The past few months have made for a very eventful offseason in the NFL. Quite a few teams have gotten better, though of course, not everyone was so fortunate. There is a plethora of new faces in locker rooms across the league. Players are “all in” and ready to “bring a Lombardi Trophy home to insert city here“. Fans are full of hope and enthusiasm, as they prepare for another year of NFL football. Winning the offseason is great, but will it translate into wins on the field? Here are my post-draft NFL Power Rankings. In this section, you can see teams expected to finish in the top half of the league.
Click here to see teams 17 through 32.
Post-Draft NFL Power Rankings (16-1)
16. Houston Texans
The reigning AFC South champions were able to overhaul their offense in one day. They brought in quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Lamar Miller on the first day of free agency. There are a ton of question marks surrounding both guys. Osweiler has started only seven games in the NFL. Miller was never really trusted as “the guy” in Miami. If those two guys can play well, the Texans could have a nice season. If not, though, it could be a disaster. J.J. Watt and the defense can only carry this team so far. For now, the Texans will stay in the middle of the pack.
15. Indianapolis Colts
On paper, the Colts honestly have no business winning the AFC South. The Jaguars and Texans both have more complete rosters. However, I just can’t count out Andrew Luck. He should be healthy heading into the season and playing motivated football after what was essentially a lost year in 2015. I ranked the Colts here because Luck wouldn’t allow me rank them any lower and the rest of the roster wouldn’t allow me rank them any higher. They finally addressed the offensive line in this year’s draft, so if they can keep Luck healthy, they’ll be in the playoff race.
14. Baltimore Ravens
This may seem a little high for a team that won only five games a year ago, but I don’t expect Baltimore to be down long. They have a fantastic head coach, a seasoned veteran quarterback with a Super Bowl ring, and a general manager in Ozzie Newsome who always seems to find talent. Baltimore lost a number of close games in 2015. They also suffered a slew of costly injuries. If they can somehow rid themselves of their rotten luck, the Ravens should rebound in 2016.
13. Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones pulled the trigger on Ezekiel Elliot with the fourth overall pick in the draft. His reasoning behind the pick is that Elliot will help the team win games now. I get that. The Cowboys believe that with Tony Romo and Dez Bryant healthy, they can find similar success to what they had in 2014. There are still some questions on defense, especially with the defensive line, but the Cowboys believe their offense can carry them into the postseason this year.
12. Washington Redskins
The Redskins came out of nowhere down the stretch in the 2015 season. Much of it was due to the stellar play of quarterback Kirk Cousins and tight end Jordan Reed. The passing offense for the Redskins could really excel this year if Cousins continues to flourish in Jay Gruden’s system. There are still some concerns on the defensive side of the ball. But the addition of Josh Norman will undoubtedly help the secondary.
11. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings really enjoyed the return of Adrian Peterson last year. He picked right up where he left off after missing basically an entire year of football. He took a lot of pressure off of the underwhelming young quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, and controlled the offense, carrying them to an NFC North championship. The Vikings defense played well in 2015 as well, led by a fierce, young group of linebackers as well as safety Harrison Smith.
10. Oakland Raiders
Jack Del Rio did a nice job in his first season with the Raiders. The Derek Carr to Amari Cooper connection will be a big one to watch going forward, as both players should continue to improve. With potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate Khalil Mack keeping opposing quarterbacks up at night and the offseason additions to the defense, the Raiders could have a pretty well rounded team that could really make some noise in 2016.
9. Green Bay Packers
The Packers got off to a quick start last season. But you could really see the absence of top receiver Jordy Nelson taking its toll on Aaron Rodgers. Packers receivers as a whole struggled with getting open as well as drops. Rodgers numbers had a fairly large drop off as a result. With Nelson Back from his ACL injury and running back Eddie Lacy hopefully in better physical shape, the Packers should be contenders in the NFC this season.
8. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were playing at a very high level down the stretch last season. That was the case even without Jamal Charles, who tore his ACL in Week 5. Their defense is among the best in the league and their offense generally plays mistake-free football. Losing their top pass rusher, Justin Houston, who also tore his ACL, for a good chunk of this season could be problematic. But the rest of the defense should be able to step up in his absence.
7. Denver Broncos
The reigning Super Bowl champs have taken some big hits this offseason. Peyton Manning’s retirement was just the beginning. They also lost several key members of their top ranked defense in free agency and the whole Brock Osweiler debacle left them without a starting quarterback. It appears now that Mark Sanchez will start the year. At some point, rookie first round pick Paxton Lynch will likely be ushered in. The Broncos still have a very good defense and play makers on the offensive side of the ball that will keep them playing competitive football in 2016.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals were one of the top teams in the NFL last season before quarterback Andy Dalton was lost for the season. They have a profusion of weapons on the offensive side of the ball and a very aggressive defense. The loss of offensive coordinator Hue Jackson could be a substantial blow, but the Bengals have the talent to persevere. They did lose their second and third receivers from last season, but signed Brandon LaFell in free agency and drafted Tyler Boyd to ameliorate the situation.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were known for their smash mouth style of defense for decades, but recently it’s been their offense stealing the show. The Steelers have arguably the best running back and wide receiver in the NFL with Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown respectively. And don’t forget about two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. As long as Bell can stay healthy, the Steelers are going to score an ample amount of points this season and be one of the toughest teams in the league.
4. Carolina Panthers
After going 15-1 last season and falling just short in the Super Bowl, the Panthers have their sights set on the Lombardi Trophy once again. Carolina will be getting back their number one receiver from 2014 in Kelvin Benjamin who posted more than 1,000 yards as a rookie. And they still have the reigning MVP in quarterback Cam Newton. However, it will be a difficult battle. Carolina isn’t sneaking up on anyone this year. The loss of all-pro cornerback Josh Norman was a big blow to an already questionable secondary. Will someone else step up big in his place this season?
3. New England Patriots
If not for Tom Brady’s four-game suspension to open the season, the Patriots would likely be the top ranked team on this list. Their roster is as loaded as ever and they quietly had a quality off-season. Their draft class was panned by experts, but it wouldn’t be the first time Bill Belichick was able to turn “reaches” into quality players. The key to this season is not digging themselves into a deep hole early on. If Jimmy Garoppolo can keep this team at or above .500, a highly motivated Brady will take it from there.
2. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have been among the more consistent teams in the NFL since drafting quarterback Russell Wilson back in 2012. The retirement of former superstar running back Marshawn Lynch is softened by the emergence of undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls last season. With another year in the system, all-pro tight end Jimmy Graham should be more comfortable and be able to make a larger impact on the offense in 2016. This is unquestionably Russell Wilson’s team now. Will he run with it?
1. Arizona Cardinals
Let’s just call it as we see it. The Cardinals and Carson Palmer choked last year in the NFC Championship Game. They were completely outmanned by the Panthers. However, they were one of the best teams in the league and got better in the off-season. Trading for pass rusher Chandler Jones was huge. He’ll instantly improve the Cardinals already stout defense. Another big-time free agent signing was offensive guard Evan Mathis. He, along with Mike Iupati, will form one of the league’s best guard tandems and solidify an offensive line that was a bit shaky at times last season. Carson Palmer isn’t getting any younger, and has to know that this is his shot.
