NFL Power Rankings after 2023 NFL Draft: Where do teams lie after new additions for next season?
As the dust settles on the 2023 NFL draft, we can now begin visualizing where the teams stand going into the upcoming season. The teams have addressed their most pressing needs and will now go on with their plans to prepare for the season with a mostly full squad.
So, where do the teams rank after the 2023 NFL draft? Who is still in the rebuilding phase, who is making up the numbers and who are the Super Bowl contenders? We have here the definitve power rankings of all the 32 teams.
Power Rankings after 2023 NFL Draft
#32. Arizona Cardinals, NFC West
The Arizona Cardinals are the weakest team in the NFL at the moment, despite addressing some needs in the draft. Kyler Murray is recovering from an ACL injury and they have lost J.J. Watt on defense. Arguably, they will begin the season in a worse position than they ended last. It could be a long year for new head coach Jonathan Gannon.
#31. Tampa Bay Buccaners, NFC South
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might just be a few years removed from winning the Super Bowl, but they don't have Tom Brady or Rob Gronkowski in the building any more. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are still a positive by we have to wait and see how Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask perform.
#30. Houston Texans, AFC South
The Houston Texans have been almost the worst team in the league for the past two seasons. They did well in the 2023 NFL draft by picking second and third and addressing their needs on both sides of the ball. But there are still many glaring deficiencies and the big question mark is whether C.J. Stroud will be as good as advertised.
#29. Los Angeles Rams, NFC West
The Los Angeles Rams did win a Super Bowl in 2022, but with a lack of draft picks due to the Matthew Stafford trade, they could not rebuild effectively. They've got some solid pieces and this will be a season where they will try to claw back some respectability. But with Stafford and Aaron Donald not getting any younger and Sean McVay's future indeterminate for the long-term, their current position is not enviable.
#28. Las Vegas Raiders, AFC West
The Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Derek Carr and started over with Jimmy Garoppolo. He is a big question mark. However, whether the Raiders can make this season successful or not might depend on the other side of the ball. If their first-round pick, Tyree Wilson, can help Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones to pick up the sack count, they may fare better than the ranking here suggests.
#27. Atlanta Falcons, NFC South
The Atlanta Falcons will go in with Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback. It is safe to say that this is not the strongest quarterback room in the league. The other problem is their defensive front wasn't that great either, but they did get new defenders for pretty much every position in the draft.
But getting new additions to gel immediately at the NFL level might not prove so easy. A lot might fall on the shoulders of first-round pick Bijan Robinson and his running abilities.
#26. Tennessee Titans, AFC South
The Tennessee Titans did add an offensive tackle in the first round and a quarterback in the second round. But Will Levis is not expected to start immediately and Ryan Tannehill might just be holding down his place before the expected handover. The Titans remain a team in transition.
#25. Green Bay Packers, NFC North
The Green Bay Packers have been extremely lucky to have had Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers straight for three decades. Only time will tell if Jordan Love will be their worthy successor. But the Packers chose to use this draft to first build on the defensive side with Lukas Van Ness before giving their new quarterback any weapons. This looks to be a transitory year for Green Bay as well.
#24. Indianapolis Colts, AFC South
The Indianapolis Colts got their new quarterback in Anthony Richardson. If he succeeds, they will be in a much better place. His rushing ability along with Jonathan Taylor in the backfield is a huge positive; the main concerns surround the passing ability of the new quarterback.
#23. Chicago Bears, NFC North
The Chicago Bears had the luxury of not having to look for a quarterback and instead focused on building around Justin Fields. They did that in this draft with a lot of retooling of the offense, but the defense still looks a bit patchy. This could be the season that kickstarts their resurgence, but the playoffs and Super Bowl still seem a bit far away.
#22. Denver Broncos, AFC West
The Denver Broncos are under new management and they did well enough in the draft to add some further offensive weapons. If Sean Payton can revitalize Russell Wilson, they will look better all of a sudden. On the defensive side, though, it remains to be seen if they can keep performing at a high level with changes in personnel and a new defensive coordinator.
#21. Washington Commanders, NFC East
The Washington Commanders addressed their defensive unit by getting a couple of defensive backs in the draft. But their entire outlook will depend on Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett meeting expectations. The team will go as their quarterback does.
#20. Carolina Panthers, NFC South
The Carolina Panthers got their quarterback in Bryce Young. Now, it is up to him to show what he can do. They drafted Jonathan Mingo as well. For the Panthers, it might all come down to how soon they can get their rookies playing at an NFL level.
#19. New England Patriots, AFC East
The New England Patriots are well-stocked in the punting and kicking departments after the draft. But questions remain whether Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe can elevate the offense any more. The departure of Matt Patricia and Bill O'Brien's addition might help there.
#18. New Orleans Saints, NFC South
With Derek Carr their new quarterback and Michael Thomas hopefully leaving his injury woes behind, the Saints should be much better than they were last year. Given their competition in the NFC South, they might be challenging towards the final games of the regular season to get into a playoff spot.
#17. Miami Dolphins, AFC East
The Miami Dolphins never got Tom Brady but lost a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft because of tampering to get him. The big question will be how Vic Fangio can strengthen the defensive output and if Tua can remain healthy as the starting quarterback.
