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  • Writer's picture-SC
    • Apr 30, 2018
    • 3 min read

Post-Draft NFL Power Rankings & Standings Projections



The 2018 NFL Draft has come to a close, and now it’s time to take a look at where teams stand after signing fresh talent.


AFC:

  1. Patriots

  2. Jaguars

  3. Texans

  4. Chargers

  5. Steelers

  6. Chiefs

  7. Titans

  8. Ravens

  9. Colts

  10. Browns

  11. Dolphins

  12. Broncos

  13. Raiders

  14. Bengals

  15. Jets

  16. Bills

Notes:

  • Removing QB from the equation would make Jacksonville the clear top dog in the AFC, but unfortunately for Blake Bortles and Co., Tom Brady’s greatness is just enough to keep the Pats atop the conference. While I wasn’t a huge fan of drafting Sony Michel in the first round (instead of a defensive player or QB), he will almost certainly contribute in a massive way for the Patriots. I think he’s a perfect fit. Michel’s addition plus the offensive line upgrades make the Patriots even more dangerous on the offensive side of the ball. The defense is still very much in question and is certainly one that the Jaguars can take advantage of (I believe they will when the two teams meet in Week 2), but the Pats offense is enough to make up for its defensive deficiencies.

  • The Chargers will finally make it back to the playoffs. Phillip Rivers has gone his entire career with subpar teams that constantly failed him, but now he has the best team he’s had since 2007, when he carried San Diego to the AFC title game. Los Angeles’ addition of safety Derwin James has filled one of its biggest holes; this Chargers team is a major threat to the Pats and Jags.

  • The Colts are an interesting bunch. They play in the best division in the AFC, where two teams (Jaguars and Texans) have a legitimate shot at reaching the conference title game and a third team (Titans) has a decent chance at reaching the playoffs for the second year in a row. This means the Colts will have a great deal of difficulty making the playoffs, but with their new help on the offensive line and Andrew Luck’s return, the Colts are certainly in playoff contention.

  • Marvin Lewis sucks. Andy Dalton sucks. The Bengals are complete garbage.

NFC:

  1. Rams

  2. Eagles

  3. Vikings

  4. Saints

  5. Falcons

  6. Packers

  7. 49ers

  8. Giants

  9. Panthers

  10. Lions

  11. Redskins

  12. Seahawks

  13. Cowboys

  14. Bears

  15. Cardinals

  16. Buccaneers

Notes:

  • The first thing that jumped out to me when making this list was how absolutely loaded the NFC is. I reject the notion that the AFC is bad, but I 100% accept the fact that the NFC is stacked. From the No. 1 Eagles to the No. 13 Cowboys, every team here has a decent shot at making the playoffs.

  • The defending Super Bowl champions are down at No. 2 after the Rams made significant additions this offseason to an already great team.

  • The Vikings’ signing of Kirk Cousins during free agency was a massive move, but it didn’t really move them up in the power rankings--simply because of how good the NFC is. We saw how effective the Vikings defense was last year, and now with Cousins and the return of Dalvin Cook, Minnesota is a very dangerous team.

  • The Packers had a great draft, as they added two solid cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson--CB was probably their biggest need. Before Cheesehead Nation gets too excited, I would simply caution them by saying that with the Vikings in the NFC North, it’s likely that the Packers will have to contend for a wild-card spot. I believe they’ll get one, but there isn’t a lot of room for error with teams like the Falcons, 49ers, and Giants lurking around them.

  • I was a bit disappointed with what the 49ers did during free agency in that they didn’t make a big addition at WR, but they did make an effort to improve at the position in the draft by adding Washington WR Dante Pettis. As I’m sure you’ve heard on our weekly broadcast, I still wish San Fran signed Allen Robinson this offseason. Overall, the 49ers are certainly in the discussion for one of the two wild-card spots in the NFC. I’m very confident that Jimmy G can carry this team to the playoffs.

  • The Giants’ addition of Saquon Barkley was a tremendous move in the short term. Manning, Barkley, and Odell make for a scary big 3 in the big apple. A lot of people seem to be sleeping on New York after a disappointing season last year, but don’t be surprised if the Giants give Philly a run for their money in the NFC East. (See Tucker’s article on the Giants from February)

Since the power rankings only measure how qualitatively good a particular team is without taking their schedule into account, I decided to pick every game of the 2018 NFL season and see what came out.


Here’s what I got:


AFC:

  1. Jaguars 15-1

  2. Patriots 13-3

  3. Steelers 12-4

  4. Chargers 12-4

  5. Texans 11-5

  6. Chiefs 10-6

—————————————

7. Colts 8-8

8. Ravens 8-8

9. Titans 8-8

10. Browns 7-9


NFC:

  1. Vikings 14-2

  2. Saints 14-2

  3. Rams 13-3

  4. Eagles 12-4

  5. 49ers 13-3

  6. Packers 11-5

—————————————————

7. Falcons 10-6

8. Giants 10-6

9. Lions 7-9

10. Panthers 7-9

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