I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2023 NFL Mock Draft during the early stages of the 2022 season. Follow @walterfootball.
I’ve gone from WORST to FIRST, so if you don’t see reverse numbering (via Javascript), don’t worry; the Colts and Texans aren’t my top teams.
NFL Power Rankings updated Jan. 9, 2023
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Chicago Bears (3-14) – Previously: 32.
Congratulations to the Bears for not being stupid like the Texans and clinching the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They’ll be able to auction off the pick for a king’s ransom because so many teams need quarterbacks. Check out my 2023 NFL Mock Draft for more.
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Indianapolis Colts (4-12-1) – Previously: 31.
The Colts are set up to make a trade with the Bears for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They’ll be able to leap their divisional rival to obtain the quarterback they want. I guess they were the true winners versus Houston in the finale!
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Houston Texans (3-13-1) – Previously: 30.
Nice win, Texans. Ask the Jets how they feel about their nice wins late in the 2021 season that caused them to miss out on Trevor Lawrence.
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Arizona Cardinals (4-13) – Previously: 29.
The Cardinals had a great finish to their regular season, losing all of the games they nearly could have won. Assuming the Bears trade out of the top pick, Arizona will be in position to select the best non-quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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Atlanta Falcons (6-11) – Previously: 28.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Falcons are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Tennessee Titans (7-10) – Previously: 27.
Credit Joshua Dobbs for playing a beautiful game until his horrible interception. Still, he was impressive, given the severe offensive line issues. He should be able to compete with Ryan Tannehill next year.
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Los Angeles Rams (5-12) – Previously: 26.
Baker Mayfield and Cam Akers looked like Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith against the Broncos, but that didn’t last very long. They were dominated in the Chargers-Rams Battle of LA, and then Mayfield threw the game away in Seattle with a horrible overtime interception. Akers, however, has remained solid, which is encouraging moving forward.
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Denver Broncos (5-12) – Previously: 25.
Hmm… maybe Russell Wilson wasn’t to blame this entire time. The Broncos have been so much better since Nathaniel Hackett was fired. If only they listened to me when I said that they should have fired him after Week 1!
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Washington Redskins (8-8-1) – Previously: 24.
Ron Rivera had the derp moment of the year by starting Carson Wentz against the Browns. What was he thinking? This is not something for which we’re criticizing him in hindsight. Everyone knew this was a stupid decision. It only looked worse with Slingin’ Sammy Howell thriving against Dallas. I was always a fan of Howell in North Carolina, so I hope he gets a chance to start next year.
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New York Jets (7-10) – Previously: 23.
What a disappointing ending to the Jets’ season. The silver lining is that Garrett Wilson may have clinched the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. They’ll need to figure out a solution to their huge quarterback dilemma. I’ve heard Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo mentioned, but both of those options are underwhelming.
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Seattle Seahawks (9-8) – Previously: 22.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Seahawks are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Cleveland Browns (7-10) – Previously: 21.
So much for listing the Browns as underrated, and so much for Myles Garrett’s motivation for knocking out a hated rival. Why do I get the feeling that they could have pulled off the upset if they started Jacoby Brisett?
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) – Previously: 12.
So much for the Buccaneers being underrated. What a garbage performance against the Cowboys. Tom Brady looked like the last pick on the playground at recess when he tossed passes away because he was afraid of getting hit. I guess he didn’t get the memo that his offensive line was fully intact for the first time all year.
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Miami Dolphins (9-8) – Previously: 20.
The Dolphins need to invest in two things this offseason: A steady backup quarterback who won’t get hurt when starting for an injured Tua Tagovailoa, and lessons on how to manage a damn play clock. Seriously, how can an NFL head coach have such issues with something so simple?
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New England Patriots (8-9) – Previously: 19.
The Patriots blew their chance to reach the playoffs, though they had a tall task to beat the Bills with all of the Damar Hamlin emotion. They actually outgained Buffalo, but the two kickoff returns allowed the Bills to win by double digits. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Mac Jones played a solid game to close out the year.
