2014 NFL Power Rankings: Post-Draft (10-1)

1. Seattle Seahawks: The defending Super Bowl champions had a relatively quiet offseason, but then again, they have enough talent on their roster to repeat as champions. Russell Wilson is developing into on of the league's most reliable quarterbacks, and luckily for him, the Seahawks have running back Marshawn Lynch to assist their young passer. Also, Percy Harvin will hopefully be able to play in more games next season, seeing how the Seahawks were 4-0 in games where Harvin played. Yet the most dominant feature of the Seattle Seahawks is their defense, nicknamed the Legion of Boom. Last season, Seattle ranked first overall in total defense, pass defense, and points allowed per game. Seattle will be a favorite to win the Super Bowl once again.

2. Denver Broncos: After an embarrassing loss to a clearly superior Seattle Seahawks team in Super Bowl XLVIII, the Broncos acquired many big names during the offseason, hoping to win a Super Bowl before star quarterback Peyton Manning retires. Denver's defense will now have Pro-Bowlers like DE DeMarcus Ware, CB TJ Ward, CB Aqib Talib, and talented rookie CB Bradley Roby. The receiving corp will now have Emmanuel Sander to replace Eric Decker. Denver has one or two more years to try for a championship with Manning as quarterback, and 2014 will be a chance for revenge by Manning's Broncos.

3. New England Patriots: Many believe that Tom Brady's game has been degrading as of late, causing his status as an elite quarterback to come into question. New England's receiving corp is on the smaller side, with guys like Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman both under six feet. Yet Brady will be more experienced with these younger targets, and more importantly, tight end Rob Gronkowski will hopefully be healthy for the majority of the season. The Patriots also signed cornerback Darrelle Revis, one of the biggest names in all of football, and it seems that Bill Belicheck has managed to keep the star in check. As for the draft, Dominique Easley at defensive tackle is risky, seeing how he is extremely talented but has a history of injuries.

4. San Francisco 49ers: With Pro-Bowl defenders such as Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, and Justin Smith, the San Francisco 49ers have one of the most talented defenses in football. San Francisco's offense is dominated by its run game, where the depth chart of running backs consist of Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, and Carlos Hyde, while quarterback Colin Kaepernick is incredible at running the ball as well. Kaepernick's passer rating dipped slightly in 2013, but with receivers Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, and Stevie Johnson, the 49ers will have one of the more reliable passing games in the NFL.

5. Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers, possibly the best quarterback in football when healthy, missed seven games last season, but in his Week 17 return against the Chicago Bears, Rodgers threw a game winning pass in the waning seconds of the game to clinch a playoff spot. In the 9 games that Rodgers played in, he had a passer rating of 104.9, a positive sign for next season. Running back Eddie Lacy managed to win Offensive Rookie of the Year last season, whereas cornerback Ha-Ha Clinton Dix will be a contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year next season. The Packers added defensive end Julius Peppers in order to have a defense capable of competing against some of the NFC's strongest offenses.

6. New Orleans Saints: Seeing how the NFC South has many talented quarterbacks, the Saints signed free safety Jairus Byrd and cornerback Champ Bailey to improve the pass defense. The New Orleans Saints have one of the league's best passing games, with quarterback Drew Brees leading the way. Brees' receivers are extremely talented, with stars like Robert Meachem, Marques Colston, Kenny Stills, and tight end Jimmy Graham. There is a lot of pressure on Brees to succeed every single game due to the lack of running game in New Orleans, which is the main reason why the Saints are not ranked higher.

7. Indianapolis Colts: Believe it or not, the Indianapolis Colts' passing game will become even more lethal thanks to Hakeem Knicks being a new member of Indy's receiving corp. Andrew Luck has two years under his belt, and even though Luck did not have more passing yards or touchdowns in comparison to his rookie season, Luck almost cut his interception total in half, therefore improving his passer rating. The defense has a few big names, including D'Qwell Jackson, LaRon Landry, and Robert Mathis, but Indy's defense is still not considered to be one of the league's best.

8. Cincinnati Bengals: Since drafting both receiver AJ Green and quarterback Andy Dalton in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Cincinnati's record has improved gradually with each passing year. Yet even though the Bengals have improved during the regular season, Cincinnati has been getting the same result in each playoff game: a loss in the first round. AJ Green has formed a solid connection with Dalton, and has quickly become one of the best receivers in football. Cincinnati's defense has star defensive tackle Geno Tackle returning from his torn ACL, which will make them even better in 2014. Head coach Marvin Lewis has a 51.4 win percentage during the regular season, but remains 0-5 during the postseason. If the Bengals are unable to win a playoff game in 2014, I could see Lewis being fired on the spot.

9. Arizona Cardinals: The Arizona Cardinals has a sneakily-talented passing game, with experienced, yet undervalued quarterback Carson Palmer at quarterback, and Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, and Ted Ginn for receivers. Andre Ellington is now the number one running back on the depth chart, where during his rookie season, Ellington averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Arizona's defense has several Pro-Bowlers on the roster, including Darnell Dockett, John Abraham, and a possible Pro Bowler for future seasons in rookie safety Deone Bucannon. The Cardinals barely missed out of the playoffs last year, and gained a lot of press by snapping Seattle's home win streak.

