ESPN.com's NFL pre-draft Power Rankings
2013 Power Rankings: Pre-Draft
The Baltimore Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. That's the good news.
The bad news for Baltimore is this: Many of the players who made the team's thrilling playoff run possible are no longer on the roster.
Emotional leader Ray Lewis retired, WR Anquan Boldin was traded, free-agent LBs Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger took money elsewhere, and safety Bernard Pollard was released for cap purposes.
Sure, QB Joe Flacco signed a long-term contract, but that wasn't enough to keep our voters (ESPN.com's John Clayton, ESPN.com's Ashley Fox, NFC East blogger Dan Graziano, AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley and NFC West blogger Mike Sando) from holding the champs down (No. 8) in our offseason hierarchy.
The Seattle Seahawks, fueled by their late 2012 surge and splashy free-agent signings, have claimed the top spot. The Denver Broncos, No. 1 in our previous installment and big free-agent winners (see Welker, Wes), are now No. 3. The busy Kansas City Chiefs (up eight spots) and New Orleans Saints (plus-seven) were the biggest movers overall.
• How they voted | Analysis | Rank 'em | Bloggers
| FAs who can shift NFL power
| RANK | TEAM/RECORD | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|
1 | 11-5 | High-risk, high-reward move for Percy Harvin got voters' attention. (Sando) |
2 | 11-4-1 | Two-time defending NFC West champs can restock with 14 draft choices. (Sando) |
3 | 13-3 | The Elvis Dumervil debacle aside, the Broncos are winning free agency and giving Peyton Manning all he needs to succeed. (Fox) |
4 | 13-3 | Steven Jackson joins Tony Gonzalez in quest to cap great career with a championship. (Sando) |
5 | 12-4 | Danny Amendola for Wes Welker is an upgrade as long as the former Rams slot receiver can stay healthy. (Hensley) |
6 | 11-5 | They were prepared to lose Greg Jennings and can replace him as long as Aaron Rodgers is still in his prime. (Graziano) |
7 | 12-4 | Even though the Texans lost pass-rushers Mario Williams and Connor Barwin in the past two years, they still have enough rush thanks to J.J. Watt. (Clayton) |
8 | 10-6 | The dismantling of the Super Bowl champs has been quick and swift. Six starters are already gone. (Hensley) |
9 | 11-5 | The Colts picked up five starters on defense in free agency and are looking for a few small parts for their offense. (Clayton) |
10 | 10-6 | The Bengals haven't been aggressive in using that salary-cap room, but they've made it a priority to keep their own free agents. (Hensley) |
11 | 10-6 | They finally addressed the offensive line. Opinions abound with regard to how well they actually fixed it. (Graziano) |
12 | 7-9 | Saints will presumably pick up where they left off in 2011, as a good team. (Sando) |
13 | 10-6 | No cap room to rebuild the defense, and no guarantee RG III and his knee will be ready for Week 1. (Graziano) |
14 | 9-7 | No eye-popping pickups, but no crushing losses either. No reason to think they can't go 9-7 again. (Graziano) |
15 | 7-8-1 | Rams have flexibility with two first-round picks after adding Jake Long. (Sando) |
16 | 8-8 | Backups need to step up after the Steelers parted ways with Mike Wallace, James Harrison, Keenan Lewis, Rashard Mendenhall and Casey Hampton. (Hensley) |
17 | 10-6 | Doubt they could have found a better way to replace Percy Harvin than by swiping Greg Jennings from a division rival. (Graziano) |
18 | 8-8 | The switch to a 4-3 scheme could help Sean Lee and Jay Ratliff thrive. But it needs safety support. (Graziano) |
19 | 7-9 | Miami spent $44 million in guaranteed money on Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe. Let's see how much this investment pays off. (Hensley) |
20 | 7-9 | Cam Newton finished strong last season, an encouraging sign for the Panthers. (Sando) |
21 | 7-9 | Buccaneers seem just fine playing along with Darrelle Revis trade speculation. (Sando) |
22 | 4-12 | Busy, busy. Reggie Bush could give them what Jahvid Best's concussions never allowed him to. (Graziano) |
23 | 7-9 | The Chargers have a new regime. Can new coach Mike McCoy get the most out of Philip Rivers? (Fox) |
24 | 2-14 | New coach. New general manager. New quarterback. New hope. That all should be worth six more wins. (Fox) |
25 | 5-11 | The Browns have spent a lot on defense by adding Paul Kruger and Desmond Bryant. Not sure how that improves the 24th-ranked scoring offense. (Hensley) |
26 | 4-12 | Chip Kelly is working on rebuilding the defense, starting with the back end. Still a question mark at QB. (Graziano) |
27 | 6-10 | The Titans needed to be aggressive in free agency. Mike Munchak has to win or else. (Clayton) |
28 | 6-10 | New coach and now a new quarterback. The Ryan Fitzpatrick era is over after a disappointing 20 victories over four seasons. (Hensley) |
29 | 5-11 | Adding Drew Stanton made sense, but won't generate buzz around the Cards. (Sando) |
30 | 4-12 | The Raiders still need to answer the most important question in football: What are they doing at quarterback? (Fox) |
31 | 6-10 | Welcome to the Rex-odus. Seven of the 22 starters from last year's 6-10 team are gone. (Hensley) |
32 | 2-14 | The Jags are moving slowly in free agency, but it still comes down to quarterback play to make them better. (Clayton) |
SPONSORED HEADLINES
NFL BLOG NETWORK
Dolphins' Ellerbe can build own legacy (13 minutes ago)
Tony Dungy earned spot among best (14 minutes ago)
Eli Manning remains Giants' old reliable (about 1 hour ago)
Urlacher would have played for Cowboys (about 2 hours ago)
Vikings: 2013 and done for Jared Allen? (about 1 hour ago)
Packers: Finding ways to use Mike Neal (about 2 hours ago)
Tony Dungy earned spot among best (14 minutes ago)
NFC South links: Sky isn't falling on Saints (about 2 hours ago)
QB matters most, with or without Crabtree (19 minutes ago)
Closer look: Defensive starter projections (about 1 hour ago)
Dolphins' Ellerbe can build own legacy (13 minutes ago)
Only Tom Brady immune to 'Patriot Way' (about 1 hour ago)
AFC North links: Arthur Brown sidelined (about 4 hours ago)
TE Miller cautious on return to Steelers (5/22, 9:08 PM ET)
On Tony Dungy changing player habits (13 minutes ago)
AFC South links: Luck likes OTAs (about 2 hours ago)
AFC West links: Nalen to enter Ring of Fame (about 3 hours ago)
Woodson: Fans' response 'overwhelming' (5/22, 9:02 PM ET)
RECENT UPDATES
- Dolphins' Ellerbe can build own legacy(5/23/2013 1:00 PM ET)
- Tony Dungy earned spot among best(5/23/2013 1:00 PM ET)
- QB matters most, with or without Crabtree(5/23/2013 12:59 PM ET)
- Eli Manning remains Giants' old reliable(5/23/2013 12:05 PM ET)
- Vikings: 2013 and done for Jared Allen?(5/23/2013 12:00 PM ET)

You must be signed in to post a comment