power rankings – Syndication Server

Chiefs earn top spot in PFF’s pre-draft power rankings

The #Chiefs earned the top spot in Pro Football Focus’ pre-draft power rankings.

The Kansas City Chiefs earned the top spot in Pro Football Focus’ pre-draft power rankings this week, solidifying their role as the team to beat in the NFL before the 2024 season.

NFL Power Rankings before the NFL Draft 📊 pic.twitter.com/Dng3buC90z

— PFF (@PFF) April 23, 2024

The San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles round out the top five behind Kansas City, setting expectations for next season’s playoffs.

As defending Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs seem uniquely positioned to complete their title three-peat next February, but are sure to face fierce opposition in the 2024 regular season.

Kansas City has had a target on its back since winning its first Super Bowl of the Patrick Mahomes era back in 2020. Now, after earning three titles in five seasons, every team in the NFL is preparing to knock off the Chiefs to ensure that the league’s newest dynasty doesn’t stay put at No. 1 in the power rankings for long.

Stay tuned to see if Kansas City’s position on PFF’s list changes after the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jets right in middle of latest Touchdown Wire power rankings

The Jets have a good-looking roster. On paper. Of course, football is not played on paper. There are valid injury concerns with the Jets and how all the new pieces will gel together. In some ways, the Jets are a tough team to project. That’s exactly why Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey has the Jets right smack in the middle of his latest power rankings, checking in at No. 16.

The Jets are such a difficult team to project. Defensively, they’ll be good, but how good will Aaron Rodgers be? Even so, they did bring in multiple new offensive linemen, which was much needed after the tumultuous year they had. With all the uncertainty surrounding Rodgers and how he’ll bounce back, though, they get placed directly in the middle.

As a note, these rankings came out before the Jets acquired edge-rusher Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles, so it will be interesting to see how that addition changes the Jets’ outlook in some of these power rankings. But for now, right in the middle feels about right. They certainly look much better than last season, but there’s valid worry about a 40-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles injury. However, the protection in front of him should be much better and the weapons are improved with the addition of wide receiver Mike Williams.

At the very least, the Jets should be in playoff contention and be in a three-horse race with the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins for the AFC East title.

Broncos ranked as league’s 3rd-worst team in NFL power rankings

Touchdown Wire’s latest NFL power rankings have the Broncos listed as the third-worst team in the league.

In his post-free agency NFL power rankings for Touchdown Wire, Jarrett Bailey has the Denver Broncos ranked 30th, making them the third-worst team in the league by his estimation.

This was Bailey’s commentary on Denver’s ranking:

“Everyone knows I’m in over my head
Over my head
With eight seconds left in overtime
She’s on your mind, she’s on your mind”

I imagine Sean Payton relating to that song pretty well right now (the cover by A Day To Remember, not the original by The Fray, but that’s neither here nor there). The only difference is the “she” that’s on his mind is actually a “he” in the form of a franchise quarterback he hopes to land in this year’s draft as Denver continues to pay Russell Wilson to not be there.

Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs are ranked No. 1, the Los Angeles Chargers are No. 20 and the Las Vegas Raiders are No. 27.

The New York Giants are ranked No. 32 (last). To view the complete post-free agency NFL power rankings, visit Touchdown Wire.

Follow the Broncos Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Falcons crack top 10 in TD Wire’s post-free agency power rankings

The Falcons crack the top 10 in Touchdown Wire’s post-free agency power rankings

No team made a bigger splash over the first two weeks of NFL free agency than the Atlanta Falcons. On the first day of the new league year, the team signed former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal with $100 million in guarantees.

After missing the playoffs for six straight seasons, the Falcons will look to Cousins to end their postseason drought and maximize the team’s offensive weapons, including Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson.

While Atlanta still has needs on the defensive side of the ball, the team holds three picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL draft to address them. So where do the Falcons currently rank after adding Cousins to the roster?

Atlanta was listed as the No. 7 team in the NFL in Touchdown Wire’s post-free agency power rankings:

The Falcons saw the roster they had at hand, and went out to get their quarterback to bring it all together. Adding Kirk Cousins to an offense that already had a skill group of Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson, plus a defense that was fifth in success rate, makes Atlanta a team that can contend for a Super Bowl. — Jarrett Bailey, Touchdown Wire

While it does feel odd to see the team ranked in the top 10 after so many consecutive years of mediocrity, however, you could argue that Atlanta was a quarterback away from winning the NFC South in 2023.

The team didn’t lose any major players in free agency and there’s still time to upgrade on defense. The Falcons would benefit from re-signing veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell, assuming he doesn’t retire.

Atlanta is potentially one good draft away from becoming an actual contender in the NFC.

NFL power rankings: Where do the Bucs land after free agency?

See where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers land in the latest NFL power rankings following the early waves of free agency

NFL free agency has slowed to a crawl, as most of the big-name signings have already taken place throughout the league.

Most of the Tampa Buccaneers’ marquee moves involved re-signing their own pending free agents, including wide receiver Mike Evans, linebacker Lavonte David, and quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Are those moves enough to have them back in the playoff hunt in 2024 after four straight trips to the postseason?

If the latest NFL power rankings from Jarrett Bailey at Touchdown Wire are any indication, perhaps not.

Bailey has the Bucs at No. 21 in his rankings, clearly unimpressed with what they’ve done in the offseason so far:

Tip of the cap to Baker Mayfield for getting paid after the best year of his career and his second career playoff win. I do question if the Bucs can repeat that success, though, especially without Dave Canales. At the very least, they’ll be competitive week in and week out. At most, they’ll be a playoff team once again.

It’s strange to see the Bucs so low on this list, considering they’re currently riding a three-year streak as NFC South champions, and a four-year streak of playoff appearances. Most of their key players are back on both sides of the ball, and last year’s impressive rookie class should make an even bigger impact this season.

The change in offensive coordinators is obviously notable, but the fact that Mayfield has already worked with Liam Coen before, as well as his experience under some of the coordinators that also had Canales on their staff, means the transition shouldn’t be too difficult.

To check out the full NFL power rankings at Touchdown Wire, click here.

[lawrence-related id=86077]

Cardinals near bottom of post-free agency power rankings

The Cardinals rank only 26th in the first power rankings after the start of free agency.

Last offseason, the Arizona Cardinals were almost universally considered as having either the worst or tied for the worst roster in the NFL. They only won four games but finished strong.

After a few moves in free agency, they not yet viewed as a competitor entering the new season.

Jarrett Bailey for Touchdown Wire has new offseason power rankings, stacking up all 32 NFL teams after a week of free agency.

The Cardinals are not far from the bottom at No. 26.

The Cardinals lost arguably their best receiver in Hollywood Brown, who is now in Kansas City. They didn’t make any massive splashes in free agency, and it just feels like they are waiting for the draft, where they have a lot of capital. They look like a prime trade candidate for a team looking to move inside the top five for a quarterback. If the Cardinals can land another king’s ransom and turn that trade into a quality No. 1 receiver, as well as keep hammering away at their other needs, they’ll be a scrappy team similar to what they were in 2023.

It is true that they look bad at receiver. Only Zach Pascal has had a 600-yard season and he only caught four passes in 2023.

However, the defense, which was the worst or near the worst in almost every single metric, has gotten better talent-wise.

Is the ranking fair for now? Yeah, probably. But they should be a middling team when all is said and done.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Sub scribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

How far did LSU fall in On3 national baseball power rankings after series loss at Mississippi State

The Tigers will look to bounce back against Florida at home this weekend.

LSU entered SEC play over the weekend riding high.

Coach Jay Johnson’s team was universally ranked second in the nation with just two losses on the year, and it began the week with a pair of easy midweek wins against North Dakota State.

But in their first SEC series of the season, the Tigers dropped two of three on the road against Mississippi State in Starkville, including a 15-5 run-rule defeat on Sunday.

With that loss, LSU is taking a bit of a tumble in On3’s national baseball power rankings from Jonathan Wagner. On3 previously concurred with the polls and had the Tigers at No. 2, but they’ve now fallen two spots to No. 4.

LSU was on a roll entering this past weekend, but lost on Friday and Sunday at Mississippi State to drop their first series of SEC play. The Tigers were even run-ruled in Sunday’s rubber match. Even after an off weekend, though, LSU does not fall far. While there might be more questions about this team than last year’s College World Series winning squad, the Tigers are likely to remain as one of the nation’s top teams. They’ll look to show that this weekend at home against Florida.

Next up is a home series against a Florida team that ranks sixth and is coming off a series win over a Texas A&M team that was previously undefeated and ranked in the top five.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Early Big Ten ranking brings loads of intrigue and uncertainty

The new look Big Ten conference brings a lot of intrigue heading into the 2024 season. The early power rankings breaks down what you should expect early on.

Spring practice is kicking off all across college football, getting everyone super excited for the 2024 season. The Big Ten conference is one that is going to be very interesting, especially with its new look and additions. That makes it a pretty difficult one to predict, but it is still fun to try and do so.

In a recent series, we ranked each 2024 Big Ten squad heading into the new season. If you missed any part of the series, you can find it HERE. The season promises to be one for the ages, the first of its kind. Get ready for all the possibilities to be on the table.

Can Michigan repeat? Is Ohio State for real? Can Oregon or Washington crash the party? Only time will tell.

Full Big Ten Rankings

Florida falls out of CBS Sports power rankings after losing to Vanderbilt

The Vandy loss sent the Gatos packing in CBS Sports’ power rankings.

A strong second-half surge by the Florida basketball team came to a screeching halt on Saturday as the Gators failed to finish the season on a high note. Instead, the Vanderbilt Commodores eked out a 79-78 victory on its home floor to give Todd Golden’s team their only Quadrant 3 loss this season.

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish has been tracking the top teams in college basketball this season with his top 25-and-one power rankings, which had the Orange and Blue at No. 25 in the previous update. Now, thanks to the defeat at the hands of the second-worse team record-wise in the Southeastern Conference, Florida is no longer among the upper echelon of schools in his rankings.

The Gators are a No. 6 seed in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, giving it a first-round bye and matching the Gators up with the winner of Game 2 on Thursday, March 14, inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Tipoff is slated for a late 9:30 p.m. ET start on the SEC Network.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida flies into CBS Sports’ college basketball power rankings

More and more national publications are taking note at what’s cooking in Gainesville.

Todd Golden and the Gators are flying high as the end of the regular season draws near, riding a streak of success that has given Florida a meteoric rise from a Southeastern Conference afterthought to a top-25 team.

One of the latest publications to praise the Orange and Blue for its success over the past several weeks is CBS Sports, whose staff writer David Cobb included Golden’s gang in his college basketball power rankings.

In his previous update Florida was unranked, but this time around, he has the Gators all the way up at No. 13 in his 20-team field, sitting between the No. 12 Marquette Golden Eagles and No. 14 BYU Cougars.

“Florida put its elite potential on display again Tuesday in a 105-87 win over Alabama,” Cobb notes. “That result, along with victories over Auburn and Kentucky, show what the Gators are capable of. This is a potential dark horse for the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.”

Florida wraps up its regular-season schedule on Saturday, March 9, in Nashville as the Gators travel for a rematch with the Vanderbilt Commodores. Tipoff is slated for 4:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.