One reason for optimism for every team ahead of the 2025 NFL season
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- The value of Aidan Hutchinson’s return can’t be overstated for the Lions: Through not even five full games last season before suffering a leg injury, he led the NFL with 45 pressures, eight sacks, a 95.0 PFF pass-rush grade and an incredible 38.3% pass-rush win rate.
- It’s Michael Penix Jr. time in Atlanta: He made just three starts during his rookie campaign but recorded an 84.0 PFF passing grade while producing nine big-time throws, the second most in the NFL over that span.
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Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes
Every NFL team will enter the 2025 season with a clean slate — no wins, no losses. While those records will shift dramatically in the following weeks, each franchise has some hope of finding success until then.
Here is one reason why each team should be excited about what’s possible in the upcoming NFL season.
JUMP TO A TEAM:
ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Arizona Cardinals: Revamped defensive line
The bulk of the Cardinals’ offseason was spent adding talent to their defensive line. Given the plethora of options they now have at their disposal, this could be one of the NFL’s deepest units.
Calais Campbell, Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson were brought in via free agency. Campbell led all interior defenders in PFF run-defense grade in 2024. Sweat racked up the second-most pressures for the Super Bowl champion Eagles. Tomlinson earned a solid 68.5 PFF overall grade in Cleveland last season.
That trio will be joined by first-round rookie Walter Nolen, who ranked second in the FBS in PFF run-defense grade last season. Head coach Jonathan Gannon and the Cardinals made a statement this offseason about what they want their defense to be.
Atlanta Falcons: A full season of Michael Penix Jr.
Penix made just three starts during his rookie campaign but showed plenty of promise in the process. Over the final three weeks of the regular season, he recorded an 84.0 PFF passing grade while producing nine big-time throws, the second most in the NFL. He was more than willing to attack defenses with vertical passes and quickly developed a nice rapport with top receiver Drake London.
Penix should give Falcons fans plenty of hope based on what we saw last year.
Baltimore Ravens: Return of an incredible rushing attack
As long as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are standing in Baltimore’s backfield, they’ll have a chance to win a lot of games. Jackson led the NFL with a 94.9 PFF overall grade last season while becoming the first quarterback in PFF history to record 90.0-plus PFF passing and rushing grades in the same season.
Meanwhile, Henry, playing at the age of 30, led the NFL in PFF rushing grade and missed tackles forced as he continued his career-long assault on opposing defenses.
Buffalo Bills: A more talented defense
Buffalo spent most of its offseason trying to improve a defense that finished 28th in PFF grade last season. The Bills used free agency to bolster the defensive line with Michael Hoecht, Larry Ogunjobi and Joey Bosa. Further complementing that set of players up front are recent draft picks T.J. Sanders, Landon Jackson and Deone Walker.
Walker’s Kentucky teammate, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, is the headliner, though, as he should start at cornerback after posting an 84.8 PFF coverage grade over the past two seasons.
Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young’s development
Young was benched early last season, and it seemed all hope was lost for his career. He returned with a vengeance, though, and proved he could still potentially be Carolina’s franchise quarterback.
From Week 10 to Week 18, Young’s 85.3 PFF passing grade ranked sixth in the NFL. He also ranked second, behind Joe Burrow, with 22 big-time throws. If Young’s improvement holds, he could have a big season, especially with first-round wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the fold.
Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson
Head coach Ben Johnson has rebuilt the Chicago Bears’ offense in his vision. The team’s revamped offensive line now includes Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman. They added additional weapons in Colston Loveland and Luther Burrden III via the draft. The onus is now on Caleb Williams to improve upon the 63.5 PFF passing grade from last season. If he does, Chicago could boast one of the league’s most dangerous offenses.
The Bengals have a plethora of roster issues, but as long as they have Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, they’ll have a chance to win games.
