FPC NFL Power Rankings: Post-Draft 2022 Edition

See where your team stacks up in the FPC post-draft NFL Power Ranking.

It’s true what they say; roster management never really stops in the NFL. But with both free agency and the draft in our rearview mirror, the major team-building mechanisms of the offseason have come and gone. As such, we can now comfortably project what each of the 32 NFL teams will look like when they eventually play meaningful football in September. While there are some decent veteran free agents still on the market, none of them will swing the fortunes of any team.

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So, to get a sense of how teams will stack up in the 2022 NFL season, let’s complete a post-draft power ranking of all 32 franchises.

1. Los Angeles Rams

Barring a Florida Marlin-esque tear-down after a championship, the defending Super Bowl champs should always enter the next season as the team to beat. In the case of the Rams, they’re bringing back most of the major components of their Vince Lombardi trophy-hoisting squad, including Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, and Jalen Ramsey. Los Angeles was able to replace the departed Robert Woods with Allen Robinson to maintain their offensive firepower. They’ll have to replace the retired Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, and they lost Von Miller in free agency. But we know that general manager Les Snead will do what it takes to supplement his roster mid-season for the stretch run.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

During that brief span when Tom Brady was supposedly retiring, Tampa Bay was thought to be entering a transition period where they were no longer true contenders. Now that Brady is back in the fold, the Buccaneers are once again all-systems-go towards a Super Bowl championship in 2022. This is still a talent-laden team on both sides of the ball, and one that very nearly defeated the champion Rams in the divisional round last year.

3. Buffalo Bills

Speaking of teams coming off heartbreakingly narrow losses in the divisional round, the Bills certainly qualify with their brutal overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last year. Buffalo was the only team last season to finish top-five in both scoring offense and scoring defense, and they return all of their important talent from both sides of the ball. Throw in their splashy signing of Von Miller, and it’s clear the Bills are loading for a Super Bowl run.

4. Los Angeles Chargers

You may think this is too high to rank a team that didn’t even make the playoffs last season, but the Chargers are an incredibly talented, ascendant team with a superstar quarterback ready to take the NFL by storm (no pun intended). They still have a question mark at right tackle, but every other area of their roster contains elite talent. Los Angeles spent this offseason bringing in high-end players like Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson to make 2022 a special year for the Bolts.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

The loss of star receiver Tyreek Hill bumps the Chiefs down to the fifth spot from the very tippy top of the league. Still, the combination of head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes will make Kansas City a force to be reckoned with. The rest of this roster isn’t anything to sneeze at, either. Tight end Travis Kelce remains as Mahomes’ favorite target, and the offensive line will be strength once again. They also have a young, talented defense led by veteran star Chris Jones.

6. Denver Broncos

For the last few season, the Broncos have boasted one of the NFL’s better overall rosters. The catch, however, was that sub-par quarterback play had always diminished their true potential. This year, though, that all changes. Denver finally addressed their quarterback position by trading with the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson. The nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII champion gives Denver star power at quarterback they haven’t had since Peyton Manning. The Broncos’ main challenge this season will be getting out of what should be a hyper-competitive AFC West.

7. Baltimore Ravens

An injury-ravaged 2021 kept Baltimore out of the playoffs last year, but don’t let that make you forget what this team is capable of when fully healthy. The Ravens were top-10 in scoring offense and defense in both 2020 and 2019. Expect Lamar Jackson to return to near-MVP form, and their defense to rebound from an uncharacteristically poor season.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals may have been unlikely Super Bowl participants last season, but this year they won’t take anyone by surprise. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase have already established themselves as the best young quarterback-receiver duo in the NFL. That alone gives Cincinnati a pretty high floor, but their impressive cache of secondary weapons and a revamped offensive line could make their offense nearly unstoppable. Oh, and their gritty, well-coached defense keeps them in every game.

9. Green Bay Packers

After Davante Adams’ departure, it’s impossible to predict Green Bay being just as good as they were last year. But we shouldn’t overreact and predict a precipitous downfall, either. Any team with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback has to be taken seriously, and the Packers have quietly constructed one of the best overall rosters in football. Their receiving corps is the one major question mark, but Rodgers is a good enough chef to make chicken salad out of chicken, well, you know what.

