By Jack McNicholas
August 24, 2020

32. Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team lacks talent at almost all positions, especially their defensive secondary, offensive line and wide receivers outside of second year receiver Terry Mclaurin. They also lack a proper team name for now. With the addition of Chase Young in the draft being the only addition of talent this offseason. Rivera will have his hands full turning this franchise into something new, but this year will be a huge transition for the team.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars 

Jacksonville seems to have lost the magic it possessed years ago. With the AFC South getting stronger and Jacksonville getting weaker. Jacksonville has a lot of up and coming talent in the receiving core, however they are not a threat in 2020. To the division or the league. The Minshew Magic can only get them so far with as they still try to rebuild their defense around young stars like passrusher Josh Allen.

30. Cincinnati Bengals 

Enter Joe Burrow, it is exciting this team’s offensive firepower is there if the team has no health concerns. The receiving core of A.J Green, Tyler Boyd and John Ross have a high ceiling potential. This team has made strides forward but they did only win one total game last year. They will need more than that this season to improve so I expect this season to be slow for Cinnci.

29. Carolina Panthers

While the Panthers possess one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in Christian McCaffrey. With Teddy Bridgewater at the helm under the offense run by Joe Brady. Expect that this will be a well run offense. The true concern for Carolina is the highly competitive NFC South Division in 2020. This defense is the reason they are ranked this low but have great young potential in stars such as Brian Burns and Derrick Brown.

28. NY Jets 

The Jets made a large stride last year finishing the season strong, at 7-9 which allowed head coach Adam Gase to keep his job. The team added their Left Tackle of the future in Mekhi Becton. A smart move that helps both Sam Darnold and Lev Bell. However on the defensive side they are now without Jamal Adams, the leader of this Gregg Williams defense for the past three seasons. The Jets will need to prove they have a receiving threat outside of Jamieson Crowder to help their young quarterback make the proper strides in year three, as the Jets can make some great progress this season.

27. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders did a good job of getting Derek Carr protection and a running foundation with Josh Jacobs in 2019. Derek Carr seems to have his workhorse back, his security blanket in Darren Waller and new rookie stud Henry Ruggs III. The Raiders are looked at as the bottom of the division which makes it a prove it year for this defensive unit. A unit which plays Kansas City, Denver and LA Chargers twice each this season. All three of those teams have added or already possess plenty of offensive firepower themselves. We will see how they wavier the storm with this defense.

26. Miami Dolphins 

Tua is in town and Brian Flores is building this team around his new rookie QB. However the Dolphins are in a long term rebuild right now and I do not see them rushing Tua into play. They played worse in games last season as some teams have in NFL history. They made major strides to build a successful team. The question is, is 2020 the year the Dolphins find success? I do not believe they are there yet. 

25. Detroit Lions

While Matthew Stafford did miss eight games last season this team does have many things  to be happy about. This offseason they added key names on defense. For now this team remains on a low ranking as they were not efficient last season without their franchise quarterback. Drafting Jeff Okudah helps the secondary but he did replace Darius Slay who left. This team has a lot of question marks yet still a lot of potential. 

24. NY Giants

The Giants have made strides this offseason. Yet there are still holes on the defensive side. Daniel Jones will improve this year under new OC Jason Garrett as will Saquon Barkley. The defensive lack of talent in some spots comes from unproven youth as the team has been trying to build this young defense. In 2020 it’s time for them to step up and work as a unit. 

23. Chicago Bears 

The Bears have the potential to be one of the best defenses in the NFL this season as they have remained a top defense for many years. The main concern is the Bears offense has a lot to figure out. Who will be starting for Chicago week one? Mitch Trubitsky or Nick Foles? This offense has shown it can be a slowly progressive one and until that changes they remain here. 

22. Arizona Cardinals 

Arizona has had quite the offseason in 2020, adding star receiver Deandre Hopkins as well as drafting Isiah Simmons in the first round. This team still has many questions to answer on the offensive line and the defense. Kyler Murray has a lot of complements on the offense but they have a lot to prove this year with a very competitive division in the NFC West. 

