On Wednesday, NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt published an article in which he ranked the NFL’s eight most vulnerable defending division champions — that is, the divisions that are most likely to have a new champion in 2021.
Brandt — who served as vice-president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 through 1989 — is one of the most respected NFL media analysts. His choice for the most vulnerable defending division champion — the New Orleans Saints, now without quarterback Drew Brees and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pushing for a return to the Super Bowl — would be obvious to just about anyone.