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<\/a><\/p>\nCLEVELAND, OHIO – AUGUST 27: Easton Mascarenas-Arnold #42 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates with teammates after intercepting a pass during the first quarter of a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Huntington Bank Field on August 27, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n
T\/G Tytus HowardT Spencer Fano (Rookie)LB Quincy WilliamsDE Myles GarrettOG Wyatt TellerLB Devin Bush<\/p>\n
Once upon a time, Cleveland Browns 2026 Week 1 starting quarterback Deshaun Watson was the franchise savior for the Houston Texans. Now synonymous with the term \u201cbust\u201d in the NFL, Watson had an exceptional run as Houston\u2019s starting signal-caller from 2017-2020, often recalled as some of successful yet fractious eras in Houston\u2019s history. Former head coach\/general manager Bill O\u2019Brien was the ringleader of the Texans circus that Watson quarterbacked, but following O\u2019Brien\u2019s firing during a disastrous 2020 season, a lawsuit alleging extensive and shocking acts of sexual assault against Watson in early 2021 – that he originally swore to fight (to \u201cclear his name\u201d) only to settle in 2023 – as well his trade request following contract disputes with Houston, his fame in the city and in the world of sports took an unprecedented nose dive.<\/p>\n
Now in his fifth and final year of a gigantic, $250-million contract with the Cleveland Browns, Watson\u2019s star has only continued to fade under Ohio skies and has often become the face of this woebegone era of the franchise. He reportedly barely won the starting job over second-year QB Shedeur Sanders despite being a highly paid veteran, and his open detest of the team\u2019s supporters has practically earned him the honor of being a pariah in his own stadium. Watson just seemed to continuously sink further below the bar of what is deemed acceptable of a NFL quarterback throughout his half-decade in Cleveland, matching his zenith on the gridiron in Houston with piercing infamy in his new home. This year will be his last chance to turn it all around and prove to everyone that he can still be a competent NFL professional, but I sincerely doubt it. In front of him, Cleveland hopes to have a more consistent o-line – highlighted by the offseason signing former Texan RT\/LG Tytus Howard and 2026 9th overall pick T Spencer Fano – as well as a better rushing attack with RB Quinshon Judkins back from injury. WRs Jerry Jeudy and rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston could make an intriguing combination to pair with TE Harold Fannin Jr., but they\u2019ll need the QB to be consistent, which is wishing upon a star.<\/p>\n
Defense, as it often the case with Cleveland in this new era, their lone saving grace from being by far the worst team in football. But, even here, a decline will likely occur considering superstar DE Myles Garrett has been traded to the Los Angeles Rams. The Browns got DE Jared Verse in return, but he can only hope to fill half of the hole Garrett leaves. If DT Mason Graham can start realizing his draft hype, they might have a new young-duo up front, but they can only do so much. Cleveland does have some talent behind the line with reigning defensive rookie of the year LB Carson Scheswinger, LB Quincy Williams, CB Denzel Ward, and S Grant Delpit, who all will combine to create a strong backfield both against the run and against the pass. But, the big question mark at QB makes this season feel like a primer to the Arch Manning sweepstakes at the 2027 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n
Projected 2026 Record: 3-14<\/p>\n
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – AUGUST 28: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Atlanta Falcons throws against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n QB Malik WillisCB Darrell Baker Jr.T Kadyn Proctor (Rookie)QB Tua TagovailoaWR Jaylen WaddleLB Bradley Chubb<\/p>\n Like many other regimes in Miami, the Mike McDaniel era ended after just over three seasons at the helm. WR Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are gone, QB Tua Tagovailoa is now the week one starter for Atlanta, and in his place is former Green Bay Packers\u2019 backup QB Malik Willis. With new general manager Jon Eric-Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley committed to bringing some of that special Packers\u2019 spice down south, the Dolphins will be trying to emulate a sort of smashmouth-esque offense complemented by an aggresive, ball-hawking defense. Miami\u2019s offense will run through De\u2019Von Achane, but in order for that to work, they\u2019ll need a much better effort from 2025 second-rounder G Jonah Savaiinaea in his sophomore campaign as well as the entire tight end\u2019s room to perform above expectations. Additionally, if their defense hopes to improve beyond their 24th-overall ranking last year, they\u2019re going to need exceptional seasons from CB Jason Marshall Jr., and rookies Chris Johnson and S Michael Taaffe.<\/p>\n Simply put, many positions on the Dolphins\u2019 starting lineup are occupied by young and\/or inexperienced players. They\u2019ll be betting heavily on unknown prospects at multiple positions on both offense and defense, so\u2026they\u2019re tanking. The Miami Dolphins, despite having some intriguing players on the roster, did little this offseason to make them a better team than they were last year. If all of their young starters and rookies hit their ceiling in 2026, they have a chance to be interesting in December, but if not, they\u2019ll be in the quarterback sweepstakes in April.<\/p>\n EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 28: New York Jets fans react during the first half of a preseason game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on August 28, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n QB Geno SmithLB Demario DavisDE Joseph OssaiS Tony AdamsLB Jermaine JohnsonG John Simpson<\/p>\n How do you stay this bad for this long? I\u2019ve ranked the Dolphins and Browns below the New York Jets for these power rankings, but at least both of those teams have appeared in the playoffs more than once in the last six years. Even the lowly Browns can lay claim to more playoff success than the Jets, who haven\u2019t even sniffed the playoffs since 2011. It\u2019s truly remarkable how this football team has practiced mediocrity with so many different coaches, general managers, quarterbacks, and more. This year\u2019s rendition is led by second-year head coach Aaron Glenn, a former CB for the Jets who can now lay claim to NFL infamy for leading the very first defense in recorded history to finish the season with 0 interceptions. Isn\u2019t it just poetic?<\/p>\n It can\u2019t get any worse than this, though. The only way to go is up for the defense, and they\u2019ll do just that with new CB Nashon Wright and Ss Minkah Fitzpatrick and Dane Belton to complement Brandon Stephens. They\u2019ll also be boosted by a completely remade defensive front, now manned by rookie second-overall pick David Bailey, trade acquisitions DTs Harrison Phillips and T\u2019Vondre Sweat, and returning DE Will Macdonald IV. Big moves from a Jets front office that is appearing just as trade-happy as the previous, Joe Douglas-led regime, but don\u2019t tell that to a Jets fan. It\u2019s unlikely they\u2019ll dig far out of the abyss they fell in last year, but the Jets should at least look competent on defense this year.<\/p>\n On offense, QB Geno Smith\u2019s long, winding journey back to the Jets starting job since losing it in 2015 makes for a good story to start the season with, but I\u2019m trepidatious to say that it\u2019ll be a success. WRs Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell, rookie Omar Cooper Jr., and RB Breece Hall should give Geno enough weapons to be productive, but the o-line still has a lot to prove. Either way, Geno should be a better passer than Justin Fields was last year, but I wouldn\u2019t bet on all of these spare parts gelling well right away. There might be some good Jets-related action by November or December, but their season will already be over by then.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 6-11<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 13: Jacoby Brissett #7 and Gardner Minshew #15 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrate after Minshew\u2019s passing touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second quarter of the preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n G Isaac SeumaloS Andrew WingardRB Jeremiyah Love (Rookie)QB Kyler MurrayC\/G Evan BrownDT Calais Campbell<\/p>\n Okay, we\u2019re still in the middle of the muck that the NFL has to offer, but hear me out: Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett is not a terrible quarterback. and the Cardinals won\u2019t be as bad as people think under new head coach Mike LaFleur. Brissett has spent most of his 12-year career as an interim starter and frequent backup, but despite that, Brissett continues to find teams hungry for his expertise year after year, and has had highlight-worthy performances at almost every stop in his career. Although, for Brissett to operate at capacity, he needs a good offensive line in front of him, and even though he\u2019s not exactly getting that with the Arizona Cardinals, they shouldn\u2019t be outright terrible this year. Behind Brissett, he\u2019ll have multiple talented tailbacks to hand the ball off to: RB James Conner, RB Tyler Allgeier, and rookie third-overall pick, RB Jeremiyah Love. This isn\u2019t even to mention WRs Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and TE Trey McBride, who will benefit from Brissett\u2019s arm. And, in the event Brissett starts struggling, the Cardinals have an established journeyman backup in Gardner Minshew II, as well as an intriguing rookie QB Carson Beck to test out if the season predictably gets out of hand.