1. San Francisco 49ers
The best defense in the NFL is back with some possible depth added in the draft, and a little health at the corner position bolstering that spot. Aldon Smith should bloom into a superstar alongside Navorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. The real story is the offense, which added Randy Moss, Mario Manningham and high picks AJ Jenkins and LaMichael James to complement incumbent studs Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. If Alex Smith can build on his progress from last year, this is the team to beat.
2. Green Bay Packers
Adding the pass rusher Nick Perry and defensive tackle Jerel Worthy should add depth and explosiveness to the front 7 that so struggled last year. If Perry can emerge as a consistent threat opposite Clay Matthews this defense could go from one of the worst in the league to at least middle of the pack. Aaron Rodgers is the best player in football.
3. Houston Texans
Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Ben Tate, and Owen Daniels represent one of the most talented groups of skill players in the league. Yes the losses of tackle Eric Winston and pass rusher Mario Williams will hurt. Williams however was aptly replaced by another pass rushing demon in Connor Barwin, and last year's rookie Brooks Reed can bring the heat as well. Add in first round pick, DE Whitney Mercilus, the relentless JJ Watt, and the terrific Brian Cushing and the Texans still have arguably the best front 7 in football. Jonathan Joseph also has completely turned around their secondary.
4. New England Patriots
First round picks Chandler Jones and Donta Hightower should really boost the Patriots depth and talent in the front 7. New England continued to add to the defense all draft long after adding Brandon Lloyd to be the perimeter threat that compliments Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, and Wes Welker. If Lloyd can play at a near pro bowl level the offense should be historically good, and I expect the defense to be significantly better.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
The drafting of David DeCastro (especially) and Mike Adams completely revamp what was a big weakness into a potential strength. I believe DeCastro will be a good starter right away in the league, and Adams has the size to play right tackle immediately without getting pushed around. Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Emanuelle Sanders and Heath Miller provide as good a set of targets as Ben Roethlisberger could ask for. Rashard Mendenhall may not be back to begin the season, but they should survive without him and maybe he returns mid-season for a boost. The defense is undeniably old, but still has great players, and youngsters Cameron Heyward, Lawrence Timmons, Lamar Woodley, and Ziggy Hood provide a solid foundation of youth.
6. Detroit Lions
Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson alone are enough to put this team in the top ten. Add in star tight end Brandon Pettigrew, explosive Jhavid Best, and the return of last year's second round bruising running back Mikel LeShoure and this offense should be ready to explode. Detroit also added impressive and polished tackle Riley Reiff in the first round, who as most Iowa lineman should be ready to play from day one. In the second round receiver Ryan Broyles is a nice slot complement to Megatron. He's quick, smart and productive. after the first two rounds the Lions went exclusively defense which was smart. If they can find one starter and another solid contributor out of those picks the defense should be improved.
7. Philadelphia Eagles
Mike Vick staying healthy is obviously the huge asterisk with this ranking. Talent is all over this offense with LeSean McCoy turning into a star, DeSean Jackson having unparalleled explosiveness, and Jeremy Maclin blossoming into a star. Demetrius Bell will be adequate at left tackle but losing Jason Peters really hurts. Most of all, Philly filled the atrocious middle of their defense with solid signee Demeco Ryan, draftee Fletcher Cox (1st round) and second round linebacker Mychal Kendricks. With Trent Cole and Jason Babin rushing the passer, and talent in the secondary, the Eagles could be a dominant defense if the new pieces fit.
8. Chicago Bears
The Bears were an excellent team until Matt Forte and Jay Cutler went down with injuries. With those two back in the fold and finally a premier receiver in Brandon Marshall the Bear's offense could really turn into a threat. Rookie Shea McClellin should add pas rush, and if Alshon Jeffrey can live up to his potential he was a steal in the second round.
