NFL Power Rankings: Eagles still team to beat, but usual contenders close behind; Steelers have work to do

The Philadelphia Eagles suffered some hits in free agency on the defensive side of the ball, which led to some concern about their chances to repeat. 

You need not worry. 

They are still loaded, and general manager Howie Roseman always has guys ready to step up and take over key roles. Free agency and the draft have done exactly what was expected: replenish in areas of concern. 

The Eagles, who won the Super Bowl in February in dominating fashion over the Kansas City Chiefs, will head into next season as the favorite to win it all again, and they are the top team right now in my Power Rankings.

That’s despite losing key defensive linemen Josh Sweat (Cardinals) and Milton Williams (Patriots) in free agency, releasing starting cornerback Darius Slay and trading safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to the Texans. That’s four starters from a defense that ravaged Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl who are no longer on the roster.

But the Eagles have young players in Jalyx Hunt to take over for Sweat and Moro Ojomo to take over for Williams. It’s not like the cupboard is bare up front. They also added veteran edge rusher Josh Uche. 

They have two good second-year corners in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and signed former Giants cornerback Adoree’ Jackson. Plus, they like young corner Kelee Ringo. Sydney Brown is expected to get the first shot to take over for Gardner-Johnson, but they also drafted Andrew Mukuba from Texas. 

They will be just fine. 

Prisco’s NFL Draft 2025 grades for every team, including best and worst picks for all 32 franchises

Pete Prisco

The offense, aside from right guard Mekhi Becton, returns intact. The Eagles got former first-round pick Kenyon Green from the Texans in the trade for Gardner-Johnson, so he could be their newest reclamation project like Becton was last year.

The talent is still abundant, which is why the Eagles remain atop the post-draft Power Rankings. The pressure to repeat will intensify as we get closer to the start of the season. That will challenge head coach Nick Sirianni, a guy many Eagles fans wanted axed early last year. By the way, they won’t admit that. Not now anyway.

No team has repeated in the NFC East for 20 years, so even that will be a test. But this Eagles team has the makeup to win the division and maybe even repeat as Super Bowl champs, which we know won’t be easy.

For now, they are the team at the top. 

Biggest Movers

11

Seahawks

1	Eagles	There won’t be a ton of change, very little on offense, which is why they start here at the top. They will have a new offensive coordinator in Kevin Patullo after losing Kellen Moore to the Saints, so that could be an adjustment.	3	14-3-0
2	Chiefs	They made a smart move to address left tackle in free agency and then again in the first round of the draft with Josh Simmons. The line is what held them back last year — as evidenced by the Super Bowl. Getting corner Kristian Fulton will also help, and they had a good draft.	1	15-2-0
3	Bills	They’ve had a good offseason, extending a lot of their own, including Josh Allen, and adding good pieces in free agency in receiver Josh Palmer and edge Joey Bosa. They also had a heck of a draft, getting corner Maxwell Hairston and a bunch of help for the defense.	1	13-4-0
4	Lions	They lost both coordinators to head-coaching jobs, which will be challenging. But they still have a deep roster if they can all stay healthy, which they didn’t do on defense last year.	1	15-2-0
5	Ravens	They brought back left tackle Ronnie Stanley as their free-agent move of choice, which was the right thing to do. They are young and talented and have Lamar Jackson. They will be back in the Super Bowl mix again. The draft was good as usual.	—	12-5-0
6	Commanders	They made a big move to trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil, which will upgrade their line, and then used their first-round pick on tackle Josh Conerly Jr.. They needed to get better in front of Jayden Daniels — and they have.	1	12-5-0
7	Packers	They went into the offseason with questions at corner, receiver and offensive line. They paid Aaron Banks big money to be a left guard, but was that wise? They did add Nate Hobbs to the corner group. Getting receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the draft was big.	1	11-6-0
8	Rams	They brought back Matt Stafford after considering moving him in a trade. Keeping him was the right choice. Adding Davante Adams was a solid move, but they need speed and didn’t add a lot of it in the draft.	1	10-7-0
9	Buccaneers	They brought back a lot of key players, including Chris Godwin and Lavonte David, and they had a really good draft. This team has talent. They will be the favorite in the division.	1	10-7-0
10	Chargers	They were a playoff team last season in Jim Harbaugh’s first as coach, and they’ve had an outstanding offseason. The draft brought a lot of good players, including running back Omarion Hampton, who should put up big numbers in their offense.	1	11-6-0
11	Broncos	They won’t be a surprise team in 2025 like they were last year, but they will be a better team. They’ve made some nice additions in free agency and the draft to continue to build the roster around Bo Nix.	1	10-7-0
12	Bengals	They signed receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase to new deals, which were the key moves for the offseason. The offensive and defensive lines got help in free agency and the draft, which they needed. The change in defensive coordinator from Lou Anarumo to Al Golden will also help.	3	9-8-0
13	Vikings	They’ve improved on both the offensive and defensive lines in free agency and the draft. But this season will be all about quarterback J.J. McCarthy in his first year as the team’s starter. If he’s good, they will be good.	7	14-3-0
14	49ers	They have lost a lot of players, but how many were stars and essential? Not many. They rebuilt the defensive line in the draft, which was a must. They have to stay healthy, but this is a team that still has stars on both sides of the ball.	9	6-11-0
15	Texans	They are rebuilding the offensive line, which needed it. But letting left tackle Laremy Tunsil go might be a move they regret. Then again, can the line be much worse than last year?	1	10-7-0
16	Falcons	They added edge rusher Leonard Floyd in free agency, then drafted Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Their pass-rush problems should be behind them.	1	8-9-0
17	Bears	They improved both lines in free agency, which will help in a big way. They also added a nice pass catcher in tight end Colston Loveland in the draft. Now it’s time for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams to step up and show improvement.	7	5-12-0
18	Cowboys	Brian Schottenheimer takes over as head coach, and the good news is he will have Dak Prescott back healthy after last year’s injury. The Cowboys still have a lot of talent, but Schottenheimer needs to mesh it all together.	3	7-10-0
19	Steelers	As it is now, Mason Rudolph is their starting quarterback. Oh, boy. They better hope Aaron Rodgers wants to play.	6	10-7-0
20	Cardinals	They added much-needed help on the defensive line in free agency and the draft, led by edge rusher Josh Sweat and first-round defensive tackle Walter Nolen. That should help the defense make strides in 2025.	2	8-9-0
21	Jaguars	New head coach Liam Coen faces one big task: Getting Trevor Lawrence right. Trading up in the draft to get Travis Hunter will prove to be a shrewd move. They added nine guys in free agency, including three offensive linemen, which will pay off, too.	7	4-13-0
22	Patriots	New head coach Mike Vrabel and staff added several key free agents on defense, which should improve that side of the ball. The offense got help in the draft. This is all about Drake Maye taking steps forward.	9	4-13-0
23	Jets	Signing Justin Fields to play quarterback is a stop-gap move, but one they had to make. New head coach Aaron Glenn will bring a toughness to a defense that needed it.	3	5-12-0
24	Dolphins	Mike McDaniel has to be heading into a win-or-else season. The Dolphins need Tua Tagovailoa to stay healthy, and the line needs to be better in front of him. They might be the worst team in the division now.	6	8-9-0
25	Colts	They will actually have a quarterback competition between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. Bet you are excited for that one. That could hold this team back.	6	8-9-0
26	Panthers	They made progress late last season with Bryce Young improving. Can they carry that over to this season? They did add some nice pieces in free agency and the draft to help, including first-round receiver Tet McMillan.	6	5-12-0
27	Seahawks	They traded Geno Smith and signed Sam Darnold to play quarterback. He’s younger, but the question is whether he is better. The offensive line should be better with the addition of first-rounder Grey Zabel.	11	10-7-0
28	Raiders	They traded to get Geno Smith to upgrade their quarterback position. It’s certainly upgraded, but how much? Head coach Pete Carroll is reunited with his old Seahawks quarterback. First-round running back Ashton Jeanty will be a nice piece for the offense.	1	4-13-0
29	Browns	This team is all about the quarterback position. Who starts? Is it Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders? Whoever it is, are they good enough?	—	3-14-0
30	Giants	The Giants have options at quarterback with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and first-round pick Jaxson Dart. It has to be better than last year.	—	3-14-0
31	Saints	New head coach Kellen Moore faces a tough challenge trying to get this team turned around. The cap really limited their ability to change the roster. Who plays quarterback?	6	5-12-0
32	Titans	Cam Ward was the first overall pick, and it’s his time to be their franchise guy. They upgraded the offensive line in free agency, which will make it easier on him.	—	3-14-0