Post-draft NFL power rankings: Where 49ers stand entering 2024 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Rosters for the 2024 NFL season are gradually coming to fruition.
With the conclusion of the recent 2024 NFL Draft, all 32 franchises got a fair shot to potentially improve their respective rosters in preparation for the upcoming season.
Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles made a bevy of trades to bolster their depth after falling apart as the 2023 season progressed. However, teams like the Dallas Cowboys didn’t do as much as they should’ve. The 49ers, meanwhile, received mostly positive reviews for their 2024 draft haul.
So, let’s rank all 32 NFL teams based on how their rosters look entering the 2024 season:
32. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers added more young offensive talent to complement Bryce Young in WR Xavier Legette, RB Jonathon Brooks and TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, but they’ll still be a few years away from potentially making noise under new head coach Dave Canales. Jadaveon Clowney, Diontae Johnson and Jordan Fuller are intriguing veteran additions, but they don’t move the needle too much just yet.
31. New England Patriots: How the Patriots fare will rely on Drake Maye’s in-season development. Second-round wideout Ja’Lynn Polk could play a crucial role in that, as could fourth-round wideout Javon Baker. New head coach Jerod Mayo has plenty of work to do with all three units.
30. New York Giants: The Giants are sticking with Daniel Jones as their QB1, but at least they drafted Malik Nabers to give him better receiving talent. They didn’t pick any offensive lineman but signed four in free agency, so how that group performs in front of Jones will tell the story.
29. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix is Sean Payton’s new QB1. Maybe Troy Franklin’s drop to the fourth round pans out, but there’s not too much Denver did this offseason that inspires optimism.
28. Tennessee Titans: New head coach Brian Callahan will be responsible for Will Levis’ next steps. Drafting tackle J.C. Latham in the first round could provide Levis a blindside blocker for years if everything pans out, while T’Vondre Sweat could push for a key role on the defensive line. How Tony Pollard takes over for Derrick Henry as RB1 will also determine how well Tennessee does.
27. Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce is here to stay, but Las Vegas is still lacking a franchise quarterback. First-round pick Brock Bowers will be a key target for either Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell, while the defense will have to carry the burden.
26. New Orleans Saints: Kool-Aid McKinstry was the draft highlight for the Saints in the second round, but having Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler and Nathan Peterman in the same quarterback room doesn’t exactly provide much confidence.
25. Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray will have a full season under his belt with Marvin Harrison Jr. reinforcing the wideout department. Arizona made 12 draft picks in total while tackle Jonah Williams was the big free-agent signing. The Cardinals will have some steps to climb in a tough division, though.
24. Washington Commanders: The Commanders made noise in the offseason by signing a compelling mix of productive veterans and rising talent in their prime that make them a potential sleeper team. How soon No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels adjusts to NFL life, if at all, will be pivotal.
23. Seattle Seahawks: Expect the Seahawks to field a sturdy defense with Mike Macdonald now in charge. They prioritized defenders in both free agency and the draft, but a Geno Smith-Sam Howell QB tandem leaves more to be desired.
22. Indianapolis Colts: Second-year head coach Shane Steichen did a phenomenal job keeping Indianapolis fighting after Anthony Richardson’s season-ending injury. Now that Richardson is back, he’ll get to work with Michael Pittman Jr., Jonathan Taylor and Adonai Mitchell. Laiatu Latu could also be in for a robust rookie year on defense.
21. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin O’Connell will have to work out Sam Darnold vs. J.J. McCarthy in training camp. The Vikings still have talent across all units, led by Justin Jefferson and Harrison Smith, but they might regress from this position if the QB play is bland.
20. Atlanta Falcons: QB drama aside, there’s plenty of talent under Raheem Morris’ disposal to make a run in an open NFC South. The draft class may not have bolstered things much, but Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Jessie Bates III and A.J. Terrell headline talent elsewhere.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tampa Bay’s roster isn’t all that much different than last season and Baker Mayfield got capital-P paid, so it should be favorites to win the NFC South again. But the Buccaneers have to hope the team has more room to grow in order to advance past the wild-card round in the postseason.
18. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams will have Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore as his wideout options. That’s before getting into Cole Kmet and D’Andre Swift, among others. The Bears‘ defense then is headlined by Montez Sweat and Jaylon Johnson. Expectations are high for Chicago to at least push for a wild-card spot, so they’ll have to translate the on-paper glamour to on-field success.
17. New York Jets: Robert Saleh should have the Jets‘ defense thriving again, even with losses like Bryce Huff. The real question comes down to how Aaron Rodgers fares after returning from a torn Achilles. The 40-year-old QB will have Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams and Malachi Corley as his top wideouts.
16. Los Angeles Rams: The Rams indicated last season the Matthew Stafford-Sean McVay era isn’t going anywhere just yet. Aaron Donald’s story may be over, but Los Angeles still has intriguing young talent on both sides of the ball. How new CB signing Tre’Davious White fares coming off an Achilles injury will also be crucial for the defense, as will the developments of first-round DE Jared Verse and second-round DT Braden Fiske (both from Florida State).
