2017 NFL Power Rankings: Where do Los Angeles Rams stand during OTAs?

With organized team activities officially underway for the Los Angeles Rams, let’s take a look at where they currently stand in the 2017 NFL Power Rankings.

The Los Angeles Rams may not rank high in the 2017 NFL Power Rankings at the moment, but depending on how the first year under Sean McVay as head coach goes, there’s a good chance they could eventually end up higher than they were at the end of last season. For now, it’s time to see where the Rams stack up against the other 31 teams in the NFL now that OTAs are officially underway for everyone.

Los Angeles took a huge risk this offseason by making McVay the youngest head coach in NFL history, and based off early indications, it looks like the offense is going to be in much better shape than it was a year ago. Of course, whether that happens will fall heavily on the shoulders of second-year quarterback Jared Goff, who will be working with an improved offensive line along with a stronger receiving corps thanks to key moves made during free agency and the draft.

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However, the Rams have unfortunately been dealing with a little bit of drama so far during OTAs when it comes to Aaron Donald and Trumaine Johnson that will hopefully be resolved sooner rather than later since it seems to be related to each of their contract situations. But until then, let’s take a look at the latest NFL Power Rankings to see where Los Angeles currently stands.

32. Chicago Bears

Just like the Los Angeles Rams, the 2016 season was filled with plenty of struggles for the Chicago Bears, especially at the quarterback position. Parting ways with Jay Cutler was no easy decision, but at least the Bears were smart enough to realize this was the necessary move to improve off of last year’s three-win season.

With that being said, Chicago could end up having one of the most interesting quarterback battles heading into training camp between Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky. The Bears made a big move in free agency by signing Glennon to a hefty deal, but moving up one spot in the recent draft to land Trubisky came as quite the surprise to the fan base since they already seemed to be set at quarterback.

Obviously, Chicago wouldn’t have used such a high draft pick on Trubisky if they didn’t have any intention of making him the quarterback of the future. The organization can say whatever they want about Glennon being the starter heading into Week 1, but this situation has happened on numerous occasions in the NFL where a guy like Trubisky emerges out of nowhere to win the job.

31. New York Jets

Speaking of teams with questions at the quarterback position, nobody really knows what to expect from the New York Jets at this point in the offseason since the starting job seems to be wide open. Early signs point to veteran Josh McCown entering Week 1 as the starter, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Jets consider giving Christian Hackenberg or Bryce Petty a chance to prove themselves to see if either have any potential.

Then again, whomever does end up calling the shots under center could have quite the work cut out after New York made the decision to part ways with Brandon Marshall during the offseason. The duo of Eric Decker and Quincy Enunwa certainly has the chance to work wonders, but it’s going to be tough to replace someone like Marshall after seeing what he brought to the table each week.

As for the defensive side of the football, give the Jets credit for parting ways with Darrelle Revis after seeing how ineffective he was during the 2016 season. But as big of a story moving on from Revis was, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the defensive side of the football after drafting Jamal Adams, especially after New York was recently able to send Calvin Pryor to the Cleveland Browns.

30. San Francisco 49ers

Believe it or not, the Los Angeles Rams were the only team the San Francisco 49ers managed to defeat during the 2016 season, and they found a way to do it twice. Luckily for the 49ers, upper management realized the Chip Kelly was a horrible idea after parting ways with the former head coach after just one season, and they were able to land an offensive genius in Kyle Shanahan after the Super Bowl came to an end.

At the moment, San Francisco is projected to finish at the bottom of the NFC West, but this could easily turn into one of those teams that ends up surprising a lot of people during the 2017 season. Between landing one of the top free agents at wide receiver in Pierre Garcon to drafting two of the top defensive stars this year’s draft had to offer in Solomon Thomas and Reuben Foster, the 49ers are certainly moving in the right direction when it comes to bouncing back from two wins last year.

With Colin Kaepernick officially out of the picture, San Francisco will turn to veteran Brian Hoyer to run the offense, and while he may not be the long-term answer at quarterback, the team wouldn’t have brought him on board if they didn’t feel confident in him improving the offense. Plus, when looking at how successful Shanahan has been with quarterbacks over the years, Hoyer seems to be in good hands.

29. Cleveland Browns

Don’t look now, but the Cleveland Browns seem to have been making all of the right moves over the last few months to finally get moving in the right direction. It was one thing to see the Browns land one of the most sought-after free agents in Kevin Zeitler to help boost the offensive line, but the team was considered a big winner in this year’s NFL Draft by ending up with three valuable picks in the first round.

Myles Garrett going No. 1 wasn’t really that much of a surprise since Cleveland seemed to make it clear for months that’s who they intended on selecting all along, but it was the later picks in the first round that could end up being steals. While the Browns hope to see Jabrill Peppers make an immediate impact on the defense, the team also hopes to see David Njoku emerge as a reliable target in the red zone.

Of course, who will be the quarterback using Njoku in the passing game remains to be seen since Cleveland has a few different options to choose from, which is a sentence nobody ever expected to say. Cody Kessler may be the favorite at the moment, but based off how DeShone Kizer has looked so far over the last few weeks, don’t be surprised if the rookie makes a strong push for the starting job.

28. Los Angeles Rams

After making the bold decision to make Sean McVay the youngest head coach in NFL history this offseason, the top priority for the Los Angeles Rams this offseason became building the offense around Jared Goff to help the former No. 1 pick reach his true potential in 2017. Only time will tell when it comes to whether these key moves will pay off, but it’s hard not to like the direction the Rams seem to be heading with McVay calling the shots.

For starters, Los Angeles hopes the signing of Robert Woods will turn out to be one of the biggest steals in free agency, but that may not even be the best addition to the passing game. If there were anything to takeaway from Rams workouts over the last few weeks, it would be that Cooper Kupp is already showing the potential to be one of the biggest steals from this year’s draft when seeing the early chemistry he’s developing with Goff.

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Fans shouldn’t be fooled over the fact that Kupp played at a smaller school in Eastern Washington since it’s not everyday a wide receiver manages to catch 428 passes for 6,464 yards with 73 touchdowns in their college career. With these new weapons in place, it’s going to be tough for Goff to find excuses if the struggles carry over to year two under center for Los Angeles.

27. Buffalo Bills

Speaking of quarterbacks looking for more help in the passing game, the verdict is still out on whether Tyrod Taylor is the long-term answer for the Buffalo Bills at quarterback, but at least they were able to get him to agree on restructuring his contract this offseason. Otherwise, there’s a good chance the Bills would have just moved on from Taylor to save the money instead of giving him another chance to prove himself as the starter.

It’s not like Taylor has been all that bad over the last two years in Buffalo since his numbers appear to be average for a quarterback, but when looking at the level of competition in the AFC East, the Bills will need to be more explosive on offense. There’s no question Taylor has shown potential when it comes to being one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league, but there’s only so much one individual can do on their own.

Obviously, the presence of a talented running back like LeSean McCoy certainly helps take some of the pressure off Taylor, but unless someone like Sammy Watkins steps it up in the passing game, it’s going to be difficult for Buffalo to be contenders in the AFC. On another note, at least the Bills were able to trade up in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft to land what they hope turns into a valuable pick at wide receiver in Zay Jones.

26. Los Angeles Chargers

From a record standpoint, it’s easy to see why there was so much frustration surrounding the Los Angeles Chargers in 2016, but at least the team has plenty of reasons to feel excited about what could be in store this upcoming season. While Melvin Gordon bounced back after a disappointing rookie campaign by looking like one of the most dangerous running backs in the league, Joey Bosa seems like he could eventually become one of the top defensive stars in the league if his rookie campaign is any indication of what to expect.

Injuries have been one of the main factors behind Los Angeles failing to live up to expectations over the last two seasons, but hopefully all of that will change once the 2017 season officially gets underway. Sadly, Philip Rivers isn’t getting any younger, and the Chargers realize they may only have a few good years left in the veteran before eventually having to go through the rebuilding phase with a new quarterback.

