The season kicks off on September 5. Here is a final look at the order before the chaos begins on Thursday.
Number 32: Arizona Cardinals (ELO: 1337, +0)
The Cardinals have cut their deficit in half, but they will still be behind the Giants entering the season.
Number 31: New York Giants (ELO: 1351, +0)
The Giants have been ravaged by injuries and suspensions in their wide receiver room. They are perilously close to dropping to No. 32.
Number 30: Denver Broncos (ELO: 1366, +0)
Drew Lock was not awe-inspiring in the preseason, and the Broncos will need a lot to go right to end up outside the bottom 10.
Number 29: Cincinnati Bengals (ELO: 1376, +0)
A.J. Green will miss the beginning part of the season, so the gap between the Raiders and Bengals has more than doubled.
Number 28: Oakland Raiders (ELO: 1397, +0)
Antonio Brown looks like he will play with a new helmet. The Raiders do not have much hope besides Brown.
Number 27: Miami Dolphins (ELO: 1405, -6)
During the writing of this article, the Dolphins traded Laremy Tunsil to the Texans for a haul of picks. The Dolphins have taken a nosedive.
Number 26: San Francisco 49ers (ELO: 1407, +1)
The 49ers are trending up, but Jimmy Garoppolo will have to solve his camp and preseason problems before moving into the top 25.
Number 25: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ELO: 1416, +1)
Bruce Arians and Jameis Winston look like a high-powered duo, but the defense is still a trainwreck.
Number 24: Buffalo Bills (ELO: 1417, +1)
Josh Allen continues to be the reason for the Bills to be ranked here. They have a high ceiling, but that is matched with a floor among the worst teams in the NFL.
Number 23: Washington Redskins (ELO: 1418, +1)
The defense should keep the Redskins afloat for a while as Case Keenum transitions into Dwayne Haskins.
Number 22: Jacksonville Jaguars (ELO: 1431, +1)
Nick Foles holds the key to propel the Jaguars back among the best teams in the AFC, but the defense should keep the Jaguars from the bottom 10.
Number 21: New York Jets (ELO: 1433, +1)
The Jets made a pair of huge splashes with the acquisitions of Le’Veon Bell and CJ Mosley. With the AFC North Pro Bowl roster now residing in East Rutherford, the Jets are on the rise.
Number 20: Carolina Panthers (ELO: 1437, +0)
Tre Boston will help out the secondary, and Brian Burns had an incredibly productive preseason. The Panthers could make a return to January football.
Number 19: Detroit Lions (ELO: 1441, +0)
Mike Daniels is a quality addition to the defensive front in Detroit. Alongside Damon Harrison, the Lions should eat opposing ball-carriers.
Number 18: Indianapolis Colts (ELO: 1451, -9)
The largest drop in power rankings history goes to the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck shocked the world with his sudden retirement, and the Colts will replace Luck with Jacoby Brissett.
Number 17: Green Bay Packers (ELO: 1461, +1)
The Packers lost Mike Daniels to a division rival, but the Colts save the Packers from losing ground in the power rankings. The Packers will look to compete in the NFC North.
Number 16: Tennessee Titans (ELO: 1496, -1)
Taylor Lewan will miss the first four games of the season due to a suspension. The Titans must hope that Marcus Mariota can remain healthy in 2019, a feat he has yet to achieve.
Number 15: Atlanta Falcons (ELO: 1497, +2)
The Falcons have had a steady ascent in the power rankings. They must have a hot start to the season to keep pace with the juggernaut New Orleans Saints.
Number 14: Pittsburgh Steelers (ELO: 1507, +2)
The Steelers will be without the services of Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, but their offense should be fine with James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Number 13: Minnesota Vikings (ELO: 1552, +1)
The Vikings will lay siege to a Bears unit who will likely regress in 2019. With improved offensive line play, the Vikings will move into the best of the best in the NFL
Number 12: Houston Texans (ELO: 1581, +0)
In the process of writing, the Texans yo-yoed from 12 to 15 back to 12 after trading Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks and trading for Laremy Tunsil from the Texans. In the long run, the Texans were demolished in terms of the loss of assets, but Tunsil should keep Deshaun Watson’s brain intact.
Number 11: Baltimore Ravens (ELO: 1591, +0)
The Ravens added four more preseason wins to their current stretch, extending it to a ridiculous 17 straight August wins. The Ravens will hope that it translates into the regular season.
Number 10: Cleveland Browns (ELO: 1592, +0)
The AFC North favorite, the Browns will have an elite offense with Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, and Odell Beckham leading the lines. The defense has questions, but star talent could propel the Browns to their first-ever AFC North crown.
Number 9: Los Angeles Chargers (ELO: 1601, -2)
Derwin James’s injury is a colossal loss for the Chargers. He is likely out until November. He is the clear-cut best player on the roster, and he will be missed. His absence could see the AFC West slip away. Melvin Gordon should be replaced nicely with Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, so his potential holdout will not cost the Chargers as much as a certain team from Texas.
Number 8: Seattle Seahawks (ELO: 1611, +5)
Jadeveon Clowney may not be the best defensive player in the NFL, but he is an infusion of talent into a depleted Seattle roster. Clowney should live in the backfield and help the Seahawks to another playoff berth.
Number 7: Dallas Cowboys (ELO: 1621, +1)
Dallas will slip if Ezekiel Elliott misses any time, but the roster around Elliott will keep them within the top 10 barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Number 6: Philadelphia Eagles (ELO: 1622, +0)
Carson Wentz is the key to the Eagles moving up in the power rankings. If he returns to 2017 form, the Eagles will skyrocket. If he does not, the Eagles could slip depending on the impact of Miles Sanders and others.
Number 5: Chicago Bears (ELO: 1626, +0)
The Bears will likely regress defensively, but the offense should take another step forward in Matt Nagy’s second season. David Montgomery should be a quality replacement for Jordan Howard, and continued improvement from Mitch Trubisky and Anthony Miller will push the Bears to another division crown.
Number 4: Los Angeles Rams (ELO: 1632, +0)
The Rams should continue to roll to their third consecutive NFC West crown. The Seahawks pose a threat, the Rams should dispose of Seattle by the end of the season.
Number 3: Kansas City Chiefs (ELO: 1633, +0)
LeSean McCoy replaces Carlos Hyde: a net-positive. The Chiefs still have an atrocious defense, but the offense should be just as electric in 2019.
Number 2: New Orleans Saints (ELO: 1637, +0)
The Saints have finally surrounded Drew Brees with immense amounts of star talent as the likes of Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, and Cameron Jordan will lead the line in 2019.
Number 1: New England Patriots (ELO: 1657, +0)
The Patriots venture deeper into the Tom Brady era, and they have made some key moves in recent years to ensure their success. They have bolstered the offensive line after the loss of David Andrews, and they have invested draft capital in running backs and wide receivers to make Brady’s life easier.
