What is the best team in the NFL? The 2024 NFL season has arrived and the path to the Super Bowl is underway. That means our NFL power rankings are back, as we evaluate the worst and best NFL teams in 2024.
Our NFL power rankings 2024 will be updated every Sunday night following the conclusion of that weekend’s slate. As always, we’re analyzing all 32 teams and will provide a recap of how they performed that week and their movement in our weekly NFL power rankings.
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Let’s dive into our 2024 NFL power rankings heading into the summer.
NFL power rankings: Season outlook for worst NFL teams 2024
32. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are the worst NFL team in 2024. We will give the new regime credit for making some much-needed improvements to the roster. Xavier Legette, Diontae Johnson, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jonathon Brooks will make a massive difference for Bryce Young. However, Carolina might have the worst defense in football so even a below-average Panthers’ offense makes this a very bad football team. Carolina just seems destined for the No. 1 overall pick, but at least they would have the rights to it this time.
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31. New England Patriots
If we’re doing future NFL power rankings, the New England Patriots are quite a few spots higher. However, rookie quarterback Drake Maye is being thrown into a bad situation, with one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL and a defense that lost multiple pieces. Plus, Jacoby Brissett is opening the season as the Patriots starting quarterback. New England’s defense deserves better, but this team is headed for a top-3 pick.
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30. Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders fans are rightfully excited about quarterback Jayden Daniels. Playmakers of that caliber, even rookies, are capable of carrying an offense in games and Daniels’ skills in that regard are legitimate. Unfortunately, he’s stuck behind a bottom-3 offensive line with an offensive coordinator who refuses to move Terry McLaurin around the field. Pair that with a bottom-10 defense and you have one of the worst NFL teams in 2024.
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29. Denver Broncos
When evaluating the worst NFL teams in 2024, a variety of factors come into play. What holds the Denver Broncos back, at least in comparison to the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals, is the fact that this team doesn’t project to be good in any area. Denver will have a below-average defense and rookie quarterback Bo Nix is orchestrating an offense with severe limitations. By the end of the 2024 season, Sean Payton will be wondering why he took this job.
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27. Arizona Cardinals
Don’t be shocked if the Arizona Cardinals finish the 2024 season with a top-10 offense. Arizona ran the football better than just about anyone in the league last season. Now, Kyler Murray is a year-plus removed from surgery and he has a new No. 1 receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr. Arizona’s offense is one of the most well-rounded in football and it is capable of competing in shootouts. Unfortunately, the Cardinals defense will be what keeps this club from winning consistently.
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26. New York Giants
The only thing elevating the New York Giants right now is this front seven. Quite frankly, the Giants defense could be classified as above-average by the midway point of the 2024 NFL season if Deonte Banks takes a huge step forward to improve this secondary. New York’s Achilles heel is, of course, the Giants offense. Barring a miracle, this defense will win a handful of games before December then completely check out when Daniel Jones and Co. show no sign of improvement.
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25. Las Vegas Raiders
We just can’t buy into a team that will be alternating between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. It’s a shame for the Las Vegas Raiders because this defense is criminally underrated. The Raiders also have a solid coaching staff with some blue-chip talent on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, being weak at quarterback and the offense line is often a death sentence for NFL teams.
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24. Los Angeles Chargers
This isn’t the Los Angeles Chargers year. We understand the Jim Harbaugh effect and its history. However, he’s taking over a team in transition. Los Angeles has a bottom-10 defense and a case could be made it has the worst receiving corps in the NFL. Plus, Justin Herbert will be playing through a nagging foot injury. Take the medicine now Chargers fans because the future will make it all worth it.
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23. New Orleans Saints
We can’t get excited about the addition of play-caller Klint Kubiak for the New Orleans Saints offense because of what little he has to work with. Derek Carr is one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL when pressured and the Saints offensive line might be the worst in the league. If you were hoping the Saints defense could bail this offense out, Father Time and a lack of development from some young defensive linemen seem likely to prevent that. from happening.
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22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We could certainly be underrating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, much like last season. We are confident the offensive line will be a lot better than it was a year ago and that could do wonders for the Bucs’ rushing attack. However, Baker Mayfield seems unlikely to repeat his efficiency from last season and this Buccaneers defense isn’t a strength. Tampa Bay could certainly win the division, we’re just not confident in this team right now.
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21. Minnesota Vikings
The season-ending injury for J.J. McCarthy before his rookie campaign began is devastating. While there’s internal confidence in Sam Darnold, McCarthy was going to do things for this Minnesota Vikings offense that Darnold has proven he can’t do. As much as we love head coach Kevin O’Connell and believe Brian Flores will have this Vikings defense playing at a high level, we can’t justify putting a team with Darnold as its starting quarterback higher in our NFL power rankings.
