The Kansas City Chiefs head into the 2017 NFL season with high expectations, and based on the latest power rankings from ESPN, those feelings are validated.

The folks at ESPN have the Chiefs as a Top 10 team—coming in at No. 7 in their season preview.

Here's what they had to say about the Chiefs:

"Last season, the Chiefs won 12 games and their first AFC West title since 2010. They also lost in the divisional round for the second consecutive season. The Chiefs are attempting a deeper postseason run with largely the same cast…"

They also have the Chiefs with a 38.5 percent chance to defend their division title, and a 4.6 percent chance to win the Super Bowl.

The Patriots (No. 1) and Steelers (No. 2)—the two teams the Chiefs have lost to in the divisional round the last two years—are the only AFC teams ranked ahead of the Chiefs.

To round out the AFC West, the Oakland Raiders come in at No. 8, the Denver Broncos at No. 14, and the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 21.  

The Chiefs kick-off the 2017 NFL season Thursday night against the Patriots.