What happens when you poll a bunch of “degens” contributing to the Sports Gambling Podcast Network on the top 10 NFL teams? They’re all in the industry and know NFL fairly well, so the results are pretty much the same, right? Well, maybe not so much. However, these experts all have their own opinions on who belongs in the top 10 NFL power rankings.
It was fun watching the results roll in. Some were very close to where I had mine, others very different. We had a total of 16 different teams named in the top 10. That’s half of the teams in the NFL. I averaged them all out to get our list of the top 10. Did your team make the list?
| SGPN Staff Member | Dave (Dynasty Dorks) | Munaf | Rod | Scott | Andrew | Adam | JMark | Moneyline | Sean | Bruni |
| 1 | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Eagles | Chiefs |
| 2 | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Bengals | Eagles | Bills | Eagles | Bengals | Chiefs | Eagles |
| 3 | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals | Bills | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals | Bills | Bengals | Bengals |
| 4 | Bills | Bills | 49ers | Eagles | Bills | Eagles | Bills | Eagles | Dolphins | Bills |
| 5 | 49ers | 49ers | Bills | 49ers | 49ers | 49ers | Jaguars | Cowboys | Bills | Ravens |
| 6 | Jets | Cowboys | Jaguars | Cowboys | Ravens | Chargers | Chargers | 49ers | Giants | 49ers |
| 7 | Jaguars | Dolphins | Ravens | Jets | Jaguars | Jaguars | 49ers | Ravens | Vikings | Cowboys |
| 8 | Cowboys | Jaguars | Chargers | Seahawks | Jets | Giants | Ravens | Jaguars | Rams | Chargers |
| 9 | Lions | Chargers | Jags | Ravens | Seahawks | Seahawks | Dolphins | Dolphins | Jaguars | Jets |
| 10 | Dolphins | Ravens | Vikings | Dolphins | Saints | Browns | Giants | Lions | Ravens | Jaguars |
SGPN Staff Top 10 NFL Power Rankings
1. Kansas City Chiefs: +600 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 1
Lowest Rank: 2
Average Rank: 1.1
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the defending Super Bowl champions are at the top spot on the Top 10 NFL power rankings list. A future hall-of-fame coach, quarterback, and tight end anchor this team. It’s hard to decide which is more important. However, nobody can fault you if you say Patrick Mahomes is the most important part of this team.
Andy Reid runs a very efficient team, but Patrick Mahomes can take a list of any receivers and still pass for 5,000 yards. Yes, Travis Kelce is a huge help to him, but he spreads the ball out very well. The defense has been looked at as the weak spot, but even they stood the test last year to help the Chiefs win another championship. Can they do it again? Time will tell, but until they take a step back, they’ll remain at the top of this list.
2. Philadelphia Eagles: +650 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 1
Lowest Rank: 4
Average Rank: 1.9
Slotting in at number two on the Top 10 NFL power rankings list is the other Super Bowl contenders from last year, the Philadelphia Eagles. Six staff members had the Eagles at the number two slot. You can’t blame the die-hard Eagles fan Sean Green for putting them at the number one spot on his list.
Several of our analysts had them down at the fourth spot. The Eagles will need to show their defense won’t take a step back this year after losing some of its pieces. They also have a new offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, as well as their lead running back. However, Jalen Hurts took a big step forward last year and is looking to prove that it wasn’t a fluke.
Only two teams beat the Eagles in games that Jalen Hurts started and finished. Those teams were the Commanders and the Chiefs. When your quarterback only loses a fluke game and then to the number one team, you deserve a spot near the top.
3. Cincinnati Bengals: +1100 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 2
Lowest Rank: 3
Average Rank: 2.8
The Cincinnati Bengals were the third-ranked team on the Top 10 NFL power rankings list, and their lowest rank was actually higher than the Eagles. They were ranked the second team by two of our analysts and the third by the rest. It’s hard to argue they don’t deserve to be in the top three of teams with how Joe Burrow has played since returning from his rookie year injury.
He’s succeeded with the help of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. They also have a good running game behind Joe Mixon and added great depth with Chase Brown. The defense plays strong, and they are well-coached. If any team could leapfrog one of the top two, it feels like it could be the Bengals.
4. Buffalo Bills: +900 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 2
Lowest Rank: 5
Average Rank: 3.8
The Buffalo Bills land at the fourth spot on the top 10 NFL power rankings. Their highest rank came from the Don of Bills Mafia himself, Adam Pelletier. However, two fifth-place rankings from Andrew and Rod brought them down to a 3.8 average, slotting them right in at number four.
With Sean McDermott as the head coach, Josh Allen, and a strong defense, it’s hard to imagine they’d be outside the top three. However, they haven’t been able to beat the Chiefs, and the Bengals are starting to give them problems consistently as well. On top of that, their top receiving threat is causing all sorts of drama at camp. Those kinds of distractions can become cancerous on any team, even one of the better teams, and drag them down.
The Bills must show they can beat the Chiefs before they start climbing the list. Shoutout to the AFC, however, having three of the teams in the top four. The AFC definitely seems to be the power conference over the NFC.
5. San Francisco 49ers: +1000 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 4
Lowest Rank: Unranked
Average Rank: 5.9
While Rod had his team at the fourth spot, Sean omitted them completely from the top 10 NFL power rankings list. They landed at the fifth spot on five of the ten power rankings lists from the SGPN staff. Therefore, averaging out to the fifth spot seems to be the consensus on where they should land. So why are the 49ers so polarizing even after being the second-best NFC team behind the Eagles?
