It’s easy to foresee continued success for the Seahawks, Patriots and Panthers — the three teams at the top of this year’s rankings — but the San Francisco 49ers, who were No. 1 on the same list in 2013, provide a cautionary reminder that things change fast in the NFL. The Redskins are another example of that, though the defending NFC East champions are trending in a positive direction for the first time in three years.

Washington is up 15 spots in this year’s rankings to 12th with an overall score of 74.2, the highest ranking among NFC East teams and the Redskins’ highest ranking in the past five years. The only team to make a bigger jump from last year is Oakland, which went from 29th to 13th. Improved quarterback play under Kirk Cousins was the single biggest factor in the Redskins’ rise, though a deeper roster, better coaching and another solid draft in the eyes of ESPN’s experts also contributed. Here’s a look at Washington’s score (out of 100) in each category, with the change from last season in parentheses:

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Roster: 71.7 (+11.7)

QB: 77.3 (+36)

Coaching: 72.3 (+11.6)

Draft: 78.3 (+14)

Front Office: 73.3 (-1.7)

Overall Score: 74.2 (+14.9)

In the analysis that accompanies the rankings, GM Scot McCloughan receives praise for rebuilding through the draft, and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick notes that “the Redskins are a dominant pass-rusher away from having high-quality players at all five of the most important positions on an NFL team (QB, DE, CB, OT, WR).” Fellow analyst Mike Sando writes that “McCloughan still must prove he can endure for the long term after alcohol abuse contributed to his departures from San Francisco and Seattle in 2010 and 2014, respectively.”

The Redskins were 20th in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings after trading three first-round picks to the Rams to select Robert Griffin III in the 2012 NFL draft. They jumped to 16th after winning the NFC East in Griffin’s rookie season, while the Rams, thanks in part to the promise of all of the picks they received from Washington, were tied for eighth entering the 2013 season. Now, for the first time since 2012, the near future appears brighter for the Redskins than the Rams, who are 30th in this year’s rankings. That’s one spot ahead of the 49ers and two spots ahead of Griffin’s new team, the Browns.

2012

Redskins Rank: 20th

Rams Rank: 24th

2013

Redskins Rank: 16th

Rams Rank: T-8th

2014

Redskins Rank: 24th

Rams Rank: 12th

2015

Redskins Rank: 27th

Rams Rank: 17th