1) New Orleans Saints
The only thing seemingly stopping the Saints from a place in the Super Bowl is ̶a̶̶n̶̶o̶̶t̶̶h̶̶e̶̶r̶̶ ̶̶b̶̶l̶̶o̶̶w̶̶n̶̶ ̶̶c̶̶a̶̶l̶̶l̶ if quarterback Drew Bree's age finally catches up him. The team took a chance and restructured the signal caller's contract - creating a lot of potential dead money - so it could acquire weapons like tight end Jared Cook and running back Latavius Murray in free agency. A little help from centre Erik McCoy in his rookie year would be perfect.
2) New England Patriots
New England hopes to use a stacked secondary to mask a weak pass rush and a couple of big bodied receivers to mask Rob Gronkowski's retirement. But those two holes are far short of gaping, especially with so many geniuses in the building.
3) Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles doesn't get the widespread love it deserves after 2018's campaign. Maybe it's because the neighbouring Rams have a flashier roster and cooler head coach. Or that the divisional rival Chiefs have the young offensive nucleus lead by the reigning MVP. But there's no reason the Chargers won't again put it up to those two sides in 2019, and maybe even come away with the best win record.
4) Indianapolis Colts
We wrote before the draft that the Colts were a wide receiver away from being a match-up nightmare. They added that piece with the second-round selection of Parris Campbell and now the offense looks formidable. An elite quarterback, wide receiver and offensive line corps means this could be one of the strongest units in the NFL next year. And that defence isn't bad either.
5) Chicago Bears
General manager Ryan Pace afforded himself the opportunity to fine-tune the running back room in the draft after putting stars all over the field over the last year or so. The under-the-radar draft selection of Calvin Ridley's younger brother Riley could see another star on offense.
6) Los Angeles Rams
Change on the offensive line could affect Los Angeles' offense as much as anything else in 2019, with next year's success perhaps hinging on it. That said, the news of running back Todd Gurley's arthritis and Los Angeles' subsequent addition of Darrell Henderson in the draft shows a different approach from the Rams backfield will soon be seen, but the "by committee" style should ultimately benefit the team.
7) Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia's roster wasn't a doubt to be competitive in 2019, but the draft shored a couple of positions for for the future. Offensive tackle Andre Dillard is the clear heir for Jason Peters, while play-maker selections in the second round gives the team options ahead of a contract year for running back Jordan Howard and wide receiver Nelson Agholor.
8) Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City fans won't acknowledge it, but their team got worse since losing the AFC Championship game to New England in January. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill's future is in doubt, the running back position wasn't adequately addressed since Kareem Hunt's release and seemingly every piece that helped last year's barely serviceable defence is gone. For every Alex Okafor signing a Mitch Morse was lost, and ultimately it looks like the Chiefs are a tiny bit weaker than when they last played.
9) Cleveland Browns
General manager John Dorsey can seemingly do no wrong in Cleveland. Fans love his off-season trades for wide receiver Odell Beckham and pass rusher Olivier Vernon. The media loves his appointment of good guy head coach Freddie Kitchens. And bookmakers love his team, ranking them fifth most-likely to win this year's Super Bowl. The question is whether the hype will still there in Week 4, Week 8 and beyond.
10) Dallas Cowboys
As every other team in the league uses the off-season to get better, Dallas just tried to stay the same. All off-season natter was about long-term contracts for current Cowboys because the team couldn't afford to bring anyone in. Sure the team made the playoffs last season, but they didn't look like world-beaters compared to the NFC Rival Rams, Bears or Saints. So how the front office hopes the team will surpass those opponents - under a staff they reportedly considered moving on from in October - is a mystery.
11) Seattle Seahawks
Seattle had to make some last minute audibles to the draft plan after defensive end Frank Clark was traded to Kansas City and it got word of wide receiver Doug Baldwin's impending retirement. The two players were replaced inside the first two rounds but understandably there will be a drop off in production. Not so easy to comprehend is Seattle overlooking the cornerback position which becomes increasingly important with the NFC West quarterback depth.
12) Pittsburgh Steelers
The AFC North rival Browns took all the positive headlines during the NFL off-season while Pittsburgh was left to deal with bad publicity surrounding Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. Now that the team has come out the other side, it's worth noting how well-equipped the team is despite entering the summer ranked behind Cleveland for the first time in a decade plus. A strong wide receiver corps is in place despite Brown's departure, and Pittsburgh's first round selection shows signs of making an big impact in Year 1.
13) Atlanta Falcons
An already-stacked offense got even deeper when the Falcons spent their first two draft picks on the offensive line. Developing those new pieces alongside a plethora of play makers makes for a scary offense. But the team didn't address its biggest concerns - cornerback and pass rush depth - until the middle rounds. But Kansas City last year showed how explosive offense can almost outweigh a sub-par defence.
14) Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings did what every fan hoped they would: it got bigger on the O-Line. Garrett Bradbury could propel this team in to one of the league's more elite sides if he can prove impactful in Year 1. New tight end Irv Smith might help Minnesota's run game get going too, but all hinges on quarterback Kirk Cousins' play.
15) Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore wisely chose need over value in the draft and plugged numerous holes left by free agency. The two biggest weaknesses - wide receiver and pass rush - were targeted with the team's first three picks. Whether Baltimore got high impact players at the positions remains to be seen, but the moves were needed after a quiet free agency.
16) Houston Texans
The Texans desperately needed to overhaul an offensive line that allowed a league-high 62 sacks in 2018. The team neglected to touch the position in free agency but spent two of its first three draft picks on the O-Line. Now fans - and quarterback Deshaun Watson - will hope tackles Tytus Howard and Max Scharping can prove impactful in Year 1.
