NFL Power Rankings: Mini-Camp Edition

The tidal wave of emotions of the draft has finally receded, and now it's mini-camp time. NFL depth charts look a little more clear than they did two weeks ago.

Who would have guessed that Michael Crabtree would fall all the way to tenth or that Darrius Heyward-Bey would go ahead of him?

Rosters won't change very much between now and June 1. That's when we may see a few more veterans fall victim to the salary cap. Until then, here are my NFL power rankings:

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

The champs are...well...the champs! The Steelers didn't really lose much in free agency and drafted speedy wide receiver Mike Wallace (4.33 40-yard dash) to replace Nate Washington. Pittsburgh is on top of the power rankings mountain until someone knocks them off.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

Donovan McNabb, at 32 years of age, had one of his finest seasons. He started all 16 games and threw for nearly 4,000 yards. Now, Eagles' management has surrounded him with more weapons. They traded for left tackle Jason Peters and drafted wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

The loss of Brian Dawkins may be eased some by the acquisition of Sean Jones.

3. Carolina Panthers

Much of this lofty ranking is based on the assumption that Julius Peppers plays for Carolina. He is the unstoppable force that drives this defense.

The Panthers have the best combo of running backs with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. They combined for 30 rushing touchdowns last year.  Carolina is always a threat to score with Steve Smith.

4. New England Patriots

Assuming Tom Brady is back and fully recovered from his injury, the Patriots should be back on top of the AFC East. 

New England began the offseason by bringing in older veterans such as Joey Galloway, Shawn Springs, and Fred Taylor. Then, they used 12 draft picks to bring in a lot of young talent, especially on defense.

5. Indianapolis Colts

Another year, another first round exit for the Colts. Longtime Colts' assistant Jim Caldwell takes over for Tony Dungy.

Whenever you have Peyton Manning, though, you always have a chance to win. The Colts won nine straight games last season after Manning was able to shake the rust off after not participating in training camp.

6. New York Giants

The Giants made a concerted effort in free agency to address the defense.  They acquired three or four new starters during the offseason.

New York then used the draft to find a replacement for Plaxico Burress and actually used two draft picks on wide receivers. The departure of Derrick Ward to Tampa Bay gives Ahmed Bradshaw a chance to step up and fill the role of "change-of-pace back" needed to complement Brandon Jacobs.

7. Minnesota Vikings

Everyone knows that the biggest need on this team is quarterback. While that should not be overlooked, this team still has Adrian Peterson and a strong defense. 

Percy Harvin is this team's biggest x-factor. If he can have a similar impact on the Vikings as he did on the Florida Gators, this offense can really take off.

8. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens' defense was weakened a bit with the loss of Bart Scott in free agency. Baltimore, though, continues to build around a strong running game.  They drafted Michael Oher and signed center Matt Birk away from the Vikings.

9. Arizona Cardinals

Despite appearing in the Super Bowl, I'm still not sold on the Cardinals. If they were in any other division in the NFC, they likely would have missed the playoffs altogether.

I don't know which Cardinals team is going to show up in 2009. Are they going to be the regular season team that threw the ball 63 percent of the time in the regular season or the playoff team that had a good run/pass balance?

The Anquan Boldin saga seems overblown. He was a non-factor in two of the playoff games. Trade him already.

10. Tennessee Titans

Last year's number one seed in the AFC drops to number ten for one big reason: Albert Haynesworth. He was the difference between the Titans' line going from good to great. Teams always had to account for his presence, and now they don't.

The Titans' attempts to address the receiver position included bringing in Nate Washington and drafting Kenny Britt. Washington was no better than Pittsburgh's number three option, and first round picks at wide receiver rarely make impacts as rookies.

11. Atlanta Falcons

The question surrounding the Falcons is whether or not Matt Ryan can build upon his outstanding rookie season and avoid the sophomore slump.  Management certainly has done all they can to make sure Ryan flourishes. They added Tony Gonzales to the arsenal of Michael Turner and Roddy White.

The defense took a big hit in free agency. They lost Dominique Foxworth, Michael Boley, Keith Brooking, and Grady Jackson on a defense that needed to be improved.

12. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins were the first team to integrate the "wildcat" formation into the NFL. Running back Ronnie Brown was the trigger man in this formation.  Now, it appears that rookie quarterback Pat White may fulfill that role. White gives an added dimension in the wildcat because he is a threat to throw the ball as well as run.