Burrow was stellar again last season, posting an elite 93.0 PFF passing grade behind poor pass protection. Meanwhile, Chase and Higgins both placed among the top 13 wide receivers in PFF receiving grade. With all three players signed long term, the Bengals’ offense will be able to keep up with anybody for years to come.
The Browns are staring at a relatively bleak outlook, particularly offensively, in 2025, but they managed to extend Myles Garrett, who is arguably the NFL’s best defensive player. Among all players who played at least 300 snaps in 2024, Garrett led the way with an elite 92.3 PFF overall grade. It was his fourth consecutive season with at least a 90.0 PFF overall grade.
Garrett and the Browns’ defense should be able to at least keep the team competitive while the offense figures things out.
Dallas Cowboys: Passing-game bounce-back
Between Dak Prescott’s return to full strength and George Pickens’ arrival from Pittsburgh, Dallas should see improvement from last year’s passing-game performance. Assuming he is healthy, Prescott should be able to bounce back from a career-worst 67.2 PFF passing grade. Pickens tied for the NFL lead with a perfect 99.9 deep PFF receiving grade and could be a perfect complement to CeeDee Lamb in the receiving corps.
Denver Broncos: Best defense in the NFL?
Led by NFL Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II and several new additions, the Broncos could boast the NFL’s best defense in 2025.
The key additions include former 49ers Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw, as well as first-round pick Jahdae Barron. Hufanga should be an excellent box safety complement to incumbent free safety Brandon Jones. Greenlaw should be able to help the Broncos in coverage, as he owns the fourth-best PFF coverage grade among linebackers since he entered the NFL. Barron led all qualified Power Four cornerbacks with a 91.1 PFF coverage grade at Texas last season.
Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson’s return
Before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 6 last season, Hutchinson was on his way to a historic performance. Through not even five full games, he led the NFL with 45 pressures, eight sacks, a 95.0 PFF pass-rush grade and an incredible 38.3% pass-rush win rate.
Hutchinson’s injury was the primary reason the Lions saw a large decrease in pass-rush production down the stretch. If he returns to last year’s form, he changes the outlook of the entire defense.
Most Quarterback Pressures Among Edge Defenders Through Week 6, 2024
Green Bay Packers: Matthew Golden
Golden is the first wide receiver the Packers selected in the first round since 2002, and he should be just what the doctor ordered for their offense. He recorded a nearly perfect 99.6 deep PFF receiving grade at Texas last season.
Not only should that skillset help Jordan Love, but it should open space for Green Bay’s other weapons underneath. That’s especially important for Love, whose 65.7 intermediate PFF passing grade placed him 35th out of 43 qualified quarterbacks last season.
Houston Texans: Elite pass defense
Led by superstar cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and the dynamic pass-rush duo of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., the Texans’ pass defense is one of the best units in the NFL. The unit also added safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in a trade with Philadelphia after he posted a career-best 85.7 PFF coverage grade for the Super Bowl champions last season. Opponents are going to have a difficult time succeeding against Houston in obvious passing situations.
Indianapolis Colts: Loaded arsenal of offensive weapons
Whoever starts at quarterback for the Colts this season certainly won’t have a shortage of weaponry with which to work. Star running back Jonathan Taylor is coming off a 1,400-yard season. Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce are all capable options at wide receiver. The team also may have found the solution to its tight end problem in first-round pick Tyler Warren, who led the Power Four last year in a plethora of receiving categories.
This group of skill players simply needs someone who can complete passes.
Jacksonville’s offseason success will be determined by how well first-round pick Travis Hunter pans out. The Heisman Trophy winner appears poised to get the bulk of his playing time at wide receiver, where he earned an outstanding 89.0 PFF receiving grade at Colorado last year. He may play some cornerback, too, after earning an elite 90.3 PFF coverage grade in 2024 in addition to his work on offense.
