NFL Pre-season Power Rankings

The Philadelphia Eagles are a very good football team. The problem? They lost key pieces that could hurt their continuity, and there are serious questions about whether Nick Sirianni is the right guy for the job. Jalen Hurts is a good QB but is he the kind that can compete for an MVP like he did when they made the Super Bowl? Who knows. They have questions to answer after that collapse last year, and they get seriously docked by that ugly finish. 

Josh Allen is the biggest reason why you should care about the Buffalo Bills. A generational freak of nature with the physical skillset to win a Super Bowl, Allen has always been the runner-up in the AFC. He just can’t find a way to beat the Chiefs even when he plays well, and while he shoulders some blame, he’s done enough to at least get to a Super Bowl. With a less talented roster than in years past, they’ll need to get some serious progression from young players to win the AFC East again.

Last season the New York Jets were one of the best defenses in the NFL, they were electric at stopping both the pass and run while having a deep roster of talent there. The problem is that they had to start Zach Wilson and ended up missing out on a chance to make the postseason. It will be Aaron Rodgers behind center, and not only will he have to fight off father time, but he’ll also have to rebound from an ugly Achilles tear he suffered in Week 1. If they get good passing production, they could storm through the AFC.

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t do much in the offseason but they are great at drafting and have an excellent roster still. Nobody doubts their ability to put up points or limit scoring, but let’s be completely honest with ourselves; nobody will take them seriously until they do something in the postseason. Last year, they stormed back to claim the NFC East crown after the Eagles collapsed, and they responded with…a dud against Green Bay. 

How good is Jordan Love? Well, the Green Bay Packers would tell you they’re very good based on their financial investment in him. The team is indeed Xavier McKinney to their secondary, and he’s a remarkable safety while retaining their deep young receiving core. The defense has the upgrades it needed, Josh Jacobs could rejuvenate their running game, and Jordan Love seemed to only get better as the season went on. 

Houston is potentially the biggest threat to the Chiefs this season in the AFC because of how projectable that roster is. CJ Shroud is one of the best QBs in the NFL and had a historic rookie campaign while adding even more offense with Stefon Diggs. The defense is spectacular in terms of their ability to apply pressure on the QB, and as we saw with the Buccaneers a few years ago, successfully breaking down KC’s o-line can lead to domination.

The Detroit Lions have a great roster, with an excellent offense that’s headed by Jared Goff behind center and a myriad of pass-catching threats. The offensive line is elite, and they have the pieces to win a title, but it hinges on a defense that needs to be better in order for them to make it to the Super Bowl. Dan Campbell seems to be the right kind of presence for that locker room, and Detroit is great at finding value in the NFL Draft.

The Baltimore Ravens are in a weird spot. On one hand, they were the top seed in the AFC, have the reigning MVP, and added an incredible RB in Derrick Henry. Let’s be clear; this team is incredible, they have an elite defense and can put up points, but we’ve known this about the Ravens for years. The question about this team is whether they can get it done in January or not, which has haunted them for years (including during Lamar Jackson’s first MVP season).

San Francisco has a legitimate stake for being the best team in the NFL, but it’s hard to rank them over the team that just won two straight Super Bowls. That being said, the 49ers are clearly the class of the National Football Conference, and they should be contenders to win the Super Bowl once more with their loaded roster on both sides of the ball. You could build an All-Pro team with this squad, but the biggest question is whether Brock Purdy can continue to be the machine he was last year.

The best team in the NFL last season, the Kansas City Chiefs reload and reboot in the hopes of being the first-ever NFL team to win three straight Super Bowls. The road ahead of them remains remarkably difficult, but it’s impossible to argue that they don’t deserve serious consideration to make history in 2024. Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the sport and could go down as the greatest QB to ever play, and he’s a legend in his prime, continuing to etch his iconic name in history.