2021 NFL Power Rankings
Super Bowl odds used for our NFL Power Rankings are from FanDuel Sportsbook as of April 14, 2021, and subject to change.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +500
The Kansas City Chiefs are the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl, but some of the team’s offseason moves so far could mean the gap is narrowing. The Chiefs cut two tackles, Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, with both brading out fairly well according to PFF.com. The team did sign interior offensive lineman Joe Thuney to a five-year, $80 million deal, and brought in another guard, Kyle Long, out of retirement. The Chiefs still have a plethora of weapons, Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy are offensive gurus, and we all know how great Patrick Mahomes is, but if the offensive line can’t perform, Mahomes and company could be in for a longer season than many expect. That said, the Chiefs have the best offense in football and the best quarterback. We weight these two things heavily, leaving Kansas City at the top of the SharpSide NFL Power Rankings for now.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +800
For as many possible departues as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eyeing entering the offseason, the team has done a pretty good job to bring back a lot of pieces from its Super Bowl-winning season. Tampa Bay franchse tagged Chris Godwin, Lavonte David and Shaquil Barrett were re-signed on the defensive side, and Rob Gronkowski will be back for another year to play with Tom Brady.
3. Buffalo Bills
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +1200
Josh Allen played out of his mind last season, and we’re going to bet on the fact that Allen remains as one of the better quarterbacks next season. His weapons are good and he’ll get Brian Daboll back as offensive coordinator. The Allen and Stefon Diggs combination should scare any and all defenses, and the Buffalo Bills play a pass-heavy style of offense that gives them a lot of potential to win games. Although the team cut John Brown, it signed Emmanuel Sanders. The Bills are also bringing back linebacker Matt Milano.
4. Los Angeles Rams
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +1300
Swapping out quarterback Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford is a big move for the Los Angeles Rams and one that really makes us love their chances next season. Stafford is a better quarterback than Goff, in our opinion, the Rams have very good weapons, the emergence of Cam Akers is very positive, the defense was arguably the best in the league last season, and Sean McVay is a top head coach. The team did trade away Michael Brockers, but the Rams also re-signed Leonard Floyd. The Rams don’t have the best salary cap situation and they’re out a lot of draft picks in the coming years, but if we’re looking at their chances for next season only, we’re fans of how far the Rams can go.
5. Green Bay Packers
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +1200
Although we’re still not exactly sure what the Green Bay Packers are doing in regards to the overall direction of the roster, the Packers still have Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. The team re-signed running back Aaron Jones, but that seems a little surprising because that money could have been spent elsewhere when they have AJ Dillion as the next man up. For now, we’ve got the Packers at No. 5 in the NFL Power Rankings.
6. Baltimore Ravens
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +1400
Lamar Jackson isn’t the typical pocket passer, but he’s still very good. Jackson does need a certain type of scheme in order to succeed, but he’s supremely talented. The Ravens are a solid organization that is always set up to win, with a good defense and some good pieces around Jackson on offense. With Greg Roman back in the saddle at offensive coordinator, the Ravens could very well once again challenge as the top team in the conference.
7. Cleveland Browns
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +2000
The Cleveland Browns impressed us last season and we’re once again impressed with them entering this season. For as good as the Browns were last season, finishing 11-5 and winning a playoff game, the Pittsburgh Steelers (more on them later) had an even better record. Even the Ravens finished ahead of the Browns in the standings after tiebreakers. Kevin Stefanski worked a lot of magic with Baker Mayfield and we like the direction this team is headed. On Wednesday, April 14, the team announced it had reached a one-year deal with pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. He’ll now be paired alongside Myles Garrett on Cleveland’s defensive line, but Clowney fell off quite a bit last season and was almost invisible when playing for the Tennessee Titans. He won’t need to be as dominant as Garrett, but if Clowney is able to provide a solid complement when getting after opposing quarterbacks, it’ll only help the Browns defense. We also like the signing of safety John Johnson. If the Browns can be healthy on defense, they could easily be the team to beat in the AFC North.
8. Seattle Seahawks
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +2300
The Seattle Seahawks will almost always be a threat as long as Russell Wilson is playing at a high level, but we can put this team on the list of ones that leave us scratching our heads. We have worries about a few things regarding the Seahawks. First, Seattle’s defense needs to improve. Teams lit them up last season and that has to get better. Second, Pete Carroll suggested that the team needs to run the ball more next season and that’s just not going to cut it in today’s NFL. Let Russ cook, Pete. Third, the offensive line needs to improve. We do like adding tight end Gerald Everett into the mix to go along with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
9. Indianapolis Colts
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +2300
Now that the Indianapolis Colts have landed Carson Wentz, the team’s Super Bowl odds have moved to +2300. With the move, Wentz has been reunited with Frank Reich. While this gives Indianapolis its starting QB for the future and there are question marks surrounding Wentz and his ability in the league, we think it’s an upgrade over an old Philip Rivers.