Kansas City’s receiving corps took a massive hit last season when Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury. After posting an excellent 86.1 PFF receiving grade during his rookie season, Rice recorded an 85.5 PFF receiving grade in 2024 prior to suffering his injury. He was well on his way to becoming Patrick Mahomes’ top target, and his void severely limited the Chiefs’ ability to create explosive plays. His return, along with the emergence of Xavier Worthy, should allow Kansas City’s passing game to bounce back.
Las Vegas Raiders: Stability on offense
The Raiders ranked 31st in PFF passing grade and 32nd in PFF rushing grade as a team last season. That shouldn’t be the case this year with quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty in the mix.
Smith earned an 85.3 PFF passing grade during his three seasons as Seattle’s starter, eighth best in the NFL. Jeanty spent his past three years at Boise State compiling a perfect 99.9 PFF rushing grade and finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2024. Those two should give the Raiders a much more potent offense in 2024.
Los Angeles Chargers: Young stars on offense
The first year of the Chargers’ offensive youth movement was a rousing success. Joe Alt earned a 75.9 PFF overall grade in his rookie season, ranking eighth among qualified right tackles. Fellow rookie Ladd McConkey garnered an 85.0 PFF receiving grade to place 12th among qualified wide receivers.
Joining those two this season will be 2025 rookies Omarion Hampton and Tre Harris, who could both make an immediate impact after outstanding college careers. The future looks bright for Justin Herbert’s supporting cast.
Los Angeles Rams: A potentially lethal passing attack
When given a clean pocket, Matthew Stafford is still fully capable of shredding opposing defenses. His 90.6 clean-pocket PFF passing grade in 2024 ranked seventh in the NFL. He also has the benefit of working with the league’s highest-graded wide receiver group from last season.
Led by Puka Nacua, who topped the NFL with a 92.6 PFF receiving grade last season, the Rams will be a nightmare for opposing secondaries. The group may have even improved with the addition of Davante Adams, who earned a solid 76.8 PFF receiving grade last season.
Miami Dolphins: Young defensive line talent
The Dolphins’ defensive rebuild is starting to take shape on the defensive line. Then-rookie Chop Robinson led Miami with a 78.7 PFF pass-rush grade and 56 pressures last season. He could be even better this season if star edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips can return from their respective injuries and play well. 2025 first-round pick Kenneth Grant should add a dynamic presence in the run game, as well.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy didn’t get to play any regular-season snaps due to a knee injury, but he looked promising in his lone preseason start on his way to an 84.0 PFF passing grade. There is no obstacle to McCarthy starting, and he should be able to succeed in Kevin O’Connell’s play-action-heavy attack.
Over his final two seasons at Michigan, McCarthy posted a 91.7 play-action PFF passing grade that ranked second in the Power Four, behind current Falcons starter Michael Penix Jr.
New England Patriots: Mike Vrabel’s new defense
The Patriots have the makings of a potentially dangerous defense. They handed out a huge contract to former Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams, who led all interior defenders with a 91.7 PFF pass-rush grade last season. New linebacker Robert Spillane placed sixth at his position with an 87.3 PFF run-defense grade. Carlton Davis III could form one of the league’s best cornerback duos with Christian Gonzalez.
Throw in playmakers such as Christian Barmore, Keion White and Marcus Jones, and the Patriots could have one of the NFL’s emerging defenses this season under head coach Mike Vrabel.
New Orleans Saints: Hope on the offensive line
If the Saints are going to find success any time soon, they need to improve in the trenches, particularly along the offensive line. That was their initial focus in the draft when they selected Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with the ninth-overall pick.
Banks’ presence likely allows 2024 first-round pick Taliese Fuaga to move back to his natural right tackle position, as well. Further driving the offensive line renaissance will be center Erik McCoy, who earned an elite 94.4 PFF overall grade before suffering a season-ending injury in 2024.
