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

Dan Parzych

(Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)

Let’s take a look at where the Los Angeles Rams currently stand in the 2017 NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 1 of preseason.

The NFL preseason for Week 1 is officially underway, and with this in mind, that means it’s time to take a look at where the Los Angeles Rams currently sit in the latest round of NFL Power Rankings. After only winning four games all of last season, it’s easy to understand why the Rams would start off preseason near the bottom, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have what it takes to move up over the next few weeks before their first regular-season game against the Indianapolis Colts arrives.

Los Angeles has plenty of new members on board this time around, ranging from new head coach Sean McCvay to a stronger receiving corps consisting of new additions that include players such as Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. Just like last preseason, the Rams will kick things off against the Dallas Cowboys, and even though it’s only an exhibition game, this is still a big test when it comes to where McVay’s squad currently stands after months of spending time learning the head coach’s new system.

After failing to win a single game as a rookie in seven attempts, Jared Goff should have a much easier time running the offense this time around for Los Angeles, after the unit finished at the bottom of the league by only averaging 14 points per game. But more on that later, as it’s time to see where the Rams stand when compared to the other 31 teams by looking at the NFL Power Rankings for Week 1 of preseason.

32. New York Jets

Similar to the Los Angeles Rams, the New York Jets know a thing or two about what it’s like to struggle in the wide receiver department. And for a team that was already desperate for help at the position heading into training camp, the Jets suffered a major blow with the loss of Quincy Enunwa.

Unfortunately, the New York wideout was recently placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury, and will miss the entire season, which is the last news the Jets could afford to deal with. For a team that parted ways with key veteran receivers during the offseason in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, Enunwa expected to have a big year for New York as one of the top targets in the passing game.

As bad as it sounds, the Jets were already predicted to be a team that was only capable of winning a few games during the 2017 season, and with Enunwa out of the picture for the season, who knows what to expect from this team on offense. Not to mention for whatever reason, New York seems to be leaning towards giving the starting job to Josh McCown at quarterback instead of allowing one of their youngsters like Christian Hackenberg or Bryce Petty experience running the offense, which just holds the team back even more.

31. Cleveland Browns

Remember a few months ago when the Cleveland Browns were expected to just release Brock Osweiler since all they really wanted from the Houston Texans was that second-round pick? All of a sudden, Osweiler could end up being the top quarterback for the Browns this year after Hue Jackson listed him as the starter for the first preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.

Obviously, there’s a ton of pressure on Osweiler’s end to succeed in the preseason when looking at the ridiculous contract he’s currently playing under, but the money won’t matter on Cleveland’s end if he finally gives the team a reliable quarterback. Then again, this is the same player who failed to record more touchdowns than interceptions while playing with reliable weapons in Houston a year ago, so it’s going to be an interesting next couple of weeks for Osweiler.

Normally, the Browns enter a new season with low expectations like the year before, but believe it or not, this team finally seems to be moving in the right direction after earning respect for being one of the big winners of the offseason. Along with the changes made on offense, expectations are high for No. 1 pick Myles Garrett wasting no time making an immediate impact for Cleveland’s defense.

30. San Francisco 49ers

Thanks to the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams didn’t finish at the bottom of the NFC West after the team went 2-14 during Chip Kelly‘s only season as head coach. But believe it or not, both of those wins by the 49ers happened to come against the Rams, which in a way is kind of hilarious to think about.

Just like their division rivals, San Francisco is another team that experienced plenty of changes this offseason between the hiring of an offensive mastermind in Kyle Shanahan as head coach to parting ways with Colin Kaepernick to focus on rebuilding the offense. Instead of using a first-round draft pick on a quarterback to potentially build the franchise around, Shanahan decided to bring in veteran Brian Hoyer to run the offense for at least the 2017 season, which seems like a wise move.

Who knows, maybe Hoyer’s experience over the years can help San Francisco’s offense pull off a few surprises this year, especially since he will have a speedy wideout to work with in Pierre Garcon, who joined the team in free agency. But if the 49ers really want to light it up on offense, Carlos Hyde needs to figure out a way to be consistent in the ground game.