21. New England Patriots

The Patriots find themselves in unfamiliar territory with this ranking. While the signing of Cam Newton is an exciting one. The Patriots are never to be truly counted out due to Coach Bill Belichick still running the show. However the team has had multiple players opt out. Including tackle Marcus Cannon, linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung. All those were starters in 2019 and after losing more starters in the offseason its going to be hard for the Patriots to find the same defensive or offensive success they had a year ago. There are a lot of questions surrounding this team, a first for the New England organization in over 15 years.

20. LA Rams 

The Rams seem to have their pieces in place, however this team lost Cory Littleton, Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley, all starters in 2019. I do not look at the Rams this offseason as a team heading in the right direction. They have the coaching staff to keep them confident but they have a lot to prove this season after missing the playoffs last year. I believe they will be much higher ranked in the middle of the season if they can show they have a productive running game in rookie Cam Akers. 

19.  Houston Texans

The Texans have the potential to jump up these power rankings during the season with this new speed-first offense. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to be himself and help with this division, surrounded by Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb. The injury concerns are there and rightfully so. If this team is healthy watch out for the Texans. 

18. Atlanta Falcons 

This team on paper can matchup with the best of them. However the loss of Austin Hooper and the addition of Todd Gurley does not show improvement for the team. It has been reported that Gurley has been in training camp with a limp as of last week, which means we could see limited production for him as the season continues. This passing offense could be one of the best in the league if balanced with a good running game in Gurley. Until we see this team on the field they remain middle of the pack. 

17. Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos took an unexpected step forward last year behind rookie quarterback Drew Lock and this team has a lot of talent. Drew Lock now has Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton which should be a great 1-2 combo. I would love to see this team take the jump this season but I do not believe they will be a threat to the Chiefs or Chargers in the division this season. 

16. Cleveland Browns 

New head coach Kevin Stefanski will need to find the best way to distribute the ball properly as they only have so many reps to go around. Baker Mayfeild has all the weapons around him to be efficient this year. Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, running back Nick Chubb and new acquired tight end Austin Hooper. The defense led by Myles Garrett will improve as well this season. Kevin Stefanski will need to distribute the ball properly as they only have so many reps to go around. The injury to center J.C Tretter can be tough as they could have a rookie backup snapping to Mayfeild under center. 

15. LA Chargers 

This Chargers defense is built with some major horsepower in guys like Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. New rookie addition Kenneth Murray; and a secondary with Derwin James, Chris Harris jr and Casey Heyward. The offense with Austin Eckler, Hunter Henry and Keenan Allen are going to be consistent. However Tyrod Taylor is expected to be the starter and there is pressure there for the team to start first round pick Justin Herbert. The Chargers are talented roster, however a quarterback competition of sorts can always lead to underlying questions to a teams season outlook.

14. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles roster is deep and they have brought back many players on their roster from the 2019 season. The Eagles have proven the past few season that they have the proper depth to succeed. As last season they had their top five receivers out due to injury but found themselves winning the NFC East division at 9-7. Carson Wentz will need to prove he can play 16 games this year. When he is on the field and has his full arsenal around him, the offense is dangerous. It seems that they will have a run first philosophy through running back Miles Sanders.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers 

Big Ben is back and healthy. Yes the man who has never had a losing season in his 16 year NFL career. JuJu Smith-Schuster is still only 23 years old and the rest of this young receiving core has great potential. James Conner can be the workhorse back of the future for this team. The defense of Pittsburgh speaks for itself as this unit can match up with the best offenses in the league. 

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

The only concern when looking at Tampa Bay is the fact they have a lot of weapons who need plenty of targets. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were the top tandem in 2019 and look to continue their success with Tom Brady throwing the ball. The main concern for this team is the lack of talent in the defensive secondary and offensive running power. After this offseason Ronald Jones is still the team’s top running option. 

11. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have made some changes this offseason and all for the better. They traded away their first round selection in the 2020 draft for star defensive tackle Deforest Buckner. This team has been building a great foundation to help them find the promise land once again. Philip Rivers is at the helm a veteran quarterback can benefit a young team in many ways. Johnathan Taylor and Marlon Mack will be a dynamic combination in the backfield behind this bruising offensive line. The Colts have the coach in Frank Reich, the front office genius in Chris Ballard. It is hard to look at this roster and not be impressed.

10. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings dealt with departures of both Stepon Diggs and Everson Griffen this offseason. If history has shown us what this franchise does when losing stars is that they develop youth to replace them properly. Minnesota had 15 selections in the 2020 draft and after a run into the playoffs. Expect the same success as this defense is still in place and the offense has the potential to get even better this season without any locker room issues. 

9. Green Bay Packers

The Packers did not make many additions to fill positions of need. They spent their first two draft picks on Jordan Love and A.J Dillion, a quarterback and running back. Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones were the two pillars of the Matt Lafleur offense last season. This year I believe that they will do enough to win the big games once again. The Packers with Aaron Rodgers are a threat to any team. However this will be a big year for this defense to prove there’s more talent than the Smith brothers, after losing Blake Martinez in free agency.

8. Tennessee Titans 

The Titans have a great solid team on both sides of the ball. I do not expect Derrick Henry to slow down in 2020. Ryan Tannehill having a whole summer with the mentality that he is the starter only improves the offense. This team was one of the highest scoring and most efficient teams over the last ten weeks of the season; and with a young defense in place that has top ten potential, this season the Titans are not to be taken lightly. 

7. Seattle Seahawks

The addition of Jamal Adams is the storyline of the summer of Seattle fans and this team now has a stud at safety again. This team knows how to win and with the addition of Adams I believe they can have both a top ten offense and defense. This offense will be well rounded and run by Rusell Wilson. The run game will rely heavily on Chris Carson to be the workhorse back. 

6. Dallas Cowboys 

Dallas has been highly ranked in many preseason rankings in the past. This year it is due to their offense having all of the right pieces. Dak Prescott will have the pleasure of having Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield and three stud receivers to throw too. The addition of Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff will benefit these players immensely. The defense has filled holes with veterans and hopefully this team can be the team they are on paper and make a deep playoff run. 

5. Buffalo Bills   

The Bills have found themselves to be one of the more stable franchises in the league. A few years ago this didn’t seem to be the case. They have extended Head coach Sean Mcdermott, signed their franchise left tackle and with a playoff berth last season they are hungry to finish what they started. This defense is very under-appreciated and respect needs to be put on their name. This offensive passing game will be fun to watch in 2020 as Josh Allen has a new favorite target in Stefon Diggs to go along with speedsters John Brown and Cole Beasley. The Bills are going to turn some heads in 2020, especially with such a weak AFC East.

4. San Francisco 49ers

After a Superbowl loss the 49ers will have much to prove this season after making an incredible leap in 2019. This team has the defense to match up against any, they have a running game that is well organized to tire out opposing defenses and can manage the clock when throwing the ball. Jimmy Garappolo will have to be at the top of his game as the wide receiver injuries are starting to stack up. The receivers may be the achilles heel of this team if health becomes an issue. 

3. New Orleans Saints 

The Saints are ready for another year behind Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Alvin Kamara will be going into the season 100% healthy after reporting he was playing through a knee injury last season. Michael Thomas broke the record for most receptions in a season in 2019 and I expect this three headed monster to continue their success. With the defense having talent on all three levels I do not see an NFC team with more talent than the Saints at this point in the preseason. 

2. Baltimore Ravens 

The Ravens are favored in every game they play in 2020. They have talent and depth on all levels of the offense and defense. Newly acquired Cailais Campbell for a fifth round pick basically robbing him away from Jacksonville. This team has the talent, the front office and the coaching staff to remain a top team in the league. They also have 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson who has yet to be shown by opposing defenses that he can be contained. 

1. Kansas City Chiefs 

The defending champions claim the top spot as they somehow had a more stellar offseason than the rest of the league. Signing Patrick Mahomes to the largest deal in history and extendeding their all world tight end Travis Kelce shows there ready to win more Superbowls in the future. The Chiefs locked in their defensive leader Chris Jones for four more years. This team has all the tools and made sure their keys to success remain in place for years to come.