AFC Power Rankings: How does the conference shape up after the NFL trade deadline?

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone and there was definitely a flurry of moves this season. For years the NFL trade deadline was an afterthought as very few deals were ever made. However, in recent years the activity has picked way up.

The Kansas City Chiefs were one of the most active teams, acquiring wideout DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans and pass rusher Joshua Uche from the New England Patriots. However, they weren't the only AFC contender to make moves before the deadline. So now that the dust has settled, how is the AFC shaping up?

I pored over the moves made before the deadline, the current standings/records, point differentials, and the betting odds for each team making the playoffs to create a post-trade deadline AFC Power Rankings. I've broken the rankings into four tiers. We'll start with the bottom tier and work our way up.

Tier 4 (#12-16): There's always next year!

This tier is gross. Frankly, I had a hard time picking one of them that deserved to be as high as #12 in the AFC.

16. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are a dumpster fire. They are 2-7 on the season. They've allowed the 2nd most points in the AFC while scoring the 5th fewest points. They don't have an NFL-caliber quarterback on their roster, they traded away Davante Adams and just fired most of their offensive coaching staff midseason. Antonio Pierce went from a beloved interim coach to a guy who looks over his head in nine games. They looked poised for another complete overhaul after this season.

15. New England Patriots

It hasn't been a good season for the Patriots. They are also 2-7 on the season. They've scored the 2nd fewest points in the AFC while allowing the 6th most. There's also been some questions about how well head coach Jerod Mayo is connecting with his team. The main reason the Patriots beat out the Raiders and avoided the bottom spot is that they have a rookie quarterback in Drake Maye who has shown enough flashes thus far to give the team some hope to build around. There is just a lot that still needs to be built.

14. Tennessee Titans

The Titans have a better overall roster than either the Raiders or the Patriots, but they are barely beating them out in these rankings because of how bad the quarterback play is. It doesn't really matter if they play Will Levis or Mason Rudolph, neither one is going to give them a high enough floor to be taken seriously. The fact that they were willing to trade away DeAndre Hopkins for minimal return is a sign they know this to be true as well.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars

I'm still ranking the Jaguars ahead of the previous three teams despite their 2-7 record because I like their overall talent best, but they are dangerously close to things imploding and giving the Raiders a real challenge for the bottom spot on this list. Trevor Lawrence is questionable this week with an injury and if the Jaguars decide to just shut him down because they're out of contention AND the team finally quits on Doug Pederson this could get really ugly, really fast.

12. Cleveland Browns

I don't love ranking the 2-7 Browns ahead of four other AFC teams, but somebody had to have this spot. If Deshaun Watson was still at quarterback they would probably be two spots lower on this list. At least Jameis Winston makes their offense interesting. They still have enough defensive talent that on days where Winston plays well this team can be dangerous, but it's too little, too late at this point.

Tier 3 (#8-11): Fighting to prove they're worthy of the playoffs

11. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts actually have a better win/loss record than some of the other teams in this tier, but I just don't see it happening for this team. They benched Anthony Richardson because they picked competing for the playoffs over developing their franchise quarterback and then proceeded to look absolutely awful on offense last week with Joe Flacco at the helm. You mix in a very predictable Gus Bradley defense and you have a team that is going to struggle to stay in the playoff hunt.

10. Miami Dolphins

Colts fans will probably be livid that I have the 2-6 Dolphins ahead of the Colts in these rankings, but at least the Dolphins have the potential to get hot and go on a run with all the weapons they still have on offense. If Tua stays healthy and they start to get in some offensive rhythm they have a much higher upside than the Joe Flacco-led Colts. I still don't think this team likely makes the playoffs, but I still believe their best-case scenario is better than Indy.

9. New York Jets

You can pretty much repeat a lot of what I just wrote about the Dolphins here for the Jets. The main difference is that Miami has one less win, but a better excuse considering they were without their QB for several weeks. The Jets have just been a hot mess with their players healthy. The talent is still there that they could squeak into the playoffs, especially if Aaron Rodgers can really take advantage of having both Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson. I like their defense better than Miami too, but I still think they are on the outside looking in.