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21. Seattle Seahawks
Give the Seattle Seahawks a year. An offense led by quarterback Geno Smith and coordinated by Ryan Grubb is going to be electrifying. In a best-case scenario, the Seahawks’ offense might be a top-12 unit this season. However, it took more talented defenses 2 years to learn Mike Macdonald’s system and we expect that learning period to be what hinders the Seahawks’ success in 2024.
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NFL power rankings 2024: Teams to watch
25. Tennessee Titans
We’re bullish on the Tennessee Titans heading into Week 1. The additions made defensively give this unit a realistic shot at being above-average in 2024, especially under first-year defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. While the Titans offensive line is a bit of a concern, mainly the right side, offensive line coach Bill Callahan is better than just about anyone at maximizing his players. A great skill group, a quality coaching staff and a fairly deep roster. All of the pieces are in place for Will Levis to thrive and coming out of the preseason, we believe he’ll deliver and give Tennessee a shot at a wild card spot.
19. Chicago Bears
We’re buying all the stock in Chicago Bears. Offensively, quarterback Caleb Williams is arguably walking into the best situation ever for a first-year passer drafted in the top 10. He gets to play behind a solid offensive line with a cast of weapons led by Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, Cole Kmet and D’Andre Swift. Oh, Chicago also finished the second half of the 2023 season with a top-10 defense. The Bears have their franchise quarterback and they genuinely could make the playoffs this upcoming season.
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18. Los Angeles Rams
If not for the retirement of Aaron Donald, the Los Angeles Rams would’ve been challenging for a top-10 spot in our NFL power rankings. We did like the free-agency additions to the secondary and drafting Jared Verse and Braden Fiske gives the Rams’ defensive line a quarter that will be very effective. Health is obviously a critical factor to watch for a team with Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford, but Sean McVay is working with a better 53-man roster this year than he did in 2023.
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17. Pittsburgh Steelers
Bravo to the Pittsburgh Steelers for their work in the 2024 NFL Draft. The offensive line was transformed, which will do wonders for both the run game and the starting quarterback. Pittsburgh already had a top-10 defense set to roll in 2024 and with even a league-average offense, Mike Tomlin should consistently have Pittsburgh winning games.
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16. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns being ranked this low is in large part a testament to the improvements made around the NFL this offseason. However, it’s also been years since we’ve seen Deshaun Watson play at a Pro Bowl level, Nick Chubb is returning from a major injury and Cleveland’s defense experienced significant regression late in the 2023 season. What we’re saying is, there are reasons to be uncertain with Cleveland.
15. Atlanta Falcons
There’s no defense for the Michael Penix Jr. pick. While the Atlanta Falcons are saying they hope it lights a fire under Kirk Cousins just as the Jordan Love pick did for Aaron Rodgers, the two situations have nothing in common. Atlanta had a chance to further improve its roster for 2024 and it passed on that opportunity. Fortunately, the Falcons roster is still good enough that it can win a sub-par division, but the 2024 NFL Draft was a complete waste for Atlanta’s contention window.
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14. Indianapolis Colts
Call it the Anthony Richardson effect. Even with Jonathan Taylor missing plenty of action last year, first-year coach Shane Steichen made this Indianapolis Colts offense look good with Gardner Minshew under center. In 2024, he gets the ultra-talented Richardson back at quarterback with a receiver trio featuring Michael Pittman Jr, Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell. Yeah, there’s more than enough here for the Colts to at least compete to the finish for a Wild Card spot.
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13. Cincinnati Bengals
There are no concerns with the Cincinnati Bengals offense. Heck, the unit looked half-decent with Jake Browning on the field and we know it will be a well-oiled machine with Joe Burrow operating the controls. The defense, however, is an alarming issue. Trey Hendrickson’s trade request complicates matters further and there isn’t a ton of talent outside of him. It’s all going to be on the offense’s shoulders in 2024.
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12. Jacksonville Jaguars
One of our favorite moves of the offseason was the Jacksonville Jaguars hiring defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen. He transformed the Falcons defense in 2023 and with the talent available at his disposal in Jacksonville, there’s a very good chance the Jaguars have a top-12 defense this fall. As for Trevor Lawrence, injuries are largely responsible for a disappointing end to the 2023 season. Jacksonville isn’t an AFC title contender by any means, but it’s good enough to make the playoffs.
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11. Miami Dolphins
Potential season-opening absences for Bradley Chubb (ACL) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) are the primary reason why the Miami Dolphins come in 10th in our NFL power rankings heading into the summer. We know what to expect from Mike McDaniel’s offense, especially with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa playing for a contract extension this year. However, what we can’t get out of our minds when comparing Miami to the best NFL teams in 2024 is how this team has often fallen short late in seasons against those clubs.
