A Tipping of Power? Ranking the NFL Divisions Post NFL Draft
The NFL offseason has brought some of the biggest changes to the league to date. We have seen everything from All-Pros and Pro Bowlers moving around, to teams opening the check book to polish off their Super Bowl contending squad or just to make a push to shoot for .500.
1) AFC West
To start this list off, I have the AFC West making a little jump to the top spot in the rankings. However, I do not think this will come too much of a surprise to many. The Chiefs have been the bright spot of this division for a few years now and the major thing they did was replace Tyreek Hill with another young star in Juju Smith-Schuster. The other three teams in the division however are what cause this rise to the top of the division hierarchy. The Chargers had the best offseason by far with their major signings of Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson to pair with some strong resignings and a top tier draft. The Raiders and Broncos made outstanding additions to their teams in the positions they needed most to complete their teams.
2) AFC North
This may come to the surprise of people but the success for most of the teams in this division is something people should get used to, and for the teams that underperformed a little, after the offseason and draft they have put themselves in a great position to succeed both now and in the future. The reigning Super Bowl runner-up Bengals finally pulled the trigger and brought in some much needed offensive lineman including star La’el Collins. The Ravens look to build on their success through having the strongest draft this year and one of the best drafts in the history of the league. The Browns made a strong start with a very controversial signing of star Deshaun Watson in hopes that a QB of his talent will be the push they need to finally have that breakthrough season and make it out of the division. To finish the division, the Steelers had a solid offseason with adding to needed positions across the board, topping it all off with drafting their hopeful QB of the future Kenny Pickett.
3) NFC West
This division is a very top heavy division carried by their two playoff teams while the other two teams stayed somewhat stagnant if not went backwards looking to rebuild which is why the division took a tumble in my power rankings. Last year’s Super Bowl Champions had a perfect offseason for a team looking to go back-to-back. They had great success with signing star veterans like Allen Robison and Bobby Wagner as well as adding great depth through the draft. The Cardinals had a rather lackluster offseason with their biggest move being resigning James Conner and trading for Marquise Brown on draft night. The 49ers made no huge offseason changes other than the expected start of sophomore QB Trey Lance in hopes that he can be the push they need to make it out of the NFC and top their division rival and reigning world champions. The Seahawks are the first team in the article that I can say really just went backwards this offseason. They parted ways with Russell Wilson for nothing great in return, and followed by getting talented players in the draft but it seems to me this team is going for a rebuild this next few years.
4) AFC East
This is a division that a think could make its way to the second or third spot in division rankings. The teams here had both great offseasons and drafts and while a lot of their new players and rookies need to prove themselves, this division can as a whole can most definitely surprise some people this year. The Bills already had a great team led by top QB Josh Allen, and the Bills gave him a gift by going out and signing some major additions to the defensive side of the ball with guys like Von Miller and Shaq Lawson. The Patriots added to their already solid team on both sides of the ball. Having a solid draft to fill out position needs and signing some great players gives them a bright look at the future and what this season holds. The Jets are a team that needed a lot of help at the end of this season, and they found exactly that with a spectacular draft. They paired that with a great offseason signing some guys that are going to come in and be immediate contributors. This is a dark horse team that could really surprise this division. Finally, the Dolphins made one of the biggest moves in the offseason acquiring Tyreek Hill. They hope he can be the guy that gives Tua Tagovailoa the weapons to really make some noise and make a playoff push this year and get back on the right track.
5) NFC North
This is a division that I would say I am higher on than others are. It’s been a relatively mediocre division this last year but I think that is something that could change here soon. To start, I absolutely love the Lions and what Dan Campbell has done, especially this offseason. They resigned some key keys and also brought in a good young wide receiver in D.J. Chark. Pairing that with a top tier draft class getting great defensive players on all fronts and backing it up with finishing the offensive skill players with top receiver Jameson Williams. The Bears are a team that tried their best to improve this offseason and while they may have slightly, I just don’t see anything to impressive coming from them. I am not huge on Justin Fields and they have not put a star around him to really help him out at all. Moving to the Packers, they have had honestly a very disappointing offseason. All they really did was lose guys with them signing elsewhere and had a okay draft class. The team was already a really great squad so I am not too concerned, and as always you can never count out Aaron Rodgers so I think they will be just fine. I will finish the division with the team I ultimately come out on top, the Vikings. This is a really good football team that made some very big additions with guys like Za’Darius Smith from the division rival Packers. Beefing up the defense to add to an already really strong offense, I truly think the biggest thing for this teams outcome is if Dalvin Cook can stay healthy.
