The story of the battle involved with making this initial 2021 NFL power rankings is still told in whispers around the internet. We sharpened swords, loaded our muskets, and fixed bayonets. However, the rest of the staff wasn’t involved in the making of this list. No, I went rogue on this one and made some necessary changes.
2021 NFL Power Rankings, Tier 4 | Flawed or rebuilding rosters
This is the largest tier. Being in this tier isn’t a death sentence, but a lot must go right for these teams to make the 2021 playoffs.
32) Houston Texans
Even Obi-Wan Kenobi can’t help the Texans in 2021. They end up at the bottom of the rankings, and they earned every single bit of it. The Deshaun Watson situation is complicated at the very least and absolutely disgraceful at its worst. This team needs a complete rebuild, but they can’t get there until they receive clarity on the 20+ sexual assault allegations he currently faces.
31) Detroit Lions
The Lions’ offensive roster is abysmal, which is how they end up at 31 in the 2021 NFL power rankings. Jared Goff isn’t necessarily a bad quarterback, but he cannot elevate the underwhelming group of offensive weapons on the Lions’ roster. They drafted well, and Dan Campbell appears well-liked, even if he is…interesting. This team finally looks like it’s on the upswing.
30) Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars aren’t the focus of Hard Knocks in 2021, but they certainly could have made an entertaining team to follow. Urban Meyer joins the franchise as their next head coach. Tim Tebow comes back from baseball, changes positions to tight end, and gets a roster spot.
They drafted the highest-touted quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck — Trevor Lawrence. However, this team has a long way to go before we can trust they’ll improve to the contender level.
29) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are a mess. We aren’t even sure if Jalen Hurts will win the starting job over Joe Flacco! Actually, the bigger question at this point might be whether they eventually trade for Watson. But even bringing an elite talent like Watson doesn’t make up for the sins of Howie Roseman’s overaggressive roster construction. There are still serious unknowns about the defense, and this receiving corps is young and unproven.
28) New York Jets
Joe Douglas and the Jets might have struck gold when they hired Robert Saleh to be their next head coach. They injected Antivenin and cut the head off the snake that was Adam Gase. They drafted their next franchise quarterback — Zach Wilson — and surrounded him with help. The roster still has a ways to go, but Jets fans finally have something to look forward to for the first time in years.
27) Carolina Panthers
Matt Rhule and Joe Brady are putting a lot of faith in Sam Darnold, who they acquired from the Jets in the offseason. Rhule and Brady hope he has a Ryan Tannehill-level ascension to his game. The team has a few good receivers and arguably the best running back in the NFL.
Their defensive line is young and talented, and they’ve injected a ton of juice into the roster over the past two drafts. Carolina is still rebuilding though, so they land low on our 2021 NFL power rankings.
26) Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are one step short of a full-on rebuild. They still have Matt Ryan at quarterback, which means they’ll compete in games because he still plays at a high level. The offensive skill positions are good already, and the Falcons added Kyle Pitts with the fourth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Arthur Smith also joins the Falcons. His offenses in Tennessee were some of the most efficient in the league over the past two seasons.
25) Pittsburgh Steelers
Las Vegas has too much faith in the Steelers. They know a lot. There’s a reason they have massive casinos and stuff money in their already fat pockets. Yet, they’re wrong thinking the Steelers have a winning season in 2021. This would be Mike Tomlin’s first-ever losing season. Their offensive line has evaporated in a year, their quarterback is overused and over the hill, and they lost valuable members of their secondary to free agency.
24) Las Vegas Raiders
Despite what seems like a roster continuously getting worse on paper, the Raiders have improved their record every season under Jon Gruden. Their defensive line was abhorrent in 2020, so they combatted that by doing absolutely nothing. This roster just seems so confused, especially defensively. Derek Carr is playing the best football of his career, but it might not be enough to compete with the rest of the AFC West.
23) Chicago Bears
The Bears’ rebuild is underway. They still have Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson, and they made moves in the draft to secure their franchise QB. Andy Dalton might start the season as the Bears QB, but Justin Fields will eventually get the nod. Chicago’s offense still doesn’t appear to have the necessary juice to keep up with the rest of the league. That’s why they sit in the bottom third of the 2021 NFL power rankings.
22) Cincinnati Bengals
I almost moved the Bengals down a bit because of recent news that Joe Burrow isn’t looking comfortable in practice, but the season is still close to five weeks away. His current work has been underwhelming, but he has time to progress mentally. The defense doesn’t have a high-end pass rusher or legitimate CB1. This team should battle throughout the season, but they will still struggle to win many games in 2021.
21) New York Giants
Things don’t seem right in New York at the moment. Veteran players are retiring left and right. The team got into a brawl that saw their franchise quarterback at the bottom of the pile. Their offensive coordinator is writing “FIGHT” on his shirts with a Sharpie. Saquon Barkley isn’t on the field, and the Giants aren’t saying when he will be. Still, they have a talented defense that should keep them in games.
