Post 2022 NFL Draft Power Rankings: 21-32
The final part of these power rankings include those teams that most likely aren’t going to be high in the standings. However, the NFL is full of surprises as the Bengals last season were projected to finish as a bottom five team. With these teams, they consist of rosters with glaring issues or not the type of talent to compete with. Let’s break it down.
#21: New York Jets
A team definitely on an upwards swing would be the New York Jets. In the draft, they added Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Jeremy Ruckert to their offense, as all three should have the opportunity to start this season. On the offensive line, they added to it in free agency by signing Laken Tomlinson to play on the interior. Looking at the other side of the ball, the Jets added Jeramine Johnson II and Sauce Gardner in the draft, who both should be instant impact players.
Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner has high expectations in New York.
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In free agency, they signed Jordan Whitehead and D.J. Reed to help create a secondary head coach Robert Salah will love to work with. What holds the Jets back is the uncertainty of their front seven and their quarterback play. Quinnen Williams was not his dominant self in 2021, and the linebacking core outside of C.J. Mosley isn’t desirable. However, Zach Wilson’s second season can be a big indicator of the success this team sees. With all the weapons in place and the talent he possesses, can Wilson rebound from a rather unimpressive rookie campaign?
#22: New England Patriots
Despite making the playoffs last season, the Patriots didn’t make enough improvement to view them higher than 22 on these power rankings. Is this team bad? Not at all. However, the Patriots roster is rather average. On top of losing their longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels this offseason, they also parted ways with J.C. Jackson, Shaq Mason and Dont'a Hightower.
Offensively, they return a similar unit now featuring newly-acquired wideout DeVante Parker. A player who hasn’t necessarily been healthy in the NFL, if Parker can stay healthy he might prove to be a valuable weapon for Mac Jones. The defensive unit is also a similar unit, but the absence of J.C. Jackson will be irreplaceable. Belichick remains one of the best coaches of all time, hard to count him out but it doesn’t look promising.
#23: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers enter this season in the post-Roethlisberger era as they might have found the heir apparent in Kenny Pickett. However, a rookie quarterback who wasn’t a top prospect doesn’t make the outlook of this season look extremely promising. Pickett isn’t necessarily bad, but rather we don’t know what he’s going to be yet. The weapons he has around him are good though, as Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Pat Freiermuth should make his job easier.
The offensive line is a bottom half of the league unit, as both tackle positions are below average starters. The Steelers defense though is still going to be a problem for opposing offenses. The defense still has a clear weakness, as the cornerback room does not have a clear
number one. The Steelers will be a tough out game in game out, but the other teams in the division remain superior.
#24: Washington Commanders
The newly-named Commanders head into next season with Carson Wentz now projected as their starting quarterback. With Wentz though, it seems now you don’t know what you are getting. With Indianapolis and now Washington, they are hoping to get the MVP-form of Wentz from 2017.
If that’s who they get, this team will definitely be higher on this list. However since that 2017 season, Wentz has been an average starting quarterback at best. Looking at the rest of the roster, the wide receiver room comes with some questions. Terry McLaurin is the exception, as he’s been a borderline Top 15 receiver over the past two seasons. Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson are the true uncertainties of this room. Samuel was out for a majority of last season, and was not able to see a breakout that many predicted after signing with Washington in the 2021 offseason.
First-round pick Jahan Dotson was considered by many a reach, as his physicality is a point of worry for his success in the NFL. However, he should fit in well in the slot for a team that hasn’t had a deep receiving room in a while. The defense let down high expectations last season, but development from their young stars should help make this unit take the next step. In conclusion, there haven’t been enough changes to this roster from last season to justify rising them in the rankings.
#25: New York Giants
The Giants landed two of the most polarizing players in the draft with their first two selections, landing Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux and Alabama’s Evan Neal. Despite this, the Giants still have many holes in their roster that finished last in the NFC East last season. Starting at quarterback, Daniel Jones has regressed since his rookie season where he was responsible for 26 TDs.
Will one or both of Evan Neal and Kayvon Thibodeaux be impact players for the G-Men?
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Giants fans still hold onto the idea that Jones’ potential can be tapped into, as they believe new head coach Brian Daboll can be the one to do it. Jones isn’t the only player on this Giants roster who peaked his rookie season, as running back Saquon Barkley hasn’t been the same since his ACL tear.
Their receiving corps has promise on paper, but didn’t get the job done last season. Their offensive tackles should both be above average starters next season, but their interior offensive line is less than desirable. On the defensive side of the ball, the Giants hope that Thibodeaux can be the missing piece in this unit taking the next step. As long as Jones is the QB in New York, the ceiling of this team is rather low.
#26: Carolina Panthers
Viewed as a sleeper team last season, the Panthers were the worst team in the NFC South by the end of it. A lot of that is attributed to lack-luster quarterback play, as Sam Darnold failed to show any promise with his fresh start in Carolina. The Panthers were also without All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey for most of the season, who is a focal point in what Carolina is on offense. In the draft, the Panthers made a home run pick in Ikem Ekwonu who should be a plus starter from day one.
Carolina also picked up Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral in the third-round, who will be expected to win the starting job for Week 1. On the other side of the ball, the Panthers have a great defensive line featuring Pro-Bowler Brian Burns and newly-acquired defensive tackle Matthew Ioannidis. To see this team take the next step, they will need to see Jaycee Horn and Derrick Brown take big jumps following their rookie campaigns. With head coach Matt Rhule not showing much these past two seasons, this Panthers team will likely be picking top ten in the 2023 NFL Draft.
