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An NFL Draft Podcast
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Is there anything that gets people’s blood boiling more than NFL Power Rankings in May?
OK. Power Rankings at any time. But at this time of the year, they mean even less, which is why it draws the ire of many. But my bosses love them. So I do them. 
Free agency is over, the draft has come and gone, which means aside from a few veteran signings here and there, these are your teams for the 2023 NFL season, no matter how much the fans like it — or don’t.
With rosters pretty much set, it’s time to do the post-draft Power Rankings, the first ones with a real look toward the 2023 season. The top remains the same, with the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 1 and the Philadelphia Eagles in the second spot.
The Chiefs will have to navigate a brutal AFC to get back to the Super Bowl and have a chance to repeat. With Patrick Mahomes still healthy and capable of carrying this team, they have to remain the top team.
The Eagles will have a much easier path to get back to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Chiefs last February. The NFC isn’t close to being as good as the AFC. Just look at the quarterbacks. In addition to Mahomes, the AFC has Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence. The NFC has Jalen Hurts, which is why the Eagles are the favorites, and then after that it’s a group that includes Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins and some others. It is not close to the AFC group.
But that doesn’t mean a team can’t emerge. I probably like Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff more than most, so the Lions are a contender with a good roster that was supplemented by a great draft. Coach Dan Campbell has a talented team that should be the favorite in the NFC North and push for even more. The Lions? It’s weird just writing that. The Lions are up to 11th in my rankings.
Some will wonder why the Jacksonville Jaguars are sixth, but here goes: They have rising stars in guys like Lawrence and they’ve added a big dimension to the offense with Calvin Ridley. Plus, they will play six games against a division loaded with quarterback uncertainty and four more against the NFC South, which isn’t exactly the best division in football. So the Jaguars should win 11-13 games this year. If they don’t, something bad happened. 
The bottom teams are both from the NFC West. I have the Arizona Cardinals last with the Los Angeles Rams just above them. Both teams are in rebuild mode and the Cardinals have a quarterback in Kyler Murray coming off a torn ACL.
A reminder, though, that just when we think we have a handle on this league, it reminds us we really don’t. See my mock draft from last week.
So calm down. It is just May. 
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