Nearly two full months have passed since our last edition of the 2024 NFL power rankings. With preseason finally upon us, it’s time for an updated ranking of where all 32 teams stand — so let’s get right to it.
Which teams are vying at the top spot on the official NFL power rankings here at TPS?
32. Carolina Panthers (32)
All eyes are on the offensive side of the ball. Will Bryce Young rebound from a tough rookie year under first-year head coach Dave Canales?
The pieces are there for Young to do so. Carolina acquired ex-Pittsburgh Steelers star wideout Diontae Johnson and drafted three more weapons in Xavier Legette, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Jonathan Brooks.
All long-suffering Carolina fans can do now is cross their fingers and hope the offensive facelift benefits Young.
31. Denver Broncos (31)
Jarrett Stidham opens preseason as the No. 1 quarterback on the Broncos’ depth chart. It’s hardly surprising, given Zach Wilson’s NFL struggles up to this point and Sean Payton’s commitment to being patient with developing Bo Nix.
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Star wideout Courtland Sutton had his contract restructured, but he’s still a hot trade candidate to monitor in the weeks ahead.
30. New England Patriots (30)
Unsurprisingly, it looks like veteran Jacoby Brissett will be the Week 1 starter for the rebuilding Patriots. There’s no sense rushing Drake Maye into the mix. Not when there are question marks behind that leaky offensive line.
This is going to be a year of growing pains for New England in year one of the post-Bill Belichick era. Patience is a virtue, Pats nation.
29. New York Giants (28)
Well, it was a sight to see Daniel Jones get in the middle of a scuffle against the Detroit Lions during a joint practice. Danny Dimes looks like somebody who’s playing with a chip on his shoulder, and that’s what you want to see if you’re a Giants fan.
It’s a make-or-break year for Jones in the Meadowlands. We’ll see if his fiery passion and energy in practice translate over to the field when the real games begin.
28. Tennessee Titans (29)
The Titans may be out without star receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a game or two to begin the season. Fortunately, Will Levis has tremendous wide receiver depth led by newcomers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd and 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks.
The Titans also bolstered their secondary by signing a pair of former Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl safeties, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. With Roger McCreary and L’Jarius Sneed patrolling the cornerback spots, it’s not a stretch to believe Tennessee can field a top-10 defense.
27. Washington Commanders (27)
We’re not sold on the Commanders as playoff contenders, but they might be this year’s team of chaos that we can all get behind. Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, and Austin Ekeler headline a promising offensive nucleus, and the rebuilt defense should make a big leap under first-year head coach Dan Quinn.
But let’s be clear: For the Commanders, 2024 will simply be a success if Daniels stays healthy and shows glimpses of growing into a true franchise quarterback.
Also Read: Ranking All 8 NFL Divisions From WORST To FIRST For The Upcoming 2024 Season
26. Minnesota Vikings (25)
The Vikings take a dip here because it’s likely they’ll be without star wide receiver Jordan Addison for some time. Addison is expected to receive a multi-game suspension following his arrest for suspected DUI.
Sam Darnold has struggled considerably in training camp, but Kevin O’Connell might not want to throw rookie JJ McCarthy into the fire right away. With too many question marks surrounding this offense, we can’t justify placing Minnesota higher at this time.
25. Las Vegas Raiders (24)
There doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut front-runner for the starting QB1 job between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Is it okay to be a LITTLE concerned about that? The most optimistic Raiders fan would like to think that one of those guys would dazzle with Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Brock Bowers as their main weapons.
Vegas has a top-10 defense and a prolific set of weapons.But they’re gonna need stellar QB play from O’Connell or Minshew to compete this year.
24. Arizona Cardinals (26)
The Redbirds have already been dealt a big blow, with stud pass-rusher BJ Ojulari out for the season after tearing his ACL. A team already thin on pass-rushing depth now must get by without a player who was widely pegged as a 2024 breakout candidate.
On the bright side, prized rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is crushing it in training camp. We cannot wait much longer to see him and Kyler Murray in the real action.
23. New Orleans Saints (22)
New Orleans will be without star offensive tackle Ryan Ramcyzk for the year, and there’s a good chance his nagging knee injury will force him to eventually retire.
Ramcyzk’s loss is already a tough enough loss for a Saints offense that couldn’t find any consistency last year. It just feels like a 33-year-old Derek Carr is gonna have to have a career year for these guys to compete in the playoffs, and that’s much easier said than done now without his best offensive lineman in front of him.
