NFL Power Rankings: Giants climb after 2018 draft; Bills drop Published: May 02, 2018 at 01:36 AM Elliot Harrison Markus Golden Jersey The dominos fell Thursday, Friday and Saturday ... and the league pecking order jumbled up on Wednesday. Drama played out in slow motion as we all awaited the announcement of the first pick of the 2018 . Yet, after and his Daisy Dukes (SEE: ) went there, Day 1 seemed to fly by. With that and the corresponding mayhem on the second day, teams' fortunes this year were seemingly altered. Of course, we will all learn together. Although "winning the draft" doesn't nece sarily equate to winning on the filed ... . Take, for example, the to select . I thought that was a smart move. Yet, chances are Rosen won't play much early this season. Not with being a former top overall pick himself, healthy and owning an eight-year head start on the rookie. So as you digest my latest Power Rankings below, remember that while a team might have enjoyed a prolific draft haul and grabbed the best players available for the future, those that filled needs for Week 1 profited here. Best draft-related tweet this weekend: Best draft of all time: Seven players selected.Including... three quarterbacks. The 1983 cla s was the BEST in . (via ) NFL (@NFL) As for the league some 35 years later, you'll see how all its member clubs stack up below. As per usual, your thoughts are welcome. A few might end up in the "Power Rankings Show" on Wednesday. Send along ... is the welcoming committee. Let the di sension commence! For more in-depth analysis on the updated league pecking order, tune in to NFL Network on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET for a post-draft edition of the "NFL Power Rankings" show. Want to add YOUR voice? Provide your thoughts at the bottom of this page or tweet , and your comments could be featured on air. The arrows in the lineup below reflect changes from . Ah, who needs to lift a finger in the draft when you're sippin' wine and enjoying some brie? Or a greasy, dripping cheesesteak. Anyone seen Well, not only should the be enjoying their status as the reigning champs, but they didn't need to panic this past weekend. Thought it smart to and pick up extra picks, because they didn't have a second-rounder (well worth the lo s, considering it was partially responsible for bringing to Philadelphia) heading into the draft. General manager Howie Roseman used the second-rounder acquired in the Day 1 trade (No. 52 overall) to maneuver into the 49th overall spot where he nabbed TE -- whom Philly can team with -- one slot before that TE-needy team in Dallas could land him. Also value the pick of CB (Round 4, No. 125), who should help when it comes to replacing free-agent departure . Can't wait until Philadelphia plays No. 2 below Too high? No way. The did nothing but make their football team better this offseason. They fortified the defense, a group that steadily improved last season, with the additions of veterans , and -- since -- . Suh might not have dominated in Miami, but he was far from a bust. Putting him next to was like parking a 1978 Trans Am with gold trim next to the blue-and-white '69 GTO you've had sitting in your driveway earning Defensive Player of the Year honors. Trade acquisition doesn't exactly "replace" at receiver. Different players. Doesn't matter. This offense is gonna rake. Small drop for the , given the stellar offseason the have enjoyed, which included acquiring from New England. The Pats probably feel they'll be fine without Cooks, given the returns of and the seemingly forgotten . That said, much applause for Day 3 pick (No. 210), who could morph from sixth-round afterthought into someone who's catching a key third-and-6 later this year. The selection of RB (Round 1, No. 31) was almost enough to keep the at the second spot in the rankings, even with the lo ses of , and Cooks. Michel adds a dynamic element close to the ground in Foxborough. Ignore the tiny fall. The ' jump nudged the and Jags one spot down. Although it's surprising that more league observers aren't talking about Jacksonville eschewing quarterback until the tail end of the sixth round, when was selected (No. 203). Faith in is riding high, apparently -- which is fine, provided he can progre s off his performance in the playoffs (versus the and ... the Bills). Setting aside the question mark that is always brought up with these guys, the enjoyed what looks to be a fine draft haul. With DT (Round 1, No. 29) now on board, that Jacksonville defensive-line rotation will be able to mix it up with any O-line in the league. The top 10 is stacked with contenders, which should make 2018 darned fun -- and the are right in the mix. They helped themselves immensely by drafting out of Central Florida at No. 31 