<\/p>\n On defense, things become a lot more fluid for the Cardinals. Star S Budda Baker remains on the roster, and he\u2019s joined by productive former Jaguars S Andrew Wingard. They will provide the experience in the backfield, pairing with second-year CBs<\/p>\n Will Johnson and Denzel Burke, who both showed flashes in the middle of last year\u2019s lost season, but have a long way to go before they can be considered plus starters. Second-year DT Walter Nolan III will also need to take another step forward in his development if the Cardinals are fixing on this rebuild being a short one. If he does, the team might already have the core of a solid pass-rushing group with Nolan, DE Josh Sweat, and former Texan DT Roy Lopez.<\/p>\n The Cardinals are an odd mix of journeyman veterans, established starters, and unproven youths. It\u2019s the perfect combination for a bad record as it\u2019s extremely unlikely all players under age 27 will excel this year. But, if half of them do, and if Jacoby Brissett is able to get production out of all of his skil position players without getting sacked too much, they may be a spicier team than many are expecting. I think they\u2019ll win too many games to secure a top-three pick, but they won\u2019t win so many games that they end up outside of the quarterback sweepstakes in the 2027 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 5-12<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 27: Fernando Mendoza #15 and Kirk Cousins #8 of the Las Vegas Raiders take the field for warmups before a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on August 27, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 49ers defeated the Raiders 18-12. (Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n QB Fernando MendozaC Tyler LinderbaumDE Joseph OssaiQB Geno SmithLB Devin WhiteG Dylan Parham<\/p>\n If there\u2019s a team in the AFC that can rival the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets for consistent production in raw suckage, it would be the Las Vegas Raiders. When was the last time the Raiders were a good football team? Do you even know who their coach was before Pete Carroll? Do you even know who Jordan Meredith is? Well, he isn\u2019t even on the Raiders anymore, he\u2019s on the Jets!<\/p>\n Okay, kidding aside, the Raiders have restarted their franchise a lot in the last decade. They\u2019re hoping that this Klint Kubiak experiment will work, and considering the widespread praise of Kubiak as a head coaching hire, I\u2019m going to assume that this move will work out for them for at least three or four years. Their offense, with new starting C Tyler Linderbaum signed to a record-breaking contract for a center, the Raiders can claim to have an o-line that is at least mediocre. That alone should make them a far better team in 2026, and should be enough to get productive seasons out of RB Ashton Jeanty and the QB-combo of Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza. They will operate in a form of the quick-pass offense Kubiak crafted with QB Sam Darnold in mind in Seattle, which both Cousins and Mendoza should be able to succeed in, especially with an improved interior line. Such an offense excels with good running backs and tight ends, which the Raiders can afford\u2026but, who will be their version of WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba? WR Tre Tucker or Jack Bech? The mere thought of it makes me want to move onto the defense, where the Raiders have some new names to get excited about.<\/p>\n Free agent signees OLB Kwity Paye, LB Quay Walker, and LB Nakobe Dean should improve the Raiders tackling and pass-rush, and a second year of CBs Eric Stokes and Darien Porter manning the starting roles in Las Vegas should mean some more interceptions, hopefully setting up the snappy offense to operate in a complementary capacity. The Raiders did a good job of staying active this offseason and patching the many, many holes left by the previous regime, but a few major injuries could still send the team spiraling to a similar record as before. If Tyler Linderbaum, RT DJ Glaze, and G Jackson Powers-Johnson can form a great wall for Ashton Jeanty to run behind and Kirk Cousins and grin over, they have a chance to make some noise in the AFC wildcard race. But, I find it more than likely that one or multiple of these linemen will struggle or get injured during the 2026 season, which will be enough to sink their very, very slim playoffs hopes.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 6-11<\/p>\n NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – AUGUST 29: Tyren Montgomery #19 of the Tennessee Titans attempts to catch a pass against Marlen Sewell #36 of the Chicago Bears during the first half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium on August 29, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n DT John Franklin-MyersCB Cordale FlottDE Jacob MartinC Lloyd CushenberryLB Arden KeyTE Chig Okonkwo<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the lowest ranked member of the AFC South crew. As is their custom, the Tennessee Titans are hoping that some new coaches and a lot of spending on defense will lead them back to playoff contention. Two new starting CBs arrive in free agency in Alontae Taylor and Cor\u2019Dale Flott, joining free agent D-linemen John Franklin-Myers, Jordan Elliott, and trade acquisition Jermaine Johnson II on this new-look defense led by first-year head coach Robert Saleh. They and rookie second-round pick LB Anthony Hill Jr. will work with star DT Jeffery Simmons to keep Tennessee\u2019s rushing defense stout, and the added pass-rush they\u2019ll generate should create more opportunities for the defensive backs to make a play.<\/p>\n How about that offense, though? 2025 frist overall pick QB Cam Ward has not looked the part of a franchise-leader during the preseason, but Saleh and Titans fans are adamant that those blemishes are nothing to worry about. Maybe they aren\u2019t, but I\u2019m still not fully sold on his offensive line, nor his ability to read through his progressions a little faster. Rookie fifth-overall pick WR Carnell Tate will add another layer to Tennessee\u2019s passing attack, which can be made deadly if second-year WR Elic Ayomanor makes the leap to star-status. Their abilities combined with the RB tandem of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears can be enough to create a solid offense, but Ward needs to prove he can consistently orchestrate touchdown drives behind a very unproven o-line. Until then, they will be stuck in the basement of the AFC South.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 6-11<\/p>\n EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 28: Tyrone Tracy Jr. #29 of the New York Giants celebrates his touchdown during the first half of a preseason game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on August 28, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n LB Tremaine EdmundsWR Darnell Mooney TE Isaiah LikelyWR Wan\u2019Dale RobinsonLB Bobby OkerekeCB Cordale Flott<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a hot minute since the New York Giants have generated this much optimism during the offseason, and yet, I still have them ranked #26. How can that be? How can a team that has two emerging stars in the offensive backfield (maybe more), talent at multiple levels of the defense, and a veteran head coach with a polished resume be ranked so low? Well, the short answer is: I don\u2019t fully believe in the quarterback. At least, not yet.<\/p>\n 2025 1st-round pick Jaxson Dart has already won many hearts across New York considering how exciting things can get when he\u2019s just holding the football. Always determined the make a play, Dart will invite contact, squirm around would-be tacklers, and dial up a beautiful 20-yard pass that\u2019ll hit its target\u2026once every four or five attempts. It\u2019s a kind of backyard quarterbacking that I just don\u2019t believe is sustainable and will inevitably invite plenty of turnovers and\/or injuries, although if there is one offensive coach that I believe can exploit this style of play, it\u2019s Giant offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.<\/p>\n Once hailed as a quarterback whisperer following his work with QB Patrick Mahomes in 2018 and his early success with Mitchell Trubisky in Chicago, Nagy has fallen out of public favor following his firing in 2021. He\u2019s since returned to Kansas City, where his offenses flourished until last year, but despite that, I am still a believer in the Nagy system. If he\u2019s able to make Mitchell Trubisky a pro-bowler, then he\u2019ll be able to create an offense where Jaxson Dart can succeed. I just don\u2019t know if all of that development can happen in one year, and, more importantly, I don\u2019t expect the defense to be a great complement to the offense.<\/p>\n The defense ranked 31st in rushing yards allowed last year, and I don\u2019t expect it to be much better this year. Yes, DT DJ Reader will help, DE Abdul Carter will improve in year two, and rookie LB Arvell Reese could contribute to a revitalized rushing defense, but these are a lot of \u201cifs\u201d for a team that\u2019s in a conference full of great running backs. They\u2019ll be better this year, but not by much.