17) Detroit Lions
Lions head coach Matt Patricia may once have looked after New England's defensive side of the ball, but he took a leaf from the offensive unit when drafting tight end T.J. Hockenson in the draft. The Gronk-esque tight end, a solid defensive draft and productive free agency means the Lions got a lot better this off-season.
18) Green Bay Packers
After giving up the second-most sacks in 2018, Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst acquired more O-Line depth via free agency and the draft. But a focus on defensive players since new head coach Brian Flores came on-board suggests the Packers front office is doubling down on its belief that former head coach Mike McCarthy was the cause of Green Bay's offensive struggles last year.
19) Tennessee Titans
Tennessee didn't get back to the playoffs last season despite the team's winning season. A Top 5 defense needs to improve its run-blocking ahead of 2019, and a Bottom 5 offense didn't look like it got that much better in the off-season. The offensive line might still struggle if its forced to start a rookie, but quarterback Marcus Mariota may at least have gotten his go-to receiver in the draft's second round.
20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay's new coaching staff is trying to turn back the clock to its glory days in Arizona. There, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles ran a Top 5, blitz-happy defence that could become more formidable with Tampa Bay's linebacker corps. Meanwhile the offense has a head coach that can get the best from it and quarterback Jameis Winston. The Buccs will be at a tough crossroads if they don't show signs of life in 2019.
21) Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville survived free agency pretty decently, losing defensive end Malik Jackson but acquiring franchise quarterback Nick Foles. The team addressed pressing needs on the offensive line and at tight end in Rounds 2 and 3 of the draft. But the team didn't improve its wideout position this off-season -- leaving the offense a bit one dimensional.
22) San Francisco 49ers
Defensive end Nick Bosa's arrival should worry NFC West quarterbacks, especially put alongside 2018 break out star Dee Ford. If the 49ers' pass rush can finally get going after years of first round pick investment, the team could have one of the NFL's most formidable defences. The problem becomes a weak secondary unit that didn't see much investment after a terrible 2018.
23) Carolina Panthers
Uncertainty at the quarterback position is going to linger in Carolina now that rookie signal caller Will Grier is in the building. Media questions are a small price to pay for the insurance policy if there's any doubt over Cam Newton's shoulder, however. More worrying is the Panthers lack of secondary depth.
24) Denver Broncos
Denver had so many holes going into the Draft that it wasn't hard to pick up Week 1 starters. Trading back in the first round instead of addressing the offensive line worked out well considering the team got tight end Noah Fant, tackle Dalton Risner and quarterback Drew Lock inside the first 41 picks. But free agency did more harm than good for the Broncos who continue to have glaring weaknesses.
25) Buffalo Bills
The NFL off-season is a time for teams to get better, and no one did it better than Buffalo this year. The team addressed its biggest hole - pass rush - heavily in the draft and upgraded the wide receiver position in free agency. The team doesn't seem to have a true number one receiver, but general manager Brandon Beane says that's not necessary with the talent he has acquired. (We'll ignore the fact that he tried trading for clear-number-one wide receiver Antonio Brown in February.)
26) Oakland Raiders
After an influx of wideout talent in free agency, a heavily defensive draft was required to shore up Oakland's leaky defence that gave up more points than any one last season. The team didn't ignore the entire NFL landscape telling it to address its pass rush, and while not popular, defensive end Clelin Ferrell should do just that. Highly touted running back Josh Jacobs fell into Oakland's lap to help with a more dynamic offense.
27) Washington Redskins
Washington's offense was bottom five in points and pass yards last season partly because of quarterback Alex Smith's injury but mostly because of a poor wide receiver room. Yet the team didn't go out and upgrade the unit save for a third round draft pick. If offensive-minded head coach Jay Gruden can't scheme for the talent he has, he could be looking for a new job next year. Tough place to be.
28) New York Jets
The Jets are seemingly making progress ahead of quarterback Sam Darnold's second year and have put a plethora of play-making talent around him. One of last season's worst defences got a little better in the Draft, but dysfunction in the coaching staff and front office could be a sign of things to come in New York.
29) Arizona Cardinals
Every job in Arizona's front office is on the line after the team doubled down on its commitment to explosive offense and selected quarterback Kyler Murray in the draft. The Cardinals grabbed three wide receivers - in rounds 2, 4 and 6 - that all figure to fill different roles in new head coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense. Sack monster Chandler Jones lost his running partner - Markus Golden - but Arizona still addressed edge rusher in the off-season. Top-rated rookie cornerback Byron Murphy was a draft day steal that could help with uncertainty surrounding Patrick Peterson's future.
30) New York Giants
General manager Dave Gettleman caused plenty of frustration in the Big Apple this off-season after letting safety Landon Collins walk in free agency and trading away pass rusher Olivier Vernon and wide receiver Odell Beckham to the Browns. While Gettleman certainly went about replacing his defensive stars, his offensive choices are going to be scrutinised heavily until Giants fans see some Ws.
31) Cincinnati Bengals
With struggles to find a defensive coordinator and players to help the team, Cincinnati didn't have one of the greatest offseasons in recent memories. The team has lots of mediocrity and few stand-out players. In an evolving AFC North, the Bengals are taking some of the biggest back steps in the league.
32) Miami Dolphins
There's been plenty made of Miami's trade for quarterback Josh Rosen but plain and simple the team got a steal. It may prove fruitless considering the lack of playmakers on offense, but it is a saving grace for one of the NFL's worst rosters. Miami may slightly improve its sack statistics in 2019 by nothing suggests it will be by much.
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