New York Giants: A potentially elite pass rush
Led by superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants ranked seventh in the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade. In addition to that excellent group, the team added Penn State’s Abdul Carter with the third-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Carter earned an elite 92.4 PFF pass-rush grade while accruing 66 pressures and 13 sacks last season. He and third-round pick Darius Alexander should bolster New York’s defensive line in a big way.
New York Jets: The 2022 draft class
Though they haven’t found a way to return to the postseason since 2010, the Jets should be hopeful that their 2022 draft class can dig the franchise out of its slump. Sauce Gardner leads all cornerbacks with a 91.9 PFF coverage grade since entering the NFL. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson has recorded an excellent 85.4 PFF receiving grade over the past three seasons. Those two, along with running back Breece Hall and a healthy Jermaine Johnson, need to be the core of success for New York, at least until the team figures out a long-term quarterback solution.
Philadelphia Eagles: A stacked roster returns
Philadelphia ran roughshod through the NFL last season en route to its second Super Bowl victory. This year’s edition of the Eagles is poised to defend their title, returning 20 of their 25 players who led the team in snaps last season.
Their defense, which paced the NFL in PFF grade last season, took most of the damage but returns stars such as Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The Eagles boast the best roster in the NFL heading into this season.
While the process was arduous, Aaron Rodgers is finally the Steelers’ quarterback. This past season certainly wasn’t his best, but he still earned a 76.3 PFF passing grade that tied him for 14th among qualified passers. Rodgers still doesn’t beat himself, either, as his 1.8% turnover-worthy play rate tied him for fifth best in the NFL.
Pittsburgh still needs to figure out some issues at wide receiver and offensive tackle, but Rodgers at least offers some stability after the team lost Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in free agency.
Aaron Rodgers’ 2024 PFF Game Grades
San Francisco 49ers: Return to good health
One of many reasons the 49ers missed the postseason last season was a slew of injuries to their star players. Only four of their offensive starters played in all 17 games last season. Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk both played fewer than 400 snaps. Trent Williams didn’t play after Week 11. The defensive line was decimated by the end of the season, as well.
San Francisco should see improvement simply due to their star players returning to full strength.
Seattle Seahawks: Klint Kubiak
Seattle has seen a ton of offensive turnover this offseason. That unit’s next era will be led by former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who did a nice job of creating production when he had a viable starting quarterback in New Orleans last season.
Flanking Kubiak in Seattle will be quarterback Sam Darnold, who played in San Francisco with Kubiak as his quarterbacks coach in 2023. If Darnold can maintain the 80.7 PFF overall grade he recorded in a similar offense last season, the Seahawks’ offense could be in good shape.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A dynamic offense
The Buccaneers boast as much offensive talent as any team in the NFL. They ranked among the top nine teams in every category of offensive grading last season except PFF run-blocking grade, where they placed 18th. Every starter returns this season, including quarterback Baker Mayfield, who earned the sixth-highest PFF overall grade among qualified passers last season. The team also fortified its already stacked receiving corps with first-round pick Emeka Egbuka.
Expect Tampa Bay to score a ton of points again in 2025.
Tennessee’s hope for success lies with first-overall pick Cam Ward. In his lone season as a Miami Hurricane, Ward was the highest-graded quarterback in the FBS and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. That stands in stark contrast to a Titans team that finished dead last in the NFL with a 57.0 team PFF passing grade.
There is certainly plenty of work to do on the rest of the roster, but head coach Brian Callahan at least has a potential franchise quarterback to work with.
Washington Commanders: Additional help for Jayden Daniels
Daniels playing like an elite quarterback so early in his career has allowed the Commanders to build around him and contend for a championship. This offseason, they added left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who should shore up an offensive line that ranked 22nd in PFF pass-blocking grade last season. They also acquired Deebo Samuel, who posted a solid 72.1 PFF receiving grade in 2024.
Rookies Josh Conerly Jr., Jaylin Lane and Jacory Croskey-Merritt should also help the cause as Daniels leads his team into the future.