The likely reason for the 49ers ranking from fourth to unranked is the questions at quarterback. Even in a limited time, Trey Lance didn’t look like the answer. Sam Darnold hasn’t been the answer for any team. Brock Purdy looked like he could lead this team.
However, questions about his injury and when he may return are still up in the air. Still, does it matter? Kyle Shanahan’s offense seems to run seamlessly, despite who is at quarterback. Not to mention, you can’t argue that their defense is one of the best in the league, and they have this guy named Christian McCaffrey.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars: +2500 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 5
Lowest Rank: Unranked
Average Rank: 7.8
To start the second half of the top 10 NFL power rankings list, the Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves at number six. They also have a wide variation of rankings on the lists from the staff. I have them the highest at the fifth spot. I was inspired by their late-season push and think Doug Pederson will help the team, and Trevor Lawrence, take an even bigger step forward in his second year coaching the team.
Not everybody is sold. Bruni had them at ten, and Scott had them unranked. They likely want to see more out of the defense and more consistency throughout an entire season rather than just a late-season push. They closed last season as one of the hottest teams but will need to keep improving to stay there.
Can the addition of Calvin Ridley help Trevor Lawrence take another step forward? Will the defense be able to stop teams like the Chiefs, Bengals, and Bills? These are questions that the Jaguars will need to answer if they want to crack the top five.
7. Baltimore Ravens: +2000 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 5
Lowest Rank: Unranked
Average Rank: 8.4
At number seven on the top 10 NFL power rankings from the SGPN staff lands the Baltimore Ravens. Bruni has them at five, while Dave and Adam have them unranked. The Ravens have a defense that’s arguably in the top 10 of defenses. However, Lamar Jackson’s ability to stay healthy could continue to hold this team back. Not to mention, not only has Jackson started to show a pattern of injury history, but he also just got a massive contract.
Will the big contract hurt the Ravens to continue taking steps forward? Will the Ravens regret it if Lamar gets hurt again? On top of that, their receivers are Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham Jr, and rookie Zay Flowers. Will Jackson be able to feed them enough for any of them to be relevant?
It’s also worth mentioning for a team that has always been run-first, the running backs weren’t very impressive last year. Now, J.K. Dobbins is talking about holding out for a new contract. Maybe Todd Monken can change the tone of the offense as the offensive coordinator. However, for now, I think there’s enough drama that some people want to stay away.
8. Los Angeles Chargers: +2500 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 6
Lowest Rank: Unranked
Average Rank: 9.2
The Chargers fall to number eight on the list of top 10 NFL power rankings. Honestly, after I ranked them sixth, along with Adam, I was surprised they fell this far. Their defense has some top playmakers like Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. The offense is led by young quarterback Justin Herbert, who throws to talented receivers such as Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. They also have one of the better running backs in Austin Ekeler, who’s a threat as a runner and receiver.
So why did the Chargers fall to number eight on this list? It’s hard to argue when you look at the teams above them. While I could make the argument that the Jaguars, Ravens, and Chargers could all be in a tie for the sixth spot, they just don’t have the same dominance and success as the Chiefs, Bengals, and Bills.
While Herbert has talented receivers in Allen and Williams, both are starting to find themselves in a pattern of injury history. There was also offseason drama when Austin Ekeler asked for a trade, though it seems he’s ready to play his last year for the Chargers.
9. Dallas Cowboys: +1400 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 6
Lowest Rank: Unranked
Average Rank: 9.3
Squeezing just behind the Chargers on the top 10 NFL power rankings list is the Dallas Cowboys. Now, if you’re familiar with the Sports Gambling Podcast, you know that Sean and Kramer both dislike the Cowboys. While six of us had them unranked, whether that was deserved or not, Munaf had them in the sixth spot.
The Cowboys continue to find themselves just on the edge of the conversation of a team to beat in the NFC. Their defense has an absolute playmaker in Micah Parsons. Their offense also contains a wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb, who continues to finish in the top 10 in receiving yards. They’ll be waiting to see how the offense flows, with Tony Pollard taking over the lead back duties as Ezekiel Elliott is no longer on the team.
The biggest question with this team, however, is can Dak Prescott be the guy that wins them another Super Bowl? I personally don’t think so, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not. I am a Bears fan, so far, be it from me to start making judgments on quarterbacks.
10. New York Jets: +1800 To Win The Super Bowl
Highest Rank: 6
Lowest Rank: Unranked
Average Rank: 9.6
A lot of teams landed near the tenth spot on the top 10 NFL power rankings list. There were four teams with an average of 9.3 to 10.3, including the Cowboys, Jets, Dolphins, and Seahawks. However, the Jets beat out the Dolphins and Seahawks by enough to land at number ten. Climbing to the top ten is likely due to the addition of Aaron Rodgers. While I think he may be past his prime, the Jets and Jets’ fans hope he has at least one more run in him.
He’ll be surrounded by a talented running back in Breece Hall and a talented receiver in Garrett Wilson. They also have a very strong defense. So, if Rodgers can help guide this team better than the combination of Joe Flacco, Zach Wilson, and Mike White, which he likely can, then they’re bound to be better.
The Other Teams
Several other teams made the top 10 NFL power rankings lists but didn’t average enough to crack the collective top 10. The Dolphins (+2200) landed on five of the lists, with a high of seven. The Seahawks (+3000) were on three lists, with a high of eight. The Giants (+6500) were on two lists, climbing as high as six on Sean’s list.
The Vikings (+3500) made an appearance on two lists, taking number seven and number ten. Their NFC North rival, the Lions, made their way on two lists at numbers nine and ten—last, the Rams. The Rams (+6500) were only on one list – Sean’s list. He has them at eight, believing they can get back to the dominance they had just two years ago.
