NFL Power Rankings
Football is back and I, like most of the country, could not be happier. We got a nice little teaser with both week 0 and 1 of college football the past 2 weeks, but the king of American sports returns this Thursday with a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game: the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
We all know Kansas City is seeking to become the first-ever 3-peat franchise in the sport, but do they pull that off? There is a healthy amount of competition in, not just the AFC, but the NFL as a whole that will be jockeying to knock the perennial champs off. Anything can happen in an NFL season and we will all experience it. The highs, the lows, the heartbreak, the dopamine shots. There truly is nothing like it.
Welcome to your NFL power rankings. A guide of risers and fallers, cream of the crop, and bottom-of-the-barrel teams across the sport. Where does your favorite team land?
1. Kansas City Chiefs
It’s Super Bowl or bust for Patrick Mahomes and Co. No team has done what they set out to do, but hasn’t this team lived in rarified air the past couple of years? A new WR corp could be the difference.
2. San Francisco 49ers
Arguably the best roster in the National Football League, the 49ers have fallen short far too many times. Brock Purdy is in line for a payday, but how much will he get? And how much of this team remains together next year?
3. Detroit Lions
The sky is the limit for this Detroit team that has shattered expectations the last 2 seasons. Dan Campbell has been a revelation for this organization and now has the talent to make a deep playoff run. Is this finally the year?
4. Cincinnati Bengals
The “little brother” of the AFC, Cincinnati is a stellar team that, unfortunately, has to compete with a generational player in Mahomes. Ja’Marr Chase wants to be paid as a top receiver, but when will a deal be done? Is this finally the year Joe Burrow stays healthy?
5. Philadelphia Eagles
An influx of new faces brings optimism to a disappointing Eagles’ run in 2023. Saquon Barkley is a huge upgrade at running back and Devin White brings a commanding presence to the middle of this defense. Hopefully, Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni can find common ground.
6. Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb got his bag this offseason and is poised to continue his dominance. Dallas has a massive hole at running back and has questions on their offensive line, but they’ve shown they can thrive before. This season is pivotal for Dak Prescott and his tenure in Dallas.
7. Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson said he wanted to win a Super Bowl this year but doesn’t everyone? He won the MVP last year and is primed for a huge year, but this team can’t stay healthy. Maybe the turnover doesn’t need to be on the active roster, but the training staff.
8. Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa made huge adjustments in 2023 to continue his football career. The changes were a huge success, but the lingering question marks on this defense are massive. Jaelan Philips is still recovering from a torn Achilles and the departure of Christian Wilkins doesn’t bode well.
9. Los Angeles Rams
Puka Nacua made a statement in his rookie season and is looking to replicate that success with a healthy Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. Future of Hall of Famer Aaron Donald has retired and leaves behind massive shoes to fill. The jury is out on if they can be filled.
10. Houston Texans
What does year 2 look for this team led by C.J. Stroud? Houston shattered expectations and is primed to continue their ascent to the elites. Injuries happen, but they marred a promising season for this team. With everyone now healthy, the sky is the limit.
11. Buffalo Bills
A flurry of departures on both sides of the ball has the Bills landed them outside of the top 10 for the opening week in the NFL. Josh Allen is a force, but he can’t carry this team by himself. What does this defense look like without Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, and all the other staples of recent years?
12. New York Jets
What started as playoff aspirations turned sour when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in week 1. Now that he’s back and primed to lead an explosive Jets offense, can they put it all together? This team is better than their record suggests from last year and could push to win the AFC East.
13. Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love is continuing the trend of stability at the quarterback position that Green Bay has enjoyed for decades. But will he continue his development and high level of play? Will he have any of his receivers emerge as a difference maker?
14. Cleveland Browns
We are now in the 3rd year of Deshaun Watson in Cleveland and it has been nothing short of disappointing. He can’t stay healthy and that has put a massive cloud over this offense. The defense is elite, but this offense needs to match that production if they want to leap to elite status.
15. Chicago Bears
It’s a new era for Chicago football as Caleb Williams and all of the other additions make their debut this upcoming season. Many have them pegged as a dark horse Super Bowl favorite, but let’s temper expectations. Maybe finishing above .500 is a win for this year.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield got his contract and Mike Evans returns to build off the success of 2023. However, there was a massive amount of turnover all across this roster and it makes you wonder if last year can be replicated. This team has, arguably, the biggest question at offensive line this year.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
Is there a bigger storyline than the quarterback battle between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields from this offseason? Wilson won the job for week 1, but many expect Fields to take the reins at some point this year. Mike Tomlin has never finished below .500, but is this finally the year?
18. Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson showed a lot of promise before his injury and is looking to prove everyone wrong this upcoming year. This offense should take a massive jump this year, but what about the defense? They say it wins championships and Indianapolis will need to improve it if they intend to win one.
19. Seattle Seahawks
This team faced adversity across the board in 2023. They had a myriad of injuries across their offensive line and the defense was an absolute mess. I don’t know if enough was done to fix the issues on the defense, but this offense should be more explosive and score a bit more in 2024.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence received his extension and is locked in for the foreseeable future. The question of whether or not he can lead this team to the promised land remains. Jacksonville added weapons all across the offense and retained key starters on defense. It’s do or die.
21. Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins joins Atlanta in hopes that he can resurrect a flat offense and replicate the success they saw in the 2010s. The talent is there on both sides of the ball, but the issue has always been the coaching. That has changed for the 2024 season and the sky is the limit for this struggling franchise.
22. New Orleans Saints
The 2nd year of the Derek Carr era is alive in New Orleans. Last year was marred by injury and a costly suspension to perennial playmaker, Alvin Kamara. The Saints seek to become more consistent as they lacked consistency for most of the year. A healthy team helps this, but not much.
23. Las Vegas Raiders
A surprising Christmas upset against the Chiefs has Maxx Crosby and co. convinced they are at the precipice of competing for an AFC West title. Las Vegas fans seem to be bought in as well. With how good this defense is, you’d expect the offense to need just competency to succeed as a team and that might even be a struggle.
24. Tennessee Titans
Will Levis has officially been given the reins with this new coaching regime and is expected to take a huge leap with a plethora of playmaking additions from this offseason. This defense could be historically terrible, but who needs defense when you have an explosive offense? Health has always been the issue, though.
25. Los Angeles Chargers
Fresh off a National Championship, Jim Harbaugh is ready to prove he can be among the NFL greats as well. The Chargers roster has serious similarities to that of his beloved Michigan Wolverines and most expect him to run the same type of offense. Time will tell if this is a recipe for success at the next level.
26. Minnesota Vikings
I mean, could you have asked for a more up-and-down offseason? After the draft, the Vikings looked poised to reload with youth and compete right away. Unfortunately, injuries, legal concerns, and tragedies struck this team furiously. I can’t imagine what Minnesota fans are feeling.
27. Washington Commanders
Arguably the biggest draft riser from pre- to post-season in college football, Jayden Daniels is ready to lead this hapless Commanders organization to the promised land. The expectations are high for the former LSU quarterback and he seems just fine with them. This team could be scary good on both sides of the ball.
28. Arizona Cardinals
I am excited about what the Cardinals will look like this year and think they could have a Houston-type arc to them. But the reality remains that this is simply just a pipe dream until it is proven. They have the talent to do so on the offensive side of the ball, but there are a lot of new moving pieces.
29. Denver Broncos
Sean Payton had never drafted a 1st round quarterback until Bo Nix this year. All signs point to Denver finally returning to playoff contention now that coach and signal caller are aligned. Nix just has to run the offense as Payton wants it done and he’ll have a job as long as he wants. The question remains whether or not Payton still has it.
30. Carolina Panthers
An abysmal year for Bryce Young put this franchise, once filled with hope, into a downward spiral yet again. The Panthers made huge changes this offseason and have certainly bucked the trend of being mediocre. It will be interesting to see if it can all come together quickly. I fully expect this team to be in contention for the #1 pick again this year.
31. New York Giants
I struggled with whether or not to rank the Giants as the worst team in the NFL, but they at least have a new rookie playmaker that will inject Odell Beckham Jr.-level play into this offense in Malik Nabers. However, the fact remains that this team is bad. The Giants haven’t had the 1st overall pick since 1965. That could very well change this year.
32. New England Patriots
Arguably the most storied franchise of the 2000s, the Patriots are in rarified air. New England was considered one of the most stable franchises for decades but that is no more. The last time they had a top-10 pick (before this past year) was when they drafted now-head coach Jerod Mayo in 2008. New England is my favorite to pick #1 overall since 1993.
