Eagles command serious respect in new NFL power rankings

Football. Is. Back.

Well, basically. The NFL's preseason kicks off in earnest this week, including the Eagles taking on the Jets at the Linc on Aug. 12.

And the return of live game action also means the return of the best/worst content out there: power rankings! It's time to get mad about opinions, baby.

RELATED: A.J. Brown and the art of stacking YAC

It feels like the Eagles are experiencing some serious buzz locally, and about a month ago they had a decent amount of national buzz going as well. Did that stick? Are folks still high on Howie's big offseason?

Let's scour seven different national outlets to find out what they're saying about the Birds ahead of Friday's preseason debut:

NFL.com

This week: 15

Last week: N/A

"This just in: A.J. Brown is a certified Dude. Well, we already knew that after a sustained run of excellence in Nashville, but it still must give Eagles fans a warm-and-fuzzy feeling to read the camp dispatches that describe Brown as the unquestioned focal point of the passing attack. Brown will command heavy attention every week, which is great news for DeVonta Smith as he looks to take his game to another level in Year 2. Philadelphia's offense has strong breakout potential in 2022, and the presence of a legit star at WR1 is a huge reason why."

USA Today

This week: 10

Last week: N/A

"Philadelphia was one of the offseason’s most active teams. Jalen Hurts is surrounded by talent. If he can level up his passing game, Philly has the chops to upend Dallas’ NFC East title defense."

ESPN

This week: 16

Last week: N/A

"The Eagles not only declined to draft a quarterback with either of their two first-round picks but traded a first-rounder to the Titans for receiver A.J. Brown, who is one of Hurts' best friends. He is also among the top receivers in the game. Hurts is entering a critical year in his career as he tries to prove he is the long-term answer at quarterback. With a solid offensive line and a group of playmakers that includes Brown, DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert, Hurts will be able to put his best foot forward."

Sports Illustrated

This week: 15

Last week: N/A

"The Eagles are entering the safest kind of prove-it year for their quarterback. Jalen Hurts enters Year 3 with a top-seven group of weapons and a powerful, veteran offensive line to keep him upright. The defense could be among the best in the NFC, with interior line pressure rivaling that of any team in the league. While the Cowboys remain somewhat stagnant, the Eagles are surging their way toward a divisional takeover."

Pro Football Focus

This week: 13

Last week: N/A

"I’m not sure any franchise had a better offseason than the Eagles when all is considered. Trading for A.J. Brown gives them the No. 1 receiver they have been searching for, and it also allows DeVonta Smith to concentrate on doing what he does well as the No. 2. Adding Haason Reddick and Jordan Davis reinforces a defensive front that was eroding from its peak, and grabbing James Bradberry late in the day is a really shrewd signing that could make a real difference. Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean could also prove to be one of the biggest steals of the draft if he’s the same player in the NFL that he was in college."

Walter Football

This week: 8

Last week: N/A

"The Eagles' No. 14 ranking was made prior to the James Bradberry trade. Philadelphia may have the best tandem of cornerbacks in the NFL, while Brandon Graham will be back from injury. The Eagles are a legitimate dark-horse Super Bowl contender."

Sporting News

This week: 13

Last week: N/A

"The Eagles were a pleasant playoff surprise last season on the strength of their Jalen Hurts-fronted run-heavy offense and good all-around play from the defense. Philadelphia had the nuts and bolts for steady results under Nick Sirianni; now it's added flashy playmakers on both sides of the ball, highlighted by A.J. Brown. Watch out for them stealing the NFC East from the Cowboys."

That's a pretty strong crop of rankings right there. Not a single outlet ranked the Birds in the bottom half of the league (which should be a given after their strong offseason, but you never know) and they garnered two Top 10 votes of confidence. Solid!

I feel like ESPN's No. 16 and NFL.com's No. 15 rankings will look silly in retrospect. This a very obvious playoff team. The Eagles slotting behind the Patriots (?!) in ESPN's rankings and the Saints (?!) in NFL.com's rankings are both obviously wrong.

But getting a "legitimate dark-horse Super Bowl contender" shoutout and three mentions of an NFC East title is good stuff, and shows Nick Sirianni's team is entering this year with much higher regard around the league than last season.

To wit: the average ranking here (12.86) is higher than any average ranking they reached last year. The highest they got during the 2021 season was 13.71 after Week 17, as they were heading into the postseason as the obvious 14th-best team in the 14-team playoff field.

We'll see if things change after preseason games are played.

I'll be tracking the Eagles' average power rankings across these seven outlets all season long at the bottom of these posts.

Season-long tracker

Pre-Preseason: 12.86