With minicamps over and training camp just a few weeks away, it’s time to take a look at the NFL Power Rankings entering the season. The top two names on this list are pretty obvious, but a few teams dramatically improved their stock over the past couple of months.
2023 NFL Power Rankings
Tier 1: Super Bowl or Bust
1. Philadelphia Eagles
It should come as no surprise that the two best teams in the NFL Power Rankings are the two teams from last year’s Super Bowl. While Kansas City might have come out victorious in the big game, the Eagles take the top spot here. The team maintained the vast majority of their core in free agency and knocked it out of the park with an elite NFL Draft class. Thanks to their easy conference, don’t be surprised if Philadelphia makes it back to the Super Bowl for the second time in as many years.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid – that combination alone ensures they’ll be a top-five team in the league. However, there are some weaknesses here. While the Chiefs have some of the best young talent in the NFL, Kansas City has some serious questions at wide receiver, offensive tackle, and edge defender. They’ll probably figure it out like they always do, but this team is not as loaded as usual.
Patrick Mahomes won a SB on a bum ankle, but I still wonder what his numbers would have looked like if he didn't get hurt. He was going NUCLEAR against the Jags prior to the injury. These are some of the insane throws he made that left me wondering. pic.twitter.com/vHgclYzafD
— Daniel Harms🏈 (@InHarmsWay19) July 2, 2023
Tier 2: Legitimate Contenders
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins form arguably the best trio in football, and the defense is loaded with improved playmakers. With four starting-caliber tackles on the depth chart, the offensive line should be able to provide adequate protection for Burrow to go blow-for-blow with the best the NFL has to offer.
4. Buffalo Bills
This might be the last year of the Buffalo Bills championship window, as Stefon Diggs isn’t getting any younger and the Bills don’t have any other proven playmakers. Fortunately, Josh Allen and a top-10 defense ensure that the Bills will earn a high spot on the NFL Power Rankings for at least one more year.
5. San Francisco 49ers
If you erased the quarterback position, the San Francisco 49ers would be atop the NFL Power Rankings. Unfortunately, it’s hard to justify a higher ranking when Brock Purdy may or may not be healthy. If he’s not ready for the start of the season, it sounds like Sam Darnold will start, and that is not ideal for anyone.
6. Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa proved that he can produce at a high level with elite receivers, and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are back for 2023. Combining these three with an improved offensive line, a top-five head coach, and a top-10 defense means that the sky is the limit as long as Tagovailoa can stay healthy.
7. Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott led the league in interceptions last year, but a shocking number of those turnovers were not his fault. He played much better than his numbers would suggest, and he should be able to keep the offense moving with CeeDee Lamb, a healthy Michael Gallup, and newcomer Brandin Cooks. The defense, as always, will be amazing and should provide a decent challenge for the NFC East favorite Philadelphia Eagles.
8. New York Jets
The 2022 New York Jets went 7-10 with Zach Wilson, Mike White, and Joe Flacco under center. Aaron Rodgers might not be the player he once was, but he doesn’t need to play like a four-time MVP to get this talented unit to the playoffs.
9. Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and the wide receiver trio of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Quentin Johnston has phenomenal potential. Replacing Joe Lombardi with Kellen Moore is a massive upgrade, the only question is whether the defense is capable of holding up their end of the bargain.
In case you forgot that Justin Herbert has a cannon for an arm 💥 pic.twitter.com/0Y42J2WGp1
— NFL (@NFL) June 25, 2023
10. Baltimore Ravens
No team has more variance on the NFL Power Rankings than the Baltimore Ravens. If Lamar Jackson stays healthy and this team plays up to their potential, then they could win the Super Bowl. However, if injuries continue to strike, then this could be a very, very long season.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars
It’s amazing what not having Urban Meyer as a head coach will do for you. Trevor Lawrence lived up to his potential in the back half of 2022, and he should only improve in 2023. The rest of the roster lacks elite talent, but there aren’t too many glaring holes, either. If Lawrence can play like an MVP, then this team could easily make a deep playoff run.
Tier 3: High Ceilings
12. Cleveland Browns
On paper, the Cleveland Browns have everything you need for a Super Bowl run. The offensive line is amazing, the weapons are sound, and they turned their defensive line from a major weakness into a strength. The biggest question here is whether Deshaun Watson can play like a $230 million quarterback. The former first-round pick was BAD last year, and if that terrible play continues, the Browns aren’t going anywhere.
13. Minnesota Vikings
It’s now or never for Kirk Cousins’ Minnesota Vikings. Fortunately, the team is in a decent position to string together some wins. Jordan Addison is a perfect complement for Justin Jefferson and the defense should be better with Brian Flores calling the shots. The Vikings still have a long way to go if they want to catch the elite NFL teams in this power rankings, but they have some potential.
14. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have some serious questions on the defensive line, but the rest of the roster is pretty talented. Derek Carr should be able to get the most out of Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, and the defense should feast against the ineffective and inexperienced quarterbacks of the NFC South.
15. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions came alive down the stretch last season, but they seem content to chase 9-8. Selecting a running back and inside linebacker with consecutive first-round picks is not a winning strategy, and Jared Goff can only take you so far. This team will be good, but it’s hard to see them ever being great.
16. Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll deserved Coach of the Year honors for what he did last year, and Geno Smith was one of the best stories of the season. Can the duo do it again? Only time will tell for sure, but it is a little concerning that Smith’s production fell off a cliff down the stretch. If he regresses to his pre-2022 form, then Seattle could be in trouble.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to play a hard-nosed style of football in a league where rule changes heavily discourage that style of play. Rookies Kenny Pickett and George Pickens showed some life last year, but it’s hard to imagine them ever turning into a duo that could rival Burrow and Chase or Mahomes and Kelce. Chances are, this team will spend the season fighting for one of the final Wild Card spots.
Kenny Pickett is the first rookie in NFL history to have a game-winning TD pass in the final minute in back-to-back games. https://t.co/X6G86jQzC1 pic.twitter.com/L5tF8WOFjH
— matthew luciow (@Luciow1992) June 27, 2023
18. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are betting the house that Sam Howell is actually good. The fifth-round pick played well during his lone action last year, but it’s far too early to make any sweeping declarations about his career. However, if he can be adequate, then this offense could surprise people with a strong receiving trio of Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Curtis Samuel.
19. New York Giants
The New York Giants were not nearly as good as their record last year, and regression will catch up to them in 2023. Daniel Jones is a below-average starter, and the Giants will regret investing that type of money in him. Perhaps he can prove me wrong and earn a higher spot on the NFL Power Rankings, but I’ll need to see it again before I’m ready to make that assessment.
Tier 4: Playoff Potential
20. Atlanta Falcons
After spending the past two seasons in salary cap hell, the Atlanta Falcons finally had the financial freedom to do what they wanted with the roster. While they added talent on both sides of the ball, they’re still rolling with Desmond Ridder, who is anything but a safe bet.
21. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos quietly had one of the best defenses in the league last year, and most of the pieces are back for another run. Unfortunately, Russell Wilson is also back. Can Sean Payton fix the one-time Super Bowl champion? Maybe, but it’s not a good sign that he hired Joe Lombardi to teach his conservative, quick-passing game to a quarterback that historically prefers to sling the ball downfield and ignore the routes over the middle.
22. New England Patriots
The Patriots enter 2023 with an actual offensive coordinator, but the rest of the roster still looks as underwhelming now as it did in 2022. Mac Jones is not good enough to do it all on his own, and New England doesn’t have any above-average playmakers. The defense, while talented, won’t be lucky enough to get seven of their eight wins against backup quarterbacks (or players that would later get benched) for the second straight year. This roster philosophy might work with the greatest quarterback ever, but a below-average passer like Jones needs more help than that.
Sam Darnold under pressure vs. Bryce Young under pressure: pic.twitter.com/u4H3BaPxLh
— Armandoavenue (@armandoavenue) June 27, 2023
23. Green Bay Packers
The 2022 Green Bay Packers went 8-9 with Aaron Rodgers and are now entrusting the franchise to the unproven Jordan Love. Unfortunately, Love’s weapons are equally unproven, and while the defense has some nice playmakers, the unit as a whole is far too inconsistent to justify a higher spot on the NFL Power Rankings.
24. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears finished with the worst record in football last year, so 24th is actually a big step in the right direction. Chicago spent a lot of money improving the defense and adding pieces for Justin Fields, but you can only accomplish so much in free agency. Until we see these pieces working in unison on the field, it’s hard to justify a higher ranking.
25. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have some promising young pieces and could be a solid team in a year or two. However, there is still too much unproven talent to justify a higher spot on the NFL Power Rankings. The defense is solid, but first-overall pick Bryce Young is untested and the talent on offense leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps this team can surprise if Young hits the ground running, but this will probably be a rebuilding year for the organization.
26. Indianapolis Colts
Everything that could go wrong for the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, did go wrong. However, a new quarterback and head coach should improve things for the organization. Anthony Richardson has a ridiculously high ceiling, and Gardner Minshew is a fine bridge quarterback if he needs time to develop. The offensive line should improve in 2023 and the defense, while not fantastic, can be adequate.
Tier 5: On to 2024
27. Los Angeles Rams
The lack of draft picks are finally catching up to the Los Angeles Rams. This team has no depth and is basically relying on Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald to single-handedly win football games.
28. Las Vegas Raiders
You know you’re in trouble any time Jimmy Garoppolo is the best-case scenario for your organization. Even if we assume he starts all 17 games, Vegas still has a terrible defense and a below-average offensive line. Don’t be surprised if Josh McDaniels doesn’t survive the season.
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay went 8-9 last year with Tom Brady dragging the team to multiple improbable victories. Now, the team replaced the greatest quarterback ever with Baker Mayfield, kept Todd Bowles around, and watched as the aging core of the 2020 team got another year older. Even in a weak division, it’s hard to see a way for this team to win games.
30. Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud will be better than Davis Mills, and Will Anderson will get after the quarterback. Unfortunately, these two players can’t do it all alone, and there isn’t any talent anywhere else on the roster.
31. Tennessee Titans
The Titans have arguably the worst group of pass-catchers in football and undoubtedly the worst offensive line in the game. Whether it’s Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis, or Will Levis, this offense will not move the ball well, and the defense will have a tough time overcompensating for that terrible offense.
32. Arizona Cardinals
The biggest question with the Cardinals is where Kyler Murray will play in 2024.
Main Photo: Cheryl Evans – USA Today Sports