20) Denver Broncos
The Broncos have one of the best rosters in the entire league. Their secondary, from top to bottom, might be the most talented group I’ve seen in my adult life. Yet, they also have a bottom-five quarterback at the top of their depth chart. Now, he could improve, and this team would compete for a playoff spot. But it would take an exponential improvement to pull that off.
2021 NFL Power Rankings, Tier 3 | Possible division winners/playoff contenders
There are many hotly contested divisions in the NFL, making these rankings more difficult. This tier is the most competitive of the four, with talent all over the place. The range of outcomes for these 11 franchises is wide-ranging.
19) Indianapolis Colts
The Colts had to drop in the rankings after the news about Carson Wentz’s foot. They dropped even further after Quenton Nelson went down with a similar injury. Losing them for a chunk of the season is a blow to a team that should be competing for the division. The defense has talent, and the offense is versatile. Frank Reich and Chris Ballard could be in hot water if they continue to just tread water at quarterback.
18) Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers, like almost every other offseason in recent history, are the NFL’s darlings. There is a lot of hype surrounding this team and for good reason. They have some great defensive talent. Joey Bosa is one of, if not the best pass rusher in the NFL. Derwin James might be the best safety in the NFL, but he can’t stay on the field.
Justin Herbert and the offense should do their thing. What can Brandon Staley bring to the defense that makes them take the next step and compete in the AFC?
17) New England Patriots
The Patriots are one of the more difficult teams to project heading into 2021. Cam Newton played poorly in 2020, and they faced a multitude of opt-outs on their defense. Still, they finished 7-9 despite bad QB play with no viable receivers. This team could win 10-11 games this season or flounder and finish 6-11. Until we see some live-action, it’ll be tough to tell.
16) Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins only raise one spot in the 2021 NFL power rankings because of the unknown surrounding Xavien Howard. They don’t want to trade him, and he’d rather stay in Miami. But he wants to be the highest-paid cornerback on his own team. Howard finished 2020 with a league-high 10 interceptions. If he plays for the Dolphins in 2021 and Tua progresses with upgraded offensive weapons, this team could surprise people and battle in the division.
15) New Orleans Saints
The Saints swapped spots with the Vikings in the 2021 NFL power rankings, and it’s completely because of Michael Thomas’ surgery. They have no second option. With Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill battling it out at QB, this is a team that could end up winning 12 games or only six. New Orleans’ defense is talented, and Sean Payton is an outstanding offensive mind.
14) Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings allowed their defensive personnel to dissipate over time but made an effort to repair wounds this offseason. They added multiple defenders to the interior and get Danielle Hunter back in 2021. They cut last season’s first-round pick, Jeff Gladney, after his felony domestic violence indictment. Kirk Cousins and this offense should help elevate the team to playoff contention in 2021.
13) Arizona Cardinals
Speaking of uncomfortable rankings, the Arizona Cardinals are the lowest team on the NFC West totem pole. Landing at the 13th spot is an incredible endorsement for the division as a whole. The offense is flush with weapons, and the defense has two impressive pass rushers in J.J. Watt and Chandler Jones (for now). They also have Budda Baker on the back end, although their cornerbacks are a massive question.
12) Washington Football Team
The Football Team might have the most talented defense in the NFL. Like the Broncos, however, they’re held back by their quarterback. They definitely brought life into the offense with Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Yet, Fitzpatrick has never played in a playoff game in his entire career, and he’s rarely been consistent enough to remain a starter for a long timeframe.
11) San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are another Las Vegas darling that we aren’t totally sold on. We’ve seen Kyle Shanahan have success with a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo, but that’s been few and far between. He does have Trey Lance waiting in the wings. The offense should hum along nicely, but the defense is going to be the question. They lose their defensive coordinator to a head-coaching gig with the Jets, and their two best defensive linemen are as injury-prone as Garoppolo.
10) Dallas Cowboys
Ah, America’s Team. Obviously, if Dak Prescott doesn’t get his shoulder right, this team drops significantly in the 2021 NFL power rankings. But if he’s healthy, the Cowboys have the potential to be the most explosive offense in the NFL. The defense is a major concern for Dallas, but they’ve invested a ton of draft capital to that side of the ball. They only have to be a bit below average to win football games.
9) Tennessee Titans
The Julio Jones trade made it easy to prefer the Titans to the Colts. Those feelings have been strengthened by the two major injuries facing the Colts. Still, Tennessee’s young secondary and unproven pass rush holds them out of Tier 2 by a hair. If that young secondary looks good in the preseason, they could slide into the back end of the next tier. Replacing Arthur Smith could be a tall order, though.