overall. Key to this draft is how (and how quickly) second-round pick (No. 62) pans out. The tackle, who used to be a tight end, must improve his strength enough to handle the Mike Danielses of the world. In mere-mortal-I-used-to-work-at-Circuit-City terms, that's like going from a Bowflex to benching 350 on the reg. Even if he's slow to develop, this team is ready to win it all now. It will be nice to see in uniform again this year. He's enjoyed a heckuva career, and How many corners can play until they're 39 years old? (He'll turn 40 in September.) That's around the time most of us are buying Mini Coopers because of our mini mid-life crises. It seemed a bit expensive to pay what the did (including a 2019 first-rounder) and draft from Texas-San Antonio. I'm sure Davenport is being asked annoying, persistent questions like, "What do you think of how much New Orleans gave up to go get you?" and "How does it make you feel?" and "How many times did you visit the Alamo?" You know, stuff like that. I didn't downgrade the ' cla s in even though New Orleans mortgaged draft capital to obtain Davenport, because I think GM Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton are making plays to win this year and the next, while is still upright. The only made themselves better in the draft, with a bit of good fortune landing at their feet. Not sure too many draftniks anticipated receiver falling to Atlanta at No. 26 overall. Maybe wideout wasn't the ' most major need -- or much of a need at all -- but he did fit the "BPA" model. How imposing does that attack look now, with at quarterback, running backs and , and , and Ridley outside? Yikes. **History:** Twenty years ago, the had Cris Carter and Jake Reed at wide receiver. Carter was on his way to a career. Reed was coming off *four straight 1,000-yard seasons*. So what did they do? They took a dynamic wideout who fell to them at 21. /content:power-ranking Small drop for the , with the trade of receiver . Save the nastygrams -- I am totally aware that Pittsburgh grabbed Oklahoma State wideout in the second round (No. 60 overall). That doesn't mean he'll be Bryant 2.0 this year. We'll see. That's one of the tougher positions at which to make the transition from college to pro football. Thought drafting Washington's quarterback at OSU was smart, but (Round 3, No. 76) won't nece sarily help the this year. It will be interesting to see if ... wait, wrong . It will be interesting to see if (Round 5, No. 148) gets the field as, e sentially, a nickel linebacker this year. Thought about sliding the up, as the drafting of two top-flight prospects at corner ( , Round 1, No. 18; and , Round 2, No. 45) instantly makes this team better. The i sue for Green Bay right now is whether the roster has enough pa s-catching talent to go against those CBs in practice. What's behind and the oft-banged up ? ? ... sort of? Another matter at hand is the pa s rush, where returns for Year 10 and, once again, teams with the on-again, off-again . Perry is like Season 3 of the original "Star Trek." One episode would be sweet, with a Romulan commander trying to seduce Spock; the next episode, Abraham Lincoln would make an appearance in space. No, really. You get the point. Loved the ' draft. While other team hauls were equal, Carolina's freshman cla s could contribute right away, whether we're talking about WR (Round 1, No. 24), CB (Round 3, No. 85) or TE (Round 4, No. 101). The latter could step in and play right away with . Pretty awesome to think about for . The instant help on offense is a shot of 5-hour Energy for a pa s attack that often lacked much starch in the collar. The hit a home run -- er, scored a goal on a corner kick -- with the selection in the first round. Who knows why that guy fell all the way to the 17th slot? Edge rusher (Round 2, No. 48) felt like a need pick as opposed to the BPA. But the Bolts were looking to tighten up their defense up the middle, which is precisely why they took DT in the third (No. 84). The drop here is indicative of Carolina's surge. The might be hosting a playoff game this season. The ' personnel department was probably playing "Magic: The Gathering" or "Duck Hunt" on Thursday, as this group didn't own a first-round pick (think they're still fine with or a second-rounder (they are happy Yet, Houston bra s managed to make as good a third-round selection as any team with safety (No. 68). He could start right away. Fellow third-round pick (No. 80) can play multiple spots on the offensive line, which means he can also contribute almost immediately. Houston should challenge Jacksonville's hold on the AFC South right out of the gate. Very quietly, the seemed to have garnered themselves even Deandre Baker Jersey if it was a bit on the smaller side (four picks). At