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2019 NFL Power Rankings: Who heads into summer at No. 1?

By Ian Cummings

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 23: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns warms up prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 23: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns warms up prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 13: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints reacts after a touchdown during the NFC Divisional Playoff at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 13: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints reacts after a touchdown during the NFC Divisional Playoff at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

No. 1 – New Orleans Saints

If you’re a fan of revisionist history, the Saints should’ve been the NFC’s representative in last year’s Super Bowl. But the Saints don’t have time to concern themselves with the past. Because they know that this year, they can get back.

Drew Brees, the NFL’s all-time passing yardage leader, is back, and he brings with him his sky-high football I.Q., his everlasting arm talent, and his undeniable pinpoint accuracy. He commands a Saints offense that has the luxury of employing more than a few dynamic talents, from Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr., and TreQuan Smith, to Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, and Latavius Murray.

The Saints offensive line is excellent from end to end, constituting one of the league’s most complete, dominant units, and it will be a driving force in the success of the offense. On defense, the Saints have a similar prowess on the line, with Sheldon Rankins, David Onyemata, Cameron Jordan, and Marcus Davenport bolstering the ranks.

The Saints’ defensive strength carries over into the latter two levels, where Craig Robertson, Demario Davis, Alex Anzalone, Marshon Lattimore, Ken Crawley, Eli Apple, Marcus Williams, and Vonn Bell all provide starting-level play, among others. The Saints’ secondary is one of the deepest in the NFL, and in the modern NFL, depth in the secondary can’t be understated.

All this talent runs through the system of Sean Payton, who has quietly been one of the NFL’s most forward-thinking, adaptive head coaches since his hiring in 2006. Payton hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since 2009. In 2018, his team got painfully close. Close enough to want it more than anyone in 2019.

Next. Five 'Skins position battles to watch as NFL season nears. dark

It’s early, but for now, the Saints rest on top of the NFL’s pantheon. It is a pantheon that rests on uneven grounds, however. Come September, it could all come tumbling down.

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