Chiefs Top Patriots, Colts in Peter King's Offseason 2019 NFL Power Rankings

The New England Patriots are the defending Super Bowl champions, but Peter King of NBC Sports believes the Kansas City Chiefs are the best team in the NFL going into next season.

With the NFL draft behind us and free agency mostly settled, we can now take accurate stock of what teams will look like going into 2019. Some teams improved in a variety of ways while others undoubtedly got worse, which could make anyone's power rankings look a lot different than last year's standings.

Still, King goes out on a limb with several selections, beginning at the top.

Peter King's Power Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs

2. New England Patriots

3. Indianapolis Colts

4. Los Angeles Rams

5. Los Angeles Chargers

6. New Orleans Saints

7. San Francisco 49ers

8. Philadelphia Eagles

9. Chicago Bears

10. Minnesota Vikings

The Chiefs were arguably the most impressive team in the NFL last season, earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC while leading the NFL in both total points and offensive yards. Patrick Mahomes burst onto the scene and performed better than nearly anyone could have dreamed, winning the league's MVP award.

However, they have a lot of question marks going into next year.

Running back Kareem Hunt was released and receiver Tyreek Hill is a mystery after being suspended from team activities following an investigation into possible child abuse.

The defense will also be without recognizable players like Eric Berry, Dee Ford and Justin Houston.

Still, the additions of Frank Clark, Tyrann Mathieu and Mecole Hardman could help the team remain just as strong on both sides of the ball.

The Patriots are No. 2 on the list, which shouldn't be a surprise considering Tom Brady is still the quarterback and Bill Belichick is still the coach. Losing players like Rob Gronkowski, Trey Flowers and Trent Brown will hurt, but there is no reason to doubt this team until they are eliminated from the playoffs.

A third AFC team battling for supremacy could be the Indianapolis Colts, listed as No. 3 on the power rankings thanks in large part to adding Houston in free agency.

The team went 10-6 last year with young players like Darius Leonard and Quenton Nelson making big contributions. With these players getting better and Andrew Luck appearing healthy, this could be a dangerous squad going forward.

Meanwhile, perhaps the biggest surprise on the entire list is the presence of the San Francisco 49ers at No. 7, ahead of playoff teams like the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles. The question is whether Jimmy Garappolo is healthy after a torn ACL limited him to just three games in 2018.

"I think the 49ers are a playoff team if Garappolo plays a full season," King wrote. "And I think Garoppolo will be seen as a top 10 NFL quarterback if he plays a full season this year."

Of course, a rebuilt defensive line will also go a long way as the team tries to live up to a lot of hype in 2019.