29. Chicago Bears

At the moment, all signs point to Mike Glennon being under center for the Chicago Bears once Week 1 rolls around after seeing all of the money spent on the quarterback in free agency, but that doesn’t mean the next few weeks won’t be interesting when it comes to Mitch Trubisky. In what ended up being one of the biggest surprise moves of this year’s NFL Draft, the Bears traded up with the San Francisco 49ers to select the former North Carolina star at No. 2, making it clear they have plans of eventually making him the quarterback of the future.

From Glennon’s perspective, it’s easy to understand any frustration he may be feeling since signing with Chicago finally earned him a starting job, but as long as her performs well enough over the next few weeks, losing that gig shouldn’t be an issue. The Bears wouldn’t have brought Glennon on board if they didn’t think he was the right man for the job, but also history has shown that no starting job in the NFL is ever guaranteed.

No matter who ends up playing at quarterback, at least either player will be in good shape with playing alongside Jordan Howard. The second-year running back came out of nowhere as a rookie last year by finishing second in the league with 1,313 rushing yards, and now it’s up to Howard to prove that wasn’t just a fluke by being one of leaders on Chicago’s offense.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

This time of year is always fun to watch when it comes to players facing the most pressure to produce for their beloved team, and when it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Blake Bortles ranks near the top of that list. Despite the Jaguars picking up his fifth-year option this offseason, the organization has made it clear how important it is for Bortles to finally be the quarterback they need him to be on offense.

Don’t be fooled by the numbers by Bortles over the last two years since most of those statistics came during garbage time in games where the Jaguars had basically already lost, which is the last reputation any quarterback wants to have. With weapons like Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, it’s amazing to see Bortles fail to get this offense on an elite level, and if the struggles continue in 2017, the quarterback could be looking for a new home next offseason.

Hopefully, the selection of Leonard Fournette from this year’s NFL Draft will help take some of that pressure off Bortles running the offense since he’s never had a reliable running back to work with. And if the addition of Fournette does payoff, maybe Jacksonville will finally have what it takes to make the leap to being potential contenders.

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

27. Los Angeles Rams

Whether Los Angeles Rams fans want to admit it or not, No. 27 seems like a perfect position for the team to start off heading into preseason when taking all key factors into consideration. On paper, there’s no question the Rams’ offense is in much position than a year ago, as new head coach Sean McVay hopes to see his system bring out the best in Jared Goff at quarterback, but none of that means anything until everything works out on the football field.

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While Goff went through the typical struggles most rookies experience, the former No. 1 pick deserves some benefit of the doubt since Los Angeles didn’t do the best of jobs with providing him with the necessary help around him. But thanks to boosting the offensive line with Andrew Whitworth along with the addition of new playmakers in the passing game, Goff won’t be able to use those excuses if the struggles continue.

Of course, when it comes to the main concern surrounding the Rams heading into their first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, Aaron Donald‘s absence ranks at the top of the list. The defensive superstar has been frustrated over the organization not rewarding him with the hefty contract he clearly deserves, and if the two parties don’t come to an agreement soon, the frustration is only going to pile up for Donald.

26. Los Angeles Chargers

One year after the Los Angeles Rams made the big move, the team will be sharing the city with the Los Angeles Chargers moving forward after the team made the big move from San Diego during the offseason. Just like their new city rivals, the Chargers are coming off a disappointing 2016 campaign in which the injury bug on both sides of the football limited them to winning just five games, and once again, the injuries have already piled up before preseason.

Only time will tell for whether rookie Mike Williams will be able to suit up to provide Philip Rivers with a new target to work with in the passing game, but losing second-round pick Forrest Lamp to a torn ACL was a devastating blow to the offensive line. Los Angeles had every reason in the world to feel excitement towards their two rookies, and while there’s some hope for Williams, it’s still frustrating for the team to deal with.

