NFL 2023-2024 Power Rankings Before Week 1; Chiefs Remain on Top
- Anthony Martinez
- Sep 6, 2023
- 14 min read
The New NFL Season Means a New Hierarchy, Where Does Your Team Fall?
At the start of every season, there are teams that are expected to underperform or perform accordingly due to their roster, and while these nine teams may be at the bottom of the list for now, surely at least one of these teams will perform greater than their ranking.
#32 Arizona Cardinals – An obvious selection, easily the weakest roster in the NFL.
Unproven weapons on offense, a below-average offensive line, and the defense outside of Budda Baker all need work. Mix that with Kyler Murray missing the first four games, this team’s season could be over very quickly.
#31 Las Vegas Raiders – Jimmy Garoppolo is not an upgrade from Derek Carr. And while they have some elite weapons like Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams, their offensive line is weak and it is the worst defense in the NFL that isn’t the Arizona Cardinals.
#30 Los Angeles Rams – The team went all in for a Super Bowl a couple of years ago and they knew that as well and it was successful. The fall from that is not surprising at all. A team with a couple of stars but so many holes, way too many to overcome especially with Stafford coming off his injury.
#29 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – There is definitely still some talent on the roster, certainly
more than the other three teams but their quarterback play and lack of run game is going to shut them down offensively. Defensively they have some studs on the team, but as well as several holes and weak spots on it as well.
#28 Tennessee Titans – This team will be competitive at times due to good coaching and a run game led by Derrick Henry. However, the passing game will most likely still be a weak spot regardless of them getting Deandre Hopkins who is now 31 years of age. A poor offensive line and a spotty defense don’t help either.
#27 Houston Texans – Realistically this team could be lower and most would expect
them to be lower while they still need a ton of work, there is a lot to like and be intrigued by. A ton of young talent from some solid drafts with CJ Stroud, Dameon Pierce, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley Jr., Jalen Pitre, and a team with a bit more consistent roster than the previous entries, and the team could be a fun watch for the future.
#26 Indianapolis Colts – The Jonathan Taylor drama/issues could arguably drop this
team lower but if he were to rejoin the team this could be a solid if not unspectacular squad. Some young weapons a good offensive line and a defense that is very inconsistent in terms of talent but has some strong points for sure. Most of it, however, comes down to rookie QB Anthony Richardson. Chances are he has an exciting but heavy mistake season with a number of turnovers but keeps fans excited and intrigued for the future if he can polish up.
#25 Washington Commanders – QB Sam Howell is a huge question mark, there is a
good chance he isn’t the guy for the future and this season is sort of a wash but he is certainly talented and could lean on the run game which is a solid 1-2 punch of Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. Unfortunately for them, the offensive line is downright bad. While, they have some elite pass-rushing capabilities, their coverage, especially with their linebackers seems poor.
#24 Atlanta Falcons – Unimpressed by Desmond Ritter in his first season, he has some
serious improving to do in order to take advantage of some uniquely talented threats like Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. The defensive line is pretty solid and while the linebackers are lacking there is also some good talent in the secondary, so the defense overall should be improved from what we’ve seen in recent years in Atlanta.
This section is for teams that have enough talent to be a hard win for just about any team and while they might not compete for a division title this year they may not be far off.
#23 New England Patriots – Can Mac Jones improve anymore? It felt like he regressed
in his second season and the question arises if he can still be the answer with below-average arm strength and average to below-average mobility. This season is a big tell and without elite weapons which this team doesn’t have it could be rough. However, they have a great tight end duo which could help Jones with simple completions. Defensively the talent is lower than what New England is used to and yet they will still perform well just from great coaching.
#22 Chicago Bears – If you like electric offense and speed this is your team to watch.
Even last year the Bears offense was electric at times and they’ve done nothing but improve that in the offseason. With weapons like DJ Moore who already seems to be Fields go to guy in very limited reps in the preseason. Mix that with Fields' development, a solid running back room, and tight end duo, and Darnell Mooney this offense could easily top 10. Defensively is where a lot of their issues arise, especially with pass rush although they have made some signings to try to help with that. Linebackers should be solid with some good signings and they need some more corners to break out. But, if you want to watch fun football this year, this could be the one to choose.
