Top 10 most complete NFL teams for 2025 season: Bills, Eagles, Lions among well-rounded squads

They incurred free-agent losses this offseason befitting of a Super Bowl champion and a franchise that has won 45 games (including playoffs) over the past three years. After all, everyone wants to be like the Eagles. Yet even with some departures, primarily on the defensive side, the team remains set up to compete for a title again thanks to the brilliant craftsmanship of GM Howie Roseman.

The offense remains stout, anchored with a terrific mix of blocking prowess and skill-position talent. Philly’s offensive line returns four strong starters. It should continue protecting Jalen Hurts and paving the way for reigning Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley. If A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith stay healthy, the team is in excellent shape at wide receiver, even if the depth is a little lacking. Having a quality collection of tight ends, led by Dallas Goedert, helps.

The Eagles have lost a lot from their defensive line the past two offseasons, and they’re counting on new pass rushers emerging this season, putting their draft-and-development plan to the test. With Nakobe Dean a candidate to open the season on the PUP list, linebacker depth will be tested, with first-round pick Jihaad Campbell potentially stepping into the spotlight right away. Safety also could be a spot where late-summer veteran help is an option unless rookie Andrew Mukuba is ready to play early.

But all told, Philly has terrific top-of-the-roster talent with 10 or more players capable of landing in the NFL Top 100 this summer, along with ample depth at certain spots. If the star players stay relatively healthy again, there’s no reason why the Eagles can’t win it all for a second straight year.

The Ravens have remained remarkably consistent and successful under head coach John Harbaugh, with GM Eric DeCosta carrying on the team-building prowess of the vintage years under Ozzie Newsome. Few franchises draft as well as the Ravens do, and though they seldom spend wildly in free agency, their hit rate is strong. That’s how they’ve built -- and maintained -- a first-class roster.

Lamar Jackson is in his prime and remains the centerpiece for a terrific offense that found another gear at times last season with the addition of Derrick Henry. They feature multiple playmakers at both wide receiver and tight end. Baltimore’s offensive line might not boast the talent or depth it once did, but it appears to be solid.

The defense took a step backward last season before hitting its stride down the stretch. It wouldn’t be stunning if the D was even more consistent this season with decent luck, injury-wise, and help from rookies Malaki Starks and Mike Green. Kyle Hamilton is the star of the defense, but the talent is well distributed, even if there are some questions about who’ll earn the major pass-rush roles.

This might not be a perfect group, and special teams will be a focus with the switch at kicker from Justin Tucker to rookie Tyler Loop. But with Jackson at the peak of his powers, Baltimore has very few major holes, and it could easily be the envy of all but a few NFL clubs. Even with recent playoff failures fresh in our memories, the Ravens are equipped enough to go all the way this season.

One of the Lions’ biggest offseason challenges is implementing two new coordinators after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn earned head-coaching jobs. Helping the matter: The talent in Detroit remains very strong. GM Brad Holmes has built one of the best rosters in the league.

Jared Goff followed up maybe his finest regular season with a disastrous playoff performance in the loss to the Commanders, but he’s made the Pro Bowl in two of the past three seasons. The bulk of his excellent offensive line returns, along with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who make up arguably the league’s best 1-2 RB punch. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and Gibbs are a strong top four targets -- with rookie Isaac TeSlaa waiting in the wings. Even with Johnson gone, the offense still should hum.

Defensively, they’ll improve simply by getting back a hoard of injured players from last season, starting with Aidan Hutchinson, but the Lions also added pieces to all three levels. First-round DT Tyleik Williams joins a solid two-deep up front. D.J. Reed and Avonte Maddox improve the secondary depth. And when healthy, Detroit has a very good group of linebackers.

No lineup is perfect, and the Lions have jobs up for grabs on offense (namely at guard) and defense (edge rusher opposite Hutchinson). Whether there’s enough pass-rush juice feels like a big question. But all told, the Lions boast a good roster. I expect other teams to raid their players after late August cutdowns.

They continue to tinker with their wide receivers and offensive line. There will be new faces on defense, too. But the core of the 2025 Chiefs resembles the team that has forged its way into playing in five of the past six Super Bowls. They might be coming off a lopsided loss in Super Bowl LIX, but I don’t expect them to undergo a precipitous decline.

Kansas City’s defense had carried a bigger chunk of the load in recent years, but the Super Bowl LIX blowout proved the unit required reinforcements. Four draft picks, including three on Day 2, should help with depth. DT Chris Jones and CB Trent McDuffie are elite defenders, and the Chiefs also have solid to strong playmakers throughout the defense. New CBs Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams should help.

