NFL Power Rankings: Preseason
16 – Dallas Cowboys
I am so excited for a full season of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens together. This receiver duo might be better than Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Offense for this team is not an issue. Defense is and always has been the problem. Luckily, the whole defensive side got reworked. The NFC East is winnable and I fully expect the Cowboys to be there.
15 – Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert might be Superman. He got sacked a league high 54 times and faced 288 pressures yet still led the Chargers to 11 wins. Bringing in OC Mike McDaniel to call plays makes this offense faster and move explosive. I can see Omarion Hampton turning into the next De’Von Achane.
14 – Cincinnati Bengals
Same tune every year – elite offense, awful defense. The Bengals are trying to change it this year by acquiring Dexter Lawrence from the Giants. Pairing Jonathan Allen with Lawrence makes this defense exponentially better at stopping the run. I’m not even a little bit worried about the offense – Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown might all finish top 10 in their respective positions.
13 – Houston Texans
The Texans might have the best overall defense in football and that’s saying a lot because the Rams are a thing. Will Anderson, Sheldon Rankins and Calen Bullock might all become household names by the end of the season. This defense needs to be great because CJ Stroud isn’t. I was high on him after his rookie year but seems to get worse with each passing season.
12 – Kansas City Chiefs
For the first time since 2014, the Chiefs were not playing in January. For a team that is on the “older” side, that is a welcome reset. Patrick Mahomes said his rehab from an ACL tear is on schedule and Travis Kelce is back for his final season. Signing Kenneth Walker from Seattle gives the Chiefs a much needed running attack that ranked bottom 5 for a couple years. Defensively, they lost two of their best players in the secondary so let’s hope DC Steve Spagnuolo can work some magic this year.
11 – Chicago Bears
Ben Johnson wants to have the highest scoring offense in league history. Stupidly enough, I think it could actually happen. We all saw Caleb Williams fulfilling his potential last season and the growth of Rome Odunze and Luther Burden. Although D’Andre Swift lost Tradon $500, he’s still a threat for 1000+ yards a season. Buckle up Court, it’s gonna be a fun year.
10 – Green Bay Packers
The most question mark filled team entering Week 1. What’s going to happen to Josh Jacobs? If he is allowed to play, when? Will Micah Parsons come back the same? Will Christian Watson finally be healthy? There is some serious talent on this team but the questions need to be answered first.
9 – Philadelphia Eagles
The best news to come out of Philadelphia this offseason was that OC Kevin Patullo is gone which means potential for a better offense! The second best news is that AJ Brown is gone too so maybe less drama this season! I still don’t believe in Jalen Hurts as a Quarterback so I’ll happily sit on my couch every Sunday and watch Saquon rush for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns a game.
8 – Detroit Lions
Jahmry Gibbs szn incoming! If you were lucky enough to get him in your drafts, rejoice. Gone is David Montgomery which means ALL the backfield work belongs to Gibbs. I would not be surprised if he has over 35 fantasy points a game. But in all seriousness, this offense is as explosive as they come.
7 – San Francisco 49ers
Pros – almost everyone on this team is healthy. Cons – Electrical Substation and Ricky Pearsal is out for the season. With the offseason additions and talent coming off injuries, every aspect of this team got better. The question, as it is every year, is health. Can the stars stay on the field?
6 – Denver Broncos
Defense is great. Offense is ehh. We have to wait and see how Bo Nix comes back after breaking his ankle. The Broncos come into this season with vertical threat Jaylen Waddle (sorry Courtland Sutton owners) but if Nix can’t plant and throw deep, this is a moo point (Shoutout Friends fans).
5 – Baltimore Ravens
Off year for Lamar Jackson last season. Bounce back time? He is 30 years old so who knows how much rushing he las left in him. Offense didn’t make any major additions which is concerning because that means that they’re all another year older in a bad way. The defense did get Trey Hendrickson who is a threat to get 15+ sacks a season.
4 – New England Patriots
The Patriots had the easiest schedule possible last year and pretty much cakewalked to the Super Bowl. This year is a different story with a first-place schedule staring them down. Drake Maye is still good. Maybe not 72% completion percentage good but still a top 5 QB. He now adds AJ Brown and his drama to the fold. As long as Brown doesn’t get bored and start reading books on the sideline, he could be a real asset to this team.
3 – Seattle Seahawks
Reigning Super Bowl Champs but #3 in my rankings. The defense on this team is still spectacular, let’s not get that twisted. But it’s the offense that gives me pause. How does Sam Darnold play without the offensive genius Klint Kubiak calling plays? Is Jadarian Price going to be as good as Kenneth Walker in the run game?
2 – Buffalo Bills
New faces in important places for the Bills. New head coach and new WR1. Josh Allen finally has an alpha WR to throw to! Allen might set a new bar for what “Elite” means this season.
1 – Los Angeles Rams
Because of all their massive offseason moves, it’s very easy to put this team #1. Do I hate it? Of course I do but gotta give respect where its due. Bringing in the NFL’s best defensive player in Myles Garrett, getting one of the most feared defensive players of the last decade in Aaron Donald to come out of retirement, and strengthening their secondary with All Pros means this team is going to be an issue. Let’s not forget that they had the NFL’s best offense last season.