Tag: NFL Rankings

Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 6

Looking at the major metrics, here is where the Chargers stand after Week 6.

The Chargers are now 2-3 after losing to the Cowboys on Monday night.

Now that Week 6 is in the rearview, we now know how the Bolts rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL. Looking at the major metrics, here is where L.A. stands.

Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 4

Looking at the major metrics, here is where the Chargers stand after Week 4.

The Chargers are now .500 after defeating the Raiders on Sunday, 24-17.

Now that Week 4 is in the rearview, we now know how the Bolts rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL. Looking at the major metrics, here is where L.A. stands.

Rams’ roster ranked worst in NFL by ESPN heading into 2023 season

ESPN ranked the Rams’ roster as the worst in the NFL for the 2023 season, largely because of the shaky defense

Wins and losses are determined by more than just the talent on a team’s roster, but that obviously plays a big part in it. That’s not a great sign for the Rams this year because according to ESPN, they have the worst roster in the NFL.

ESPN’s Mike Clay went position by position and ranked every team accordingly, weighing each position based on importance; quarterback is clearly more valuable than running back. In the overall rankings, no team finished lower than the Rams. Not even the Arizona Cardinals, who are widely viewed as the worst team in the NFL for 2023.

Here’s where the Rams ranked at each position:

  • QB: 15
  • RB: 29
  • WR: 25
  • TE: 21
  • OL: 30
  • Interior DL: 11
  • EDGE: 32
  • Off-ball LB: 32
  • CB: 32
  • Safety: 29

It’s clear that the defense is what’s weighing the Rams down in these rankings, finishing third-worst or lower at four of the five spots on that side of the ball. The only exception was the interior D-line, which ranked 11th thanks to Aaron Donald.

There’s no question the Rams are lacking talent at edge rusher, but ranking them last at off-ball linebacker despite having Ernest Jones feels overly critical. The same goes for the cornerback group with Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon emerging as two solid starters.

And putting the wide receivers 25th? Cooper Kupp will be healthy for Week 1 and should return to the form he showed in 2021 and the first half of 2022. Van Jefferson is a capable No. 2, too.

The Rams are unquestionably a bottom-third team in terms of talent, but saying they’re the worst roster in the NFL doesn’t seem accurate.

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Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 4

Taking a look at where the Chargers rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL heading into Week 5. 

Through the first four games of the 2022 regular season, the Chargers sit with a 2-2 record.

While it may seem that they’re not meeting offseason expectations, Los Angeles dealt with significant injuries to key players on both sides of the ball.

With the cards that the Bolts have been dealt, let’s look at where they rank statistically compared to the rest of the NFL heading into Week 5.

NFL executives rank the Rams as the No. 1 team in the NFC

NFL executives see the Rams as the best team in the NFC, with the Packers, Bucs and 49ers close behind

There’s no question the NFC got weaker this year, losing stars such as Russell Wilson, Davante Adams and Matt Ryan to the AFC. The Los Angeles Rams lost key players of their own, including Andrew Whitworth and Von Miller, but they still look like the favorites to win the NFC and represent the conference in the Super Bowl again.

In a poll of executives around the league, they seem to agree. The Athletic asked five NFL executives to rank the teams in the NFC. The Rams received four first-place votes, with only one executive picking them as the second-best team in the conference.

Their average vote ranking was 1.2, the best in the NFC – and ahead of the Packers, Buccaneers and 49ers.

“Their offense is going to score — it’s obvious they have playmakers,” an exec said. “Injuries on defense might be the thing that could derail them, but when you look at their older guys — Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd and now Bobby Wagner — those guys never miss games.”

The Packers were the only other team to receive a first-place vote, also getting three second-place votes and one for third place. Their roster looks far less impressive with Davante Adams gone, however, which is a major concern.

The Bucs had a vote as low as No. 8 in the NFC, which seems like an overreaction to injuries and Tom Brady’s situation. The 49ers had four fourth-place votes and one for third place. Elsewhere in the NFC, the Cardinals were voted the seventh-best team, and the Seahawks ranked 15th in the conference.

