Post-Super Bowl rank: 32

In Diontae Johnson, Bryce Young finally has a capable young(ish) receiver. But this Carolina team still has a massive dearth of talent across the board and is likely years away from meaningful competition. The Panthers better nail the upcoming draft because they’ve already put Young behind the eight-ball, and that’s the last place you want a young quarterback with no traction to be. — Robert Zeglinski

Post-Super Bowl rank: 31

Tennessee made some interesting moves in free agency but it still ultimately feels more like a collection of parts than a team. It’s a mishmash of veterans and young players who don’t quite fit together and may not mesh by the end of 2024. But hey, at least we’ll see what Will Levis can do. — Christian D’Andrea

Post-Super Bowl rank: 26

Armed with little recourse after Russell Wilson’s dead salary cap hit nuked their financial books, the Broncos had to stay pat during free agency. Unfortunately, they’re not exactly in a strong position to find their quarterback of the future in the draft, either. While Sean Payton’s seat isn’t hot (yet), the 2024 season is shaping up to be a lost one in the Mile High City. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 30

The Patriots’ biggest moves in free agency were to retain guys from a four-win team. But Mike Onwenu, Josh Uche, and Kendrick Bourne are all solid players, and Jacoby Brissett may be the team’s best quarterback since Tom Brady’s retirement (oof). Massive improvements still need to be made, and a new front office has to prove it can draft better than late-stage Bill Belichick. Well, at least that last part won’t be super difficult. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 27

Brian Burns should form one of the league’s more ferocious pass-rush duos alongside Kayvon Thibodeaux, but there’s not much else this Giants team can currently hang its hat on. Daniel Jones is still listed as the starting quarterback, and until Big Blue starts preparing for a future without the listless starting quarterback, it’s more or less stuck in neutral. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 25

2024 is a gap year while Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz untangle the mess left behind by the previous regime. An untenable cap situation meant Los Angeles not only had to mostly sit out the start of free agency but also had to say goodbye to Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Oh well. Biting the financial bullet now should ensure a more fruitful future for Justin Herbert. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 29

Arizona used free agency to shrewdly fill in roster holes, if only on a temporary basis. Now the Cardinals are in a sound position to add, oh, I don’t know, Marvin Harrison Jr.? Not bad, I must say. The second phase of the Kyler Murray era is already going quite swimmingly. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 28

Is it a mess? Oh yes, it’s a mess. And it’ll stay that way in 2024 behind whatever rookie quarterback gets drafted No. 2 overall. But some common sense moves in free agency have laid a foundation to be better than we expected. Maybe not much better, but still. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 20

The Saints are constructed like someone spilled a team and hastily put it back together. Things sorta make sense until you drill down and examine the connective tissue between standouts like Chris Olave and Demario Davis and Marshon Lattimore and realize, oops, there isn’t any. Another year of between seven and nine wins — signifying nothing — is on the way. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 22

When factoring in D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Cole Kmet, D’Andre Swift, Gerald Everett, and a competent defense from top to bottom, whomever the Bears presumably draft at No. 1 overall is going to enter a very strong and very healthy situation. This is a significant stray from the norm for an organization that is accustomed to throwing young quarterbacks in the pool and ruthlessly telling them to sink or swim. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 19

Whoever steps up into the void Kirk Cousins left behind gets a soft landing spot. Minnesota can provide a solid offensive line, young playmakers in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson, and a gifted veteran running back in Aaron Jones. Let’s just hope it isn’t Sam Darnold. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 23

Aaron Rodgers’ almost brazen swipe at attention foray into politics was this close to throwing a lot of this Gang Green season into the meat grinder. Everything the Jets want to accomplish is, unfortunately, centered around professional sports’ biggest egotist, who happens to throw a tight spiral. It’s hard to have high expectations for the Jets in 2024, but it’s not as if the bar is very high. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 21

Antonio Pierce has reestablished a strong culture with a legitimate chip on the Raiders’ shoulders. I’m not sure how wise it is to fully lean into, uh, starting quarterback Gardner Minshew, but the bar for competency is a lot higher than it’s been in the past for the Silver and Black. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 15

It’s wild to think of just how talented the Seahawks’ defense was last season while still being so very, very bad. Seattle ranked 30th in both yards allowed and overall efficiency while plotting a course out of the playoff race. Now that team has to replace Pete Carroll — though poaching the coordinator who made the Baltimore Ravens 2023’s most ferocious defense seems like a pretty good idea. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 16

Russell Wilson is the perfect quarterback to turn last year’s 14-point Wild Card loss into this year’s seven-point Wild Card loss. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 17

Anthony Richardson’s return from a shoulder injury is the best reason for optimism in Indianapolis. Shane Steichen’s Colts fell one game short of the postseason with a backup quarterback last year. It stands to reason that any significant leap from Richardson in a full sophomore season makes Indy a sound dark horse in the AFC. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 18

Calvin Ridley’s surprise departure hurts Trevor Lawrence most, who’s already shown troubling signs for a former “generational” No. 1 pick. Mitch Morse and Ezra Cleveland should fortify one of the NFL’s weaker interior offensive lines, but until further notice, the Jaguars have taken a firm No. 2 position to the rival Texans in the AFC South. And even that feels shaky. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 13

