It’s that time of year again- Way Too Early NFL Power Rankings season. Or “SZN” as the kids these days like to say. The final whistle of the Super Bowl blew only a few days ago, so now is the time to start assessing the power composition of the NFL’s 32 teams for the coming season.
Multiple outlets have released their too-early power rankings, and we’ll analyze some of them here. Regarding ESPN’s power rankings, which slotted the Ravens 14th, we already covered that here.
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Eric Edholm writes: “No one doubts Jackson’s talent or impact at his finest, but he was limited significantly by injuries and availability in 2025, seldom making it through an entire week of practice without hindrance.”
Maybe that was the story of the season- Lamar Jackson rarely, if ever, being 100% fully himself. Jackson’s numbers were far below par for him, and his fitness had a lot to do with that. As much progress as he made in 2024, likely his best statistical season ever, he ended up regressing in 2025, due to all the nagging injuries.
Ranking among the AFC North teams- 2nd
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Vinnie Iyer writes: “The Ravens are rebooting without John Harbaugh but borrowed well from Jim and John with Jesse Minter taking over as defensive-minded coach.”
Most commentators seem to be pretty high on the hiring of Jesse Minter. Yes, regime change will be hard, especially since the Ravens are moving on from John Harbaugh.
He is likely the greatest coach in the franchise’s history, having been in charge for almost two decades. However, the NFL punditocracy has spoken, and they seem to think that Minter was a great choice.
Ranking among the AFC North teams- 1st
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Pete Prisco writes that Minter “will bring toughness to the defense” and “did a great job hiring a staff, which will help.”
Prisco is infamous for some “interesting” or “unique” takes on Twitter from time to time, but he’s spot on here. If the Ravens are to rebuild effectively, then it needs to start on the defensive side of the ball.
Ranking among the AFC North teams- 1st
Ralph Vacchiano writes: “Jesse Minter inherited a gold mine from John Harbaugh. If Lamar Jackson can stay healthy, this team is still good enough to immediately become a Super Bowl contender again.”
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Wow! Loving the optimism here. Of all the power rankings I clicked on, this one is the most sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, puppy dogs, and cuddly kittens out there in regards to the Ravens. Once again, it’s all about Jackson and Minter.
Ranking among the AFC North teams- 1st
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens land in the middle of the pack in early NFL power rankings