4 | Dallas Cowboys
Perhaps new head coach Mike McCarthy won’t be the cure-all for a stagnant, underwhelming Cowboys offense. It certainly won’t be a lack of weapons. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb fell to No. 17 in the draft and will join Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott. That’s a good group that should put up a ton of points. Losing Byron Jones in free agency will hurt their secondary, and Travis Frederick’s retirement could make a once dominant offensive line take a step back. Still, they have enough offensive playmakers to put up a ton of points if McCarthy can overhaul that side of the ball.
3 | Green Bay Packers
There’s an argument to be made that Green Bay should be lower on this list. They’re trying to make dramatic offensive changes in a year where the offseason could be trimmed to nothing. They didn’t add a player in the first round of the draft to help quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and instead opted to trade up and select his replacement. Their defense should be good again though after finishing ninth in scoring last season, and Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer who’s always a threat regardless of who’s playing alongside him. Perhaps Green Bay’s 13-3 record was a fluke a year ago, but they won’t be bad in 2020.
2 | Buffalo Bills
The Bills were a couple plays away from winning a playoff game on the road last year. Their defense finished No. 2 in scoring and No. 3 in yards allowed. That unit should be among the NFL’s best again. Quarterback Josh Allen is the wild card due to his accuracy issues, but he’s a good athlete who can extend plays with his legs and hurt defenses that don’t account for him as a runner. Trading for Stefon Diggs gives the Bills’ offense the best receiver its had since Allen arrived. They should run away with the AFC East.
1 | New Orleans Saints
New Orleans’ early playoff exit last year wasn’t indicative of their season as a whole. They’re still arguably the best team in the NFC, and quarterback Drew Brees is adapting his game to his declining skill set to make himself ultra effective even as he enters his 40s. The Saints also added Emmanuel Sanders in the offseason. He will fit in nicely next to Michael Thomas. While they’ve largely been known for offense under Sean Payton, New Orleans’ defense has quietly emerged as one of the league’s best. Their roster is the only one in the conference close to as complete as San Francisco’s.