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 7-10<\/p>\n MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – AUGUST 28: Jack Velling #84 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts to his touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n QB Tua TagovailoaT Jawaan TaylorLB Christian HarrisLB Kaden EllissWR Darnell MooneyDE Leonard Floyd<\/p>\n The Raheem Morris era of the Atlanta Falcons was a blank flash in time for fans of the team. The defense improved under his tutelage, yet continued to suffer in pressuring the opposing quarterback. QB Kirk Cousins failed to band-aid the passing offense, and QB Michael Penix Jr. has failed to stay healthy enough to fully assume the starting job since being drafted (under much controversy) ninth overall in 2024. Much like the Falcons of the last five years, Penix will occasionally show flashes of brilliance where his cannon arm, athleticism and accuracy showcase his ceiling. Ever since his early years at Indiana in 2019, you\u2019d could find highlight-reel clips and edits of Penix throws that seemed almost inhuman. But, he\u2019s rarely been able to string a full season together, and that trend had unfortunately followed him to the NFL, where a very talented Falcons team continues to await his emergence. Diminishing returns would oust Raheem Morris after the 2025 season, and once again, the Falcons were a rudderless ship the begin the year.<\/p>\n Enter new head Kevin Stefanski, two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year Winner with the Cleveland Browns (2020, 2023) that delivered them from complete irrelevance, then was fired in January for returning them from whence they came in 2025. Atlanta is betting on the upside of what Stefanski and new general manager Ian Cunningham can offer, which can be a highly efficient offense paired with a ball-hawking defense. But, Stefanski\u2019s recent history with less than stellar quarterbacking isn\u2019t very appealing, and the Falcons\u2019 reliance on DTs Brandon Dolus and Gervon Dexter Sr. to generate pressure is not something that I think they\u2019ll be able to rely on for a full season. It\u2019s an odd, sneaky-older roster in the NFL, but the talent at the offensive skill positions and in the defensive backfield will make the Falcons an intriguing watch in the sloppy NFC South. I think Tua Tagovailoa will look slightly better than people are expecting, Penix will eventually return, but the season will end via a few crucial losses to divisional opponents.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 7-10<\/p>\n DENVER, CO – AUGUST 28: Parker Robertson #36 of the Denver Broncos tackles Jermar Jefferson #17 of the Minnesota Vikings short of the line to gain on fourth down during the third quarter in a preseason game at Empower Field at Mile High on August 28, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos won the game 34-6. (Photo by Justin Edmonds\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n QB Kyler MurrayWR Jauan JenningsCB James PierreDE Jonathan GreenardDT Jonathan AllenDT Javon Hargrave<\/p>\n Imagine I told you your team, which already has multiple star WRs, great offensive linemen, and a QB-whisperer of a head coach, that you would be receiving a new signal-caller in the form of a Heisman-winning, pro-bowling, first overall pick athlete that was so talented coming out of college that there was a realistic debate about whether or not he would skip the NFL for a professional baseball career. Now, imagine that this quarterback is, in fact, Kyler Murray. Murray has driven a wedge between football viewers the world over, dividing friends and family alike with his aggressively debatable play style. He was never considered a truly bad quarterback, but some of the habits he formed while quarterbacking Oklahoma in college – namely, scrambling around the backfield and either finding someone open downfield or running for a first down himself – became his Achilles\u2019 heel in his final year in Arizona. Murray would hesitate before throwing, or spin out of the pocket when there was no good reason to. It wasn\u2019t for a lack of talent at receiver in Arizona, but whatever it was, Murray looked worse in 2025, and was effectively benched by midseason. Now, looking to turn the page in Minnesota, Murray joins a new coaching staff that has some recent experience in quarterback reclamation projects.<\/p>\n While Kevin O\u2019Connell would likely prefer to have Sam Darnold back instead of Kyler Murray, he\u2019s fortunately getting a quarterback that shares plenty of traits with Darnold coming out of college. If he can work his magic on Murray and get him to fire the ball with more authority to his new WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, then the Vikings offense will be back on schedule. Their defense is already loaded with playmakers at all three levels, including recently re-signed veteran S Harrison Smith. If Kyler Murray is able to succeed in Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s offense, stop hitching and hesitating and feed the ball to his receivers, then the Vikings could easily be a playoff team. But, if Murray continues to struggle as he did with Arizona last year, Minnesota will be navigating yet another quarterback controversy for much of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 8-9<\/p>\n ARLINGTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 28: Treyton Welch #82 of the New Orleans Saints leaps over Justin Barron #45 of the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter of an NFL Preseason 2026 game at AT&T Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n RB Travis EtienneG David EdwardsLB Kaden EllissLB Demario DavisTE Foster MoreauCB Alontae Taylor<\/p>\n How many times did you read the name \u201cTyler Shough\u201d until you realized it was pronounced \u201cshuck?\u201d For me, I\u2019ve been seeing his name pop up on college football articles since his brief time with the Oregon Ducks in 2020, and it took until his rookie season with the Saints that I realized his name was not pronounced, \u201cshaw.\u201d New Orleans\u2019 hot-new quarterback may not be the most discussed quarterback of the offseason, but he impressed first-year head coach Kellen Moore enough in 2025 to be given the starting QB job for the Saints this season. He\u2019s got such connection with WR Chris Olave that the receiver launched himself back into the national spotlight in just one season, and TE Juwan Johnson nearly broke 1,000 receiving yards in just Shough\u2019s first year. The key problem for the Saints offense last year was getting more yardage on the ground, and they addressed exactly that with the free agent signings of RB Travis Etienne and G David Edwards. Etienne and Alvin Kamara should be able to succeed both as traditional rushers and as receiving backs in this offense, offering Shough a plethora of targets once the season gets rolling. If only rookie WR Jordyn Tyson was healthy to start the year\u2026<\/p>\n On defense, the Saints are hoping to pick up where they left off last year, albeit without defensive stalwarts Cb Alontae Taylor and LB Demario Davis, who both left in free agency. Hard to believe that Davis would have ever left the Saints after the number of years he\u2019s dominated in the Big Easy, but in his place arrives one of the few NFL LBs capable of filling his shoes – free agent signee Kaden Elliss. Elliss was a do-it-all linebacker for the Falcons the last few years, and has the twitch ones and the instincts to disrupt a whole variety of offensive plays. If he and second-year CB Quincy Riley can excel in their starting roles on the Saints, they could win the NFC South, but if opposing offenses force the Saints into a shootout, I don\u2019t see Shough being the kind of quarterback that can bail them out.<\/p>\n CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 28: Miles Davis #37 of the Carolina Panthers runs the ball during the second half of a preseason game at Bank of America Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n LB Jaelan PhillipsLB Devin LloydT Rasheed WalkerC Cade MaysRB Rico DowdleLB D.J. Wonnum <\/p>\n Now in year four, the debate rages on between Texans QB C.J. Stroud and Panthers QB Bryce Young. Both taken with the first two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and destined to be the faces of their franchises, Stroud and Young have both had ups and downs in their career up to this point. Stroud had the exceptional rookie year, while Young steadily improved in 2024 and 2025, getting to the point where he seemed almost capable of outdueling Matthew Stafford in the Rams\u2019 wildcard matchup with the Panthers back in January. FTN\u2019s Alex Bickle mentions the fact that, despite the improvement (rooted in Young\u2019s growth in avoiding sacks), Young\u2019s \u201cexplosive play rate\u201d stayed roughly the same from 2024 to 2025. \u201cHis explosive play rate barely changed despite the addition of McMillan, and his highlight-worthy throw rate remained near the bottom of the league\u2026He\u2019s avoiding bad plays by avoiding risk altogether.\u201d (FTN\u2019s Football Almanac, 2026, p. 35, Aaron Schatz) So, despite the statistical improvement, Young remained a safe, yet unexceptional quarterback for the Panthers in 2025.<\/p>\n Although, depending on the state of the rest of the Carolina Panthers roster, safe and unexceptional might be all they need to be a winning team! They were very active in free agency, addressing the potential season-long absence of LT Ikem Ekwonu by signing both T Stone Forsythe and T Rasheed Walker. Walker has plenty of starting experience at LT, adn while he is not a superstar at the position, should be a decent-enough pass-blocker for Young to excel. Carolina also made some big splashes in free agency when they signed DE Jaelan Phillips and LB Devin Lloyd. Phillips will immediately provide pass-rush juice to a team that needs it on the edge, and Lloyd will become the core of this new defense. If both Phillips and Lloyd are able to perform as well as they did in Philadelphia and Jacksonville, respectively, then the Panthers could have one of the better defenses in the NFC. But, if injuries continue to chip away at their starting roster as it did in 2025, I can see the Panthers continuing to exist in this awkward limbo with Bryce Young finishing the season as a strictly acceptable quarterback, as infuriating as that result may be. The NFC South won\u2019t be as easy to win this year, either.