NFL Power Rankings Week 1: Latest 2018 Preseason Standings and Reaction

The Philadelphia Eagles will start the year as champions, but their Thursday Night Football matchup with the Atlanta Falcons officially wipes the slate clean. It's a new season, which means fresh power rankings.

It's back to square one, which means we shouldn't expect the upcoming season to continue where the last campaign left off. Week 1 rankings will reflect personnel changes. Some teams improved their 2018 outlook over the past six months, and others took a step backward.

Obviously, the hierarchy will change throughout the year, with some clubs falling below or rising above expectations.

2018 Preseason Standings

AFC East

1. New England Patriots (3-1)

2. Buffalo Bills (2-2)

3. Miami Dolphins (1-3)

4. New York Jets (1-3)

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens (5-0)

2. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)

3. Cleveland Browns (3-1)

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)

AFC South

1. Houston Texans (3-1)

2. Indianapolis Colts (3-1)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)

4. Tennessee Titans (0-4)

AFC West

1. Oakland Raiders (3-1)

2. Denver Broncos (2-2)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)

4. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)

NFC East

1. New York Giants (2-2)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)

3. Washington Redskins (1-3)

4. Dallas Cowboys (0-4)

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings (3-1)

2. Chicago Bears (2-2)

3. Green Bay Packers (2-2)

4. Detroit Lions (1-3)

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints (3-1)

2. Carolina Panthers (3-1)

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2)

4. Atlanta Falcons (0-4)

NFC West

1. Arizona Cardinals (3-1)

2. Los Angeles Rams (2-2)

3. San Francisco 49ers (1-3)

4. Seattle Seahawks (0-4)

Week 1 Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Los Angeles Rams

3. Atlanta Falcons

4. Minnesota Vikings

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

6. Philadelphia Eagles

7. Green Bay Packers

8. New England Patriots

9. Los Angeles Chargers

10. Carolina Panthers

11. Jacksonville Jaguars 

12. Houston Texans

13. Baltimore Ravens

14. San Francisco 49ers

15. New York Giants

16. Cincinnati Bengals

17. Detroit Lions

18. Oakland Raiders

19. Kansas City Chiefs

20. Dallas Cowboys

21. Denver Broncos

22. Chicago Bears

23. Miami Dolphins

24. Tennessee Titans

25. Seattle Seahawks

26. Arizona Cardinals

27. Washington Redskins

28. Indianapolis Colts

29. New York Jets

30. Cleveland Browns

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

32. Buffalo Bills

Los Angeles Rams Extend Aaron Donald, Rise to No. 2

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Los Angeles Rams have signed defensive tackle Aaron Donald to a six-year, $135 million extension. The deal to keep the Defensive Player of the Year should complete a much-improved defense to match last year's No. 1 offense.

The Rams acquired defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and his presence on the interior could help keep constant double- or triple-teams away from Donald. The front office also added two All-Pro cornerbacks in Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib via trades with the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, respectively.

Los Angeles goes into the season with quarterback Jared Goff on the rise after he threw 28 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions last year. Running back Todd Gurley comes off his best campaign as the Offensive Player of the Year. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who's logged three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, joins the offense to potentially form an explosive trifecta.

The Rams fell short in the NFC Wild Card Round last year, but they are primed for a deeper run in 2018.

Minnesota Vikings Start the Year at No. 4

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins looked sharp during the preseason, completing 24-of-40 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown. The 30-year-old signal-caller enjoyed immediate chemistry with wideout Stefon Diggs in the first exhibition contest. The pair connected for three completions, 35 yards and a touchdown.

The Vikings advanced to the NFC Championship Game with quarterback Case Keenum under center last term. Now, they have a proven Pro Bowl quarterback taking over with the No. 1 defense from last season on the other side of the ball.

Minnesota may face some challenges against stronger defenses with a questionable offensive line. They are going to start the year with new starters at left guard and right tackle. Mike Remmers has also moved to right guard.

Nonetheless, if Keenum found a way to win 13 regular-season games and a playoff contest with an average-to-subpar offensive line without Pro Bowlers, the standard has been set for Cousins.

Keep an Eye on the Baltimore Ravens at No. 13

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The Baltimore Ravens start the 2018 season at No. 13 in the power rankings, but we could see them rise quickly.

It's a critical year for quarterback Joe Flacco, who's going to take the field with a revamped wide receiver unit that's features Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead. The front office also added two rookie tight ends with receiving skills in Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews. The former underwent foot surgery and could miss a few weeks before seeing action, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo: 

Baltimore's decision to select signal-caller Lamar Jackson in the first round of April's draft puts some pressure on Flacco to elevate the offense with the new additions. If he fails to deliver, the coaching staff could look toward the future at quarterback. On the other hand, the 33-year-old may flourish, which would place this squad in playoff contention.

The Ravens defense has ranked within the top 10 in yards or points allowed in three of the past four seasons. An improved scoring unit would make this one of the most complete teams in the league.