6) AFC South
Next on my list is a division that I am very hopeful for but for a different reason than others may think. To start, the Texans did not make a very big mark with signing free agents, however what gives me hope is this years draft class. They bring in yet another good group of young guys to build around and I think they are a few good defensive pieces away from really turning the franchise around. Now without saying too much on the Jaguars making a terrible first overall pick, I do feel the same about them as I do the Texans, just in a slightly better place. They have gotten some great young talent on both sides of the ball and they top it off with Trevor Lawrence who despite struggles in year one, I am still very certain he will turn out to be first pick worthy. Next on the list are the Titans, a team coming off the number one seed in the AFC with a disappointing finish in the playoffs. Although this did not come of too much of a surprise to me. I like the team and they obviously have some studs, but trading a proven star in A.J. Brown for a rookie version of himself is just not something I would say is beneficial for the team. To finish the division we have what I would call the favorite Colts. Already having a very good team they were able to get some talented players to add depth to the roster and bringing in veteran QB Matt Ryan could be just what this team needs to make a deep playoff run.
7) NFC South
Starting here, these last two divisions are where I draw a fine line between teams with the next two being on the wrong side of the line. The Buccaneers are a team that is just two years off of hoisting up the Lombardi trophy and are the main contributor to why this division is not last. They are a team filled with talent and will certainly see the playoffs again this year with the help of Father Time. A team I am more excited about than others are is the Saints. I think this is a team that can really shock some people this season. Jameis Winston will steer the ship this season and with the return of Michael Thomas and new addition Chris Olave, I think this offense is poised to prove people wrong and win games. On the other hand, the Panthers and Falcons are two teams that are already counted out for this season. The Falcons as a whole are just full on rebuild trying to work there way through this season and get to the next offseason. The Panthers have a little hope with guys like D.J. Moore and Christian Mccaffrey, but their health is the most important factor for this season alongside the aspect of Sam Darnolds play and if he can turn himself into the minimum of a serviceable QB.
8) NFC East
The NFC East being ranked last is something sure to get a reaction from the fans of the division but the truth can hurt. While I think this is a division with talent, the thing putting it in the last spot is that I do not see a true Super Bowl contender here as all other divisions have at least one in my eyes. To start, the Cowboys lost a lot of key contributors in the offseason to a team that should be so good, but just continues to be wildly mediocre. They will look to rally from yet another disappointing season and it is most definitely possible with all the young talent they have, but their destiny rests in their hands (which I am not too confident about) and over the last decade that has not panned out well for the franchise. Making a big move in free agency, the Commanders went out and got themselves a quarterback. It was a pretty controversial move as he has struggled to find his grove the past year but it is a QB that I like in Carson Wentz. They have put some talent around him on offense, a group I would argue his most talented to date so if the defense can continue to play at a high level. It is a toss up between them and the Eagles for me to win the division. The Eagles are a team that has improved drastically over the last few years and has created a roster full of talent. Trading for A.J. Brown during the draft was a phenomenal move and gave Jalen Hurts that final piece to be great. Now this team’s success relies entirely on Hurts production, but I am confident in the youngster and think the team is in good hands. To round if this division and our rankings are the Giants. This is just a bad football team to put it simply. The had a really strong draft and are pairing them talented players like Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay, but overall the team is just lacking talent in a lot of spaces. That is also besides the fact that Daniel Jones really just has not panned out well. I have hopes for him still as he has shown flashes but nothing enough to show bright promise for the future.