Los Angeles was thrilled to see Mike Williams fall to them at No. 7 in the recent NFL Draft, but there seems to be a high level of concern over the time he’s missed these last few weeks due to injury. There’s a reason why the former Clemson standout was considered one of the top wide receivers from this year’s draft class, and here’s to hoping Williams can speed up his recovery in order to make an immediate impact as a rookie.

25. Baltimore Ravens

Thanks to the recent release of Jeremy Maclin by the Kansas City Chiefs, many believe the veteran wideout would make a great fit for the Baltimore Ravens, and it’s easy to see why when looking what Joe Flacco currently has to work with. Even if Maclin is coming off a disappointing 2016 campaign in which he only caught just 44 passes in 12 games, he would easily be an upgrade compared to the current receiving corps of the Ravens.

Losing a deep threat like Steve Smith (retirement) isn’t going to be the easiest adjustment for the Ravens on offense, and while Breshad Perriman has shown potential at times, Flacco still needs additional help in the passing game. Not to mention it came as a major surprise to see Baltimore fail to select a single receiver in this year’s NFL Draft when considering it was one of their top needs heading in.

The good news for the Ravens is even if the offense struggles at times like it did last season, at least the defense should rank near the top of the league once again. Baltimore has established a reputation for always having a stellar defense, and that trend will need to continue if they’re going to have any chance at competing in the AFC for a playoff spot.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars

Blake Bortles realizes he’s on a tight leash this upcoming season as quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and if he continues to struggle, the former first-round pick could be looking for a new home in 2018. Many expected Bortles to elevate his game to a whole new level last year, and considered the Jaguars a potential sleeper in the AFC after the quarterback finished with 35 touchdown passes the year before, but unfortunately that was far from the case.

Most quarterback would love to have the chance to work with a wide receiving duo like Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, so it was tough to feel sorry for Bortles when he was struggling for a majority of the 2016 season. But with a new head coach in Doug Marrone along with the addition of Leonard Fournette in the backfield, Borltes will hopefully begin to look like the elite quarterback Jacksonville has been waiting to see for years.

On paper, a team like the Jaguars would seem worthy of ranking higher on a list like this, but that’s not going to happen until Bortles and company proves themselves. When looking at how competitive the AFC South could be in 2017, Jacksonville better Bortles can bring the best out  of this offense, or it’s going to be another long, frustrating season.

23. Cincinnati Bengals

After an impressive run of five playoff appearances in a row, the Cincinnati Bengals watched that streak come to an end last year thanks to finishing with a disappointing 6-9-1 record. Normally, the Bengals tend to be successful thanks to having one of the top overall teams in the NFL, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to bounce back in 2017 to become serious contenders again.

A.J. Green has been considered one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL ever since joining the league in 2011, and it will be interesting to see how much he benefits from having John Ross lining up in the passing game. Over the years, Green has adjusted to receiving extra coverage from defenders, but now that opponents will have to worry about the whereabouts of Ross as well, the former Georgia standout could be in for his best season to date, assuming he remains healthy.

As far as the other major offensive rookie Cincinnati is excited to see, it will be interesting to see how Joe Mixon fits in a crowded backfield that already consists of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. Keep in mind that Mixon was considered to be first-round talent, and despite his troubled past, the Bengals hope to see it all workout for the best with the once Oklahoma star.

22. Indianapolis Colts

When looking at all of the money invested in Andrew Luck, it’s easy to understand why the Indianapolis Colts quarterback is facing a ton of pressure heading into the 2016 season when it comes to helping his team get back into the playoff picture. What makes the Colts failing to make the playoffs each of the last two seasons even more frustrating to deal with is how winnable the AFC South has been.

Offense has always been the major strength behind the success of Indianapolis over the years, but when looking at how the division may turn out to be one of the toughest in football in 2017, defense could end up being the deciding factor. After using their first three picks in this year’s NFL Draft focusing on the defensive side of the football, give the Colts credit for at least doing their best to move in the right direction, especially with the potential surrounding Malik Hooker at safety.

Based off the end of last season, Indianapolis knows the AFC South isn’t going to be a cakewalk thanks to the emergence of the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans. If they make it a third-straight season without making the postseason, one can only imagine the amount of changes this team will be going through once next offseason is here.

