NFL Pre-Camp Power Rankings

The NFL Draft is over, and teams are beginning their offseason Organized Training Activities (OTAs). These are largely voluntary, but there will be a handful of players who are lost for the season during this time, and there will be some stories about players who are staying away because they have contract squabbles (like the Arizona Cardinals' own Anquan Boldin and Darnell Dockett).

But, this little lull between the draft and training camps/rookie contract holdouts gives a good time to put together a little unnecessary, uninformative, premature NFL Power Rankings.

1. New England Patriots - Got younger on defense and return the best player in the NFL in quaterback Tom Brady.
   
2. New York Giants - Did an excellent job in adding to their strength along the defensive line through free agency. The only question is whether Eli Manning can make the big play when he needs to, and whether the weapons are there on the outside for him to be able to.
   
3. Pittsburgh Steelers - The defending champs added depth through the draft, but are beginning a transition on the defensive side of the football. Ben Roethlisberger will continue to present matchup problems to defensive coordinators.
   
4. San Diego Chargers - I'm still not a big believer in Phillip Rivers, but their defense gets better with the return of Shawne Merriman and the addition of Larry English. They will likely get fat off of a down division, as well.
   
5. Indianapolis Colts - Turmoil on the sidelines is mitigated by the calming influence of their Hall of Fame quarterback. Their defense has to get better this season, as well.
   
6. Arizona Cardinals - The Cards should enter the season as the second-best team in their conference. The offense gets better with the addition of RB Beanie Wells, and the defense gets better with the subtraction of DC Clancy Pendergast.
   
7. Philadelphia Eagles - With perhaps the most talented offensive line in the NFL and a great tandem of running backs, Donovan McNabb is running out of excuses to win. If Jim Johnson does not return to his defensive coordinator duties, this ranking could drop.
   
8. Minnesota Vikings - I like the addition of Percy Harvin, and I think the Vikings' defense will remain the best in their division. It shouldn't matter who their quarterback is, because Adrian Peterson should contend for NFL MVP honors in his third season.
   
9. Tennessee Titans - Losing DT Albert Haynesworth will hurt, but this team is too well-coached and well-prepared to slip too much.
   
10. Dallas Cowboys - Cutting WR Terrell Owens should help the Cowboys become a better team by allowing them to get the ball out of the hands of Tony Romo and into the hands of Marion Barber. Whether that actually happens is an open question.
    
11. Baltimore Ravens - I expect QB Joe Flacco to regress some in his second season as teams work to figure him out. I wonder if they have the playmaking ability on offense to make up for the departure of Rex Ryan.
    
12. Miami Dolphins - This is another team that isn't going to surprise anyone. It's possible that winning last season sets this team back in the long term. I'm not sure you can win in the AFC East with Ted Ginn, Jr. and Greg Camarillo as your starting wideouts.
    
13. Carolina Panthers - I like John Fox, I like Steve Smith, and I like the Carolina Panthers. But it's not clear that this defense is ready for prime time, and it's possible that Franchise Player Julius Peppers burns this team to the ground.
    
14. Washington Redskins - This should be the sleeper team of the 2009 season. I like Jason Campbell, and I like Clinton Portis. They have a solid defense and very good cornerbacks. The question is whether this team has the mental toughness to overcome adversity.
    
15. Houston Texans - This is the team that again will be the well-publicized sleeper of the 2009 offseason. They can be very good, but it's asking a lot for quarterback Matt Schaub to stay healthy for 16 games to lead the team.
    
16. Atlanta Falcons - I expect Matt Ryan to experience a slight sophomore slump and for Michael Turner not to be the dynamic back he was the year before. More than that, I don't think that the Falcons' defense is going to be able to keep them competitive as they transition to a youth movement.
    
17. Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rogers can get the job done for the Packers, but it takes a couple years to transition to a 3-4 defense unless you have a very creative coordinator. Another question is whether Ryan Grant is really the runner that can lead the Packers back to consistent achievement.
    
18. Chicago Bears - Jay Cutler isn't going to see anywhere near the kind of protection he got in Denver, either from the running game or the offensive line. The bigger question is whether this aging defense can locate the fountain of youth.
    
19. New Orleans Saints - The offense is there, although they still lack a power runner (New Orleans would make a great landing place for Edgerrin James). The defense remains a work in progress, and may not take the pressure off the O this season until it's too late.
    
20. New York Jets - The pieces are in place. The offensive personnel are largely there (although they could use a more consistent outside playmaker), and the defenive personnel are there. The only question is whether this team will be able to assimilate new systems quickly enough, and how fast Kellen Clemens or Mark Sanchez can mature.
    
21. Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jackonville Jaguars secured their long-term future through their 2009 NFL draft. Unfortunately, I don't think that Jack Del Rio will be around to reap the rewards.
    
22. San Francisco 49ers - I am not a believer in Mike Singletary, because I saw his earlier iteration as Dave McGinnis.
    
23. Seattle Seahawks - This team is just too old right now to succeed. I don't like their defensive personnel, and I don't think they have the running back to close out games.
    
24. Cincinnati Bengals - The departure of T.J. Houshmanzadeh will hurt them more than people expect, and I don't think the defense is going to be there to staunch the bleeding.
    
25. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell may end up a good NFL quarterback, but I don't think the coaching staff has the wherewithal to let him develop by not passing the ball as often.
    
26. Buffalo Bills - I really want to like this team, but their offensive line is not good enough, and their division is too good.
    
27. Denver Broncos - The Denver defense is going to be a work in progress, as will Josh McDaniels. Knowshon Moreno is going to be very good, but I think this team is a year away.
    
28. Kansas City Chiefs - What about the Kansas City Chiefs is going to scare anyone? This team is going to have to purge their veteran leadership and hope that some of their young players are going to be willing to step up.
    
29. Cleveland Browns - Teams very rarely succeed when they go into the season with a quarterback controversy.
    
30. Detroit Lions - Bold prediction: the Lions will win at least one game this season. Tony Sparano will turn this team around, but the defense just is not good enough to carry the team.
    
31. St. Louis Rams - It's difficult to understand what the plan is with the Rams. They have a terrible defense and a terrible offense.
    
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - It's been a long time since the Bucs were the class of the NFL. It's almost impossible to guess who the best player on this team is right now. If your best player was in the Canadian Football League a year ago, you're probably not very good.