Then again, at least with Rivers still in the picture, the Chargers will most likely still end up being one of the most competitive teams in the NFL. Rivers may be getting up there in age, but when looking at the young weapons he gets to work with on offense, including Melvin Gordon, the sky seems to be the limit for the veteran quarterback.

25. Buffalo Bills

Give the Buffalo Bills credit for figuring out a way to restructure the contract of Tyrod Taylor this offseason since paying him all that money to play quarterback would have been absolutely ridiculous. The verdict is still out on whether Taylor is the right answer for the Bills at quarterback, but at least the potential is certainly there to give him another chance during the 2017 season.

Taylor’s ability to be a duel threat as a runner sets him apart from some of the other quarterbacks in the league, and even though he benefited from having a reliable running back in LeSean McCoy, his group of receivers clearly needed work. The fact that Robert Woods, who signed with the Los Angeles Rams in free agency, led the team in receiving yards (613) last season is the perfect example of how much Taylor needed help in the passing game.

With that being said, Buffalo hopes to see Sammy Watkins, even if he can remain healthy, finally become the effective and consistent wide receiver they’ve been waiting for after years of being a disappointment. If that does happen, the Bills’ offense may end up being in better shape than originally thought to give them a better chance of competing in the AFC.

24. Indianapolis Colts

At this point heading into the preseason, the Indianapolis Colts still don’t seem to have any sort of idea on when Andrew Luck will be healthy enough to play, and if the quarterback can’t suit up for Week 1, the team could be in trouble. Of course, the Los Angeles Rams certainly wouldn’t mind playing that first game of the season against the Colts without Luck, but there’s another time for that discussion.

Nothing against Indianapolis, but if Luck misses the start of the 2017 season, their chances of making the postseason will basically be out the window since Scott Tolzien is far from the reliable answer at quarterback. Losing Luck is something the Colts simply can’t afford to deal with after missing out on the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, so it’s easy to understand why there’s so much concern surrounding the quarterback’s shoulder injury.

On a positive note, at least T.Y. Hilton is healthy enough, and coming off an impressive 2016 season in which he led the league in receiving yards. And if Luck’s shoulder isn’t healthy enough, Hilton will need to step his game up even more to give Tolzien a better chance at finding success under center.

23. New Orleans Saints

Talk about a roller coaster kind of an offseason for the New Orleans Saints when taking a closer look at all of the changes they went through, especially on the offensive side of the football. As painful as it is to admit, sending Brandin Cooks to the New England Patriots in a trade was the best thing that could have happened for the Saints since the wideout only would have continued to be a headache.

Losing a speedy deep threat in Cooks is never easy for a team to replace, but New Orleans never would have made the move if they didn’t feel confident enough in Drew Brees continuing to build chemistry with second-year wideout Michael Thomas. The former Buckeye exploded into the NFL scene as a rookie last year after catching 92 passes for 1,137 yards to go along with nine touchdowns, and assuming Thomas picks up right where he left off, the Saints’ offense will be just fine.

Plus, New Orleans received a major surprise this offseason when Adrian Peterson decided to sign with the team following his release from the Minnesota Vikings to prove he still has plenty of gas left in the old tank to be an effective running back. Mark Ingram may be listed as the starter at the moment, but don’t be surprised if Peterson returns to his old form to give his teammate some competition for carries.

22. Washington Redskins

After losing two of their top receivers from a year ago to free agency in DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, nobody seems to know what’s in store for the Washington Redskins when looking at all of the drama surrounding this team over the last few months. Replacing receivers is a little bit easier than replacing a franchise quarterback, and if the Redskins aren’t careful, they could be starting from scratch next offseason if Kirk Cousins remains unhappy with the organization.

For whatever reason, Washington still isn’t convinced that Cousins is the quarterback they want to build the franchise around after placing the franchise tag on him in each of the last two seasons. Instead of spending all of that hefty money with the tag, the Redskins would be much better off just paying Cousins the money he clearly deserves, and depending on what happens next year, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the quarterback considered leaving to play for someone else if he hits free agency.