10. Dallas Cowboys

Much like the Packers, the Cowboys are another team that probably got a little worse this offseason, but remain good enough to be heavy favorites in their division. Losing Amari Cooper to the salary cap’s corrosive ways will certainly hurt Dallas’ passing attack, but the likes of CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup still provide a strong receiving corps. As long as their young, talented defense can build off their impressive 2021 season, this team should have no problem waltzing into the playoffs.

11. Las Vegas Raiders

It would be a special type of frustration to be an above average NFL team, while still being the worst team in your own division. Unfortunately for Raiders fans, that’s a reality they may have to face. For all the improvements Las Vegas made after making the playoffs last year, they still project as the fourth-best team in the AFC West. Raiders fans shouldn’t despair too much, though, as the NFL’s new playoff format allows for all four teams from one division to reach the postseason. With the additions of Davante Adams on offense and Chandler Jones on defense, don’t put it past the Silver and Black to make some real noise this year.

12. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers would be a higher in this ranking if wasn’t for uncertainty at their quarterback position. Common sense would dictate that second-year man Trey Lance will take over as the starter, given that San Francisco spent oodles of draft capital to move up and take him third-overall just two years ago. But veteran Jimmy Garoppolo is still on this roster, and provides this team with pretty high floor, even if he also brings a lower than preferable ceiling. Lance, on the other hand, is completely unproven, and could experience some growing pains as a first-time starter. Regardless of which direction they go under center, the 49ers have the roster and coaching to be contenders.

13. Cleveland Browns

Speaking of teams with uncertain quarterback situations, the Browns figure to be one the AFC’s best if and when Deshaun Watson suits up for them this season. Watson likely faces a suspension stemming from his ongoing civil lawsuits alleging sexual assaults of massage therapists. How many games he’ll be forced to miss will go a long way towards determining how competitive Cleveland will be. They have the win-now roster ready to roll as soon as he’s back on the field.

14. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have been searching for their answer at quarterback ever since Andrew Luck suddenly retired before the 2019 season. While Matt Ryan certainly isn’t their long-term solution, he should provide their best quarterback play in four years. Combine Ryan’s veteran acumen with a potent running game and a sturdy defense, and Indianapolis should be AFC South favorites.

15. Arizona Cardinals

The clock is ticking for the Kliff and Kyler era in the desert. Arizona can’t afford to experience another late-season collapse like they have the last couple of years. Perhaps this season they should be more concerned about starting slow, as star receiver DeAndre Hopkins will be suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. This is still a team with plenty of good players, but Kyler Murray will have to put together a full year of high-end play for them to reach their potential.

16. New England Patriots

It’s hard to imagine a Bill Belichick team being below average, so this is as low as one can reasonably rank the Patriots. They certainly lack star power, and it’s difficult to see how they’ll produce explosive offensive plays. But their offensive line remains a strength, and some growth from second-year quarterback Mac Jones should be expected. At the very least, New England should be a tough, physical, efficient team that nobody wants to play.

17. Minnesota Vikings

Kirk Cousins and the Vikings once again check in as a firmly middle-of-the-pack outfit. Will be they compete for a playoff spot? Sure. Will they compete for a championship? Most unlikely. We’ll see if new head coach Kevin O’Connell, formerly the Rams’ offensive coordinator, can breath new life into a talented offense that includes stars Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook. We’ll also see if their defense suffers for no longer having Mike Zimmer mastermind that side of the ball.

18. Tennessee Titans

How does last season’s number-one seed in the AFC appear this far down the list? Firstly, this team wasn’t nearly as good as their record indicated last year. Secondly, trading away star receiver A.J. Brown will do no favors for their embattled quarterback Ryan Tannehill coming off a disappointing playoff showing. It’s foolhardy to expect rookie Treylon Burks to fill Brown’s shoes, and sooner or later Derrick Henry won’t be able to sustain his remarkable volume and production. This team is still solid, but it’s hard to imagine the upside here.

19. New Orleans Saints

No matter your opinion of the Saints this upcoming season, the Saints’ opinion of themselves is probably higher. New Orleans continues to mortgage their future (they traded away their 2023 first-round pick) in order to assemble talent for the here and now. They certainly have a talented overall roster, but counting on Jameis Winston at quarterback is a risky proposition. The Saints will almost certainly be in the hunt come December, so the hope is the notoriously streaky Winston can get hot at the right time.

