2017 NFL Power Rankings: Where do Los Angeles Rams stand heading into Week 1 preseason?

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HBO’s Hard Knocks summed it up best in their debut episode of the season by discussing how expectations are extremely high for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after all of the key additions made during the offseason. For a team that was already on the rise after finishing 9-7 during the 2016 season, the Buccaneers look ready to make the big leap by becoming one of the top contenders to beat not just in the division, but the entire NFC.

Jameis Winston deserves plenty of credit for the way he’s taken on the leadership role for Tampa Bay in such a short period of time, and it’s already paying off big time when looking at how well the offense performed last year. Of course, Winston having a big-body receiver like Mike Evans to rely on makes a huge difference for the quarterback since the former first-round pick seems capable of catching any pass thrown in his direction.

However, the main difference Winston is going to experience when compared to a year ago is the addition of a deep threat in DeSean Jackson. The Buccaneers lacked that dangerous wideout to rely on for deep balls last season, but with Jackson being one of the best in the game, that most likely won’t be an issue anymore for Winston and company.