21. New Orleans Saints

How weird has been to see Adrian Peterson suiting up in a New Orleans Saints uniform after the Minnesota Vikings decided to part ways with the veteran running back this offseason? What makes this situation even more bizarre is Peterson will enter the year as the No. 2 running back behind Mark Ingram, unless something happens during training camp.

Of course, one of the main reasons why the Saints were willing to bring Peterson on board was due to the hope he can return to his old dominant form after he was limited to appearing in just three games with the Vikings all of last season. When healthy on top of his game, Peterson has proven to be one of the best running backs in the league, and his age (32) shouldn’t worry New Orleans about the veteran slowing down anytime soon.

Seeing the Saints finish 7-9 each of the last three seasons has been absolutely frustrating to watch since Drew Brees always seems to have the offense ranking near the top of the league. Even with Brandin Cooks no longer in the picture thanks to the offseason trade to the New England Patriots, Brees should have New Orleans in amazing shape once again to give them a fighting chance in the NFC South.

20. Arizona Cardinals

Father Time is quickly catching up with Carson Palmer, as the Arizona Cardinals realize if they have any intention of making a Super Bowl run with their veteran quarterback, they can’t afford to waste much time. One year after falling just shy of reaching the Super Bowl, the Cardinals were considered one of the early favorites to win the NFC during the 2016 season, but the team struggled so much to overcome a poor start, they didn’t even earn a trip to the postseason.

For the sake of Arizona, let’s hope that last year was just a minor fluke, and they have no issues with recovering from turned out to be a very disappointing season. From a talent perspective, there’s every reason to believe the Cardinals will in fact become one of the top contenders in the NFC once again, especially when seeing how much of an impact David Johnson has already made during his first two seasons.

Not only did Johnson manage to record 2,000+ yards from the line of scrimmage during his sophomore season, but he also found the end zone a total of 20 times. And to think Arizona may not have even seen the best of their beloved running back since he’s only going to be 26 at season’s end.

19. Washington Redskins

As bad as it sounds, nobody truly knows what to expect from the Washington Redskins during the 2017 season when considering all of the unnecessary drama surrounding the organization this offseason. And if that wasn’t already frustrating enough, Kirk Cousins lost two of his favorite weapons to work with in DeSean Jackson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Pierre Garcon (San Francisco 49ers) during free agency.

Over the last two years, Cousins has been fortunate enough to play with such a dynamic duo, and even though the signing of Terrelle Pryor makes up for it a little, it’s still not going to be the same. Pryor may have looked impressive at times during his first full season at wide receiver in 2016, but he basically was one of a few reliable options on the Cleveland Browns.

Take all of this into consideration with the fact that Cousins has been unhappy towards the team over not receiving a long-term deal, the Redskins could be a fun team to follow. And to think this was a team that was in position to make the playoffs with a win at home during the regular-season finale last January, only to end up losing to the New York Giants.

18. Carolina Panthers

Last season was filled with plenty of disappointing teams, but it’s tough to top what happened with the Carolina Panthers since most people expected Cam Newton‘s squad to make another run at appearing in the Super Bowl after falling to the Denver Broncos the year before. Instead, the Panthers would only end up winning six games all season while finishing at the bottom of the NFC South with Newton looking like anything but an MVP.

This time around, Carolina hopes to see different results with Christian McCaffrey in the lineup after the Panthers were able to land the former Stanford standout in the first round of this year’s draft. One of the best features about McCaffrey is his ability to be just as dangerous in the slot as the backfield, and Ron Rivera will certainly try to use him as much as possible on the offense from the start.

Based off what the last couple of years have shown, this team will go as far as Newton is willing to take them. To watch his touchdown total drop from 35 in 2016 to 19 last year was beyond frustrating for the Panthers quarterback, and hopefully Newton can return to full strength to help his team become contenders once again in the NFC.

17. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings took a major risk last offseason by surrendering a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Sam Bradford, and if it weren’t for so many injuries on both sides of the football, it would have paid off. After Teddy Bridgewater went down, the Vikings still felt confident enough the team was one reliable quarterback away from being serious Super Bowl contenders, which is why the move for Bradford was made.

