Power rankings are like mock drafts. People love to read them, get angry over them and otherwise overreact to them.
Especially when they come out way too early, like, say, in the middle of free agency, when so many moves are left to be made.
That being said, the landscape of the National Football League certainly has shifted over the past few days. Of course, when arguably the greatest quarterback of all time finds a new home — leaving a franchise holding six Super Bowl titles but questions at many roster spots behind — fortunes do seem to be changing. Given all the movement of the past week, what teams are trending up, and what teams are trending down. It’s time for Touchdown Wire’s updated (and still slightly too early) Power Rankings.
RELATED: Touchdown Wire’s pre-free agency power rankings
32. Jacksonville Jaguars
Previous ranking: 26
Key additions: ILB Joe Schobert, DE Rodney Gunter, G Tyler Shatley, DE Lerentee McCray
Change is certainly in the air down in Duval County. A few seasons removed from a run to the AFC Championship Game (and questions around whether Myles Jack’s knee was down) the Jacksonville Jaguars seem to be in rebuild mode. The story of their offseason can be told not through their acquisitions, but through the players who have left town — or might be on their way out. Nick Foles, acquired last offseason, was traded to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round selection. Defensive end Calais Campbell was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a fifth-round selection. Cornerback A.J. Bouye was traded to the Denver Broncos. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue was given the franchise tag, but expectations are high that he will be traded at some point. Put these moves together, and you have a team looking toward the future, not the present.
31. Cincinnati Bengals
Previous ranking: 32
Key additions: DT D.J. Reader, CB Trae Waynes, G Xavier Sua’-Filo, CB Torry McTyer
The Bengals started slowly when the tampering period opened but made some interesting moves to position themselves as the draft approaches. They added D.J. Reader from the Houston Texans, a talented nose tackle who seems to be growing into a force on the interior defensive line. Pairing him with Geno Atkins seems like a defensive coordinator’s dream come true. They added Trae Waynes, who seems to be at his best in man coverage situations and could flourish if used properly. They also used the franchise tag on A.J. Green, working to keep him in the fold for the season ahead.
Oh, and they have the first overall selection and are likely drafting Joe Burrow.
If you take a step back, you can see an offense starting to take shape on paper.
30. Detroit Lions
Previous ranking: 29
Key additions: OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OLB Jamie Collins, QB Chase Daniel, S Duron Harmon, DT Danny Shelton
The Lions have made interesting moves this free agency period, and chances are if you have ever played for the New England Patriots, Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn at least gave you a call to gauge your interest in heading to the Motor City. But some of these moves are genuine head-scratchers. Halapoulivaati Vaitai has potential, but his strength is more as a run blocker and he might need help in pass protection designs. Jamie Collins flashed at times for New England but faded down the stretch, much like their defense did as a whole. Adding to the situation is the fact that Detroit traded away Darius Slay, and the cornerback shed light on a difficult relationship with Patricia on his way to the Philadelphia Eagles, making the seat under the head coach just a few degrees warmer as spring approaches.
29. Washington Redskins
Previous ranking: 30
Key additions: CB Kendall Fuller, G Wes Schweitzer, OLB Thomas Davis, RB J.D. McKissic, FS Sean Davis, QB Kyle Allen, TE Logan Thomas
Washington got involved in the free agency window early, releasing cornerback Josh Norman to free up over $12 million of cap space. Then, when the tampering period began, they were fairly active. Logan Thomas is a very interesting project at the tight end position, an area of need given that Washington released Jordan Reed. Thomas Davis is a veteran linebacker who can help shore up the second level of the defense, and trading for Kyle Allen gives them depth in the quarterback room. Also of note is the fact that Washington placed the franchise tag on guard Brandon Scherff, keeping one of the premier free agent options at that position for another season. Now they can look to the draft and potentially creating a devastating pass rush by pairing Chase Young with Ryan Kerrigan on the edges.
28. Carolina Panthers
Previous Ranking: 31
Key additions: QB Teddy Bridgewater, QB P.J. Walker, WR Robby Anderson, WR Pharoh Cooper, TE Seth DeValve, OLB Tahir Whitehead, OT Russell Okung
Quarterbacks move the needle, and the acquisition of Teddy Bridgewater gives the Carolina Panthers perhaps an answer at that position in the short term. Bridgewater now gets to play under offensive coordinator Joe Brady, reuniting the two; they spent time together in New Orleans when Brady was an offensive assistant with the Saints. His offensive system, deeply rooted in Sean Payton’s West Coast scheme, is an ideal fit for Bridgewater.
In addition to Bridgewater, the Panthers made a few more moves. They acquired Russell Okung in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, giving them a veteran option at the left tackle spot. Pharoh Cooper and Seth DeValve are interesting pieces on the offensive side of the football, and do not overlook P.J. Walker. The face of the XFL showed that he has the athletic ability and prowess outside of the pocket that fit in the modern NFL, and he should also be an ideal fit in Brady’s system. Finally, they added Robby Anderson, perhaps the best wide receiver remaining on the market at a rather reasonable deal for two years. Not a bad start to the Matt Rhule era.
27. New York Jets
Previous ranking: 27
Key additions: OT George Fant, C Connor McGovern, G Josh Andrews, G Greg Van Roten, CB Pierre Desir
Sam Darnold, above, probably feels a bit better about life as free agency continues. The Jets needed to address offensive line, and they threw a lot of spaghetti at the proverbial wall, adding an offensive tackle in George Fant as well as interior options such as Greg Van Roten and Connor McGovern. Fant has potential at the left tackle spot, but some of his best work last season with the Seattle Seahawks was as a tight end/sixth offensive lineman. Van Roten is a solid guard, and McGovern can start at center.
What holds the Jets back are questions about who Darnold will be throwing the football to. Robby Anderson, the Jets’ best offensive threat in 2019, now has a two-year deal with the Panthers. With the 11th overall selection, the Jets could find a receiver in the draft, but that might mean passing on more offensive line help to protect Darnold.
26. Miami Dolphins
Previous ranking: 28
Key additions: CB Byron Jones, OLB Kyle Van Noy, DE Shaq Lawson, DE Emmanuel Ogbah, C/G Ted Karras, FS Adrian Colbert, OLB Elandon Roberts, RB Jordan Howard
The Dolphins entered the offseason with draft capital and money to spend. General manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores have done a solid job so far of spending some of that cap space, bringing in players ideal to run Flores’ man pressure defense. Byron Jones is a great man coverage cornerback, and now Flores has a highly talented duo on the outside with Jones and Xavien Howard. Kyle Van Noy is a Swiss army knife whom Flores knows exactly how to utilize. Howard is a nice complement to Miami’s current crop of running backs, and the duo of Lawson and Ogbah gives Miami pass-rushing help.
The biggest question the Dolphins face now is at quarterback. They still need to get that right before we can call them true winners of the offseason.
25. New York Giants
Previous ranking: 24
Key additions: ILB Blake Martinez, CB James Bradberry, QB Colt McCoy, T Cameron Fleming, WR Corey Coleman
The Joe Judge era began with the New York Giants making key moves on the defensive side of the football. With a need at cornerback, they added James Bradberry, a cornerback with a blend of man and zone coverage skills. Then they added Blake Martinez, a talented young linebacker with pass-rushing skills but perhaps a weakness against the run. That might make his fit in the Giants’ defense a bit of a reach if they are looking at him to be a forward-facing run stuffer. They still have needs as the draft approaches, and while Cameron Fleming is a nice swing tackle, you might expect them to address offensive tackle with the fourth overall selection.