I'm banking on a certain second year team to do well this year. It's at the tip of my tongue, I know they're from somewhere in New York... Uh... uh... Drat, I forget.
2826 from what has been posted on CD looks like it's only getting much better with time. Considering the level they played at last year, that scares me.
2836 had a solid team last year and will probably quietly build on that. While not the best robot last year, they had a very well run team and played a very good, cooperative game at Champs last year. Haven't heard from them since.
2704 is the offspring of 2741, and they have always built quality robots in FTC or FRC. They're directly responsible for my continued participation in FIRST (they selected my robot in FTC 2008), so I'm a bit biased, but I'd be surprised if they aren't solid.
2846, 2861, 2825 all played well at a very rookie-intensive event last year (Minnesota). At least one of the three will be "up there" this year, though it's hard to see them walk away with the regional championship unless they seed high and grab another vet like 2826.