With the initial wave of free agency and the NFL Draft come and past, several teams have positioned themselves for success in the 2018 season.
And while many of a club's moves throughout the offseason will have no real merit until Week 1 of the regular season, that doesn't stop sports analysts from beginning to speculate about their outlooks.
With that in mind, below is a roundup of the first wave of Post-Draft NFL Power Rankings for 2018:
Previous Ranking: No. 6
Change: + 4
"Too high? No way. The Rams 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 Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and -- since we last completed this exercise -- Ndamukong Suh. Suh might not have dominated in Miami, but he was far from a bust. Putting him next to Aaron Donald 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 Brandin Cooks doesn't exactly "replace" Sammy Watkins at receiver. Different players. Doesn't matter. This offense is gonna rake."
**Bleacher Report****: No. 2
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Previous Ranking: No. 4
Change: + 2
"The Los Angeles Rams had the best free-agency period of anyone in football. They added Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh. Those guys join a roster that was already one of the best in football—I could probably stop my analysis there.
Don't be surprised if Jared Goff takes another positive step in Year 3, though. L.A. had an incredibly dangerous offense with him and Todd Gurley at the center of it. The Rams added offensive-line depth in the draft—in the form of tackle Joseph Noteboom and center Brian Allen—and with Cooks replacing Sammy Watkins, that offense could be even better.
With guys like Suh, Talib and Peters joining the defense, it's hard to envision the Rams not being better on that side of the ball, too. No one should be surprised if L.A. is playing in the NFL title game next January."
**FanSided**: No.1
Previous Ranking: No. 7
Change: + 6
"The Los Angeles Rams spent their offseason efforts putting together the No. 1 team in our NFL power rankings via trades and free agency. Not the NFL Draft, which is why they didn't hold a selection until Round 3.
It's a win-now approach, and all signs point to L.A. trying to do just that. Standout defenders like Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib as well as wide receiver Brandin Cooks should only serve to improve what was an 11-5 team under first-year head coach Sean McVay a year ago.
Of course, it could all blow up in the Rams' faces. But not likely."