least, that's the word on the street. They hit defense hard, picking up Alabama 'backer on Day 1 (No. 22), then Boston College edge rusher (Round 2, No. 41) on Day 2 and Arizona safety (Round 5, No. 152) on Day 3. I know a Dane. He's the first man I've ever known who wore Oakleys with the string thingie attached. Speaking of Oakleys, this Nashville team shouldn't just tough, like . Along with the , they should compete with the Jags for the AFC South. Ozzie Newsome's swan song running personnel for the franchise produced was the moneymaker, so to speak, but taking TE seven spots ahead of the dynamic quarterback alleviates a team need . Baltimore managed to draft talented players and fill needs without reaching throughout most of the draft, which is what all teams are aiming to do. If is the real deal at running back, the will be back in the playoffs. By the way, if you didn't see Baltimore's final pick of the 2018 , Some of the fervor over the has been reduced to a simmer over the last few weeks. Most of the draft analysts out on the Interwebs -- a group that, at last count, totaled either 17,386 or 17,387 -- did not feel that taking tackle ninth overall was the right move. is a huge concern, as he had been considered a cornerstone of this team's football future. In (Round 2, No. 44), the Niners are getting not only a speedy receiver, but a bargain, when you consider the return game. One can dream. **Side note:** I went to a ton of Texas Rangers games in 1991. Saw Nolan Ryan pitch. Watched Ruben Sierra jack a few from both sides of the plate. And I witne sed Pettis' dad, Gary, you thought no human being -- much le s any center fielder -- could get to. Pretty cool. /content:power-ranking (and yes, I am now going to rip off my own work, kind of like the band "Boston"), nobody cares about the ' pick, even when they're on the clock. It's really strange, man. Does anyone realize that Detroit is one of the oldest franchises in the league? The organization has won four championships, although it admittedly been a minute. Or, a million. Still, the have pieced together 18 wins over the last two years. Succe s on the field (in both the regular season and the playoffs) could ride on (Round 2, No. 43), who will become the latest Detroit tailback to try to turn around a woeful ground game. "Carry On Wayward Son" was a great Boston song. Wait, that just sounded like them. It was actually Kansas. Glad we covered that ground. The are a strange team to evaluate for 2018. Kansas City fortified many of its leaks in both free agency and the draft. With , , and now in town, the offense is more loaded than it was for most of 's run. The question mark is Smith's succe sor, , who, for all intents and purposes, is a redshirt freshman. Andy Reid and staff saw him every day in practice. They must think he's ready. The departure of ex-offensive coordinator Matt Nagy could hurt, though. The key to this draft: Whether DT (Round 2, No. 46) and NT (Round 3, No. 75) are worth to get them. Remember, the to snag Mahomes in last year's draft. Fourth-rounder (No. 124) might start at safety this year. Overshadowing what many deemed a subpar draft for Seattle was the selection of early in the fifth round (No. 141). The speedy Griffin learned how to be an impact player despite You could tell draft analysts didn't want to question whether that would hamper Griffin too much in the pro game. My brief and limited impre sion of the new Seahawk is that he Riley Dixon Jersey doesn't need anyone feeling sorry for him or tiptoeing around his circumstances. He was, after all, named American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Another pick I liked: Day 3 find (Round 5, No. 149), a punter out of Texas. With kickoffs nearly legislated out of the game, winning in the punting game becomes more important. Dickson was a smart choice. That's how the ma ses outside of Oakland -- though not the silver-and-black faithful -- felt about the ' draft. Odd that Oakland's best pick might have arrived in the fifth round. DT (No. 140) was evaluated as a first-round talent, but he's considered a "medical" If you've never had they attach a bunch of stickers to your body and watch your rhythms. It feels like something straight out of that scene in "The Empire Strikes Back" Also out of the future: OT (Round 1, No. 15) being the right pick, and not one pundits point to when Oakland goes 7-9 this season. Look, here's the deal: The took a lot of draft risks. Was of a self-imposed nine-year exile a risk? Isn't pro football itself a risk? Teams aren't building for eight years out. They are building to win over the next three. Gruden is filling his team with vets and high upside for that purpose. And here's the fun part: We'll all find out whether it works together. The ' slow lurch