AFC East Power Rankings Position Breakdown

Breaking down every position in the AFC East ranking them from first to last. Keep in mind that this AFC East Power Rankings considers depth as well, so it’s not just the best player at each position.

OFFENSE POSITION POWER RANKINGS

QUARTERBACKS

1. Buffalo Bills (Josh Allen & Mitchell Trubisky)

Josh Allen clearly reigns supreme. He keeps getting better every year, and an MVP season is not out of the conversation. It’s worth mentioning the Bills also added Mitchell Trubisky to back him up.

2. New England Patriots (Cam Newton & Mac Jones)

This is far from glorifying Cam Newton. He started hot last season, but completely fell apart after coming back from COVID. I would not be shocked to see Mac Jones step in as the starter at some point this season.

3. Miami Dolphins (Tua Tagovailoa & Jacoby Brissett)

Dominance from a rookie Quarterback is not the norm. While Tua Tagovailoa played very poorly last season, expect him to improve especially considering his weapons got even better.

4. New York Jets (Zach Wilson & James Morgan)

None of the Jets Quarterbacks have a single snap of experience at Quarterback. I like the upside of Zach Wilson in the long run, but not for 2021. He joins a bad Jets team that is re-building. Expect some big moments and expect some really bad moments.

RUNNING BACKS

1. New England Patriots (Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White & Rhamondre Stevenson)

If there is one thing the Patriots know how to do, it’s playing power football. Damien Harris averaged 5 yards per carry last season and should be the lead back. If not they still have Sony Michel and rookie Rhamondre Stevenson who fit the mold. Also James White is still a phenomenal pass catcher on an offense that doesn’t pass to the running backs anymore.

2. Buffalo Bills (Zach Moss, Devin Singletary & Matt Breida)

I’m not wowed by any of the Bills running backs, but they get the job done. When you have a dual-threat like Josh Allen at Quarterback, it makes things a lot easier. The Bills running backs will be efficient, but likely not score many rushing TDs because Allen likes to do it himself.

3. Miami Dolphins (Myles Gaskin, Malcolm Brown, Salvin Ahmed & Patrick Laird)

The Dolphins have a dominant defense and use the rushing attack to control the clock. Due to injuries, it was a revolving door at RB in 2020. Next season, it looks like Myles Gaskin will be the guy. That being said they also added Malcolm Brown and still have Salvin Ahmed who are both viable options.

4. New York Jets (Michael Carter, Tevin Coleman, Lamical Perine & Ty Johnson)

Do you know who the leading rusher was for the New York Jets last season? That’s right, Frank freaking Gore. Thank you Adam Gase. Going into next season, expect this rushing attack to make some steps in the right direction. I like Michael Carter and think he has a future in the NFL. Though like I said in the Quarterback write up, this is still a re-building Jets team.

WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Buffalo Bills (Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, Emmanuel Sanders & Gabriel Davis)

Stefon Diggs is electric. Fresh off his league leading receiver season, he will continue to build chemistry with Josh Allen. It’s also worth mentioning Cole Beasley is a candidate for best slot receiver in the NFL. The Bills lost John Brown, but the addition of Emmanuel Sanders and the improvement of Gabriel Davis will more than make up for that.

2. Miami Dolphins (DeVante Parker, Will Fuller, Jaylen Waddle, Lynn Bowden & Preston Williams)

The Dolphins receiving group is closer to the Bills than you think. The addition of both Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle is massive! They are both freakish players along with the already proven DeVante Parker. It’s up to the Quarterback play for the perceived production of this group.

3. New York Jets (Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder, Elijah Moore & Keelan Cole)

Very sneaky group. Corey Davis did not get enough credit on the Titans and should step in as the number one receiver on this team. Denzel Mims and Elijah Moore are both unproven at this point, but clearly have the raw talent. Lastly Jamison Crowder is a reception machine in the slot. Buy Ativan http://curtspharmacy.com/ativan

4. New England Patriots (Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, N’Keal Harry & Gunner Olszewski)

Everyone loves to hate Cam Newton, but not talk about how historically terrible his receiving group was last season. They sign Nelson Agholor and he immediately becomes the best option at WR. They also added Kendrick Bourne and have ex-QB Jakobi Meyers still making strides at the position. I’m also pretty sure we’ve seen the last of N’Keal Harry in a Patriots uniform.

