Caplan's NFL Season Power Rankings: Niners, Chiefs Lead

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00:00Because it's time for Kaplan's first look at his power rankings for the NFL season that's

00:09upcoming right around the corner doing push-ups.

00:11Yeah, we got four weeks till teams report.

00:15And by the way, so this is the time of year you see websites do it, television shows.

00:19On NFL Radio, I'll go over these rankings where I'm hosting on Channel 88 on Saturday.

00:25But I want to get started here because it's the first time we're going to talk about it.

00:29I know it's going to surprise some people because the Chiefs are back-to-back winners

00:32going for the third in a row, which would be historic.

00:35But I've got the Niners, again, I want people to understand, the Niners are number one.

00:38Why?

00:39It's based on roster, the quality of the roster, the quality of the depth, the coaching staff,

00:44and offensive-defensive schemes.

00:45If you just grade them on all that, they're the NFL's best team.

00:49They're my number one team right now.

00:51You mean with all those receivers that don't want to play there anymore because they're

00:54not getting paid?

00:55You mean that team?

00:57Aiyuk's under contract, so he'll be playing somewhere this season.

01:01And by the way, as I told you last time we talked about Aiyuk, if they want to win a

01:04Super Bowl, take a look at him next year in terms of moving him or doing a sign-and-trade.

01:09But this year, he's got to be on the football team if they want to win a Super Bowl.

01:13Do you believe that they're going to keep him or trade him?

01:18The chances are he'll be on the roster.

01:19It's not a lock.

01:20He's under contract.

01:22They're not there yet on an extension.

01:25It's going to be hard because the way that a lot of teams see his contract, as great

01:30of a wide receiver as he is, he's more of a number two receiver for this football team.

01:35Now, if you trade him to Buffalo, he's a number one.

01:37But on this team, he's more of a number two, and that's around $28.5 million.

01:41Not $30 to $32 million, which honestly, he could command on the open market.

01:44But right now, he's not getting that.

01:47So who's your number two team?

01:50Got to be the Chiefs.

01:51We know they've got some off-the-field stuff that they've been dealing with.

01:54Bottom line is, back-to-back Super Bowl winner, got the quarterback, got the head coach.

01:59And by the way, as long as Andy Reid is there with Patrick Mahomes, they're going to be

02:03the class, at least, of the AFC.

02:06There's no question about it.

02:08Wow.

02:09It's just, I mean, at some point, you just got to get sick and tired of it, don't you?

02:15Like, honestly.

02:16I'm sick and tired of it.

02:18I need someone to step up and punch them in the throat.

02:23Like, we saw the Bengals do it, and then they blew the Super Bowl.

02:27But they got to have somebody step up this year.

02:30It can't be the same team every single year in the Super Bowl.

02:35Well, bottom line is, my number three team should have been in the Super Bowl.

02:39They blew that big lead.

02:40And that's the Detroit Lions.

02:41Now, people would say, what about their secondary?

02:43Well, guess what?

02:44They address it with a trade of Carlton Davis, the Bucs' best corner.

02:47They also drafted a corner very early in the draft, within the first two rounds.

02:51They've addressed that position.

02:52They're great at safety.

02:54The reason why I don't have them higher is that they need a little bit more of a pass

02:57rush.

02:58But they've helped their secondary, excellent offensive line.

03:01Jared Goff got his extension.

03:03What a story he's been, after what happened with him at the Rams to end his career with

03:06that football team.

03:07But they're my number three team.

03:08The Detroit Lions, the NFC's number two team right now.

03:11So no drop-off from all that success.

03:15They just keep winning, is what you're telling me.

03:18And that failure.

03:19And that choke job.

03:20They choke.

03:21They choke.

03:22But they got Ben Johnson back, the NFL's best play caller.

03:24That is an absolutely huge thing.

03:28Without him, this is not the same football team.

03:30To keep him, I don't think people understand how fortunate the Lions are to have him back

03:34as their offensive coordinator.

03:36Your fourth-best team.

03:38Yeah, I got the Eagles up there now.

03:40They had major issues in their secondary.

03:43They addressed it with Cooper Dejean.

03:44They addressed it with Quinion Mitchell.

03:46So they've addressed it.

03:47I'm a little bit concerned, the reason why I don't have them higher than the Lions is

03:51the retirements of Fletcher Cox, the outstanding interior pass rusher, and the great Jason

03:57Kelsey.

03:58Both will be Hall of Famers someday.

04:00The bottom line is, those are big losses to me.

04:03It's going to be hard to overcome it.

04:04They've got guys who are going to fill in.

04:06So that's the one thing that will concern me.

04:08But they've addressed a lot of their depth issues.

04:09A little bit of a depth issue, by the way, at wide receiver, remember.

04:14They lost one guy who retired.

04:19And when you really look at it, you've got Paris Campbell, who's their number three receiver.

04:22After that, they don't really have much.

04:24But overall, this is a really good football team.

04:26Well-coached.

04:27And by the way, brand-new offensive scheme under Kelly Moore.

04:29I like that.

04:30They're my number four team.