downward since in the Wild Card Round is not indicative of panic-worthy events. Rather, it's a reflection of how strong the team is right now. So, Mafia, if you loved the choice, don't get angry. Because that pick doesn't do much to help the team in Week 1 of the 2018 season. He has an uphill curve ahead of him, although there are plenty of people who enjoy exaggerating that curve. Allen should be accelerating it. is also a bit of an unknown, but he has flashed potential. (Round 1, No. 16) should get on the field rather quickly. By the way: That guy turned 20 on Wednesday. . I was driving a Mitsubishi Mighty Max with no power steering and working at Bank One at 20. (Yeah, that place is defunct.) The Bucs aren't going to be anybody's pushover this season. GM Jason Licht took the additional picks he received from trading with the (so Buffalo could get Josh Allen) to build a soft pillow for to land on. No, not by drafting offensive linemen. Rather, Licht augmented the support system elsewhere for a quarterback who too often has to do too much, namely by strengthening the defense and adding a running back. (Round 2, No. 38) should help immediately, especially since it's slightly easier to transition from college to the pros at that position. Licht and Co. hit the secondary hard with (Round 2, No. 53) and (Round 2, No. 63). (Round 1, No. 12) is ma sive in the middle. He's a tree stump. You can't pull him out of there with a Jeep winch. So if anyone ever tells you Allen is a bust, look at all these great plays he's gonna provide ... in Tampa Bay. All of the post-draft roar in Dallas right now is about whether the were caught off guard by tight end 's and heading for the booth, and Listening to local sports radio (which is always a tenuous undertaking), it seems that, even if second-round pick (No. 50) starts right away, fans in Big D wanted Thomas. Reportedly, Dallas' offer of a third-round pick -- -- which makes third-round pick 's (No. 81) rookie year at receiver more interesting. Most interesting: ' development in camp and preseason. around these parts. Uncle Rico. At least the won a at some point. The went all 1942-ish in this year's draft, attempting to a semble a stronghold against the run and create a running game. First-round pick (No. 13) was part of the former effort. was drafted in the second round (No. 59) to provide the latter. Ditto (Round 3, No. 74), an offensive lineman out of Louisville. Two rounds later, Washington took another defensive tackle ( , Round 5, No. 163). Then came Alabama linebacker (Round 6, No. 197). Makes sense, with , and the ' third-ranked running attack all in the NFC East. **Trivia:** Why was the ' championship win in 1942 so important to the members of that team? Hard to cheat on this one!) /content:power-ranking Spoke to a producer at NFL Network who is a Chicago sports honk. Usually, his takes are bad, like, and But I kind of agree with the opinion he gave me the other day: namely, that GM Ryan Pace and crew produced a fine draft haul. "For the first time in years, fans are jazzed after the draft." They should be. Pace hit the defense and pa sing game hard, especially trading up to acquire WR (Round Carl Banks Jersey 2, No. 51). That guy is going to work his tail off, and even if he's a WR3, he'll be the best third wide receiver Chicago has had since Bobby Engram or Tom Waddle. Big Blue could be back, sooner rather than later. In terms of winning right away, the As penned in on Saturday, the only i sue with their rookie cla s was pa sing up on a quarterback early. (Developmental QB was a Day 3 pick.) Which was le s an indication that will struggle and more a commentary that when teams hit on a quarterback early, they save immense salary-cap capital for years. It's like "Battleship" -- hit your opponent's PT boat on the first try, and you're dancing on his head for hours. Also consider that New York might not be in the position again to snag a promising pa ser so high for awhile. Still, with the talented group of rookies the grabbed, including with the second overall choice, many fans are suggesting that New York could go at least .500 if not contend for a playoff spot, especially in a division that is not so strong (minus the , of course). On another note: A gaggle of teams could've used G (Round 2, No. 34). Another team that enjoyed ... which also explains why the did not race up the rankings. Denver joined the and in putting together rookie cla ses that can bring about more succe s in 2018. DE (Round 1, No. 5) and WR (Round 2, No. 40) were great picks. What if RB (Round 3, No. 71) continues to improve from the injuries he had two years ago? My colleague Chad Reuter suggested as much in his piece for NFL.com a few days ago. Tell you what: If pans out, this group will be duking it out for the AFC West. Taking the right now. **Trivia:** The and have only made the playoffs during the same season three times, which is remarkable, given that they both fired up their respective franchises in 1960. The last two occasions were 2013 and 2004. Which year did the and first reach the postseason together, and who was Denver's quarterback that year? /content:power-ranking All the chatter about the ' draft weekend centered on (Round 1, No. 10) and, of course, his attitude. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, genuine frustration and petulance and, lastly, pa sing ability versus quarterbacking ability. Rosen is straddling that line in the public view, but if leadership is at the core of the last trait, then knowing you have to earn respect is surely part of it. Rosen had no reason to be ticked in the draft. That's ridiculous. Yet, if I were an owner or head coach, I would be glad my future franchise QB was that pi sed off. Some folks perform well angry, myself included. Now leave me alone. Similar to the , nobody seems to care or pay attention to what the do in the draft. Call it Marvin Lewis fatigue. Or always-bounced-in-the-first-round fatigue. Even if Cincy makes it to the postseason, no one has any confidence that the will accomplish anything once there, which translates into le s interest in their drafts every year. Of course, Cincinnati has stayed home from the playoffs over the last two Januarys, but that could change. Trade acquisition and rookie (Round 1, No. 21) should bolster the weak spot of the team -- the offensive line -- right away. The front seven got stronger with the addition of DE from Ohio State (Round 3, No. 77) and LB out of Texas (Round 3, No. 78). And my editor of these here Power Rankings, Gennaro Filice, told me on the cellular phone what a find RB (Round 4, No. 112) was/is. More than anything, Cincy needs the pa s-catching triumvirate of , and to stay healthy. Have you been injured in an accident? Call the offices of Green, Ro s and Eifert. They understand. They get hurt a lot, too. Darnoldmania. Now that we got that out of the way, how'd ya feel about the rest of the ' draft? Fantastic? Decent? Baggage claim? Fort Hays State doesn't exactly send multiple guys to the pros every year, but the fine university might have provided the with their next Jason Ferguson or, if they're really lucky, Joe Klecko in DT (Round 3, No. 72). should also reinforce Todd Bowles' defensive line. Here's the real question: Will the get a player in tight end (Round 4, No. 107)? Seriously, when's the last time this organization had a tight end who played up to his draft potential? They've busted here more times than Miranda Lambert's been busted cheating. (Sorry; she's just been in my news feed non-stop.) I'm gonna go with Mickey Shuler on the Evan Engram Jersey TE query. (Third round, 1978.) The start over with more questions than answers, but certainly much upside to the 2018 season. Back is QB , with a new tight end in second-round pick (No. 42). Listening to the NFL channel on Sirius XM Radio in the weeks leading up to the draft, I heard Gesicki's name every day. Will he fare better than Jordan Cameron and ? (Round 1, No. 11) should team with at some point to form a premier set of safeties. Following 's departure, the defense as a whole will have a new feel, especially with from the . might be 55, but he complements well. is now on board. Adam Gase's team has a bit of an uphill journey, but there is a solid nucleus, in theory, here. You're either on the train or not, it seems. Which is fine, but if you didn't like -- complete with giant cordle s phone, jorts and a pimp hat in the background -- you're not of this Earth. In case you mi sed it, Alonzo Highsmith (former Oilers RB Alonzo Highsmith) against all odds in a rare show of front-office clarity. CB (No. 4 overall) should start. Guard (Round 2, No. 33) can, too. Then there's former Georgia standout (Round 2, No. 35), who could relegate free-agent signee to the pine. Put another way: This is a whole new team with an infusion of energy. It's on Hue Jackson now. As for not moving the higher? They need to win. Trying to write about the without mentioning is nearly impo sible. See? Already failed. GM Chris Ballard and the personnel department deserve much credit for a job well done in Dallas. (Round 1, No. 6), by all accounts, was a home-run pick. He will play Day 1 at guard. OLB (Round 2, No. 36) was a double off the wall. He might be starting before the preseason is over. Not sure where guard (Round 2, No. 37) will play, as Indy is now situated at guard with the underrated and Nelson lining up there. But I like where the ' heads are at: Protect the man whose name will not be mentioned. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.