The Chiefs have some serious competition heading toward the 2020 NFL season. Kansas City finished the 2019 playoffs on top as Super Bowl champion in February, but NFL free agency in March and the just-completed NFL Draft have done much to shake up the league's pecking order.
Several winning teams, including the Chiefs, have either maintained or strengthened their status as contenders. But based on personnel moves over the past two months, several other teams are much improved. Likewise, those teams who have had more key subtractions than additions are positioned for a slide going into the virtual offseason program.
When putting all the teams together, how do we see all of them stacking up against each other, No. 1 through No. 32 now going into May? Here are Sporting News' latest, updated NFL power rankings.
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NFL power rankings 2020
1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs tagged Chris Jones and didn't lose much beyond cornerback depth in the offseason. They also upgraded around Patrick Mahomes with Clyde Edwards-Helaine in the first round and drafted a starting upgrade at linebacker in Willie Gay Jr. What other teams did in the draft suggest they're alll chasing the champs' explosive offense.
2. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens lost Marshal Yanda to retirement but they have a couple rookie replacements options. They also upgraded skill positions around Lamar Jackson with J.K. Dobbins, Devin Duvernay and James Proche. They also were aggressive in filling defensive holes with Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe, Patrick Queen, Justin Madubuike and Malik Harrison. The Ravens' offensive prowess should be complemented with more playmaking on the other side.
3. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are pretty much the same team as their NFC championship, except with rookies replacing DeForest Buckner and Emmanuel Sanders in first-rounders Javon Kinlaw and Brandon Aiyuk. They brought back Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward for the defense and maintained their depth, too. Kyle Shanahan and Jimmy Garoppolo will keep the team from having a Super Bowl hangover.
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4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers finished last year on the cusp of the playoffs with their top run defense and improving pass defense. They just needed a cleaner, more efficient offense to be a big-time contender with Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles. Exit Jameis Winston and enter Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Tristan Wirfs, Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Tyler Johnson. They also brought back Ndamukong Suh to anchor the defense and a got much-needed upgrade at safety with Antoine Winfield Jr. The Bucs' status as Super Bowl contenders is real.
5. Buffalo Bills
The Bills' offensive improvements around Josh Allen had a strong second phase with Stefon Diggs and Zack Moss in the mix to fit in with all their successful skill and line changes from a year ago. The defense lost Jordan Phillips, Shaq Lawson and Lorenzo Alexander but added A.J. Klein, A.J. Epenesa and Quinton Jefferson. Buffalo should rule the AFC East with the Patriots finally moving on from Brady and also be a bigger factor in the playoffs.
6. New Orleans Saints
The Saints added Sanders at wide receiver and drafted Zack Baun to replace Klein, giving them the same win-now starters around Drew Brees, as Cesar Ruiz and Adam Trautman are more help for 2021. The NFC South got a lot harder to win again, however, with the Bucs' mighty offseason.
7. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings somehow got better despite needing to part ways with Diggs, Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander, although keeping Anthony Harris. They were smart to load up on draft picks to get younger, quicker and faster. First-rounders Justin Jefferson and Jeff Gladney will have a big, immediate impact in the most important starting roles. The rest of the draft greatly boosted their defensive depth. Mike Zimmer's team can jump from wild card to division champs.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers' dominant defense will feel the loss of Javon Hargrave, but it is still loaded elsewhere. The offense added Chase Claypool, Anthony McFarland Jr. and Eric Ebron to create more skill-position pop for a healthy returning Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers almost made the playoffs without Big Ben, so they should be considered strong wild-card favorites with an outside chance to displace the Ravens from first place.
9. Green Bay Packers
The Packers are lucky they have a pretty good returning 13-3 team with their 2019 veteran improvements, but they still lost Bryan Bulaga from the offense and Blake Martinez form the defense, getting weaker at both right tackle and linebacker. Not upgrading at wide receiver and instead drafting Jordan Love may haunt them (and Aaron Rodgers). The Packers drop down into wild-card consideration and are a team on notice to fall out of the playoffs.
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10. Tennessee Titans
The Titans kept the combination of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry intact, and have viable options to replace Jack Conklin at right tackle. Defensively, they also got Vic Bealsey Jr. and Krisitan Fulton to make up for not bringing back Cameron Wake and Logan Ryan. The AFC runners-up should be considered the latest AFC South favorite.
