12. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals make in into the top-12 of our latest power rankings. Like the Cowboys, the Bengals fielded quite the offense last year when Joe Burrow was healthy, but it was the defense that made consistent winning impossible.
And, as they should have done, the Bengals got a lot better on defense, notably trading for Dexter Lawrence and also signing players like Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook to bolster the defense. It's now a pretty solid unit overall, and hovering around that top-12 mark is on the table.
If that happens, Cincy will be in a good spot and should be able to win double-digit games. Burrow does need to stay healthy, but it's worth banking on if the defense isn't bottom-tier, as that would take a ton of pressure off the offense as a whole.
11. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions went just 2-4 down the stretch in 2025 after a solid 7-4 start, and, like the Bengals, it was the defense that ultimately caused things to go south. The Lions have been dealing with notable injuries on that side of the ball, too, but I guess if you look on the bright side, the Lions didn't need to do anything radical this offseason.
They were a team (and there are many in the NFL), that didn't have a ton of gaping holes that needed to be addressed. What's also interesting is that the Lions went 27-7 in the regular season over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, so this team knows how to win games and should be able to figure something out this season.
10. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore is our No. 10 team. Having hired Minter away from the Chargers, the Ravens are clearly hoping for a Mike Macdonald-type of impact, as Macdonald was once the defensive coordinator of the Ravens, and it seems like Baltimore has been missing his defensive expertise since his departure a couple of seasons ago.
Minter should be able to have the defense playing well, and Lamar Jackson could also simply stay healthy. He has been banged up from time to time, but he's also played healthy seasons. The Ravens started 2025 out with a brutal 1-5 record, and as long as they avoid that, this team should be well-positioned to win the AFC North and earn one of the top four seeds for the playoffs.
They also did nearly win the AFC North last year, but a missed field goal dashed their hopes.
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