By Jack McNicholas and Sean Gannon

April 1, 2020

Now that the storm that is the first phase of free agency has passed, we look ahead. There is much more to be done this offseason as remaining free agents will be picked up, players will be traded and newcomers will be drafted.

Both writers Sean Gannon and Jack McNicholas have come together to evaluate all 32 teams and where they stack up. Looking to the moves based off the most recent mock drafts, and free agency, we evaluate the 2020 NFL food chain, in our Way-Too-Early Power Rankings.

*Power Rankings subject to change as free agency continues and the draft commences at the end of the month.*

April 1, 2020

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Defending superbowl champions and a cheat code in Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are prime to repeat in 2020.

2. Baltimore Ravens

A terrifying offense with an improved pass rushing defense, they will not be one and done in Baltimore this year. Expect a deep playoff run.

3. New Orleans Saints

Emmanual Sanders in free agency?? I wouldnt want to be the defensive coordinator staying up all night trying to defend him, Thomas and Kamara.

4. San Francisco 49ers

More picks and a young nucleus in that defensive front. Say what you will, but San Francisco isn’t going anywhere this year.

5. Seattle Seahawks

Clowney or not, Russel Wilson is the one that will continue to carry this team going forward and with a new toy in tight end Greg Olsen this will be a fun offense.

6. Tennessee Titans

Brought back the quarterback they needed and the bell cow running back as well. They will run their way into the playoffs again with a weaker AFC South in 2020.

7. Buffalo Bills

Can you Digg it? A true wide receiver one in Buffalo with a top 5 defense PLUS NO TOM BRADY, AFC East is theirs for the taking.

8. Green Bay Packers

One game away from the Superbowl, Packers are coming back hungrier this year. You can’t count out their quarterback ever, we won’t start that today.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

That defense carried them last year and they would have been in the playoffs under the new approved CBA regulations. Big Ben is also back, no reason why they don’t make the playoffs.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Tom Brady is running the show in Tampa Bay, after an amazing season between Godwin and Evans paired with a good defense, TB12 is primed for another postseason run.

11. Minnesota Vikings 

Adam Theilen and Dalvin Cook are top tier weapons on the offense run by Kirk Cousins. The Vikings made a playoff run in 2019 and they look to capitalize on that success in 2020. Expect a battle once again for the NFC North crown with the Packers.

12. Dallas Cowboys

Locking up Amari Cooper was a move that solidifies Dallas as a potential top offense. Adding Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe on the defensive front shows they have added great veteran presence while maintaining a young core.

 13. Indianapolis Colts

Indy has a first rounder as well as the second pick in the second round. They know how to build their team and they will continue to build toward the new season. Philip Rivers adds a new veteran leadership that brings the Colts to the 13th spot in our ranks.

14. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles won the NFC East but are lower than the Cowboys. Carson Wentz will look to stay healthy as they try to repeat. They will need to add more weapons on the receiving end. Adding Cornerback Darius Slay is a large bump.

15. Los Angeles Rams 

The Rams may have lost Todd Gurley but this opens up opportunity for them to change and focus the offense on Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. Dealing with a Super-Bowl hangover in 2019, the Rams look to bounce back with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey leading the defense.

16. New England Patriots

Losing Tom Brady the Patriots find themselves in unfamiliar territory in any power ranking in recent memory. Out of the top 10. Losing the best quarterback of all time does not help. The defense will carry them next season as they transition at quarterback, however there is reason to be suspicious of the Patriots in 2020, no one knows what Belichick is planning.

17.Atlanta Falcons 

Adding Todd Gurley brings Atlanta into a top 20 team this season. While suffering injuries last season on the defense. The Flacons will try to turn it around and find their old ways of success. However it is time to realize their division will be packed with Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Atlanta proves to be a middle of the pack team with a high ceiling.

18. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have potential to be one of the best teams in the league. As of right now we have not seen much of Tyrod Taylor in this offense. If the Chargers make a move for a quarterback in the draft they will rise. Until then they sit at 18 with a questionable quarterback situation, a staggering defense and a vary of talent on the offense.

 19. Chicago Bears 

The stout defense of the Bears keeps them out of the bottom of the rankings. Until we see what comes of this new Nick Foles acquisition, the Bears remain another team in question at the quarterback position. Robert Quinn was signed in free agency will add to this defensive front, while Jimmy Graham doesn’t add much.

20. Arizona Cardinals

As Kyler Murray steps into year two with his new receiver, Deandre Hopkins, the Cardinals also have a top ten draft pick to get Murray some much needed protection. Now it is time for the Cardinals to try their best in a crowded division to win as much as possible. With two teams in the NFC West ranked higher than them, the Cardinals will face an uphill battle, but one they can overcome with right play-calling.

21. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders come into the rankings at 21 as they are always a wildcard, especially with the adjustment to a new city. While they solidified their defensive front in free agency, they still lack weapons on offense to create enough hype for them unless they draft a couple of weapons for quarterback Derek Carr.

22. Cleveland Browns

The Browns have so many weapons on offense that can impact a game week to week and as we saw last year that may be their achilles heel. The Browns signed tight end Austin Hooper and now have an offense with not enough touches going around. Having to feed another receiver outside of Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, will be challenging for new head coach Kevin Stefanski.

 23. Denver Broncos 

Until it is proven the offense can be productive with both Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay its hard to be excited about this offense as a whole. While adding help on the defensive front with Jurrell Casey, Chris Harris Jr has departed leaving the secondary vulnerable due to its lack of experience. Denver has alot of youth and a lot of questions.

24. Miami Dolphins 

Miami used free agency to bolster their defense. Coach Brian Flores is ready for year two, looking to select a quarterback with one of three picks in the first round. The only question is will all of these moves translate to wins?

25. New York Giants

Giants made splashes on the defensive side of the football so far this offseason and many of those moves we really like. They’re so low because while Jones looks promising, he has struggled to hold onto the football and that offensive line for four years now has struggled to protect anyone under center.

 26.  Houston Texans

DeAndre Hopkins is gone. Arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL and the one who carried the Texans offense for so long is now gone. It’s hard to picture Watson being able to pull off magic the way he has with Fuller and Stills as his top two targets.

27. New York Jets 

The Jets had a decent year in 2019 and we may be harsh having them so low this early. But no cornerbacks, no wide receivers, and shaky offensive line play, makes one wonder what Gase will cook up to try to find ways to win.

28. Carolina Panthers 

Key pieces in the Carolina defense are gone this year including star linebacker and leader Luke Kuechly. With both Brees and Brady in the NFC South, its hard seeing the Panthers staying afloat in their division let alone the NFL.

29.  Detroit Lions 

With the back of Mathew Stafford healed this offense should put numbers, but with no Slay and a downward playing Trufant in the secondary it’s going to be challenging giving opposing offenses a hard day.

30. Cincinnati Bengals

The team showed fight last year under head coach Zac Taylor. A new quarterback in town, AJ Green back on the field and a new look secondary, should all help Cincinnati find ways to win more than one game this season.

31.  Jacksonville Jaguars

Minshew Mania is in for 2020 for right now. Some mock drafts have the Jags going quarterback this year. But aside from that, they are thin on defense and have next to no one from that AFC championship run.

32. Washington Redskins 

They got a great head coach to come in and take control of the team but trading a 5^th round pick for another quarterback and rumors spinning that they may be drafting another quarterback, it’s hard to Washington win many games this year.