NFL Preseason Power Rankings: Team Tiers Ahead of Week One

Week 1 of the Preseason is in the books, training camps will be wrapping up across the league, and that means it’s time for my Preseason Power Rankings, setting the stage for the NFL Season.

For this first rankings, I think it’s important to group these teams into tiers. In a numerical rankings process like this, someone has to be number 1 and someone has to finish at number 32. Breaking up the ordering of all 32 teams into tiers gives context into how I actually view them. Two teams can be 7+ spots apart and still fall into the same grouping.

In this exercise, I’ll give a one-liner analysis for each squad explaining their place in the rankings. If you don’t like your team’s spot, let me know about it! Let’s dive in:

TIER 1: THE FAVORITES

1. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The reigning World Champs are primed for a strong title defense, returning a still incredibly deep roster and boasting great continuity in the coaching staff.

2. BALTIMORE RAVENS

The Ravens have assembled a juggernaut, but the only thing that matters is getting over the hump in January.

3. BUFFALO BILLS

Similar to Baltimore, the Bills have the roster to go all the way after bolstering a suspect defense this offseason.

4. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The AFC’s goliath has some chinks in the armor, but this could be the most explosive group of weapons Mahomes has had since Tyreek Hill headed south.

TIER 2: ELITE CONTENDERS

5. GREEN BAY PACKERS

My 2nd ranked team in the NFC heading into the season, the Packers have the horses on both sides of the ball to challenge Philadelphia.

6. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

The Bucs will look to overcome the loss of OC Liam Coen to Jacksonville, and they might just have the talent to make it happen with one of the best OLs and deepest WR rooms in the league.

7. DETROIT LIONS

The Lions are also dealing with the loss of coordinators, and that coupled with a couple important losses on the OL have me a little skittish on their ceiling for 2025.

8. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

Sophomore slump or 2nd-year leap for this young team is the question that will determine how far Washington will go in 2025.

9. LOS ANGELES RAMS

If Stafford is healthy and the defensive front gets even fiercer with young players making the leap, this team is a real contender.

TIER 3: MASSIVE MIDDLE CLASS

10. DENVER BRONCOS

There’s a world where the Broncos finish with a Top 5 defense AND offense in 2025.

11. HOUSTON TEXANS

If the OL can improve to even serviceable this year, this defense and QB (CJ Stroud) will be tough to beat.

12. MINNESOTA VIKINGS

If JJ McCarthy is good, this team could climb WAY up this list.

13. PITTSBURGH STEELERS

If Aaron Rodgers turns back the clock, this team could climb WAY up this list.

14. CINCINNATI BENGALS

If the defense is any good, this team could climb WAY up this list. (Ok, I’m done)

15. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

The Niners were betrayed by the health gods in 2024, but they still boasted the league’s 9th ranked offense by EPA/play, so if the defense can improve under Robert Saleh this season, they could easily be one of the best teams in the NFC.

16. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Losing Rashon Slater for the season is a huge blow, but Joe Alt can move to LT and Justin Herbert is still one of the best QBs on the planet, so the Chargers should be ok.

17. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

This is my sleeper team for 2025 with Liam Coen’s QB-friendly offense hopefully acting as the launch pad for the Trevor Lawrence rocket ship to stardom.

18. DALLAS COWBOYS

A healthy Dak Prescott and an (eventual) end to the contract drama for Micah Parsons should position Dallas as an NFC contender.

19. ATLANTA FALCONS

I believe in this offense, but I have serious questions about the defense, despite HC Raheem Morris and co’s attention to that side of the ball this offseason.

20. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

The skill players on offense, led by the team’s last two 1st Round picks, Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, are as exciting as any group in the league.

TIER 4: COULD BE FRISKY

21. CHICAGO BEARS

This season is all about Caleb Williams for a Bears team that did everything it could this offseason to build an infrastructure to help him succeed, from hiring Ben Johnson as HC to the acquisitions up front on the OL.

22. MIAMI DOLPHINS

With big questions on both sides of the ball, this team may have the biggest gap between their floor and their ceiling of any team in football this season.

23. ARIZONA CARDINALS

I could be way too low on this team when it’s all said and done, as improvement is expected on both sides of the ball for a team building the right way under HC Jonathan Gannon.

24. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

The defense could be Top 5, but the offense is what drags this team down, with a ton of unknowns, ranging from new QB Sam Darnold in a new offense to a completely unproven WR room.

25. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

What can Drake Maye do in year 2 with an actual OL and fair supporting cast around him in 2025?

26. NEW YORK JETS

If the Jets don’t finish as the league’s top rushing offense this season, it’s hard to envision them winning a ton of games vs. a fairly tough schedule, although I expect a slight rebound from the defense this season.

27. CAROLINA PANTHERS

Will we get the sporadic, unbridled version of Bryce Young this season, or the decisive, playmaking version we saw close out 2024?

28. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

I struggle to get behind this team with as many question marks as they have at key spots, not the least of which being the QB situation, with Anthony Richardson’s boom or bust style likely to determine the floor and ceiling of the team this season.

TIER 5: RACE FOR THE 1ST OVERALL PICK

29. NEW YORK GIANTS

The defensive line should be really good, and WR Malik Nabers might win a couple games by himself, but the rest of the roster, including the secondary and OL, don’t inspire a ton of confidence.

30. TENNESSEE TITANS

I love Cam Ward, and I feel pretty good about the supporting cast on offense and defense, but I’m not bullish enough to move the worst team in the league from 2024 too high up the Power Rankings.

31. CLEVELAND BROWNS

This season is a success if either Shedeur Sanders proves to be a franchise-caliber QB, or the team loses enough games to guarantee themselves one of the top passers in 2026.

32. NEW ORLEAN SAINTS

I really don’t see a path for New Orleans to be anywhere close to good this season on either side of the ball, likely leading them to ownership of the 1st pick in the Draft next April.

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