See where the Miami Dolphins land in our first 2020 NFL power rankings
26. Los Angeles Chargers
Every year the Chargers look good “on paper” but seem to fall short when the season arrives. Combine that with the fact that QB Tyrod Taylor and/or rookie Justin Herbert don’t instill fear into defenses and it could be another long year for the Chargers.
27. Carolina Panthers
Maybe QB Teddy Bridgewater elevates a Panthers team that finished 5-11 last year but the team lost six starters and is counting on big contributions from their draft class to improve what was the 31st ranked defense a year ago.
28. New York Giants
If it wasn’t for the fact that the Washington team was in their division, the Giants would have tied the Bengals for the worst record in the NFL last year. Will the free-agent acquisitions of CB James Bradbury and ILB Blake Martinez, along with second-round pick S Xavier McKinney,0 be enough to revitalize a Giants defense that finished 30th in the league?
29. Detroit Lions
The three-win Lions are banking on free-agent acquisitions of OLB Jamie Collins and CB Desmond Trufant to elevate the defense while hoping that QB Matthew Stafford can return from an injured back to improve HC Matt Patricia’s record from a dismal 9-22-1.
30. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals were just awful last year and the addition of first overall pick Joe Burrow, while a good long-term building block, probably can’t do much to turn the team around in a year. Until they prove otherwise, Cincinnati will continue to be the ‘Bungles’.
31. Washington Football Team
When your team makes more news/noise off the field than on it, your team probably isn’t very good. Changing the team name won’t change the fact that Washington lacks proven NFL-caliber talent at almost every position. In any other year, they would be the worst team in the league but that honor belongs to….
32. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are in the position the Dolphins found themselves in a season ago. They’ve jettisoned most of their best players and filled their team with promising young rookies. That would be difficult to overcome in a normal year but with no offseason, and limited training camp, the Jaguars are the current favorite to be picking first overall when next April rolls around.