All seemed well at first when Minnesota jumped out to a 5-0 start, but watching them end the year with an 8-8 record shows how quickly things went downhill for Mike Zimmer‘s squad. With Bradford hoping to land a hefty new deal at the end of the season, the former No. 1 pick knows what’s at stake heading into the 2017 season when it comes to making sure he produces well enough to possibly convince the Vikings to bring back for another year.

Adrian Peterson may no longer be in the picture, but at least Minnesota will be in good hands with their new duo at running back in Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook. If all goes well, their presence should take some of the pressure off Bradford running the offense.

16. Detroit Lions

Nothing against the Detroit Lions, but Matthew Stafford‘s squad was one of the last teams anyone expected to come out of nowhere to earn a playoff spot in the NFC, especially after their 1-3 start to the season. So to see the Lions work their way up to being one of the best teams in the NFC was simply amazing to watch, and sets the bar high heading into 2017.

Despite how successful Detroit was with earning a playoff spot, it was frustrating to see this team basically hand the NFC North title over to the Green Bay Packers when considering they lost their final three games of the regular season. Playing at home in the postseason could have helped the Lions advance further than they did, but the only thing to do now is use what happened as motivation moving forward.

Stafford has always been the type of quarterback who makes the players around him better, and hopefully the duo of Golden Tate and Marvin Jones can help him get the best from Detroit’s offense. For a team that doesn’t have the best support in the ground game, Stafford is going to need all of the help he can get from his receivers.

15. Miami Dolphins

Just like the Detroit Lions, the Miami Dolphins were another team that managed to earn a spot in the playoffs despite a poor start to the season, but unfortunately their situation was a little different at quarterback. Losing Ryan Tannehill before the end of the regular season was difficult to deal with, and it’s tough not to wonder if his presence would have made a different for the Dolphins in the opening round against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the postseason.

The good news for Miami is despite how last year ended, Tannehill seems to be recovering quite well in the offseason, and assuming he returns to his normal self, the Dolphins should be in good shape to be contenders for the second year in a row. Obviously, it’s not going to be easy playing in the same division as the New England Patriots, but if anyone is going to make it difficult for the defending champions in the AFC East, it’s going to be the Dolphins.

Not only does Miami’s offense have an amazing duo at wideout in Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills, but hopefully Jay Ajayi can build off last year’s sophomore campaign. The Dolphins look quite impressive on paper, but it’s up to them to prove that last year wasn’t a mistake, and they deserve consideration to be in the category of contenders.

14. Philadelphia Eagles

Originally, the Philadelphia Eagles had every intention to rest Carson Wentz during his rookie season, and learn from the sidelines, that is until the Minnesota Vikings called with an offer they couldn’t refuse involving Sam Bradford. Thanks to the trade, Wentz was able to receive some unexpected rookie experience, and even though the Eagles didn’t do the best of jobs with providing him the proper weapons, all of that has changed for the second-year quarterback.

Not only did Philadelphia bring in a reliable deep threat for Wentz to work with in Torrey Smith, but they also landed one of the top players from free agency in Alshon Jeffery. With an upgraded receiving corps, Wentz should feel a lot more comfortable this time around running the Eagles’ offense, especially with a year of experience as a starter under his belt.

As for the defense, this could turn out to be the main difference maker when considering how Philadelphia will face some of the toughest offenses the league has to offer within the division in the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Good thing the Eagles used this year’s draft to bulk up on the defensive side of the football, even if they have to wait a little longer for Sidney Jones to suit up.

13. Denver Broncos

After jumping out to a 6-2 start last season, the Denver Broncos appeared to be a lock to at least earn one of the Wild Card spots in the AFC before going on to lose five of their final eight games, falling short of having the chance to defend their Super Bowl title. With a better offense, the Broncos most likely would have been able to complete their goal of returning to the playoffs, but at least Trevor Siemian will hopefully be able to build off his first season as the starter to improve his game in 2017.

Replacing a future Hall of Fame quarterback like Peyton Manning is basically an impossible task, and Denver knew from the start that Siemian would come nowhere close to matching his style of play. But when looking at the weapons Siemian had to work with in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, the Broncos quarterback should have been able to do a better job from a production standpoint, even without the proper support in the ground game.