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Las Vegas Raiders (6-11) – Previously: 17.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Raiders are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Minnesota Vikings (13-4) – Previously: 16.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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New Orleans Saints (7-10) – Previously: 15.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Saints are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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Carolina Panthers (7-10) – Previously: 14.
I’m glad the Panthers won because my alt-win total ticket for them cashed, but there should be some sort of NFL bylaw that says a team must forfeit a victory if their quarterback completes only five passes in a dome game.
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Green Bay Packers (8-9) – Previously: 13.
It’s hard to believe that Aaron Rodgers didn’t log a single 300-yard passing performance this year. Much of that was because of his troublesome thumb, which appeared to give him problems in the second half against the Lions.
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New York Giants (9-7-1) – Previously: 18.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Giants are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.
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San Angeles Chargers (10-7) – Previously: 7.
How can Brandon Staley keep his job after two debacles in six days? He somehow got Mike Williams injured by playing him in a meaningless game, and then followed that up by blowing a 27-0 lead six days later!
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Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8) – Previously: 11.
Trevor Lawrence was a disappointment in the season finale despite getting the win. It looked like that carried over into the opening round of the playoffs, but Lawrence made an incredible comeback to storm back from down 27-0.
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Detroit Lions (9-8) – Previously: 10.
I’m often an advocate for teams losing meaningless Week 17/18 games to help improve draft positioning, but I liked that the Lions went all out to beat the Packers. Not only did they knock out their arch nemesis; they also finished with a winning record for the first time since 2017.
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Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8) – Previously: 9.
The Steelers were the best of the No. 7 seed candidates in Week 18, but the Jets couldn’t pull the upset. On the bright side, Kenny Pickett had a strong final performance. Oh, and Mike Tomlin kept his impressive winning-season streak alive. I’m not sure which one will make Steeler fans happier.
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Baltimore Ravens (10-7) – Previously: 8.
Tyler Huntley played well against the Bengals, but his fumbled sneak that was returned for a touchdown and his horrible time-management skills at the end of the game prevented the Ravens from winning a game in which they outgained Cincinnati by 130 yards.
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Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) – Previously: 3.
The Bengals beat the Ravens, but were outgained by 130 yards. They sorely missed Jonah Williams, as his absence was very painful because La’el Collins and Alex Cappa were out as well. I don’t think the Bengals can defeat the Bills if they don’t get at least one of their linemen back from injury, and they may need both.
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Dallas Cowboys (12-5) – Previously: 6.
The Cowboys beat the Eagles in Week 16, but they were outgained in total yards and yards per play. They went on to have a horrible performance against the Redskins before destroying the Buccaneers. Which is the real Dallas team? I suspect we’ll find out in San Francisco.
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San Francisco 49ers (13-4) – Previously: 5.
Brock Purdy can’t lose! That said, he’s gone against some sketchy teams during his starts, including the Seahawks. Still, he has made some incredible plays and has looked like a seasoned quarterback despite being a rookie chosen with the final pick in the draft.
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Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) – Previously: 4.
The Chiefs beat the Raiders by 18 in the finale, but they still didn’t put together a full game. They scored only seven points in the second half, but they were able to coast to an easy victory because the Raiders constantly shot themselves in the foot.
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Buffalo Bills (13-3) – Previously: 2.
The Bills outgained the Dolphins, 423-231, so their opening-round playoff game shouldn’t have been nearly as close as the score says. That said, they’re going to lose their upcoming game if they continue to be extremely sloppy.
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Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) – Previously: 1.
Jalen Hurts looked terrible in his return from injury in the finale. He barely completed half of his passes, threw a horrible interception, and barely ran. The good news is that he’ll have a week off to heal before Philadelphia’s playoff schedule begins.
2022 NFL MVP Race:
1. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles
2. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs
3. Josh Allen, QB, Bills
4. Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
5. Micah Parsons, DE, Cowboys
2024 NFL Mock Draft - April 23
NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22
Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19
NFL Picks - Feb. 12
2022 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings | Post-Free Agency Power Rankings | Post-NFL Draft Power Rankings | Post-Preseason Power Rankings | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17
2021 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings | Preseason Power Rankings | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Playoffs |
2020 NFL Power Rankings. Week: Post-Super Bowl Power Rankings 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Playoffs |
