ESPN took some flak from New York Jets fans for their recent post-draft NFL power rankings.
The Jets landed at No. 30, somehow dropping three spots from their post-free agency placement. According to ESPN’s power rankings, the Jets are better than only the Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants entering the 2025 NFL season.
Is this true?
Nobody can answer this question definitively, but we are all entitled to our opinions. Allow me to provide mine.
Let’s run through the bottom 10 teams in ESPN’s NFL power rankings. For each one, we will provide a verdict on whether the Jets should be considered a better team.
32. New York Giants
The Giants made some solid additions to their roster this offseason, including quarterback Russell Wilson, safety Jevon Holland, and cornerback Paulson Adebo. They landed one of the draft’s few blue-chip prospects in edge rusher Abdul Carter, who should be an instant difference-maker (despite arrogantly pursuing the jersey numbers of franchise legends).
However, Big Blue is coming from an extremely low starting point after the 2024 season. They went 3-14 with a 29th-ranked point differential of -142, the seventh-worst output in the franchise’s 101-year history.
Brian Daboll’s offense was particularly awful, ranking 31st with 16.1 points per game. Based on Pro Football Reference’s Offensive Simple Rating System, it was the second-worst offense in Giants history.
While the Giants made enough moves to position themselves for a potentially competitive season, it isn’t enough to close the gap on the Jets until they prove it on the field. The Jets were a noticeably better team last year, faring 76 points better in terms of point differential (-66). Gang Green’s roster is essentially a wash compared to last season, so until we see the Giants prove they can take a mammoth step forward from one of their worst teams in the last century, the Jets are better.
Verdict: Jets
31. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee went 3-14 with a -149 point differential, third-worst in the NFL. They ranked bottom-six in both scoring offense and defense.
The Titans plugged holes across their roster with solid veteran free agents like Tyler Lockett, Dan Moore Jr. (who was wildly overpaid relative to his production), Kevin Zeitler, Dre’Mont Jones, Xavier Woods, and Cody Barton. The roster looks more solidified than it did entering last season.
Still, with a rookie quarterback under center and an abysmal season behind them, the Titans need to prove themselves before climbing from this spot. Their pass rush still looks shoddy after posting the third-fewest sacks last season, while their dismal offense could be limited for the time being while Cam Ward undergoes his growing pains.
Yes, the Jets had a miserable season relative to expectations last year, but their overall play was still a large step above the league’s bottom-feeders. They lost seven one-score games and would have flipped at least a couple of those with league-average kicking.
This is not to say that the Jets were secretly a playoff team and should have won 9 or 10 games. Rather, it is merely to suggest that their overall play was closer to that of a 7-win team than your typical 5-win team. Thus, they were significantly better than legitimate 3-win clubs like the Titans and Giants, and with most of the Jets’ best players returning, they should stay above those teams until proven otherwise.
Verdict: Jets
29. Cleveland Browns
ESPN was correct to place the Giants and Titans below the Jets. Now, we move into the teams that were ranked above the Jets.
Let’s just get straight to the point: It is absurd to have Cleveland ranked over New York. The 2024 Browns were one of the worst teams in recent history, and there is little reason to believe that will change in 2025.
Cleveland had a -177 point differential last season, the eighth-worst mark by a team in the 2020s thus far. It was the fifth-worst mark in Browns franchise history, which is saying quite a bit for the team that is quite literally the home of sadness.
The Browns added defensive tackle Mason Graham and running back Quinshon Judkins in the draft, but their veteran haul was limited to the likes of Joe Flacco, Maliek Collins, Teven Jenkins, and DeAndre Carter.
With a quarterback competition featuring Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, it is hard to see the Browns improving very much from their extremely poor performance in 2024.
Verdict: Jets
28. New Orleans Saints
New Orleans performed comparably to the Jets last season, finishing with an identical 5-12 record and a -60 point differential that was just a single touchdown better than New York. They lost six one-score games.
The Saints, though, seem to be trending down. That was their worst point differential since 2015, and there isn’t much about the team that is looking up. Quarterback Derek Carr is dealing with a murky shoulder injury that could cause him to miss significant time or have to play through the injury. His backups are second-round rookie Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler, who went 0-6 for the team last season.