10. Carolina Panthers: With veteran wide receiver Steve Smith leaving Carolina, young quarterback Cam Newton has very few talented receivers left on the roster. The Panthers managed to sign Jason Avant from Philly and Jerricho Cotchery from Pittsburgh in order to help out Newton following Smith's departure. Carolina had an incredible turnaround on defense, headlined by star middle linebacker Luke Kuechly winning defensive Player of the Year. Kuechly has become the best defender in football, while simultaneously, the Panthers defense have become one of the best in the NFL.

2014 NFL Power Rankings: Post-Draft (20-11)

11. Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler played in just 11 games last season, and his record stood at 5-6 in those games. With quarterback Josh McCown leaving Chicago, Bears fans hope that Cutler will be able to carry Chicago's offense, consisting of an incredible amount of talent such as receivers Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffrey, and running back Matt Forte. Defensively, the Bears lost defensive end Julius Peppers in free agency, but managed to sign defensive ends Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston, defensive tackle Jay Ratliff, and linebacker DJ Williams. The Bears defense will be one of the league's best next year.

12. San Diego Chargers: The Chargers decided to draft cornerback Jason Verrett out of TCU with their first round pick, a great selection that will certainly help their pass defense. Verrett will join recently signed defensive end Dwight Freeney, a 34-year old who ranks 22nd all time in career sacks. On offense, quarterback Philip Rivers can pass to Offensive Rookie of the Year winner Keenan Allen, Vincent Brown, and Malcolm Floyd, or choose to run the ball with Ryan Matthews.

13. Philadelphia Eagles: Losing star wide receiver DeSean Jackson will certainly hurt Philadelphia's passing game, especially since starting quarterback Nick Foles forged a solid relationship with the receiver. Now, Jeremy Maclin will be returning from a torn ACL that caused him to miss the entire season, and the Eagles are hoping that rookie receivers Jordan Matthews will be a solid replacement for Jackson. Philadelphia's defense struggled last season, and little was done in the offseason (apart from the signing of FS Malcolm Jenkins) to fix certain problems, especially with the run defense.

14. Baltimore Ravens: Assuming that Joe Flacco can have a better season in 2014, the Ravens may be a serious threat during the postseason. Baltimore signed wide receiver Steve Smith from Carolina, who will join Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, and Dennis Pitta to create an incredible receiving corp in Baltimore, as this passing game will take pressure off of star running back Ray Rice. The defense has many big names, including rookie linebacker CJ Mosley out of Alabama, NT Haloti Ngata, and outside linebackers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Pittsburgh Steelers, a franchise that had been to three Super Bowls in six years, have a brand new look on defense. The defense that won Pittsburgh's last Super Bowl only has two remaining starters from that championship winning team--Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor. Youthful rookies like Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt are talented prospects who will make Steelers fans hopeful for the future. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will need to be more consistent in order for Pittsburgh to return to the "Big Game".

16. St. Louis Rams: With Sam Bradford returning from his season ending injury last year, the Rams offense has enough youthful talent to be a contender in the NFC West. Receiver Tavon Austin, guard Greg Robinson, and running backs Zac Stacey and Tre Mason are all below 23 years old, and have many Pro Bowl games between them in the near future. The defensive line was stellar last season, which helped them beat solid teams like Chicago, Indianapolis, and Arizona.

17. Detroit Lions: The Lions' receiving corp is beginning to look like the best in all of football. Joining All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson will be Golden Tate from Seattle and rookie tight end Eric Ebron. Matthew Stafford used to have a lot of pressure on him to carry the offense, but running back Reggie Bush has helped take some pressure off of Stafford's arm. Detroit's defensive line, consisting of tackle Ndamukong Suh and ends Nick Fairley and Ziggy Ansah, is one of the more feared lines in football.

18. Kansas City Chiefs: Next season, Kansas City will have to play one of the most difficult schedules in all of football, having to battle the Patriots, Steelers, all of the NFC West, and both the Broncos and Chargers twice. Seeing how the Chiefs lost three-fifths of their offensive line, receiver Dexter McCluster, and recently cornerback Brandon Flowers, the Chiefs are unlikely to dethrone the Broncos from atop the AFC West, even with their talented defense.

19. Atlanta Falcons: After being one game away from playing in the Super Bowl in 2012, the Atlanta Falcons went 4-12 last season, their worst record since 2007, a year before drafting quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan managed to throw for 4,515 yards with 26 touchdowns in 2013, even without Julio Jones for the majority of the season; however, a lack of running game (ranked dead last in football) and a terrible run defense (31st overall) will likely mean the Falcons will watch another NFL postseason from home.

20. New York Jets: The New York Jets signed several big names over the course of free agency, such as wide receiver Eric Decker, quarterback Michael Vick, and running back Chris Johnson. As of right now, Rex Ryan assures that Geno Smith remains the number one quarterback on the depth chart, but that is possible to change during training camp. The Jets defensive line, while they may be young, did very well last season, where defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson ended up winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Patriots-Jets rivalry may pick up steam as New York becomes more competitive.