22. Seattle Seahawks (23)
Seahawk fans avoided a scare when QB Geno Smith returned to practice days after it was reported that he was dealing with knee and hip injuries.
Otherwise, it’s status quo in the Emerald City. The Seahawks have no significant training camp battles at stake. It’s all about whether the young defense can come together and fulfill its potential under rookie head coach Mike Macdonald.
21. Indianapolis Colts (20)
The Colts were hit with some awful news when it was discovered that 2023 team sacks leader Samson Ebukam suffered a torn Achilles that will sideline him for the year.
It’s a devastating blow for an Indy team that features one of football’s best front sevens. It opens the door for rookie Laiatu Latu to step in and produce immediately.
On a positive note, Anthony Richardson looks to be fully healthy. If he avoids the injury bug this year, the Colts will be a dark horse playoff contender in the AFC.
20. Los Angeles Chargers (21)
There’s a lot of hype around the arrival of new head coach Jim Harbaugh, and understandably so. But if he’s to turn the Bolts into immediate playoff contenders, Justin Herbert’s rebuilt receiving room must step up.
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are gone. So what can Josh Palmer, rookie Ladd McConkey, and disappointing 2023 rookie Quentin Johnston do?
We know the Chargers will run the ball a lot more under Harbaugh, but Herbert will also need some open targets to sling the ball, too, if the Bolts want to compete with the AFC’s top dogs.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19)
It’s been mostly quiet on the Bucs’ news front since training camp started. No serious positional battles here. No holdouts or contract issues that need to be resolved. It’s mostly the same roster that stunned everybody with an elite eight appearance in 2023.
The million-dollar question is: Was 2023 a mirage, or is Baker Mayfield really the real deal? The coming weeks will tell us.
18. Chicago Bears (18)
All eyes are on rookie QB Caleb Williams, a can’t-miss prospect who’s loaded with playmakers at his side. I mean, how could he not succeed right off the bat with Keenan Allen, the recently extended DJ Moore, and rookie Rome Odunze as his three-headed monster and receiving trio?
17. Los Angeles Rams (17)
The Rams adjusted Matthew Stafford’s contract and avoided a potential holdout. Otherwise, it’s been a drama-free summer for the Rams.
Aaron Donald’s retirement leaves a gaping hole on defense, but the Rams are confident that youngsters Jared Verse, Kobie Turner, and Byron Young can offset the damage of the legend’s departure.
At the very least, this offense will remain a machine with Stafford, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams steering the ship.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (16)
Trevor Lawrence still hasn’t fully put it together, but the Jaguars are so confident that they handed him a five-year contract extension worth $275 million ahead of year four.
It’s a big risk, yes. But you’d also like to think that T-Law will have a career year with an offensive nucleus consisting of Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne Jr., Evan Engram, Gabe Davis, and Brian Thomas Jr.
On an unrelated note, shout-out to Josh Allen to changing his name to “Josh Hines-Allen.” Future confusion with the other Josh Allen averted!
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (14)
We were hoping the Steelers would have landed a No. 2 wideout for George Pickens after trading Diontae Johnson. But nope. They must be confident in Calvin Austin and rookie Roman Wilson to fulfill that role.
Russell Wilson vs. Justin Fields was one of the more intriguing position battles heading into training camp, but all signs point to the ex-Seahawk and Bronco starting behind center in Week 1 vs. Atlanta.
14. Atlanta Falcons (15)
With Kirk Cousins good to go for Week 1, the Falcons are the clear-cut front-runners to win the NFC. The awkward Cousins-Michael Penix Jr. drama aside, the vibes are good in Atlanta — and the pieces are there on both sides of the ball for this team to end its seven-year playoff drought.
13. Miami Dolphins (13)
The Dolphins handed Tua Tagovailoa a four-year extension worth $212.4 million, finally ending all the silly rumors that they might not be sold on him as their long-term QB.
Miami then followed it up with a restructured three-year, $90 million deal for superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill – ensuring that the band stays together long-term. Now…if Tua could just win his first playoff game…
12. Buffalo Bills (12)
Rookie Keon Coleman has turned heads with excellent performances in training camp. You can’t look too much into practice clips…but what if Coleman immediately steps up and performs like a No. 1 receiver? Could the Bills really retain their status as a bonafide Super Bowl contender? Hmm…
One of the more compelling NFL stories for 2024 is how the Bills’ offense performs without Stefon Diggs. The trade with Houston will either make or break this franchise.