For most of the season, the Saints were a bad team. After stockpiling numbers across two enormous blowouts to start the year, New Orleans finished 3-12 with a -122 point differential over its final 15 games. This offseason, they made a nice upgrade to their defense by signing safety Justin Reid, but most of their other additions were modest.
Coming from a similar starting point as the Jets but facing a bleaker outlook, I’d say New York deserves the edge here.
Verdict: Jets
27. Carolina Panthers
Overall, the Panthers were utterly horrendous last season, finishing with a leauge-worst -193 point differential. It is the second-worst mark in Panthers franchise history and the fourth-worst mark of the 2020s.
However, Carolina overachieved by scraping out five victories, and the team showed real progress toward the end of the year. After starting 1-7 with a -147 point differential, Carolina went 4-5 with a -46 point differential over the rest of the way.
There are holes to poke in the improved finish, though. Three of the four wins came in overtime (each against a team that finished with a losing record), and the other was a one-point win over a struggling Saints team. In the meantime, the Panthers still took a pair of gaudy blowout losses without earning any blowout wins of their own.
Carolina is trending up, but they are still coming from a starting point of being the worst team in football last season. After a somewhat quiet offseason, the Panthers might still be one year away from returning to competitiveness.
The Panthers used a top-10 pick on wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, but on the veteran market, their only notable acquisitions on offense were Hunter Renfrow and Rico Dowdle. They are still asking for quite a bit of heavy lifting from Bryce Young, who hopes to build on a solid finish to 2024.
After allowing a league-high 31.4 points per game in 2024, the Panthers were active in free agency on the defensive side. Their veteran additions included defensive tackle Bobby Brown, defensive end Tershawn Wharton, edge rusher Patrick Jones, and strong safety Tre’von Moehrig. Carolina will have Pro Bowl defensive tackle Derrick Brown back, although it remains to be seen how he will perform after a season-ending torn meniscus.
Things are trending up in Charlotte, but considering how low of a point they are starting from, they should arguably be the 32nd-ranked team until proven otherwise. While Young gives the team an impressive ceiling, he still has a long way to go before he can be considered anything close to a sure thing. For all of the progress he showed, he still finished 2024 with just 6.3 yards per attempt, better than only Daniel Jones and Cooper Rush among qualifiers.
Verdict: Jets
26. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders were a -125 in 2024, ranking sixth-worst in the league.
Las Vegas should experience a jump at quarterback after adding Geno Smith, while first-round pick Ashton Jeanty should be an instant hit at running back. However, this roster remains one of the league’s most porous.
The wide receiver unit is headlined by Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and second-round rookie Jack Bech. The offensive line is an even bigger concern; outside of Kolton Miller, you’re looking at Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham, and DJ Glaze.
Remember, the Jets have built a complete offensive line that projects as a top-10 unit, which gives them a very high chance of winning at least seven games. This is what gives them an edge over many of the teams at the bottom of the league.
Defensively, the Raiders lack proven difference-makers outside of Maxx Crosby. Christian Wilkins could be one, but he had an injury-plagued season last year and is still dealing with questions about his foot; he will also be 30 this year.
The Raiders’ cornerback unit features Jakorian Bennett, Eric Stokes, and Darnay Holmes.
Las Vegas is brimming with style points, but I don’t view this roster as truly ready to compete just yet. I also think the hiring of Pete Carroll is a publicity stunt that will not play well on the field. Carroll started to lose his touch near the end of his Seattle tenure. As he crosses conferences to deal with the more quarterback-driven AFC, I don’t think he will be with the times.
Verdict: Jets
25. Jacksonville Jaguars
The buck stops here.
Entering 2024, Jacksonville was coming off back-to-back 9-win seasons. The Jaguars were expected to take a leap.
Mired by terrible coaching, Jacksonville lost 10 one-score games on the way to a 4-13 season. The team is much more talented than the record suggests, though, and after a strong offseason, they appear poised to bounce back.
The hiring of Liam Coen at head coach should be a game-changer for Trevor Lawrence, who still has another leap or two left in him. Just 25 years old, Lawrence’s unfinished development gives the Jaguars an incredible ceiling. In Tampa Bay, Coen brought Baker Mayfield to a new level at 29 years old.
Jacksonville mortgaged the future for Travis Hunter, who could be an instant star on one or both sides of the ball. On the veteran market, they loaded up on offensive line depth and blocking tight ends to strengthen the protection for Lawrence and the run-blocking for Travis Etienne.
