Final NFL Power Rankings of 2022-2023 |
The 2022 NFL season is now over, and what a wild season it has been thus far. The playoffs were entertaining, and the season was topped off with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.
The offseason is next — and has already begun with retirements, releases, coaching hires, and more. With a lot of free agents, cap space, and trades to be anticipated as well — but before all of that, here are the final power rankings of the season with the offseason on deck. *We decided to explain the top 16 and the Bears* 1. Kansas City Chiefs 14-3 - SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS: Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs turned a rocky start into a dominating end of the season. Despite losing Tyreek Hill before last season, the Chiefs still dominated the AFC West and won their second Super Bowl in four seasons. Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns and won his second MVP. The defense stepped up, Travis Kelce was phenomenal, and the Chiefs have cemented themselves as the NFL’s next dynasty. 2. Philadelphia Eagles 14-3 - NFC CHAMPIONS: Philadelphia was one of the league’s best teams from start to finish. A dominating pass rush, a veteran offensive line, all pros all over the field, and a newly added AJ Brown gave Jalen Hurts all of the tools needed to make the leap from talented to top-5 QB in the league. The Eagles lost the Super Bowl to the Chiefs but are still loaded with talent, and should be considered favorites to return to the pinnacle next season. The roster truly does not have many holes. They are NFC East champs as look to control that division for now. 3. San Francisco 49ers 13-4 - NFC WEST CHAMPS: San Francisco has one of the most talented rosters in the sport, and rode their best players to another NFC Championship appearance. The 49ers had had a topsy-turvy season, losing newly named starting QB Trey lance in week 1 — and Jimmy Garoppolo later on in the season. But that never stopped the 49ers from winning. Whether it’s Lance, Garropolo, Brock Purdy, or somebody else at QB next year, the fact of the matter is the 49ers are absolutely loaded, and Christian McCaffrey being acquired nearly makes them a team of no weakness. Keep an eye on the NFC West Champs to repeat in 2023. 4. Cincinnati Bengals 12-4 - AFC NORTH CHAMPS: The Bengals were the AFC’s representative in the Super Bowl two years ago, and made it to the AFC Championship again this year, led by Joe Burrow. It’s not always pretty, but the Bengals just win games — and the way their roster is constructed, expect them to continue to do just that. They have won the AFC North two years in a row, and it is Burrow’s division, not Lamar’s. 5. Buffalo Bills 13-3 - AFC EAST CHAMPS: The Bills are one of the league’s best teams and had a heartbreaking end to the postseason now three years in a row. The defense took a step back in 2022, but Josh Allen is still one of the league’s best QBs and leads one of the league’s best offenses. With a few moves to shore up the defensive line, the Bills should once again be favorites to come out of the AFC and win their fourth straight AFC East Title. 6. Dallas Cowboys 12-5 Dallas has one of the best defenses in the league, but can not seem to get over the offensive hump. Nonetheless, the team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The fact of the matter is, though, that as long as the Eagles look the way they do, Dallas will be playing for the Wild Card for the foreseeable future. Prescott is getting paid QB1 money, it’s time for him to play like it as well. 7. Jacksonville Jaguars 9-8 - AFC SOUTH CHAMPS Trevor Laurence is showing everybody in the NFL why he was selected with the number one overall pick in 2021. The talented QB led the Jaguars to a division championship and a playoff win — and look primed to only get better as a team. The defense needs some help to take the next step, but the AFC South is Jacksonville’s division to lose for what feels like the first time ever. 8. Los Angeles Chargers 10-7: The Chargers may have been one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams. They added Khalil Mack and Jc Jackson to a defense that got a healthy Derwin James and Joey Bosa back in 2022 but struggled. On offense, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams battled injuries, as did Justin Herbert, so the offense became Austin Ekeler-dependent. But as the offseason approaches, LA should still be one of the league’s most talented teams in the near future. The division they are in still runs through the Chiefs, but the Chargers are contenders as of today. 9. Detroit Lions 9-8: The Lions were one of the best stories in the NFL this season. Despite faltering to 1-6 out of the gate, the Lions finished 9-8. They are loaded with young talent and might need a QB change before they are TRUE contenders, but the Lions should be expected to be a playoff contender in the near future. They have a confident coach and young playmakers on both sides of the field. Keep an eye on the Lions moving forward. 