:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46276832/usa-today-8326813.0.jpg)
ESPN has released their first power rankings of all NFL teams. After the 2015 NFL Draft and the first half of the offseason wheelings and dealings, the Ravens come out towards the top.
As expected, the Ravens find themselves at the top of the power rankings. After a post season that saw them only a few snaps away from playing in the AFC Championship game, the Ravens lost several members of that team. With the NFL Draft just passed, the Ravens have been able to stock up an already loaded roster with playmakers on both sides of the ball as they look to compete in the AFC North and in the NFL for their third Championship.
It should come as no surprise that at the very top of the rankings sit Seattle and New England. Having played in the Super Bowl, they have earned the right to call themselves the very best of the league. However, they swap mostly due to the Jimmy Graham trade.
The Ravens find themselves sitting at the 7th spot, behind the colts and Broncos in the AFC. The top team in the AFC North, the Steelers are up in the 9th spot, the Bengals in the 10th spot and the lowly Browns all the way in 28th. The rankings have this to say about the AFC North teams.
| 7 |
4 Last Week: 11 |
The priority in the draft? Find Joe Flacco someone to throw to. The Ravens drafted four pass-catchers after losing Torrey Smith and Owen Daniels this offseason. |
| 28 |
5 Last Week: 23 |
The Browns drafted a league-high 12 players, including three front-seven defenders in the first three rounds. The Browns allowed a league-worst 2,265 rushing yards last season. |
The Ravens were able to move up 4 spots due to another fantastic NFL Draft. The analysis is absolutely correct in the idea that the Ravens desperately needed to give quarterback Joe Flacco some help and weapons to match their top defense. Having come out of the draft with four pass-catchers and two of them coming in the first two rounds, the Ravens have stacked their roster for the next few years with guys that can make big plays and present matchup problems for the rest of the NFL.
Even though no players have put on pads and we have yet to see a football game played, the ranking of the Ravens seem about right. If they can stay healthy this season, the Ravens should have one of the more complete teams that they've ever fielded. A great defense capable of holding teams down and an offense that can build up a big lead quickly, they should be one of the top teams in the league by year's end.
Do you feel that the Ravens should be ranked higher or lower? How about any of the other teams on the list?