Updated NFL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus coaches and players who’ve been a pleasant surprise

Welcome to Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season. After this past weekend, we have a shuffle in the top 10 of this week’s Power Rankings. The San Francisco 49ers outdueled the Philadelphia Eagles in a matchup that left no questions of who should be No. 1 in this week’s ranks. The Kansas City Chiefs struggled against the Green Bay Packers, and the Cleveland Browns were overpowered by the Los Angeles Rams. Also, one team no one could have expected at season’s beginning has debuted in the top 10.

In addition to the updated rankings, our NFL Nation reporters name one player or coach who has been a pleasant surprise for each team. These players/coaches have exceeded preseason expectations or have stepped up into their roles in a big way.

Let’s get started with our new No. 1 — the 49ers.

Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

Week 13 ranking: 2

Pleasant surprise: QB Brock Purdy

For anyone who watched Purdy last year, it’s not surprising that he has had a productive year. This is more about the extent of that production and that it has come so soon after he suffered a torn UCL in his right elbow in late January. Through 12 games, Purdy leads the NFL in QBR (75.6), completion percentage (70.2%) and yards per attempt (9.6), among other key categories. Purdy hasn’t just picked up where he left off, he has been better and helped elevate the Niners’ offense to heights it hasn’t previously reached since coach Kyle Shanahan arrived in 2017. — Nick Wagoner

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Week 13 ranking: 1

Pleasant surprise: ST coach Michael Clay

The Eagles’ special teams group turned from a weakness in 2022 to a strength this season. Philadelphia entered Week 13 with the No. 1 special teams ranking in the NFL, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. Britain Covey is third in punt return average (14 yards per return), Jake Elliott is 6-of-7 on field goal attempts of 50-plus yards, and the coverage units have been sound. — Tim McManus

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Week 13 ranking: 6

Pleasant surprise: OL Austin Jackson

Jackson flashed potential in 2022, but he wasn’t on the field long enough to see it come to fruition. After playing two games last season, Jackson has not missed a snap for the Dolphins in 2023 and has anchored quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s blind side. Miami declined Jackson’s fifth-year option as a 2020 first-round pick, instead asking him to prove himself after an inconsistent start to his NFL career. He has done that so far in 2023, and he very well could be back with the team next year on a multiyear contract. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

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Week 13 ranking: 3

Pleasant surprise: DT Justin Madubuike

Madubuike has gone from being a very good player to an All-Pro. He has dominated the interior of the line, becoming the first Ravens player since Terrell Suggs in 2017 to record double-digit sacks in a season with 10 so far. A third-round pick in 2020, Madubuike had 8.5 sacks in his first three seasons combined (42 games). This year, a contract year, he has recorded at least a half-sack in nine straight games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL. “He’s walked in this year with just mission-minded [focus] from the beginning,” Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver said. “I’m talking about in March, and to see it all come to fruition has been awesome.” — Jamison Hensley

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Week 13 ranking: 5

Pleasant surprise: CB DaRon Bland

Who else could it be? Bland leads the NFL with eight interceptions, and his five pick-sixes are a single-season NFL record. All this while filling in for Pro Bowl CB Trevon Diggs, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee in a Week 3 practice. The Cowboys thought they would be OK with Bland, who had five picks last year to lead the team, but they couldn’t have expected he would do this. In his past two games, he has given up a lot of catches and yards, so maybe he is hitting a wall or just learning what life is like for a regular cornerback. — Todd Archer

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Week 13 ranking: 7

Pleasant surprise: TE Sam LaPorta

There were obviously expectations for the Lions rookie after being selected in the second round (34th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft out of Iowa, but LaPorta has been better than advertised. Last season, Lions GM Brad Holmes made an unpopular decision to trade Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Vikings and decided to go with a committee approach at the position. But this season, LaPorta has been the guy. His NFL career is off to a great start with the third-most catches (64) and fourth-most receiving yards (679) through the first 12 games of a tight end’s career in NFL history. Not many people expected this type of production from day one. — Eric Woodyard

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Week 13 ranking: 4

Pleasant surprise: WR Rashee Rice

Rice, the Chiefs’ 2023 second-round draft pick, has been the team’s best wide receiver so far this season. He leads the Chiefs’ wideouts by significant margins in catches (52), yards (591) and touchdowns (five). The Chiefs entered the season thinking Rice would be more of a developmental player, but with many of their other wide receivers being unproductive, they had to speed up his developmental schedule, and he has delivered. — Adam Teicher

