Stephen A. Smith Didn't Hesitate Naming His No. 1 NFL Team This Year

As the 2024 NFL regular season kicks off in just two days, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has unveiled his top-five power rankings, which obviously include his choice for the top-ranked team in the league.

This offseason was a busy one, with plenty of teams making moves to boost their chances of a Super Bowl run. The Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, and Chicago Bears are all hoping their new additions will put them in the mix.

Meanwhile, teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles want to bounce back after a tough 2023 season.

And then there are last season's conference championship game finalists, the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, and defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, all ready to make another deep playoff push.

With so many strong teams to choose from, Smith didn’t waste any time naming his top pick. On Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s 'First Take,' he confidently chose the Kansas City Chiefs as his top team.

"It's the reigning, defending, two-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Cheifs, who won three out of the last four years," he said.

Here's a complete list of Smith's top five:

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Detroit Lions
5. Philadelphia Eagles

"The Kansas City Chiefs are clearly the number one team. That doesn't mean they can't get knocked off, but they are the number-one team coming into this season," Smith said.

The Chiefs are bringing back nearly all their star players and coaches from last year’s championship squad, with the only exception being cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who was traded to the Tennessee Titans.

Plus, they’ve added some key pieces in rookie Xavier Worthy and free agent Marquise Brown, two big moves that address the lack of pass catchers from last season.

"They've got the greatest quarterback on the planet, in Patrick Mahomes, the best tight end in football, in Travis Kelce, they got out there, and they draft Xavier Worthy," Smith added. "You still got Rice. You still got cats like Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire in the backfield. You got an offensive line."

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has led Kansas City to three Super Bowl victories. The 2022 NFL Coach of the Year is looking to win his fourth in the last five years during the 2024 season.

"You got Andy Reid sitting up there as your head coach and your offensive coordinator, basically," he said. "You sit up there and you got Spagnuolo on the defensive side of the ball, who's defense might be even better this year than it was last year."

The Chiefs open their season at home on Thursday, September 5, against the Baltimore Ravens. Kick-off is set for 8:20 p.m. ET.

Related: Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Mahomes Make Lavish Donation To College Football Program