#27: Detroit Lions
The Lions made a homerun selection with landing Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson number two overall. Ending the season going 3-3, the Lions made some great moves this offseason that should make them finish higher than they did last year. Already having one of the most underrated offensive lines in the league, Detroit built up their receiving core with the signing of D.J. Chark and selection of Jameson Williams to play alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown. Jared Goff remains a below average starter, but the best option for Detroit this season.
Defensively, the Lions are desperate to see Jeff Okudah develop into the player they spent the third overall pick on. The linebacking core continues to be an area for concern, as that will need to be addressed for them in next year's offseason. However Dan Campbell is building a culture in Detroit, and trying to turn around a franchise that hasn’t seen the playoffs since 2016.
#28: Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have fallen from 12-4 in 2020 to 7-10 in 2021 to potentially worse in this coming season. With the departure of franchise cornerstones Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, this Seattle team is moving into a new era. Now with quarterback Drew Lock projected to be the starter Week 1, Seattle will need to hope that Lock’s potential can be unlocked in his fourth season.
Offensively, the running back room is stacked with new addition Kenneth Walker III. Also notable, Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf still remain on the roster, at least for now. They were also able to take a step in the right direction with their offensive line by drafting Charles Cross in the top ten.
Defensively, it’s a lackluster unit with players like Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs who could be trade deadline pieces for Seattle this season. Not too much to look forward to in Seattle this season as they’ll likely be looking for their new franchise quarterback next offseason.
#29: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars head into next season with new head coach Doug Pederson, who can’t possibly be worse than the last. Jacksonville made some splashes this offseason, signing Christain Kirk, Brandon Scherff, and Foyesade Oluokun to big contracts. The Jaguars will also get to see Travis Etienne finally return from injury, as the 2021 first-round draft pick will return to the field with his college quarterback Trevor Lawrence. For the defense, Jacksonville spent their two first-round selections this draft on Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd.
The Jaguars need No. 1 overall NFL Draft Pick Travon Walker to win a starting job and make an impact for them this fall.
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Walker was a wildcard this draft, as many were surprised to see him go all the way at number one overall. Regardless, he joins a defense that’ll look towards Coach Pederson to make this unit formidable. With a lot of pieces on this roster, it will be on Lawrence to take a second-year leap and steer Jacksonville on the right path.
#30: Houston Texans
The Houston Texans definitely got better as a roster but simply don’t have the talent to compete. Starting at quarterback, Davis Mills is fine but he projects to be an average starter at best. The running back room is random to say the least, and doesn’t have a surefire go-to back. Brandin Cooks continues to be the top receiving option, and wouldn’t be a surprise to be a trade candidate for Houston in the coming months.
The offensive line added Kenyon Green in the draft, as he and Laremy Tunsil should be the only long term starters on this team. Defensively, the cornerback room is the only group that is respectable. Third overall pick Derek Stingley Jr. could become a star from day one, with Desmond King II and Stephen Nelson forming the rest of the core. Due to the limited ceiling of this roster, expect Houston to be joining the quarterback sweepstakes next draft as well.
#31: Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta has always been an average team ever since their 2015 Super Bowl berth. However, this year it appears that head coach Arthur Smith is set up for failure. With Matt Ryan no longer under center, Atlanta has a quarterback competition now with rookie Desmond Ridder and Marcus Marriota competing for the spot.
Perhaps rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder can eventually win the Falcons starting quarterback job in year one? Maybe, just maybe, he wins it from Game 1?
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Looking at the rest of the offense, the suspension of Calvin Ridley makes a huge impact. Now, first-round pick Drake London will slot in as the top receiver. Kyle Pitts looks to build upon a good rookie season, but outside of those two the weapons aren’t that great. Atlanta’s offensive line continues to disappoint despite the first-round picks they’ve invested into it. Defensively, their front seven really only has Grady Jarrett and Deion Jones to boast. Their cornerback duo should be good though with star A.J. Terrell and veteran Casey Hayward. Overall, this Falcons team lacks the depth to be any sort of a playoff threat.
#32: Chicago Bears
Last on the power rankings are the Chicago Bears, who won’t be doing much damage at all next season. Usually when your rookie quarterback struggles, a team will go out and get them better weapons or improve the offensive line. The Bears did the opposite of that. They saw Allen Robinson leave in free agency after receiving the lowest amount of targets he has seen in his career. Who’d they replace his production with?
Well, none other than former Chiefs wide receiver Byron Pringle, who is more of a special teamer than a receiving threat. In terms of the offensive line, they let go of James Daniels and Charles Leno Jr., who were both average starting lineman.
Moving onto the defense, they traded away star linebacker Khalil Mack to the Chargers for two draft picks. One of those picks was a 2022 second-rounder, who ended up being safety Jaquan Brisker out of Penn State. Too early to tell what he’ll be, but most definitely not someone to block for or catch passes for Justin Fields. The only defensive players that have any value at the moment are Eddie Jackson, Jaylon Johnson, Roquan Smith, and soon to be 32 year old Robert Quinn.
Newly-appointed head coach Matt Eberflus is set up for failure this season, and Chicago should be hoping Alabama’s Will Anderson lands in their laps at next year’s draft.
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