Ranking all 8 NFL divisions worst to first heading into the 2022 season

#5 – NFC South

Atlanta Falcons v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady came out of retirement to return to the NFC South; however, that doesn’t mean it iwll rank high on this list. The Buccaneers are the obvious outliers in this division. They have built a roster that can definitely challenge for the Super Bowl in 2022.

The New Orleans Saints can also lay claim to a division title as they’ve been Brady's kryptonite in recent times. No one, however, knows if Jameis Winston is truly a franchise quarterback.

The Atlanta Falcons are looking to rebuild after the losses of Matt Ryan through trade and Calvin Ridley through suspension. They will go into 2022 with Marcus Mariota leading the team, despite not starting in the NFL for a couple of years now.

The Carolina Panthers have superstar Christian McCaffrey going along with newly-acquired quarterback Baker Mayfield. Carolina depends heavily on CMC, who just can’t seem to stay healthy. Mayfield should be an upgrade on Sam Darnold, but how much of an upgrade?

#4 – AFC East

AFC Wild Card Playoffs - New England Patriots v Buffalo Bills

Despite the Buffalo Bills, who many have as Super Bowl favorites, being a part of this division, the AFC East only ranks fourth on this list. Along with the Bills are long-time division winners the New England Patriots, but they haven’t won this division without Tom Brady at quarterback, ever.

The Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa will be hoping for a solid 2022 return, especially after trading for Tyreek Hill, but many still have doubts about Tua’s ability to be a franchise quarterback.

The New York Jets are the final team to make up this division. While Zach Wilson showed some promise during his rookie year, he’ll need to make a serious leap to turn the Jets, who haven’t had a winning season since 2015, around.

#3 – NFC West

NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams

The NFC West features the two teams who made it to the NFC Championship in 2021, as well as the team who won the Super Bowl. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will be there, or there abouts, in the playoffs this year, despite the 49ers now relying on sophomore quarterback Trey Lance.

The Arizona Cardinals started the 2021 NFL season 7-0, but crumbled toward the end of the year as Kyler Murray’s form fell off a cliff. They will begin 2022 without the suspended wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins but expect them to still be competitive.

It’s likely the Seattle Seahawks will prop this division up after they traded away quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. They now have the choice of Geno Smith or Drew Lock to start for them in 2022.

#2 – AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens

The 2021 AFC winners, the Cincinnati Bengals, look to have only improved in the offseason as Joe Burrow looks to make back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.

They will challenge Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, who were desperately unlucky with injuries in 2021, but are always a threat in the NFL when healthy.

T.J. Watt will lead the charge for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who despite having Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, last had a losing season all the way back in 2003.

The Cleveland Browns will have to do without quarterback Deshaun Watson for much of 2022, but still have an excellent roster featuring Amari Cooper and arguably the best defensive end in football, Myles Garrett.

#1 – AFC West

Los Angeles Chargers v Las Vegas Raiders

The strongest division in the NFL for 2022 has to be the AFC West. Four of the best quarterbacks in football compete in this division in Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, Justin Herbert and now Russell Wilson.

Like superstar QBs, other talents include Travis Kelce of the Chiefs, Davante Adams of the Raiders, Joey Bosa of the Chargers and Justin Simmons of the Broncos.

There are superstars across all teams in this division. It’s genuinely difficult to predict a winner, making it, by far, the best and toughest division in the NFL for 2022.