Levis showed flashes as a rookie, but whether or not his gunslinger mentality will help or hurt his team has yet to be seen. The Titans are hoping to see Levis clean up some flaws in his game and lead Tennessee to some wins under a new coaching staff in 2024-25.
No. 4: Denver Broncos
Based on what we’ve seen in the preseason, the Denver Broncos look like a team that could exceed expectations this season. Granted, the expectations are rather low for the Broncos, however, rookie quarterback Bo Nix has looked solid during the exhibition matchups. If Nix can carry his success into the regular season, Denver could be a surprisingly decent team.
No. 3: New York Giants
The New York Giants added some serious firepower this offseason with star pass-rusher Brian Burns and rookie wideout Malik Nabers. But the question for Big Blue entering the preseason was whether or not quarterback Daniel Jones could bounce back from his ACL injury and re-establish himself as the Giants’ franchise guy. After an abysmal preseason Week 2 performance against the Texans that saw Jones throw two picks (including a pick-six), the G-Men have taken a hit in the power rankings.
No. 2: New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have struggled to get back to their winning ways ever since the departure of Tom Brady. They fired legendary head coach Bill Belichick this offseason, officially marking the end of an era and ushering in a new beginning with rookie head coach Jerod Mayo and first-round quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots’ roster is in need of a total rebuild, however, and there is only so much one rookie quarterback can do to mask the team’s flaws. Maye has the potential to be a star in the NFL, but he and the Patriots still seem to have a lot of work to do before they can be contenders in a loaded AFC East.
No. 1: Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are the worst team in the NFL until they can prove otherwise. They finished the 2023 season with a league-worst 2-15 record and didn’t even have the first-overall pick to utilize to upgrade their roster as it was traded to the Chicago Bears the season prior. A lot is riding on the success of second-year quarterback Bryce Young. He doesn’t have a ton of talent around him, but if Young can start living up to the hype of his first-overall billing, the Panthers could quickly begin to turn things around.