We've finally made it to our top 10! These are the cream of the crop. The teams everyone would be happy to get. These teams have few holes, have tons of talent, and will be able to realistically compete from day 1. Some will turn mediocre owners into consistent playoff contenders. 

1.
Honestly, is anyone surprised by this? The best offensive line in the league, a freak 2^nd year RB, an extremely young QB coming into his own, Dez Bryant, a competent defense. The Dallas Cowboys are any GM’s dream. They are built and ready to compete for the length of the cycle. They’ll be draft BPA the entire time, making running this team a dream.

Key Players:

• QB Dak Prescott
• HB Ezekiel Elliot
• S Byron Jones

2. 
The Raiders have one thing most teams don’t, a vast array of proven youth talent. Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Khalil Mack lead a team that is hard hitting, and high scoring. Add Marshawn Lynch to the backfield of this team and they have an imposing attack that will cause headaches to opposing defensive coordinators for the length of the league. Khalil Mack may just be the most freakish linebacker in the league as well.

Key Players:

• QB Derek Carr
• WR Amari Cooper
• LB Khalil Mack

3. 
No surprise here. The Super Bowl Champs made big moves in free agency trading for Brandin Cooks. They were fantastic already with weapons like Rob Gronkowski to throw the ball to, but adding a speedster the quality of Cooks makes this a top-notch offense. The Patriots defense added Stephone Gilmore to bolster an already solid secondary. Jimmy G should see a nice bump in ratings, but Tom Brady may just play forever.

Key Players:

• QB Tom Brady
• TE Rob Gronkowski
• DB Malcom Butler

4. 
Big Ben is getting older, but leads an offense that can put up numbers in a hurry. They also have a solid offensive line, and a young defense led by a pair of hard-hitting speedy linebackers. Pittsburgh has a wealth of talent at multiple key positons which will allow whoever takes them over to have plenty of ability to mold this team in their image.

Key Players:

• QB Ben Roethlisberger
• RB Leveon Bell
• LB Ryan Shazier

5. 
The NFC South is well-represented in the Top 10, led by Cam Newton and the Panthers. Cam is THE dual-threat QB in the NFL and will cause matchup issues for teams for years to come. Their defense is led by the monster known as Luke Kuechley and will frustrate opposing offenses for years. The only real weakness on this team is in the secondary, but that is a small price to pay for a team that is well represented everywhere else.

Key Players:

• QB Cam Newton
• WR Kelvin Benjamin
• LB Luke Kuechley

6. 
A young defense helped lead this team to a Super Bowl appearance last season, but a power offense featuring Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and a freakish rushing attack is what makes this team so dangerous. Matt Ryan might not be getting any younger, but he should be a solid starting QB for a few seasons. Julio is getting older, but even so he’ll beast out on other teams for a few seasons. Draft BPA for a few seasons, and hit on the players getting older and this is an easy squad to love.

Key Players:

• QB Matt Ryan
• WR Julio Jones
• LB Vic Beasley

7. 
The Legion of Boom is getting older, but they are still one of the best defensive units. You add a young star QB like Russel Wilson, a productive TE like Jimmy Graham, a competent running game, and some play making WRs and it’s easy to see why they are rated so highly. The biggest issue will be the offensive line, but they are usually plentiful in the draft.

Key Players:

• QB Russel Wilson
• WR Tyler Lockett
• S Earl Thomas

8. 
A few seasons ago the Titans would have been at the bottom of this list, but with consistent drafting, and a smart front office they have shot towards the top of the list. They are led by 3^rd year QB Marcus Mariota, one of the top offensive lines, and a two-headed monster at RB. They addressed their lack of playmakers at WR in the draft. The defense has a stellar front seven, but lacks on the back end. This can be addressed rather easily.

Key Players:

• QB Marcus Mariota
• RB Derrick Henry
• DL Jurrel Casey

9. 
Aaron Rodgers. He’s the reason this team is rated so highly. He has a host of solid-but-not-spectacular WRs, a decent offensive line, and a defense that is upgrading. Rodgers can make his mediocre WR core look like a legion of All-Pros, and it doesn’t hurt they play in one of the weaker divisions in the league.

Key Players:

• QB Aaron Rodgers
• WR Ty Montgomery
• S Ha-Ha Clinton Dix

10. 
The Giants have spent a lot of money in free agency over the past few seasons to improve a defense that was once one of the laughing stocks of the league, and to that effort they have greatly improved. Their main hole is at RB, but are led by All-Universe WR Odell Beckham Jr. He’s joined by second year WR Sterling Shepard, vet Brandon Marshall, and Eli Manning. You’ll need to upgrade at RB and QB early, but this is a loaded team.

Key Players:

• QB Eli Manning
• WR OBJ
• CB Eli Apple

In our second installment we take a look at teams 11 to 19. These teams can all be competitive but all have issues ranging from age, lack of skill in certain key areas, or are located in a tough division. These teams will take less skill to rebuild and less time to be competitive for sure.

11.
Cincinnati is a complete football team, as long as their history of first round playoff performances doesn’t follow them into Madden 18. Their offense is solid and led by a two-headed monster at running back, Tyler Eifert at TE, and AJ Green on the outside. The defense can get after the passer and get to the ball carrier on the run. There are some age concerns for the Bengals, who will need to start replacing in the first few seasons.

Key Players:

• QB Andy Dalton
• RB Jeremy Hill
• LB Vontaze Burfict

12. 
Arizona is a talented team all over the field. Their defense has almost no weaknesses, they have a top 5 running back in David Johnson, and a WR core that is both experienced and talented, led by a future hall of famer in Larry Fitzgerald. The biggest issue with this team is the age of their field general, Carson Palmer. You’ll be able to compete right away with Palmer and this squad, but some will struggle in subsequent seasons as they look to find and build up their future franchise quarterback.

Key Players:

• QB Carson Palmer
• RB David Johnson
• FS Tyrann Mathieu

13. 
Honestly, the Jaguars will probably go in the Top 10 of teams selected this year. Why? Because they are young, have a lot of speed, and have a plethora of talented players. Their biggest weakness outside of Blake “10 second delivery” Bortles will be their offensive line. A defense is the real siren of this team, with studs like Jalen Ramsey, Telvin Smith, Dante Fowler Jr, Myles Jack, and recently acquired AJ Bouye. They have the ammo to lead and stay atop the AFC South all cycle.

Key Players:

• QB Blake Bortles
• WR Allen Robinson
• DE Dante Fowler Jr.

14. 
Von Miller. Remember that name. He does commercials, he sacks Quarterbacks, and he makes it hell for opposing run games. Denver’s defense is dominant, but their offense has fallen off with the retirement of Peyton Manning. Paxton Lynch will probably garner the starting position for most who take this team, but their receiving core, once a cornerstone of this team has aged and fallen on hard times. Your first step will be to rebuild the weapons around your young Quarterback, do this and it’ll be time to rebuild your aging secondary.

Key Players:

• QB Paxton Lynch
• WR Demaryius Thomas
• LB Von Miller

15. 
The Chiefs are similar in build to the Minnesota Vikings, relying on a very stout defense to keep them in games, but have a few things they don’t, a world-class tight end in Travis Kelce, a proven star WR in Jeremy Maclin, and a human swiss army knife in Tyreek Hill. Alex Smith may not make a lot of mistakes in real life, but with the noodle arm EA typically sticks him with he will need to be replaced as fast as humanly possible. The offensive line is serviceable but in need, and their defensive line will need to be addressed with the departure of Dontari Poe.

Key Players:

• QB Alex Smith
• WR/RB/KR/P/K/CB/DE/FB/HC Tyreek Hill
• CB Marcus Peters

16. 
This team is rebuilding from the damage caused by Chip Kelley, but has a great young QB in Carson Wentz, dependable weapons in Jordan Matthews, Zach Erz, and Dorial Green-Beckham. The defense is led by Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks, but as with plenty of teams do not possess competent cornerbacks. A solid team builder would be able to do wonders with the team from Philadelphia.

Key Players:

• QB Carson Wentz
• WR Jordan Matthews
• LB Mychal Kendricks

17. 
Unlike real life, Minnesota will be led by Teddy Bridgewater to start out Madden 18. That’s a big plus. Their defense is fierce and while their offense has issues a plenty, this team will not take much to get over the hump once you get going. Xavier Rhodes, Harrison Smith, and Trae Waynes lead one of the better secondaries in the league. With And with a front seven led by Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen, and Anthony Barr the defense as a whole is stout albeit older. In the right hands the Vikings could dominate the NFC North from day one.

Key Players:

• QB Teddy Bridgewater
• WR Stefon Diggs
• LB Anthony Barr

18. 
As we close in on the top half of the league the teams we are uncovering become less rebuilding project, and more adding pieces to become a championship caliber team, and no team so far on this list exhibits this more than the Bucs. With an offense sporting Jameis Winston, Mike Evans, and Charles Sims and a defense that sports Gerald McCoy, Vernon Hargreaves, and Lavonte David the Bucs have a solid young offense and defense to build around. They have holes on both sides of the ball as well, but they are not as gaping as a lot of teams.

Key Players:

• QB Jameis Winston
• WR Mike Evans
• LB Kwon Alexander

19. 