Patrick Mahomes’ production has slipped a bit from his absolute peak a few years back, but he remains one of the most dangerous QBs in the game entering his age-30 season. Back along his side is Travis Kelce, a better running back situation than the team had last season and plenty of talent at receiver. Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown and rookie Jalen Royals all can be weapons. The offensive line has undergone big changes, but it could be better in 2025.

Some shakiness in the trenches keeps us from giving them an A across the board on the report card, but Mahomes and a handful of other elite players, combined with solid middle-of-the-roster talent, makes this crew a top-10 lock in my book. Drop them after the Super Bowl blowout at your own risk; there’s enough left in the tank for another run.

Bills fans rightfully raked me over the coals for excluding Buffalo on last year’s most-complete-rosters list, and I’m not convinced they’ll be thrilled with not cracking the top four spots this time around. Still, the Bills spent significant resources on the defensive line in free agency and used six of their first seven draft picks on that side of the ball.

The defensive line will start the season a bit thin while Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht are serving six-game suspensions, and Joey Bosa hasn’t shed injury concerns with the move out east. But there should be enough up front with Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver and others to hold the fort. Buffalo kept many of its pieces at linebacker and in the secondary, so improvement from within might be crucial in the back seven.

Reigning MVP Josh Allen is coming off arguably his best season to date, and he remains in his prime at 29 years old. He’s protected by a well-constructed offensive line that brings all five starters back. He also has a good group of tight ends (although Dalton Kincaid needs to do more) and a strong run game. The Bills would undoubtedly love it if one of their new receivers, such as Josh Palmer or Elijah Moore, steps up, but they also can count on continued development from Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman.

Buffalo boasts a strong roster, even a borderline elite one. There must be improvements on special teams, and the defensive depth could cause some early season worries, but this remains one of the more talented NFL squads.

It’s difficult to precisely place the Vikings, who have a Formula 1 roster but a learner’s permit driver. After being sidelined with a knee injury for all of 2024, first-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy likely holds the key for this team, which is coming off a 14-win season, but how do you properly rank a talented squad with a quarterback who has just 30 snaps in a preseason game under his belt?

McCarthy’s pedigree as a top-10 pick helps boost his floor, as does the fact he’s being shepherded by head coach Kevin O’Connell and a talented offense. He’s arguably in a better position than any of O’Connell’s prior QBs here, buoyed by a stabilized offensive line, a healthy T.J. Hockenson and an ideal 1-2 punch at receiver with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jordan Mason might also be a sneaky-big addition to the backfield next to Aaron Jones.

The defense has a front seven capable of controlling games. Most members of last year’s strong crew return, and the additions of Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen make it harder to double anyone up front. The secondary is the biggest concern, potentially counting on players such as Isaiah Rodgers and Theo Jackson for expanded roles. If everything comes together, Brian Flores could have another strong defense.

The special teams also could be a cause for worry, so this is by no means a perfect group. But Minnesota didn’t go 14-3, with all three losses to playoff teams, via smoke and mirrors. The Vikings made a strong push this offseason to surround McCarthy with a great infrastructure and they have one of the better NFL rosters because of it.

The Bucs have won 57 games over the past five seasons (including playoffs), deftly handling what could have been a difficult transition post-Tom Brady. Baker Mayfield’s reemergence is a major reason for them landing in the top 10, but the overall health of the roster might be as strong as it has been since Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl title five years ago.

Mayfield’s career has been up and down overall, and he did lead the NFL in interceptions last season, but his play was a huge boon to an offense that’s emerging as one of the league’s best. Adding rookie Emeka Egbuka to a WR corps led by Chris Godwin (Todd Bowles told reporters Tuesday that they are hopeful Godwin will be healthy come Week 1) and Mike Evans could raise the bar even more. Bucky Irving also emerged as the lead runner in a strong backfield, potentially yielding even more fruit in 2025. A strong offensive line and solid tight ends round out a formidable unit.

Defensively, they’re less established, but the potential is there. If injuries don’t bite the secondary again, that should be a quality group overall with the addition of Day 2 draft picks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. The ageless Lavonte David returns as the heartbeat of the defense, and there are quality pieces up front in Vita Vea and Yaya Diaby. But finding more pass-rush sources and front-seven depth will be the keys to making an average defense a bit more impactful.

The Bucs might lack true blue-chip talent at several positions, and not everyone might be convinced that Mayfield is a true difference-maker and winner. But the pieces are there for another division-title run -- and perhaps more. If the explosive offense hits peak performance, this might be one of the higher-scoring attacks in the league.