15. Los Angeles Chargers: You could flip the Rams and Chargers here and there would be little pushback. The biggest thing going for the Chargers is the potential Jim Harbaugh effect. Harbaugh may not always win titles but he’ll have his teams in the conversation. Let’s see if he can help break the Chargers’ curse and build toward that status after this year, even though the wide receiver room is quite bleak (Ladd McConkey, come on up).
14. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville’s draft was OK, to be blunt. Trevor Lawrence is entering a crucial season and the Jaguars made most of their noise in free agency, picking up Arik Armstead, Gabe Davis, Darnell Savage and Ronald Darby, among others. Is that enough to go past the opening round of the playoffs like they did two years ago? This year could be consequential if they fumble again.
13. Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys‘ biggest move this offseason was reportedly signing Ezekiel Elliott — after the draft. That’s a red flag, coupled with contract situations looming with Mike McCarthy, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. If this is a Super-Bowl-or-bust year for Dallas, it’s a script the league has seen already.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers: Justin Fields vs. Russell Wilson obviously is the most enticing QB battle in the league. The Steelers also did well to add Patrick Queen and Cordarrelle Patterson, among others, in free agency. Then add the fact that Mike Tomlin just does not miss playoffs and you have to like where Pittsburgh currently stands. How the QB battle pans out will determine their ceiling both in this ranking and in the official standings.
11. Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins struggled to win the big games last season and predictably lost right away in the postseason. But, after watching several stars go down to season-ending injuries, they made proactive moves in signing veteran defensive free agents in Jordan Poyer, Shaquil Barrett, Jordyn Brooks, Kendall Fuller and more. However, Tua Tagovailoa holds the keys to Mike McDaniel’s offense — and Miami’s ceiling.
10. Cleveland Browns: As long as the Browns’ defense remains elite, they’ll be in the conversation like last season when Joe Flacco was under center. Deshaun Watson has an immense “prove-it” season ahead after struggling most of last season. If he’s decent, Cleveland can be a tough postseason out.
9. Buffalo Bills: The Bills‘ main problem in recent years has been Kansas City. But this year they have a new-look wideout room with rookie Keon Coleman and signing Curtis Samuel joining the rising Khalil Shakir. If their defense can rise a few levels, Buffalo should be right in the mix.
8. Cincinnati Bengals: Cincinnati is a top-10 team when Joe Burrow is healthy, but he needs to prove he can stay on the field for a whole season. The Bengals also have some trade drama with Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson, so those decisions could have a say in how 2024 pans out.
7. Green Bay Packers: Green Bay impressively made noise in the playoffs with the league’s youngest roster. Jordan Love will also have Josh Jacobs in the backfield now, though first-round pick Jordan Morgan may have a big role to play along the offensive line early. Second-round linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is also one to watch.
6. Detroit Lions: Detroit reached the conference championship game last season, and there’s a path back if Jared Goff keeps improving alongside a plethora of young talents on offense. Defensive tackle D.J. Reader was its splash in free agency, while sixth-round DT Mekhi Wingo could be a steal.
5. Baltimore Ravens: After Lamar Jackson struggled en route to another postseason exit, Baltimore went out and signed Derrick Henry before drafting tackle Roger Rosengarten and wideout Devontez Walker. The Ravens also drafted corners Nate Wiggins (first round) and T.J. Tampa (third round), who could play key roles early.
4. Houston Texans: The Texans managed to keep key players from last season while also adding Danielle Hunter, Stefon Diggs, Azeez Al-Shaair and Denico Autry, among others in free agency and the draft. With C.J. Stroud proving Super Bowl-caliber already, Houston can spend expensive elsewhere before his next big contract. And with DeMeco Ryans being a young, proactive head coach, there’s definitely more levels this squad can reach.
3. Philadelphia Eagles: Based on the Eagles’ free-agency signings and subsequent draft picks, they are determined not to collapse again like last season. Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Devin White are entering the fold along with rookies Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and Jeremiah Trotter Jr., among others. They can be dangerous if Nick Sirianni can assemble the pieces properly.
2. San Francisco 49ers: Before Brock Purdy gets a lucrative extension, the 49ers made sure to stock up on ready-now rookies. Ricky Pearsall, Renardo Green, Dominick Puni, Isaac Guerendo and Jacob Cowing could all play pivotal roles early while free-agent signings Leonard Floyd, Isaac Yiadom, Maliek Collins and De’Vondre Campbell, among others, will be tasked to plug defensive gaps in what could possibly be the final year of the Deebo Samuel-Brandon Aiyuk tandem on offense.
1. Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs proved that no matter what happens in the regular season, all they need is to get in the postseason with a healthy Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Losing L’Jarius Sneed is a blow at corner, but Mahomes also got a speedy wideout in Xavier Worthy. That might just be a worthy tradeoff.
Source Agencies