<\/p>\n 21. Washington Commanders<\/p>\n BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 28: Washington Commanders tight end Tre\u2019 McKitty (46) in action during the Washington Commanders preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on August 28, 2026, at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Mark Goldman\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n LB Odafe OwehDT Tim Settle Jr.S Nick CrossLB Bobby WagnerC Tyler BiadaszDE Jacob Martin<\/p>\n This is one of the teams I feel least confident in my placement of. The Washington Commanders could easily be one of the very worst teams in football. Their star QB Jayden Daniels could get injured or play poorly, the offensive line could collapse without LT Laremy Tunsil, their paper-thin defense could crumble in weeks\u2026suffice to say, there\u2019s a lot of holes in this Commanders team. But, what makes me want to push them up above teams like the Vikings, the Falcons, and the Giants is the fact that Washington\u2019s quarterback has actually proven himself to be capable of great things at the NFL level. Say what you will about Daniels athleticism or\u2026off-field litigiousness, the guy can stand toe-to-toe with the league\u2019s best signal-callers when he\u2019s having a good day. If he\u2019s healthy and given enough time in the pocket to do his thing, he could carry this modestly improved roster to a playoff berth. Losing former Texan LT Laremy Tusnil to a season-ending injury could be ruinious for the entire offense if Brandon Coleman can\u2019t have the season of his life. Bringing in WR Stefon Diggs is a nice band-aid to some serious concern at WR depth, and free agent signee TE Chig Okonkwo should contribute early and often.<\/p>\n On defense, the Commanders are finally trying to get a little younger, moving on from Von Miller and LB Bobby Wagner (even though Wagner was pretty good last year) and replacing them with free agent DE Odafe Oweh and rookie first-round pick LB Sonny Styles. Styles fits the athletic frame that Wagner once had, was a tackling machine in college and has the speed to keep up with faster players. Oweh may have been a bit of a pricey signing, but he should easily fill the hole left by Miller. They also brought in S Nick Cross and CB Akhello Witherspoon, who should both go a long way in improving Washington\u2019s porous pass-defense from last year. The defense isn\u2019t going to be phenomenal, but they should be closer to average this time around, which could be enough for a wildcard spot if Jayden Daniels is cooking. The roster staying healthy is paramount to the success for any NFL team, but for the Commanders, it would mean falling off the razor\u2019s edge they\u2019re standing on right now to remain in playoff conversation. Although, if disaster were to strike and Daniels were to get hurt again, I would be interested in seeing some regular season action from rookie QB Atahn Kaliakmanis. A seventh-round pick out of Rutgers, nothing is really expected out of this guy yet he balled out all preseason long. If desperation strikes Washingotn again and Marcus Mariota isn\u2019t available, I\u2019d be curious to see if Washington found their own version of Davis Mills.<\/p>\n INDIANAPOLIS, IN – AUGUST 29: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) on the sideline during a NFL preseason game between the Detroit Lions and the Indianapolis Colts on August 29, 2026 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n DE Arden KeyDT Derrick NnadiLB Akeem Davis-GatherLB Zaire FranklinS Nick CrossDE Kwity Paye<\/p>\n The old foe\u2026the Indianapolis Colts have been the most frustrating division rival to Houston and currently hold the best winning % against Houston than the Jacksonville Jaguars or Tennessee Titans. The Colts have been a monkey wrench for much of the Texans\u2019 quarter-century of existence, but that has begun to change with C.J. Stroud at the helm. Stroud has gone 5-1 against the Colts, had thrown eight touchdowns to just one interception, and had an average passer rating of 103.2 against Indy. Stroud has had his foot on the Colts since being drafted, and their own struggles in finding a quarterback had kept them out of the playoffs since 2021, despite multiple great seasons from RB Jonathan Taylor.<\/p>\n Indy is hoping that Daniel Jones is finally the answer they\u2019ve been looking for during this quarterback conundrum, signing him to a two-year, $88 million contract extension this offseason. His Achilles tear against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 14 ended his post-Giants renaissance early and sent the Colts spiraling out of the playoffs when their record was 8-2 just a few weeks beforehand. His return signals the Colts\u2019 confidence in the group they assembled last year, but\u2026I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d be so thrilled with this defense.<\/p>\n The rushing defense, led by DTs Grover Stewart and DeFroest Buckner, was great last year. The passing defense, however, ranked 31st in the league! The cactus are betting on that statistic improving by getting two complete seasons out of CBs Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward, and NB Justin Walley, but Stampede Blue\u2019s Andrew Aziz goes on to explain in his preview of the defense that such wishcasting may be ill-advised:<\/p>\n \u201cWard is a quality corner when he is on the field, but his concussion history makes his availability one of the biggest swing factors on the defense\u2026Walley brings talent and long-term upside, but he is also coming off a major injury. Asking him to step into a big role right away is already a lot. Asking him to do it while the team is thin around him adds another layer to the risk\u2026Even Gardner missed games last season\u2026\u201d – Andrew Aziz, The Colts\u2019 defense is betting big on its cornerbacks staying healthy<\/p>\n Now, the starting lineup is nothing to sneeze at, but without a star edge rusher and clear injury concerns at CB, I don\u2019t think we can expect the Colts passing defense to dramatically improve from 31st. If Daniel Jones is able to stay healthy, the Colts will easily be competing for a wildcard spot or even the AFC South crown. But, Jones\u2019 injury history, Indy\u2019s thin defense, and their recent history of losing to the Texans has me far more bearish on them than other pundits. I see a good, but not great season in front of them.<\/p>\n JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – AUGUST 28: Jalon Daniels #10 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scrambles against the Jacksonville Jaguars during a preseason game at EverBank Field on August 28, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n LB Alex AnzaloneRB Kenneth GainwellDE Rueben Bain Jr.WR Mike EvansLB Lavonte DavidDE Logan Hall<\/p>\n This season, more than previous seasons, has to be one where the Buccaneers control the NFC South. They\u2019ve spent the money on extensions to QB Baker Mayfield and DT Vita Vea. They have WRs they believe in that can account for the gaping hole left by WR Mike Evans. They have multiple RBs that can chew up yardage in a heartbeat, behind one of the better offensive lines in football (at least, when they\u2019re healthy). All of it folds around QB Baker Mayfield, who just signed a three-year, $165 million extension earlier this week. He has all of the weapons he needs to get this offense back into the playoff mix, but one of the major questions remaining is not on offense, but on defense.<\/p>\n The departures CB Jamel Dean (Pittsburgh Steelers), LB Hassan Reddick (New York Jets), and LB Lavonte David (retired) leave glaring holes on a defense that was able to keep the Bucs alive throughout their decline last year. They attacked this issue both in the offseason and the draft, bringing in LB Alex Anzalone, DL A\u2019Shawn Robinson, and then drafting DE Rueben Bain Jr., LB Josiah Trotter, and CB Keionte Scott. It\u2019s a new wave of youth spreading across the Buccaneers defense, and if the current starters can gel with the rookies, and second-year CB Benjamin Morrison can effectively replace Jamel Dean, then the sky is the limit for this team. Unfortunately, though, it\u2019s a Buccaneers, and you can\u2019t expect them to play with consistency. They\u2019re going to play to the level of their opponent, and unless Baker Mayfield goes on a tear or all these new faces of defense really come on strong, I expect a similar season as last year.<\/p>\n PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 28: Sean Clifford #4 of the Cincinnati Bengals scrambles with the ball during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 28, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n DT Dexter LawrenceDT Jonathan AllenS Bryan CookDE Trey HendricksonDE Joseph OssaiS Geno Stone<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to rank some of these teams above the Buccaneers, because at least they have a plan on defense. I don\u2019t really know what Cincinnati\u2019s plan is, besides hoping that the return of QB Joe Burrow will fix everything\u2026okay, maybe that\u2019s selling them a little short. The Bengals did trade for star DT Dexter Lawrence to re-establish their defensive line following DE Trey Hendrickson\u2019s departure. In addition, DT Jonathan Allen and DE Boye Mafe arrive in free agency to bolster the line, and they\u2019ll be pining for fourth-year DE Myles Murphy to build on the hot finish he had to last season.<\/p>\n You know what you\u2019re getting on offense with the Bengals at this point: a highly deadly passing attack when Burrow is on the field, and a wishy-washy rushing attack. The floor of the offense has risen this year thanks to continued improvement from RT Amarius Mims and second-year LG Dylan Fairchild, so the ceiling of what this team can do when Burrow is available is very high. Still, they\u2019ll be relying on a wave of new pieces on the defensive front and young LBs, so they\u2019ll still likely only go as far as their offense can take them.