With the NFL season over and the NFL Draft and Training looming, it is only fitting to have a way too early NFL Predictions.

1- Eagles- The defending Super Bowl Champions have to be number one until beating. They also made a few offseason moves, including the pickup of former Seattle DE Michael Bennett to make their great defensive line even more dominant. Also, the MVP candite and frontrunner until his injury last season, Caron Wentz, will be returning to the field at QB and the Super Bowl MVP will be the backup QB in Nick Foles.

2- Rams- The Rams had the most aggressive approach with free agency this year, and had many great and elite pickups for this season. Joining the NFL Defensive player of the year in Arron Donald, is former pro bowler, DT Ndamukong Suh. This makes their defensive line one of the top 5 in the league. The secondary for the Rams was the weak-link a season ago, but that is no longer the case. They picked up Aquib Talib, a CB with 34 INT, 10 TDs, and multiple pro bowl honors. On the other side of the filed is the elite cornerback from Kanasa City, Marcus Peters. Peters has amassed 19 INT in his first 3 years! On the offensive side of the ball, there is QB Jared Goff and Offensive Player of the Year RB Todd Gurley. They added a quick deep-threat from the Patriots in Brandon Cooks, who had the 10th most receiving yards of wide receivers last season.

3- Vikings- The Vikings had the best defense in the league last season, and they kept all of their defensive stars, which is a feat in itself. They also had the largest free agent signing, in which they picked up QB Kirk Cousins. The Vikings had a great run last year, but the one thing preventing them from taking the next step towards a Super Bowl Championship is a solid QB. They have solved their problem and with the return of Dalvin Cook from injury, they will be ready to dominate this season.

4- Patriots- As usual, the Patriots are high up in the power rankings. This team has maintained excellence for 18 years and continues to be the favorite in the AFC. I could not put them higher, because they made no significant moves over the offseason, and many players and inside sources have come forward stating that there are problems with the organization, especially between Tom Brady, Owner Robert Kraft, and Head Coach/ General Manager Bill Belichick. The Pats also lost Dion Lewis and Malcolm Butler in free agency. Even though this will be a hard season, the well-oiled machine that is the Patriots never stops working.

5- Saints- “Rookie” is the word of the day for this team, which had multiple rookie sensations last season, which added youthfulness and life to this older team. RB Alvin Kamara and CB Marshawn Lattimore took home the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards respectively. The Saints also had great play from the rookie linebackers and sure up the ends of their offensive line. The Saints made it to the Divisional round of the playoffs and only lost due to the Minneapolis Miracle at the end of regulation. The NFC South is a very good division with the Falcons and the Panthers also making the playoffs last year, but Drew Brees is still the best QB in the division and can carry a team and make the clutch plays at the end of the game.