NFL power rankings before start of 2025 season
Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles runs for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Nov, 24, 2024 in Inglewood, Calif. Credit: Getty Images/Ronald Martinez
1. EAGLES: Keeping championship teams together is hard and often expensive but the Eagles did a good job maintaining their roster superiority — especially on offense — after a Super Bowl victory. They still have Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley but do they still have the hunger that drove them to last year’s title?
2. BILLS: It’s Super Bowl or bust in Western New York, where winning AFC East titles have become trite and even MVP awards do little to salve playoff burns. Getting the James Cook contract handled this preseason could be the deal that puts them in Santa Clara in February.
3. LIONS: The roster is fine. In fact, it’s better now than at the end of last season with all their defensive stars healthy again. The real question facing Detroit is how much of a loss its two coordinators will be after Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson found head-coaching gigs.
4. RAVENS: If Lamar Jackson feels he was robbed of the MVP award last season and decides to take that out on the rest of the league, then Baltimore has a chance to go very far. While the 28-year-old quarterback still has plenty of time left, the window on the rest of the team could close if they don’t get it done this season.
5. PACKERS: The Packers were going to be very good and then they traded for Micah Parsons. Now they have a real shot at greatness.
6. KANSAS CITY: Any team with Patrick Mahomes is going to be very good, but there are a lot of questions besides the quarterback that make this once invulnerable dynasty feel very precarious. Maybe they have one more run in them. Or maybe they already spent that.
7. COMMANDERS: Respect to the defending champs gets them the top spot a few notches above here, but I can see Washington winning the NFC East . . . and maybe more. Jayden Daniels will be in the MVP conversation.
8. BENGALS: You just look at this team on paper and wonder how anyone can stop them. And then you watch them play on Sunday and they answer that question. If the defense can put up any kind of fight, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase will make the Bengals a dangerous team.
9. CHARGERS: Kansas City has won the AFC West nine straight years but this could finally be the season the Bolts take that crown. For that to happen, Jim Harbaugh’s team will need to be a grimy, physical bunch — adding Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton in the backfeld will help that — then let Justin Herbert finally blossom into the star he has never quite lived up to being.
10. VIKINGS: Minnesota took a leap of faith handing things over to QB J.J. McCarthy without his even playing in a regular-season game as a rookie. Then again, as long as he can get the ball to Justin Jefferson he should be fine. And if it doesn’t work out, they can always trade for Kirk Cousins!
11. BRONCOS: Last year’s No. 3 scoring defense got deeper and Bo Nix now has a year of experience to draw on. Look for Denver to be back in the playoffs.
12. TEXANS: A sophomore swoon for C.J. Stroud and coach DeMeco Ryans after a surprising 2023 . . . but they did win 10 games last year.
13. RAMS: Matthew Stafford’s balky back is worrisome, but if the quarterback stays healthy and creates a quick bond with Davante Adams, L.A. may be title contenders.
14. 49ERS: San Francisco is far less dangerous than it was in recent years but still talented enough to make a playoff run.
15. BUCCANEERS: A lot of folks have the Bucs as their sleeper darling and even a sneaky Super Bowl pick. I’m not buying that.
16. STEELERS: Aaron Rodgers staying healthy for the whole season feels extremely unlikely.
17. SEAHAWKS: The Seahawks “won” the quarterback free-agency frenzy by signing Sam Darnold. Or did they?
18. BEARS: Caleb Williams has a new line and an offensive-minded coach to straighten him out.
19. COWBOYS: Trading away one of the league’s premier defensive players a week before the season starts is a pretty good way to erode what little good vibes still existed in Dallas. An offseason of silly contract drama culminates in the silliest of moves.
20. CARDINALS: This feels like the fifth straight make-or-break year for Kyler Murray and we still don’t know quite what to make of him.
21. FALCONS: Do they yet know what they have in Michael Penix Jr.?
22. PANTHERS: For the first time in three years these Panthers feel like Bryce Young’s team — in a good way.
23. GIANTS: They are a much better team than they have been in recent years but boy oh boy that schedule is a killer.
24. PATRIOTS: Mike Vrabel was a good hire and Drake Maye is a good quarterback but there are too many holes elsewhere on the roster to take the Pats seriously.
25. DOLPHINS: Last year we looked at Miami and thought, "What’s not to like?” This year it’s hard to find anything to admire.
26. JETS: Aaron Glenn is the answer to the Jets’ long-standing woes, but it’ll take some time — and possibly a quarterback other than Justin Fields — for him to straighten things out properly.
27. JAGUARS: Travis Hunter’s snap counts will be more interesting than anything else the Jags produce.
28. RAIDERS: We’ll find out quickly if Pete Carroll’s heart really is in this comeback.
29. COLTS: Any team that sees Daniel Jones as a possible upgrade has more issues than he can solve.
30. BROWNS: Another shamefully wasted season for Myles Garrett, one of the best defensive players of his generation.
31. SAINTS: Derek Carr got out while the getting was good. Arch Manning in 2027!
32. TITANS: Has there ever been less excitement about a team taking a quarterback first overall in the draft?
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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