2025 NFL Picks and Preview

*09/04/2025

The 2025 NFL season kicks off Thursday night in Philadelphia with division rivals colliding as the Dallas Cowboys visit the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. Below are my picks for the 2025 NFL season.

NFC 

East

Philadelphia (1)

Washington (5)

Dallas

New York Giants

West

San Francisco (3)

Los Angeles Rams (7)

Seattle

Arizona

North

Detroit (2)

Green Bay (6)

Chicago

Minnesota

South

Atlanta (4)

Tampa Bay

New Orleans

Carolina

The biggest news of the offseason happened just last week, with the Dallas Cowboys dealing superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers on August 28. In return, the Cowboys received DT Kenny Clark and two first-round picks (2026, 2027). Parsons gives Green Bay (an 11-win team in 2024) one of the top pass rushers in the NFL, a dynamic playmaker who can not only rush from different spots but has great closing and sideline-to-sideline speed and power. The Packer defense in 2024 allowed the sixth fewest yards per game (315.6) and the seventh fewest rushing yards (99.4). Jordan Love threw 25 touchdown passes in 2024 after 32 in 2023, and Josh Jacobs ran for 1,329 yards in 2024 and tallied 15 touchdowns. Rookie receiver Matthew Golden, drafted 23rd overall, is a playmaker out of the University of Texas. Jayden Reed caught 55 passes for 857 receiving yards last season while Romeo Doubs totaled 46 catches for 601 yards. Reed and Doubs are 25, and Golden is 22. Love himself is young (26). If there is one thing that the Packers lack, it is a brand name, star receiver. The good news is though that this team is talented and young, and the addition of Parsons makes them very dangerous. 

The Cowboys meanwhile will rely on Dante Fowler, Sam Williams, and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku to generate pressure now without Parsons. Fowler recorded 10.5 sacks last season as a Washington Commander, the best output of his career outside of 11.5 in 2019 when he was a Los Angeles Ram. Williams missed all of last season due to injury. He posted 4.0 sacks as a rookie and 4.5 in 2023. Ezeiruaku was the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 with 16.5 sacks. The Cowboys locked up Daron Bland on a four-year extension last week, and Trevon Diggs will play in Thursday’s opener against Philadelphia. The Cowboys will be able to throw the ball with Dak Prescott offering to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, but Tyler Guyton and Terrance Steele are question marks at the offensive tackle spots and the running game is unproven as well. The Cowboys, despite explosive capabilities on offense, do not have the overall talent as other teams - especially those in their division - and will need to overachieve to be good as a whole in 2025. 

The Philadelphia Eagles traded safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans this offseason and released Darius Slay (who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers) but agreed to a one-year deal with Adoree’ Jackson. The defending Super Bowl champions have one of the game’s best offenses and one of its best fronts. The defensive unit led by Jalen Carter gave up 278.4 yards per game in 2024, the best in the league by a wide margin (Tennessee’s 311.2 was second). The defense also finished in the top 10 in run defense, allowing 104.2 per game. 

The Detroit Lions gained the second most yards per game in 2024 (409.5) and brought in cornerback D.J. Reed on a three-year, $48 million deal to help a defense that was 20th in yards allowed (342.4). The Lions had the fifth best run defense (98.4), and the unit will get Aidan Hutchinson back healthy after the star missed twelve games last season with a broken leg. In those five games played in 2024, Hutchinson was on his way to winning Defensive Player of the Year as he had 7.5 sacks in the first five games. Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta may be as good as it gets in the NFL as far as a trio of offensive weapons. The Lions’ 45-31 home loss to the Commanders in the divisional round was a major letdown, so they will be out to prove something in 2025. 

The San Francisco 49ers, with an offense that totaled the fourth-most yards per game in 2024 (376.3) get Christian McCaffrey back healthy which will immensely improve an offense that last year still finished fourth in yards despite the all-pro playing in just four games because of calf and knee issues. If McCaffrey can return to the 2023 form that allowed the 49ers to win the NFC - he led the NFL in scrimmage yards in ‘23 with 2,023 - they could be in the mix to get there again. The 49ers’ 317.4 yards per game given up in ‘24 was eighth best in the NFL. 

The Falcons have budding offensive talent in Bijan Robinson (23 years old, 1,456 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns in ‘24), Drake London, and Darnell Moodey. Kyle Pitts is a weapon at tight end. The offense was sixth in the league in 2024 with 369.8 yards per game. They brought in veteran rusher Leonard Floyd (8.5 sacks in 2024, at least 8.5 sacks in each of the last five seasons) to help the defense, which was in the bottom half (23rd) in yards allowed last season. A lot will depend obviously on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons’ offense is a young group with a lot of talent. 

The Commanders on August 26 reached an agreement with Terry McLaurin on a 3-year deal worth up to $97 million. The team also signed defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to a 3-year, $45 million deal and brought back linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz. Jayden Daniels looks to build off of a strong rookie campaign where he threw 25 touchdowns and ran for nearly 900 (891) with six touchdowns. The team’s 369.6 yards per game in 2024 was seventh best in the NFL, while they’re defense was in the top 15 in yards allowed (327.9, 13th). They also had the third best rushing offense at 154.1 yards per game. 

The Rams added Devante Adams, who along with Puka Nacua gives Matt Stafford high quality weapons. The 15th-best offense last season (yardage wise) gets infinitely better with the addition of the future Hall of Famer Adams. 

AFC 

East

Buffalo (1)

Miami (7)

New England

New York Jets

West

Kansas City (3)

Los Angeles Chargers (6)

Denver

Las Vegas

North

Pittsburgh (2)

Baltimore (5)

Cincinnati

Cleveland

South

Houston (4)

Tennessee

Jacksonville

Indianapolis

In the last five seasons, the Bills have lost twice in the AFC championship and three times in the divisional round. MVP Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the game with his ability to throw and make plays with his legs and be a powerful runner at the quarterback position. The team signed five-time pro bowler Joey Bosa to replace Von Miller, an upgrade at this stage. James Cook is one of the top running backs in the NFL, Dalton Kincaid is one of its top tight ends and Khalil Shakir (76 catches, 821 yards in ‘24) is a bonafide target for Allen. The Bills’ 359.1 yards per game in ‘24 was 10th in the NFL. 

The Steelers have a new look in ‘25, with a remodeled secondary - Pro Bowlers Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay join Joey Porter Jr. - and Aaron Rodgers now throwing passes to D.K. Metcalf. T.J. Watt is arguably the best defensive player in football, and leads a unit that gave up 20.4 points per game last season (8th), a figure that should be better this season. Being able to defend the pass in a conference with Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson is a must, and the Steelers now have that ability in spades while also having maybe the game’s best pass rusher in Watt. The 12th-best defense in 2024 in terms of yards allowed (326.7) in 2024 will be better this season. The 23rd best offense in terms of total yards (319.4) gets infinitely better with Rodgers and Metcalf. Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson help the running game as well. 

The Chiefs are the Chiefs and will be there at the end barring injuries. Mahomes has many talented toys to play with in Isaiah Pacheco, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and Travis Kelce, and also Rashee Rice when he returns from suspension. Chris Jones remains one of the best defensive lineman in all of football. 

The Texans lost 23-14 in last season’s divisional round to the Chiefs. C.J. Stroud leads a young and talented offense. Nico Collins has totaled at least 1,000 receiving yards in the last two seasons (1,297 in 2023 and 1,006 in 2024). Stroud threw 20 touchdowns last season. The team signed former Cleveland Brown Nick Chubb in the offseason to help their run game. Chubb has played just ten games in the last two seasons after 1,525 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in 2023. Joe Mixon, a pro bowler for the Texans last year, is on the Non Football Injury list to start the season and will miss at least the first four games of the season. He possibly could return in Week 7, the week after the team’s bye. The team traded for former Eagle safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in March, who will help fortify the secondary with 2024 1st team All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr. the defensive unit as a whole allowed the fifth fewest yards per game (315.0). 

The Ravens in ‘24 came a Mark Andrews dropped pass away from potentially making the AFC Championship, where they would have met the Chiefs. Jackson figures again to be a top MVP candidate, and Derrick Henry is the best back in football. De’Andre Hopkins joins Zay Flowers (74 catches, 1,059 yards and four touchdowns) and Rashod Bateman (45 catches, 756 yards, 9 touchdowns) as a new threat for Jackson for an offense that put up an NFL-best 424.9 yards in ‘24. Their 187.6 rushing yards per game was first, ahead of Philadelphia’s 179.3. Defensively, Roquan Smith is one of the game’s best linebackers, and Kyle Hamilton one of the top safeties while Marlon Humphrey is one of the top corners. 

The Chargers drafted University of North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton 22nd overall and signed former Steeler Najee Harris to a one-year, $9.5 million deal to help fortify their running game, a unit in 2024 that was led by J.K. Dobbins (now a Bronco) and his 905 yards. Keenan Allen signed with the team after one season in Chicago. From 2013-2023, Allen was a Charger and made six pro bowls (2017-2021, 2023). In March, the team re-signed all-pro rusher Khalil Mack to a one-year, $18 million deal. Pro Bowl safety Derwin James (2nd team All-Pro in 2024) controls the back end of a defensive unit that allowed the fewest points per game in ‘24 (17.7), just ahead of the Eagles’ 17.8. Justin Herbert made his lone Pro Bowl in 2021 when he threw for 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns, and is coming off a season where he threw 23 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions. Herbert struggled mightily in last season’s Wild Card game against the Texans, completing just 14-of-32 passes for 242 yards with just one touchdown and four interceptions. It is a worn cliche, but true in this case: The team will go as far as he takes them. 

The Dolphins’ offense finished 18th in yards (325.9) in ‘24, a season in which they had Tua Tagovailoa for 11 games. The 27-year-old made his lone Pro Bowl in 2023 when he threw for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns. Defensively in 2024, Miami gave up 314.3 yards per game, fourth in the NFL. Their 210.6 given up through the air was tied for eighth, while their run defense was ninth (103.7). Their 21.4 points given up was 10th. The offense’s 20.3 points was 22nd, but a healthy Dolphin offense is scary with playmakers De’von Achane, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle. 

Playoff Picks

AFC Wild Card 

Pittsburgh (2) over Miami (7)

Kansas City (3) over Los Angeles Chargers (6)

Baltimore (5) over Houston (4)

AFC Divisional 

Baltimore over Buffalo

Pittsburgh over Kansas City

AFC Championship 

Baltimore over Pittsburgh

NFC Wild Card 

Detroit (2) over Los Angeles Rams (7)

San Francisco (3) over Green Bay (6)

Washington (5) over Atlanta (4)

NFC Divisional 

San Francisco over Philadelphia

Washington over Detroit

NFC Championship

Washington over San Francisco

Super Bowl 

Baltimore over Washington