If the AFC West has taught us anything, it’s not to make grand predictions during the spring. The Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers all were supposed to be AFC contenders by now, but winning the offseason doesn’t always translate to regular-season victories.
But where’s the fun in squatting on your takes?
For all intents and purposes, NFL free agency is now over. There are some decent players left on the open market, but most impactful free agents were off the board by Friday afternoon. With the dust settled, we put together some post-free agency NFL power rankings.
Post-Free Agency NFL Power Rankings
Spoiler alert: There wasn’t much movement between our post-Super Bowl NFL power rankings and this version. But some teams, like the Atlanta Falcons, saw their stock rise over the last week. Let’s get into it!
32) Washington Commanders
The Commanders’ top signings were Frankie Luvu, Bobby Wagner, and Austin Ekeler. They’ve done a solid job, and Dan Quinn seems to have a clear vision. But this team still has a bad defense, a limited offense, and no quarterback. At least the two teams above Washington can hang their hats on something.
31) Carolina Panthers
Carolina did a solid job by improving its offensive line and trading for Diontae Johnson. Bryce Young actually might have a chance this season. Still, the defense isn’t very good, and the rest of the offense is questionable. This could be another long season.
30) New England Patriots
The Patriots missed out on Calvin Ridley but did a good job of signing their best internal free agents. They still need help at receiver and left tackle, though, and this offseason ultimately will be judged by what New England does with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
For now, Jacoby Brissett appears to be the starter until a rookie is ready. Regardless of who’s under center, this roster just isn’t good enough.
29) New York Giants
The Giants signed quarterback Drew Lock, who probably will back up Daniel Jones but might be good enough to win the starting job. New York also acquired stud pass rusher Brian Burns in a trade with the Carolina Panthers and landed Devin Singletary after Saquon Barkley joined the Eagles.
MORE: NFL QB Rankings 2024
It’s an interesting team, but the quarterback situation is a mess.
28) Tennessee Titans
Can Will Levis play? We’re about to find out. The Titans are giving him every opportunity after signing Ridley and Tony Pollard. However, Tennessee is weak on defense, and head coach Brian Callahan is unproven.
27) Denver Broncos
Jarrett Stidham apparently will be the starting quarterback, which is a scary thought. The Broncos now can begin to move on from the Russell Wilson error, but tough times could lie ahead. Denver has “tank” written all over it.
26) Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders signed quarterback Gardner Minshew II to compete with sophomore Aidan O’Connell. Regardless of who wins the job, they’ll be working with an offense that doesn’t have much after Davante Adams. But the defense, which added Christian Wilkins, is legit.
25) Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals made some solid moves in free agency, including signing cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and tackle Jonah Williams. Arizona still has work to do on offense, but a healthy Kyler Murray gives Arizona a higher ceiling than what we saw in 2023.
24) Minnesota Vikings
With Kirk Cousins now in Atlanta, the Vikings are entering a transitional period. Sure, they still have a high-powered offense featuring Justin Jefferson, but the defense is subpar. Additionally, if the season started today, Sam Darnold would be the starting quarterback. Maybe he’s about to begin a career renaissance, but we doubt it.
23) Pittsburgh Steelers
Hats off to the Steelers for always being good despite being kinda bad. And they might pull it off again this year — Wilson should be a (modest) upgrade at quarterback, and Pittsburgh still has one of the best defenses in football.
22) Chicago Bears
If Caleb Williams can play, the Bears could be dangerous. Chicago signed D’Andre Swift and traded for Keenan Allen. The Bears also landed Gerald Everett and re-signed star corner Jaylon Johnson. Chicago is building an impressive team; now we wait and see what happens at quarterback.
21) New Orleans Saints
The Saints seem to be stuck in NFL purgatory. They’re pretty good, but nobody expects them to do anything special. In that sense, the franchise kind of mirrors its quarterback, Derek Carr. New Orleans needs a shot in the arm.
20) Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons went from NFC doormat to arguably the best team in the NFC South. That’s what signing Cousins and Darnell Mooney will do for you. Trading Desmond Ridder for receiver Rondale Moore also was a sneaky-good move.
19) Indianapolis Colts
So far, it’s been all about retaining the core for Indianapolis. The Colts re-signed Michael Pittman Jr., Grover Stewart, Zaire Franklin, and Kenny Moore II. Indy also signed veteran Joe Flacco to back up Anthony Richardson. The end result is the Colts ranking roughly in the same spot as they were at the end of the season.
