NFL: Which team goes from worst to first in 2017
Eight NFL teams are looking to enter the NFL season as candidates to go from worst to first
Philadelphia, Carolina, Jacksonville, Cleveland, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have the chance to rebound as the NFL’s worst to the best.
The NFC East will be a tough division, which is why I picked the Philadelphia Eagles to come out ahead under second year quarterback Carson Wentz. With the team building around Wentz through the new wide receivers and fortified offensive line the Eagles are ready to take the next step towards a division crown.
Shawn Spencer sees the Carolina Panthers rebounding from their Super Bowl hangover and being players in the NFC South.
"Carolina. The Panthers are a year removed from being NFC champions and should once again be focused after playing so poorly last season. The offense will be more explosive with Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel creating mismatches for opposing defenses. If just one of those two becomes a reliable third option in the passing game behind Benjamin and Olsen, the Panthers will contend in the NFC South."
Carolina had won three consecutive division titles before finishing in last place.
Eric Robinson also went with a team from the South, but a different conference with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"I don’t think any team will achieve this feat but if there is a team that has the best chance, it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars. Adding Leonard Fournette will help Bortles and his pension for making mistakes. Calais Campbell adds another veteran voice in their young locker room and the talent is quite evident with Jalen Ramsey, Telvin Smith, Myles Jack, A.J. Bouye. It’s more about putting it all together to win games with this team and not a lack of talent."
Eric was not the only member of the NFL Mocks staff who sees potential in the Jaguars this year. Dylan Huberman talked about the Jaguars making the move into first this week as well, but noted their biggest concern will be the quarterback.
"However, the biggest question of them all is under center. Blake Bortles will either make or break this team. Everything looked great during his dominant 2015 campaign, as the future for the then franchise passer and his team looked bright. The 2016 season, on the other hand, was an ugly one for Bortles. His disastrous output led fans and analysts alike to question whether or not Bortles is even the guy to run the show. He needs to find himself and rebound in 2017."
What do the fans think? Here’s a poll we ran on Twitter to help get an idea of the general population’s opinion.
Which team is likely to go from worst to first in their division?
— NFL Mocks (@NFLMocks) July 30, 2017
As expected most of the love went towards Carolina just two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance.
Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Trade Winds Blow Early
Who will be the worst to first club this year? Leave your comments below and on our Twitter page @NFLMocks