{"id":865854,"date":"2026-04-14T00:33:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865854\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T00:33:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:33:32","slug":"nfl-draft-2026-5-sleeper-teams-who-can-become-contenders-with-a-strong-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865854\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Draft 2026: 5 sleeper teams who can become contenders with a strong class"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year, we think we know which NFL teams will be contenders. And every year, we’re reminded just how wrong we are when one \u2014\u00a0or more \u2014\u00a0come out of nowhere and shock the league. It’s not a matter of if also-rans from 2025 will make the playoffs in 2026; it’s a matter of which ones. <\/p>\n

The answer to that question could come during the NFL Draft<\/a>, where teams looking to take a leap have a unique chance to add impact, cost-controlled talent. And for those five in particular, it’s a huge opportunity. This isn\u2019t about going after the best player available; though in many cases, that would work just fine. This is about identifying the players that get a sneaky-talented team over the hump.<\/p>\n

Washington Commanders\"Jayden<\/p>\n

Washington Commanders v Minnesota Vikings – NFL 2025 | David Berding\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

Need to address secondary, pass rush in NFL DraftBusy offseason gave them more margin for errorMust keep Jayden Daniels healthy to compete in 2026<\/p>\n

Remember when the Washington Commanders<\/a> went from having the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to reaching the NFC Championship Game? They could have that same kind of turnaround in 2026, too, if they draft right. The Commanders spent almost as much money as any team in the NFL this offseason, peppering their defense with competent veterans. What\u2019s left will be handled in the NFL Draft<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their cornerback room and defensive line room still have a ton of work to do, but Washington can\u2019t neglect its receiver room as well. the Commanders need to somehow find a complement to Terry McLaurin, whether that’s by spending a top-10 pick on someone like Carnell Tate or attacking the second or third rounds.<\/p>\n

The most important thing in 2026 is to stay healthy, starting with Jayden Daniels. But injuries are going to come up over the course of a long season; Washington needs to make sure they have the depth they lacked last year. This team will look very different from the last playoff team, which isn\u2019t a bad thing at all. But with the right picks in this draft, the Commanders could contend in the NFC East again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

New York Giants\"John<\/p>\n

2026 NFL Scouting Combine | Lauren Leigh Bacho\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

Have to get Jaxson Dart some help at receiver and the interior of the offensive lineNeed to resolve the Dexter Lawrence situation one way or another<\/p>\n

The Giants check a lot of boxes for a one-year turnaround, from a big change at head coach to a young quarterback on the rise in Jaxson Dart. The only problem is they\u2019re in a wild card of a division<\/a>: The NFC East is kind of up for grabs, but both the Eagles and the Cowboys will be tough to surpass. <\/p>\n

That said, New York does have pieces in place. Their defense isn\u2019t bad \u2014 particularly at EDGE \u2014 and their offense has potential; they\u2019re just a couple pieces away from being a serious contender, both on the interior and at wide receiver.<\/p>\n

They have to get Malik Nabers some help. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see them trade back into the first round to get a receiver \u2014 after all, they traded back in the first round to land Dart in last year\u2019s draft. All signs are pointing toward them going defense at No. 5 overall, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see them think about Carnell Tate depending on how the board shakes out.<\/p>\n

This offense was bad once Nabers went out with an injury. That said, Dart, Cam Skattebo and Nabers could turn this team around. Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs wouldn’t be bad options, either, defensive tackle has to be addressed even if Dexter Lawrence sticks around<\/a>. I expect the Giants to fix their offensive line as well as get some offensive weapons. Doing that will put them in position to dethrone Philly.<\/p>\n

Cincinnati Bengals\"Joe<\/p>\n

Cleveland Browns v Cincinnati Bengals – NFL 2025 | Dylan Buell\/GettyImages<\/p>\n

Their only priority should be defenseThe offense just needs to stay healthy in 2026 to have a chanceThe AFC North is wide open, so nailing this draft is a must<\/p>\n

The Cincinnati Bengals<\/a> are just an average defense away from running away with the AFC North right now. That\u2019s how down the division is, and also how important this NFL Draft is. The Bengals don\u2019t need to look at offense at all \u2013 minus maybe continuing to add depth along the offensive line. Their goal should be to find the best available defensive player in every round for at least the first three rounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cincinnati did a solid job in identifying which defensive players to land this offseason, but they still need depth and they still have some big holes to fill on that side of the ball. They have to improve the linebacker room, and they could use another cornerback as well. I like the idea of Mansoor Delane, but trading up to land Styles would be a big swing.<\/p>\n

New Orleans SaintsThe NFC South is there for the taking, and New Orleans is ascendingThe Saints have holes to fill but could catch fire with the right draft picks<\/p>\n

The NFC South isn\u2019t very good right now \u2013 look no further than the Carolina Panthers hosting a playoff game at 8-9 last year. That\u2019s why the New Orleans Saints have to think about taking this NFL Draft seriously.. The Saints are one more receiver away from putting a dangerous offense around Tyler Shough. They have been mocked to take Jeremiyah Love<\/a> with the No. 8 pick, and I\u2019m not against that necessarily, but will that be the difference in them reaching the playoffs or not?<\/p>\n

Tate is a good option, or a trade back for someone like Makai Lemon if the value isn’t right at No. 8. One more position to watch is cornerback: New Orleans traded Marshon Lattimore to the Commanders last season and need to fill that void. Delane is an option, as well as Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy. Like most of the teams on this list, they can\u2019t take any unnecessary draft risks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Love isn\u2019t a bad option. He\u2019s proven he\u2019s one of the most athletic players in this draft class, and because of his versatility as a pass catcher and runner out of the backfield, it might be the safest option. But the Saints will need more than Love to contend this year, and hitting a home run in the top 10 could add rocket fuel to this rebuild.<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs\"Patrick<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks with head coach Andy Reid after a play against the Chicago Bears during the first half of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Need to prioritize EDGE with first pickHave to find replacements for Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson at cornerCan\u2019t forget about protecting Patrick Mahomes<\/p>\n

This is an inflection point for the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> as inner-circle contenders in the AFC. Travis Kelce is probably going to retire after 2026, Patrick Mahomes returning from a torn ACL and the rest of the NFL is catching up to Andy Reid and Co. So it’s a good thing Kansas City has a top 10 pick, as they look to add some needed juice and youth at a premium position. <\/p>\n

They have a lot of options, but Rueben Bain Jr. has been a big topic of the Chiefs<\/a>.\u00a0They could also be looking at Delane or McCoy to replenish their cornerback room. All three are great options who could help them close the gap on the Denver Broncos. Outside of their two first-round picks, which should be defenders or a wideout, the focus should be protecting Mahomes. Last year, a miserable rushing attack and bad offense line play forced Mahomes to have to be more mobile than he’d like.<\/p>\n

I’m not saying that contributed to the season-ending knee injury, but it certainly didn\u2019t help. The Chiefs already turned to Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III to bring some gas to a plodding running game. Now it\u2019s up to the offensive line to do the rest. <\/p>\n

More NFL Draft news and analysis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every year, we think we know which NFL teams will be contenders. And every year, we’re reminded just…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":865855,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2076],"tags":[7,896,55,2572,2571,6,397],"class_list":{"0":"post-865854","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-orleans-saints","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-new-orleans","10":"tag-new-orleans-saints","11":"tag-neworleans","12":"tag-neworleanssaints","13":"tag-nfl","14":"tag-saints"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116400254072597280","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=865854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/865855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=865854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=865854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=865854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}