10. Los Angeles Chargers
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +3100
We previously had the Los Angeles Chargers up at No. 7 on this list, but we’ve ticked the team down a little bit after the loss of Hunter Henry, who is a very good pass-catching tight end that could work very well for Justin Herbert. The team did bring in Jared Cook, but we like Henry better. We also wish the team hired an offensive-minded head coach like Brian Daboll, but that doesn’t mean Brandon Staley (former Rams defensive coordinator) can’t be a very good CEO as head coach and let his coordinators do the heavy lifting.
10. San Francisco 49ers
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +1400
A big question this offseason is what the San Francisco 49rs will do with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. It’s been interesting to say the least. One week, the 49ers say they want to keep Garoppolo. The next week, they’re trading up to the No. 3 spot in the NFL Draft. Now, we’ll wait and see who the team will select with that pick, and all signs are pointing towards a QB. The question is, will that QB start right away leading to the 49ers shipping Garoppolo out of town, or will the rookie have a red-shirt year while Garoppolo still leads the team? We have the 49ers at No. 10 on this list with Garoppolo, but that position is very subject to change.
11. Tennessee Titans
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +3000
The Tennessee Titans are a pretty solid squad, but they have some areas that need improvement. For one, the pass rush needs to get better next season after it was basically non-existent last season. Ryan Tannehill is a fine quarterback for what the Titans want to do and Derrick Henry is a top running back, but we’ll want to see them be more aggressive on offense with the passing game. AJ Brown is a stud, but the team no longer has Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith.
13. New Orleans Saints
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +2300
The Drew Brees era in New Orleans is over, as the longtime QB opted to retire. Now, it’s up to Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston to take over. Or could it be Garoppolo? There are some quiet rumors that the Saints could be in on the QB that helped get San Francisco to the Super Bowl a couple of seasons ago. The Saints have good pieces on offense, led by Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, good line play on both sides, and the defense is solid. The team did lose WR Emmanuel Sanders and TE Jared Cook.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +3200
Yet again, another team that needs a quarterback, in our opinion. Ben Roethlisberger looks cooked, but he’s going to be back with the team for another season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have very good wide receivers and re-signing JuJu Smith-Schuster helps with that. The defense has the ability to be among the best in the league. James Conner is no longer with the team after heading to Arizona, but they should be fine in the backfield with Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland. Roethlisberger at QB really holds this team back and it’s hard for us to buy in with him at QB.
15. Miami Dolphins
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +3000
We really like what the Miami Dolphins are building in South Florida, but we wonder what the team’s ceiling is with Tua Tagovailoa at the helm. The Dolphins have good pieces on offense, they’re bringing in WR Will Fuller, and head coach Brian Flores has built a pretty awesome defense, although it’ll be without Kyle Van Noy. It will only be Tagovailoa’s second season, so we need to give him some more time, but we’ll want to see a big jump within the offense now that he has a season under his belt.
16. Dallas Cowboys
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +2900
The hype surrounding the Dallas Cowboys was super high entering last season. Here at SharpSide, we were pretty high on them with the team getting a new head coach and all of the offensive weapons in place. We’ll have to take the L for that one. Entering next season, the Cowboys have a lot of firepower on offense once again, especially with the emergence of CeeDee Lamb. As long as Dak Prescott comes back healthy and looking good, coupled with the defense improving, the Cowboys could turn out to be a pretty solid team.
17. New England Patriots
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +3000
We previously had the New England Patriots way down on this list at No. 28, but thanks to a laundry list of big free agent moves, we’ve bumped the team up quite a bit. Still, the team is sitting outside the top half of the league. The team splashed in free agency for tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, they added Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne at WR, brought back Kyle Van Noy and signed Matthew Judon and Jalen Mills on defense, and more. The team also re-signed quarterback Cam Newton. The NFL QB position is the most important position in all of sports and Newton was bad last season. Julian Edelman‘s contract has also been terminated this offseason, leading to him announcing his retirement. Although we did move New England up on the NFL Power Rankings, we’re still going to need to see Newton perform better or the team find a better option at QB before we move the team higher.
18. Washington Football Team
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +5000
Call us crazy, but we’re big fans of what the Washington Football Team has done ahead of next season. We said the team needed a quarterback and it brought in Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. We’re big Fitzpatrick fans. Receiver Curtis Samuel signed with the team and can be a nice fit alongside Terry McLaurin. Antonio Gibson popped last season at RB and we know how good the Washington defensive front can be.
19. Minnesota Vikings
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +4600
Justin Jefferson looked awesome for the Minnesota Vikings, stepping right in and filling the void that was left by Stefon Diggs. We’re going to need to see better coaching from Mike Zimmer before we move the Vikings up these power rankings, though.
20. Atlanta Falcons
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +6000
Maybe we’re crazy for having the Atlanta Falcons inside the top 20 on the NFL Power Rankings, but hear us out. Atlanta lost a ton of close games last season, so basically, one coin flip could have their record going the other direction. Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley are elite, Matt Ryan still has ability as a quarterback, and a new head coach is coming in to right the ship. If Atlanta’s defense can improve and if Ryan can be halfway decent, there’s upside for the Falcons.