While Von Miller should be able to lead this defense to ranking near the top of the league once again, how far this Denver team goes will fall on the shoulders of Siemian running the offense. Playing in the AFC West may be a little more difficult than normal, but the Broncos seem ready for the challenge.

12. Tennessee Titans

Are the Tennessee Titans finally ready to make the jump to not only making a run at the AFC South title, but one of the top teams to beat in the AFC? Falling shy of a playoff berth last year after finishing with a 9-7 record was absolutely frustrating for the Titans, but thanks to a successful free agency period followed by the draft, this team is clearly moving in the right direction.

Marcus Mariota has wasted no time becoming the type of leader Tennessee has desperately been looking for in a quarterback. And thanks to taking advantage of an extra pick in the first round of this year’s draft, the Titans were able to land their quarterback one of the top wide receivers in Corey Davis out of Western Michigan.

Don’t forget how close Tennessee was to winning the AFC South last year if it wasn’t for that tough Week 16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. As painful as falling short of winning the division was for the Titans, this could be the perfect motivation factor to live up to the hype of becoming serious contenders in the AFC, and put an end to their playoff drought that’s been going on since 2008.

11. Kansas City Chiefs

For a team that was already lacking offensive weapons beyond Travis Kelce, it came as a big surprise to see the Kansas City Chiefs recently cut ties with Jeremy Maclin, even if it was understandable from a financial standpoint. Maclin may have been coming off a disappointing 2016 campaign along with having a history of struggling to stay healthy at times, but this was certainly a questionable move by the organization.

Not even Alex Smith saw this move coming, as the quarterback admit the move came as quite the surprise, but at least the Chiefs have what it takes to be contenders once again thanks to their defense. Last year’s performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round is the perfect example of how great this defense truly can be, although it would have been better to see them actually win the game.

Still, Kansas City is going to have quite the work cut out for them this year since winning the AFC West will be much tougher when looking at how competitive the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos are expected to be. But as long as the defense picks up where they left off, and continues to play at an elite level, the Chiefs will be one of the teams to beat in the AFC.

10. Seattle Seahawks

Forget about all of the drama surrounding Richard Sherman from the last couple of weeks because at the end of the day, the veteran cornerback is going to do whatever it takes to make sure the Seattle Seahawks are ready to go in 2017. Even if the defense took a step back last season, there’s a reason why the Seahawks are considered the early favorites to repeat as division champions in the NFC West.

With that being said, Seattle realizes they arguably caught a break last year in the division when looking at all of the struggles surrounding the Arizona Cardinals, and even they know that’s unlikely to happen again. If the Seahawks have any intention of making another playoff run, the offensive line will have to do a better job at protecting their beloved quarterback in Russell Wilson, who dealt with numerous injuries of his own throughout the regular season last year.

It’s amazing to see what Wilson was able to accomplish last year despite all of the injuries he was dealing with, and now that he’s fully healthy, one can only imagine what’s in store heading into Week 1. As long as nothing sets them back injury wise, Seattle could be looking at another playoff appearance for the sixth year in a row.

9. Houston Texans

The Los Angeles Rams will have the opportunity to face the Houston Texans in the middle of November, but who they will end up facing at quarterback remains to be a mystery since Brock Osewiler is no longer in the picture. Give the Texans credit for somehow finding a trade partner in the Cleveland Browns to take on that ridiculous contract from Osweiler, as it was the right decision to move on from the quarterback after one season.

It would be one thing to give Osweiler some benefit of the doubt for adjusting to a new offense, but to see him struggle the way he did by finishing the year with more interceptions than touchdowns during the regular season was beyond frustrating. But once again, the Texans find themselves in the same position from the last few years when it comes to being an elite quarterback away from being serious contenders in the AFC.

