2010 NFL Preseason Power Rankings

| May 04, 2010 | 257 comments
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Now that the draft is over, we have a better idea of how teams will look when they enter the 2010 season.

I’ve gone through every team and ranked them based on 3 things: last year’s record, offseason additions/losses, and draft success.

RK: Current rank
Hi: Highest previous rank
Lo: Lowest previous rank

RK / (Hi/Lo) Team Record Comment
1 / (1/1)

Saints

 13-3-0 The current champions- No argument to who should be No. 1 on this list. The recent return of Darren Sharper is sure to help as well.
2 / (2/2)
Colts		 14-2-0 The Saints were essentially the only opponents to stop the seemingly unstoppable Colts (the Colts’ final 2 regular season games were played without Manning and his starters). Don’t worry, the 2x MVP Peyton Manning will lead the Colts to another playoff, guaranteed.
3 / (3/3) Vikings 12-4-0 This rank all depends on whether Brett Favre returns or retires. He is probably the biggest reason for the Vikings success. Before blaming Favre for losing the NFC Championship game, realize that the Vikings would never even have made it that far without him.
4 / (4/4) Packers 11-5-0 The Packers drafted OT Bryan Bulaga in the first round in hopes to address their biggest weakness: protecting the quarterback. If they can achieve this, the Packers are definite Super Bowl contenders.
5 / (5/5) Ravens 9-7-0 Was Anquan Boldin the missing recipe for the Ravens to reach the Super Bowl? Already having an established run game and defense, the Ravens could now go the distance with their new passing attack.
6 / (6/6)
Jets		 9-7-0 Lots of good offseason moves for the Jets- most notably Santonio Holmes, L.T., and Antonio Cromartie. But all these players have off-field issues, so how will they behave under outspoken Rex Ryan?
7 / (7/7) Chargers 13-3-0 After a season-ending loss to the Jets last year, the Chargers sit right behind them. The Chargers would be ranked higher, but their uncertainty in the run game keeps them at No. 7.
8 / (8/8) Cowboys 11-5-0 Tony Romo has proven that he can in fact win games in December. Unfortunately, now he has to prove that he can win games in January.
9 / (9/9) Bengals 10-6-0 The Bengals shocked everyone last year with their unexpected success. After a dramatic season, they’ve shown worthiness to be considered playoff contenders.
10 / (10/10) Patriots 10-6-0 Still one of the top 10 teams, but they’ve lost their reputation as one of the most dominating franchises. Defense is their biggest weakness.
11 / (11/11) Falcons 9-7-0 If the Falcons can strengthen their defense, Matt Ryan can take this team far. Great potential.
12 / (12/12) Texans 9-7-0 They were just short of the playoffs last year, and had their first winning season in franchise history. Could this be the year they finally make a playoff appearance?
13 / (13/13) Eagles 11-5-0 Kolb is promising, but he’s no McNabb. The Eagles just won’t be as successful without him.
14 / (14/14) Cardinals 10-6-0 This team suffered huge losses, Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin, which dramatically changed their team. Will Matt Leinart be able to mimic what Kurt Warner has done for the Cardinals?
15 / (15/15) Titans 8-8-0 After starting the season 0-6, they finished strong at 8-2. The Titans better hope Chris Johnson can repeat his outstanding performance last year.
16 / (16/16) Steelers 9-7-0 This is not the same Steelers team we saw last year. Losing Santonio Holmes, Ben Roethlisberger (for 6 games), and even Willie Parker has caused concern for the Steelers’ offense.  Troy Polamalu and his defense is keeping this team alive.
17 / (17/17) Panthers 8-8-0 They finished the season strong last year, but losing Julius Peppers hurts. They must hope Matt Moore or Jimmy Clausen will do better than Jake Delhomme.
18 / (18/18) Giants 8-8-0 Tom Coughlin has to do something about the Giants’ disappointing defense. Until then, this team is far from ever seeing the Super Bowl again.
19 / (19/19)
49ers		 8-8-0 1st-round draft picks, Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, are good additions to this team. Maybe Mike Singletary can finally restore the once great 49ers franchise; then again, maybe not.
20 / (20/20) Broncos 8-8-0 A promising team last year that ended with failures. They lost their biggest playmaker, Brandon Marshall, this offseason. Where is this team headed?
21 / (21/21) Redskins 4-12-0 Mike Shanahan has been busy rebuilding the Redskins’ offense, signing Donovan McNabb, Willie Parker, and Larry Johnson. High hopes for this team.
22 / (22/22) Dolphins 7-9-0 The Dolphins were able to land Brandon Marshall, but lost Jason Taylor. Fortunately, they have an easier schedule next year.
23 / (23/23) Jaguars 7-9-0 Jaguars need some more playmakers because Maurice Jones-Drew can’t do everything by himself. Garrard needs to step up in order for this team to have a winning record.
24 / (24/24)
Bears		 7-9-0 The Bears better hope Urlacher can return and stay healthy. The addition of Julius Peppers might have helped, but overall this team hasn’t done much to improve.
25 / (25/25) Seahawks 5-11-0 What happened to the Seahawks last season? Their successful draft is the only promising thing for this team.
26 / (26/26) Raiders 5-11-0 Trading for Jason Campbell might be one of the smartest things the Raiders have done in a long time. Then again, bringing in any quarterback to replace JaMarcus Russell would be considered an improvement.
27 / (27/27) Browns 5-11-0 The Browns have been on the right track since Mike Holmgren was hired as the GM. They re-signed their star playmaker, Joshua Cribbs, in the offseason; then made a steal in the draft by grabbing Colt McCoy in the 3rd round. Still, much improvement is needed.
28 / (28/28)
Bills		 6-10-0 They used the draft to address their defense, but not so much their offense. After losing T.O., they need a playmaker to replace him.
29 / (29/29) Buccaneers 4-13-0 Drafting Gerald McCoy was a huge addition for the Buccs, but what about getting some weapons for Josh Freeman?
30 / (30/30) Chiefs 4-12-0 At least the Chiefs finished the season on a high note with Jamaal Charles blooming late. They also drafted Dexter McCluster to pad the run game.
31 / (31/31)
Lions		 2-14-0 Although they only had 2 wins, they fought through many tough losses. Their two 1st-round draft picks, Ndamukong Suh and Jahvid Best, are sure to make a quick impact for this team.
32 / (32/32)
Rams		 1-15-0 The Rams were just 1 game away from a winless season. Will Sam Bradford save this team from being dead last?

Agree or disagree? Leave your thoughts below!

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