21. Carolina Panthers
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +5000
We’re fans of what we saw from the Carolina Panthers last season. The offense was very aggressive with the football, which is a big nod to Matt Rhule and the coaching staff, and the defense improved over the course of the season. Teddy Bridgewater was fine at quarterback, especially with regards to turnovers, and the offense will be getting Christian McCaffrey back after he battled a ton of injuries. We’ll see how they fill the hole left by Curtis Samuel at wide receiver, though.
22. Chicago Bears
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +5500
The Chicago Bears have a solid defense and some good weapons on offense. The team was in need of a quarterback situation before we felt any better about it. Well, Mitchell Trubisky is out (he signed with the Bills to be a backup to Josh Allen) and Andy Dalton is in. We’re not sure how much of an upgrade that is, so we’ll need to take a wait-and-see approach on the Bears for now.
23. Arizona Cardinals
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +4000
The Arizona Cardinals don’t have a good defense, even though they did sign JJ Watt, and the offense is questionable at times. Kyler Murray can flash a lot at quarterback and it certainly helps to have DeAndre Hopkins at wide receiver, but this team looks better to us in highlights than on the field for a full game. Yes, the team signed AJ Green in free agency, but he’s 32 years old and injured quite often. Former Pittsburgh running back Conner will also be a new face in Arizona for next season.
24. Las Vegas Raiders
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +5000
Darren Waller proved to be an absolute stud at tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders, and Derek Carr played pretty well last season, too. The Raiders need to improve on the defensive side of the ball quite a bit, and they brought in Yannick Ngakoue on a two-year, $26 million deal. The offensive line has a bunch of losses this offseason, Nelson Agholor is no longer with the team, we question the signing of RB Kenyan Drake, and we’re not sure about the coaching staff. Jon Gruden is locked in for a while, but we’d like to see him coach the team for today’s NFL rather than the NFL of 10 years ago.
25. Denver Broncos
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +5500
Add the Denver Broncos to the giant list of teams that need a quarterback. The team has good offensive weapons, but Drew Lock isn’t the answer at QB. He makes a lot of bad decisions and is really holding this team back. Denver’s defense will improve if Von Miller comes back healthy and looks good.
26. New York Giants
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +6500
We’re at the point of these power rankings where it’s just a big pile of mush. The New York Giants aren’t the worst team in the league, at least we think they aren’t. Daniel Jones is certainly going to have to play better at quarterback and not turn the ball over, and he now has Kenny Golladay at WR to help, but the defense played better than expected last season and there are some offensive weapons on the squad. The last time we checked in on the NFL Super Bowl futures odds, the Giants were +8000. It’s been a couple of weeks and they’re down to +6500.
27. Philadelphia Eagles
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +8500
Jalen Hurts came in for Carson Wentz last season and played all right, but it still feels like Hurts is a ways off from being a viable starting QB in the league. That said, the Philadelphia Eagles are moving on from Wentz and giving the offense to Hurts. The news has stirred up the team’s Super Bowl odds, which are now at +8500. That’s a bit longer than when we last checked in and the odds were at +7000. There are several other areas the Philadelphia Eagles need to improve at, too, including on defense and at wide receiver.
28. Houston Texans
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +13000
With all of the news surround Deshaun Watson, it’s a big question mark what’s going to happen with the Houston Texans. Since we last checked in, the Super Bowl odds for the Texans dropped from +10000 to +13000. If Watson is the team’s QB next season, we’ll probably keep the Texans at this position for the time being. If he’s not, we could see them drop to the bottom of the 2021 NFL Power Rankings. Also of note from this offseason is that the team decided to part ways with JJ Watt.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +10000
All signs point to the Jacksonville Jaguars drafting their quarterback of the future in Trevor Lawrence, but unless Lawrence steps on the field and is immediately Joe Montana, it’s going to be some time before the Jaguars improve.
30. New York Jets
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +8000
The New York Jets have a new head coach in Robert Salah and are one of the teams rumored to land Deshaun Watson should a trade from Houston actually happen. If that happens, the Jets will certainly move up the list, but right now they’re going to remain near the bottom.
31. Cincinnati Bengals
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +8000
The Cincinnati Bengals need to get Joe Burrow back and in the swing of things before we start moving them up the 2021 NFL Power Rankings, so for now they’re down near the bottom. We’ll also want to see the team improve on defense and on the offensive line, which hopefully they address in the draft.
32. Detroit Lions
Odds to win Super Bowl LVI: +15000
Signing Dan Campbell as head coach feels like the worst decision imaginable, but here we are and we’re sorry, Detroit. Kenny Golladay is gone and this team has a lot of holes to fill. We’re not sure Goff is going to do well at all, and again, the head coach is a real head-scratcher.
