The first week of the NFL preseason is in the books, and we're ready to crown this year's Super Bowl champions.
Okay, we're not quite ready to do that, but it's great to have football officially back, and we have plenty of fun and interesting storylines to react to from all around the league.
We're going to take a brand-new look at all 32 teams in the NFL in this week's updated NFL Power Rankings, doing our best to keep a level head and remember that we are watching preseason football, after all. But that doesn't mean there was nothing to learn, and we have plenty of actual football to react to.
Who were the biggest risers and fallers in this week's NFL Power Rankings after everything that went down in the first week of the preseason?
2026 NFL Power Rankings after Preseason Week 1
32. Cleveland Browns
Last week's ranking: 32
The quarterback position for the Browns continues to cast a dark cloud over anything else this team has going on. The good news for the Browns is they have an exciting young core being built. We'll see how Shedeur Sanders looks behind that revamped offensive line in Week 2 of the preseason, because if he can operate the offense at even a remotely competent level, he should be starting this season over Deshaun Watson.
31. Arizona Cardinals
Last week's ranking: 31
It was already shaping up to be a tough year for the Arizona Cardinals in 2026, and then we found out that stud rookie 2nd-round pick Chase Bisontis would be missing the season with a knee injury. Not only that, but now Jeremiyah Love is dealing with a high-ankle sprain, and the start of his rookie season is now up in the air.
Overall, the Cardinals' operation still feels very much in the infancy stages of still coming together, and the margin for error is virtually non-existent. Depleting the talent on top of that is a recipe for disaster.
30. Miami Dolphins
Last week's ranking: 30
It's still very early, but it looks like the Dolphins are definitely going to be featuring rookie receiver Caleb Douglas this season. That could be really exciting for Dolphins fans, and you have to take everything in the preseason with a grain of salt, but the offense was impressive on a long opening drive touchdown.
Malik Willis looks ready to make the most of his opportunity. Even going against mostly backups for the Commanders, the signs were positive for Miami.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week's ranking: 29
The debut of rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza has sent a huge jolt of excitement into the entire Raiders' fan base. Understandably so. Not to be overshadowed was the touchdown drive led by Kirk Cousins, and the Raiders' offensive operation looked solid early on.
The roster isn't quite there defensively, but if the offense is largely playing mistake-free football, it's easy to see this team setting a much higher floor in 2026 than expected. But the big story was obviously Mendoza, and he looks like the real deal.
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