8. Denver Broncos

The Broncos currently have a winning record (and 2-3 more wins than the first 3 teams in this tier). That's enough to put them ahead of those teams in these AFC power rankings. But their lack of offensive weapons and a rookie quarterback have them just outside my likely playoff teams. Their defense will keep them in the running, but I like all the teams in the top two tiers much better than the Broncos.

Tier 2 (#4-7): Likely Playoff Teams

7. Cincinnati Bengals

Some may want to call the Bengals finished after their last-second loss to the Ravens on Thursday night dropped their record to 4-6. However, the Bengals are clearly more dangerous than any of the teams in tier 3. The Broncos and Colts may be ahead of them record-wise, but I will still pick them over those two. Joe Burrow has been on an absolute tear lately, having thrown 9 touchdowns in the last two games. Their next two games are against the Chargers and the Steelers so they are entering a must-win couple of games, but I'm still picking the Bengals to make it.

6. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers might be the most under-the-radar playoff contender on this list. They're 5-3 and just starting to play their best football. Despite expectations that Jim Harbaugh would turn them into a run-heavy team, Justin Herbert is starting to heat up and their passing game is looking better. Then mix in a solid defense allowing the fewest points per game in the NFL. They may be under the radar a little, but I wouldn't be surprised if they climb a few spots higher in these rankings by the end of the season.

5. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans entered the 2024 season as one of the most trendy picks in the AFC after their breakout season last year with then-rookie C.J. Stroud at quarterback. Houston has been solid this season, but they still look a little short of the top four teams in these rankings. The Texans own a win over the Bills on their resume, but they've lost their other tough games to the Jets, Packers, and Vikings. They'll still be a playoff team, but injuries at wide receiver and inconsistent play will probably keep them just shy of the true Super Bowl contenders.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are the best team in this tier but fall just short of the elite in the AFC. I'm as confident in the Steelers making the playoffs as any team on this list not named the Kansas City Chiefs, but unlike the other sure-fire playoff teams, I don't think they have Super Bowl upside. Maybe the additions of wide receiver Mike Williams and pass rusher Preston Smith will help, but at the end of the day, I don't trust Russell Wilson to go head-to-head with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen in the AFC postseason.

Tier #1 (#1-3): The Elite Super Bowl Contenders

3. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens escaped a close one on Thursday night against the Bengals to move to 7-3 on the season. Their offense is scary with Lamar Jackson playing as well as he has this season and the addition of Derrick Henry. Their pass defense has major issues, however, and it's the reason they have lost three more games than the Chiefs.

Still, with Lamar Jackson the likely MVP (again) this season, they are clearly one of the AFC's top teams. Some even have them at #1, but anyone putting them that high is overlooking their flaws and the games in which those flaws cost them. Their trade deadline additions of Diontae Johnson and Tre'Davious White carry a lot more name recognition than on-the-field results right now, but it's not out of the question that the added depth could be valuable at some point.

2. Buffalo Bills

The Bills get this number two spot more by default than a strong belief that they're the second-best team in the AFC. They have an elite QB in Josh Allen and their only two losses are to other teams in the top five of these AFC power rankings. Yes, one of those losses was a head-to-head beating at the hands of the Ravens, but their overall resume is still better than the Ravens, and while their offense isn't as high-powered, their defense has been much better than Baltimore's this season. If their addition of Amari Cooper starts to pay off, they could be really hard to beat in the postseason.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

There simply isn't a single team that can make a credible claim to this top spot in the AFC over the Chiefs. They are the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions, the only undefeated team in the NFL, and have at least a two-game lead over every other team in the AFC. The additions of DeAndre Hopkins and Joshua Uche only strengthen their hold on the conference.

So what do you think? Do you agree with these power rankings? Are there any teams you think are overrated in these rankings? What about teams that are being overlooked? I'd love to read your thoughts in the comments below.