<\/p>\n ARLINGTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 28: Tyler Guyton #60 and George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys react to a successful two-point conversion during the second half of the 2026 NFL preseason game against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n S Caleb Downs (Rookie)CB Cobie Durant DT Rashan GaryS Donovan WilsonLB Kenneth MurrayDT Osa Odighizuwa<\/p>\n Will the Dallas Cowboys ever be able to get out of their own way? Nearly every year that QB Dak Prescott has been the starter, the Cowboys have had a top-end passing offense. He\u2019s excelled with a variety of wide receivers, offensive linemen, and coaches in his 11-year career with the Cowboys, and yet he only has two playoff wins to show for it. That\u2019s one less playoff win than C.J. Stroud! Prescott has certainly been a productive QB with WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on the roster, so what gives?<\/p>\n The main culprit of this stagnation has been inconsistency on defense. After they traded DE Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for DL Kenny Clark and some draft picks, the Cowboys defense utterly collapsed, finishing the 2025 season ranked 23rd in rushing yards allowed and 32nd in passing yards allowed. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker will hope to bring some of that Vic Fangio excellence down south, which will begin with new free-agent S Jalen Thompson going the team on a three-year, $33 million deal. Thompson has the awareness and versatility to add a variety of looks to Dallas\u2019s coverages, and he should complement the pass rushing prowess of Clark, DL Rashawn Gary, and DT Quinnen Williams. That\u2019s a lot of mighty meat in the middle of the defense, which will hopefully make the jobs a little easier for new LB Dee Winters whom the Cowboys traded from the 49ers during the 2026 NFL Draft and fourth-year LB DeMarvion Overshown. If Overshown can break the curse of talented Cowboys LBs failing to stay healthy (see: Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander-Esch), then the Cowboys should have a significantly improved defense this year. Even if some of these players are injured, other free-agent additions like CB Cobie Durant, LB Von Miller, and rookie third-round pick DE Jaishawn Barham should provide the Cowboys with some juice.<\/p>\n The Cowboys are certainly deeper than they were last year on defense, which should give them an opportunity to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East crown. It\u2019s atypical for that specific division to be won twice in a row by the same team, let alone three times, so I expect Dallas to really challenge Philly for this playoff spot. The real trick will be getting all of these new defensive players on the same page, and of that can be done, the Cowboys will be a playoff team.<\/p>\n ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 27: Drew Allar #16 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass out of the shotgun during the third quarter of a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on August 27, 2026 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n WR Michael PittmanS Jaquan BriskerCB Jamel DeanRB Kenneth GainwellG Isaac SeumaloWR Calvin Austin III<\/p>\n The Pittsburgh Steelers have taught me something this offseason: people will accept a certain degree of mediocrity that often comes with change. On paper, this 2026 Steelers roster is not drastically better than it was last year. Same mediocre quarterback, but now a little older, same two-headed rushing attack, now led by free agent acquisition RB Rico Dowdle and fifth-year RB Jaylen Warren. Team MVP RB Kenneth Gainwell signed with Tampa Bay in free agency, so Dowdle steps into the difficult position of attempting to replace one of Aaron Rodgers\u2019 favorite targets. I think there\u2019s enough public intel out there for me to say that Rodgers isn\u2019t the easiest person to work with, so the pressure will be on Dowdle to get up to speed quickly.<\/p>\n Incoming head coach Mike McCarthy\u2019s place on this staff is interesting, as well. His previous relationship with Rodgers in Green Bay soured and eventually led to his firing in 2018. Then, his return to the NFL as the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 head coach from 2020-2024 showcased his modernized, \u201cTexas Coast\u201d offense, leading Jerry\u2019s boys to a new era in offensive efficiency. Will McCarthy rely on his modern passing schemes that he honed in Dallas, or will he go through his old play sheets from the Green Bay days? The answer is probably somewhere in the middle, and will ultimately revolve around dump-off passes and quick-slants to WR DK Metcalf or newly acquired WR Michael Pittman. Pittman\u2019s size and footwork could be a recipe for success with Aaron Rodgers, and the run-blocking he and the tight ends can provide could open interesting wrinkles in the offense that didn\u2019t exist before. Everybody on offense NEEDS to stay healthy, though!<\/p>\n On defense, the Steelers have upgraded at the CB position opposite of CB Joey Porter Jr. by letting go of CBs Darius Slay and James Pierre, and then signing CB Jamel Dean in free agency. Dean was one of Tampa Bay\u2019s best defensive backs last year, and will provide some oomph to a backfield that is still a little too-reliant on older players. S Rayshawn Jenkins arrives to pair with S\/CB Jalen Ramsey in the backfield, who made some plays himself last year but is certainly past his prime. LBs Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen were statistically productive, but made several crucial mistakes down the stretch of the season. If the Steelers are looking to rely less on lucky turnovers and more on controlling the ball this year, they\u2019re going to need these two players in particular to dramatically improve. If they do, the Steelers can easily make it back to the wildcard round this season, and even go further. If not, or if Aaron Rodgers regresses further, the Steelers could see their first losing season in over 20 years.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 10-7<\/p>\n INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 27: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers laughs with DJ Uiagalelei #7 during warm up before a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on August 27, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n TE David NjokuTE Charlie KolarC Jake Slaughter (Rookie)LB Odafe OwehWR Keenan AllenG Zion Johnson<\/p>\n Two years into the Jim Harbaugh era of the Los Angeles Chargers, and the results are maybe not as wondrous as certain analysts may have expected. The Chargers seem to have finally found some consistency with two 11-6 finishes in a row, but each of those seasons ending in a wildcard loss have the many fans of QB Justin Herbert wanting more. Herbert is objectively one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, and to his biggest fans, he is the second coming of Peyton Manning. Now in his seventh year as the signal-caller for the Chargers, it\u2019s time for Herber to notch a win in the playoffs, even if it\u2019s just to get this albatross off of his neck.<\/p>\n With Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz calling the shots, Herbert\u2019s enjoyed a better supporting cast of offensive lineman and running backs, as well as a top-ten defense two years running. Although, a Chargers-branded curse that Harbaugh hasn\u2019t been able to break reared it head once again during a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers: starting C Tyler Biadasz suffered signifcant injuries to his left knee and ACL, putting him on season-ending IR<\/a> before his first season with the Chargers could even begin. The center position will now be manned by rookie second-round pick Jake Slaughter out of Florida, who was actually well liked by Battle Red Blog analyst Kenneth Levy, so Los Angeles might not need to worry about a significant drop off if Slaughter transitions to the NFL quickly. Joining Slaughter (and following Chargers O.C. Mike McDanile from Miami) is new free agent RG Cole Strange, who will look to establish a new era for Chargers rushing with RBs Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell. Free agent TEs Charlie Kolar and David Njoku will also be a part of this this effort on the ground, and, if everything works out, Justin Herbert could have the most complete offense of his career.<\/p>\n On defense, the Chargers are led by fourth-year LB Daiyan Henley and the pass-rushing duo of DEs Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu, who led the team with 13.0 sacks last year. Mack, now 35, has slowed down a little bit but remains a deadly force on the edge, and will likely see split snaps with rookie first-round pick DE Akheem Mesidor. Behind them is, of course, perennial pro-bowler S Derwin James, who may have his greatest backfield if CB Donte Jackson and rookie fourth-round S Genesis Smith can realize their high expectations early. To make it short – this is a good roster, and this Chargers team has the mettle to survive a wave of injuries that they couldn\u2019t beforehand. I expect a similar season to last year, but this time, the Chargers will finally notch a playoff victory\u2026.as long as they aren\u2019t playing against the Texans\u2026<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 11-6<\/p>\n JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – AUGUST 28: DeeJay Dallas #20 of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrates in the third quarter during their preseason matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccanneers at EverBank Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.G Emmanuel Pregnon (Rookie)TE Nate Boerkircher (Rookie)RB Travis EtienneLB Devin LloydS Andrew Wingard<\/p>\n Here\u2019s Houston\u2019s biggest challenger for the AFC South crown. Maybe symptomatic of the lack of national coverage of Jacksonville\u2019s ascent to stardom in 2025, many analysts are bearish on the Jaguars this year. Losing RB Travis Etienne, LB Devin Lloyd, and S Andrew Wingard are gut punches to both sides of the ball, and, considering the amount of turnovers the Jags\u2019 defense forced last year, there\u2019s expectations for a big drop off in 2026. Monstrous shoes will need to be filled by second-year LB Ventrell Miller and S Anthonio Johnson, Miller is not quite as big or athletic as Lloyd was, but Johnson conversely has already shown his value by having his best season with the team in 2025. Second-year CB\/WR Travis Hunter returns to the starting lineup after missing half of his rookie season due to injury, and he\u2019s likely to play more CB than WR this year. He and breakout star CB Montaric Brown should combine to make a difficult defensive backfield to pass on, but debate will rage on on whether or not Miller is starting caliber until the season begins. And, up front, DE Travon Walker is entering his first season on his new four-year, $110 million contract. He and DE Josh Hines-Allen have torn apart Houston\u2019s offensive line in the past, but\u2026were not enough to stop the great QB Davis Mills comeback in the fourth quarter of Week 10!