11. Dallas Cowboys (10)
For those keeping count at home, it’s been more than six months since Jerry Jones said Dallas would be “all-in.” Preseason is among us, and the Cowboys haven’t made a single “all-in” move this year.
Jones has had an inexcusably inactive offseason. He’s lucky that Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Zack Martin, Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs are still here — thus ensuring they’ll still be competitive.
But as it stands, Big D is nowhere closer to making a deep playoff run than the 2021, 2022, and 2023 groups that choked big-time in January.
10. New York Jets (11)
As we keep saying, a healthy Aaron Rodgers makes the Jets bonafide Super Bowl contenders. I mean, they won seven games in a tough division with Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle as their QBs.
If Rodgers manages to stay healthy, there’s a case to be made that his Jets are the Chiefs’ biggest threat in the AFC.
9. Green Bay Packers (9)
The Pack joined in on the “let’s extend our star QB party” by handing Jordan Love a new four-year deal worth $220 million.
There’s no reason to think that 2023 was lightning in a bottle. Love is the real deal, and he will only improve with his young receivers — to say nothing about Josh Jacobs’ arrival.
The Pack are legitimate contenders in the NFC. Tell your friends and your neighbors. The Jordan Love Show will be even better than what we saw in 2023.
8. Cleveland Browns (8)
The Browns’ faithful got a big sigh of relief when Amari Cooper ended his holdout by agreeing to a restructured deal. The band is still together, and now it’s time for the Browns to deliver on a big playoff run.
It all comes down to how Deshaun Watson will play after two uneven seasons to begin his career. If this team could get to the playoffs with Joe Flacco, they could easily win a Super Bowl if Watson could just be three-quarters as good as the player we saw in Houston.
7. Cincinnati Bengals (6)
The Bengals could never finalize a deal with Tee Higgins, so he’ll play 2024 under the franchise tag before likely heading to free agency.
That’s a bummer for Bengals fans, but the focus for this football team is strictly on 2024. If Joe Burrow is healthy, his Bengals are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. If he’s not healthy, their season will be flushed down the toilet. Pure and simple.
6. Houston Texans (7)
If Houston won 10 games and a playoff contest last year…imagine what they can do with Stefon Diggs, Joe Mixon, Danielle Hunter, and Denico Autry now joining the party.
CJ Stroud had a historic rookie year. With Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell headlining his arsenal of weapons, there’s no telling how much scarier these Texans can be in 2024.
5. Baltimore Ravens (5)
The Ravens are coming off their first AFC title game appearance in the Lamar Jackson era. Now, John Harbaugh and company have two-time rushing champion Derrick Henry to try and get this club over the hump.
As always, Baltimore will be in the mix with a healthy Jackson. The Ravens get a chance to make a real statement when they open their season with a road contest against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL kickoff game.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (4)
The Eagles look locked in and focused after a miserable second-half collapse last year. Newcomers Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and the return of CJ Gardner-Johnson should help Jalen Hurts’ squad reassert themselves as a clear Super Bowl front-runner.
3. San Francisco 49ers (2)
The Brandon Aiyuk situation forces us to drop the 49ers one spot. They still have the best roster in the NFC, but replacing a borderline top-10 wide receiver in football is easier said than done.
At any rate, the 49ers still have Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle on offense… To say nothing of the Nick Bosa-led defense that should re-emerge as a top-tier group after an off year in 2023.
2. Detroit Lions (2)
What an offseason it’s been in Detroit. They bolstered their secondary by landing promising rookie Terrion Arnold and ex-Buc Carlton Davis III and locked up Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Penei Sewell long-term.
The Lions were a couple of plays away from reaching their first Super Bowl last year. For the first time in their history, the Lions enter a season with Super Bowl-or-bust expectations.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1)
No reason to move the defending champs outside of the top spot here. They’re laser-focused on another Super Bowl repeat, and we advise non-Chiefs fans to avoid looking at the Patrick Mahomes-Xavier Worthy training camp highlight packages.
Just saying. The champs got even better with the additions of Worthy and Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown. Someone is gonna have to beat the Chiefs for them to be removed from the top spot that they’re all too used to owning.
