Every team has strengths, and some have overpowering ones.
Looking around the NFL entering the 2025 regular season, there are a handful of teams able to boast about having the best unit at a given position. In the case of the Lions, they get to do it on both sides of the ball.
In this evaluation, it’s not just about the lead starter or starters at a given position. It’s about the depth of the position room, typically led by a star who can dominate a game from their spot. For example, the Ravens may not have Brock Bowers or Travis Kelce on their roster, but their tight end room is deep and impactful.
So which teams have the best rooms in the league? Let’s break it all down, starting with the quarterback.
Quarterbacks: Chiefs
The Chiefs are not only blessed with Patrick Mahomes and his three Super Bowl MVP awards, but also have one of the league’s better backups in Gardner Minshew II.
Mahomes could retire tomorrow at 29 years old and be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Despite coming off his worst statistical year (3,928 yards, 26 touchdowns, 11 interceptions), he remains the league’s toughest quarterback to beat with five Super Bowl appearances over the past six years.
In Minshew, the Chiefs have a veteran with 59 games and 46 starts of experience. For his six-year career, Minshew has thrown for 68 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, making him a legitimate threat should Mahomes miss a game or two at some point.
Running backs: Lions
The Sonic and Knuckles tandem is the most electrifying in the league, and also the most versatile.
Many were surprised when the Lions used the 12th pick in the 2023 draft on Jahmyr Gibbs, but he’s turned into a top-three back in the league along with Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. Last season, Gibbs earned Pro Bowl honors for the second consecutive year, rushing for 1,412 yards and a league-high 16 touchdowns while averaging a whopping 5.6 yards per carry. He’s also a threat in the passing game, as the Alabama product caught 52 of 63 targets for 517 yards.
Meanwhile, David Montgomery is a terrific blocker who also ran for 775 yards and 12 scores. At 230 pounds, he’s a better option in the red zone and between the tackles. Last season, Montgomery and Gibbs combined for 3,045 total yards, the most of any running back duo.
Wide receivers: Bengals
The Bengals might need to score 30 points per game to make the playoffs, given their defensive depth chart. The good news? They might be able to do so thanks to their passing game.
Ja’Marr Chase won the triple crown last season with 127 catches, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns, helping Cincinnati win nine games. Chase had five 100-yard games, highlighted by an absurd 264-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Ravens in a 35–34 loss.
Across from Chase is Tee Higgins, another star who, like Chase, earned a lucrative extension this offseason. Higgins was limited to 12 games due to hamstring and quad injuries but still managed 73 receptions for 911 yards and 10 scores, helping Joe Burrow lead the NFL in both passing yards (4,918) and touchdowns (43).
Tight ends: Ravens
There are plenty of tight ends better than Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews on an individual basis, but no team has a better duo than the Ravens.
Likely has dealt with a broken bone in his foot, which could keep him out of some early-season games. Last season, he caught 42 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns, helping Baltimore win its second consecutive AFC North title before bowing out in the divisional round against the Bills.
As for Andrews, the 29-year-old had a quality campaign, catching 55 of 69 targets for 673 yards and a team-high 11 receiving touchdowns. With Andrews and Likely both working the middle of the field against defenses scheming to stop Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, expect more productivity.
Offensive line: Eagles
The Eagles have long had one of the best lines in the league.
Philadelphia has a future Hall of Fame right tackle in Lane Johnson, who, despite being 35 years old, is at the peak of his powers, earning All-Pro status each of the past four seasons. On the left side, Jordan Mailata entered the league as a seventh-round pick in 2020 and has developed into a premier talent, earning a second-team All-Pro selection in ’24.
PFF ranked the Eagles as the best offensive line in football last year. Although right guard Mekhi Becton left for the Chargers in free agency, nothing suggests the unit is poised to backslide.
Defensive line: Giants
The Rams have a tremendous case here with their quartet, including reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse. However, it’s tough to argue with Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter up front.
Carter, the 2025 No. 3 pick from Penn State, racked up 12 sacks and a nation-high 24 tackles for loss while earning All-American honors. On the other edge is Burns, who came over from the Panthers before last season and had 8.5 sacks. Thibodeaux will work all over the front. The 2022 first-round pick has 21 sacks over his first three years.
Still, the best player is Lawrence, who has staked a claim as the best defensive tackle in the league this side of Chris Jones. Lawrence amassed nine sacks and 16 quarterback hits while earning his third consecutive Pro Bowl trip.
Linebackers: Commanders
Washington might seem like a curious choice, but the Commanders have quietly put together an excellent second level under coach and defensive guru Dan Quinn.
Last year, first-year general manager Adam Peters aimed to raise both the talent level and the floor, bringing in inside linebacker Bobby Wagner on a one-year deal while signing Frankie Luvu from the Panthers on a $36 million pact over three years.
Wagner, 35, remains a force, even as his physical gifts have diminished. Playing all 17 games, he notched 132 tackles, 10 for loss, eight quarterback hits and two sacks to earn second-team All-Pro honors. Meanwhile, Luvu had 99 tackles and eight sacks, also earning All-Pro status.
Cornerbacks: Broncos
The Broncos might have the league’s best defense, and it begins on the edges and corners.
In the secondary, Denver has the NFL’s top corner in Patrick Surtain II, coming off a first-team All-Pro campaign in which he tallied four interceptions and 11 passes defensed. This offseason, Surtain signed a four-year, $96 million extension through the 2029 season. Across from Surtain is Riley Moss, one of the most underrated corners in the NFL. Moss has only one interception in two seasons, but he’s a quality option on the perimeter despite allowing four touchdowns in ’24.
In the slot, Denver added first-round pick Jahdae Barron from Texas, who will be an immediate starter. With the Longhorns, Barron played 57 games and last year racked up an SEC-best five interceptions.
Safeties: Lions
Detroit has plenty of reasons to worry about its defense, but the safeties aren’t one of them.
Under new coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, the Lions are going to rely heavily on their star tandem of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. In 2024, Joseph led the league with nine interceptions after totaling eight picks over his first two seasons, earning first-team All-Pro honors.
Branch is a versatile, Pro Bowl defensive back who alternates between playing in the slot and deep coverage. Few players are more valuable to their team than the 2023 second-round pick, who gives Sheppard a weapon to deploy all over the field.
Special teams: Cowboys
The Cowboys may have their issues, especially in the owner’s box, but they excel at special teams.
Dallas has one of the league’s best kickers in Brandon Aubrey, who connected on 40 field goals last year and all 30 of his extra-point attempts. Aubrey was also ridiculous long range, connecting on 14-of-17 field goals from beyond 50 yards.
The Cowboys also have the league’s first-team All-Pro kick returner in KaVontae Turpin. Turpin was dynamic, totaling 904 yards and a touchdown on 27 returns. He also found the end zone on a punt return, helping him become a star in just his second NFL season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as One Division Dominates Our Ranking of the NFL’s Best Talent at 10 Positions.