2014 NFL Power Rankings: Post-Draft (32-21)

21. New York Giants: Even though the New York Giants lost their first 6 games of 2013, they were still in the race for the Division Title until the last few weeks of football. New York is a dangerous team, but Eli Manning needs to avoid throwing costly interception in order to have a consistent passing game. Hakeem Knicks has left for Indy, but receivers Victor Cruz and recently drafted Odell Beckham Jr. are able to provide Manning with plenty of weapons on offense. 

22. Dallas Cowboys: 2014 will bring another chapter in the Dallas Cowboys chronicles. For the second year in a row, Dallas was one win away in Week 17 from a spot in the postseason, yet was unsuccessful in converting. Dallas drafted Zack Martin, an offensive lineman out of Notre Dame, to help benefit the passing game led by quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Dez Bryant. The NFC East has been one of the weaker divisions as of late, so the Cowboys have the opportunity to earn a playoff spot in this upcoming season.

23. Houston Texans: With the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans decided to not select a quarterback, but rather boost their defensive line by drafting star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and defensive tackle Louis Nix III. The Texans' pass rush will be incredible next season as Clowney and Nix join JJ Watt and young pass rusher Whitney Mercilus. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins had a notable rookie season, but in the event that Andre Johnson leaves Houston before the season opener, Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely struggle in 2014.

24. Buffalo Bills: Sammy Watkins, now a member of the Buffalo Bills, is the most talented player of the 2014 NFL Draft, and will join Mike Williams and Marquis Lee offensively to provide young quarterback EJ Manuel with many new weapons. Buffalo's pass rush ranked 2nd in the league last season, where three defensive passers had 10 sacks or more during the year, and it is also important to mention their incredibly talented rushing-duo of CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson. The Bills are a dark horse to do well in 2014.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers did plenty during this offseason to boost their offensive depth chart. Mike Evans, a 6'5"receiver out of Texas A&M, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, a 6'6" tight end from Washington, will join Vincent Jackson (6'5") to create one of the tallest receiving corps in the league. Josh McCown proved he can win games when he took over in Chicago, so the Bucs may be competitive in the race for a spot in the Wild Card Round.

26. Tennessee Titans: 2014 is bound to be Jake Locker's last season if his game does not improve from last year, and Tennessee is doing their best to supply Locker with talented, yet relatively cheap, wide receivers. Nate Washington, Kendall Wright, Dexter McCluster, and Justin Hunter are all good offensive weapons, but not enough to bear the burden of this entire offense.

27. Minnesota Vikings: I am a huge fan of the Vikings selecting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the 32nd overall pick. Bridgewater is a very talented passer who can take pressure off of Adrian Peterson, quite possibly the best player in the NFL today; on the other hand, if Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder continue to take the majority of the snaps in 2014, there is no way the Vikings will manage to crack .500. Anthony Barr was selected defensively in order to fill the pass rushing void left behind by All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen, another great selection for Minnesota.

28. Miami Dolphins: Miami managed to sign cornerback Cortland Finnegan and Randy Starks within the past few months, but apart from that, Miami had a relatively quiet offseason. Ryan Tannehill likely has one more year before he is on the hot seat, seeing how he managed to improve in 2013 from his rookie year. This lackluster franchise is unlikely to improve much in 2014.

29. Washington Redskins: After their miraculous road to the postseason in 2012, Robert Griffin III clearly suffered from a sophomore slump, where even though RGIII had more attempts on offense, his statistics suffered. With 12 interceptions and a 20.2 point drop in his passer rating compared to the rookie season, many Washington fans were disappointed with their quarterback's performances week in and week out. The Redskins had to give up their second overall pick because of their decision to trade up for RGIII two years earlier, yet they did manage to get Trent Murphy in the draft, as well as wide receiver DeSean Jackson in the offseason. Still, things aren't looking good for Washington in 2014.

30. Oakland Raiders: The Raiders made several sneaky transactions during the offseason. Defensively, the Raiders took a step in the right direction by adding Justin Tuck, Charles Woodson, Antonio Smith, and Khalil Mack all within this past offseason. On offense, rookie quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver James Jones were both added to the depth chart; however, the inconsistencies of Matt Schaub at quarterback will hinder their progress next year. Looking forward, Raiders fans should remain hopeful.

31. Cleveland Browns: The biggest storyline coming out of the draft was clearly Johnny Manziel falling to the 22nd overall pick in the draft to Cleveland. Although this new selection gave Cleveland fans a glimmer of hope for next season, Josh Gordon faces a looming suspension due to substance abuses. Justin Gilbert at cornerback was a great selection in the draft, and  both Miles Austin and Nate Burleson will be two great weapons for Manziel, in the event that he wins the starting job.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars are hoping that rookie quarterback Blake Bortles will be able to send Jacksonville to the postseason for the first time since 2007. Unfortunately for the rookie quarterback, Jacksonville has an extreme lack of talent on their depth chart, so much so that not a single player was selected to play in the Pro Bowl last season. Jacksonville has many more years before they will be a competitive football team.