With free agency and the NFL Draft officially in the rearview mirror, PFF decided to release power rankings of their top 10 teams. While there is still time for one or two big trades before the start of the regular season, most of the major moves have already been made, so this list shouldn’t change too dramatically over the new few months.
Top-10 NFL Power Rankings after the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/8gZ24j4mpn
— PFF (@PFF) May 9, 2023
PFF Chooses Their Top 10 Teams in NFL Power Rankings
The Obvious Takeaways
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles concluded the 2022 season with one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent memory, so it’s no surprise to see both of these teams at the top of the list in 2023. These are clearly the two best teams in football, but you could make a case that their order should be switched.
Philadelphia doesn’t really have a flaw on their roster, and while they will face a harder schedule this year, the Eagles killed it in the draft and should be even better in 2023. However, they don’t have Patrick Mahomes, so you can’t blame PFF for putting the Chiefs atop these Power Rankings.
It’s also good to see the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens get the love they deserve. Justin Herbert might just be the second- or third-best quarterback in the game, as he carried the Chargers to the playoffs last year despite playing hurt most of the year and dealing with arguably the worst offensive coordinator in football. Now that he has Kellen Moore, Los Angeles should be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Ravens, meanwhile, signed Lamar Jackson to a long-term deal and bolstered their wide receiver room. If this team can stay healthy, the sky is the limit.
Questionable PFF Power Rankings
The New York Jets have a lot of talent, and going 7-10 with Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco under center is no small accomplishment. Aaron Rodgers is unquestionably a major upgrade, but is he really good enough to make the Jets the sixth-best team in the league? Rodgers didn’t look like his old self last year, and while his supporting cast definitely played a role in that regression, it’s also possible that age is starting to catch up with the four-time MVP. New York should be in the top 10-15 teams, but six feels high.
Pro Football Focus is also incredibly high on the Cleveland Browns. Deshaun Watson was objectively bad last year, but you can blame most of that on rust from not playing in two years. However, even if he does bounce back, he might not match his 2020 heights. On top of that, Cleveland still has some major questions along their defensive line and at wide receiver. If everything goes right, they certainly have the potential to justify a spot this high, but the more likely outcome is that they end up a middle-of-the-pack team.
Last but not least is the San Francisco 49ers. This roster is loaded and the head coach is brilliant, but that won’t matter without a quarterback. Brock Purdy is still on the mend after suffering a season-ending elbow injury, and nobody knows if he’ll be ready for the start of the 2023 season. If he’s not, then the team will have to turn to Sam Darnold, and can you really say that a Darnold-led offense is the third-best team in football? Even if Purdy is ready for the start of the season, he only has a half-season of experience under his belt and might not be able to recapture the magic in Year 2. Seeing as the quarterback is such an important position, it’s strange to see the 49ers this high up when they have such a big question mark at the position.
Main Photo: Cheryl Evans – USA Today Sports