20. Philadelphia Eagles

Like the Saints, the Eagles are accumulating talent around an unproven quarterback. Jalen Hurts has the opportunity to establish himself as Philadelphia’s franchise signal caller this year, and he’ll have the offensive line, receiving corps, and running game to support him. The draft-day trade for A.J. Brown could make the Eagles’ offense explosive if Hurts takes the next step as a passer. If he doesn’t, they’ll be a talented but inconsistent team that hangs around the fringes of the playoff picture.

21. Miami Dolphins

It appears we’ve reached the “solid roster, question mark at quarterback” tier of our power rankings. 2020 sixth-overall pick Tua Tagovailoa is under pressure to make the proverbial “leap” this season. Miami’s hiring of former 49ers’ offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and trading for Tyreek Hill will certainly help with that, not to mention signing left tackle Terron Armstead in free agency. Ultimately, though, Tua’s individual development will dictate the Dolphins’ success.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers

It might be disrespectful to Mike Tomlin and the culture he’s developed in Pittsburgh to rank the Steelers outside the top 20. But with Mitch Trubisky or rookie Kenny Pickett battling to be their starting quarterback, it’s difficult to see how this offense could be anything other than sub-par. Their defense led by T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick will keep them in most games, but scoring points could be a year-long struggle for Pittsburgh.

23. Washington Commanders

New name, new uniforms, new quarterback. Carson Wentz will step in as the signal caller for a new era of Washington football, but things on the field might not be much better than they’ve been. Wentz is certainly an upgrade over their quarterback play the last couple seasons, but it’s doubtful he’ll be enough of one to make real noise in the NFC.

24. New York Giants

Daniel Jones enters the final year of his rookie contract with one more chance to prove himself. The idea is that new head coach Brian Daboll can take the blueprint for success he used with Josh Allen in Buffalo and apply it to Jones in New York. If he can, and if the likes of Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay can actually stay healthy, then Big Blue could see a major bump in offensive production. This is still a thin, unproven roster, so New York’s ceiling isn’t much better than mediocre.

25. New York Jets

The Jets have gone through their painful rebuild, and are now hoping to finally take some steps towards competitive football. The most important of those steps must be taken by second-year quarterback Zach Wilson, who has to shake off a poor rookie season and validate his second-overall draft status. New York has done a good job of contructing a solid if unspectacular roster around Wilson, so it’s up to the young gunslinger to get this green machine going.

26. Carolina Panthers

We’ve reached the portion of our ranking where finding something nice to say won’t be easy. Carolina won’t start making positive strides until they’ve sorted out their mess of a quarterback situation. It’s looking like it’ll be Sam Darnold under center for one more year before resetting at the position next offseason. But hey, the Panthers do have bright young defensive players like Brian Burns, Jaycee Horn, and Jeremy Chinn. Plus, Christian McCaffrey is still an elite running back when healthy.

27. Detroit Lions

The bad news: Jared Goff will account for a $31.15 million cap hit while being a well below-average starting quarterback. The good news: Detroit is quietly assembling one of the NFL’s best young offensive lines, and just drafted a foundational defensive player in Aidan Hutchinson. This should be the Lions’ last true rebuilding year.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville just drafted a project defensive end first-overall, and went on a bewildering free-agent spending spree in which they overpaid for a number of average players. On the bright side, if new head coach Doug Pederson can get second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence to become the generational passer he was hyped to be, then the Jaguars will succeed despite themselves.

29. Chicago Bears

If Justin Fields develops into a good starting quarterback this season, it’ll certainly be through merit. The Bears have given the second-year quarterback precious little support, as they sport one of the league’s worst offensive lines and receiving corps. Even their defense should take a step back after the departure of Khalil Mack.

30. Seattle Seahawks

Whenever you swap out Russell Wilson for Drew Lock at quarterback, it doesn’t do great things for your preseason buzz. A decaying roster after years of poor drafting doesn’t help much either. A degree of respect for Pete Carroll and his history of winning keeps this team from dead last.

31. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons finally initiated their long-needed rebuild by trading away Matt Ryan this offseason. Marcus Mariota will likely be nothing more than a placeholder while Atlanta loses a bunch of games and vies for the opportunity to draft Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud.

32. Houston Texans

Even though Houston projects to be awful, Texans fans can exhale now that they’ve moved past the Deshaun Watson drama. Davis Mills will have a chance to prove himself as Houston’s franchise quarterback this season. If he doesn’t, the Texans should be in prime position to draft their next franchise quarterback next April.

– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.