Predicting Top 5 NFC Teams In 3 Years
The NFC is pretty wide open as it currently stands, with just the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers cementing themselves as genuine Super Bowl contenders. Still, plenty of fun young teams project well into the future, but how good could they become? Here is who we expect to be the five best teams in the NFC in three years.
Predicting Top 5 AFC Teams in 3 Years
1. Philadelphia EaglesThe Eagles are the best team now, and there is no reason to believe they’ll fall off in three years. Jalen Hurts is the best quarterback in the conference, and no one is remotely close to him at the current stage. DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and AJ Brown will each be playing at a high level in three years, giving the Eagles a top-tier offense for the foreseeable future. Eagles’ staples in Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Brandon Graham, and Fletcher Cox won’t be on the roster in three years, but the Eagles have loads of young depth on each line primed to succeed them in the future.
Despite the Super Bowl LVII loss, there is no reason not to believe that Jalen Hurts and Co. won’t return within three years, creating a potential dynasty.
Are the Eagles a Lock to Win the NFC East?
2. Seattle SeahawksAfter the Eagles, the team of the future really is up for grabs. Seattle has created one of the NFL’s best young cores and will continue to have premier draft capital in the near future due to the Russell Wilson trade. Tyler Lockett might be the only departure in three years from a talented group of playmakers, including DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III, and Zach Charbonnet. In the secondary, Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon are the next coming of the Legion of Boom, while both the offensive and defensive lines should see improvements down the line. Geno Smith could still be the quarterback, but this team will be too talented in three years not to have high-quality quarterback play, whether from Smith or an outside addition.
3. Detroit LionsThe Lions are pegged as one of the teams of the future, and the NFL has identified that too, featuring them on NFL’s season kickoff against the Kansas City Chiefs in primetime. Detroit still has a ways to go, but in three years, they should be the presumptive favorites in the NFC North. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jameson Williams will become a dangerous offensive trio, and with Jared Goff’s 2022 improvements and stability signaling, he could be a mainstay in Detroit for the foreseeable future. On the defensive side, Aidan Hutchinson should blossom into one of the league’s premier pass rushers with an aggressive group around him.
4. Arizona CardinalsFrankly, I have no confidence in the 2023 Arizona Cardinals. None. Jonathan Gannon will be a one-year failure as the head coach, and Kyler Murray will continue to struggle around a roster that lacks talent. That said, I expect them to be so bad that they land the No. 1 overall pick and earn themselves Caleb Williams. Additionally, with the Texans’ first-round pick they own, the Cardinals could be poised to get themselves a premier pass catcher to pair with Williams, namely Marvin Harrison Jr. or Brock Bowers. This version of the Cardinals, combined with a new offensive-minded head coach in 2024 – all aboard the Ben Johnson train – the Cardinals will be right in the mix of NFC contenders in 2026.
5. San Francisco 49ersThe 49ers might be lower on this list than many expect, but I don’t care. Brock Purdy isn’t going to turn into a generational quarterback, Christian McCaffrey likely won’t be the same, and who knows how Deebo Samuel and George Kittle will age. Defensively, the 49ers are undoubtedly star-studded now, but how will they look when contracts are due in three years’ time? Will the 49ers be a respectable team still? Certainly, but a Super Bowl contender? I can’t see it.
Notable Omission: Chicago BearsI was very close to putting the Bears over the 49ers, but I still need to see a little more from Justin Fields this upcoming season to be convinced. They could use more offensive weapons, namely a DJ Moore complement and a workhorse running back. Luckily, the Panthers essentially gave Ryan Poles basically all their premier draft capital for the foreseeable future, so he’ll have plenty of chances to add talent around Fields. The Bears have the groundwork intact to be an elite NFL team in a few years, but 2023 will be a make-or-break where we’ll indeed find out what Justin Fields can become.
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