NFL 2025: Preseason Power Rankings

My 2025-26 NFL Power Rankings kick off with where I think each team stands ahead of the start of the regular season. These rankings are based on ability to win right now: if one team is ranked higher than another, they would hypothetically beat the team below them in a neutral site matchup, on paper.

I’m including my record projections, based on my preseason predictions, but please note that the teams are not ranked strictly by their projected record. For instance, I have Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders finishing 6-11 in a tough AFC West, but still ranked ahead of seven-win teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Atlanta Falcons.

Near the top of the list, you have the usual suspects: Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, and Jalen Hurts and the defending Super Bowl 59 champion Philadelphia Eagles all making the top four. You could probably make an argument for these four teams (and the Detroit Lions, if you’d like) in any order near the top.

Then you have the next class of teams: strong playoff contenders that could go the distance to Super Bowl 60 in a best-case scenario. Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans, Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers, Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos, and Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams all fit this mold.

After that, teams like the Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Minnesota Vikings have playoff aspirations: but could any of them find one of the missing pieces they currently lack to be a true contender in-season, and turn their fortunes around?

Near the bottom of the barrel, the Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints all have their work cut out for them in terms of fielding a competitive roster.

Read on for my 2025-26 NFL Preseason Power Rankings, and if you’d like to debate or discuss any rankings, join the conversation with @SakSports on Twitter/X, on Facebook, or by commenting directly on this post!