9. Cincinatti Bengals
With Leon Hall coming back from injury, and being joined by the 17th overall pick Dre Kirkpatrick the secondary should be much improved from last year. Cincy also got plug and play guard Kevin Zeitler who should help solidify the line for young Andy Dalton. DT Devon Still should join a talented defensive line rotation, and Mohamed Sanu had a 1-2 round grade from a lot of scouts. AJ Green, Jermaine Gresham, and Sanu make up a promising young trio for Dalton. I think the Ravens are aging, and take a step back with the achilles injury to Terrell Suggs and the Bengals slide in.
10. Dallas Cowboys
They fool me every year, but I think this team has the talent to win 10-11 games. Romo is a very good quarterback. Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, and Jason Witten are star caliber targets in the passing game. DeMarco Murray and Felix Jones are a nice running back duo. The offensive line is in better shape with the emergence of Tyron Smith at tackle last year. Morris Claiborne was a huge pickup for Dallas, they now have a legitimate cover corner who will surely have his ups and downs in his rookie season but should also develop into a star. With Claiborne solidifying the secondary, and the front 7 still boasting Jay Ratliff and Demarcus Ware, the Boys could field a better defense than most people think.
11. Kansas City Chiefs
Jamal Charles, Eric Berry, and Tony Moeaki all missed the entire season last year, and will all be back this year. Those are three star level players coming back into the fold. Matt Cassel is not a great player, but handing of to Charles and Peyton Hillis while throwing to Dwayne Bowe, Moeaki, and last year's first rounder Jonathan Baldwin should make him look more than competent. The signing of all-pro right tackle Eric Winston is another huge move. Defensively Tamba Hali, Brandon Flowers and Eric Berry are pro-bowl caliber and if Dontari Poe pans out this defense could be special.
12. San Diego Chargers
The loss of Vincent Jackson undoubtedly hurts, but Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates are still in the fold, and Phillip Rivers should bounce back to have his usual terrific season. Ryan Matthews is turning into a stud back as well. The defense will be helped tremendously by top pick Melvin Ingram who was drafted way too low. They then snatched Kendell Reyes, a defensive tackle a lot of people had in the top 25 picks, but he slid to the second round.
13. New York Giants
You might think I'm being unfair simply because I hate the freaking Giants, but in all honesty I think they are due for a slide. They scraped to 9-7 last year and then got hot but this team has holes. Their linebacking group is unathletic and their secondary doesn't scare anyone. Jason Pierre-Paul is a superstar, and Eli Manning is one dangerous man. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are dynamic at receiver and Ahmad Bradshaw should do well splitting carries with talented rookie David Wilson. Still, lots of holes on this team and I won't be surprised if they miss the playoffs.
14. New Orleans Saints
I know they have talent all over the offense but they lost all pro guard Carl Nicks and quality receiver Robert Meachem, not to mention Jonathan Vilma for the year. And oh yeah Sean Payton is suspended for the year as well. Too much turmoil and turnover for this team to be a title contender again.
15. Baltimore Ravens
This seems like a drastic fall, but I think every year a team finally reaches the point where it gets too old. I could be way off, but Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are both on their last legs, and Terrell Suggs won't even play this year. The secondary is still a little green at corner as well. The offense has never been inspiring and Ray Rice is now holding out. Anquan Boldin is also really slowing down. This is a team in transition and Joe Flacco is not good enough to put this team on his back.
16. Atlanta Falcons
I just don't believe in the Atlanta defense. I also think that Michael Turner is due to slow down, and the offensive line can be shaky at times. Matt Ryan has plateaued, though Julio Jones and Roddy White make this team dangerous.
17. Denver Broncos
I just don't know what Peyton Manning will be, but even if he's back to his old tricks he doesn't have many weapons on this offense, and the defense struggled through many games last year. The Broncos failed to give Manning to much help in this year's draft.