<\/p>\n The Jaguars\u2019 defense is still going to be very good. Even if the Hines-Allen and Walker combination may not be as great of a duo as Texans DEs Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, they\u2019re still pretty close. What the Jaguars lacked in raw power and tenacity they made up for in coverage and in turnover margin. They are likely to regress to the mean in at least one of these defensive statistics this year, but that won\u2019t prevent them from being a fringe top ten unit once again.<\/p>\n On offense, the Jaguars have split up the backfield duo of QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne that started all the way back in 2018 at Clemson, and are moving forward with second-year RB Bhayshul Tuten and free-agent RB Chris Rodriguez, Jr. Both of these backs have great power and acceleration, again drawing some comparison to Houston\u2019s backfield of RBs David Montgomery and Woody Marks, but the Jags\u2019 combo has far less experience. The team is banking on WR Brian Thomas Jr. regaining some of that rookie form, but if he doesn\u2019t, they still have a reliable group of pass-catchers in WRs Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and TE Breton Strange. Though, as with Houston, the Jaguars were on the hunt for more tight ends this offseason to join the rest of the league in hopping on the 12-personnel bandwagon. So, in the draft, they brought in TEs Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol in the second and fifth rounds, respectively. Both will contribute this season, with Boerkircher as a lead blocker for Tuten and other second-year RB LeQuint Allen.<\/p>\n These new additions to the rushing attack are going to challenge the Texans during their divisional matches with Jacksonville, as the Jags\u2019 will now have a variety of blockers and carriers to experiment with. QB Trevor Lawrence will be thankful that virtually all of the starting offensive line returns in 2026, albeit with RG Patrick Mekari on IR following back surgery, LG Ezra Cleveland bumping over to the right side to take his place, and rookie third-round pick G Emmanuel Pregnon filling in the LG spot. They can make a case to be the strongest position group on the team, and feature LT Antony Harrison, who Will Anderson compared to Laremy Tunsil <\/a>himself.<\/a> If the RB-by-committee approach succeeds, and Trevor Lawrence has another banner year, the Jaguars can realize their Super Bowl aspirations. However, it\u2019s no secret that many saw this Jaguars\u2019 draft class (and by extension, their offseason) as truly terrible. The Jaguars didn\u2019t bring in any new LBs to replace Devin Lloyd and are relying entirely on Ventrell Miller to mount the position and \u201creached\u201d on the Boerkircher and DT Albert Regis selections. These players could be thrust into starting roles if injuries strike their respective position groups, and if Jacksonville\u2019s maverick scouting department happens to be wrong about these players, the entire team could be feeling the heat very soon. It\u2019s not like the highly aggressive Travis Hunter trade and selection at second overall has worked out for them, but Jacksonville has succeeded despite that. I expect them to continue to do so this year.<\/p>\n Projects 2026 Record: 11-6<\/p>\n INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – AUGUST 29: Skyler Gill-Howard #50 of Detroit Lions celebrates a sack against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 29, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n RB Isaiah PachecoLB D.J. WonnumT Blake Miller (Rookie)LB Alex AnzaloneT Taylor DeckerDT D.J. Reader<\/p>\n How long is a \u201cSuper Bowl window\u201d open? Is it just two or three years, or longer? Does it depend entirely on the age of your roster, or the contract status on your quarterback? Maybe the window gradually gets more open the more pro-bowl caliber players are on the roster, and if that\u2019s the case, Detroit\u2019s Super Bowl window is still very much open. RB<\/p>\n Jahmyr Gibbs is coming off a 1,200+ rushing yard season, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is coming off his fourth pro-bowl season straight, and WR Jameson Williams is coming off of his second 1,000+ receiving yard season in a row. QB Jared Goff is still as sharp as ever, and he\u2019s even developed a rapport with second-year WR Isaac TeSlaa, finding yet another red zone threat. On defense, the Lions still have DE Aidan Hutchinson, LB Jack Campbell, and S Kerby Joseph on the roster and at the peak of their powers. They are losing the blond warrior in LB Alex Anzalone, but his replacements, LBs Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez, have the experience and instincts to make the transition easy. So, if everything is so good for the Detroit Lions, why were they 9-8 and out of the playoffs last year?<\/p>\n Well, the short answer is: their offensive line. Once the talk of the NFL, Detroit\u2019s o-line was a shell of its former self by the end of the 2025 season. Decimated by age and injuries, Detroit\u2019s line were relying on then rookie G Tate Ratledge and then second-year G Christian Mahogany to fill the guard spots after C Frank Ragnow retired and Graham Glasgow had to take his place. All of that motion on the interior line resulted in a significantly worse offensive line than in years passed, and this year will bring another wave of changes. Now, both Glasgow and T Taylor Decker are gone, meaning that there are two new starters to the line yet again: rookie first-round pick RT Blake Miller, and former Texans backup C Juice Scruggs! Scruggs landed on the Lions\u2019 roster after the David Montgomery trade and wasn\u2019t supposed to be a starter, but Lions free-agent signing, C Cade Mays, suffered a wrist injury during training camp, which pushed him onto IR.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a lot of turnover on the offensive line for the Detroit Lions. But, the good news for them is that they don\u2019t need to be an all-star cast of linemen right away – the quality of the skill-position players around them affords the line some leeway. If Ratledge, Mahogany, and Miller can gel together and become at least a decent line in front of Jared Goff, the rest of the Lions roster will be able to carry the team back into the playoffs. If not, however, or if Juice Scruggs is a disaster as an interim starter, the Lions could end up too far behind their NFC North counterparts to stand a chance.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 10-7<\/p>\n KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – AUGUST 28: Safety D\u2019Anthony Bell #23 of the Seattle Seahawks stops running back Brashard Smith #24 of the Kansas City Chiefs short of the goal line on a fourth quarter run in NFL preseason game action at Arrowhead Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n RB Kenneth WalkerS Alohi GilmanCB Mansoor DelaneS Bryan CookCB Trent McDuffieCB Jaylen Watson<\/p>\n The 2025 season for the Kansas City Chiefs was humbling all around. Last year,<\/a> I ranked the Chiefs #3 on my regular season power rankings, stating, \u201cMahomes is still the best quarterback in the NFL..his scrambling ability is his secret sauce that cannot be countered\u2026give him a player like first round pick Xavier Worthy and a similar speedster in Marquise Brown to line up on the opposite side, and the game is basically over.\u201d Shockingly, I was very wrong about the 2025 Chiefs, who were sloppy, awful at running the ball, and most importantly, unlucky. The 2025 Chiefs went 1-9 in one-score games, which I like to think was the football gods exacting revenge on the Chiefs for all of the lucky breaks they exploited from 2019 to 2024. The offense has been running through Patrick Mahomes since he became the starter in 2018, but last year, Mahomes was practically the only bright spot on that side of the ball. The aforementioned WRs Worthy and Brown were not the back-breaking receiving combination that I thought they may be with Mahomes under center, and TE Travis Kelce\u2019s decline worsened as the season wore on. Game after game, more weight would be placed on Mahomes\u2019 shoulders to find the open man, to scramble for a first down, to expose himself to injury in order to keep the chains moving. It resulted in a lot of field goals, close losses, and a major injury to Kansas City\u2019s prized signal caller, so it\u2019s safe to say that head coach Andy Reid will do the best he can to make sure such a season never happens again.