Let’s get one thing straight: The New England Patriots aren’t tanking for Trevor Lawrence and they’re not going to get the first overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft.

We’re going to hear this nonsense way too much. The Patriots were 12-4 with the top-ranked defense in the NFL last season. They won’t fall to 1-15 because they lost a 42-year-old quarterback who was solid but not great last season. And if you think Bill Belichick wants to post a one- or two-win season in his first year without Tom Brady, you have been paying zero attention or given this any real thought. But hey, there are retweets to be collected.

While thinking the Patriots could be the NFL’s worst team is ridiculous, it is fair to ask how far they could fall after a significant talent drain.

It’s also worth wondering how high the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should rise.

The Buccaneers had one of the best offseasons in the NFL (one team clearly won the offseason, and that will be noted in the rankings below), and certainly the most interesting. Brady was signed. Rob Gronkowski was coaxed out of retirement. The Buccaneers drafted offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn to help out Brady. Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was a fun second-round pick, too.

We’re running a risk of overrating the Buccaneers because they’re fun. Brady will turn 43 in August and was declining last season. Gronkowski hasn’t really looked like Gronk since the 2017 season, aside from a few clutch playoff catches in his final season. Brady and Gronkowski could defy the odds because they’ve done that before. It’s not guaranteed. This is still a Buccaneers franchise that hasn’t been in the playoffs since the end of the 2007 season and hasn’t won a postseason game since Super Bowl XXXVII.

Meanwhile, maybe everyone is too excited to bury the Patriots. That’s one way to explain the Lawrence hot-takery.

We’re talking about a team with the greatest NFL coach ever and a defense that ranked first in points and yards allowed last season. The Patriots probably won’t be No. 1 again after losing key pieces, but they won’t fall off a cliff either. Belichick is too good. They still have plenty of quality players. They have won the AFC East 11 straight seasons. And what if Belichick is right on the Jarrett Stidham-Brian Hoyer quarterback combination, if that’s what the Patriots end up doing? That would make all Patriots haters miserable.

Tracking Brady with the Bucs and the Patriots without him will be among the most interesting storylines of the NFL season. Just don’t get too caught up in offseason overreactions.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, left, and quarterback Tom Brady have something to prove this season. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) More

With the draft done (head over and read Eric Edholm’s grades) and most of free agency settled, it’s time to take a look at power rankings for the first time since right after the Super Bowl. We’ll still be counting down teams with our annual team previews starting in June, and there could be some movement in the rankings with some extra time for deep dives into each team. Consider this a first draft at how teams stack up with almost all of the offseason acquisitions in the books:

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are a mess. Yannick Ngakoue and Leonard Fournette were on the trading block and it seems they could still be moved. They won’t have any easy wins in the AFC South. The Jaguars have to be the early favorite for the first pick in next year’s draft.

31. Washington Redskins

It would be great if Chase Young took off as a player because Washington needs something to hang its hat on as a franchise. The possibility of Washington being the worst team in the league again is on the table, and wouldn’t it be something to pair Young and Trevor Lawrence?

30. Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow is a rookie, but a rare one. And with A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and rookie Tee Higgins, Burrow has a lot to work with. The offensive skill positions are set if Joe Mixon doesn’t hold out. In other words, the offense better be productive or second-year coach Zac Taylor will be in trouble.