The Dolphins addressed the secondary, their biggest defensive weakness, by drafting Vontae Davis and Sean Smith. They also signed Gibril Wilson to play in the box as a safety.

13. New Orleans Saints

The Saints have had an explosive offense for three years running. Now, they may have finally have a defense good enough to complement the offense.

New Orleans' biggest offseason move was to hire Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator. They then went and brought in players such as Darren Sharper, Jabari Greer, and Malcolm Jenkins to fit into his aggressive scheme.

If the Saints' defense can just be decent, then they can make a deep run into the playoffs.

14. Houston Texans

The Texans did everything they could do to address a defense that ranked near the bottom last year. They signed veterans Cato June, Shaun Cody, and Antonio Smith and then spent the majority of their draft picks focusing on defense.

Despite an 0-4 start, the Texans finished with an 8-4 record. Unless another hurricane comes through Houston, the Texans won't have to play 15 straight games without a bye week.

15. San Diego Chargers

The Chargers are as talented as any team in the league but somehow couldn't muster better than an 8-8 record last year. They are littered with pro-bowl talent all over the roster.

The good news for San Diego is that they will get Shawn Merriman back after a virtual year off.  The entire defense felt the impact of his absence. The secondary, which had 30 interceptions in 2007, had just 15 in 2008.

16. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo was not quiet this offseason. They added Terrell Owens to pair up alongside Lee Evans. The Bills were smart to sign Owens to just a one-year deal as his past locker room divisiveness is well-documented.

The biggest challenge for the Bills will be to avoid the second half swoon they had last year.

17. Chicago Bears

The Bears concluded the biggest story of the offseason by completing a trade to pick up Jay Cutler. The problem, though, is that Cutler won't have nearly the same weapons to throw to in Chicago as he did in Denver.

Surprisingly, the Bears have a lot to fix on defense, particularly in the secondary. The NFC North is not a prolific passing division and yet Chicago still ranked 30th in the NFL in stopping the pass. Picking up Josh Bullocks is not going to solve anything.

18. San Francisco 49ers

Right now, the 49ers are my pick to surprise people and make the playoffs as a wild card, but they have a lot of work ahead of them. First, they must find a quarterback to run the offense which is steadily adding solid pieces.

Michael Crabtree unexpectedly fell to the 49ers and will be immediately inserted into the starting lineup. They also drafted Glen Coffee to take some of the workload off of Frank Gore.

Coach Mike Singletary is a demanding coach, but his young team should respond well to his approach.

19. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas' offense was just average last season.  One reason for this was the loss of Felix Jones. Jones was the perfect complement to Marion Barber's smashmouth style. He was averaging nine yards per carry before tearing his hamstring in week six.

The Cowboys need Tony Romo to step up in December. He is just 5-8 in 13 December starts. If he doesn't he could cost Wade Philips his job. The Cowboys were the most talented team in the NFC to not make the playoffs last season.

20. New York Jets

After a year of Brett Favre, the Jets now know that their quarterback of the future is Mark Sanchez. Unfortunately, Kellen Clemens may be their quarterback of the present. I expect the Jets' offense to take a step backwards as they adjust to their new quarterback situation.

Head coach Rex Ryan brings in more credibility to a defense that ranked 29th in passing yards allowed. Maybe he can light a fire under Vernon Gholston.

21. Washington Redskins

This is going to be a "put up or shut up" year for Jason Campbell. He is now in his second season under Jim Zorn and complained about the Redskins shopping for Jay Cutler,  He has the weapons to be successful with Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Devin Thomas, and Chris Cooley at his disposal. He also has the option of handing the ball off the Clinton Portis.

Washington made a big splash defensively when they signed $100 million man Albert Haynesworth. They also drafted Brian Orakpo and are trying him at outside linebacker.

22. Oakland Raiders

I was surprised as anyone when the Raiders passed on Crabtree to select Darrius Heyward-Bey, but we have to give the kid a chance to prove himself.  He may fit into the Raiders' offense nicely. I do know that JaMarcus Russell thrives on the deep ball. I'm taking the Raiders' draft on a wait an see approach.

