3-4-22

By Sean Gannon

With the NFL Combine starting, it’s time to take a look at the power rankings of all 32 NFL teams before the draft. The Power Rankings are based on where the teams are at TODAY. This is absolutely subject to change and most likely will change. Thank you.

1. Los Angeles Rams

They won the Super Bowl, and for that, you have to keep the champs at number 1. They have all the pieces you need to “run it back,” and I expect McVay and company will be trying to do that next season.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

So close and yet so far for the Bengals. I wanted them to win in my heart. But I am keeping them at 2nd despite the loss in the Super Bowl. They need to fix the offensive line, but with the 4th most cap space in the NFL, they can accomplish that easily. They have the offense and defense to compete, just missing the offensive line.

3. Kansas City Chiefs

You cant not believe in Kansas City. At one point in 2021, everyone thought the Chiefs were on the downhill, but once again, they were right in the AFC Championship game. Some defensive help in the draft and free agency will be excellent for them. However, the AFC still runs through KC, especially after four straight AFC Championship appearances. So do not sleep on them.

4. Buffalo Bills

Imagine the Bills had a running back and Tredavious White was healthy 2021. What a season it would have been for Buffalo. Well, that is what they can have in 2022. The Bills are legit but keep falling short. However, an improved run game to help out Josh Allen and their best player on defense back in the fold; the Bills are once again going to be one of the most fun teams in the NFL to watch, with another AFC East championship in mind.

5. Green Bay Packers

Ok. Now they are here because Aaron Rodgers is still technically on the roster, and so is Devante Adams. But a crazy offseason could drastically change the outlook for the Packers in 2022. When the Packers have both of them, they are a 14 win team easy and dominate the regular season. They are one of the best teams in the NFL with those two guys.

6. San Francisco 49ers

Lousy quarterback play, injuries all over the offense and defense, and a slow start to the 2021 season. Yet they were still in the NFC Championship game, which says a lot about the coaching staff, players, and front office. You cant sleep on the 49ers; they proved that this season and with Lance looking to take over the helm, this offense could be that much more fun with his athletic ability.

7. Tennessee Titans

Tennessee had a disappointing end to their season, but there was a long stretch when they didn’t have Derrick Henry, Julio Jones, and AJ Brown on the field. Yet, they were still able to win games and notch the first seed in the AFC for the playoffs. Vrabel is a great head coach, and Jon Robinson, their GM, is fantastic. They deserved their contract extensions. They will still be a team to watch, especially with Henry back and fully healthy-looking to reclaim his crown.

8. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys playoff game was upsetting, but this is still a solid offense with a defense that was a surprise this season. In addition, they retained many of their players and coaches. If Dak and Zeke can be consistent this season, there is no reason why they can’t win another 11+ games, and in the NFC East, they should easily make the playoffs.

9. New England Patriots

Remember that one season where the Patriots didn’t make the playoffs? Neither do I because rookie Mac Jones led them there once again. Though they were embarrassed by the Bills in the wildcard round, their ability to make the playoffs is a testament to Bill Belichick. With no McDaniels (left for the head coaching job in Las Vegas), there could be a new-look offense for New England, but with Bill’s ability to scheme, you can’t count them out again.

10. Los Angles Chargers

This Chargers team was so close to making it to the playoffs, and it feels like they should have already made it with all their talent on the roster. Well, this is finally the year. I believe in them. They have such a great offense, and that defense is riddled with talent. With just a little luck, they can make it. I know this might be high for them, but that Herbert guy is the real deal.

11. Baltimore Ravens

Ravens had tons of injuries. No JK Dobbins, Marcus Peters, or Marlon Humphrey and no Lamar Jackson late in the end of the season. They will be back and healthy-looking for vengeance after getting blown out by the Bengals twice and failing to make the playoffs. They are still a great team on both sides of the ball. With Harbaugh at the helm, this team can be right back in the playoffs.

12. Arizona Cardinals

They had one of the best starts in the NFL and then fizzled out by week 10. Which seems to be a reoccurring problem for Arizona. They looked off in the playoffs, and now with the controversy surrounding Kyler Murray acting childish and not a leader for Arizona, one begins to wonder what’s in store for the Cardinals. Getting De’Andre Hopkins back from injury will be a boost; they missed him late last season.

13. Indianapolis Colts

Maybe the Colts shouldn’t be up here with the fact that it looks like Carson Wentz is on the way out, and who knows who their quarterback will be. But seeing as it was the defense and the running back that helped them get to 10 wins, I am all in on them. The great offensive line, solid defense, and outstanding running back any competent quarterback can lead this team. If they can get a solid quarterback and a wide receiver, this could be one of the teams that surprise and make the playoffs in 2022. Lets not forget, Indy was just there in 2020 when they lost in the Wildcard round to the Bills.

14. Las Vegas Raiders

I like the Raiders; I like Carr. Sue me. This was such a great surprise given everything happening off the field for the Raiders this season; making the playoffs was incredible. They were pretty close to making it to the Divisional round too but they fell just short against the Bengals. They have some young players that are fun to watch, and Josh McDaniels as their new Head Coach will be good for their young offense. Have faith Raider Nation!

15. Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles made the playoffs, and that was surprising, but their performance in the playoffs is what has them here. I think they should stick with Hurts move on from Reagor, and with three first-round picks, get an offensive lineman, wide receiver, and someone for their secondary. This is a solid defense and overall team; but don’t give up on Hurts just yet, build around him. Their defense was a massive bright spot; getting younger could be lethal for them. Im excited to see what Nick Sirianni has in store during his second year as a head coach.

16. Cleveland Browns

This roster is stacked on both sides of the ball, and I believe in head coach Kevin Stefanski. I think they are the most middle team, this roster says they can be good, but we’ve seen them fail with this roster as well. Injuries were a huge problem for the Browns in 2021, along with subpar quarterback play by Mayfield (who was also injured). They will need to find offensive pass-catching weapons in the draft or free agency after letting OBJ go mid-way through the season. The Browns will be a team to watch in the offseason; a quarterback shakeup could come. Being in the AFC North, they are probably pretty upset it wasn’t them making the deep playoff push the Bengals had.

17. Minnesota Vikings

New times in Minnesota from General Manager on down to the coaching staff. Their offense and defense is riddled with young talent. I am ready for the Kevin O’Connell experiment offensively as a Vikings fan. But with brand new coaching changes comes the worrisome that you take a step back in the first season. This offense is a top 10 offense, but the defense struggled throughout the season. The Vikings will have to sure up their secondary and be smart with the cap as they currently sit at $-16 million in the cap space. There will be a shakeup of players coming into the offseason; the only question is who will make the cur under O’Connell.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s weird to see the Buccaneers this low in the offseason; they have been such a dominating force in the NFL the last two years. However, the defense and, more specifically, the secondary was awful last year—just one of the worst by far. Now Tom Brady has retired, and players like Carlton Davis, Ryan Jensen, Chris Godwin, JPP Ndamukong Suh, Leonard Fournette, OJ Howard, and plenty more are free agents; they cant bring back everyone. They went all-in on the Super Bowl and got the win, but the Buccaneers are looking at quite the rebuild now. It will be interesting to see who their quarterback is. Deshaun Watson has said he would play there if the off-field Civil Lawsuits ever conclude, so monitoring that will be something to do. As for now it looks like Kyle Trask is going to be the starter going forward.

19. Miami Dolphins

Miami continues to surprise the last two seasons finding ways to win nine or more games the previous two years, and Jaylen Waddle will be a problem for years. But that was under Brian Flores. There is new management down in South Beach with Mike McDaniels, another coach that I like. But again, with a new head coach, you never know what will happen in their first year. Their roster doesn’t have top-tier talent but sits first in cap space with $63 million. This offseason could be a big one that helps change the outlook of this team as the offseason continues. But for now, I think the lower end of the top 20 is right where they need to be.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

Maybe I am being too hard on the Steelers. They did make the playoffs and have a great defense with even better coaching. But Big Ben just retired, and they had shotty offensive line play all of the 2021 season. They have some cap flexibility with $32 million to their name, but I don’t trust Dwayne Haskins or Mason Rudolph to lead this team. I also do not love the quarterbacks entering the draft, which makes me worried about the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh as we head into the 2022 season. If they can solidify this position with an Aaron Rodgers… or something, I don’t know. I would feel more comfortable bumping them up. But at 20, I think it’s fair to put them there for now.

21. Denver Broncos

Broncos have a ton of cap space with $39 million to work with, and I do like new head coach Nathanial Hackett. He was the offensive coordinator for the Packers, helping Rodgers win back-to-back MVP awards. Maybe Rodgers takes his talent to the Mile High; who knows. The Broncos defense is solid, and they have locked up their young talented receiver core. But they will be without their outstanding defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. He left for Minnesota for the same job and sit without a clear starting quarterback in Drew Lock or Teddy Bridgewater. So it is up in the air how this team will perform with the incoming changes. Then you look at the fact that they are in the AFC West, and it becomes that much more worrisome. If Rodgers were to take his talent here as Manning did just a few years ago, that would change their entire outlook on the 2022 season.

22. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta was close to making the playoffs at one point, which is crazy to think. They still have Matt Ryan to lead them, who can win games, and Kyle Pitts is a massive mismatch for opposing teams (he needs to see the endzone more). Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that Calvin Ridley will be suiting up anytime soon for them. The release of Dante Fowler Jr just a few days after the Super Bowl leads me to believe that they will be changing their roster more and more. The NFC South won’t be the most challenging division it once was with no Tom Brady or Sean Payton, which means the Falcons could somehow slip into the playoffs if they win the South. Still, for now, they are low on the power rankings.