Last year’s performance against the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the playoffs shows how great of shape Houston’s defense is in, and they could even bring their game to a whole new level if J.J. Watt returns to his old dominant self. As for who will be calling the shots under center, the next few months could be interesting to see when it comes to whether Tom Savage has what it takes to hang on to the job instead of the Texans throwing Deshaun Watson into the mix right away.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Before the start of free agency, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were already in consideration for being one of the teams expected to make the leap to becoming serious playoff contenders in the NFC after falling just shy of the postseason last year with a 9-7 record. By adding a dangerous deep threat in DeSean Jackson to play alongside one of the toughest wide receivers to defend in Mike Evans, opponents are going to have their hands full when it comes to containing the offense of the Buccaneers.

It’s only taken two seasons for Jameis Winston to prove he’s going to have a bright future in the NFL, and thanks to the moves made by Tampa Bay over the last few months, the former No. 1 pick could be in for his best season yet in 2017. It was one thing to provide him with another toy to work with in Jackson, but the Buccaneers also managed to land one of the most athletic tight ends from this year’s draft in former Alabama star O.J. Howard.

As frustrating as it was to fall short of the postseason last season, the experience will hopefully benefit Tampa Bay from motivation standpoint to come out firing, and make sure that doesn’t happen again. Of course, the most difficult thing the Buccaneers may have to overcome is figuring out a way to overtake the rest of the NFC South when seeing how the division is already squaring up.

7. Oakland Raiders

What a relief it was to see the Oakland Raiders finally put an end to their long playoff drought in 2016 after years of suffering, but it was devastating to see them enter the postseason without Derek Carr after the quarterback suffered a leg injury towards the end of the regular season. The debate will always be out there when it comes to whether the Raiders would have defeated the Houston Texans with Carr at quarterback, but at least the team will still be in good shape heading into 2017.

Based off what the few months have shown, all signs point to Carr returning to his old self to make sure Oakland has what it takes to be one of the teams to beat in the AFC for the second year in a row. Not to mention, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Raiders play with a little extra motivation for their beloved fan base before the team makes the move to Las Vegas.

Losing Latavius Murray to the Minnesota Vikings put Oakland in a tough position at first before they were able to convince Marshawn Lynch to come out of retirement after one year away from football. It may take some time for Lynch to adjust to playing football again, but just imagine how much of a boost the Raiders’ offense could receive if he figure out a way to bring Beast Mode back into the picture.

6. Green Bay Packers

Everybody seemed to have given up on the Green Bay Packers in the middle of the 2016 season when they were sitting at 4-6, but thanks to having one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game in Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy‘s squad pulled off a miraculous run. Watching the Packers win their final six games of the regular season before eventually reaching the NFC Championship against the Atlanta Falcons was simply phenomenal, even if they did fall short of their ultimate goal of the Super Bowl.

At least for Green Bay, Rodgers has always proven to be one of the most competitive quarterbacks in the league, meaning he’s going to be playing with an extra chip on his shoulder to make sure his team is in good position to contend in the NFC. Of course, the main question is going to be whether Rodgers will be able to carry the offense on his shoulders with the support of the ground game still in question.

With all due respect to Ty Montgomery, the debate is still out there when it comes to seeing whether he has what it takes to carry a full workload at running back for an entire season. Montgomery certainly displayed some impressive performances last year, but only time will tell when it comes to seeing whether the Packers would have been better off making a stronger push to keep Eddie Lacy around.

5. Dallas Cowboys

Watching the Dallas Cowboys finish with the best record in the NFC last year after only winning four games the year before was a complete surprise, but gives the team plenty of excitement when it comes to what the future holds. The Cowboys already felt confident in Ezekiel Elliott developing into a top running back, but nobody expected to see him make the type of impact he made as a rookie by leading the NFL in rushing yards.

And if landing a dominant running back in Elliott wasn’t enough for Dallas on offense, the team also landed one of the biggest steals of the 2016 NFL Draft in Dak Prescott, who would eventually go on to prevent Tony Romo from winning the starting job back. If these two stars were able to find this much success as rookies, just imagine what their second year is going to like with the Cowboys’ offense with a year of experience under their belt.

Believe it or not, the Los Angeles Rams will not only face the defending NFC East champions during their first preseason matchup, but in the regular season as well. Expectations are high for the Rams’ defense heading into their first season with Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator, and facing a high-powered offense like the Cowboys in Week 4 will be an early test on where this unit stands.