Eagles’ Darius Slay was snubbed in an ESPN ranking of the NFL’s top 10 cornerbacks for 2022

Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowler Darius Slay was snubbed in an ESPN ranking of the NFL’s top 10 cornerbacks for 2022

The NFL is a high-powered passing league and to be successful as an NFL franchise, you need one or two dynamic cornerbacks on defense to balance things out.

With training camps around the league starting to begin over the next few weeks, ESPN has polled coaches, players, and executives to rank the best players at critical positions.

Philadelphia had no players make the top-10 list at edge rusher, defensive tackle, and now cornerback after Darius Slay was left off the list, landing on the honorable mentions list.

Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles: Slay is a nine-year vet who made his fourth Pro Bowl in 2021, and, like White, he was a fixture in the rankings the past two years. But he has 15 pass deflections since joining Philadelphia two years ago. “His ability has held up pretty well. I don’t feel like he’s lost a major step [at age 31],” an AFC scout said. “Love Slay. I would take others ahead of him due to ball production.”

Jalen Ramsey landed at No. 1 on the list, followed by Marshon Lattimore (Saints), Jaire Alexander (Packers), Xavien Howard (Dolphins), and J.C. Jackson (Dolphins.)

Slay’s omission was based on his lack of ball production, and even after logging two interceptions for touchdowns last season, Trevon Diggs took the boom or bust approach, and other cover guys have caused the Eagles cornerback to slide down the rankings.

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NFL power rankings: Who lands at No. 1 after the 2022 draft?

Now that the dust has settled from the 2022 NFL draft, how do all 32 teams stack up heading into next season?

The 2022 NFL draft gave all 32 teams a chance to reload their rosters in the hope of pursuing the Super Bowl in the upcoming season, but which teams actually put themselves at the top of the heap?

The Los Angeles Rams took home the Lombardi Trophy last season, but didn’t have a single pick among the top 100 selections in this year’s draft, due to previous trades that helped them win the title.

Will that leave the top spot up for grabs heading into the 2022 season?

Here are the latest NFL power rankings following this year’s draft, courtesy of Peter King at NBC Sports:

Rams come in at No. 3 on ESPN’s FPI rankings for 2022

ESPN used its Football Power Index to rank every team in the NFL and the Rams came in near the top

Repeating as Super Bowl champions is difficult to do, but the Los Angeles Rams have a decent shot to do exactly that in 2022. They have the third-best odds to win it all next season, behind only the Bills and Buccaneers – two teams they’ll face during the regular season.

When it comes to ESPN’s Football Power Index, only two teams rank higher than the Rams: the Bills and Packers.

Seth Walder of ESPN shared the latest FPI rankings, which is based on how much better (or worse) a team is predicted to be than an average team in terms of points. The Rams are expected to be 7.7 points better than an average team on a neutral field, slightly ahead of the Chiefs, Bucs and Cowboys.

That’s an indication of how highly ESPN’s model views the Rams. And when it comes to Super Bowl chances, the Bills have a 7% chance to win it all, followed by the Rams – who also have a 7% chance; decimal places likely separated the two.

What’s working in the Rams’ favor is a weaker NFC, which should make it easier for them to at least get back to the Super Bowl. Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Matt Ryan, Khalil Mack and Chandler Jones are among the top players that left the NFC for the AFC, strengthening the opposing conference – particularly the AFC West.

That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for the Rams to win the NFC again, but ESPN’s predictive model likes their odds.

Former LSU Tigers receiver Justin Jefferson among NFL’s top 10 outside receivers

According to Touchdown Wire, former LSU Tigers WR Justin Jefferson proved to be one of the 10 best outside threats after one season.

During his two seasons as a starter for the LSU Tigers, Justin Jefferson was one of the more productive receivers in all of college football. During his junior campaign, he and Joe Burrow were quite a pair as they helped lead LSU to a national championship and a perfect 15-0 campaign in 2019. He finished third in the nation with 1,540 yards and second on the team to Ja’Marr Chase.

Heading into the NFL, he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings who traded away their top pass catcher in Stephon Diggs. No one could foresee just how much of an impact the rookie receiver would make.

According to Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield, Jefferson is the No. 8 outside receiver in the league. Quite an accomplishment after just one season catching passes from Kirk Cousins in Minneapolis.

In the run-up to the 2020 NFL draft, there were some who looked at LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson and questioned his value in the first round. Why? Because the LSU Tigers used him almost exclusively out of the slot in his final year in college, with tremendous results. But is a slot receiver worthy of a first round pick?

Absolutely, when he also has the ability to play on the outside, as some argued.

Jefferson had a huge rookie season, catching 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns. Those receiving yards set a record for rookie WRs, and he was also named to a Pro Bowl for his efforts. As you’ll see in these videos, Jefferson is already among the game’s best thanks to his combination of footwork, releases and concentration. – Schofield

Heading into year two of his NFL career, Jefferson is looking to build upon the impressive rookie campaign. He joined fellow teammate Adam Thielan as two of the best outside receivers in the league. Can the duo bring Minnesota back to the top of the NFC North in 2021?

PFF ranks Rams’ roster outside top 10, lower than Broncos and Washington

Pro Football Focus isn’t as high on the Rams’ roster as some others are ahead of the draft.

On paper, the Los Angeles Rams look like one of the best teams in football. They now have a proven veteran at quarterback, a solid offensive line, an elite secondary and this guy named Aaron Donald.

There are unquestionably still some holes to fill before the season, but as of now, the Rams look as good as anyone.

Pro Football Focus doesn’t exactly agree with that sentiment, however. PFF’s Anthony Treash ranked every team’s roster ahead of the 2021 NFL draft and the Rams weren’t in the top five, nor were they even in the top 10.

And perhaps most surprisingly, they were slotted lower than the Broncos and Washington. The Rams came in at No. 11, one spot behind the San Francisco 49ers.

Had the Rams re-signed safety John Johnson III and slot corner Troy Hill over edge defender Leonard Floyd, they’d be a few spots higher on this list. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald might just be the best player at his position the NFL has ever seen. He has generated 2.95 WAR since 2014, a full win more than any other interior defensive lineman and two wins more than all but seven players at the position.

In the secondary, the Rams still feature a quality outside cornerback duo in Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams. They ranked third and sixth, respectively, in WAR generated in 2020. On offense, Los Angeles traded for quarterback Matthew Stafford, who will add a downfield passing element. He’ll have Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp at his disposal, both of whom rank inside the top 30 in WAR generated since 2019. Los Angeles could still stand to add to its receiving unit, though.

Their free-agent losses will definitely hurt. It’ll be difficult to replace Troy Hill and John Johnson in the secondary, as well as Morgan Fox, Austin Blythe and even Michael Brockers, whom they traded to Detroit.

But to rank the Rams lower than Denver and Washington, neither of which have surefire starters at quarterback and more roster holes than Los Angeles, is questionable. The Broncos shockingly came in at No. 6, with Washington two spots lower at No. 8. Yes, there is the draft and the Rams lack a first-round pick unlike Denver and Washington, but the Rams are Super Bowl contenders right now before even adding any rookies. The same can’t be said about the other two teams.

The Broncos do have a great secondary, Von Miller and a promising receiving corps led by Jerry Jeudy. And Washington has a borderline elite defense, as well as Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Antonio Gibson on offense. But from top to bottom, it’s hard to argue either team looks better than the Rams.

At the top of the list were the Buccaneers, followed by the Browns, Chiefs, Packers and Bills to round out the top five. The Seahawks were ranked 13th, with Arizona at No. 14. So all four NFC West teams were represented in the top 14, which shows how tough the division will be.