Whether that means Cousins would possibly reunite with Sean McVay as a member of the Los Angeles Rams, anything seems possible at this point. The rumors surrounding this reunion have been going on for months, but clearly the big factor on the chances of this happening depend on how Jared Goff performs for the Rams during his sophomore season.

21. Detroit Lions

Last year, the Detroit Lions were one of those teams who could never be counted out of football games after orchestrating eight comebacks in the fourth quarter, mainly thanks to the play of Matthew Stafford at quarterback. After his ability to stay healthy was a concern early on in his career, Stafford has turned himself into one of the league’s most elite quarterbacks over the years who constantly makes the players around him better, but do the Lions have what it takes to make another playoff run?

Detroit was in perfect position to take home the NFC North title at the end of last year before losing the final three games of the regular season to settle for a Wild Card spot instead, which eventually led to an early playoff exit against the Seattle Seahawks. While the argument can be made things would have turned out much better for the Lions if Stafford wasn’t dealing with that finger injury, this could easily just end up motivating him even more to make sure the team remains contenders in the NFC North.

There’s no question Stafford and Detroit can count on key receivers like Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, but the one area that could hold this offense back is the ground game. A quarterback like Stafford, who has thrown for more than 4,200 yards in each of the last six seasons, can only do so much on his own without the proper help at running back, and here’s to hoping Ameer Abdullah can finally come through.

20. Arizona Cardinals

Prior to the start of last season, the Arizona Cardinals were considered one of the early favorites in the NFC after reaching the conference championship the year before along with having plenty of talent on both sides of the football. Unfortunately, the Cardinals struggled to overcome a poor start, and didn’t even finish the year with a winning record, making them one of the biggest surprises from the 2016 season.

This time around, Arizona finds themselves in a similar situation where they look capable of being a serious contender on paper, but nothing matters until Carson Palmer and company prove it during the regular season. Palmer realizes he may only have another two or three good years at most before Father Time catches up with him, so the Cardinals need to take advantage of having a reliable quarterback on offense before the rebuilding mode begins down the road.

Along with Palmer and a strong receiving corps led by Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona has been fortunate enough to have one of the league’s top rising stars in David Johnson, as the running back has wasted no time emerging as one of the league’s top players. Seeing him be just as effective as a receiver shows how special of a player Johnson truly is, and don’t be surprised if his name is in the conversation for the MVP award towards the end of the season if the Cardinals return to their old dominant form.

19. Carolina Panthers

At this point, the top priority for the Carolina Panthers is to make sure Cam Newton is healthy enough to be ready to go for Week 1 of the regular season, as the team looks to bounce back from a horrendous year in which they only won six games. Talent wise, the Panthers seem to have what it takes to emerge as one of the teams to beat in the NFC like two years ago, but it’s always easier said than done.

Newton’s rehab following shoulder surgery has been going well for the most part during the offseason, but the true test will come for the former MVP during an actual game to prove there are no complications. All it takes is that minor tackle or one awkward throw on Newton’s end to re-aggravate the injury to prevent Carolina from reaching their true potential on offense.

As for some of Newton’s teammates, all eyes will be on Christian McCaffrey throughout the preseason after the Panthers managed to land the duel threat in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. By allowing McCaffrey to be used as both a running back and receiver, this will hopefully take some of the pressure off Newton since he tends to have the mindset sometimes of feeling the need to do too much on offense.

18. Baltimore Ravens

For an offense that already seemed to be in trouble due to lack of weapons, the fact that Joe Flacco has yet to participate in training camp for the Baltimore Ravens seems very concerning since it seems unlikely this team contends without him. Elite or not, Flacco give the Ravens their best chance of producing on offense, and after seeing how inconsistent the unit was in 2016, it’s easy to see why there’s so much concern surrounding the franchise quarterback.

Despite coming off a season in which he crossed the 4,000-yard passing mark for the first time in his career, Baltimore’s offense was far from anything to brag about last season, as the argument can be made this was the main reason they failed to make the postseason. Keep in mind the Ravens were in position to take home the AFC North title late in the season before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, which officially eliminated them from postseason play.

