Jets Top Dolphins, Cowboys and Chargers in Sports Illustrated's Power Rankings
The start of NFL training camp is a time for hope, optimism and updated power rankings.
After holding Top 10 status throughout the offseason, the New York Jets landed at No. 7 overall in Sports Illustrated's latest NFL Power Rankings by Conor Orr. The Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City Chiefs headline the preseason edition.
Gang Green sits one spot behind the reigning three-time AFC East champion Buffalo Bills. The Jets and their three division rivals all appear on the top half of the 32-team list. The Miami Dolphins occupy the No. 12 spot and the New England Patriots hold the No. 14 overall ranking.
The Jets' stock ascended rapidly once future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers came aboard. The Green & White are a 14-to-1 proposition to win the Super Bowl with only five teams being more heavily favored according to SI Sportsbook.
From "NFL Power Rankings: Defending Champs Take Top Spot As Training Camps Begin":
7. New York Jets
Your guess is as good as mine. I just don’t think we can ignore, on paper, what could end up being the best quarterback to receiver connection in the NFL this year between Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson. Wilson is that good. The Jets have invested so much energy and cash into clearing out all their cobwebs, right on down to paying Quinnen Williams. Rodgers sees this as a multiyear window to compete for a Super Bowl. We’ll see whether his behavior supports that claim.
— Conor Orr
The Jets, who will open the NFL Preseason in the Hall of Fame Game on August 3, are coming off a 7-10 season that resulted in a fourth-place AFC East finish. Despite featuring the NFL's fourth-ranked defense, Gang Green fluttered down the stretch and lost its last six games on the 2022 schedule.
While keeping the defense mostly intact, general manager overhauled the offense by hiring offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and trading for Rodgers. As a result, the Jets, who also added free-agent receivers Mecole Hardman, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, have fans and players thinking Super Bowl.
"You want to be a part of a place that has high expectations and there is a lot of positivity around here, which I think is a good thing, but we have to temper our expectations early on in camp and focus on the little things to get there. It’s a long season, it’s a journey," said the 39-year-old Rodgers after the team's first preseason practice.
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