My biggest question about the Raiders is not whether or nor Tom Cable can be successful; it's whether or not Al Davis will allow him to be successful. No Oakland coach has lasted longer than 32 games since Jon Gruden left in 2001.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

If the Jaguars are to recapture the magic from 2007, David Garrard needs to return to his 2007 form. 

Jacksonville signed Torry Holt to give Garrard another weapon. The problem is that Holt is past his prime. He had his worst season since his rookie season in 1999.

24. Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers proved to be worth the wait as the Packers ranked 5th in scoring and eighth in yards. Thee biggest problem for the Packers was their defense.

Green Bay is flipping to a 3-4 defense this season. While they didn't make much noise in free agency, they surely addressed their defensive needs immediately in the draft. They selected B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews with their two first round picks.

If the defense can step up, then the Packers can contend with Minnesota and Chicago. If not, they're 6-10 again.

25. Seattle Seahawks

Jim Mora (the former Atlanta coach and not his "playoffs!" screeching father) takes over in Seattle after Mike Holmgren's disappointing final season. Seattle finished an injury-riddled 2008 with a 4-12 mark.

If Seattle is going to return to glory, they are going to need Matt Hasselbeck.  He played ineffectively for seven games because of a back injury and was shut down for the year. He's going to get some extra help because he'll be throwing the ball to T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

Seattle has a decent chance to make a big leap from 4-12 record to the playoffs because of their weak division.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Derrick Brooks: gone. Joey Galloway: gone.  Jeff Garcia: gone. Warrick Dunn: gone. Are you sensing a theme here?

And that's only about half of the players the Bucs got rid of. Raheem Morris has only one veteran, Ronde Barber, on which to lean as a new era begins in Tampa Bay.

27. Denver Broncos

Whether you like it or not, Josh McDaniels is the new sheriff in town. He shipped Jay Cutler out of town and cut nine other players.

It looks as if McDaniels will use a balanced approach to his offense, at least in the first season. With either Kyle Orton or Chris Simms at quarterback, Denver won't be slinging the ball all around the field.

If Denver does not have a successful season, McDaniels will look stupid. If Denver makes the playoffs, he'll look like a genius. I think the Broncos still have too many holes on defense to seriously contend for even a wild card.

28. Cincinnati Bengals

As much as the NFL community piles on the Bengals for their ineptitude, I think they had a really good draft for once. Andre Smith gives Carson Palmer the blindside protection that he needs. The Bengals also picked Rey Maualuga to play alongside Keith Rivers, his former USC teammate.

The problem is that the Bengals haven't rid themselves of the me-first players that tend to destroy an NFL locker room. Until they do that, Cincinnati will continue to pile up 10-loss seasons.

29. Kansas City Chiefs

There is a lot of optimism in Kansas City now that Matt Cassel is the quarterback, but I'm still skeptical. In New England, he had Randy Moss, Wes Welker and a solid defense to back him up.

In KC, he's got Dwayne Bowe, and that's it. Tony Gonzales is gone and Larry Johnson is approaching the dreaded 30 year old mark. Johnson has combined for 1,433 yards over the past two seasons after accumulating consecutive 1,700-yard seasons in 2005 and 2006.

Pairing Tyson Jackson with his college teammate Glen Dorsey seems like a good move, but it will be a year or so before the young defense rounds into form.

30. Cleveland Browns

Cleveland was quietly active in free agency. They signed Eric Barton, Corey Ivy, and "Pork Chop" Womack among others.

They addressed many of their offensive needs in the draft. The Browns are building a formidable line with Joe Thomas and now Alex Mack. Of course, the biggest story in Cleveland this summer will be about Brady Quinn. He is the favorite to win the job over Derek Anderson.

The problem for Cleveland's offense is that they are relying on Jamal Lewis to carry the rushing load once again. He had 1,000 yards last season but only averaged 3.6 yards per carry. There aren't a whole lot more miles on those legs.

31. St. Louis Rams

The Rams were the worst team in the worst division. They were 31st in scoring offense and defense. The defense has infused some young talent over the past few seasons and now has Steve Spagluolo to guide them.

The offense does not have a proven wide receiver to Bulger can throw. Steven Jackson's violent running style has caused him to miss significant time in each of the past two seasons.

32. Detroit Lions

I don't care what kind of changes you made during the offseason. You went 0-16 last year. You must win a game to move off this spot. Enough said.