23. Chicago Bears

The Bears have Justin Fields, who I loved coming into the 2021 draft. They finally moved away from Matt Nagy, which was the wise decision for the franchise. Chicago has vital defensive players like Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith. Still, you need to worry about their offense. It doesn’t look like Allen Robinson will be back for Chicago. He was barely a factor for them in 2021, so they will rely on Darnell Mooney again. Chicago does not have a first-round draft choice this year. With only five total picks in the 2022 draft, it will be hard to fill key position groups like the secondary and receiving core. First-year head coach Matt Eberfleus will have his work cut out for him in year one.

24. Washington Commanders

First of all, I’m not too fond of the new name. I preferred “Football Team” to this. But Washington took a massive step back in 2021. Their defense wasn’t nearly as good as in 2020, and they were without Chase Young after he tore his ACL. In addition, Terry McLaurin was not a factor in the second half of the season. Sadly, Heinicke, Fitzmagic (injured), and Kyle Allen could not win games. Nevertheless, their defense and the weak NFC East division can them in contention. Still, they need to find their franchise quarterback soon and find a complementary wideout alongside McLaurin. Ron Rivera can lead this team, but they need to fill critical positions if they want long-term success.

25. Seattle Seahawks

We saw how good Seattle is when they have a healthy Russell Wilson, even though they have a terrible defense. But when Wilson is out or not 100%, this is a much worse Seahawks team. Wilson says he wants to stay around, but some reports contradict that, other don’t, so it’s hard to tell. But the fact is in a tough NFC West Division where all three of their opponents made it to the playoffs, and they didn’t; I can’t see Seattle competing the way they once did just a few short years ago.

26. New Orleans Saints

There is an argument for them to be lower, but the Saints always surprise year after year. They sit at a league’s worst $-42 million cap space, just let go of Sean Payton, and do not have a quarterback that you can trust to lead them. Alvin Kamara is having off-the-field issues and may miss games this upcoming season. Michael Thomas hasn’t played in nearly two years; so who knows how he will look. But the reality is the Saints are in trouble for 2022, and we will be seeing a ton of changes happening to this roster under Dennis Allen.

27. New York Giants

Oh, New York. I’m sorry. The big signing of Kenny Golladay was disappointing, and Saquon Barkley never looked like the Barkley of old. Daniel Jones missed the last six games of the season with a neck injury, and first-rounder Kadarius Toney only appeared in 10 games; Blake Martinez and Jabrill Peppers were also injured. It just once again wasn’t Big Blues season. They have some pieces, and new head coach Brian Daboll was a fantastic offensive coordinator with the Bills. Hopefully, we see a more inspiring Giants offense than we have the last three years. But for now, the Giants stay towards the bottom of the pack.

28. New York Jets

Saleh is a good coach. I will stand by that guy because he makes me want to run through a god damn wall. But the jury is still out on Zach Wilson, who struggled his rookie season. Corey Davis was also underwhelming and injury-riddled in his first season with the Jets. On the other hand, rookie Elijah Moore was a bright spot on the offense showing his ability to stretch the field and create separation. If the Jets can get some protection for Wilson and Davis can step up and stay healthy, they have a chance to improve as a whole. But if they don’t protect their young quarterback, they may run into a problem very similar to Sam Darnold.

29. Detroit Lions

Last season, the Lions won the same games, including against my Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals. But they are still not close to being a nine-win team even in the slightest. Dan Campbell is the man, and they have a great running back duo in DeAndre Swift and Jamaal Williams, plus Amon-Ra St. Brown shined in the second half of the season as a rookie. But they still need help all over the defense and need more reliable receiving options. Nevertheless, the Lions team did much better than expected in 2021; in my opinion, let’s see if they can build on that.

30. Carolina Panthers

Look, I love the Panthers roster. They are a great team on paper. But PJ Walker (1 start), Cam Newton (5 starts), and Sam Darnold (11 starts) all threw for more interceptions than touchdowns. It never looked like any of them could be a viable starter. The draft class and free-agent quarterbacks are not the strongest we have ever seen, plus CMC hasn’t played in more than seven games in two years. They need to find a quarterback, and it might just be about time to move on from Matt Rhule, who signed a massive 7yr-$62 million deal and only posted a 10-23 record in the last two years.

31. Houston Texans

The Texans fired David Culley after one year, going 4-13, which, similar to the Lions, was much better than expected, in my opinion. It doesn’t appear Deshaun Watson will play for the Texans if he is back. Still, Davis Mills had some flashes to be the bridge quarterback until they find their franchise player. They need to find a complementary wide receiver to Brandin Cooks and get Justin Reid some help in the secondary. All in all… The damage from Bill O’Brian is still being felt in that building and they are clearly still in rebuild mode.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville, oh, Jacksonville. They have a ton of needs that they need to make this offseason if possible. First, they must address their offensive line with Cam Robinson set to be a free agent. Next, they need to upgrade their pass-catchers and rush defense. They screwed up Trevor Lawrence’s first season, and Urban Meyer was gone halfway through the season. Doug Pederson is a much better coach than Meyer, and he should help Lawrence’s development. Still, they are far from being competitive in the NFL or even the AFC South.