#21 Carolina Panthers – How good will Bryce Young be? He appears to be the most NFL-ready quarterback of the rookies. The weapons around him feel slightly underwhelming and the offensive line isn’t great by any means it could still be an adjustment period. The defense is pretty solid all around, with decent starters at almost every position, especially the linebackers. That includes star pass rusher Brian Burns. So far perhaps the most consistent team of the
entries.
#20 Cleveland Browns – The Browns are not void of talent by any means and could
shoot up the rankings by the season's end. However, they feel thin in some spots, the receiver room outside of Amari Cooper, the defensive line outside of Myles Garrett, and the secondary outside of Denzel Ward. Take that and add the fact that Deshaun Watson was not good last season. Maybe you can chalk some of that up to rust but he severely underperformed. This team will only go as far as he takes them. The quarterback play the Browns is more important than most this season.
#19 Denver Broncos – The biggest hit or miss potentially, how much can coaching
change? Does Russell Wilson go back to looking like Russell Wilson? If he does, then this team could be very fun. Even if isn’t as long as he is improved it should be a solid season with some fun weapons with Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, rookie Greg Dulcich, and Javonte Williams. The secondary should be top-tier, however, the rest of the defense is just sort of solid and could be coaching-dependent on how they perform.
#18 Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers have not had a losing season with head coach
Mike Tomlin, could this be the year? It certainly feels like this around a .500 team. Kenny Pickett had some solid moments last year but not sold on him as the future just yet. The weapons are solid and young with Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and George Pickens. The offensive line is pretty underwhelming. Defensively, there are some straight superstars with TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, could still throw Cameron Heyward in as well. The rest of the defense is still solid, not amazing but should be consistent.
#17 Green Bay Packers – How good is Jordan Love really? He looked solid when he
played against the Eagles last season and looked good in this year’s preseason. That doesn’t prove much but does give some hope. The running back duo should potentially be the best in the league and the young receiver duo is intriguing in Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. The receiving depth however leaves a lot to be desired. The offensive line has some talent but not a ton and Bakhtiari has dealt with a bunch of injuries. Defensively this team should be good, with good pass rushers and De’vondre Campbell as the MLB has been a treat. One of the best corners in the league as well. This team should be a middle-of-the-pack team but if Jordan Love excels
then this team could easily find itself in the playoffs.
These teams have a good shot of making the playoffs for the upcoming season, whether that be as a Wild Card team or a winner of a weaker division.
#16 Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings won 13 games last year despite allowing more
points than they scored. Does anyone think they’re going to repeat something similar? Most likely not. This team could take a big hit in terms of games won this season and seems close to entering a rebuild. For now, they are still a talented team with a quarterback who is good but not elite. No more Dalvin Cook at all and the loss of Adam Thielen hurts. They do, however, have the best Wide Receiver in the league Justin Jefferson who is just spectacular. Hockenson is a Pro Bowl tight end as well. The offensive line is solid, not great though. This team used to be a powerhouse defensively and they’re not there anymore. They still have some solid pieces but they’re in need of some young star power on that side of the ball.
#15 New York Giants – The team that beat the Vikings in the last playoffs finishes one
spot above them as of right now. Daniel Jones has seemed to come into his own and his role. He is not a Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, he isn’t going to win you a bunch of games but he won’t lose you a bunch of games either. He’s a game manager through and through. Saquon is beyond talented but struggles with injuries a bit. The receiving core isn’t great and the offensive line is alright making the offense as a whole just ok. The defensive line is solid, linebackers are in the same situation, and that extends to the secondary. This whole team is solid and well-coached. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this team fall down a couple of spots but that remains to be seen.
#14 New Orleans Saints – Derek Carr is in town and their quarterback play just got a lot more consistent. A very good running back duo once Alvin Kamara’s suspension is up. Chris Olave is a talented young receiver and if Michael Thomas comes back and is somewhat himself, they have a good duo there as well. The offensive line is overall good and the defense is very good. With playmakers all over the place especially in the secondary, the defense should be top 10 and they’ll be very competitive this season.