Which Eagles team is this? The one that soared to a 10-1 start or the one built by Boeing that fell apart shortly thereafter? Jalen Hurts is back with a dynamite receiving corps. So is Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, which helps a beleaguered secondary. Still, Philly needs more young defenders to step up if it’s going to knock the Cowboys off the top of the NFC East. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 14

Tampa Bay took care of its own like no one else in free agency. Retaining Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, and Antoine Winfield Jr. is huge. It’s enough to spark conversations about good continuity that could help the Buccaneers build on three consecutive division titles. In a worst-case scenario, even with the rise of the Falcons, this is probably still a quality NFC playoff team. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 12

Even with his maddening inconsistency, Jerry Jeudy is a welcome boon for Deshaun Watson, who once faced more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct in what the NFL would later characterize as “predatory behavior.” Cleveland is good enough to win 10-11 games again. But whether the Browns make any noise in the AFC postseason is predicated on Watson finding his fastball again, as unlikely as that may be. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 10

Losing Aaron Donald hurts (a lot), but this is still a good Rams team. Matthew Stafford rebounded from a forgettable 2022 to speed through Los Angeles’ rebuild and put the Rams back in the playoffs. Now a young defense has had time to gel together and offensive line upgrades should only make this team more dangerous. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 24

The Falcons needed credibility and spent big on a credible quarterback. Kirk Cousins puts the NFC South title within reach, but he’s also 36 years old and coming off a torn Achilles. Fortunately, he’s surrounded by young skill players with star potential and a defense that ranked 12th in expected points added (EPA) per play last season. This team can get to the postseason. After that, it’s a mystery. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 8

Can Green Bay make the leap from good to great? Xavier McKinney fills a big need in the secondary, but vulnerabilities persist along the offensive line, and there’s no guarantee Josh Jacobs, coming off a career-worst year, will be an upgrade over Aaron Jones. The pressure is on general manager Brian Gutekunst to ace this draft if he’s going to keep pace with the Lions. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 11

Aside from Christian Wilkins, Miami more or less kept the band together. Which is a good thing for a franchise that’s won 20 games over the last two years. Shaq Barrett, Aaron Brewer, Jordyn Brooks, and Jordan Poyer are all great-value signings, too. Once again, though, the Dolphins’ ceiling rests on Tua Tagovailoa’s ability to accomplish anything outside of structure. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 5

Free agency acted as a much-needed spring cleaning for the Bills. Gone are Mitch Morse, Gabe Davis, Leonard Floyd, and Jordan Poyer. In comes Curtis Samuel, a much more reliable No. 2 receiver, and Nicholas Morrow, a steady off-ball linebacker. You also have to appreciate taking care of A.J. Epenesa, Dion Dawkins, and DaQuan Jones as well. Buffalo remains in a great contending spot after a non-flashy but productive open market period. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 9

Dallas did next to nothing this offseason but has enough talent for a standard 10-12 win campaign, followed by a baffling playoff exit. This is the Mike McCarthy way. This is what Jerry Jones signed up for. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 7

Hoo boy. I’m envisioning how much sleep offensive coordinators are going to lose over game-planning for Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, and it isn’t pretty. Depth and starting quality additions like Denico Autry, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Jeff Okudah are also all welcome defensive toys for DeMeco Ryans. These Texans are going to ruin many Sundays for their opponents. Heck, with a year of experience under C.J. Stroud’s belt, it might be time to start taking them seriously as a legitimate player for Super Bowl 59. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 6

The Bengals were coming back online, brushing off a characteristic slow start before hitting their stride at midseason. Then Joe Burrow’s thumb exploded, and this team still found a way to nine wins with Jake Browning behind center. Cincinnati: Still good. — CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 4

Baltimore had every advantage coming into the 2024 NFL Playoffs and still failed to rewrite Lamar Jackson’s postseason narrative. Now the Ravens head into a new season without the defensive coordinator that made them the league’s stingiest team and departing free agents Patrick Queen and Geno Stone. Even so, a step backward probably leaves this as a top-five team. – CD

Post-Super Bowl rank: 3

After making a surprise run to last year’s NFC title game, the Lions played free agency with house money. They left with Carlton Davis, a No. 1 cornerback at a great trade value, and D.J. Reader, one of the more disruptive interior defensive forces in football. On paper, the Lions are already better than a team that won 12 games last year and came a shocking collapse away from the Super Bowl. That sound you now hear is a collective anxious gulp from everyone trying to topple Detroit. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 2

Dre Greenlaw’s Achilles injury is a needle to the balloon of a defense that was kind of shoddy even while winning an NFC title. But aside from that, Leonard Floyd might be the best complementary pass-rush partner Nick Bosa has ever had, and that’s no small thing. The 49ers are rightfully running it back and are the NFC favorite until proven otherwise. — RZ

Post-Super Bowl rank: 1

It was a quiet free-agent period in terms of new additions, but Chris Jones re-upped, and L’Jarius Sneed still may after being franchised tagged. Those are two of the best players on a defense that flipped the script and carried this team through rough patches in 2023. Now it’s time to go add a deep threat in the 2024 NFL Draft. — CD