If Flacco’s back issues do carry over into the regular season, Baltimore will rely even more on their defense that should be in good shape after ranking near the top of the league last year. And if Flacco is unable to go, it will be interesting to see how Ryan Mallett lives up to the pressure of handling the responsibilities at quarterback.

17. Minnesota Vikings

Losing Teddy Bridgewater right before the start of the 2016 season was devastating for the Minnesota Vikings, but at least they made the bold move to surrender a future first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire Sam Bradford. Early on, the move for Bradford seemed to be paying off big time after the Vikings jumped out to a 5-0 start, but unfortunately the season went downhill from there.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, key injuries on both sides of the football resulted in the team struggling for most of the second half of the regular season, as they would go on to finish the year with an 8-8 record. But with a new year, and those certain individuals back at full strength, the Vikings look determined to contend again in the NFC.

Plus, with only one year remaining on his contract, Bradford realizes a strong 2017 campaign could result in a hefty long-term deal down the road, whether it ends up being with Minnesota or someone else. Because if things don’t work out for Bradford this year with the Vikings, the team can always fall back on Bridgewater if needed since he was the original plan before the devastating knee injury.

16. Cincinnati Bengals

First off, here’s to hoping Marvin Lewis has a quick recovery, and gets healthy enough to make a return to the Cincinnati Bengals sooner rather than later, as the head coach is taking a temporarily leave of absence. With that being said, the Bengals are one of a few teams on this list looking to recover from a disappointing 2016 season after failing to live up to the hype of being serious playoff contenders.

Every since Andy Dalton and A.J. Green came into the picture back in 2011, Cincinnati had developed an impressive streak of making the playoffs every season up until last year after only winning six games. However, despite everything that went down, the Bengals are a likely candidate to bounce back, and work their way back into becoming contenders again in the AFC to hopefully begin a brand new playoff streak.

The duo of Dalton and Green has always given Cincinnati an advantage against their opponents, but the offense has the potential to reach a whole new level after landing John Ross and Joe Mixon in the NFL Draft. Both rookies find themselves with an opportunity to make immediate impacts on offense that could very well be a difference maker on whether the Bengals do in fact become contenders once again.

15. Philadelphia Eagles

Entering the offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles knew one of their top priorities was to build an offense around Carson Wentz so the quarterback would have better weapons to work with during his sophomore season. Thanks to the key signings of Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith in free agency, Wentz will be in much better shape this time around while hopefully helping the Eagles compete for the division title with their rivals.

Not to mention, Philadelphia received an unexpected surprise later on in the offseason with the addition of LeGarrette Blount to provide them with a tough running back, which they lacked all of last season. While all these new additions should benefit the offense by helping them hit a whole new level, it’s going to be the defensive side of the football for the Eagles that will determine how far this team goes.

Cornerback was a major issue for this team last year and unless someone steps up this season, it’s going to prevent Philadelphia from taking down other teams like the Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants in the NFC East. Jalen Mills and Patrick Robinson may be the starters at the moment, but it’s time for these two to make a name for themselves on this Eagles’ defense.

14. Kansas City Chiefs

From a defensive side, the Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best units in the NFL led by Eric Berry, and assuming everyone stays healthy, all signs pointing to that happening once again during the 2017 season. Even though there were some questionable performances during the regular season, the Chiefs’ defense stepped it up when it mattered the most, but as last January showed, it’s the offense that’s still in question.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to the Divisional Round of the playoffs where Kansas City fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite preventing them from scoring a single touchdown in the game. Holding a high-powered offense like the Steelers to six field goals over a single touchdown is absolutely ridiculous to think about, but that just shows how amazing the Chiefs can be on defense sometimes.

When stuff like this happens, the quarterback is the first one who is going to receive most of the blame, and for Alex Smith, the former No. 1 pick needs to elevate his game to a whole new level to get more out of this offense. Otherwise, it’s only going to hold Kansas City back from making a deep run into the postseason.

13. Denver Broncos

Of all the quarterback battles to keep an eye on in preseason, no team is going to top the competition expected to go on between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch with the Denver Broncos. While Siemian took over the starting role last year after Peyton Manning decided to call it a career last season, Lynch has looked impressive in the offseason as well to give his teammate a run for the money at the starting job.

At the moment, it’s hard to say which quarterback has the slight edge at the moment, but at least both players will have plenty of opportunities to display their skills in the preseason with the first-team offense. While Siemian will start the team’s first game against the Chicago Bears, Lynch will be the starter during the second week of preseason when the Broncos take on the San Francisco 49ers.

Any quarterback with a dynamic duo to work with like Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders should have no issues when it comes to producing on offense, so it will be interesting to see how these next few weeks play out. Either way, at least Denver feels confident about where Von Miller and the rest of the defense stands heading into that first game against the Bears.

12. Tennessee Titans

Don’t look now, but the Tennessee Titans appear ready to make the major leap in the AFC when it comes to going from pretenders to contenders, although they did fall just shy of winning the AFC South title a year ago. In just two seasons, Marcus Mariota has quickly established himself as a true leader for the Titans, and the best part is, the quarterback seems to be just scratching the surface of what should be a promising career.

Losing Mariota to a serious leg injury towards the end of last year was crushing for Tennessee, but the Titans quarterback has looked sharp enough in the offseason where it doesn’t seem like it’s a reason to be concerned. Plus, with Tennessee using this year’s draft to bring on Corey Davis along with the late addition of Eric Decker, Mariota is going to see a major difference in the passing game thanks to these new toys he has to play with.

After a decent start to the 2016 season, it was good to see the Titans finish the year on a strong note by winning five of their final seven games to finish with a 9-7 record. The Houston Texans aren’t going to make it easy for them, but don’t be surprised if Tennessee makes a strong push to win the division.

11. Miami Dolphins

Speaking of quarterback losses, the Miami Dolphins suffered a major blow with the recent injury to Ryan Tannehill, but in a way, the signing of Jay Cutler is arguably an upgrade at quarterback for the offense. With all due respect towards Tannehill, the Dolphins had been waiting forever to see him elevate his game to a whole new level, and while there were flashes of greatness at times over the last two years, it still never seemed to be enough.

Convincing Cutler to come out of retirement puts Miami in a much better position to not only make another run at the postseason, but give the New England Patriots extra competition in the AFC East. Comparison wise, it may seem like a long shot to overtake the defending Super Bowl champions when considering they found a way to improve even more in the offseason, but at least Cutler gives them a better chance to do so than Matt Moore.

Football fans can say what they want about Cutler’s last few years with the Chicago Bears, but the veteran quarterback finds himself in a much better situation in Miami thanks to an offense loaded with talent. With weapons like Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills along with Jay Ajayi at running back, Cutler should enjoy his new team in the Dolphins.

10. Seattle Seahawks

Defense has been the main factor behind the Seattle Seahawks earning a trip to the postseason in each of the last five seasons, and that trend will most likely continue once again in 2017 to bump that streak up to six. The Seahawks are defending NFC West champions for a reason, and after suffering an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs, Richard Sherman’s squad will be even more motivated to bounce back stronger.

On top of having one of the league’s best defenses, phenomenal doesn’t even begin to describe what Russell Wilson was able to accomplish on offense last season for Seattle. Seeing Wilson put up the type of numbers he did while dealing with numerous injuries along with playing all 16 games during the regular season shows how tough of a quarterback he truly is, and without him, who knows where the Seahawks’ offense would be.

With that being said, Wilson enters the preseason fully healthy with an improved offensive line on top of receiving extra help in the backfield following the signing of Eddie Lacy. In other words, Wilson could end up having his best year to date in 2017 if all goes well for Seattle.

9. Houston Texans

Around this time last year heading into the preseason, the Houston Texans were confident enough that Brock Osweiler was the quarterback they spent years waiting for to make the team strong Super Bowl contenders. While the defense certainly did their part by finishing near the top of the league to help secure the AFC South title for the second year in a row, Osweiler turned out to be a complete bust at quarterback, and a complete waste of money for the Texans.

Luckily, the Cleveland Browns were willing to take on Osweiler’s ridiculous contract through a trade this offseason, but once again Houston is left in another tough position trying to figure out who their quarterback will be for the 2017 season. Sure, Tom Savage seems like he could develop into the type of quarterback the Texans are looking for, but his inexperience as a starter is a major reason for concern on a team in great position to win now.

If Houston were smart, they would just end up going with Deshaun Watson right away since he clearly seems to be the future of the franchise after Houston traded up to land the former Clemson standout in the NFL Draft. The league has seen plenty of rookie quarterbacks make an impact right away when being thrown in as the starter, and for all the Texans know, Watson could be that guy.

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.

7. Oakland Raiders

After years of frustration and losing records, the Oakland Raiders finally gave their die-hard fans what they’ve desperately been waiting for all these years with a playoff berth, although it was a shame to see them lose early on to the Houston Texans since Derek Carr was unable to suit up. Believe it or not, the Raiders enter the upcoming season, as one of the most popular bets to win the Super Bowl, and it actually doesn’t sound all that crazy when looking at the talent they have to work with.

Obviously, Carr should find himself in contention for the MVP award assuming the quarterback remains healthy, but when looking at the rest of the offense, this unit has the potential to finish near the top of the league. It was one thing to arguably have one of the league’s top duos at wideout in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, but if Marshawn Lynch returns to being Beast Mode, opposing defenses are going to have all sorts of issues with containing the Raiders.

Plus, for a team that will eventually be making the move to Las Vegas, there’s nothing Carr and company would love more than to reward Oakland fans with a Super Bowl before that happens. Overtaking the New England Patriots in the AFC may not be the easiest of tasks, but the Raiders seem up for the challenge.

6. Green Bay Packers

Year after year, the Green Bay Packers enter a new season as one of the strong favorites to win the Super Bowl, and rightfully so when looking at the kind of numbers Aaron Rodgers always puts up on offense. The Packers have quite the impressive streak of eight playoff appearances in a row heading into the 2017 season, and while there’s a good chance that streak will eventually get bumped up to nine, Rodgers and company have quite the work cut out for them.

Last season was the perfect example of how competitive the NFC is thanks to the emergence of teams with high-powered offenses similar to the Packers like the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys. Not to mention the NFC North is far from a walk in the park for Green Bay with teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions ready to compete with their division rivals to take home the title.

Just how special of a player is Rodgers? There aren’t many quarterbacks who can complete 109 touchdown passes to go along with only 20 interceptions in a three-year span, but that’s what Rodgers has accomplished since 2014, and the Packers realize how fortunate they are to have him at quarterback for years to come.

5. Dallas Cowboys

The 2016 season was filled with plenty of NFL teams emerging out of nowhere to become contenders against high odds, but no team took the cake more than the Dallas Cowboys after finishing with the best record in the NFC during the regular season at 13-3. What’s even more impressive is the Cowboys managed to do all this while being led by two rookies on offense in Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, setting the bar to a whole new level for this duo moving forward.

Most quarterbacks take at least a year or two before looking 100 percent comfortable running an offense at the NFL level, but Prescott looked like a veteran as a rookie when seeing how well he ran the offense for Dallas. Taking a risk by sticking with Prescott over Tony Romo was a bold move for the Cowboys, but all signs point to this decision paying off for the long run when seeing all of the potential surrounding their beloved quarterback.

As for Elliott, the former Buckeyes star was expected to make an impact as a rookie, but nothing like the way he did after leading the league in rushing yards during his first year. Hopefully, this investigation involving a potential suspension for the Dallas running back doesn’t turn into too much of a distraction on Elliott’s end over the next couple of weeks.

4. New York Giants

Even though the Dallas Cowboys ended up winning the NFC East in 2016, it was the New York Giants who gave them the most trouble during the regular season after winning both meetings against their division rivals. And while their two meetings will most likely end up being quite intense once again, the Giants may have a slight edge over the Cowboys this time around when it comes to taking home the division crown.

First off, New York’s defense played a major role in the team earning one of the Wild Card spots in the NFC, and the unit will certainly need to be on top of their game when seeing how competitive the division may end up being. Along with Dallas, there’s plenty of speculation surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles being ready to provide a little extra competition as well.

Luckily for the Giants, Eli Manning having Odell Beckham Jr. as a top target to work with in the passing game will provide the offense with a major advantage. And if having Beckham wasn’t already scary enough, just think about the damage Manning is going to do against opponents with the additions of Brandon Marshall and Evan Engram as extra weapons to work with.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

Only time will tell when it comes to whether Le’Veon Bell will eventually end his holdout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but based off the last few weeks, it’s not looking good for the running back. For a player who continues to prove to being just dominant of a receiver as a runner, it’s easy to understand why Bell is feeling plenty of frustration towards the organization.

Last year’s AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots is the perfect example of how much Pittsburgh’s offense can struggle when they’re forced to adjust to playing without Bell in the lineup, and it would be a shame to see that happen again. Bell has every reason in the world to feel disrespected by the Steelers wanting him to play under the franchise tag, but hopefully the two parties can resolve this distraction sooner rather than later.

Then again, at least Bell’s absence doesn’t takeaway from the fact that Pittsburgh still has another player who ranks near the top of the league in offense with Antonio Brown, who did in fact receive an extension from the team during the offseason. Just like his teammate, Brown can be impossible to contain at times due to his blazing speed, and at least the Steelers were able to lock him up for the long run to avoid a situation like Bell’s with the wideout.

2. Atlanta Falcons

Redemption is the best way to describe how the approach the Atlanta Falcons are taking into the 2017 season after suffering that embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots in which they blew a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl last February. Words can’t even describe how members of the Falcons must have felt after that game came to an end, but the good news is this team is loaded with talent on both sides of the football to make sure they remain contenders over the next few years.

Matt Ryan finally took the necessary step to make Atlanta serious contenders in the NFC by putting together an MVP season in which he nearly threw for 5,000 yards to go along with 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. By having one of the league’s best hands in Julio Jones along with Mohamed Sanu establishing a strong role as the No. 2 wideout, Ryan should be in good shape to have similar numbers for the second year in a row, as the quarterback looks to help the Falcons return to the Super Bowl with hopefully better results.

Of course, the major news surrounding Atlanta this week is the hefty extension they rewarded Devonta Freeman with to set the bar high for other running backs across the league. But for the Falcons, the money wasn’t an issue since Freeman’s numbers from the last two seasons are enough proof that he clearly deserves every penny.

1. New England Patriots

Is there any football fan out there that is really surprised to see the New England Patriots sitting on top of this list when looking at all of the moves made by the organization on both sides of the football this offseason? From the signing of Stephon Gilmore in free agency to landing a speedy deep threat in Brandin Cooks following a trade with the New Orleans Saints, it’s almost terrifying to think how good of a team the Patriots have heading into the preseason, and it will be interesting to see if anyone can stop them.

New England was already considered the early favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions when seeing how many key players would be returning, and with Tom Brady looking like he could still play for another five years, the sky could be the limit for this offense in 2017. It’s no secret that Brady has always been one of the most competitive players in the NFL, and when looking at the kind of history this current squad has an opportunity to make, the future Hall of Famer will do everything in his power to make sure it happens.

Next: 5 Rams who should benefit from Mike Thomas suspension

As crazy as it sounds, staying healthy may be the only thing standing in New England’s way of repeating as champions to give Brady and Bill Belichick their sixth Super Bowl together. Not to sound conceded, but is there even a reason for Brady and some of the starters to suit up at all in the preseason since they’re clearly ready for opening week?

Dan Parzych