10. Baltimore Ravens 10-7: Baltimore has one of the league’s strongest rosters, but they spent most of 2021 and 2022 as the most injured team in the sport. But this team has speed all over the field, on both sides of the ball, and they know their identity. Led by an MVP in Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have the recipe for success — they just need to stay healthy. While it is a big unknown whether or not Lamar Jackson will be staying with the Ravens, should he stay, the Ravens should be primed to contend in the division and the entire AFC next season. The Ravens need some help on offense, but they are close. 11. Minnesota Vikings 13-4 - NFC NORTH CHAMPS: With an offensive-minded head coach and the best wide receiver in football, the Minnesota Vikings looked like legit contenders this season. The offense is aging, and Kirk Cousins is capable certainly but has some limitations that have held teh Vikings back — but the major problem, is the Vikings' defense can’t stop anybody. The Vikings were absurdly lucky in one-score games, which is a trend that will not stick around in the future. The Vikings had a great season, but they may take a step back in 2023 while the rest of the NFC North is expected to get better. They are the reigning NFC North Champions, though. 12. Miami Dolphins 9-8: The question surrounding the Miami Dolphins is how good can Tua be, because the offense that features Tyreek Hill, Jalen Waddle, and Raheem Mostert is loaded with speed. Tua looked great early on, but a few scary head injuries not only jeopardized his career but also the Dolphins' 2022 season. At the end of the day, they are one of the most exciting teams in football — and a healthy, capable QB can certainly make them contenders. 13. New York Giants 9-7-1: The New York Giants shocked the football world and earned a playoff berth. Led by a resurgent Saquan Barkley and stout defense, the Giants were able to beat the Titans, Panthers, Bears, Packers, and Ravens in the early going. They have a good coach, and they may need an upgrade at QB — but the Giants are trending in the right direction to become contenders year after year in the NFC. While the Giants may lose Barkley in free agency and take a step back, there are good vibes in New York for sure. 14. Green Bay Packers 8-9: Green Bay is the biggest question mark on our rankings, mostly because we have no idea where Aaron Rodgers will be playing in 2023. The Packers certainly have some holes — their defense was expected to be one of the league’s best in 2022 but battled injuries, and their offense was missing a dynamic playmaker. With Rodgers on the team, that should be enough to land them in the top-15. Should he move on to a different team, they would almost instantly become a top-15 team as well. 15. New York Jets 7-10: While they did not make the playoffs, the Jets' 2022 season was their best in years. It was their best season since 2017, and the defense was the best it's been since 2009. The Jets are loaded with young talent on both sides of the ball: including sweeping Rookie of the Year honors for both offense and defense (Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner). The team feels like they are just a QB away from truly contending with the Bills for the division — this offseason will be a fun one to watch for the Jets. 16. Pittsburgh Steelers 9-8: This may come as a surprise, but the Steelers are in our top half of the league. There is no secret they boast one of the league’s best defenses, the offense played much better down the stretch. The Steelers won six of seven games to end the season, and Kenny Pickett began to come into his own. They may need some help on the offensive line and to open up the run game for Najee Harris — but the Steelers should not be a team that other teams are looking forward to playing in 2023. 17. Seattle Seahawks 9-8 18. New England Patriots 8-9 19. Los Angeles Rams 5-12 20. Washington Commanders 8-8-1 21. Cleveland Browns 7-10 22. New Orleans Saints 7-10 23. Carolina Panthers 7-10 24. Tennessee Titans 7-10 25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-9 26. Atlanta Falcons 7-10 27. Chicago Bears 3-14 The Bears went into the season with a new coach, a new general manager, a new staff, and a quarterback who many expected to take the next step. Justin Fields did that in a lot of people’s eyes, and now it’s just time for the Bears to upgrade the offensive line and build around Justin Fields, and finally show some promise on the field. The Bears finished the season with the league’s worst record despite impressive wins over the 49ers and Patriots and nice offensive showings against Dallas, Miami, and Minnesota. The Bears have the number one pick and loads of cap space, which puts them ahead of some teams already — but the fact of the matter is we can not raise the Bears any higher on this list until we see the Bears show some improvement, on paper or on the field. 28. Las Vegas Raiders 6-11 29. Denver Broncos 5-12 30. Arizona Cardinals 4-13 31. Indianapolis Colts 4–12-1 32. Houston Texans 3–13-1
