Ranking which division should be featured on in-season 'Hard Knocks,' from best to worst

The change doesn't impact the preseason version of the show, which will still feature only one team. 

Last year, the Dolphins appeared in "Hard Knocks: In Season," which premiered on Nov. 21, 2023, and ran through Miami's 2023 playoff run.  

With a change in the show's format coming, here's our ranking of the divisions, from best to worst, regarding which one should be featured in the series this year.

1. NFC North

An ascending Jordan Love and the Packers, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson in a pivotal season, The Lions with Dan Campbell, and Caleb Williams (potentially) in Chicago — what's not to love about this setup? The NFC North is the most interesting division in football and deserves a season of "Hard Knocks" devoted to it.

2. AFC South

The Texans are one of the league's best stories after improving from 3-13-1 in 2022 to 10-7 in 2023 and could be even better this season. The division is full of talented young quarterbacks, including Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence, Colts' Anthony Richardson and Titans' Will Levis, and the NFL could use this opportunity to market some of their future stars.

3. AFC West

The head coaches would be worth the price of admission alone. Give us Chiefs' Andy Reid at his favorite burger establishment, Broncos' Sean Payton sticking a pin in his Roger Goodell voodoo doll, and Chargers' Jim Harbaugh maintaining his lawn. Antonio Pierce is also entering his first year as the Raiders' full-time head coach and will try to prove he belongs with the division's heavyweights.

4. NFC South

Who doesn't love a trainwreck? The cringe comedy of the NFC South would be a welcome way to bide the time until HBO drops the second season of "The Rehearsal." None of the teams are particularly good, but they have high stakes for the 2024 season. The Falcons, Bucs and Saints have high-priced quarterbacks that expect to lead them to the postseason, while the Panthers hope they didn't make a huge mistake by drafting Bryce Young at No. 1 overall in 2023.

5. AFC North

From top to bottom, arguably, no division in football is better than the AFC North. The Ravens, Browns and Steelers made the playoffs in 2023, and the Bengals should return to the field with quarterback Joe Burrow returning from a season-ending injury. However, teams being competent isn't necessarily compelling television. Outside of a quarterback battle in Pittsburgh between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, the four divisions ahead of the AFC North offer more fascinating storylines.

6. NFC West

Do the 49ers experience a Super Bowl hangover? How do the Rams make up for Aaron Donald's retirement? Those are some questions a "Hard Knocks" based on the NFC West could address. The Seahawks are entering a new age after former head coach Pete Carroll was fired this offseason, and the Cardinals could have one of the top rookies of the 2024 NFL Draft class, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., to pair with a healthy Kyler Murray.

7. NFC East

Does the NFC East need to be featured on "Hard Knocks" when we can just tune into ESPN to find out the latest on the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants and Commanders? These teams take up a disproportionate amount of attention from the national media and don't need any more of the spotlight.

8. AFC East

The AFC East brings up the rear largely because Aaron Rodgers is already on our televisions enough as it is. From last year's preseason edition of "Hard Knocks" with the New York Jets to his weekly in-season appearances on "The Pat McAfee Show," we've reached our saturation point with Rodgers. Watching him throw a football for three hours on Sunday is more than enough.