#13 Seattle Seahawks – Geno Smith had a resurgence last season that almost no one
saw coming and if he can replicate that Seattle will certainly be competitive. Kenneth Walker is superbly talented. And the receiver core is quietly one of the best in the league; D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Their offensive line has never been great it feels like and that remains the same. Their front seven is alright, they have Bobby Wagner back even if he’s 33 now should still be a difference maker. Their secondary is really good, maybe not Legion of Boom good but definitely one of the top in the league.
#12 Detroit Lions – A top-tier offense last season mixed with a bad defense resulted in a solid 9-win team. Jared Goff doesn’t get enough credit; he was surgical at times last season. They signed David Montgomery and drafted Jahmyr Gibbs which should offset losing Jamaal Williams and then some. Receiving core is certainly above average which includes rookie tight end Sam LaPorta. One of the best offensive lines for sure, so much talent there, and will be the key to keeping the offense being consistent. Defense should at the very least be improved. Not expected to be great by any means. Aidan Hutchinson should continue to become an elite edge presence. Rookie linebacker Jack Campbell should hope to improve a weak linebacker group. The corners are a bit of a weak spot but at least the safeties should be solid. The Lions should be a fun team to watch and most likely the favorites in the NFC North division.
#11 Baltimore Ravens – If Lamar Jackson is healthy, then the league should have a hard
time keeping them out of the playoffs. The run game will be one of the best in the league, Dobbins should have a good season alongside Lamar. Mark Andrews will be Lamar’s security blanket, he’s the best tight end in the league not named Travis Kelce. The offensive line is pretty good on top of that. The Ravens linebacker core is elite, thanks to their accusation of Roquan Smith last season. Plenty of talent in the secondary as well. Out of the teams mentioned so far, this is definitely the most talented team.
These teams on paper should be almost locked to make the playoffs. There is a chance that they won’t but there is so much talent it would be a disappointment if they failed to make the postseason.
#10 Los Angeles Chargers – Justin Herbert is a top 5 quarterback in the league without a doubt, in terms of physical talent he’s top 3 maybe even top 2. It would be nice to see the Chargers open up the playbook a bit more this season and take advantage of Herbert’s gifts. Austin Ekeler is a do it all running back and their receiver room is stacked. Vet’s Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, mix that with youngsters Joshua Palmer and rookie Quentin Johnson make it an elite room. The offensive line is pretty good overall but does have a weak spot at guard for sure. The defensive line is still very good, an aging but still good Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa are an elite pass-rushing duo. Linebackers are now led by Eric Kendricks which they needed because their linebackers were struggling beforehand. Outside of one safety spot, the secondary should be great, especially with Derwin James Jr., the best safety in the league.
#9 Jacksonville Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence looked like the prospect that everyone
thought he was last season, especially during the second half of the season. His talent is tremendous and is a dark horse MVP candidate. Travis Etienne is so explosive and getting Calvin Ridley available adds to a good receiving room. The offensive line seems to continue to improve but not at an elite level just yet. Some young talented pass rushers are on the team but still some room for improvement for their front seven overall and defense in general. Doug Pederson seems to be the perfect coach for them, they respond to him greatly.
#8 Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys always find a way to come up short in spite of the
talent on their team. Realistically this team should be very good and a playoff berth should be in their future. It feels like Dak Prescott is regressing at this point in his career, especially with turnovers but should be good enough to get some production. Tony Pollard is the undisputed #1 running back in Dallas now and he should thrive. The receiver room is elite however their tight ends are unproven. The offensive line is a mixed bag with some elite talent as well as some young unproven talent. Some real playmakers on defense as well are Demarcus Lawrence, Micah Parsons, Stephon Gilmore, and Trevon Diggs. There is too much talent for this team to miss the playoffs.
#7 Miami Dolphins – Speed on offense is the name of the game. Tua Tagovailoa had a
good season last year. If he can stay healthy and avoid throws that challenge his arm strength, it should be another successful season for him. The receiver duo is the best thing about this team obviously, Tyreek and Waddle have such rare speed in general, the fact they’re a duo is mind boggling. The offensive line should be better and maybe even be good in general. The front seven is solid, decent to good starters at every position. Their secondary is the strength of the defense, especially the corner duo Jalen Ramsey and Xavier Howard. In a stacked division, their win total might not completely reflect how good this team should be this season.
