Bucs' Power Rankings Status Skyrocketing as NFC Contender

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a good offseason by nearly any metric you want to use.

The franchise re-signed Chris Godwin, which might just be the best deal of the entire free agency period, plus in dire need of pass rushing help, got one of the best in football over the past four years in Haason Reddick.

Those are two moves that help the Buccaneers immensely and lets not forget, Godwin was on track to have his best-ever season prior to his injury, and the offense led by Baker Mayfield was the fourth-best in football (29.5 p/g) without him.

But how do the Bucs stack up against the rest of the NFL? As it turns out, rather well and for Eric Edholm, in his latest power rankings, Tampa Bay comes in at a very respectable No. 9.

"Getting Chris Godwin back was a coup, and Baker Mayfield could have an even better season in 2025 than he did in '24," Edholm writes. "Godwin, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan are a good top three at receiver, and Bucky Irving emerged as a starting back by season's end. The defense should benefit from the pass-rush help brought by the addition of Haason Reddick. 

"The NFC South remains a division in flux, and the Bucs feel like the kings until proven otherwise. Are they championship contenders? I'm not quite there yet."