Power Rankings Week 1: Ranking All 32 Teams Ahead Of The 2024 NFL Season

With the opening night of the 2024 NFL season just one day away, here all 32 teams ranked from worst to first.

The NFL season is now just one day away from getting underway, and America’s favorite sport will soon be back to playing meaningful games.

Who is going to contend for a Super Bowl this year? Who should be looking towards the NFL Draft? This list will tell you, as it ranks all 32 teams from worst to first.

32. New England Patriots

It wasn’t long ago that the Patriots would routinely be at or near the top of these lists, but those days seem long gone. Instead, it’s a total rebuild in New England, and Head Coach Jerod Mayo’s first season will be defined by the progress that rookie first-round quarterback Drake Maye makes once he takes over the reins from Jacoby Brissett.

31. New York Giants

The New York Giants will continue to pay for the massive mistake of paying Daniel Jones after an average 2022 season that was the best of his career.  While the talent has been upgraded on this roster the past few years through the draft at premium positions, a complete black hole at quarterback has 2024 as yet another lost year for the G-Men.

30. Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are also in the midst of rebuilding, but they may finally have a franchise quarterback in second-overall pick Jayden Daniels. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner does have some solid weapons to use in his rookie year, but the roster is not very good for first-year head coach Dan Quinn. The defense, which just a few years ago was considered one of the most young and talented units in the league, has especially been hollowed out.

29. Carolina Panthers

2023 was an unmitigated disaster for the Carolina Panthers as number-one overall pick Bryce Young didn’t impress, the team was the worst in the league, and they didn’t have their 2024 first-round draft pick due to the trade to acquire Williams. Make no mistake, they will be pretty bad again, but new Head Coach Dave Canales should help Bryce Young improve, the roster is a little better, and the AFC South will provide plenty of winnable games for the Panthers. Those things will keep them out of the basement this season, but not by much.

28. Denver Broncos

There’s no way that the Broncos thought they’d be an afterthought when they made the blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson two offseasons ago.  That turned out to be a disastrous trade and they’re starting over from scratch with first-round pick Bo Nix, head coach Sean Payton, and one of the league’s worst rosters. They could be picking first-overall next April.

27. Arizona Cardinals

Nearly everyone had the Arizona Cardinals as the worst team in the league a year ago before the season started. Make no mistake, they weren’t good, but they were more competitive than many people thought they would be and they may have something in Head Coach Jonathan Gannon. An offense with Kyler Murray throwing to Marvin Harrison Jr. could be fun, but they haven’t quite rebuilt the rest of the roster to a league-average level yet. The pieces are in place for the Cardinals to be solid in a few years, but 2024 is a bit too soon.

26. Tennessee Titans

Gone are franchise stalwarts in running back Derrick Henry and Head Coach Mike Vabrel, as Henry has moved on to Baltimore and Vrabel was fired following a disappointing 2023 campaign. Former Bengals OC Brian Callahan has the task of mentoring second-year quarterback Will Levis and getting the most out of his immense potential. There are some solid players on both lines in Nashville, but ultimately there are few true difference makers on this roster and they are likely to finish last in the AFC South.

25. Las Vegas Raiders

With the Josh McDaniels experiment mercifully at an end, Antonio Pierce takes over as the full-team head coach after an impressive stint as the interim last year. Unlike some of the other teams ranked worse than the Raiders, they have legit different makers on both sides of the ball, such as WR Davante Adams and Edge Maxx Crosby. Tight end Brock Bowers headlines a solid rookie class, but how high is your ceiling when your starting quarterback is Gardner Minshew? The Raiders will make it tough on better teams, and may steal a win or two against a foe that ends up in the playoffs. But, the roster has too many holes, especially at quarterback, to seriously contending for a postseason appearance.

24. New Orleans Saints

The Saints are notorious for having terrible salary cap situations and wiggling out of them to put a quality roster on the field. But, the dam may break this season, as the squad in New Orleans is the worst it’s been in a decade-plus. Theoretically, Derek Carr could have a bounce-back year, a defense led by Tyrann Mathieu could feast on turnovers, and the Saints could compete in a poor NFC South. But, they would need a lot to go right to get to 9 or 10 wins. 6 or 7 wins seems a lot more likely.

23. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings let Kirk Cousins walk in the hopes that they could quickly rebuild and gear up for a run in 2025 with a good group of skill position players and a first-round quarterback in JJ McCarthy. But, McCarthy is out for the season due to a knee injury, meaning it’s a lost year of development for the rookie. And, while the Vikings played admirably last year once Cousins went down and their quarterback situation was poor, a really good NFC North is going to make it tough for them to build any momentum towards a potential playoff season. It will be interesting to see if one of the best quarterback minds in the NFL, Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, can rescue Sam Darnold’s career, though.

22. Los Angeles Chargers

Brandon Staley isn’t around anymore to make bone-headed decision that cost a talented Chargers roster the last few years plenty of games. And, Jim Harbaugh will instantly be one of the league’s best head coaches, just like he was with the 49ers before leaving for Michigan. The bones of a good team are there, with a healthy Justin Herbert being protected by a talented tackle duo and the defense featuring two good edge rushers in Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. But, the skill position group is as bad as anyone’s in the league, Harbaugh is going to instill an entirely new system of football, and this is mostly a punt year while Harbaugh installs his way of doing things to turn the Chargers around.

21. Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are another in transition, as longtime head coach Pete Carroll retired after last season. They welcomed former Michigan and Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to replace him, MacDonald won’t have a bare cupboard, but the roster is average at best, and a quarterback like Geno Smith, while serviceable, is not equipped to elevate a roster like that to the playoffs. If you squint hard enough, maybe you see an NFC Playoff team in there some where, but you’ve really got to squint.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

After winning a playoff game in the 2022 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were a huge disappointment last year as franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence appeared to take a step back. The Jaguars gave him a big extension anyways, as the risk of losing him is too great, and the hope is he will truly start to fulfill his massive potential.  The roster is pretty good on paper, but it was last year and the players didn’t perform. The formula for a winning season in Jacksonville is Lawrence returns to form, a talented defensive line plays to its potential, and the offensive line shows some improvement. But, if even one of those things don’t happen, they will miss the playoffs again.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

Make no mistake, the Pittsburgh Steelers could absolutely end up in the playoffs once again and nobody would be terribly surprised. And, yes, they should upgrade at quarterback and offensive coordinator, at least marginally, as they go from Kenny Pickett to Russell Wilson and from Matt Canada to Arthur Smith. The image of the Steelers having one of the best defenses in the league is largely not true, except for the fact that they’ve been excellent at forcing turnovers lately. But, that’s an area ripe for regression to the mean, and an offense that could be better but still will be bottom-half in the league won’t bail out a defense that has given up plenty of yards lately if they’re not forcing turnovers.

 

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The defending NFC South Champions could indeed win the division again in a wide-open NFC South. But, the questions that had many pretty pessimistic on their chances last year mostly still exist this year. Top-to-bottom, the roster is not that talented and was buoyed by a fantastic, career-saving season by Baker Mayfield at quarterback and a weak NFC South. Weaknesses at defensive line and at a few positions along the offensive line as well as an overall lack of speed throughout the team could spell doom to a fourth-straight NFC South title, especially if Baker even slightly regresses without offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

17. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts may be one of the most interesting team in the league this season. Last year, they survived costly injuries, including those that kept top-five pick and starting quarterback Anthony Richardson out for 13 games, to stay competitive all year and finish 9-8. Then-rookie head coach Shane Steichen’s playcalling was a big reason for that, and he could really unlock Anthony Richardson’s potential this year. If that happens, they may find themselves as a playoff team in the AFC. But, expect Richardson to play more like an inconsistent rookie than an experienced second-year player, and the Colts to finish in a similar spot to last year.