#6 New York Jets – Aaron Rodgers is in town, and while he has gotten some disrespect
form critics, fans should not be quick to forget that despite last season, he was back to back MVP’s before that. There is a higher chance we see him return to his old self rather than his last season’s performance. That is exactly what the Jets needed as well, the talent around him is very good. A new elite running back duo with Dalvin Cook and Breece Hall. Garrett Wilson is Rodgers’s new elite receiver could put up monster numbers this season. The offensive line is improved from what we’ve seen in the last couple of seasons. With a top-tier defense that should be just as good if not better this season, this team is near being one of the favorites of the league. For now, they’ll stay in contenders until they prove a bit in-season.
These are the teams that should be considered the favorites to not only have a
successful season but make a deep playoff run if not make it to a Super Bowl.
#5 Cincinnati Bengals – This vertical offense is elite, Joe Burrow is a franchise
quarterback in his prime with some top tier targets and talent around him. Joe Mixon at running back, the best receiving core overall without a doubt. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd are second to none as a trio. Their offensive line needed to improve this season and it feels like they will, especially with the addition of Orlando Brown. Defensive line is good, linebackers are solid, not elite, a good corner duo but weak safeties. So, the defense is a mixed bag and their offense will be the reason they go far, if their defense does see improvement it’ll be hard to top them.
#4 San Francisco 49ers – This team has had a rollercoaster at quarterback the past few
seasons with leading with Garoppolo, to drafting Trey Lance, to losing both of them to injury and starting Brock Purdy who excelled all expectations and took the starting role for himself. Not taking away any credit from Purdy but his job at quarterback was certainly easier than some others around the league. Great coaching and offensive system with the trade for Christian McCaffrey being huge for them. Some talented receivers with great run after the catch ability make the job even easier. George Kittle is who we all know, a top tier, do it all tight end. The offensive line is solid, mainly due to the play of Trent Williams. All that and yet the best part of their team is the defense, the best defense in the league with elite players like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The only somewhat question mark is their corner play but should still be solid regardless.
#3 Buffalo Bills – Josh Allen is the ultimate playmaker and ultimate RedZone threat, as
long as he’s not turning the ball over in the RedZone. He still has Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis as a great 1-2 combo at receiver. Dawson Knox is a solid tight end and the offensive line is solid not great. Defensively the front seven is very good with talent at every position. The secondary is elite and will be causing turnovers all season long. This team is right on the brink of a Super Bowl appearance; they’ve been close for a couple of seasons now. It would not be shocking to see them finally make the full run this season.
#2 Philadelphia Eagles – Jalen Hurts took a huge step last season and was a MVP
candidate last season and nothing should be different this season. The running back room is different this year with no Miles Sanders but added D’Andre Swift in his place. One of the best receiver duo’s in the league with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. An elite offensive line, perhaps the best in the league with the Lions. The defensive line has depth beyond depth, especially at defensive tackle. Linebackers are solid and young but probably the weakest part of the team. The secondary is good especially their corners. As a Super Bowl runner-up last season, this team is the favorite again to make it out of the NFC and could even win the whole thing this season.
#1 Kansas City Chiefs – The defending Super Bowl champions, without a doubt the best team in the league going into this season. They have a very real possibility to repeat as champions despite as hard it is to do in the NFL. Best quarterback in the league without a doubt, Patrick Mahomes needs no explanation. Isiah Pacheco was a huge get for them last year and should continue to make more of an impact this season. The receiving core isn’t the strongest in the league, in fact it’s sort of weak. Mahomes just makes it so it doesn’t even matter sometimes and they have Travis Kelce, certainly the best tight end in the league. The interior offensive line is elite while the tackles are weaker. The defense is pretty good with some good players, like Chris Jones and Nick Bolton and L’Jarius Sneed. Not an elite defense by any means but it truly doesn’t need to be, they just need to be good enough which they may be. If they are, then there’s a good chance the league sees another Super Bowl appearance for
the number #1 team in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs.
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