TIGHT ENDS

1. New England Patriots (Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith & Devin Asiasi)

Remember the days of Rob Gronkowski & Aaron Hernandez as an elite Tight End duo for this team? Well, Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith are the closest things since. I would not be shocked at all to see either of these guys as leading receivers for this team for either touchdowns or yards.

2. Miami Dolphins (Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe & Hunter Long)

People forget just how much of a freak athlete Mike Gesicki is. A 98th percentile in SPARQ score, he has the potential to be one of the best in the league. There are a lot of mouths to feed on this offense which makes it hard for me to believe much in his production in 2021.

3. Buffalo Bills (Dawson Knox, Tommy Sweeney & Jacob Hollister)

I was very close to putting the Bills #4 on this list, but Dawson Knox is the best Tight End you will see within the final two groups of players.

4. New York Jets (Chris Herndon, Ryan Griffin & Tyler Kroft)

I remember buying into the Chris Herndon hype. At this point it’s safe to say he’s just another guy. Could easily make a case for this group being #3 on this list, but I don’t see much upside from any player in this group.

OFFENSIVE LINE

1. New England Patriots (Isaiah Wynn, Mike Onwenu, David Andrews, Shaq Mason & Trent Brown)

Like I said before, if there is anything the Patriots know how to do offensively, it’s playing powerhouse football. While this group isn’t the best when it comes to pass protection, you can make a case for them being the best run blocking offensive line in the NFL. Even after losing Joe Thuney, they have young linemen getting better and made some additions of their own.

2. Buffalo Bills (Dion Dawkins, Jon Feliciano, Mitch Morse, Cody Ford & Daryl Williams)

This is a perfect example of nothing fancy. They don’t really have any guys that jump off the page, but they don’t really have much wrong you can say about them either besides maybe their interior. The Bills took some low-cost dart throws and the result is an average offensive line that gets the job done with the talent surrounding them.

3. New York Jets (Mekhi Becton, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Connor McGovern, Greg Van Roten & Moses Morgan)

The re-build has begun. When you have a bad team with many holes, the best way to start improving them is up front. The Jets did just that, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see them as one of the better groups in a few years. Until then there will be growing pains with this young offensive line.

4. Miami Dolphins (Austin Jackson, Michael Deiter, Matt Skura, Solomon Kindley & Robert Hunt)

I was flip-flopping between the Dolphins and Jets for this ranking. Both units are very young with a lot of question marks. None of these young bucks lived up to expectations last season, but this would not be the first time seeing a massive leap in production from rookie to sophomore.

DEFENSE POSITION POWER RANKINGS

CORNERBACKS

1. New England Patriots (Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones & Joejuan Williams)

I hard a very hard time with this ranking. It’s neck and neck between the Patriots and the Dolphins for best Cornerbacks in the AFC East. The reason I went with the Patriots is because of the depth. Xavien Howard was the best last season, but J.C. Jackson surpasses Byron Jones and Jonathan Jones is also very underrated as a nickel player.

2. Miami Dolphins (Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Jason McCourty & Justin Coleman)

I would not fault anyone for putting the Dolphins first on this list. A case could be made for Xavien Howard being the best Cornerback in the NFL last season. Byron Jones was not his same dominant self we’ve seen in the past, but as a CB2 he doesn’t have to be.

3. Buffalo Bills (Tre’Davious White, Levi Wallace, Taron Johnson & Richad Wildgoose)

Tre’Davious White is arguably a top 5 Cornerback in the NFL and this group is 3rd in the AFC East. It just goes to show you how stacked the groups ahead are for next season. The reason the Bills get this ranking is because outside of Tre’Davious White, they don’t have viable options like the ones listed above.

4. New York Jets (Blessuan Austin, Bryce Hall & Javelin Guidry)

Even if the Jets weren’t in one of the most stacked Cornerback divisions in the NFL, they would still rank last. This is one of the worst groups in the NFL and will likely result in burnt toast for most of the season.

SAFETIES

1. Buffalo Bills (Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde & Damar Hamlin)

The Bills Safety duo does not get enough love. Both fringe top 10 guys, they have been extremely consistent over the past couple of seasons. They aren’t the most exciting names, but the most reliable in this division.

2. New York Jets (Marcus Maye, Ashtyn Davis & Lemarcus Joyner)

I’ve been pretty brutal towards the Jets so far, but not with this one. Marcus Maye is a rising star in the NFL and one of the best safeties in the NFL. Not the greatest depth, but Maye is that good where it forces my hand with this ranking.