16. New York Jets

Many people have the New York Jets much higher than this on their power rankings, and that makes sense on paper. For years, the Jets have had a solid roster with terrible quarterback play. In theory, Aaron Rodgers should fix the quarterback issue and support one of the league’s best defenses. But,  after lasting just four snaps last year before tearing his Achilles, how reliable is the 40-year old going to be this year behind an offensive line that remains suspect. And, how focused is he on actually winning football games for the New York Jets. Plus, the Jets actually playing consistently winning football has been so anathema lately that it’s hard to picture them truly turning it around under Robert Saleh. Color me skeptical, with the understanding that this could age pretty poorly.

15. Los Angeles Rams

People keep counting out Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams as a playoff contender, and he keeps cobbling together solid seasons just like the one last year that saw them narrowly lose in the NFC Wild Card Round to the Detroit Lions. Aaron Donald decided to retire,  but Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp are healthy, and the team sneakily has more roster depth than it’s had for the past few years.  In the AFC, this is probably not a playoff team, but there are spots up for grabs in the NFC and the Rams will be right there.

14. Chicago Bears

Less than a year ago, the Bears were arguably the worst team in the NFL and an absolute laughingstock of the NFL. But, they played much better in the second half of last season, and this is a roster ready to compete now. First-overall pick Caleb Williams is a true face of the franchise, and he’s been gifted incredible weapons that can rival any team in the league. A solid offensive line and a talented defense should give the skill guys enough support to land the Chicago Bears in the NFC Playoffs as the NFL’s most-improved team.

13. Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons were probably the most frustrating team in the NFL last year, as Arthur Smith refused to get the ball to his ultra-talented playmakers in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts and a bad quarterback situation compounded the errors. Arthur Smith was fired, and they’ve signed Kirk Cousins coming off of a torn Achilles to get them solid quarterback play for the first time since Matt Ryan and the team parted ways. The biggest question is indeed Kirk Cousins’ health, because if he’s healthy those skill guys and a very good offensive line should have the Falcons as one of the league’s best offenses. The defense was buoyed by veteran acquisitions Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons during training camp, and new head coach Raheem Morris should have that group playing better. This is, on paper, the best team in the NFC South.

12. Houston Texans

Last year, the Houston Texans stunned everyone under first-year head coach Demeco Ryans by turning the franchise around ahead of schedule, winning the AFC South, and beating the Browns in the AFC Wild Card Round. A lot of that has to do with the sensational play of then-rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, who will be one of the league’s best this season. He’s got great skill guys to throw to, the offensive line is solid, and the offense should be solid. The defense has stars at premium positions in Will Anderson and Derek Stingley, and could be solid, as well. But, having to go from a last-place schedule to a first-place schedule could be worth one or two losses, and the Texans won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year. They should win the AFC South, but a true Super Bowl run is probably a year or two away.

11. Miami Dolphins

Last year, the Miami Dolphins looked to be the best team in the NFL at times and looked to be completely disinterested in playing football at other times. The latter was on display in the team’s listless playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the frigid cold in the AFC Wild Card Round. And, a torn ACL suffered by Bradley Chubb and a torn Achilles suffered by Jaelan Phillips could sap athleticism from their two star edge rushers, which would really hurt that defense. But, Tyreek Hill may be the league’s best non-quarterback player, Tua Tagovailoa is a good fit in the Mike McDaniel offense, and McDaniel always finds a way to run the ball efficiently. That will probably be enough for another playoff appearance, but they aren’t true Super Bowl contenders.

10. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns got basically nothing out of Deshaun Watson last year, Nick Chubb suffered a catastrophic knee injury, and they still made the playoffs at 11-6. If they get an improved Deshaun Watson, one that more closely resembles his form in Houston prior to his scandal and subsequent move to Cleveland, there’s no reason they wouldn’t be a Super Bowl contender. It’s a roster with few weaknesses and true game-changers on both sides of the ball, most notably reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, and a good head coach in Kevin Stefanski. But, it’s reasonable to think that Watson is a broken quarterback and man after his off-field controversies, and the star quarterback they thought they were getting simply isn’t in there anymore. How good he plays will determine this team’s ceiling.

9. Dallas Cowboys

Even after three straight 12-5 regular seasons, an NFC East crown, and almost all of a talented roster coming back, the vibes around the Dallas Cowboys seem pretty bad. They made no significant offseason upgrades, and most of the offseason storylines resolved around the contract statuses of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Not nearly enough focus is being paid attention to a roster that remains one of the league’s best, with stars at plenty of premium positions. If Dak Prescott plays as well as he did last season, there’s no reason they can’t repeat at NFC East champions. But, Dak could regress closer to league average, and no one is going to have any faith in the Cowboys until they start getting it done in the playoffs and stop getting embarrassed like they did by the Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round last year.

8. Philadelphia Eagles

Last year’s 10-1 start wasn’t backed up by advanced stats, and turned out to be a mirage, Philadelphia lost 6 of their last 7 games, including an embarrassing playoff showing against the Buccaneers. But, both coordinators were fired after struggling mightily. That should help a healthy Jalen Hurts return to his 2022 form behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, even without Jason Kelce. Saquon Barkley will provide a huge boost to that offense as well. The secondary has seen a huge influx in talent in draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, filling huge weaknesses from a year ago. Jalen Carter should continue to emerge as one of the league’s best young players, and they’re expecting Jordan Davis to take a big step in the middle of a good edge group. We will find out how much of the Eagles’ 2022 success was predicated on former coordinators Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen if they indeed stumble again. But, I don’t expect that to be the case, and the Eagles will return to Super Bowl contention.

7. Green Bay Packers

The Packers were the NFL’s youngest team a year ago, and started out the season like a team dealing with significant inexperience. But, they rebounded from a 2-5 start to finish 9-8, sneak into the playoffs, win a playoff game and nearly upset the NFC Champion 49ers on the road. A lot of that was due to the maturation of Jordan Love, who looked like one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks by the time his first season as a starter was over. And, that young roster is now a year older and more experienced, with talent at pretty much every position. While they may be a year away from being a true Tier 1 team, nobody should be surprised to see the Green Bay Packers playing deep into January after challenging the Lions for the NFC North crown.

6. Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills continued to struggle to get over the hurdle of beating the Kansas City Chiefs, seeing their season yet again come to an end at the hands of Mahomes and company in a fantastic AFC Divisional Round Game. And, notable names like Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, and Micah Hyde have moved on. On the surface that should take the Buffalo Bills out of Super Bowl contention. But, Josh Allen is one of the league’s best players, and single-handedly kept the Bills offense afloat last year before they fired OC Ken Dorsey and replaced him with Joe Brady. Once they get stud linebacker Matt Milano back, a new look Bills team that will rely on a versatile group of defensive linemen and a running game buoyed with play-action will be right there among the league’s best teams once again.  Expect second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid and rookie WR Keon Coleman to emerge as young stars, too.

5. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens were oh-so-close to getting back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 11 years last year, losing as the home team in the AFC Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs as 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson played poorly. Much of that loaded. roster is intact for this year, and they very well could be back in that same spot and possibly advance even further. But, this roster lost some key players under the radar including three starters on the offensive line, middle linebacker Patrick Queen, and edge Jadeveon Clowney. Expect those offensive line departures, led by Kevin Zeitler, to lead to the Ravens and Lamar Jackson taking a small step back this season into a Tier 2 Super Bowl contender. But, they should have a solid season competing for a competitive AFC North Crown and playoff home games.

4. Cincinnati Bengals

With Joe Burrow battling injury issues all year and only playing in ten games, most of those coming when he was pretty banged up, it was a lost season for a team built to win now. And, that’s exactly what the Cincinnati Bengals will do this year. Right now, the JaMarr Chase contract situation is a bit of a distraction. But, they will figure it out, and assuming Burrow can keep his right arm healthy, they will be one of the league’s best offenses once again. With Burrow injured plenty last year and frequently struggling when he was on the field due to those injuries, the defense had to keep them afloat last year, and is a better unit than most people think. Trey Hendrickson is probably the best edge rusher in the league that the average NFL fan doesn’t know about. Zac Taylor is a solid head coach, and this is his best team on paper in his Bengals career. Plus, having a core that knows what it feels like to go to Arrowhead Stadium and beat the Kansas City Chiefs could pay dividends come the playoffs.

3. San Francisco 49ers

For much of last season, the San Francisco 49ers were the cream of the NFL crop, and were a play or two away from winning their sixth Lombardi Trophy. But, Patrick Mahomes did Patrick Mahomes things, Brock Purdy cracked ever-so-slightly under the pressure, and once again a talented group in the Bay could not get it done. With an aging roster, this is one of the last chances for a loaded ‘9ers core to get it done. Like last year, holes are few and far between in San Franacisco, and Kyle Shanahan will continue to get the most out of a talented offense.  They’re going to miss linebacker Dre Greenlaw early in the season due to a tragic injury suffered in the Super Bowl while jogging onto the field. But, he should return by midseason to help fortify a strong defense led by Nick Bosa and Talanoa Hafanga. Ultimately, there’s no team that the San Francisco 49ers can’t beat, but do we trust Shanahan to finally raise the Lombardi Trophy? That’s the million-dollar question.

2. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions surprised many people last year by emerging as one of the NFL’s best teams, but that shouldn’t have shocked anyone.  General Manager Brad Holmes and Head Coach Dan Campbell have done a fantastic job compiling the best roster in the NFL, with stars and talented players all over. It starts on the offensive line, which is arguably the league’s best, anchored by future Hall of Fame tackle Penei Sewell. And, the defensive plays with the effort and physicality Dan Campbell said they would play with from his opening press conference, with Aiden Hutchinson ready to jump into the Tier of NFL edge players. The weapons on offense are great, too, and Jared Goff has proven once again that he is a very solid quarterback in the NFL. Only a second-half collapse in the NFC Championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers kept the Lions out of their first-ever Super Bowl. And, there’s no reason that a roster that is still pretty young won’t take a huge step forward this season. That step forward can only result in one thing: a Super Bowl appearance. That’s where Detroit will be come the second weekend in February.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Do the Kansas City Chiefs have the NFL’s best roster? no. Do they have the least amount of holes? no. Do they have the most amount of talented young players? Another no. But, they have the league’s best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and its best head coach in Andy Reid. In the NFL, there aren’t two better strengths to have. Those strengths, plus monster performances from future Hall of Famers in TE Travis Kelce and DT Chris Jones have the Chiefs on the verge of an NFL-first Super Bowl three-peat. While the roster isn’t the most talented, it’s certainly not devoid of talent, especially on a revamped defense that saw a resurgence last year under Steve Spagnuolo. Expect young stars like Leo Chenal to continue to improve. And, the team went after their biggest weakness, the wide receiver group, with aggression in the offseason, adding Hollywood Brown and first-rounder Xavier Worthy.  If Rashee Rice can avoid a suspension, Mahomes has the best group of weapons he’s had in a while, especially adding in Travis Kelce and Isaiah Pacheco. No team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row, and for good reason. It’s incredibly hard to win one playoff game, let alone a minimum of nine in a row over three seasons.  But, ask me to pick against the league’s best quarterback and best head coach, and I’ll say “no way”. Once again, it will Mahomes, Reid, Kelce, and yes, Swift, on the field in New Orleans as red and yellow confetti rains down. Once that happens, the GOAT debate between Tom Brady and Mahomes can officially begin.