Sideline Scouting

Pre-2009 NFL Draft Power Rankings

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
-They do not have many marquee holes to fill, which should bode well in their quest for a repeat.

2. Indianapolis Colts
-A year after surgery for Peyton Manning, plus a more settled offensive line should welcome them back to contention.

3. New England Patriots
-The defense is starting to show signs of age but Tom Brady will be back.

4. Tennessee Titans
-Some question marks regarding free agency but any team coached by Jeff Fisher is a contender.

5. Atlanta Falcons
-This franchise is for real and should be a staple in the NFL for years to come.

6. New York Giants
-Eli Manning looks perplexed without Plaxico Burress.

7. Baltimore Ravens
-The defense might take a step back next year unless they regroup with quality stars.

8. Philadelphia Eagles
-Replacing two starting offensive tackles will be tough. Will Donovan McNabb be back?

9. Arizona Cardinals
-A ton of cap room but all of those bags of money will be distributed among retained players.

10. Carolina Panthers
-Jake Delhomme could be the kryptonite to this franchises success in ‘09.

11. Denver Broncos
-We may be on the opposite end of the spectrum when we say it good riddance to Mike Shanahan. Bye, Bye.

12. San Diego Chargers
-Norv Turner simply isn’t a coach we can see winning a Super Bowl. General Manager A.J. Smith is a knucklehead.

13. Green Bay Packers
-If the defense can improve after a move to a 3-4 scheme, this team will be scary.

14. Minnesota Vikings
-The quarterback quandary is disheartening.

15. Miami Dolphins
-We want to see Chad Pennington put together good back-to-back seasons. If not, Chad Henne should start warming up.

16. Chicago Bears
-Kyle Orton? Well, at least they have Matt Forte shouldering the offense.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars
-David Garrard will never lead this team to a Super Bowl but with a refined offensive line, they should compete in the AFC South.

18. New Orleans Saints
-The offense is amazing but they need to add a grinder next to Reggie Bush unless they have long-term plans for Pierre Thomas.

19. Houston Texans
-A young core has been built but the secondary is still second rate.

20. Dallas Cowboys
-No team with as many distractions as the Dallas Cowboys will ever win a playoff game, let alone a Super Bowl.

The rest (less than powerful rankings)

21. Seattle Seahawks
22. San Francisco 49ers
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
24. New York Jets
25. Washington Redskins
26. Buffalo Bills
27. Cleveland Browns
28. Oakland Raiders
29. Kansas City Chiefs
30. St. Louis Rams
31. Detroit Lions
32. Cincinnati Bengals