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Week 13 ranking: 8

Pleasant surprise: LB Josh Allen

Allen is having a career year (13.5 sacks) and has a chance to break the franchise’s single-season sack record (14.5 set in 2017 by Calais Campbell). Allen had 10.5 sacks as a rookie in 2019 but hasn’t had more than 7.5 in a season since. He is in a contract year, but nobody expected him to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. — Michael DiRocco

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Week 13 ranking: 10

Pleasant surprise: LB Terrel Bernard

The Bills entered the season with an unknown at middle linebacker following the departure of five-year starter Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, but Bernard has more than stepped up to the plate. The 2022 third-round pick is now the Bills’ middle linebacker for the foreseeable future. Bernard, 24, has risen to the occasion without Matt Milano alongside him, and he leads the team in tackles (104), interceptions (three) and fumbles recovered (three). — Alaina Getzenberg

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Week 13 ranking: 12

Pleasant surprise: WR Nico Collins

The emergence of Collins has been as much of a pleasant surprise as the play of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Collins has been Stroud’s No. 1 receiver with 85 targets and 59 receptions, and he ranks ninth in the NFL in receiving yards (991). Before the season, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said their receiving core would surprise some people, and Collins has answered that call. In Week 13, Collins had 191 yards against the Denver Broncos, the fifth most in a single game this season. — DJ Bien-Aime

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Week 13 ranking: 11

Pleasant surprise: OT Dawand Jones

The Browns drafted Jones in the fourth round this year. Initially, the team viewed the 6-foot-8, 374-pound product out of Ohio State as a work in progress. But Jones impressed during training camp. After Jack Conklin suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener, Jones was pushed into the starting lineup at right tackle and has thrived ever since. Jones has a pass block win rate of 86.8% and a run block win rate of 74.5%, despite battling various injuries over the past month. He appears to be a long-term bookend in Cleveland. — Jake Trotter

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Week 13 ranking: 17

Pleasant surprise: DC Joe Barry

Those who wanted — and perhaps still want — Matt LaFleur to make a change at defensive coordinator might want to look away. The Packers have climbed to No. 9 in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just 20.3 points per game. While they’re still below the middle of the league in yards allowed (340 YPG, 18th) and near the bottom in rushing yards allowed (136.3, 29th), nothing matters more than points. Other than the 34-20 loss to the Lions in Week 4 and perhaps the fourth-quarter collapse in Week 2 vs. Atlanta, Barry’s defense has done enough to give the Packers a chance to win at almost every turn this season — Rob Demovsky

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Week 13 ranking: 9

Pleasant surprise: RB Jaylen Warren

To be fair, Warren’s breakout isn’t a surprise to anyone inside the building — or anyone who has been following the 2022 undrafted free agent since he started turning heads last season at Steelers training camp. Warren is an explosive, slippery back who leads the league with 5.9 yards per carry in his second season, and maybe even more impressive: he’s third in the league with 177 rushing yards over expected, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Traditionally, the Steelers want to be a one-back team, but it’s impossible to ignore Warren. As a result, the Steelers have one of the best running back duos in the league. — Brooke Pryor

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Week 13 ranking: 16

Pleasant surprise: WR Puka Nacua

Not many could have predicted that the Rams’ fifth-round pick would lead the team in receiving in Week 13, even with Cooper Kupp missing time because of a hamstring injury. Nacua has impressed the Rams’ coaching staff and his teammates with his physical play and maturity. The rookie has 77 catches for 1,029 yards this season, which is the franchise record for receiving yards in a rookie season. His yardage total is also the fourth most through a player’s first 12 games since the 1970 merger. The Rams didn’t come into the season with much depth at receiver, so Nacua’s emergence has been a welcome surprise. Nacua suffered an AC sprain Sunday, but the injury is not expected to affect his availability this week, according to coach Sean McVay. — Sarah Barshop

