NFL analyst John Vogel explains his NFL power rankings ahead of the 2021 season.
This year, I’m introducing a less traditional style of NFL power rankings and projecting the 2021 season my way. My raw power rankings are based completely on team skill and depth, relying less on star power and more on the core position groups.
By the end of August, my complete NFL power rankings set will be revealed, based on these rankings and the schedules that the teams will play. By projecting each matchup, we can gather how competitive each team will be in 2021.
This is a simple formula. Each positional group in the NFL is ranked from 1-32. Using a weighted average, we calculate the average rank of the positional groups on the team. The positional groups also use special teams and coaching staff to help accurately grade the teams.
Now, without further ado, here are my NFL power rankings for the 2021 season.
The Raw NFL Power Rankings
- Cleveland Browns
- New England Patriots
- Los Angeles Rams
- Kansas City Chiefs
- San Francisco 49ers
- Buffalo Bills
- Baltimore Ravens
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Dallas Cowboys
- New Orleans Saints
- Tennessee Titans
- Seattle Seahawks
- Green Bay Packers
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Carolina Panthers
- Washington Football Team
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Chicago Bears
- Indianapolis Colts
- Minnesota Vikings
- Arizona Cardinals
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Miami Dolphins
- Denver Broncos
- New York Giants
- New York Jets
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Detroit Lions
- Atlanta Falcons
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Houston Texans
Projected Division Winners and Playoff Spots
AFC East: New England Patriots
AFC North: Cleveland Browns
AFC South: Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs
AFC 7 seeds:
- Cleveland Browns
- New England Patriots
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Tennessee Titans
- Buffalo Bills
- Baltimore Ravens
- Las Vegas Raiders
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys
NFC North: Green Bay Packers
NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West: Los Angeles Rams
NFC 7 seeds:
- Los Angeles Rams
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Dallas Cowboys
- Green Bay Packers
- San Francisco 49ers
- New Orleans Saints
- Seattle Seahawks
[…] ran a poll on Twitter with the top four AFC teams in my raw power rankings. The results are quite […]