The offseason is half over, the NFL Draft is behind us and OTAs are history, but with training camp on the horizon the season feels close and that means it is time for NFL Power Rankings. And Pro Football Focus had their newest list and Kevin Sheehand Denton Day had a surprise in the Top 10 and the ranking of No. 22 for the Washington Commanders was pretty accurate.
"I think that is about as high as we're gonna see Washington in a preseason NFL power rankings list," Sheehan said. "We're not gonna see 'em much higher than 22, 21, somewhere in that general area. And we'll see a lot more at 25 or below that."
Of course, PFF had the Commanders at No. 19 in their pre-Draft power rankings, so they fell three spots and slid behind New England (who stayed at No. 20) and we're leaped over by the Chicago Bears (went from 26 to 19) and the Cleveland Browns (who went from 21 to 9).
PFF pointed to Washington's fourth-round pick offensive tackle Braeden Daniels as being the biggest impact player from the draft and said he might start right away.
But those Browns are a team that surprised Sheehan with their Top 10 ranking by the gurus of PFF, even though he believes Cleveland is a squad that is being slept on by many folks around the football world. And he came up with their own surprise team that they think could make noise.
Sheehan began the conversation with the New York Giants as a team "better than people think," pointing to head coach Brian Daboll being the right guy, quarterback Daniel Jones looking improved, and their defense being very well coached by Wink Martindale. But the Saquon Barkley situation has to be worked out and the wide receiver corps is very underwhelming despite the team drafting Jalin Hyatt and that could hold them back.
But the team that wasn't in the Top 10, but Sheehan could see being there soon and could win double-digit games in 2023 is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who scored a postseason win last year in a huge comeback over the Los Angeles Chargers and were ranked at No. 12 by PFF.
"But I could certainly see them being a better team than Baltimore, a better team than Cleveland, and maybe even a better team than somebody like Dallas or the Chargers," Sheehan said. "I could see Jacksonville, in that division, winning 12 games this year minimum."
Day went with the Pittsburgh Steelers (ranked No. 17) and said they are being underrated because the AFC North is seen as a stacked division. Day pointed to the talent they have at receiver, tight end, and running back and that as long as Kenny Pickett can improve from being mediocre to poor in his rookie season this could be a surprise team who could win 11 games in 2023.
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