The Ravens could be a bit lower on this list, but are propped up by Breshad Perriman and a plethora of solid receiving options from the TE position. Baltimore is also propped up by a solid, but slightly older offensive line. The keys on the defensive side of the ball are located at the linebacker position with CJ Mosley leading the way. The secondary is older, and the defensive line is nothing to write home about. Just like a lot of teams in this range, there are several issues that will need to be addressed.

Key Players:

• QB Joe Flacco
• TE Maxx Williams
• LB CJ Mosley

Welcome to Ranked and Filed, where we put together some hot lists, rank them out, and tell you why it went down that way. In our first series we are going to take a look at the 32 NFL Teams available heading into the RedZone Madden 18 team draft. With our team draft just a few weeks away everyone is getting ready to pick the squad that will hopefully give them a leg up on the competition when Madden 18 starts up in August.

Today we'll run you through the bottom of our list, teams 20-32. Some of these squads are a team builder's wet dream, while others will give you nightmares.

20. 
Just cracking the top 20 are the Detroit Lions. They have a running back on the rise in Ameer Abdullah, a gunslinging QB in Matt Stafford, and a talented WR core led by Golden Tate and Marvin Jones Jr. Adding TJ Lang and Rick Wagner really help an offensive line that had issues a year ago. The big weakness will be on the defensive side of the ball. Darius Slay is a lock down corner, and will be for a few years, but Ziggy Ansah is really the only solid defensive lineman on the team currently. Their LB core and secondary (outside Slay) will need to be addressed as well.

Key Players:

• QB Matt Stafford
• TE Eric Ebron
• CB Darius Slay

21. 
The Redskins have their QB with Kirk Cousins, and a duo of young running backs with Rob Kelley and Matt Jones. They have one of the best TEs in Jordan Reed, but outside of Jamison Crowder and to an extent Terrell Pryor they lack weapons on the outside that will hinder this team early on. The real issue you’ll find in Washington is their defense. They have a couple solid corners in Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland, but lack any real talent in a front 7 that without attention will struggle to get pressure on the QB or stop the run.

Key Players:

• QB Kirk Cousins
• TE Jordan Reed
• CB Bashaud Breeland

22. 
Sammy Watkins. LeSean McCoy. Reggie Ragland. Micah Hyde. Ronald Darby. Jerry Hughes. Marcell Dareus. Those are the names you are working with if you sign up to manage the Buffalo Bills in 2018. That is a core you can build a winning team around. Tyrod Taylor is a serviceable QB, but most would want to replace him in the near term, and that coupled with an aging offensive line is why the Bills are a bottom 10 team.

Key Players:

• QB Tyrod Taylor
• WR Sammie Watkins
• FS Micah Hyde

23. 
The Chargers are a team with a new home, an old quarterback, and pieces scattered around both sides of the ball. Philip Rivers could carry a team in the first season or two, but will need to be replaced in the first draft or two. Rivers has plenty of weapons with Hunter Henry, Melvin Gordon, and Keenan Allen to name a few. Their offensive line isn’t great, and the players on it are older, so that is an immediate concern that will need to be addressed. Joey Bosa anchors a front seven that is pretty solid and includes Jerry Attaochu, Denzel Perryman, and Melvin Ingram. However they lack depth upfront after Bosa. Their secondary is suspect as well outside of Jason Verrett. This team can compete, but will need to methodically add several pieces.

Key Players:

• QB Philip Rivers
• WR Keenan Allen
• DE Joey Bosa

24. 
No one made a bigger blunder in last year’s free agency than Houston did when they gave Brock Osweiler a mega contract. To rectify it they sent their 2018 2^nd round pick and a 2017 6^th to Cleveland for one of their horde of picks. That leaves Houston with Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden as the only QBs under contract. This is a team, that with the right QB could do some damage for anyone who takes a shot. They have impact players aplenty on both sides of the ball, but their lack of a starting-caliber NFL QB drags them down. They have the pieces to make early moves to address needs, so a quick facelift could change the fortunes of whoever takes the Texans very early.

Key Players:

• QB Tom Savage
• WR DeAndre Hopkins
• DE JJ Watt

25. 
The Saints are a team, who just a few weeks ago could have been much higher before sending Brandin Cooks (aka the Madden cheat code) to New England. While they still have the emerging Michael Thomas and Willie Snead the Saints will need a QB right off the bat as Drew Brees isn’t getting any younger. Their HB situation leaves a lot to be desired as well. They do have a solid offenslive line, even if 2/5^th of it are over 31 at this point. They do have a young defense led by Stephone Anthony but will need help on the outside to really become a formidable team.