Last season was a rough one for the Jaguars, but they have two 9-win seasons over the past three years, two more than the Jets have over the past nine seasons. With a revamped coaching staff and a quarterback with a limitless ceiling, the Jaguars are a strong bounce-back candidate. Their outlook for 2025 is more promising than the Jets’.
Verdict: Jaguars
24. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ quarterback situation is a major issue, but this is a solid football team otherwise.
Despite their quarterbacks generating the second-worst passer rating in football (better than only the Browns), the Colts went 8-9 with a 21st-ranked point differential of -50. They had the best record and the best point differential among the teams ranked bottom-10 in passer rating, which speaks to how good the rest of the team is.
Indy is solid in the trenches on both sides. They ranked eighth-best in both yards per rush attempt and yards per rush attempt allowed, while their pass-blocking was ranked 11th-best by Pro Football Focus. The first-round selection of Tyler Warren will only add to Indianapolis’ physicality.
The Colts are a quarterback away from pushing Houston for the AFC South title. Even with terrible quarterback play last season, they still won eight games. This is a flat-out better and tougher football team than the Jets – for now. Aaron Glenn hopes to change that, but we need to see it first.
Verdict: Colts
23. New England Patriots
Despite the one-win gap and the split in their season series, the Jets were much better in 2024 than the Patriots, who had a -128 point differential.
However, the Patriots went on a massive spending spree this offseason and are poised for a jump in 2025. Will that strategy make New England a consistent Super Bowl contender over the long haul? Probably not – just ask the Jets teams of yesteryear what a free agency spending spree does for your long-term hopes. But in the meantime, it is hard not to be impressed with New England’s improvements.
Stefon Diggs and Morgan Moses give the Patriots two strong (if aging) starters on offense to support Drake Maye, although Diggs is 31 and coming off an ACL tear. They secured their left tackle of the future by selecting Will Campbell in the first round.
Defensively, the Patriots added productive veterans like Milton Williams, Harold Landry, Carlton Davis, and Robert Spillane.
Perhaps most importantly, New England should experience a jump in coaching by going from Jerod Mayo to Mike Vrabel. However, the choice of Josh McDaniels as the offensive coordinator is questionable, to say the least.
The Jets were ahead of New England entering the offseason, but with New York having a quiet offseason in which their roster did not considerably improve, the Patriots’ activity is enough to at least put their roster on an even plane with the Jets. The tiebreaker comes down to quarterback, and Maye has a better outlook than Justin Fields.
As a 22-year-old rookie, Maye already posted a better QBR (58.6), completion percentage (66.6%), and passing success rate (46%) than Fields’ career-highs in each category across four NFL seasons. His 88.1 passer rating was higher than Fields’ career average (83.9).
If Fields does not improve from his career norms (the likeliest outcome) while Maye takes the second-year leap that New England is praying for, Maye will be the significantly better quarterback, making New England the clearly better team.
If the Jets can figure out the quarterback spot, they may end up having a better long-term outlook, as their young score remains stronger than New England’s. For now, though, the Patriots have a better quarterback situation and a bevy of solid veterans to strengthen their short-term outlook.
Verdict: Patriots
Results
Here are the bottom 10 teams in ESPN’s post-draft NFL power rankings, and our verdicts for whether the Jets are better than each one:
- 32. Giants (Yes)
- 31. Titans (Yes)
- 30. Jets
- 29. Browns (Yes)
- 28. Saints (Yes)
- 27. Panthers (Yes)
- 26. Raiders (Yes)
- 25. Jaguars (No)
- 24. Colts (No)
- 23. Patriots (No)
At this point in time, I feel comfortable saying the Jets are a better football team than the Giants, Titans, Browns, Saints, Panthers, and Raiders. This would put them 26th in the league.
I could hear arguments for the Jaguars and Patriots – maybe the Colts – but outside of this bottom-10 group, I don’t think the Jets have a realistic argument to be ahead of any other team.
This is a subjective exercise. Feel free to chastise any of the opinions I stated here today. Maybe you think the Jets are a top-10 team. If you do, I could not disprove it. That’s your opinion. All of these teams are 0-0.
Ultimately, when being realistic about the Jets’ roster and its trajectory entering 2025, I believe it is fair to say they are a top 24-28 team in the NFL when combining their ceiling, floor, and baseline.
More must-reads: