NFL teams
Field Yates, ESPN Insider 10y

The NFL's most promising rebuilds

NFL

In consecutive seasons, the team that picked first overall in the NFL draft went on to make the playoffs that season.

The Baltimore Ravens, Super Bowl winners during the 2012 season, didn't qualify for the playoffs a year later.

It figures. Rapid decline -- and ascension -- has become commonplace around the NFL, as teams seemingly shift from the top of a division to the bottom, or vice versa, annually.

But the true mark of success is sustained success, the ability to compete for a Super Bowl year in and year out. That's what teams such as the New England Patriots and more recently the San Francisco 49ers have been able to achieve.

Using our Future Power Rankings as a starting point, here's a look at three teams that are currently ranked in the bottom half of our metrics that are primed to achieve sustained success, be it immediately or in the future.


Indianapolis Colts

Future power ranking: 20

The skinny: After consecutive seasons in the playoffs, including a division title last season, Colts fans are probably wondering what the deal is with this ranking. Two straight 11-win seasons, and we get dropped to No. 20?

Looking closer at the rankings breakdown, it has much to do with the front office led by GM Ryan Grigson and the roster surrounding Andrew Luck. The Colts' roster outside of Luck tallied a score of just 66.25, with just three teams below them.

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