Rich’s Way-Way-Way-Too-Early NFL Power Rankings Will Certainly Raise Some Eyebrows

Rich is no longer hosting the NFL schedule release show for the first time in two decades. He still has thoughts. He still has rankings.

So he made up a new tradition.

"Forget the schedule," Rich said. "I've got a power rankings right in the middle of May. I'm going to do this from now on as long as this show is on the air and as long as I'm no longer involved in the schedule release."

He named the franchise the Way-Way-Way-Too-Early Power Rankings, presented by SoFi. The plan is three editions before the season. One now. One in late June. One during training camp.

The list ran 10 deep.

Number 10 was the Baltimore Ravens. Rich pointed to the new offensive coordinator pulled from the Ben Johnson coaching tree.

"They got Declan Doyle now," Rich said. "Keep that name in mind with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry and this offense rolling downhill. I'll be abiding a new center, but Baltimore is number 10 on this list. Don't forget them."

The Ravens also drafted Vega Ioane.

"A right guard that will be in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year," Rich said.

Number nine was San Francisco. The case is the next-man-up team getting healthy.

"They damn near were the one seed in the NFC," Rich said. "Now they got Mike Evans, they got Nick Bosa back, they got Fred Warner back. I understand Kittle might not be back until who knows when, but I think he'll be ready at some point."

Number eight was Philadelphia, ahead of the Niners.

"I'm putting the Eagles here at number eight," Rich said. "I am putting them ahead of the Niners, and I know the Niners bounced the Eagles last year. I got it. I just like Mike Evans, man, on San Francisco, putting them at nine."

The wrinkle is AJ Brown's exit, which is on the way.

"I still need to see a little bit more in the Eagles," Rich said. "I'm putting them at eight."

Number seven was the defending AFC champion New England Patriots. The room called it low.

"That was way, way too early," Rich said. "I'm still waiting for what it looks like in year two here, man."

Rich also conceded the head coach uncertainty.

"Who's our head coach?" Rich said. "Exactly."

Number six was the Chicago Bears. He has them as the highest-ranked NFC North team.

"Can't wait to see what Ben Johnson and the Bears look like in their year two," Rich said. "Dylan Trevion and that first round pick they're going to put right in the back end of that defense, start thumping coming downhill and hit people from the back end."

He invoked the team motto.

"Believe in better," Rich said.

Number five was the Dallas Cowboys, and Rich knew the room would object.

"I think they've nailed their winning the offseason," Rich said. "We are right in the middle of the offseason that they have been winning."

The defensive line was the headline.

"That defensive line, I know they coughed up Odighizuwa to San Francisco," Rich said. "But Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, the kid they just drafted Malachi Lawrence, Overshown, my guy Jaishawn Barham out of Michigan, Caleb Downs on the back end. I think they have checked some defensive boxes."

The offense was already nice.

"How do you not have them as maybe a top five offense in the NFL?" Rich said.

Number four was the Denver Broncos.

"Looking forward to Jaylen Waddle in this mix," Rich said. "Seeing Bo Nix back in the mix. That rhymes. Bo Nix is in the mix."

The caveat was Sean Payton stepping back from play-calling.

"Can he really take his hands off the steering wheel like that?" Rich said. "Can you? No."

Number three was the defending Super Bowl champion. The Seattle Seahawks.

"Out of respect," Rich said.

The room called it disrespect.

"Year to year, who's, to be the man, you got to beat the man," Rich said. "I still want to see what Sam looks like in year two. How is he going to defend his title?"

The history of Super Bowl champions in the year after, in Rich's framing, is rough.

"Super Bowl teams the next year, usually something happens injury-wise," Rich said.

Number two was the LA Chargers. The neighbors across the street.

"I like the moves they made," Rich said. "They're getting two Pro Bowl, if not All-Pro tackles back. Omarion Hampton in year number two. He won me a fantasy chip last year."

The receiver room got an upgrade. The defense got bigger and more creative.

"They just added Davanjko to Oronde Gadsden Jr. at tight end, and then they got that guy Kolar who's saying blocking is like a bowl of crème brûlée," Rich said.

The geographic Super Bowl 61 setup that Rich is rooting for is built around his number one.

"Get ready for Super Bowl 61 in SoFi to potentially be in that team against my number one team, the Los Angeles Rams," Rich said.

The Rams sit one for one specific reason.

"The defending MVP of the league who's got a chip on his shoulder," Rich said. "Last time this happened, it sparked two MVP seasons in a row for Aaron Rodgers. Let's see what happens with this one. Everybody else, Trent McDuffie. He's been added. Let's go."

Rich opened the phones to whoever wanted to come at him.

"Call me. Add me," Rich said. "Say Rich, you're way off. And I'll be, no no no, I'm way way way too early and off."

The room kept dunking on Rich for the teams he left off. The Bills have the fourth-best odds to win the Super Bowl, and Rich did not have them in the top 10.

"I love their quarterback," Rich said. "He will be an MVP candidate quarterback."

The Kansas City Chiefs were also missing.

"I left them off," Rich said.

The Cowboys staying in the top five is what generated the most pushback. Brockman would have replaced them with Buffalo.

"I would probably have Buffalo in the top five," Brockman said.

Rich shrugged the call.

"Let's see what happens in the next month," Rich said. "You never know. There could be some OTA movement."