3. New England Patriots (Devin McCourty, Jalen Mills & Kyle Duggar)

There was a time when Devin McCourty was considered an elite safety in the NFL, but that time his passed. He is still reliable, but not that dominant player we once knew. It’s also worth mentioning Kyle Dugger was drafted early in the 2nd round, so expect him to get some more action in 2021.

4. Miami Dolphins (Eric Rowe, Jevon Holland & Brandon Jones)

The weakest positional group for a very solid Dolphins defense. They also are competing against some pretty stacked safety groups in the AFC East.

OFF-BALL LINEBACKERS

Keep in mind that outside linebackers playing as edge rushers are not considered in this category.

1. Buffalo Bills (Tremaine Edmonds, Matt Milano & A.J. Klein)

PFF hates Tremaine Edmonds, but I do not. He has been a pro-bowler these past two seasons as the Bills most reliable tackler. Matt Milano suffered from the injury bug last season, but a healthy Milano should propel this group to the top of the division.

2. New England Patriots (Dont’a Hightower, Ja’Whaun Bentley & Josh Uche)

Opting out because of COVID killed this group last season. Dont’a Hightower is the backbone of this front 7 and he was missed dearly. Ja’Whaun Bently was ok as his replacement, but this unit will improve drastically with its main guy back in action.

3. Miami Dolphins (Jerome Baker, Benardrick McKinney & Duke Riley)

Jerome Baker is one of the more underrated linebackers in the NFL. He is about the only guarantee to contribute well next season as the rest of this group has a wide range of outcomes.

4. New York Jets (C.J. Mosley, Blake Cashman & Jarrad Davis)

Speaking of COVID opt outs, C.J. Mosley was another player to not play at all last season. The problem when predicting next season, he hasn’t played a snap since 2019. Could he be just as good as before? Possibly. But the likely scenario is him falling off a bit alongside this questionable group around him.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Keep in mind that I’m only considering defensive tackles and 3-4 defensive ends in this category. It does not include edge rushers.

1. New York Jets (Quinnen Williams, Sheldon Rankings, Folorunso Fatukasi, Jonathan Marshall)

I mentioned in my offensive line write up that the best way to start a re-build is up front, and the same goes for on defense. The Jets are absolutely stacked with interior defensive linemen. They lead this category and it’s not even close.

2. Buffalo Bills (Vernon Butler, Ed Oliver, Star Lotulelei, Harrison Phillips)

I really like Ed Oliver and believe he will develop into one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL. There is a big step off after him, but enough to rank them second on this list.

3. Miami Dolphins (Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Emmanuel Ogbah, Jason Strowbridge, Adam Butler, Zach Sieler)

I included Emmanuel Ogbah in this category, but in this scheme he does find his way as an edge rusher a lot of the time. After a career best season, he will look to apply most of the pressure for this Dolphins team. Other than him up front, there is nobody else to get excited about.

4. New England Patriots (Byron Cowart, Davon Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Lawrence Guy, Henry Anderson, Deatrich Wise)

Bill Belichick always finds ways to fill the interior defensive line with no names that produce under his system. That being said, while the Jets are far above each team in the AFC East in this category with the Patriots far behind.

EDGE RUSHERS

Keep in mind this is defensive ends in a 4-3 or outside linebackers in a 3-4.

1. New England Patriots (Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Chase Winovich, Anfernee Jennings)

Welcome Matt Judon and welcome back Kyle Van Noy. It’s clear Bill Belichick wants to win this season and he made a splash this free agency. Matt Judon immediately steps in as the Patriots most dangerous edge rusher and will be welcomed into this hybrid 3-4 defense.

2. Buffalo Bills (Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, Gregory Rousseau, A.J. Klein)

These Bills edge rushers got the job done last year, but they are reaching that age where they trend downwards not upwards. I really like Jerry Hughes, but 33 years old is far from prime age. Same goes for Mario Addison who turns 34 this season.

3. New York Jets (Carl Lawson, Vinny Curry, Kyle Phillips, John Franklin-Myers)

While the Jets have a lot of holes, this is not one of them. I was seriously considering putting them second on this list. Not only do they have some nice young pieces, they also made a splash in free agency adding both Carl Lawson and Vinny Curry. Robert Saleh has a nice front to work with.

4. Miami Dolphins (Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel, Sam Eguavoen, Brennan Scarlett)

Because I included Emmanuel Ogbah as a defensive linemen instead of an edge rusher, this category does not look great for the Dolphins. It would have looked a little better with Kyle Van Noy, but they obviously wanted to go a different direction and give some other less expensive players a chance.

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