18. Carolina Panthers
If Cam Newton can take another step in his progression he can be one of the very best players in the league and win games by himself. Steve Smith showed he still has a lot of prime left, and the duo of Jon Stewart and Deangelo Williams is still very good in the backfield. The defense was the issue last year, but the return of star linebacker Jon Beason who will be flanked by 9th overall pick Luke Kuechly should improve this defense dramatically.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Josh Freeman was a rising super-star two years ago, and had an off year last season like the whole Bucs team. Enter pro-bowl level wide receiver Vincent Jackson, and all-pro guard Carl Nicks and Freeman will have plenty of help to get back to his previous level of play. Rookie running back Doug Martin should provide a strong 1-2 punch with LeGarette Blount in the backfield. This offense really has some talent now and could take off. Defensively this team just needs to grow- Gerald McCoy, Adrian Clayborn, Brian Price, and Da'Quan Bowers are all 2nd and 3rd year players with talent that has the potential to blossom into a strong unit. Safety first round pick Mark Barron is regarded as an immediate impact player, and Lavonte David was a steal in the second round at linebacker.
20. St. Louis Rams
They were awful last year, but when healthy Sam Bradford is the best passer in the NFC West. Stephen Jackson is still an elite back. They also added athletic stud Brian Quick at receiver with the top pick in the second round, not to mention they bolstered their defense with two other second round picks. Scat-back Isaiah Pead and receiver Chris Givens could also be fast contributors on offense. Jeff Fisher will make this a smart fundamental team that has an incredibly bright future.
21. New York Jets
The Jets just aren't very good. Their offensive line is pretty good, their quarterback is average, they don't have a feature running back, and their best receiver is a complete headcase (Santonio Holmes). Their top two picks Quinton Coples (pass rusher) and Stephen Hill (WR) are two of the most physically gifted players in the draft, but who knows how that will translate to the field and the Jets unusual culture.
22. Buffalo Bills
Hard team to read here. They lost Demetrius Bell who was an important part of their offensive line, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is decent at managing the game but lacks any of the elite physical skills you would want in your quarterback. Fred Jackson, CJ Spiller, and Stevie Johnson are a nice trio of skill players, but they could use more talent on the perimeter. Stephen Gilmore was a great pick at #10, he will be a very good player just like last year's top pick Marcel Dareus. The Bills are slowly building an impressive core on defense. Adding super-star pass rusher Mario Williams doesn't hurt either. Give the Bills 1-2 more good drafts and they could be competing for the playoffs.
23. Washington Redskins
I think RG3 will be able to make plays right away and Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan, and Chris Cooley give him some viable targets. The defense has promise with edge rushers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan forming a frightening duo.
24. Seattle Seahawks
If Matt Flynn can prove to be a good NFL starter this ranking could go up substantially. Marshawn Lynch is a very good running back, and the offensive line is young and improving. Seattle had a strange draft but they do have a lot of defensive talent.
25. Cleveland Browns
I don't really like the pick of Brandon Weeden, but I know Trent Richardson can play and make a big impact immediately. I think his running will keep the Browns close in a lot of games.
26. Minnesota Vikings
Matt Kalil solves the left tackle issues, and hopefully Adrian Peterson will be back near the beginning of next year. Percy Harvin and newly signed Jerome Simpson represent a talented if temperamental receiving duo and the tight end combo of Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson could be Christian Ponder's best friend. If Ponder has what it takes, this team could turn around fast. Getting Harrison Smith (safety Notre Dame) was a really important pick for this defense.
27. Arizona Cardinals
Kevin Kolb, you are out of excuses. Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd are very nice targets to throw to.
28. Indianapolis Colts
I think Andrew Luck will be good right away. Reggie Wayne and Coby Fleener should provide nice targets to throw to.
29. Tennessee Titans
Maybe this is way too low but I just don't see a quarterback, a great defense, or skill players that really scare me unless Chris Johnson can regain his old form.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars
The defense has some young talent, and Maurice Jones Drew, Marcedes Lewis and Justin Blackmon surround Blaine Gabbert with some really nice talent.
31. Oakland Raiders
Sorry Raider fans, Carson Palmer is done, you don't have a good offensive line, the receivers are raw and the defense is unspectacular.
32. Miami Dolphins
The Ryan Tannehill-Reggie Bush combo doesn't really scare anyone.
You sir, are a genius! :)
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