NFL Power Rankings: Latest League Review Following 2015 Draft

The Sunday following the NFL draft may be the happiest day on the league's calendar. All 32 teams walk away satisfied their hauls over the previous three days were the best in the business. They may not have gotten all their guys, but everything is so new and shiny that there's an admirable level of hope.

All of which makes assessing where these teams stand a little difficult. Looking at the landscape of the league, there are only a few truly horrible or truly great teams. Outside that first handful at the bottom and top, there's a vast middle class that easily could wind up in the playoffs or the top 10.

That, of course, is a great thing for competitive balance. The NFL has long preferred a mix of parity and monoliths. As long as the likes of New England and whatever team Peyton Manning plays for are atop the standings, it doesn't necessarily matter about the rest. 

For most of the "rest," this weekend was about filling the needs necessary to challenge the Mannings and Tom Bradys of the world. Which teams did the best? Here's a look at the league's landscape following the draft.

Power Rankings

Rank	Team
1	Seattle Seahawks
2	New England Patriots
3	Green Bay Packers
4	Denver Broncos
5	Indianapolis Colts
6	Pittsburgh Steelers
7	Dallas Cowboys
8	Detroit Lions
9	Baltimore Ravens
10	Arizona Cardinals
11	Cincinnati Bengals
12	Miami Dolphins
13	Philadelphia Eagles
14	Atlanta Falcons
15	San Francisco 49ers
16	Buffalo Bills
17	Houston Texans
18	Carolina Panthers
19	Kansas City Chiefs
20	New Orleans Saints
21	Chicago Bears
22	San Diego Chargers
23	New York Giants
24	Minnesota Vikings
25	St. Louis Rams
26	Cleveland Browns
27	New York Jets
28	Jacksonville Jaguars
29	Washington
30	Oakland Raiders
31	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
32	Tennessee Titans

On the Rise

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons' 10-22 record over the last two seasons never made all that much sense. Injuries were largely responsible for their 4-12 mark in 2013, but there is enough talent on this roster that getting to 8-8 and winning the South should have happened.

With new head coach Dan Quinn in the fold, Atlanta did an excellent job at addressing the reasons why. Edge-rusher Vic Beasley will give the Falcons their first potential Pro Bowler at that spot since John Abraham. Beasley's a bit of a raw project, but he's versatile to play down on the line or standing up at linebacker. Quinn told reporters of Beasley: 

"

Usually for a rusher, when you can really get off the spot, that's one of the things you really talk about. Can a guy get off his spot? When we evaluated all the guys, that was the thing that really jumped out, his initial quickness. When you can beat a guy to the punch, that's when you have your most success as a rusher and he can certainly do that.

"

The Falcons continued their strong weekend by adding cornerback Jalen Collins and running back Tevin Coleman in Day 2, both of whom will get a chance to start Week 1. Coleman is arguably already the most explosive running back Matt Ryan has ever played with. He'll probably be the Lightning in a platoon next season.

Wideout Justin Hardy and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett are another pair of potential starters landed on Day 3. Hardy's skill set is in many ways similar to the departed Harry Douglas, while Jarrett will bring a pass-rushing dynamic inside.

Houston Texans

The Texans would be a top-10 outfit if I had any faith in their quarterback situation. Cornerback Kevin Johnson and linebacker Benardrick McKinney should step in right away and contribute to a defense that's among the most talented in football. Texans coach Bill O'Brien told reporters of Johnson:

"

I felt in the study that I did on him and that we did on him, that’s what stood out to us is that, in college, he could play on the outside, he could play inside, he could play press, he could play off, he had good length, he was competitive, and he was instinctive. It was obvious that he studied film and we feel really good about his ability to transfer that ability to our league.

"

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Wide receiver Jaelen Strong was one of the best picks of Day 2, a natural replacement for the departed Andre Johnson. The Arizona State product can make plays between the numbers and in the red zone, leaving DeAndre Hopkins to serve as the primary deep threat.

LSU running back Kenny Hilliard is also a potential sleeper from the late rounds. He didn't get much work in college but runs with the type of patience O'Brien likes in his backs. He's also got a similar build to Arian Foster, who is perennially on the shelf for one or two games per year.

There's a lot to like here, right until you hit the Brian Hoyer/Ryan Mallett/Tom Savage trio. Then it's triage time.

Jacksonville Jaguars

A 28th ranking doesn't seem like much of a compliment. In fact, it is most certainly not one. But when you've been so clearly the least talented football team for three years running—as Jacksonville has—then it's a sign of good times ahead to not be in the basement.

Blake Bortles inspired exactly zero confidence as a rookie, throwing a ton of picks and looking generally overwhelmed. That said, if he winds up not working out, it's more a product of his talent level than anything the Jaguars did.

Jacksonville added running back T.J. Yeldon and guard A.J. Cann on Friday, helping to fortify a running game that's been anemic for years. The Jags also added wideout Rashad Greene, who is one of the most underrated prospects in this class. Greene's a smart route-runner and a vocal leader, the type who will make a real difference even if he's only a third wideout.

First-round pick defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. and sixth-rounder Michael Bennett (defensive tackle) should also help provide a pass rush to a defense that made real strides last season. This front office and coaching staff enters 2015 on the hot seat after combining for a 7-25 record. The playoffs are probably an impossibility, but Gus Bradley will probably have to double his wins (to six) from 2014 to stick around.

Even if these Jaguars can't do that, someone is going to bear the fruit of this labor. Bradley will just have to hope he sticks around long enough for it to be him.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter