2018 NFL Power Rankings: Brandin Cooks, Ndamukong Suh puts Rams on top

4. New England Patriots

Despite some of their key losses in free agency, every football fan understands how foolish it would be to express concern over the Patriots, and their chances of repeating as AFC champions, especially with Tom Brady still in the picture. Even with the team making the surprise decision to send Cooks to Los Angeles, keep in mind this move benefits New England from a draft perspective since they now have two first-round picks to work with.

Believe it or not, there is already some speculation about how the Patriots will use one of these picks to pull off some sort of epic trade, although everything is simply just rumors at this point. Still, no matter what New England ends up doing, this team remains in great enough shape to continue being one of the top contenders in the AFC, as Brady wants nothing more than another shot at that sixth Super Bowl ring after falling short against Philadelphia in February.

Then again, the one story to keep in eye on over the next few weeks is Rob Gronkowski, as there has been talks about the possibility of the Patriots trading the tight end, which really wouldn’t come as a surprise. Year after year, New England continues to find new ways to win, meaning they would still be dominant without their star tight end.