04:32How hot is Nick Sirianni's seat after he somehow survived that absolute car crash of a season's

04:41last month and a week?

04:42I mean, the last five weeks, six weeks was a disaster.

04:46Losing six out of seven.

04:47Got absolutely embarrassed against Tampa Bay on the road in the playoffs.

04:50He's back because he made the playoffs three straight years.

04:53How hot is it?

04:54It's warm.

04:55And what I mean by that is, they've addressed the coordinators, the general manager, Harry

05:00Roseman, addressed the problems in the secondary.

05:03There are no more excuses here.

05:04They brought in an excellent offensive play caller in Kelly Moore.

05:08They've got to go farther than the first round of the playoffs, man.

05:10They've got to be better than that.

05:11That's if everybody's healthy.

05:12And they've got to get Jalen Hurts back on track, by the way.

05:15Your five and six plays.

05:18Yeah, I've got the Packers here, Scott.

05:21I love this team.

05:23They're going to be right there with the Lions.

05:25That's a very even division, the NFC North, between those two teams.

05:29Jordan Love, as you know, is my quarterback.

05:3136 combined touchdowns.

05:33They have a new defensive coordinator.

05:34They needed to do that.

05:35Jeff Halfley comes in, the head coach of Boston College.

05:38It's going to change the scheme a little bit.

05:39They're going to be right there.

05:40They're going to push for that division, the NFC North.

05:43And I've got the Packers at number five.

05:46And the Ravens, six.

05:48Oh, yeah, the Ravens, look, they're back again.

05:50Now, the one issue, and I don't have them higher,

05:53they lost Mike McDonald, their outstanding defensive coordinator.

05:56Zach Gore, the NFL's youngest coordinator, 31 years old.

05:59That's a big deal here, whose NFL playing career

06:02got cut short due to injury.

06:04But this is his first year doing it.

06:05That's the only thing I'm worried about,

06:07because he's the first time play caller.

06:08But other than that, it's a pretty good team.

06:10Numbers seven and eight, you're keeping both of them in Texas.

06:16Yeah, I know.

06:16I got Houston.

06:17I love this football team.

06:18We all missed on the Texans last year,

06:20who the odds makers gave four and a half to five wins.

06:23They're my number 17.

06:24They've got it all.

06:25Best young roster in the National Football League.

06:27And I got the Cowboys at number eight.

06:30They got to get the defense going under Mike Zimmer.

06:33They've got Trayvon Diggs coming back from his ACL injury,

06:35a corner who's their best corner.

06:36We got to see how he comes back from that injury.

06:38A couple offensive line changes.

06:40Zeke Elliott's going to be the starting running back.

06:42That's not going to be good enough.

06:43They're my number 18, the Dallas Cowboys.

06:45What about nine and 10?

06:49They're teams that are only a couple hours away

06:51from each other.

06:52This is going to be a surprise to some.

06:54I've got the Cleveland Browns at number nine.

06:57Excellent offensive line.

06:58They've addressed the running back issue

07:00because of Nick Chubb's injury.

07:02Excellent defense coach by Jim Schwartz.

07:04The only issue is the quarterback,

07:06who has not played competent football since 2020.

07:08Deshaun Watson coming back from multiple issues

07:11with that right shoulder, with that surgery.

07:14So it's not a question, will he be ready for training camp?

07:16How effective could he be in the regular season?

07:18That's why I don't have him at higher than number nine.

07:20I got your Steelers at number 10.

07:22Here we go, Steelers.

07:23Here we go.

07:25You know their offensive line.

07:26They've addressed it five new starters the last two seasons.

07:29They've addressed their secondary issues at quarterback.

07:32What does Russell Wilson have left?

07:33That's a question.

07:35Yeah.

07:36I'll tell you what's not a question

07:38is that I'm able to go to games this year.

07:39I'm stoked.

07:41Pharrell traveling back to the Steel City

07:43to see multiple games.

07:45All right, 11 and 12.

07:46I know you're gonna get mafia excited here,

07:49hot and bothered.

07:50They've got the Jets.

07:51You know, you gotta put Aaron Rodgers here

07:53and the Jets at 11.

07:54I would put him higher,

07:54but again, he barely played football last season.

07:56They've addressed their offensive line.

07:58It's not gonna be great.

07:59The depth at wide receiver is a problem for me.

08:02Defense, perhaps the best of the National Football League.

08:04If Rodgers plays 14 games,

08:07they're probably gonna win that division over the Bills.

08:11And you have the Jags at 12,

08:14the Bengals at 13,

08:15and Carver High's Bills at 14.

08:18Oh, I just gave you the finger right on the set.

08:20I saw it.

08:21Yeah, and I got the Bills getting in.

08:22Yeah, I got the Bills getting in.

08:23The last wild card spot as of now,

08:25they're my 14th team.

08:27Wow.

08:28And so did you think that Lawrence deserved all that money?

08:33Yeah, because here's my understanding.

08:34They felt that they got in early

08:35because the numbers are gonna go to 57, 60 million a year.

08:39He's their franchise quarterback.

08:40They've always felt that way.

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