As a feature in the 2024 Sharp Football Preview Book, the Sharp Football Analysis team ranked positional units across the league for the 2024 season.

The ranking guidelines were up to the specific voter with the only requirement that the focus is on the upcoming season only, not the future outlook.

With a combination of numbers, film, and projections, the rankings were averaged for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive front seven, defensive secondary, and head coach.

Next up: 2024 NFL head coach rankings.

Sharp Football Analysis Positional Rankings
Quarterback
Wide Receiver & Tight Ends
Running Backs
Offensive Line
Front Seven
Secondary
Head Coach

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2024 NFL Head Coach Rankings

Rank	Team	Score
1	Andy Reid	100
2	John Harbaugh	91
2	Kyle Shanahan	91
4	Dan Campbell	90
4	Sean McVay	90
6	Matt LaFleur	84
7	Mike McDaniel	82
8	Kevin Stefanski	75
9	Kevin O'Connell	74
10	Mike Tomlin	71
11	Nick Sirianni	62
12	Zac Taylor	59
13	Sean McDermott	58
14	DeMeco Ryans	57
15	Doug Pederson	53
15	Shane Steichen	53
17	Jim Harbaugh	51
18	Sean Payton	49
19	Mike McCarthy	39
20	Todd Bowles	38
21	Robert Saleh	34
22	Matt Eberflus	32
23	Jonathan Gannon	30
24	Brian Daboll	29
25	Dan Quinn	27
26	Raheem Morris	25
26	Mike Macdonald	16
28	Dennis Allen	12
29	Brian Callahan	11
30	Jerod Mayo	8
30	Dave Canales	8
32	Antonio Pierce	1

Score based on average ranks of positional unit (on a 100-point scale) for all 32 teams, from Sharp Football staff voters. If all voters had a team at #1, that score would be 100. Ties are broken by the highest vote on any ballot.

What team has the best head coach in the NFL?

32. Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders

We’re concerned by the conservative approach Antonio Pierce took last season, and he ranked no higher than 31st on any ballot. The Raiders handed off to running backs at the league’s seventh-highest rate after Pierce took over despite the fact their ball carriers ranked 28th in yards per attempt over that span.

30. Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales gets his first shot as an NFL head coach after one season at the coordinator level. Canales will hope to turn around Bryce Young‘s career after getting surprisingly good seasons out of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield the last two years.

30. Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots

For Jerod Mayo to outperform his low ranking, he’ll need to show he’s not just a younger version of his mentor Bill Belichick. In his final years, Belichick was becoming a liability for his outdated, conservative play style. For example, on fourth-and-two or shorter from their own 40-yard line or closer, the Patriots had a league-high 41% punt rate over the last two seasons (league average: 17%).

29. Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans

Like all first-year head coaches, Brian Callahan is near the bottom of our rankings, but he’s our second-ranked rookie head coach. We’re optimistic about how this hire plays out in the long term.

28. Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints

Despite achieving his first winning season as an NFL head coach, Dennis Allen remains toward the bottom of our rankings ahead of just four new hires. Allen’s defenses have remained strong in his transition to head coach, finishing in the top 10 of points allowed in each of the last two seasons.

26. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks replaced Pete Carroll with Mike Macdonald after seeing his impressive stint as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. However, the move cost them 16 spots in this year’s rankings.

26. Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons

Raheem Morris spent four previous seasons as an NFL head coach, compiling a record of 21-38 with the Buccaneers and Falcons. He gets another shot after three years as the Rams defensive coordinator. Morris finished 26th in our voting.

25. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders

Dan Quinn takes over for Ron Rivera in 2024, and the former Falcons head coach finished 25th in our rankings this year. Quinn spent the past three years as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, leading a unit that finished in the top 10 in points allowed in every season he was there.

24. Brian Daboll, New York Giants

Brian Daboll’s stock fell this year, ranking 24th in our rankings. That was ahead of just two coaches who weren’t hired this offseason.

23. Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals

Jonathan Gannon was our lowest-ranked coach heading into 2023 but showed our panel enough to move up nine spots this season. The 41-year-old signed a five-year contract with the Cardinals before last season.

22. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears

Matt Eberflus enters his third year as the Bears head coach with a 10-24 record, winning seven of those games last year. The former Colts defensive coordinator moved up three spots in our rankings this season but still sits at 22.

21. Robert Saleh, New York Jets

Robert Saleh ranked in the bottom half of the league on every ballot, but we give him credit for rebuilding a defense that ranked 32nd in points and yards allowed during his first year in 2021. Saleh has built up his side of the ball. Now he needs to figure out the offense.

20. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In his sixth full season as an NFL head coach, Todd Bowles won his first playoff game and jumped up four spots in our head coach rankings to 20th.

19. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys

Mike McCarthy entered 2023 with a lot of questions regarding his job security and will enter 2024 without a contract extension. His performance last year improved his ranking here, but the panel is still skeptical, ranking McCarthy 19th among his peers.

18. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos

Sean Payton dropped nine spots in our rankings. He appears to be falling behind, as most older coaches do. Only 11.8% of the Broncos' first or second down plays were thrown past the first-down marker, the league’s third-lowest rate. That type of conservative approach gets you nowhere in this era.

17. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers

Jim Harbaugh was one of our most polarizing coaches, with votes ranging from 12th to 22nd. His shift toward an ultra-conservative style worked in college, but can you win with that mindset in the NFL in 2024? We’re about to find out.

15. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts

Shane Steichen proved he belonged in his debut season. He jumped 13 spots in our rankings from last year, the second-largest improvement.

15. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Doug Pederson dropped out of the top 10 after holding the ninth spot in our rankings last year. Pederson runs a relatively aggressive offense and manages the game well, but it's impossible not to put some of the blame for the team’s lack of development on his shoulders.

14. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans

DeMeco Ryans is our top-ranked coach from the rookie class of 2023 and the biggest riser from last year, jumping from 30th to 13th. Houston was one of six teams that did not punt on fourth-and-two or shorter from its own 40-yard line or closer. That aggressive mindset bodes well for Ryans’ future in the league.

13. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills

Sean McDermott plummeted down our head coach rankings from third to 13th. The defensive-minded head coach has gradually become more conservative over the last two years without former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

12. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

Zac Taylor lands at number 12 in our head coach rankings for the second consecutive year. We appreciate his pass-heavy approach. In a one-score game, Cincinnati handed off to a running back just 31% of the time, the league’s sixth-lowest rate.

11. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

Nick Sirianni’s stock fell after the Eagles' 2023 collapse, dropping from fourth to 11th in this year’s rankings. The Eagles went out and hired Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore as their new coordinators to help right the ship in 2024.

10. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

This is the second consecutive year Mike Tomlin has dropped in our head coach rankings. His leadership remains among the best in the game, but his gradual shift towards a more conservative run-heavy scheme raises questions. In the first half of games, no team handed off to its running backs more than the Steelers on first and second down last year.

9. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings

Kevin O’Connell earned top-10 votes from our entire panel, moving his overall ranking up from 20th in 2023 to ninth this season despite winning six fewer games.

8. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

Votes for Kevin Stefanski ranked from seventh to 12th. While the offense has never clicked into high gear during his tenure, give him credit for consistently building a competent unit despite (for a variety of reasons) consistent turnover at the quarterback position.

7. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins

Mike McDaniel landed in the top 10 on every ballot. McDaniel’s scheme gets the most out of his offensive talent, and he has a good grasp of efficient decision making. During his two years in Miami, the Dolphins are the only team that has never punted on fourth-and-two or shorter from their own 40-yard line or closer.

6. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers

The panel remains high on Matt LaFleur with all three members voting him in the top 10. In five seasons as Packers head coach, LaFleur has made the playoffs four times and posted a 56-27 record.

4. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay’s stock is back on the rise after his performance in 2023. He’s back in the top five after slipping to six following the Rams’ disappointing 2022 season.

4. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

Dan Campbell ended up in our top five head coaches this season after he finished 15th in 2023. In three seasons, Campbell has taken a three-win team and turned them into a legit contender for the NFC title.

2. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers

Kyle Shanahan moved up two spots in our ranking this year, finishing tied for second behind Andy Reid. He leaped Sean McDermott to reach that second spot.