The 2021 NFL season is in the books and the focus immediately shifts to the offseason. There is going to be plenty of shakeups this spring, especially on the quarterback market, meaning the 2022 NFL power rankings will look very different throughout the offseason.
Between quarterback trades, the 2022 NFL Draft and a very compelling free agency, big stars will be moving everywhere. So while teams like the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals are near the top for now, a lot can change in the next few months.
As the offseason arrives, let’s dive into our 2022 NFL power rankings.
32. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans fired first-year coach David Culley after he exceeded his expectations. When the Brian Flores lawsuit went after the NFL’s biased and broken hiring process, Houston pivoted from hiring a candidate with zero coaching experience [Josh McCown] to promoting Lovie Smith. This is the worst NFL team in 2022. And with a Deshaun Watson trade increasingly unlikely ahead of the draft, it isn’t going to get any better.
31. Seattle Seahawks [at 18 before trading Russell Wilson]
The Seattle Seahawks hit the rebuild button by shipping their franchise quarterback for the past 10 years to Denver. Now, they have Drew Lock to build behind. Yeah, not exactly exciting. Let’s hope the treasure chest of draft picks recovered in the deal can help land some hidden gems. If not, the Seahawks could be extremely hard to watch in 2022.
30. New York Jets
Two top-10 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft will help the New York Jets take the next step in their rebuild. However, there are a lot of holes on the defensive side and no one should be ready to proclaim Zach Wilson will take a huge step forward in 2022. We expect the Jets to hang around the bottom of our NFL power rankings all year.
Related: 2022 New York Jets mock draft
29. Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff will be back in 2022, something he earned after a strong finish to close out the year. Far more importantly for Detroit, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back D’Andre Swift proved they can be long-term focal points on offense. With the offseason upon us, the Lions need to keep building this defense.
Related: Detroit Lions 2022 mock draft
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ coaching search can only be described as a chaotic mess. However, choosing Doug Pederson as the quarterback whisperer for Trevor Lawrence is a solid outcome. Jacksonville needs to devote its 2022 draft class and immense cap space to building an explosive offense around Lawarence with a strong offensive line. We’re not expecting anything great from the Jaguars in 2022, but they could steadily climb our NFL power rankings this fall.
27. New York Giants
Just ask Josh Allen about the impact Brian Daboll has on a young quarterback. This isn’t to suggest Daniel Jones will make an MVP-caliber leap in 2022, but he should display a lot more consistency and effectiveness than we’ve seen in the past. Combine that with Don Martindale calling defensive plays and an offense with plenty of talent, New York could surprise some people in the 2022 NFL season.
26. Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is viewed as a lame duck. Through two NFL seasons, the former college coach hasn’t proven his methods work at the NFL level. He’s not going to get seven years to implement change, either. Rhule’s only hope at saving his job is Carolina swinging a blockbuster trade for a quarterback.
25. Chicago Bears
Only time will tell whether or not the Chicago Bears made the right call hiring head coach Matt Eberflus over an offensive guru. However, creating a stronger receiving corps around Justin Fields and implementing an offense that is tailored to his skills, is far more important. The Bears can’t make a ton of moves this offseason, so they’ll just need to make sure they make the right ones and Fields develops.
24. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are running it back next season, something we usually don’t say about a team that went 7-10. There’s just very little this front office can do right now. Competing for the playoffs is unlikely, especially without Calvin Ridley. Ultimately, 2022 is all about continued growth from Kyle Pitts.
23. Minnesota Vikings
Going all-in on Kirk Cousins is…a decision by the Minnesota Vikings. It’s going to put a lot of pressure on head coach Kevin O’Connell, tasked with unleashing an offense that Mike Zimmer wanted to bottle up. Realistically, Minnesota’s ceiling is a Wild Card appearance in the 2022 NFL Playoffs. This is all just delaying a rebuild, but at least the Vikings will be competitive.
22. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins certainly didn’t make the conventional hire and sticking with Tua Tagovailoa will surprise plenty around the NFL. However, Mike McDaniel clearly likes Miami’s quarterback and we saw evidence in the second half of the 2021 season that Tagovailoa can be a viable starter. If the Dolphins upgrade their offensive line and add a quality running back, they’ll be much higher in our NFL power rankings by November.
21. New Orleans Saints
We’ll start with the good news. Michael Thomas will be back in 2022 and the New Orleans Saints made the right call naming Dennis Allen as head coach. We’ve seen this team compete with bad quarterback play, largely carried by the defense and Alvin Kamara. Unfortunately, Kamara’s legal situation and an uncertain future create further doubt about how the Saints’ offense will fare next season.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin hasn’t experienced a losing season since taking over as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach in 2007. He and T.J. Watt are the only reasons we’re not putting the Steelers lower in our 2022 NFL power rankings. Concerns at quarterback and on the offensive line are real problems that must be addressed before we trust Pittsburgh.
19. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are entering yet another new phase after making a Carson Wentz trade for the second consecutive offseason. Now the big question is, who will be their starting quarterback in 2022? Could they turn to Jimmy Garoppolo, or do they have bigger plans up their sleeves? Whatever general manager Chris Ballard decides, expect the Colts to continue positioning themselves as a team who can compete right away.
18. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders already have a new name and now Carson Wentz will be their new starting quarterback. The decision will prove crucial in determining whether the Dallas Cowboys have legitimate competition for 2022. Even if the Commanders don’t make the playoffs, fans would view Daniel Snyder’s removal as the equivalent of a Super Bowl.
17. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns went into our 2021 NFL offseason power rankings as a top-10 team. A year later, we aren’t nearly as high on Cleveland. Even a healthy version of Baker Mayfield likely isn’t enough for Cleveland to win the AFC North in 2022. It’s also an open question whether he’s even going to be the starter next season.
16. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles could swing a blockbuster deal, sending Jalen Hurts and three first-round picks for an elite quarterback. However, it doesn’t seem like the type of move we should expect from this front office. Instead, the Eagles can build a well-rounded roster around Hurts and feel comfortable with its chances of competing for the NFC East next season.
15. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders landing their dream pairing and there’s plenty of reason for optimism. McDaniels can build a top-10 offense around Derek Carr, especially when Las Vegas adds a playmaking receiver to pair with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow. Playoffs should be the expectation for the Raiders next season.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It’s a huge slide down the offseason NFL power rankings for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Call it the Tom Brady effect. Unless Bruce Arians finds a way to land Deshaun Watson, this team is going to take a significant step backward in 2022. The Buccaneers could still win the NFC South, but they’d have no shot at the Super Bowl.
13. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots were exposed in their Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. A promising start to Mac Jones’s rookie season got rocky late in the regular season and he didn’t look any better against a great defense. As for Bill Belichick’s prized unit, Josh Allen and Co. tore through it like it was a walkthrough. This is a flawed football team with a ton of issues to correct this offseason.
12. Denver Broncos [at 25 before Russ trade]
The Denver Broncos always seemed determined to hire Nathaniel Hackett and they landed their guy. While that same situation didn’t play out by landing Aaron Rodgers, they might have gotten the next best thing with a Russell Wilson trade. This one move has catapulted them up in our 2022 NFL power rankings. We’ll see just how much of an impact the new shiny duo can have in Denver after both experienced success elsewhere. Are they a Super Bowl contender? Possibly.
11. Baltimore Ravens
Injuries sunk the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Derek Wolfe and Ronnie Stanley are just a handful of impact starters who either missed significant time or didn’t play this season. John Harbaugh did everything in his power to win games but only so much can be done. Looking to get better this spring, Baltimore needs to strengthen its secondary and receiving corps. If they do that, this can be one of the best NFL teams in 2022.
10. Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert can take this team extremely far. The only thing that dragged the Los Angeles Chargers down, keeping them out of the playoffs, is a horrific run defense. Brandon Staley will make improvements in that aspect a top offseason priority. Paired with a third-year leap from Herbert, we’re extremely high on the Chargers.
9. Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray added a layer of drama to the Arizona Cardinals offseason. For now, it appears unlikely that the Cardinals are going to move him unless he absolutely forces it. However, another late-season collapse proved why no one will buy into the Cardinals next season without them proving they are legit in December and January.
The Tennessee Titans scrapped their way to the No. 1 seed in the AFC through countless injuries. With everyone back on offense and the pass rush at peak performance for the AFC Divisional Round, the Titans collapsed. It all falls on the shoulders of Ryan Tannehill, conservative coaching and a woeful secondary. Unfortunately for Tennessee, it’s hard to trust any of those areas being fixed this offseason.
7. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals offensive line simply isn’t good enough. Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins did everything humanly possible to carry this team to the Lombardi Trophy. Unfortunately, winning the Super Bowl takes protecting the quarterback and controlling the line of scrimmage. If the Bengals don’t address this glaring Achilles heel this offseason, they won’t even make it back to the AFC Championship Game next year.
6. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys haven’t reached the NFC Championship Game in 25 years and they have three playoff wins during that stretch. Jerry Jones can only tolerate bad coaching for so long. Plain and simple, the Cowboys showed no discipline, fundamentals or composure in another first-round playoff exit. All of that reflects on Mike McCarthy, but he is sticking around along with Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore. We’ll see if the Cowboys can replicate their regular-season success.
5. San Francisco 49ers
There is a chance Trey Lance isn’t who Kyle Shanahan wants him to be. With that said, we just saw the San Francisco 49ers nearly win the NFC Championship Game with an injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Reinforcements from the NFL Draft and a more explosive offense make San Francisco a Super Bowl contender.
4. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers’ best chance at winning a Super Bowl is gone. However, all you need is a great quarterback to get hot and just enough surrounding talent to reach the Super Bowl. That’s exactly why, even if it means sacrificing the future, Green Bay is prepared to do whatever it takes to convince Aaron Rodgers a return is the right move. Had he retired or been traded, Green Bay would have dropped outside the top-20 in our NFL power rankings.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
We saw the best version of the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals. After that, all the issues that haunted this team throughout an inconsistent regular season returned. There are some significant holes on the roster and not much cap space to address them. But as long as Patrick Mahomes rebounds, he gives this team a shot at the Super Bowl every year.
2. Buffalo Bills
Even without Brian Daboll, Josh Allen makes the Buffalo Bills a Super Bowl contender. He nearly carried this team past the Chiefs and likely fell short because of the Tre’Davious White injury earlier in the season. If White stays healthy and Buffalo’s young pass rushers improve, this can be the best team in the AFC.
1. Los Angeles Rams
Blockbuster deals for Matthew Stafford and Jalen Ramsey helped the Los Angeles Rams get to the Super Bowl. With that said, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp are the reason this team is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and celebrating. It’s the perfect end to this incredible story and helps stamp yet another impressive achievement on Donald’s Hall of Fame career.
As for the offseason, the Rams will think about that in a few months but they’ll hope OBJ, Donald and Von Miller return. For now, there’s no doubt who belongs atop the NFL power rankings.
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