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Best NFL teams in 2024
10. Dallas Cowboys
It turns out that ‘all in’ for Jerry Jones just means an inactive offseason where the Dallas Cowboys let other teams drive up the prices on eventual contracts for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. While the Cowboys roster is still very good, it lost plenty of depth this offseason and we can’t forget this is a team coached by Mike McCarthy. If the Cowboys couldn’t get past the Divisional Round in previous years, it’s hard to see how Dallas will even win a playoff game next season.
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9. New York Jets
This felt like the perfect offseason for the New York Jets. Aaron Rodgers didn’t run for VP, Mike Williams came to town and the Jets offensive line was overhauled. Making things even better, New York did the smart thing in the 2204 NFL Draft and snagged offensive tackle Olu Fashanu. There are still durability and age red flags at key positions on this roster, but the Jets’ upside is a team that could hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
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8. Baltimore Ravens
Our reservations with the Baltimore Ravens in 2024 come down to the personnel and talent drain experienced on the defensive side. Yes, general manager Eric DeCosta replaced some of the players who left in free agency with top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, but there’s a transition period for rookies. It’s not like we’re expecting Baltimore to miss the playoffs, we’re just inclined to believe the Ravens roster and coaching staff is worse than it was this past January and that could lead to disappointing results.
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7. Buffalo Bills
The Stefon Diggs trade wasn’t necessarily addition by subtraction, but getting that drama out of the locker room should offset the lost impact at wide receiver. We do like the Keon Coleman pick and there’s some intrigue on the Bills depth chart at wide receiver. However, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect a small dip from Buffalo considering the massive roster transition it experienced this offseason. Even still, Josh Allen makes this one of the 10 best NFL teams in 2024.
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6. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the biggest winners of the 2024 NFL Draft. Everyone saw the glaring need in the secondary, so, Howie Roseman got a pair of first-round talents in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. DeJean’s positional versatility should make him a defensive weapon for Vic Fangio and Mitchell could blossom under the tutelage of Darius Slay. Our primary concern with Philadelphia now, which holds them a bit back in our 2024 NFL power rankings, is how this offensive line looks without Jason Kelce.
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5. Green Bay Packers
The Jordan Love plan worked and the Green Bay Packers should be a better NFL team in 2024 than Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets. Green Bay upgraded its running back tandem, replacing Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon with Josh Jacobs and MarShawn Lloyd. Plus, they filled huge needs at safety and off-ball linebacker. Oh, this was also the youngest NFL team last season. Green Bay might not win the NFC North, but it has the upside to reach the Super Bowl.
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4. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions were everyone’s breakout pick in 2024 and they still exceeded expectations. After falling a few self-inflicted wounds short of the Super Bowl, Detroit just made itself stronger this offseason both through NFL free agency – Kevin Zeitler, DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport – paired with the 2024 NFL Draft (Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.). Detroit has everything it needs to challenge the San Francisco 49ers to be the best NFC team in 2024, though, the NFC North is going to be a brutal fight all year.
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3. Houston Texans
A year ago, the Houston Texans were one of the worst NFL teams and now they are right near the top of the NFL power rankings. C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans did insane work last season to transform this franchise. Their reward this offseason was Stefon Diggs, Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock, Blake Fisher, Joe Mixon, Daniel Hunter, Denico Autry and Azeez Al-Shaair. We feel confident in saying Stroud will be an MVP candidate this fall and Ryans’ defense could be one of the 10 best in football. All of that makes the Texans one of the best NFL teams in 2024.
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2. San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t trade Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel during the 2024 NFL Draft, so both star offensive weapons should be around for the entire upcoming season. We do still have to acknowledge the absence of Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) an injury that will be felt defensively well into the regular season. However, we’ve learned to never bet against Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy with all the talent around them especially in the regular season.
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1. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are No. 1 in the NFL power rankings after the 2024 NFL Draft. While trading away cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is a blow for this defense and the looming Rashee Rice suspension will hurt in the regular season, we’ve seen Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid win Super Bowls with issues on the roster. The newest NFL dynasty will be the No. 1 team in our eyes until someone proves otherwise.
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NFL power rankings FAQs
Who is the best NFL team in NFL?
The Kansas City Chiefs are the best NFL team in 2024, sitting at No. 1 in the NFL power rankings.
Who is the worst team in the NFL?
The Carolina Panthers are the worst team in the NFL, coming in last in our 2024 NFL power rankings.
What are the top 3 worst NFL teams?
The three worst NFL teams in 2024 are the Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots.
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