18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield is back, as is Mike Evans. At this point, we’ve learned to stop underrating the Buccaneers, even if they probably won’t be Super Bowl contenders. This is a solid roster on both sides of the ball.
17) Los Angeles Chargers
What a weird offseason for the Chargers. Still riding high from the hiring of Jim Harbaugh, Chargers fans got a reality check when the franchise released Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen in a pair of cost-cutting moves.
MORE: NFL Defense Rankings
Mired in salary cap hell, Los Angeles probably can’t do anything major in free agency. Nevertheless, we believe in the talent.
16) New York Jets
The Jets traded for tackle Morgan Moses to solidify the right side of the offensive line. Now, their top offseason need is left tackle, which can be addressed in multiple ways. That said, it feels like a big move still could be on the horizon. Davante Adams trade, anyone?
15) Seattle Seahawks
Seattle didn’t make many notable signings, but it re-signed core internal free agents, like tight end Noah Fant. The Seahawks need to add more firepower on offense, and it’s fair to wonder whether Geno Smith is enough at quarterback. But, they’re solid.
14) Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags’ receiving corps is worse following the departure of Ridley, but Trevor Lawrence still is surrounded by good weapons, including newly signed Gabe Davis. Jacksonville also prioritized bolstering its O-line and adding depth to the defense. The Jags have a lot to prove, but they’re in a good spot.
13) Cleveland Browns
This isn’t even about the Jerry Jeudy trade, which is interesting but might not be that impactful. It’s about the Browns being young and explosive on offense and defense, with Deshaun Watson possibly heading for a major rebound in 2024.
12) Los Angeles Rams
Losing Aaron Donald to retirement hurts, but the Rams still should contend in 2024. The offense was rebuilt more quickly than expected, and the defense is solid. The big question: When will Matthew Stafford hit the proverbial cliff?
11) Green Bay Packers
One of the NFL’s fastest-rising teams signed running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney. Jacobs should be an upgrade over Aaron Jones, who was released, and McKinney addresses a big need at safety. The Packers are trending upward.
10) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles got exposed down the stretch last season, and it wasn’t a fluke. But they also just added Barkley, Bryce Huff, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, among others. Philly’s talent simply is too real to rank this team outside the top 10.
9) Houston Texans
The Texans followed up their surprising playoff berth by being surprisingly aggressive in free agency. They signed defensive end Danielle Hunter, traded for Joe Mixon, and re-signed Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown. Houston is going for it.
8) Miami Dolphins
Regardless of where you stand on Tua Tagovailoa, you can’t deny how much talent the Dolphins have. The offense is unstoppable when it’s clicking, and the addition of Jonnu Smith should lead to more production at tight end.
The defense is a concern following the departures of Christian Wilkins and Xavien Howard, but Miami should win the AFC East.
7) Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are loaded on both sides of the ball. Yes, they lost Tony Pollard to the Titans and linebacker Eric Kendricks is their top free-agent signing, but the Cowboys also didn’t need to do much in free agency. They just need to carry their regular-season success into the playoffs.
6) Buffalo Bills
Don’t be surprised if they slide even further next season. Buffalo released a slew of veterans before free agency and appears to be undergoing a soft roster reset. Josh Allen keeps the ceiling high, but Bills fans have reason to worry about how this team will look in 2024.
5) Cincinnati Bengals
It’s been a weird offseason for the Bengals. They traded Mixon and Tee Higgins just might force his way out of Cincinnati. But the Bengals also added Mike Gesicki to their tight end group and improved their D-line by signing Sheldon Rankins.
KEEP READING: NFL Offense Rankings
For now, assuming Joe Burrow stays healthy, the Bengals remain a top-five team.
4) Detroit Lions
The Lions made some good moves in free agency, including signing Amik Robertson and trading for Carlton Davis III to address their needs at cornerback. Detroit remains loaded on offense and shouldn’t experience any drop-off next season. Still, believe in the Lions at your own risk.
3) Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens lost Patrick Queen in free agency, but they also signed running back Derrick Henry. There’s no reason why Baltimore shouldn’t win a ton of games next season. The only question is whether they’ll choke in the playoffs once again.
2) San Francisco 49ers
You could argue San Francisco has the NFL’s best roster, but the 49ers can’t be ranked any higher than No. 2 until they get over the hump. And, yes, we’re sold on Brock Purdy.
1) Kansas City Chiefs
Was there any doubt? Even in a “down” year, the Chiefs still won their third Super Bowl in five seasons. They weren’t super active in free agency, but they re-signed Chris Jones and landed Hollywood Brown to help boost the offense. They’re the best team in football.
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