During the season, I'll be putting out my own set of power rankings each week.

In the meantime, I thought it'd be fun to take a look at the divisions and rank them from strongest to weakest.

But how to determine such a hierarchy?

It's pretty simple. I privately ranked every team from one to 32 based on how I think they stack up going into this season. If I couldn't decide between two teams, I asked myself the question: "Who would I bet my life on if these two teams played on a neutral field right now?"

After ranking all the teams, I added up the numbers for each division. The division with the lowest overall number was rated as the strongest division, while the division with the highest number was the worst.

Now that I've confused you with my fuzzy numbers, here are the rankings with some notes. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

1. AFC North

Before I ranked all the teams, I had a hunch that this would be the strongest division. It has three teams that could legitimately make a run in the playoffs -- the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers, who I think are going to bounce back this season. In fact, I had the Ravens, Bengals and Steelers all ranked among the top-10 overall teams in the league. The Browns are probably headed for a top-five pick in the '08 draft, but their number didn't bump this division from being ranked No. 1 overall.

2. AFC West

I was interested to see how this division would stack up after I ranked all the teams. It has two serious Super Bowl contenders in the Chargers and Broncos that I have rated among the league's top-seven teams. However, it also has two teams that will finish in the bottom third of the NFL in the Chiefs and Raiders. I think Oakland could be better than Kansas City this season, and this is coming from a guy who's a huge fan of Hard Knocks.

3. NFC East

I know. I'm as shocked as you. But it's how the numbers stacked up and it makes sense (sort of) when you look at it more closely. Let's start at the top. Other than the Bears and the Saints, the Eagles and Cowboys are as likely to make the Super Bowl as any other NFC team. Then there are the Giants and Redskins. I have absolutely no handle on New York. If the Giants finished as the worst team in the league, I wouldn't be surprised. If they won the division, that wouldn't shock me either. As for the 'Skins, I think they could surprise some people this year. But by surprise, I mean sniff .500, not be a serious threat in the NFC. So there's my justification. I don't know how the NFC East graded out as the No. 3 division, but I'm willing to go with it. I guess mediocrity gets somewhat rewarded with the way I put these rankings together.

4. AFC East

This was another tough one. The Patriots are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. There's no question about that. But the other teams? I don't think the Jets will match last year's total of 10 wins, and the Bills' schedule looks extremely challenging. Miami, like the Redskins, could be better than last season, but I'd be shocked if they're more than a .500 team. I see the Patriots as the only team getting to the postseason out of this division.

5. AFC South

The Colts are among the Super Bowl favorites, and I think this division has a chance to produce another playoff team in the Jaguars. I see Vince Young and the Titans taking a step back, especially when you consider Tennessee did nothing to help out its young QB in the offseason (besides signing 34-year-old Eric Moulds). And don't forget, Pacman Jones scored four touchdowns for Tennessee last season. Meanwhile, the Texans remain an afterthought until they prove otherwise.

6. NFC West

The NFC conferences are tough to rank because everything's so wide open. Take the NFC West -- would it really surprise you to see the Seahawks, Rams or 49ers take this division? Me neither. Seattle has to be considered the favorite, but they're not even among the league's top-10 teams. The Rams could compete for a playoff spot, and everyone's picking the 49ers to be this year's surprise team. Even the Cardinals should be better. I have all four NFC West teams ranked between No. 12 and No. 23 overall.

7. NFC North

The Bears have to be considered the favorite to take the division, but is anyone really sold on them? This division has one of my surprise teams -- the Packers. Don't be surprised if Green Bay's underrated defense leads the Pack to a playoff berth. I'm not even ruling out the possibility of the Packers taking the division if they're able to get some form of a ground game going. Meanwhile, the Vikings should be able to run the ball and stop the run, which should keep them more competitive than some people think. And in Detroit, Jon Kitna already told us the Lions are going to win at least 10 games. So that's settled.

8. NFC South

The Saints, Panthers, Falcons and Buccaneers comprise the worst division in football. New Orleans is the favorite to get to the Super Bowl from the NFC, but after that, it gets ugly. Carolina probably has enough talent to get to the playoffs, but the Panthers' disappointing performance in '06 leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The Falcons seem destined to get a top pick in next year's draft. That should work out well for Atlanta though if Bobby Petrino can draft his former Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm. Tampa Bay signed every quarterback available in the offseason, but somehow, I don't see that translating to a playoff appearance.