The NFL offseason has been arguably the craziest in league history. There have been ground-breaking trades and massive free agency signings, mostly in the AFC.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded for Davante Adams. The Los Angeles Chargers traded for Khalil Mack. The Cleveland Browns traded for Deshaun Watson. The Denver Broncos traded for Russell Wilson. On Wednesday, the madness continued as the Miami Dolphins traded for six-time Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill. There has never been an arms race like this all in once conference. I'm sure Tom Brady is smiling over in the NFC.
You can make the argument that 12 of the NFL's top 15 teams are in the AFC.
So, let's reveal our AFC Top-12 Power Rankings.
AFC Top-12 Power Rankings
12. PITTSBURGH STEELERS
I could have easily made the case for New England here. But they only got worse this offseason, while Pittsburgh at least addressed some need. They signed Mitchell Trubisky to play quarterback. Trubisky is not great, but should be an improvement over the dead-armed statue that was called Ben Roethlisberger last season.
11. BALTIMORE RAVENS
The Baltimore Ravens are coming off one of the more injury-plagued seasons you will ever see. Injuries cannot be predicted. So let's assume they are much healthier next season. They still lack explosiveness outside of Lamar Jackson. The defense is inconsistent. Baltimore has not made any noise in free agency and therefore fall in the power rankings.
10. TENNESSEE TITANS
Yeah, I know, I know. This was the top seed in the AFC last season. How could I have them falling this far. It's simple. I think they played better than they actually were. I believe the Colts have the better roster in the division, and it might not even be close. If they don't win the AFC South, I don't believe they will make the playoffs. Here's a hint, I am not picking them to win the AFC South.
9. CLEVELAND BROWNS
This is arguably the toughest call. If Deshaun Watson actually plays all season, the Browns could be the best team in the AFC. There is little doubt they have a top-3 roster in the entire NFL. They have an elite running game, a Pro Bowl level wideout, good secondary weapons, and a very good defense. The only thing missing was a competent quarterback. Watson is competent on the field. But that's not the concern. New reports are that even Watson is not out of the criminal woods yet, never mind the 22 civil suits.
8. MIAMI DOLPHINS
Miami takes a big leap on this list after the trade for Tyreek Hill. Hill might be the most explosive player the Dolphins have ever had in their franchise history. Undoubtedly, Hill will help this offense. The Dolphins also added offensive line help and a couple of good running backs in Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert.
Tua Tagovailoa is still limited as a quarterback, otherwise, they would be even higher on this list.
The Colts were somewhat similar to that of the Browns in the AFC. They have one of the best overall rosters in the NFL. But Carson Wentz's inconsistent play hurt the team drastically. Enter the 2016 NFL MVP, Matt Ryan. Ryan's best years are clearly behind him. But he is still highly skilled and will be playing on a team that should have a lead much of the time. He was constantly playing from behind the last few years in Atlanta. That changes play-calling, ability to have time to throw, etc. He is the perfect fit and should help elevate the Colts to win the AFC South.
6. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
The Raiders got a taste of the playoffs for only the second time over the last 19 years. They clearly liked the taste. Las Vegas added a second elite pass rusher with Chandler Jones. He and Maxx Crosby will be one of the best pass-rushing tandems in football. Then they shocked everyone by trading for Davante Adams. Derek Carr now has weapons everywhere. The only reason I didn't have the Raiders higher is that the biggest weakness of the team last year was the secondary. That's one area they have not improved upon and was exposed badly by our next team on this list last year.
The only reason Kansas City is this high for me is because of how high I regard Patrick Mahomes. I believe he is the most talented quarterback I have ever seen. He's not the best, we all know who that is. But he is the most talented. Juju Smith-Schuster will likely have a rebound year and with all the picks they received from the Tyreek Hill trade, they should find another receiver in this deep WR draft.
4. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
The Chargers are another team that you can make the argument easily has a top-5 roster. They are loaded all over the field. Justin Herbert, since day one in the NFL, you could just see ‘this guy has IT.' Herbert has Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams as weapons. Last year, the biggest issue was their defense couldn't get off the field. Los Angeles aggressively addressed that. They traded for future Hall of Fame linebacker/defensive lineman Khalil Mack. Then they signed Pro Bowl cornerback J.C. Jackson. The Chargers could have topped this list. But until this organization can stop stepping on its toes, I can't place them any higher.
I do not expect the Bengals to suffer a Super Bowl hangover. Last season was not an aberration. Joe Burrow is legit, we all know it. The offense has weapons everywhere including Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon. But we all saw in the Super Bowl what the team's biggest weakness was. Their offensive line was god awful. Everyone knew it going into the game and it came to fruition, costing them a title. So, what did they do this offseason? To the Bengals credit, they addressed it. Cincinnati signed OT La'El Collins, C Ted Karras and OG Alex Cappa. According to Pro Football Focus, those three are massive upgrades over what they had last season, each ranking near the top of the league in their respective positions.
2. DENVER BRONCOS
Some people might think I'm going out on a limb putting Denver this high, but I don't think so. Russell Wilson is a culture-changer. He's already working with his new weapons.
He's a leader and he is an excellent football player. Randy Gregory joining Bradley Chubb gives Denver an elite pass rush. Their secondary was already one of the best in the league. The trio of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick is top-10. But what truly separates Denver from the rest of the AFC West is both their ability willingness to run the football. Javonte Williams is a breakout star in the making. Mark my words.
The Buffalo Bills once again will be loaded on both sides of the ball. But in the deep AFC, it's possible the biggest reason I am placing them as the team earning the first-round bye is the fact that they don't play in the AFC West. I don't think Buffalo's defense will be as dominant as it was in 2021. But their schedule should allow them to claim the top spot. No one circles the wagons like… well, you know the rest.
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