Missed the Cut

A couple of teams earned serious consideration but ultimately fell short of the list proper. These were among the league's worst teams in 2024 but improved enough during free agency and the draft to provide promise heading into OTAs.

The New England Patriots won just four games in 2024, but they seemed to uncover a potential franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. Unsurprisingly, this offseason was largely about building around the young signal-caller.

The Patriots offense has the potential to be both effective and entertaining in 2025. With a few nice defensive pieces also in the mix—like defensive lineman Milton Williams and corner Carlton Davis—New England could be in store for a respectable campaign.

The Jacksonville Jaguars won only four games last season, though they did play much of the season without a healthy Trevor Lawrence at quarterback.

Having a franchise-caliber quarterback can help hide a lot of holes, and Jacksonville might have one in Lawrence. However, a poor supporting cast has prevented the 2021 first overall pick from reaching his NFL ceiling.

Unsurprisingly, the Jaguars churned over their roster in the early offseason, trading wideout Christian Kirk and parting with the likes of Evan Engram, Andre Cisco and Ronald Darby.

New general manager James Gladstone has made some calculated moves to improve Jacksonville's roster. He added linemen Robert Hainsey and Patrick Mekari, along with wideout Dyami Brown, cornerback Jourdan Lewis and safety Eric Murray. At the top of the draft, he made an aggressive trade for corner/receiver Travis Hunter , who, conceivably, could start at two positions for the Jags.

"There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport itself. Travis, while he has a lot to still earn, in our eyes, has the potential to do just that," Gladstone said, per John Oehser of the team's official website.