Key Players:

• QB Drew Brees
• WR Michael Thomas
• S Vonn Bell

26. 
Cleveland is quite the intriguing franchise. They have a boat-load of picks in the upcoming NFL draft  which depending on how they draft could rocket them up the board in terms of viability. They have potentially one of the best young receivers in Corey Coleman, and a young back in Isaiah Crowell, and an offensive line to be proud of. They also have a solid core on defense to build around in Danny Shelton, Jamie Collins, and Christian Kirksey. With the right players taken in the draft this could be quite the team.

Key Players:

• QB Brock Osweiller
• WR Corey Coleman
• LB Jamie Collins

27. 
The Colts have their QB, Andrew Luck and several weapons around him (TY Hilton, Phillip Dorsett, Jack Doyle, Donte Moncrief) however they lack at nearly every other position on the field, which is why they’ve found themselves ranked so low. Frank Gore is in a wheel chair by now and will need to be replaced ASAP, the offensive line has been one of the worst in the league for the past few seasons, and their defense has been one of the worst in the league for just as long. Thankfully the Colts addressed one weakness, signing DT Jonathan Hankins which will help bolster their DL, but this team will need help in most facets of the game for someone to be competitive.

Key Players:

• QB Andrew Luck
• WR TY Hilton
• CB Vontae Davis

28. 
The Rams could be many different places on this list, but they fell, in my eyes like other teams due to a lack of stability on the offensive line and at Quarterback. Jared Goff was drafted just one year ago, but he struggled tremendously in his rookie campaign. That will affect his ratings and development for Madden 18 towards the negative. The Rams offensive line did improve this offseason with the signing of Andrew Whitworth, but that will not be a long-term upgrade as the 35 year old doesn’t have much tread left. The Rams biggest weapon on offense is still Todd Gurley, who can and will be a bell cow for whoever ends up guiding the ship. Where this team real shines is on the defensive side of the ball. Aaron Donald is only 25 and will eat up opposing offensive lines for the length of the cycle.

Key Players:

• QB Jared Goff
• HB Todd Gurley
• DT Aaron Donald

29. 

As a Jets fan it pains me to rank them this low, but it is deserved. A common theme you may have noticed in the teams ranked this low is a lack of stability at the Quarterback position. The Jets are no different. They brought in Josh McCown to compete/mentor Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, but who could have confidence in any of these three? The Jets also let their #1 target Brandon Marshall walk in free agency, limiting safety valves for their QBs. Matt Forte was a disappointment a season ago and is only a year older, while Bilal Powell had a breakout season he is now 28 and the ravages of Madden regression can’t be far behind. Where the Jets do shine is their defensive front seven, anchored by one of the best 3-4 defensive lines in the league. Mo Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, and Leonard Williams are all valuable pieces for the Jets, and anyone who will take these guys on.

Key Players:

• QB Christian Hackenberg
• TE Austin Sefarian-Jenkins
• DT Leonard Williams

30. 
The 49ers are an interesting team on this list. They went wild in free agency this offseason, bringing in the likes of Brian Hoyer, Pierre Garcon, Tim Hightower, and Kyle Juszcyk which all help add to the talent on a team that suffered from a severe lack of it a season ago. However, they paid a king’s ransom to do it. Hoyer has shown at times he can be a competent starting NFL QB, he doesn’t have a whole lot of help around him on offense. The defense will carry this team early, with several solid young starters like Eric Reid (25), Aaron Lynch (24), Arik Armstead (23), and DeForest Buckner (23). However, whoever takes over this squad will need to address the offensive side of the ball ASAP, which may include moving some of their defensive studs to gain a semblance of offensive talent.

Key Players:

• QB Brian Hoyer
• HB Carlos Hyde
• LB NaVorro Bowman

31. 
Despite coming off a solid 10-6 record in 2016, the Dolphins are a team that is lacking at several key positions, which is what sees them fall this low on our Madden 18 countdown. As with other teams in this territory there are huge issues for the Dolphins at Quarterback. Ryan Tannehill is being paid like an Elite starting QB but hasn’t lived up to the hype. While the Dolphins offense may have younger talent, their defense is encroaching on AARP age. Cameron Wake is 35, Reshad Jones (their only solid secondary piece) is 29, and they brought in 30-year-old Lawrence Timmons to play alongside 30-year-old Koa Misi.

Key Players:

• QB Ryan Tannehill
• WR Jarvis Landry
• DE Cameron Wake

32. 
Coming into the Off-season Chicago wasn’t a big-time NFL team that would draw a lot of interest in the upcoming Madden 18 draft lottery, but they sought to cement their spot as the worst team available by letting their only true weapon, Alshon Jeffery walk, and signing a QB duo of Mike Glennon and Mark Sanchez to fight for the starting job next season. To make matters worse they saddled the franchise with a $14.5m per year average cap hit with Glennon. This team will be a re-builder’s wet dream.

Key Players:

• QB Mike Glennon
• HB Jordan Howard
• DB Prince Amukamara