NFL Executives Name Their 'Surprise' Teams for 2025, Including One Utterly Shocking Choice | 4 Downs

Meet the potential contenders flying under the radar.

There’s at least one every year.

Last season, it was the Washington Commanders who shocked most folks as the last-place to the playoffs surprise team, with the Minnesota Vikings nearly as shockingly going from seven wins in 2023 to a 14-3 NFC Wild Card in 2024.

After several teams made significant upgrades at key positions of need during free agency, and later bolstered the overall quality of depth across the roster during the NFL Draft, there’s a case to be made for several teams following in Minnesota and Washington’s footsteps as the teams primed to make major leaps in 2025.

In Las Vegas, the Raiders finally found veteran stability at quarterback by trading for Geno Smith, reuniting him with former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s system. Smith has the luxury of explosive rookie running back Ashton Jeanty alongside him in the backfield.

The New England Patriots turned the most cap space in the league in March into a roster built around second-year quarterback Drake Maye and should make significant strides on defense, while boasting some firepower around the former No. 3 overall pick. More importantly, New England will finally be coached by an adult in the room with playoff pedigree, in Mike Vrabel.

There are also cases to be made that Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cincinnati Bengals fans should be optimistic about a far brighter season ahead than the one each fanbase lived through last fall.

As teams across the NFL convene for mandatory minicamp, and others close up shop until training camp late next month, I asked several coaches and executives across the league which teams improved the most and could surprise folks by making a run, or at least improving to the point that they wildly surpass expectations.

One team that was mentioned in my conversations, twice, was so shocking, you’ll have to stick around to the end of the column; there, you’ll find out what one member of that franchise’s front office tells me he believes it will take for them to turn things around.

Here’s a look at their answers and my analysis.

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