11. Dallas Cowboys
They have good new coaching momentum with Mike McCarthy and Mike Nolan. They lost Randall Cobb and Travis Frederick offensively but rebounded well with CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Biadasz. They also stole Bradlee Anae and Neville Gailmore for their revamped defensive front to replace Robert Quinn and Maliek Collins. Byron Jones will be hard to replace at cornerback, but rookie Trevon Diggs can be a star and Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix is a coverage upgrade from Jeff Heath.
12. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks shuffled a few things around Russell Wilson, with incoming Phillip Dorsett and Greg Olsen to help the passing game and Brandon Shell taking over at right tackle. But they still have the same strong run-first, throw-deep philosophy. Defensively, they have rebuilt the secondary very nicely, but there are many question marks in the front seven with them needing to overhaul their defensive line. They might also slip from their playoff status, even with another winning season with Wlson.
13. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles return Doug Pederson's seasoned offense with Carson Wentz, getting the new speedy wide receiver they needed in Jalen Reagor. Defensively, they further fortified their front with Hargrave and got Darius Slay to clean up cornerback, but linebacker and safety (without Malcolm Jenkins) will be concerns. They will be in a tight fight with the Cowboys in the NFC East once again.
14. Houston Texans
The offense is undergoing a big change with DeAndre Hopkins out of the picture for DeShaun Watson. But David Johnson, Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb were brought in to help in the passing game with Will Fuller and Kenny Stills. The defense remains steady, with rookie Ross Blacklock as a good way to rebound from losing D.J. Reader in free agency. The Texans, however, seem destined to see their division title streak end.
15. Denver Broncos
What didn't the Broncos do to upgrade around Drew Lock as they transition to Pat Shurmur's offense? Melvin Gordon, Jerry Jeudy, K.J. Hamler, Lloyd Cushenberry and Graham Glasgow are five new starters in Denver. Defensively, however, there are concerns with lesser line depth, limited inside linebacker play and downgrade at corner with A.J. Bouye replacing Chris Harris Jr. They're on the fence as AFC playoff sleepers.
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16. New York Giants
The Giants upgraded at right tackle with Andrew Thomas as needed for their offense, which is pretty promising with Daniel Jones going into Year 2 under Joe Judge and Jason Garrett. Defensively, they got three new impact starters in their back seven in Martinez, James Bradberry and Xavier McKinney. The Giants will be hot NFC playoff sleepers.
17. Las Vegas Raiders
Getting Henry Ruggs III to be their go-to big-play guy was key for the offense and everything there will be mostly unchanged from 2019. Derek Carr needs to remain efficient but take more command to make their passing game truly dangerous, however. The defense is the real side to watch for a playoff push, as Maliek Collins, Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski and Jeff Heath are new good complementary starters to Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby and Jonathan Abram.
18. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts' offense will look a lot different with Philip Rivers quarterbacking and rookies Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. with key roles in the backfield and receiving corps, respectively. The defensive line got the ideal upgrade in Buckner, but there are lot more question marks all around there. The Colts are a tough team to gauge, but they are somewhere in the middle of the AFC.
19. New England Patriots
Because they have Bill Belichick, it's hard to drop the powerhouse that has won 11 consecutive division titles further down than this, despite losing the GOAT at quarterback and still having only Jarrett Stidham to replace him. Beyond Brady, they also lost a lot of reliability in their critical linebacker corps. But the Patriots can reinvent themselves as a run-oriented team with a strong line and a deep backfield, and Belichick will find a way to get those defensive rookies to contribute right away. They go from annual playoff locks to hoping to be in the AFC wild-card mix.
20. Cleveland Browns
The Browns have had good vibes early with Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry taking over. Their offense got a whole lot better to help Baker Mayfield become more efficient with new tackles Conklin and Jedrick Wills and tight end Austin Hooper. The defense lost Joe Schobert, so it's weaker at linebacker, but stronger at safety with Grant Delpit and Karl Joseph. File them away with the three teams above that have AFC wild-card considerations.
21. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals got two new key starters around Kyler Murray by trading for Hopkins and drafting Josh Jones. They also got three impact defensive starters in Isaiah Simmons, Jordan Phillips and De'Vondre Campbell. They will be much improved in the NFC West, but it's hard to see them contending for a wild card in a tough division and top-heavy conference.