#16. Pittsburgh Steelers, AFC North
The Pittsburgh Steelers addressed pretty much every position from offensive tackle to secondary and they look like a rounded team. If their new players achieve a high output from the beginning, they will be well set. Their success will mainly depend on Kenny Pickett kicking his game to a new level this season.
#15. Minnesota Vikings, NFC North
The Minnesota Vikings topped the NFC North last season. Having 2023 NFL draft first-round pick Jordan Addison to complement Justin Jefferson is great news for Kirk Cousins. Whether they should have started by trying to plug their defense first is up for debate and could again be their achilles heel this season.
#14. Cleveland Browns, AFC North
The Cleveland Browns have built a well-rounded team, but only got to drafting in the third round because their picks had gone the other way (Deshaun Watson trade from Houston). Now much will depend on how well Watson plays and if their draft picks from the later rounds can complement the starters right away.
#13. Detroit Lions, NFC North
The Detroit Lions came within a game of making the playoffs last season. They had a mixed 2023 NFL draft, starting with running backs and tight ends in the upper rounds, but they have strengthened their team in free agency as well. They also got Hendon Hooker to compete with Jared Goff and look like a team that can make the playoffs this year.
#12. Jacksonville Jaguars, AFC South
The Jacksonville Jaguars have their quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and in this draft added Tank Bigsby to aid their running game. If Cam Robinson was not suspended, we would have put them higher in the charts here. Nonetheless, they will be looking to return to the playoffs next season.
#11. New York Giants, NFC East
The New York Giants drafted well, especially getting Jalin Hyatt as a deep threat on offense. They have strengthened across the board and should be back in the mix this season as well. Much will depend on whether Daniel Jones can keep up his best form this season.
#10. Los Angeles Chargers, AFC West
The Los Angeles Chargers strengthened their defensive front seven so that they are not too offensively reliant. But on offense, they have Justin Herbert and have now added the excellent Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator. Quentin Johnston adds further firepower from the draft and they should be looking at a deep run.
#9. Seattle Seahawks, NFC West
The Seattle Seahawks had a ton of picks thanks to the Russell Wilson trade. They invested well with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zach Charbonnet added on offense. Devon Witherspoon will help on defense. If Geno Smith can continue to play like he did last season, they are still a formidable team.
#8. Dallas Cowboys, NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys did well before the draft by adding Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks. They also addressed their defense during the 2023 NFL draft and what this season will come down to is Dak Prescott's form and Mike McCarthy's playcalling abilities.
#7. Baltimore Ravens, AFC North
A few days before the 2023 NFL draft, the picture was looking gloomy for the Ravens. Since then, they have signed Odell Beckham Jr. and threshed out Lamar Jackson's contract. They added Zay Flowers to further give their quarterback the weapons he needs before working on the defense in the next rounds. They should be back in the big time this season.
#6. New York Jets, AFC East
The New York Jets had a top-tier defense last season. They added an edge in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, then spent the next few rounds making their offensive line and running game better. The game-changer is having Aaron Rodgers in the building and they should be competing for the Super Bowl this year.
The #Jets became Super Bowl contenders yesterday. https://t.co/sAYlTzBdMQ
#5. San Francisco 49ers, NFC West
The San Francisco 49ers are in the enviable position of having two young quarterbacks in Brock Purdy and Trey Lance, each of whom is starting quality. They had the best defense last season and it might be the loss of DeMeco Ryans that most unsettles them. If they had their quarterback healthy entering this season, they probably would have been higher on our list.
#4. Buffalo Bills, AFC East
The Buffalo Bills have been very close and yet so far over the last few seasons. But now they have to go again and they still have one of the most talented rosters. They added Dalton Kincaid in the first round to give Josh Allen ever more weapons and will be hoping to break their Lombardi Trophy curse at long last this season.
#3. Cincinnati Bengals, AFC North
The Bengals have an exciting offense led by Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase and focused on strengthening their defense this year. Both Myles Turner and DJ Turner are good picks. If they can protect Joe Burrow on the offensive line, they should be good to make a Super Bowl tilt this year.
#2. Kansas City Chiefs, AFC West
Any team that has Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will always be at or near the top of the table. They strengthened on both sides of the ball, but it the presence of the quarterback and the coach that makes the most difference. Losing Tyreek Hill last season was supposed to make them weaker and yet they won the Super Bowl. This season, they will look to repeat themselves as champions.
#1. Philadelphia Eagles, NFC East
The Philadelphia Eagles and Howie Roseman were the undoubted stars of this draft. They took this draft by the scruff of the neck and focused on improving the defense mainly by taking on two Georgia products in the first round.
“I think a lot of times, the first round sets the tone for the draft. When you get guys everyone in the building is really excited about, sometimes it propels momentum.”
1on1 with Howie Roseman & Jalen Carter plus analysis from @RossTuckerNFL
NBC10 Eagles Draft Special 11:35pm https://t.co/YXFeARv4qL
The national championship winners will add pedigree to the second-best team in the league last season. They also got Jalen Hurts his contract and they look primed to go one better than last season.