Post NFL Draft NFL Rankings: Super Bowl Hopefuls, Fun Watches, and Teams that Want to Fast Forward to 2024

May 9, 2023, by Patrick K. Flowers NFL

Offseason? What offseason. It’s been three months since the Chiefs beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl, but there’s been no shortage of drama in the NFL. From the Pro Bowl to the NFL Draft and everything in between, there’s been plenty of change around the NFL. So, we’re going to update our BN NFL Rankings as the real NFL offseason begins.

We have the tiers in the NFL Rankings broken into seven categories this time around:

Super Bowl Contenders: These are the teams that will be primed to make a run at Super Bowl 58 next season.
Super Bowl Contenders, Maybe: These are the teams that have a good, but not great, chance to win the Super Bowl next season.
Things Would Have to Go Very Right: These teams could find themselves in Vegas in February, but a bunch of thing would have to go very right.
They’ll Be Fun: These won’t contend for a Super Bowl, but they’ll be fun to watch.
Not Quite: Yeah, not so much …
Emerging from the Darkness?: Nowhere close to winning, might even be a tough watch, but there’s hope!
Your Super Bowl is in Detroit: See ya in Detroit next April!

Here’s how the BN NFL Rankings work:

It’s up to my discretion how the NFL rankings shake out. Some teams will be hit in the short term. However, others will be given the benefit for the long term. So, yes, it is entirely subjective.
Yes, I watch the games. And yes, I watch your favorite team.
Most importantly, it’s fun. My opinion of your favorite team has no bearing on their success or lack thereof. Unless they do good. In which case, you’re welcome.

So, with all that said, let’s dive into the post-draft Bleacher Nation NFL Rankings:

Super Bowl Contenders

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs may have beaten the Eagles in the Super Bowl three months ago. Still, the Eagles have had a home run offseason, and they look primed for another crack at the Lombardi in 2023.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

As long as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are in Kansas City, the Chiefs are a Super Bowl contender. Especially in an offseason check-in. Period.

Super Bowl Contenders, Maybe

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow has led the Bengals to back-to-back AFC title games and a Super Bowl. Cincinnati had a solid draft, and there’s no reason to think that Joe Cool and the Bengals won’t be back in the mix in 2023.

4. San Francisco 49ers

Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers were a quarterback away from a return to the Super Bowl and a rematch in the big game with the Chiefs. They’ll be dancing again in January with February aspirations.

5. Buffalo Bills

The Bills are an excellent team, and Josh Allen is a star. They failed to meet their Super Bowl expectations last season, but I wouldn’t count them out quite yet.

Things Would Have to Go Very Right

6. New York Jets

The Aaron Rodgers bump is real. The Jets have one of the league’s best defenses, a pissed-off Aaron Rodgers and some intriguing weapons around him. They’re not a slam dunk, but they can make some noise if things go right.

7. Detroit Lions

Many hated the Lions’ draft class. I was not one of them. Detroit did pretty well, and they made some immediate upgrades. Did they sacrifice the long game a bit? Maybe. But they’re also my favorite to win the NFC North this season. So why not take advantage of an NFC in which the Eagles are the only true juggernauts.

8. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are looking good right now. Lamar is locked-up, happy, and healthy. They’ve got a new OC, an improved wide receivers room, and a refreshed feel.

Remember, the Ravens almost beat the Bengals in the Wild Card round with Tyler Huntley under center. They’re dangerous.

9. Miami Dolphins

Miami is as all-in as any team in the NFL right now. If Tua can stay healthy, they have as good a chance as most teams.

10. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys strike me as a team that should be higher on this list. Still, they’ve had an underwhelming offseason and lost their offensive coordinator. There’s still plenty of talent, but we’ll see.

They’ll Be Fun

11. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks had an excellent draft, and they returned Geno Smith and much of the offense from last season. They weren’t ready last year, evident by the beating they took in the playoffs against the 49ers, but that gap has narrowed.

12. New York Giants

Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley are back and the Giants added Jalin Hyatt and Darren Waller to the mix in the passing game. It’ll be fun to see how far Brian Dabol can coach ’em up.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence and the Jags are on the rise and the favorites in the AFC South. They’re even a contender to make some noise in the postseason. I really like what they’ve done in Jacksonville.

14. Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert with more weapons is guaranteed to be fun. Not sure how far they’ll go, but it’ll be fun to watch.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers

I’m not sold on Kenny Pickett yet, but I’m not, not sold on him, and they had an excellent draft last month.

16. Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will be fun to watch. I think the Vikings are due to regress from their 13-win mark last year, however.

17. Cleveland Browns

As much as I hate to say it, Cleveland will be better with a full year of Deshaun Watson under center.

18. Chicago Bears

Ryan Poles has built a solid foundation and given Justin Fields the tools that he needs to succeed on offense. A big year three jump for Fields

19. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are oozing with playmakers and have forged an identity in that they’re just going to run the ball down your throat. Unfortunately for them, no one is sold on Desmond Ridder.

Not Quite

20. New England Patriots

Bill Belichick will surely find a way to make me regret placing them here …

21. Las Vegas Raiders

Jimmy Garoppolo is a slight upgrade over Derek Carr. But the Raiders are going to be very middle-of-the-pack this season.

22. Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love being really good could vault the Packers into the next tier upward. But, of course, Jordan Love has yet to prove that he’s any good. So, for now, it’s a lot of wait-and-see for the Packers.

23. Denver Broncos

Sean Payton can only do so much … Much of Denver’s fortunes will hinge on whether Russell Wilson continues his transformation into a pumpkin, but the defense here is outstanding. So, maybe they surprise. I wouldn’t bet on it, though.

24. New Orleans Saints

Derek Carr wasn’t good enough to win with a similar roster in Vegas. So, I wonder why anyone thinks he will be the savior in NOLA.

25. Washington Commanders

We don’t even know who will own this team when opening day rolls around. They’re all-in on Sam Howell, and they haven’t got much else figured out. Ron Rivera always seems to extract the most out of whatever talent his roster has, but maybe that’s not the best course for the Commanders this season.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Not good enough to compete. Not bad enough to land the top pick in the 2024 draft. The Bucs are in the yucky football purgatory stage.

But hey, at least Bruce Arians is pumped for Baker Mayfield 4.0.

27. Tennessee Titans

Will Levis and Peter Skoronski were solid additions at the top of the draft. However, not much else in Tennessee makes sense, and those two come with their own questions.

Emerging from the Darkness?

28. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have yet to set a timeline for Anthony Richardson to be their starting QB. However, they haven’t ruled out Week 1. The sooner he starts, the sooner the Colts can begin to see if their swing at the high ceiling of Richardson paid off.

29. Carolina Panthers

The Bryce Young era has begun in Carolina. Now they have to figure out the rest. Plenty of questions remain, but there’s reason for optimism in Carolina these days.

30. Houston Texans

The Texans would probably prefer to end up in the final tier of these NFL rankings because they need plenty of help. Still, last month’s NFL Draft has their rebuild heading in the right direction.