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22. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are strong candidates to rebound, but the quarterback situation with Tyrod Taylor vs. Justin Herbert makes it hard to trust them. They also still have a big hole at left tackle without Russell Okung. Defensively, they got Joseph, Harris and rookie Kenneth Murray to get better. But the entire AFC West also improved with the Broncos and Raiders better positioned to push the Chiefs.
23. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons will have a new look offensively with Todd Gurley and Hayden Hurst replacing Devonta Freeman and Hooper, but they are pretty much the same around Matt Ryan there. Defensively, Dante Fowler Jr. is a big upgrade over Beasley, while A.J. Terrell brings fresh legs to replace Desmond Trufant. They feel like a team floating around .500 again in a tough division with the Bucs and Saints.
24. Chicago Bears
Adding Nick Foles might have created a different kind of mess at QB vs. Mitchell Trubisky, and the defense, although still strong in the front seven, has some key holes in the secondary. The Vikings and Packers remain the class of the NFC North.
25. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams went into salary-cap hell, which meant moving on from Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks offensively and Dante Fowler Jr., Cory Littleton and Clay Matthews defensively. They need to rediscover rushing and passing explosiveness. They are weaker at nose, linebacker and the secondary. Sean McVay can help them overachieve, but that still may be playing into last place in the NFC West.
26. New York Jets
The Jets made some good upgrades offensively with wide receivers Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims, plus offensive tackles George Fant and Mekhi Becton. Defensively, a healthy C.J. Mosley would help, along with rookie edge rusher Jabari Zuniga and veteran corner Pierre Desir. They still seem shaky overall with Adam Gase and are likely to be stuck in third-place mediocrity in the AFC East.
27. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow immediately will keep them from being the worst team in the league again. They still can't move up too far with the Ravens, Steelers and rising Browns in the AFC North. Burrow will be joined by healthy left tackle Jonah Williams and rookie wideout Tee Higgins as key new starters offensively. Then consider D.J. Reader, Logan Wilson, Akeem-Davis Gaither, Waynes and Vonn Bell give them five upgrades defensively. The Bengals' rebuild is off to a great start because they spent and drafted very well.
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28. Detroit Lions
The Lions will be getting Matthew Stafford back healthy to make them more competitive, but they're still stuck in a tough division. They are projected to have three new offensive starters in De'Andre Swift, Jonah Jackson and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. They have five new starters on defense in Julian Okwara, Danny Shelton, Jamie Collins, Jeff Okudah and Trufant. Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia made a ton of changes with a "improve now" ultimatum, but it may be not be enough.
29. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are turning to Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback and helping him with new speedy deep threat Robby Anderson and new left tackle Russell Okung. They went crazy with their all-defense draft bringing in a lot of bodies for their post-Luke Kuechly, post-Ron Rivera defensive rebuild, with Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos set to start in prominent rookie roles. Matt Rhule, Joe Brady and Phil Snow are bound to take plenty of initial lumps, however, as a distant fourth in a stronger division.
30. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins' busy offseason of change has included adding Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Howard, Matt Breida, Austin Jackson, Ereck Flowers, Robert Hunt, Raekwon Davis, Kyle Van Noy, Shaq Lawson and the big prize, Byron Jones. But they still are undergoing significant changes after a rally to 5-11 with Ryan Fitzpatrick last season. They might need to take two steps back in 2020 to take four steps forward in 2021.
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31. Washington Redskins
The Redskins have a cloud over quarterback with Kyle Allen in the mix with Dwayne Haskins. They are still limited at the offensive skill positions and remain weak on the line. They can get a big defensive boost from Chase Young, but have issues there at linebacker and the secondary as they transition into a base 4-3 with Rivera and Jack Del Rio. With the Cowboys and Eagles still strong and the Giants much improved, last place is calling in the NFC East.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars, handing the QB job to Gardner Minshew in the short term, got some extra assets for their offense in Laviska Shenault Jr. and Tyler Eifert. But the big change continues defensively with Campbell, Bouye and Marcell Dareus gone and maybe Yannick Ngaukoe still headed that way, too. K'Lavon Chaisson, Schobert and C.J. Henderson will help, but the Jags should be considered the favorites for Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 draft.
