NFL Power Rankings: An Early Look at Next Year's Top 10 Teams

Though free agency, the NFL draft and offseason workouts have yet to commence, it’s never too early to make a few informed predictions about how the 2012 season could play out.

Here are my thoughts on which teams are worthy of a Top 10 ranking even at this early point in the year.

No. 10: Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals were my pick to go 0-16 (or close to it) in 2011. Instead, they managed to shock just about everyone in putting up a winning record and ultimately reaching the playoffs as a wild-card team.

Quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green should only improve in their sophomore years, and the fact that the Bengals have nine draft picks and nearly $40 million in cap space should shore up the team as one of the AFC’s strongest in 2012 and beyond.

No. 9: Houston Texans

The Houston Texans were thought only to have won the AFC South in 2011 because the Indianapolis Colts were struggling without quarterback Peyton Manning, lacked an adequate backup to replace him and fielded a terrible defense.

However, the Texans proved they are a complete, well-balanced team in their own right and should hold on to top honors in the division for at least one more season.

No. 8: San Francisco 49ers

At 13-3 in 2011, the San Francisco 49ers were the most improved team of the season and made it all the way to the NFC championship game. That’s not good enough for head coach Jim Harbaugh, who will likely push his team to achieve even more in 2012.

They’re open to the challenge to be sure, and their defense can certainly meet it. The question mark for San Francisco will be quarterback Alex Smith, which is something they’re more than used to.

No. 7: Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions pose the biggest threat to the Green Bay Packers’ dominance of the NFC North, and if they step up their game from 2011, they’ll be an even more fearsome opponent for the Super Bowl favorites.

The Lions need to divest themselves of the little, mainly mental, errors that plagued their 2011 season as well as strengthen their secondary. If they can manage that, they won’t be out of the Top 5 for long.

No. 6: Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s hard to imagine a way for the Pittsburgh Steelers to not be projected as a Top 10 team. Since quarterback Ben Roethlisberger became a starter, the team has been to three Super Bowls and won two.

Though they fell in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs in 2012, don’t discount their overall ability. New offensive coordinator Todd Haley throws a wrench into the works, but the talent they have throughout the roster should make up for any hiccups.

No. 5: New York Giants

Winning the Super Bowl does not guarantee a team will head into the following year as the top team in the league, and thus is the case for the New York Giants, who were one fumble away from not making the Super Bowl and a completion or two from not winning it.

The Giants are an excellent team, especially where their passing offense and defensive fronts are concerned. But they’re still prone to the kind of inconsistency that knocks them down a few spots on the power rankings.

No. 4: Baltimore Ravens

No matter what changes they make, the Baltimore Ravens always seem impervious to things that would otherwise harm nearly every other team in the league.

They’ve reached the postseason in four straight years and show no signs of slowing in 2012. All they need is quarterback Joe Flacco to continue to improve and gel with his young receiving corps and the defense to remain as intense as ever and they’re a guaranteed playoff team yet again.

No. 3: New Orleans Saints

Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke the single-season passing yardage record in 2011, and that’s just as much due to his accurate arm as his dynamic receiving corps.

Brees and his receivers are of the sort that get better with age and should only be more successful in 2012. The playoffs have been the team’s Achilles heel of late, but I see the Saints shaking those old demons in the upcoming season.

No. 2: Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers went 15-1 in 2011 simply because quarterback Aaron Rodgers is so skilled at what he does. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that he has the help of a whole fleet of capable targets.

They were favored to go to and win last season’s Super Bowl, but though they fell short they have the greatest odds to be the NFC’s representative in the 2012-2013 championship. The Packers just need to get their secondary back into 2010 form.

No. 1: New England Patriots

Oddmakers have already named the New England Patriots the favorites to win the Super Bowl even though we’re just over one week removed from the team losing the last one.

That fact clearly doesn’t discount what has made, and will continue to make, the Patriots the top team in the AFC. With the addition of a marquee-talent wide receiver and finding an identity on defense, the Patriots could be unstoppable in 2012.

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