The kick off of the 2016 NFL Season is nearly upon us. The preseason is about halfway through, we're getting a better idea by the day of what final 53 man rosters will look like spanning across 32 teams in the NFL. With that, as a sports analyst, it's time I put my picks for this upcoming season out there. Division winners, playoff runs, and finally, the prestigious Super Bowl are at stake. At the end of the year, only one team can take home the Lombardi trophy.

Overview:

The following picks are made with the assumption that key players avoid certain extremes, such as untimely falloffs in production or severe, season threatening injuries.

My picks for the AFC:

The New England Patriots will win the AFC East and attain the 1 seed
The Cincinnati Bengals win the AFC North and attain 2 seed
The Denver Broncos win the AFC West and attain 3 seed
The Jacksonville Jaguars win the AFC South and attain the 4 seed
The Pittsburgh Steelers claim the 5th seed
The Oakland Raiders claim the 6th seed

Analysis: Even with Tom Brady missing the first four games of the season, the New England Patriots have a relatively lofty schedule. Facing little competition and likely earning at least four wins within their own division, the Patriots have a very real shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Retaining the services of RB LeGarrette Blount and bulking up the defensive end should keep the Patriots competitive despite missing Tom Brady for the first quarter of the season.

To contrast, the Cincinnati Bengals will face stiff competition for the AFC North title. The hated rival Pittsburgh Steelers, who eliminated the Bengals last season, look to give them a run for their money. Ultimately, the play of Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati offense under a new offensive coordinator will determine whether or not this prediction pans out. To their aid, Pittsburgh running back Leveon Bell has been suspended three games per the league's substance abuse rules, with Martavis Bryant missing the season for the same reason, which should hinder the team's offense to an extent.

Despite losing many key pieces, the Denver Broncos' defense is still as sturdy as you will find around the league, thanks to the team retaining key piece Von Miller. The defense carried an anemic offense last year all the way to the Super Bowl. It is a relatively comfortable assertion that the defending Super Bowl champs will win their division again, with the only question being: Who's starting under center Week One?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had many brutal years of football. Long have they been the butt of many jokes, as the team has failed to secure a winning season since their playoff campaign in 2008, when David Garrard was their starting quarterback and Jack Del Rio was the head coach, with the former now retired and the latter now a head coach of the Oakland Raiders. However, this year brings with it an optimism the team hasn't seen in quite some time. The offense was absolutely dynamic last year, and the team shored the defense up big time this past offseason, with a key free agent signing in Malik Jackson and big time draft pick in Myles Jack, provided he's healthy, joining the fray. With the fractured structure that is the AFC South featuring no clear cut "team to beat", it's not inconceivable to think the Jaguars could earn themselves a home playoff game this year.

NFC:

The Arizona Cardinals win the NFC West and attain the 1 seed
The Minnesota Vikings win the NFC North and attain the 2 seed
The Carolina Panthers win NFC South and attain the 3 seed
The New York Giants win the NFC East and attain the 4 seed
The Green Bay Packers claim the 5th seed
The Seattle Seahawks claim the 6th seed

Analysis:

The Arizona Cardinals have the tangibles to be the best team in all of football. They have insane depth, a well structured leadership core, and one of the best coaches in football in Bruce Arians. Veteran QB Carson Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald form one of the best QB-WR duos in the NFL, as well as one of the oldest. With a fearsome pass rush, the Cardinals defense can find plenty of opportunities to set the offense up in good field position, and the two will synergize very well in this respect. Though they boast powerful competition from the Seahawks, the Cardinals should be able to secure homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with strong play we've grown accustomed to from a Bruce Arians led team.

One season removed from what many consider to be a fluke, The Minnesota Vikings are on an upward trend. Having spent the draft supplying QB Teddy Bridgewater with weapons, the offense, which can hopefully be a little more balanced with the aid of Adrian Peterson, should hopefully start to move the chains more for a team predicated around their defensive efforts last year. The sting of last year's heartbreaking loss to the Seahawks is still there, but there isn't anything to suggest that this team won't be right back in the fray again this year.

The Carolina Panthers were the best team in football last year. Cam Newton had a fantastic season, Jonathan Stewart carved out a nice workhorse role, and the defense was among the best in the league. With Newton getting back top target Kelvin Benjamin, combined with the fact that the Panthers play in one of the worst divisions in football, means that the Panthers should coast to winning the division and should be in a favorable position come Week 17.

For complete lack of a better option, the New York Giants look like the "most polished turd" to come out of the NFC East this year. With the Dallas Cowboys once again losing Tony Romo, the Washington Redskins hardpressed to repeat last year's season, and the Philadelphia Eagles in a massive mess, the division is the Giants' to lose. With reliable arm Eli Manning returning for another season, along with top targets Odell Beckham Jr and Victor Cruz (hopefully) joining him, the Giants will likely find themselves in the brunt of a lot of "38-35" games, given the lack of impressive defensive talent.

Playoffs:

AFC-

Broncos over Raiders
Steelers over Jaguars

Broncos over Bengals
Patriots over Steelers

Patriots over Broncos

NFC-

Panthers over Seahawks
Packers over Giants

Panthers over Vikings
Cardinals over Packers

Cardinals over Panthers

Cardinals over Patriots

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, by my call, the Arizona Cardinals will be this year's Super Bowl champions.

I'll be back in February to tell you all I told you so.