So the last major event of the 2021 NFL offseason has come and gone. Between trades, free agency, and the draft, teams are now gearing up for training camp, OTA's, and the preseason, all in the hopes of winning the coveted Vince Lombardi trophy.

This time of the year is one of pure hope for every single NFL team. The defending champs return with that post-Super Bowl glow, and even the basement dwellers are excited to see what their brand new top-tier draft picks can bring to the table.

But each year and season brings a winner, and this one is no different. Based on the Super Bowl odds posted just after the draft, these are the favorites to win each division in the NFL. Let's meet the contenders:

 

AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs (+575)

Sure, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the defending Super Bowl champions and have the most important players on their roster ready for another go-around.

But Kansas City is right there too, and are only two years removed from a championship themselves. If not for key injuries to the offensive line and to the best quarterback in the league, the Chiefs might have been gearing up for a third-straight Super Bowl run.

That said, this team is not just the clear favorite to win the AFC West, but the whole damn thing altogether. Their weaponry remains the same, while the offensive line has only gotten better, as well as their running game.

Patrick Mahomes plus improved protection is a nightmare matchup for any team on any week.

 

AFC East: Buffalo Bills (+1200)

Take everything said about Kansas City and paste it down here for the most part.

The Bills needed three things coming into this offseason: more depth at wide receiver and running back, and a more dynamic pass rush. What did they do? Address exactly that.

Gregory Rousseau highlights a fruitful draft for the Bills as potentially the draft's highest-upside DE prospect in Gregory Rousseau, with another playmaker at the position right behind him in Carlos Belsham, Jr. The passing attack got a huge upgrade with Emmanuel Sanders, and the running game got plenty of depth with Matt Breida.

With the assumption that 2020 wasn't just a flash in the pan, Josh Allen and the Bills look ready to put a stranglehold on the AFC East.

 

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens (+1600)

Baltimore goes as Lamar Jackson goes, and they go fast.

It remains to be seen if Lamar Jackson is just a freak of nature or a leader and pinpoint passer of the football. Regardless, he's still a top-five quarterback in the league, and the team is no slouch.

Grabbing Sammy Watkins and Rashod Bateman definitely helped to add some more playmaking at the wide receiver position, and Jackson is still the best ground threat in the league. However, if he fails or if it gets too hot to run between the tackles, J.K. Dobbins has evolved into quite the versatile back himself.

Once that passing game gets its facelift and Jackson can prove he can win from behind, Baltimore won't need to do much else. Cleveland might have something to say as they're tied with Baltimore in the odds column, but this title belongs with the proven, eye-popping talent of Jackson as they aim to become the top dog of the NFL.

 

AFC South: Indianapolis Colts (+2000)

Here's a paradox for you: despite having worse odds than the Ravens of winning the Super Bowl, the Colts actually have a better chance of taking their own division, courtesy of the Cleveland Browns.

The Colts and Browns actually have a bunch of parallels: very strong rosters that haven't gotten a lot of coverage, with marquee skill players that still have a lot of youth on their side. Both sport stingy defenses and solid offensive lines, and both have mysteries at the quarterback position.

Baker Mayfield is still a little bit of a question in Cleveland, despite two very solid seasons. Ditto and more for Carson Wentz, the Colts' newest play caller: despite an MVP-caliber season that set up a legitimate Super Bowl campaign, Wentz's injuries and overly aggressive play have soured public opinion on him.

Nevertheless, he is still a more proven talent than Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa, and drama or not, has won more than Deshaun Watson. He can reasonably come back as this division's best quarterback, and if he captures some of that MVP magic, no one will want to play the Colts come playoff time.

NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+600)

Winning a Super Bowl is big. Getting all the key contributors to that run is bigger.

Enter the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who possibly crippled themselves for the near future, but easily have the second-best odds to come out on top.

Even in his 40s, Tom Brady is still the GOAT, and this might be his most talented wide receiver corps ever. Antonio Brown can still move, and he, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin all got along pretty well in limited minutes.

The Bucs also managed to grab Brady's presumptive heir, and so found both value and an insurance policy if Brady goes down as they search for a repeat of NFL supremacy.

 

NFC West: Los Angeles Rams (+1400)

The Rams are in an interesting spot. They've lost key contributors to their defense, which will definitely sting.

But Sean McVay got the coolest new toy of the offseason, snagging Matt Stafford from the Detroit Lions. He also loves getting creative with his play-calling, which, with their personnel, the Rams will now be able to take advantage of.

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Matt Stafford has a cannon for an arm and has plenty of talent and size. Cam Akers is easily a feature back in this system, but even if he goes down again, the Rams are absurdly deep.

As for defense, don't worry. Aaron Donald counts for quadruple linemen and remains one of the best players in the entire NFL.

 

NFC North: Green Bay Packers (+1600)

This pick comes with a big caveat and one that's been the buzz of the NFL world.

Aaron Rodgers still needs to be on the roster.

This team goes where Rodgers goes, regardless of their talent, so don't worry about Aaron Jones or Davante Adams when figuring out their future. If Rodgers leaves or chooses to not play until he's traded (both very real possibilities), Green Bay could easily be the third-worst team in this division.

But while he stays, his play and performance alone keep them in first place ahead of the suddenly hopeful Chicago Bears and scary Minnesota Vikings.

 

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys (+3300)

This is another obligatory pick — no one really believes a team from the “NFC Least” can even post a record above .500, let alone actually make a run at the Super Bowl and become the best team in the NFL.

However, the reason Dallas is here because every other roster in the division is unproven. We still don't know who Washington's quarterback is going to be, and every other Giants fan is screaming for Daniel Jones' development. Finally, Philadelphia is just bad.

At the very least, Dallas is a proven commodity: Dak Prescott is an aggressive and mobile passer of the football, Ezekiel Elliot is still arguably a top-three running back, and their receiving corps is one of the best in the league.

When healthy, this team's offensive line is also in solid shape, and their defense should drastically improve after the 2021 NFL offseason.