4. New York Giants

The Dallas Cowboys may have finished on top of the NFC East in 2016, but the only team they struggled to overcome during the regular season (the game against the Philadelphia Eagles doesn’t count) was the New York Giants. Thanks to a defense that performed better than most people expected, the Giants were able to secure one of the Wild Card spots in the NFC, and while the unit seems to have the potential to being one of the best once again, it’s the additions on offense that will be the difference.

Seeing Eli Manning work with two dominant young wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard already gave the quarterback a major advantage compared to other offenses, but the Giants used free agency and the NFL Draft to bring on even more weapons. Not only will Manning benefit from having Brandon Marshall as another option to work with at wideout, but spending a first-round pick on an effective pass-catching tight end in Evan Engram should work wonders.

Fans can say what they want about Marshall, and his troubled past, but the truth is a fresh start with a team like the Giants is just what he needs to get on the right track since the New York Jets turned out to be a hot mess. Plus, Marshall knows his timetable to win a Super Bowl is coming to an end, and switching to the other New York team seems like his best shot at making it happen.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

Just like some of the other players mentioned on this list, Ben Roethlisberger realizes his time as an NFL quarterback may be coming to an end sooner rather than later, but there’s nothing he would love more than to earn one more Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watching the Steelers fall short of earning a trip to the big game last year was tough to witness since the outcome could have been different with a healthier Le’Veon Bell, but at least the team will still be in good shape heading into next year.

Big Ben has proven to be a warrior throughout his career when seeing how many hits he tends to take in the pocket, and as crazy as it sounds, Pittsburgh’s offense could be even more dangerous this time around. Making sure that Bell and Antonio Brown would return for the 2017 season was two of the top priorities surrounding the team this offseason, but there are a few other key factors to keep an eye on.

For starters, the return of Martavis Bryant just gives Roethlisberger another dangerous weapon to work with in the passing game, as the wideout looks to prove he’s ready to turn his career around, and focus on football. Not to mention using one of their draft picks on former USC standout JuJu Smith-Schuster, who caught 20 touchdown passes over the last two seasons, should work wonders for the offense since the rookie finds himself in position to make an immediate impact.

2. Atlanta Falcons

Is it safe to assume the Atlanta Falcons have officially recovered from what took place last February following their epic Super Bowl collapse against the New England Patriots? Sadly, the only way the Falcons will truly be over what went down that night would be to find a way to represent the NFC in this year’s Super Bowl in Minnesota, which is easier said than done.

Thanks to their high-powered offense led by Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Atlanta deserves to be considered one of the early favorites in the NFC. There’s a reason why Ryan was able to take home MVP honors last year when seeing the type of numbers he was able to put together during the regular season and playoffs, but the deciding factor for the Falcons will come down to the young defense.

One of the things that stuck out the most for Atlanta during their loss to New England was how gassed the defense looked late in the game, which sometimes happens to inexperienced players. But if the young unit can learn from what happened last February, and focus on the potential surrounding this team heading into 2017, the Falcons should be just fine.

1. New England Patriots

It’s almost unfair to see how strong of favorites the New England Patriots are to repeat as Super Bowl champions when considering how they figured out a way to get even stronger over the last few months thanks to free agency and the recent NFL Draft. Looking at the weapons Tom Brady already had to work with in Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski was already a major advantage, but throwing Brandin Cooks into the picture will take this offense to a whole new level.

Trading for an unhappy player with the New Orleans Saints in Cooks was a no brainer for the Patriots when looking at the type of impact he’s going to be able to make as a deep threat for Brady in the passing game. What’s even crazier to think about is football fans may not have even seen the best of Cooks yet since he’s only entering his fourth season, and caught 17 touchdown passes over the last two years.

As usual, New England will be considered one of the most hated teams by fans outside of the Boston area when seeing how difficult it’s going to be to contain them in 2017, assuming Brady manages to avoid the Madden curse to stay healthy. Don’t look now, but the Patriots seem determined more than ever to shatter all sorts of records this upcoming season while hoping to repeat as champions once February rolls around.