<\/p>\n The first step to doing so is bringing in free-agent RB Kenneth Walker on a three-year, $45 million deal. He\u2019ll be able to take the heat off of Mahomes on all three downs, as well as provide a safety-valve for Mahomes to target for short gains, which is better than Mahomes throwing caution to the wind to convert a third-and-short. On defense, the Chiefs are replacing departing CBs Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie with 2025 third-round pick Nohl Williams and rookie sixth-overall pick Mansoor Delane, who have both shown some serious talent in press coverage. DT Chris Jones remains, but the Chiefs just drafted his heir apparent, DT Peter Woods, 29th overall in this year\u2019s draft. In the fourth round, the Chiefs drafted CB Jadon Canady, a training camp standout that is currently projected to be the team\u2019s starting nickelback. From 2018 to 2021, the Chiefs were able to completely rebuild their defense by nailing draft pick after draft pick on that side of the ball, and it looks like they\u2019re trying to do the same thing with the 2025 and 2026 draft classes. Only time will tell if this new wave of young playmakers will be able to lead the Chiefs back to the promised land, but there\u2019s one major advantage they have that I can\u2019t take away from them: they are on the same team as Patrick Mahomes, and that makes literally everything easier. I expect the Chiefs to get back to their winning ways in 2026, and even though the passing offense might still be a little skittish here and there, I expect the rushing attach and the new-look defense to compensate for the deficiencies the Chiefs have elsewhere.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 11-6<\/p>\n 11. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)<\/p>\n MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 11: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after winning the NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 11, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n WR Mike EvansLB Dre GreenlawDT Osa OdighizuwaWR Jauan JenningsWR Kendrick BourneDT Jordan Elliott<\/p>\n Possibly the most efficiently run organization in all of football, the San Francisco 49ers seem to always have the answer on their roster. An injured starting quarterback won\u2019t stop them, because backup QB Mac Jones is nearly as good. Multiple injuries at LB? Don\u2019t worry, the 49ers can get a good game out of veteran LB Eric Kendricks and former Texans fifth-round pick and special-teamer Garrett Wallow. Starting WR Ricky Pearsall expected to miss the entire 2026 season due to a torn PCL? No worries, free agent WR Mike Evans and rookie second-round pick De\u2019Zhaun Stribling will easily fill the hole left by Pearsall. It\u2019s like the 49ers are prepared for whatever terrible news story finds them. I don\u2019t know if the constant churn of injuries has conditioned the front office to be sharper talent scouts than other front offices or if the depth of the roster is inherently better due to the amount of snaps they\u2019ve had to play, but either way, the 49ers seem to survive and even thrive under the injury bugs that are so attracted to them.<\/p>\n And how about that first game! The 49ers just took the L.A. Rams and their Avengers-level roster to the cleaners. Thanks to QB Brock Purdy, Ts Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz, and RBs Chrisitan McCaffrey and rookie Kaelon Black, the 49ers were able to cut the hyped Rams\u2019 defense to pieces, defeating them by multiple touchdowns. It could have been just connected to the Rams suffering more jet lag than the 49ers roster, but a dominant performance like that can\u2019t be ignored. If Brock Purdy is able to feed WRs Mike Evans, De\u2019Zhaun Stribling, and TE George Kittle while the 49ers maintain a strong rushing attack, they\u2019re right back in the race for the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for them, the NFC West is extremely contested, and it will require a near perfect season from San Francisco to guarantee a playoff-spot. If they can stay healthy, they have a real chance of going all the way.<\/p>\n Football: Green Bay Packers Jordan Love (10) in action, runs with the football vs Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field.Green Bay, WI 11\/10\/2025CREDIT: Erick W. Rasco (Photo by Erick W. Rasco\/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images\/Getty Images) (Set Number: X164798)<\/p>\n DT Javon HargraveLB Zaire FranklinQB Tyrod TaylorDL Rashan GaryT Rasheed WalkerQB Malik Willis<\/p>\n The Jordan Love era of the Green Bay Packers has been thrilling and underwhelming. Since taking over the starting job in 2023, QB Jordan Love has led the Packers to three straight playoff appearances, two wildcard losses and one divisional round exit. Statistically, Love has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in football, frequently hitting his open receivers in stride and truly dangerous when he\u2019s hitting his long passes. He hasn\u2019t been as lights-out as former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was after earning the starting role, but\u2026he\u2019s pretty close! Love operates in a more balanced offense than Rodgers did, normally led by RB Josh Jacobs<\/p>\n Jacobs and Love have led a highly efficient, balanced offense in Green Bay the last two years. But, currently, Jacobs is on the NFL\u2019s Commissioner\u2019s Exempt list due to charges alleging battery and damage to property involving his girlfriend in May. Jacobs appeared in court yesterday related to the case, hopefully meaning the Packers will have some clarity on Jacobs\u2019 incoming suspension soon. But, until then, they\u2019ll be relying on backup RB MarShawn Lloyd, who\u2019s played all of just 10 regular-season snaps in his three-year NFL career thus far. A former third-round pick by the Packers in 2024, Lloyd has had some unfortunate injuries at the beginning of his career, but now as the apparent lead back, he will have an opportunity at redemption. His different rushing style is going to invite some changes to the offensive scheme, though, which Acme Packing Company\u2019s Justis Mosqueda took note of during the preseason:<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest difference between the Packers\u2019 offense in the preseason and what we\u2019ve seen in recent years is that the team leaned into the outside\/mid zone scheme much more heavily this summer. It appears that the offense is transitioning back into what it looked like in the earlier LaFleur years, where they were asking their linemen to make more athletic plays in space, rather than just trying to get vertical displacement on inside runs.\u201d – Justis Mosqueda, Packers Preview: What to expect from a MarShawn Lloyd running game?<\/p>\n This change is going to affect the entire offense, but, considering the Packers were excelling in this zone-run scheme back in 2023 with several of the same players, I don\u2019t expect this change to give them significant difficulty.<\/p>\n On defense, the Packers are dealing with some more turnover. DE Rashan Gary was traded to the Cowboys, LB Quay Walker is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders, DT Colby Wooden was traded to the Colts, DE Kingsley Enagbare signed with the New York Jets, and CB Nate Hobbs signed with the San Francisco 49ers. It\u2019s a lot of turnover for defense that ranked on the bubble of the top ten in the entire league. One thing that will make all of this easier to swallow is DE Micah Parsons. Traded by the Cowboys to the Packers mere days before the beginning of the 2025 regular season, Parsons was given an extremely short amount of time to get up to speed with Green Bay\u2019s defensive philosophy, but that didn\u2019t prevent him from having another banner year, totaling 12.5 sacks, 27 QB Hits, and a PFF grade of 91.9 in just 14 games. He tore his ACL in Week 15 against the Denver Broncos, which is expected to sideline him at least until Week 5 of this season.<\/p>\n Parsons\u2019 existence on the defensive line will ensure Green Bay is able to rattle opposing quarterbacks once he returns from injury. Joining him are new Green Bay defenders DT Javon Hargrave, LB Zaire Franklin (who they gained from the Colts in the Wooden trade), and rookie second-round pick CB Brandon Cisse. Hargrave will add some interior pass-rush prowess that they were losing with the Colby Wooden trade, but the Packers are betting heavily on Franklin and Cisse to hit the ground running. Franklin, normally a great run-stuffing LB, had a down year with Indy last year, and Cisse is just a rookie! There\u2019s a lot of hype surrounding Cisse after he showcased his athleticism in training camp, but becoming a professional cornerback in your first year is a difficult jump for literally anyone to make. If Cisse and Franklin can become plus starters for Green Bay, though, they\u2019re a bona-fide playoff team with a quarterback that can win them a championship when he\u2019s on a heater. However, if these two defenders become liabilities, or if MarShawn Lloyd gets injured again, or if TE Tucker Kraft doesn\u2019t play the whole season, the Packers will be back in the miasma they were caught in towards the end of last year.