NFL power rankings updated after Myles Garrett, A.J. Brown trades

It isn’t often that we feel the need to issue new power rankings in June. Normally, it’s a slow time in the NFL calendar where everyone is waiting for training camp to open and focusing on other things — but two cataclysmic trades on Monday shook everything up.

The big one is Myles Garrett heading to the Rams. It’s almost impossible to overstate how huge this is going to be for Los Angeles. The reigning NFL DPOY, who has been terrorizing teams and thriving despite lacking organizational support now goes to one of the most successful, established teams in the league. Garrett is going to wreak havoc, so the Rams move up.

Later in the day the long-rumored A.J. Brown to the Patriots deal finally got done. It gives Drake Maye the breakout deep-threat receiver the team has been desperate for, and will help the Pats take another step forward. Naturally they move up too.

Here are our latest power rankings after not just the trades that occurred on June 1, but deals which have taken place in the last month or so.

Tanking for No. 1, or bust

The biggest move here is that Cleveland joins the other three teams in the tanking column. There’s no doubt they are a more complete football team than the Cardinals, Jets, or Dolphins — but without Myles Garrett they lose a lot of defensive force and still have a quagmire at quarterback. This is definitely a team hoping to land a high pick and find the franchise quarterback they’ve been desperate for.

32. Arizona Cardinals

31. New York Jets

30. Miami Dolphins

29. Cleveland Browns

Chance of making the playoffs

We all know the old adage: On any given Sunday, right?

The teams in this tier range from those that made the playoffs two seasons ago and were tormented by injuries last year, like the Washington Commanders, to teams like the New York Giants, that could be on the verge of a turnaround.

Another bit of movement? We bumped the Pittsburgh Steelers up a few spots. Yes, Aaron Rodgers will help a little. He might not be enough at this point to move them up to the next tier, but having a veteran QB back on the roster — and Myles Garrett out of the division — is a good combination for the Steelers.

28. Atlanta Falcons

27. Las Vegas Raiders

26. Tennessee Titans

25. Minnesota Vikings

24. New Orleans Saints

23. Indianapolis Colts

22. New York Giants

21. Washington Commanders

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

19. Cincinnati Bengals

18. Dallas Cowboys

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Playoff Favorites

How much did the A.J. Brown trade move the needle for us?

It slid the New England Patriots up a few spots, but did not pull them out of this tier and into the list of Super Bowl Contenders.

In the previous installment of these rankings, the Patriots clocked in at No. 11. But the acquisition of Brown, which gives quarterback Drake Maye a ball-winner both over the middle and in the vertical passing game, certainly gives the Patriots a boost.

16. Carolina Panthers

15. Green Bay Packers

14. Detroit Lions

13. Kansas City Chiefs

12. Jacksonville Jaguars

11. Baltimore Ravens

10. Chicago Bears

9. New England Patriots

8. Houston Texans

Super Bowl Contenders

The Los Angeles Rams did not have too far to climb in these rankings, given where they were just a few weeks ago. We already had the Rams No. 2 in our post-draft power rankings.

But the trade for Myles Garrett moved them as high as possible.

When you acquire a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, you get better. And after slotting in at No. 2 in the post-NFL Draft power rankings, the Rams are now in the top spot, dropping their NFC West rivals down to No. 2.

Of course, the games are won on the field in the fall, now in the power rankings in June.

7. Los Angeles Chargers

6. San Francisco 49ers

5. Philadelphia Eagles

4. Denver Broncos

3. Buffalo Bills

2. Seattle Seahawks

1. Los Angeles Rams