Brian Gutekunst was promoted to general manager in 2018, and the Packers have selected 80 players in his eight drafts -- an average of 10 per year, for the non-math majors out there. This volume-heavy approach has allowed them to field one of the league's most solid and competitive rosters up and down. Depending on what you think of Jordan Love, of course.

As the 26th overall pick in 2020, Love arguably was the most controversial of those 80 choices among fans and pundits, who continue to debate the long-term extension he signed last summer. He took over for Aaron Rodgers in 2023, turned in two streaky seasons as the starter and now must show he can further elevate his game. The support system is there: Green Bay boasts a capable offensive line, a wealth of WR talent, an emerging star at tight end (Tucker Kraft) and the running of Josh Jacobs, who's coming off a terrific first season in Green and Gold. If first-round WR Matthew Golden can step right in as a threat, this is a top-10 offense.

Can the defense hold up its end of the bargain? The front -- which features four former first-rounders, plus a slew of other draftees -- must play up to expectations for this unit to thrive. There's still the lingering question of CB Jaire Alexander's future, but the secondary features enough playmakers. And while linebacker might not be terribly deep, there is talent.

The evaluation of Love makes this ranking trickier, and there are some areas on defense that might be in less than ideal shape. Solving the organization's chronic special-teams ailments also could save Packers fans from some anguish. But all told, this is a fairly strong team, lacking major red flags. Green Bay's ranking would be solidified should Love show improvement.

Last season's meltdown can't be ignored, and neither can this offseason's major departures on both sides of the line and in the secondary. But if the 49ers bounce back health-wise, their core of talent should help them rebound in the standings.

Brock Purdy earned his new long-term deal. Though some doubters might question whether he's a top-10 quarterback, the 49ers are better off with him than they would have been with any reasonable alternative, operating behind what should be at least a solid offensive line. Christian McCaffrey is one of the best players in the league when healthy, and George Kittle remains among the finer tight ends, even if he'll turn 32 this season. Brandon Aiyuk, coming off a knee injury, is a question mark, but Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall appear ready to step up into bigger roles after the exit of Deebo Samuel.

They feature a strong group of linebackers and a true pass-rush difference-maker in Nick Bosa, and they bolstered the overall talent on defense with six draft picks, all of whom could be factors as rookies, especially first-rounder Mykel Williams, DTs Alfred Collins and CJ West and LB Nick Martin. The problem is, the defensive interior lacks depth, and the secondary remains riddled with questions. Can Robert Saleh, back in the defensive coordinator chair he occupied from 2017 to 2020, work his magic?

It wasn't as easy to justify a spot on this list for the 49ers, who also carry major special-teams worries, this season. But they should be helped by a favorable schedule, and it's not like they were suddenly sapped of most of their talent. The bottom line is, if the pendulum swings back and San Francisco receives far less bad luck on the injury front, this team should return to prominence.

Coming into the draft, I saw the Broncos as potential shoo-ins for this list, as long as they added the right skill-position pieces. As it turned out, this call was closer than I thought it would be. Though I liked some of their selections, they could have gotten better value out of some of their picks, and the rookie crop didn't provide quite the boost I was anticipating. In the end, Denver had just enough to crack the top tier, squeezing past the Commanders and Rams thanks to an elite defense, an emerging quarterback and strength on the offensive line.  

Bo Nix probably exceeded most expectations for his rookie season, even appearing to briefly duel with eventual winner Jayden Daniels for OROY honors at a point relatively late in the season. Nix has a good No. 1 receiver in place (Courtland Sutton), a new TE who might prove to have been the missing piece (Evan Engram) and a top-five offensive line. That's a good starting template. The rest of the offense has potential but is largely unproven. A backfield comprised of RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estimé might not boggle minds, but it could be effective. Denver really needs its young receivers to seize bigger roles, though.

The Broncos feature a top-five defense, and if you were to argue it is the league's very best, I wouldn't push back all that hard. Reigning DPOY Pat Surtain II headlines a very strong secondary that added Talanoa Hufanga and rookie Jahdae Barron this offseason. There's space for another pass rusher to emerge alongside Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto, and there are injury concerns with Hufanga and at linebacker, which will be manned by Dre Greenlaw, Alex Singleton and Drew Sanders. But all in all, this defense stacks up about as well as any unit in the league.

And it will be tested through a tough early stretch on the schedule. There's also no guarantee Nix will take a proverbial step forward in Year 2 -- don't be fooled into thinking that young quarterbacks will automatically do so -- or that the skill talent will stack up with the league's better clubs. Still, this ranking is warranted, thanks to what the Broncos have working for them on both sides of the ball.