With the draft behind us, we now look at how all 32 teams stack up against one another in our latest 2022 NFL Power Rankings
It’s easily been the craziest offseason in recent memory as Tom Brady retired, only to return in a matter of weeks. There were also several other star quarterbacks who switched teams with Russell Wilson heading to the Denver Broncos, Deshaun Watson joining the Cleveland Browns, and Matt Ryan landing with the Indianapolis Colts
Then, there was the 2022 NFL Draft which was loaded with talent at wide receiver as well as on the edge. Teams loaded up at those positions and ignored the quarterback spot for the most part as Kenny Pickett ended up being the only signal-caller taken in Round 1.
With all that dust settled, we now take another look at how every team stands in our latest 2022 NFL Power Rankings.
AFC South has two teams at the bottom of the 2022 NFL Power Rankings
32. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans had two picks in the first round and two more early in the second. They added several talented players including Derek Stingley and Jogn Metchie who could be long-term starters. However, they did reach for Stingley at No. 3 as well as for Jalen Pitre at 37.
That’s not the real reason they fell to 32, however. That would be due to Davis Mills still being the starter under center. Despite many superior options being available, Houston stuck with Mills. They also decided to hire Lovie Smith who has yet to prove he can be an NFL head coach — even though he had two previous shots at the job.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
Once again, the Jacksonville jaguars owned the No. 1 pick in the draft and after taking Trevor Lawrence in 2021, they went with Travon Walker this season. Walker is a talented edge rusher but it was interesting to see him climb so high.
The Jags should still be better than they were a year ago, but they overpaid for a lot of their free-agent acquisitions and won’t be much better.
30. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears were right to move on from Matt Nagy but going with Matt Eberflus seemed a bit questionable. That’s not meant as a knock on Eberflus but with Justin Fields struggling as a rookie, he could have used a coach who knows how to get the most out of a young quarterback — and Eberflus is known more for his defensive mind.
Still, they could have overcome this if they added more help around Fields, which they didn’t. They lost Allen Robinson and in the draft, their top receiving addition was Velus Jones from Tennessee who they added in Round 3.
Throw in the fact that Luke Getsy hasn’t been an offensive coordinator before and there could be a lot of growing pains in Chicago this season.
29. Atlanta Falcons
After failing to land Deshaun Watson, the Atlanta Falcons ended up trading away Matt Ryan who is arguably the best quarterback they have ever had. Ryan is nearing the end of his career but with him out, they’re clearly entering a rebuilding phase.
Right now, they have Marcus Mariota under center and while they did add Drake London in the draft, they’re still very thin at wideout. They did end up with Desmond Ridder who could develop into a starter but at this point, 2022 seems to be a lost season for them as they’re trying to build for the future.
28. New York Giants
One team that did well in the offseason was the New York Giants. They realized Joe Judge wasn’t the right fit at head coach and replaced him with Brian Daboll — who brought in a great defensive coordinator in Wink Martindale.
They also did a great job in the 2022 NFL Draft. With two picks in the top-10, the Giants were able to add Oregon EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux with the fifth overall pick and Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 7. They slightly reached for Wan’Dale Robinson but he should still be a solid piece of their offense.
One issue remaining for the Giants is Daniel Jones under center. He’s been trending in the wrong direction and New York declined the fifth year of his rookie deal, making this a huge season for him.
27. Seattle Seahawks
Trading Russell Wilson has been a possibility for years and the Seattle Seahawks finally pulled the trigger. They ended up with several draft picks and used the first, No. 9 overall in 2022, on left tackle Charles Cross. They still have two more Round 1 picks which could be used to find their next starting quarterback down the road.
While that should be encouraging, it means nothing for 2022 and doesn’t help the fact that they have a battle between Drew Lock and Geno Smith coming up for camp. That’s a battle where the real loser could be those who root for Seattle.
26. Detroit Lions
With the No. 2 overall pick, the Detroit Lions took Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan ‚— and he just felt like a Dan Campbell pick. Hutchinson should be able to bolster the defensive line and will also be joined by Josh Paschal from Kentucky who they took in Round 2.
As for their second pick in the opening round, Detroit traded up from No. 32 in order to secure Jameson Williams at No. 12. That pick could end up being huge since they need a No. 1 wideout and once healthy, he could be the best from this loaded class.
In 2021, Detroit was close in a lot of games and the additions they made in the draft could end up helping them secure many more of those close games.
25. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers added Ikem Ekwonu with their first pick in the draft which was a huge move for them. They have been needing help at left tackle for years and they finally landed someone to lock that position down for the next decade.
Later in the draft, they added Matt Corral from Ole Miss. Corral could end up pushing Sam Darnold who has yet to prove he deserves to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He’s also the reason Carolina is so low in the rankings.
They have talent on both sides of the ball including a couple of explosive receivers in D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson. The problem continues to be under center and until that’s solved, they will struggle.
24. Washington Commanders
Adding Jahan Dotson and Phidarian Mathis in the draft will help the Washington Commanders but they also made a move that was a little confusing before that. Washington, who was in need of a new quarterback, went out and traded for Carson Wentz.
Now, there was a time when Wentz was one of the better young quarterbacks in the game but right now, he’s a guy who is going on his third team in as many years. He has the talent but clearly can’t win over a locker room and while he could help them improve, he’s shown time and again that he shouldn’t be counted on in the clutch.
23. New York Jets
The New York Jets didn’t have a pick in Rounds 5-7 this year but they were on fire with every selection they made in the first four rounds. They loaded up on talent with three day one picks including Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Jermaine Johnson.
They also have Breece Hall who could end up being the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
All those additions have the Jets climbing up the ranks. They still are in the low 20s though since Zach Wilson has to prove he can take his next step as the leader of the offense. As a rookie, he flashed his potential but struggled with turnovers. With Hall and Wilson joining the offense, he’s going to be out of excuses really quick.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers
Only one quarterback was taken in Round 1, which was Kenny Pickett who will leave the Pittsburgh Panthers to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a smart move for the Steelers who were set to enter the season with Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph as their quarterbacks.
Trubisky was added in the offseason after spending a year in Buffalo and is looking to revive his career after failing to live up to his draft status with the Chicago Bears. He could still be the starter but adding Pickett gives him competition and could end up pushing both to be even better.
Outside of the quarterback situation, the Steelers continue to have a talented team. Their defense is still going to be their strength and Najee Harris will likely have to carry the offense. But they play in a brutal division and could struggle early on trying to replace Ben Roethlisberger.
21. Minnesota Vikings
Mike Zimmer might be gone but the Minnesota Vikings are still going after defensive backs. They added Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth, Jr. who are both great picks — and it was the right direction to go.
Minnesota has a lot of talent on offense with Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and Dalvin Cook. But they can’t be in a shootout every week, which is why it was so important for them to bolster the defense.
20. Arizona Cardinals
The final remaining undefeated team from 2021 was the Arizona Cardinals but after suffering a loss to Green Bay, they completely fell apart. They were 7-0 but after that, they went 4-6 and struggled to get anything going.
Then in the offseason, they had a lot of drama with quarterback Kyler Murray who is apparently unhappy with his contract. While that could be an issue for them, it might be even worse that they’ll be without DeAndre Hopkins for six games after he was hit with a PED suspension.
Arizona has been improving throughout the past three seasons but this year feels like they’re headed in the wrong direction.
19. Indianapolis Colts
There’s a belief that the Indianapolis Colts vastly improved by adding Matt Ryan in the offseason. Is it true that he can be better than Carson Wentz? Yes. But is he still the same player who won the 2016 NFL MVP? Not even close.
Ryan has still put up some good numbers in his career and he will be able to lean heavily on Jonathan Taylor, but he’s going to be in the same conference as some elite players such as Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson.
Indianapolis will be one of the teams vying for a playoff spot but they’re not legit contenders.
18. New Orleans Saints
Re-signing Jameis Winston was a solid move for the New Orleans Saints but they also tried to go after Deshaun Watson — which means they might not be 100 percent sold on him. He was 5-2 last season as the starter but that was with Sean Payton, who has since retired. Winston will also be trying to recover from a torn ACL.
They do have Andy Dalton, which should finally end the Taysom Hill experiment at quarterback. New Orleans did also finally add some receiving help in Chris Olave and if Michael Thomas can get healthy, they could end up having much more success in the passing game.
Having said all that, they will be moving on from Payton while Winston gets his legs back under him. They might not start out the season as strong as they finish it.
17. New England Patriots
Mac Jones proved to be a great pick last season for the New England Patriots. He wasn’t overwhelming, but he did everything he was supposed to do and got them into the playoffs.
Looking ahead to 2022, it’s hard to get too exciting about this team even with the growth they showed in 2021. New England seemed to reach for every draft pick and while many other teams in the AFC improved, they stayed pretty much the same.
16. Miami Dolphins
After firing Brian Flores, the Miami Dolphins made a solid hire with Mike McDaniel. His experience in the Shanahan-style offense will help Miami turn things around on the ground. They’re also hopeful that the passing attack can take off with Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson joining Jaylen Waddle in the receiving corps.
The problem is, they still don’t have a quarterback capable of consistently hitting the deep ball which is where Hill and Waddle excel. Tua Tagovailoa has had his share of good moments but overall, he’s been inconsistent and struggled to stay healthy. Perhaps he takes a huge step forward in a new system, but until we see it, this offense is a lot of firepower that still has a major question.
15. Philadelphia Eagles
A lot of praise was heaped on the Philadelphia Eagles for their work in the 2022 NFL Draft but should that be the case? They had three picks in Round 1 and walked away with Jordan Davis — a great nose tackle who has questions about effort and conditioning.
They did also land A.J. Brown but it cost them the 18th pick which was used on Treylon Burks. While Brown is a good receiver, he’s trying to get $20 million-plus per season whereas Burks brings a lot of the same skill without a huge price tag.
They’re doing all they can to build around Jalen Hurts but in a draft that was deep at skill positions, they missed a chance at getting a lot of young, affordable talent.
14. Las Vegas Raiders
Josh McDaniels is getting another shot as a head coach and he’s back in the AFC West— this time with the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s still a gamble for them after the way he wore out his welcome so quickly in Denver and spurned the Colts when given that position.
Still, he’s a great offensive mind and Derek Carr is a good enough quarterback to lead a contending team. He will also have Davante Adams to work with. Having said all that, they’re the No. 4 team in the toughest division in the NFL and hardly added anything outside of Adams. It might be hard for them to keep up.
13. Cleveland Browns
Deshaun Watson ended up shocking the world as he joined the Cleveland Browns after sitting out the 2021 season. With him in town, Cleveland finally has an unquestioned franchise quarterback. They also have a legit No. 1 receiver in Amari Cooper to go along with a great running game.
The problem is, they’re thin at defensive end, have no proven starters at defensive tackle, and outside of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the linebackers are underwhelming. Throw in a potential suspension looming over the head of Watson and this season could be tougher than Browns fans hope.
Having said all that, they’ll be a team in the mix for a playoff spot as long as they can tread water without Watson — should the suspension come in 2022.
12. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans made a solid move when they turned A.J. Brown into Treylon Burks during the draft. Brown was trying to get a massive deal worth north of $20 million and the Titans were unwilling to pay it. Instead, they landed a wideout with many of the same traits and will save a ton of money in the process.
They also landed Malik Willis in the third round, giving them the most athletic quarterback in the draft. Willis needs to refine his passing and if he can, he might end up pushing Ryan Tannehill for a job somewhere down the line.
Last season, Tennessee was the No. 1 seed and while they should still be a playoff team, it doesn’t seem likely they will be a top-10 team once again.
11. Dallas Cowboys
Losing Amari Cooper, Cedrick Wilson, and Randy Gregory in the same offseason is going to sting. Even with those losses, the Dallas Cowboys should be the best team in the NFC East once again.
Dak Prescott continues to prove he’s a top-tier quarterback — even if the criticism around him is insanely high — and they have a solid running game as well with Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott.
On defense, they retained Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker which was huge. Dante Fowler and Sam Williams are there as well to try and replace Gregory on the EDGE and while their defense might not be as good in 2022, they should still win at least 10 games and be a playoff team. Until they make noise in the playoffs though, there will continue to be doubters. And rightfully so.
10. Baltimore Ravens
2021 was a season to forget for the Baltimore Ravens, who had some terrible luck. They lost one running back after another to a season-ending injury and then even saw Lamar Jackson go down for a stretch. Tyler Huntley proved to be a solid backup but having their franchise quarterback banged up proved to be too much to overcome.
Another issue for Baltimore was the offensive line. While health should take care of itself with time, they did add Tyler Linderbaum and Daniel Faalale in the draft to bolster the line. They also landed Kyle Hamilton, giving them the best safety in the class.
David Ojabo was another steal but will likely sit out the season due to an Achilles tear. In all, the Ravens added several starters to an already deep roster and should be contenders in the AFC North once again.
9. San Francisco 49ers
There are suddenly reports that the San Francisco 49ers have been “constantly underwhelmed” by quarterback Trey Lance, which could be why they didn’t seem to be trying hard to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo. With the veteran still under contract, the 49ers remain a competitive team, one that was a couple of defensive stops away from making the Super Bowl last season.
San Francisco’s defense remains strong and any team with Kyle Shanahan as the coach is going to be dominant on the ground. That’s why they remain such a good team even with the concerns about the quarterback spot beyond this season.
8. Denver Broncos
Another team that went all-in on a quarterback this offseason was the Denver Broncos. They ended up bringing in Russell Wilson, who ironically beat them in the Super Bowl following the 2013 season.
Wilson has a lot of talent around him in Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Javonte Williams, and Melvin Gordon. On defense, they also have Patrick Surtain, Bradley Chubb, and Randy Gregory.
This is a team that suddenly could make a lot of noise. The only issue that could slow them down is the fact that they play in a tough division where three teams made the top-10 in these 2022 NFL Power Rankings.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
Speaking of the Broncos division, the Los Angeles Chargers are up next and they look like a team ready to break out. Justin Herbert has become one of the best quarterbacks in the game and they were able to lock up Mike Williams for the next several seasons.
They also added Zion Johnson in the draft to bolster the O-line and brought in Isaiah Spiller who can be a great complementary back for Austin Ekeler.
On defense, they got better too with the addition of Khalil Mack. Putting him and Joey Bosa on the same line could be what gets this team over the hump.
6. Green Bay Packers
This was an interesting offseason for the Green Bay Packers who nearly lost Aaron Rodgers. Again.
While they did convince him to stay, they wound up losing Davante Adams who they traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. They did try and replace him in the draft with Christian Watson from North Dakota State, but this comes after adding Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt in Round 1.
Green Bay’s front office continues to prioritize defense in the draft and as long as they have Aaron Rodgers under center, this isn’t a bad plan. He’s capable of moving the ball with just about anyone and keeping the opposing team from turning games into a shootout is how they keep winning so many games under Matt LaFleur.
5. Kansas City Chiefs
It’s not often a team could lose a talent such as Tyreek Hill but somehow still look just as good on paper. The Kansas City Chiefs elected not to pay Hill the massive contract he wanted and sent him to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a major draft haul. They then stocked up on defense with Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis in Round 1.
The Chiefs then landed Skyy Moore in the second round, giving them another extremely talented receiver who can stretch the defense. Throw in free-agent signee JuJu Smith-Schuster and this offense can still be very dangerous.
Tom Brady keeps Bucs relevant in 2022 NFL Power Rankings
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No player means as much to their team’s success as Tom Brady does to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They had one of the longest playoff droughts before Brady got there but then won a Super Bowl with him. Last season, they were contenders again even though they didn’t win it all.
After the season, Brady announced his retirement which shot the Bucs down the power rankings. But he returned after a few weeks and that means Tampa Bay is again a team to watch in the NFC.
Tampa Bay also bolstered their defensive line with the drafting of Logan Hall which should help them once again be the top team in the NFC South.
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills nearly knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs last season but ended up losing in overtime. While many fans were upset that the coin toss decided the game, the Bills handled it the right way — focusing on the fact that their defense surrendered enough yards in 13 seconds for Harrison Butker to kick a tying field goal.
That’s why they added Von Miller in free agency and Kaiir Elam in the draft. The extra defensive help should be enough to help them keep from putting everything on Allen’s shoulders.
They remain the favorites in the AFC East but the additions are what could help them beyond that.
2. Cincinnati Bengals top AFC teams in 2022 NFL Power Rankings
In 2020, the Cincinnati Bengals took Joe Burrow first overall in the draft and while they struggled during his rookie season, he already looked the part. Then in 2021, the Bengals added Ja’Marr Chase, giving him his favorite target from his LSU days to work with.
Cincy took some heat for passing on Penei Sewell since their offensive line was so bad, and Burrow was coming off a torn ACL. The criticism was even worse while Chase was struggling in the preseason.
But then the real games began and Chase went off. He was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as he and Burrow continued to be on the same page. They also both got hotter as the season went on and rode their impressive streak all the way to the Super Bowl. They lost to the Los Angeles Rams but nearly pulled it off as Chase had beaten Jalen Ramsey but Burrow couldn’t get the final pass off in time.
In an effort to fix their line, the Bengals signed Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, and La’eL Collins — completely revamping Burrow’s bodyguards. Then in the draft, they picked up a potentially elite safety in Daxton Hill from Michigan and also added Zachary Carter in the third round to bolster their defensive line.
Those additions should keep them on top of their division once again — and prevent them from being a one-year wonder.
Los Angeles Rams remain No. 1 in 2022 NFL Power Rankings
1. Los Angeles Rams
No team in the NFL makes trades the way the Los Angeles Rams do. They continue to trade their premium picks for proven NFL talent and it continues to work. They’ve added centerpieces such as Jalen Ramsey via trade and then in 2021, they went after Matthew Stafford.
Adding the former No. 1 pick from Georgia proved to be the missing piece as Sean McVay finally got over the hump. Stafford wound up with 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns and Cooper Kupp had one of the best seasons ever by an NFL receiver.
Kupp ended up with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those two will be back in 2022 and that means the L.A. offense will continue to be a powerhouse. They might even be better since they added Allen Robinson, who is an upgrade over Robert Woods — and maybe even Odell Beckham, Jr. who they added late in the year.
Von Miller, another late addition in 2021, headed to Buffalo but Aaron Donald is still there and he’s the leader of this defense.
Los Angeles enters this season as the defending champions and that means they’re the No. 1 team — and will be until someone can knock them off.
Overall, the NFC isn’t nearly as top-heavy as the AFC but that should help the Rams lock up a playoff spot early as they look to defend their title in 2022.