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Week 13 ranking: 14

Pleasant surprise: WR Jake Bobo

The Seahawks have had more disappointments than pleasant surprises, but Bobo falls squarely into the latter category. Undrafted rookies are usually long shots to make NFL rosters, and when they’re receivers who run a 4.99-second 40-yard dash, as Bobo did at his UCLA pro day, it’s pretty much a non-starter. But Bobo showed the Seahawks over the offseason that he’s a bit faster than that time suggests, and his other skills can compensate for his lack of speed. After standing out in the preseason and training camp, he has caught 15 passes for 171 yards and scored three touchdowns (one rushing) as Seattle’s No. 4 receiver. — Brady Henderson

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Week 13 ranking: 18

Pleasant surprise: RG Will Fries

It was surprising when the Colts did little to upgrade their offensive line starters after a rough season in 2022. But the ascent of Fries, a 2021 seventh-round selection, has helped validate that decision. According to ESPN data, only one Colts lineman — Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly — has given up fewer than the three sacks Fries has allowed. Fries has also been durable. He and guard Quenton Nelson are the only members of the unit to start every game. — Stephen Holder

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Week 13 ranking: 15

Pleasant surprise: S Josh Metellus

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores plucked Metellus out of special teams obscurity to fill a key role in his defensive scheme. Listed as a safety, Metellus has started all 12 games and played 92.7% of the team’s defensive snaps in a hybrid linebacker/nickel role. He has rushed the passer more than any NFL defensive back (78) and leads the Vikings with a 22.8% pressure rate. Along the way, Metellus has recorded 77 tackles, forced three fumbles, notched 1.5 sacks and intercepted a pass. — Kevin Seifert

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Week 13 ranking: 13

Pleasant surprise: CB Ja’Quan McMillian

McMillian signed last season as an undrafted rookie and spent almost all of 2022 on the team’s practice squad. He played in the season finale and caught the Seahawks’ collective eye with a seven-tackle performance. McMillian proved to the new coaching staff this past offseason how much progress he had made. Vance Joseph inserted McMillian into the defense as the nickel corner earlier this season, and the CB has been a revelation. He has a sack, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in the past six games. — Jeff Legwold

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Week 13 ranking: 19

Pleasant surprise: TE Tanner Hudson

Hudson was a preseason darling who didn’t make the 53-man roster. But after the Bengals needed more productivity at tight end, he was promoted from the practice squad and has already made an impact. Despite playing in just six games, he is fifth on the team in receptions (26), making him the top pass-catching option at tight end. Hudson has been a bright spot in what is turning into a lost season for a team that went from being a championship contender to outside of the playoff picture. — Ben Baby

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Week 13 ranking: 20

Pleasant surprise: LB Nate Landman

Initially expected to be the third inside linebacker, Landman was forced into starting duty when Troy Andersen suffered an injured pec in Week 3 and was put on injured reserve. Landman has rolled throughout the season, making 78 tackles with five tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Landman sustained a knee injury in the second half of the team’s 13-8 win over the Jets on Sunday, and if he misses any time, it would be a big loss for Atlanta. — Michael Rothstein

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Week 13 ranking: 21

Pleasant surprise: DE Carl Granderson

Granderson won the starting job in camp and has played in all 12 games while matching last season’s sack total (5.5). He also set a career high in QB hits (12) and leads the team in sacks in a year in which it hasn’t been able to get much from its pass rush. Receiver Rashid Shaheed was also a candidate here, with several game-changing plays in his second season with the team. — Katherine Terrell

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Week 13 ranking: 24

Pleasant surprise: WR Derius Davis

Davis, the Chargers’ 2023 fourth-round pick, has been their spark all season. That was evident in the second quarter of the Chargers’ 6-0 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Davis slipped a few tackles on a 34-yard punt return, setting up the game’s final points, which came four plays later with a Cameron Dicker field goal. Davis has the most punt return yards in the NFL this season (316) and scored on a punt return against the New York Jets in Week 9. — Kris Rhim

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Week 13 ranking: 23

Pleasant surprise: OLB YaYa Diaby

A third-round draft pick out of Louisville, Diaby has 5.0 sacks, which ranks second on the team and is tied for second among all rookies. He also has a fumble recovery, which reaffirms why his snap count has doubled over the past two weeks. — Jenna Laine

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Week 13 ranking: 22

Pleasant surprise: Interim coach Antonio Pierce

Promoted from linebackers coach upon the Halloween night firing of Josh McDaniels, Pierce, who had never been a head coach above the high school level, immediately implemented a player-friendly culture. The Raiders responded with consecutive victories over the Giants and Jets and celebrated with locker room cigar parties. The good vibes ebbed with losses to the Dolphins and Chiefs entering the bye, but Pierce has the attention of the 5-7 Raiders, who still hold out hope for a late-season run, thanks in part to his impact. — Paul Gutierrez

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Week 13 ranking: 26

Pleasant surprise: WR Chris Moore

The Titans desperately needed someone to step up opposite DeAndre Hopkins after second-year wideout Treylon Burks missed six games. Moore signed a modest one-year, $1.3 million deal to join the Titans and has developed into their best deep threat. The eight-year veteran is averaging a career-high 22.5 yards per catch this season. Titans quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill and Will Levis like the way Moore attacks the football. “He’s got great speed and athleticism to use that on the outside,” Tannehill said in August. Moore has also doubled as an occasional gunner on the punt team. — Turron Davenport

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Week 13 ranking: 27

Pleasant surprise: DT Andrew Billings

Billings, a 28-year-old nose tackle, signed with the Bears as a free agent in March and earned himself a two-year extension eight games into his Chicago tenure. Billings is a stalwart on the defensive line and a major part of why the Bears are the No. 1 run defense (79 rushing yards allowed per game, 3.45 yards per carry) entering Week 14, and his contributions as a pass-rusher are among the best of his career. He has recorded 18 total pressures, 16 hurries and a career-high 10.2% pressure rate in 12 games. — Courtney Cronin

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Week 13 ranking: 28

Pleasant surprise: FS Tony Adams

An undrafted free agent in 2022, Adams barely got on the field as a rookie, but he won the starting job this year after Chuck Clark‘s season-ending knee injury in the offseason. Adams is fifth on the team in tackles (51), displaying an aggressive mindset in run support. He’s not close to being a ballhawk (only one interception), but he did make one of the biggest defensive plays of the season — a late interception to clinch an upset victory over the Eagles. The Jets expect Adams to be a fixture at free safety. — Rich Cimini

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Week 13 ranking: 29

Pleasant surprise: QB Tommy DeVito

The narrative after DeVito’s first career appearance (against the Jets) was that the undrafted rookie was an ineffective passer and the Giants didn’t trust him to drop back and sling it. Look at how that has changed. DeVito has thrown six touchdown passes and one interception in his three starts, two of which were victories. “He’s played only a few games and has a long way to go, but he’s got the right mindset. He’s done a good job,” coach Brian Daboll said. Not bad for a player who had to earn his way onto the practice squad this summer. — Jordan Raanan

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Week 13 ranking: 25

Pleasant surprise: RB Brian Robinson Jr.

There are very few pleasant surprises for Washington, and Robinson was expected to be their lead back, but he has done a nice job catching passes out of the backfield. He had to adapt to a different style of run game that called for more patience; he’s developing there and leads the team with 664 yards rushing. As a receiver, Robinson has shown good hands and an ability to win on routes. He leads Washington’s backs with 326 receiving yards and averages 11.2 yards per reception. — John Keim

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Week 13 ranking: 30

Pleasant surprise: DL Dante Stills

It didn’t take Stills, a 2023 sixth-round pick, very long to ingrain himself in the Cardinals’ defensive line rotation. He missed the season opener but returned in Week 2 and has steadily seen his time on the field grow. And for good reason, too. The rookie has 3.5 sacks and five quarterback hits to go with five tackles for loss. He added his first fumble recovery of the season in Sunday’s win in Pittsburgh. Stills has caught the attention of coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis and has been playing at a high enough level that it’s hard for the Cardinals to take him out of the rotation. — Josh Weinfuss

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Week 13 ranking: 31

Pleasant surprise: S Jabrill Peppers

Peppers’ 63 tackles rank fourth on the team as he has transitioned from part-time player in 2022 (35.3% playing time) to full-time player in 2023 (95.3% playing time). He has also taken on more of a leadership role on a defense that ranks eighth in total yards allowed (310.5). — Mike Reiss

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Week 13 ranking: 32

Pleasant surprise: RB Chuba Hubbard

Hubbard, a 2021 fourth-round pick, was expected to be a role player behind Miles Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25.4 million deal during the offseason. Hubbard has instead taken over as the Panthers’ lead back and is coming off his best game (104 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries). He has relegated Sanders to being a role player. — David Newton