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 12-5<\/p>\n NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – AUGUST 29: Tyson Bagent #17 of the Chicago Bears reacts after a first down during the first half of Week 3 preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on August 29, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n S Coby BryantLB Devin BushC Garrett BradburyS Jaquan BriskerWR DJ MooreLB Tremaine Edmunds<\/p>\n Talk about a single-season turnaround! The Chicago Bears went from a highly dysfunctional circus act under former head coach Matt Eberflus to NFC contender in current head coach Ben Johnson\u2019s first year on the job. Johnson\u2019s offensive wizardry was just the spice that 2024 first-overall pick QB Caleb Williams needed to practically become the new face of the NFL. Commercials, and magazine covers, Williams has utterly transformed Chicago\u2019s reputation in professional football through his bottomless well of highlights and personality. On the gridiron, his improvisation while under pressure and awareness of receivers downfield made watching him an absolute delight, especially as his \u201cclutch factor\u201d seemed to improve by the week. We all hear the \u201che\u2019s just like Patrick Mahomes\u201d allusion over and over again, but Williams is probably the most deserving of the comparison that we\u2019ve seen yet in the NFL. He and his offensive line were practically miracle workers in the latter half of the season, winning six of their last nine games and stealing nearly all of those victories in the final five minutes of the game. That\u2019s not to take attention away from the rushing attack, either, as RBs D\u2019Andre Swift and then-rookie Kyle Monangai combined for 2,333 scrimmage yards. This offense carried the Bears all the way to the NFC North crown and Chicago\u2019s first playoff win in over a decade, launching Caleb Williams to hero status to starved Bears fans across the country. A disappointing, albeit thrilling loss to the L.A. Rams in the divisional round would end their magic carpet ride, but the hype for this new generation of Bears superstars has sent the excitement for 2026 through the roof!<\/p>\n \u2026that is, until you remember the defensive side of the ball. The Bears ranked 29th in yards allowed on that side of the ball, and if defensive coordinator (and former New Orleans Saints head coach) Dennis Allen wants to stay in the good graces of his employer, he\u2019s going to have to give his group a serious makeover, STAT. A mass exodus of Bears defenders: S Jaquan Brisker left to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, S Kevin Byard left to join the New England Patriots, CB Nahshon Wright left to join the New York Jets, DL Andrew Billings left to join the Arizona Cardinals, LB Tremaine Edmunds left to join the New York Giants, and more former Bears sought new employment around the league. In response, Bears general manager Ryan Poles attacked free agency, signing S Coby Bryant, LB Devin Bush, DT Neville Gallimore, DT Kentavius Street, CB Cam Lewis, and bringing back LB Jack Sanborn after he spent a year with the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, Coby Bryant hyperextended his left knee in August and required surgery, so he will miss the majority, if not all, of the 2026 season and will be replaced by journeyman safety Xavier Woods and rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a lot of new pieces for defensive coordinator (former New Orleans Saints head coach) Dennis Allen and the Bears. He\u2019s hoping that Devin Bush, LB D\u2019Marco Jackson, and LB T.J. Edwards will combine to form a stronger core of defenders against the run, and they\u2019re desperate for a healthier defensive line to pull their run-defense out from the cellar. DEs Montez Sweat and Dayo can form a spicy pass-rush combination if you just believe\u2026okay, it doesn\u2019t even hold a candle to what we get to enjoy with the Houston Texans defensive line, but if they can stay healthy, they should at least get closer to average. Average is also what they\u2019re hoping for out of the defensive backfield, where they hope starting CBs Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson are able to churn out career years. Johnson has consistently been a solid cornerback when he\u2019s healthy, but Stevenson\u2019s mental mistakes and lapses in coverage cost the Bears dearly in multiple games last season. They don\u2019t need in toe dramatically improve, but, again, they need him to get closer to average.<\/p>\n So, the offense was really good, and will probably continue to benefit from the Caleb Williams Show even without WR DJ Moore on the team and second-year WR Luther Burder III taking his place. Burden, WR Rome Odunze, and TEs Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet have all established a connection with Williams, and he will only improve with a full offseason under Ben Johnson\u2019s tutelage. But, the onus is on the defense to use its new pieces and relative health to keep opposing offenses from walking all over them, especially on early downs. If they can just be average, the Chicago Bears could be a Super Bowl team. But, if a few injuries to the defensive line or backfield strike again, they\u2019ll be walking towards another divisional round exit. I think\u2026they\u2019ll take one step further in the playoffs this year.<\/p>\n BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – AUGUST 28: Joe Fagnano #12 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter during a preseason game against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n S Jaylinn HawkinsG John SimpsonDT Calais CampbellTE Isaiah LikelyC Tyler LinderbaumTE Charlie Kolar<\/p>\n Time never stops, even when you\u2019re not looking. John Harbaugh had been the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens for 17 years before being fired in January. He and former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had become symbols of their respective team\u2019s success. Stability and consistency were their calling cards, and very, very few other NFL clubs could claim such a long tenure as a winning franchise. Harbaugh coached throughout the entire QB Joe Flacco era in Baltimore and the entire QB Lamar Jackson era up until 2026. And therein may lie the reason Harbaugh was fired. Lamar Jackson has consistently been one of the very best quarterbacks in the NFL since 2019, a hall-of-famer in his prime, and the pressure on the organization to win became too much for Harbaugh to bear.<\/p>\n Enter first-year head coach (and Jim Harbaugh disciple) Jesse Minter. Of the several new head coaches in 2026, only Joe Brady could possibly be under more pressure than Minter, who will need to take a refreshed roster to the Super Bowl to satisfy the public\u2019s desires. He\u2019ll be operating with four new starters on both offense and defense, primarily in the trenches for each. On offense, the entire interior line has a new starting cast, consisting of former Jet, LG John Simpson, surprise starting C Jovaughn Gwyn, and rookie first-round pick RG Olaivavega Ioane. Many expected former Browns starting C Ethan Pocic to take the job in Baltimore, and it\u2019s still possible he will once he\u2019s recovered more from his torn achilles suffered last December,<\/a> but as for week one, it\u2019s Gwyn up front. This new-look line will be tasked with improving Baltimore\u2019s pass-blocking as well as ensuring Derrick Henry has the space to do what he does best: pick up speed and run people over. Lamar Jackson will be targeting some familiar faces when he drops back, but among the new faces are TE Durham Smythe, rookie TE Matthew Hibner, and rookie WRs Ja\u2019Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt. He\u2019ll still be focusing on WR Zay Flowers and TE Mark Andrews, but Lane and\/or Sarratt should provide another target in the red-zone and on third downs. If Lamar can develop a connection with him, he can open up the passing lanes for other receivers, or even scrambling lanes for himself.<\/p>\n Defense is where Jesse Minter is most expected to work his magic. The Ravens finished near the bottom of the league in pressure rate, a rare thing for such a consistently great team. Say goodbye to DEs Kylie Van Noy, David Ojabo, and DTs Taven Bryan, Dre\u2019Mont Jones, and Brent Urban, and say hello to DE Trey Hendrickson, DT Calais Campbell, and rookie DE Zion Young. Hendrickson, despite his regression last year, will be an upgrade at pass-rush along with Nnamdi Madubuike. Tavius Robinson and rookie Zion Young should contribute as well, but, crucially, Calais Campbell, the angles wonder, will make for a ferocious combination with fellow Ravens DT Travis Jones. Campbell is a heavily underrated addition everywhere he has gone, and I\u2019m not betting on his age to catch up with him, because, as of September first, he is officially 40 years old!!! And he\u2019s a starting defensive tackle in the NFL! He was drafted over 18 years ago! So, basically, I think we can say Calais Campbell has successfully defeated Father Time, and can be expected to be the final piece to this pass-rush puzzle.<\/p>\n Okay, okay, okay. Maybe I\u2019m exaggerating things a little bit, but I\u2019m a little bit more of a believer in this defensive front than I am of the Bears. The defensive backfield is a little more suspect, but free-agent signee S Jaylinn Hawkins will give Minter more to work with. If he can get better seasons out of CB Marlon Humphrey, LB Roquan Smith, and the aforementioned Hendrickson, than the Ravens should be right back in Super Bowl contention. If not, or if Lamar Jackson has another season marred by nagging injuries, and they could be clinging to the fringe of the playoff-window once again. The depth on this year\u2019s roster is better than it was last year, but the offense will still run through Jackson.<\/p>\n DENVER, CO – AUGUST 28: Denver Broncos live mascot Thunder is ridden by Gretchen Flynn before a preseason game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on August 28, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n WR Jaylen WaddleDT Tyler Onyedim (Rookie)RB Jonah Coleman (Rookie)LB Dre GreenlawDL John Franklin-MyersS P.J. Locke<\/p>\n Listen, I\u2019ve been trying my best to give a quick and honest review of each NFL team for my inaugural power rankings for this year. I like to cover notable player leaving and coming in, the state of the team\u2019s quarterback, and highlight any positions of extreme strength and weakness that I find. That being said\u2026I just can\u2019t bring myself to care about the Denver Broncos.<\/p>\n Yes, they were one of the AFC\u2019s best football teams last year. Yes, DEs Baron Browing, Nik Bonnito, and DL Jared Allen created one of those fearsome defensive lines in recent NFL history. Yes, they probably would have made the Super Bowl last season if QB Bo Nix wouldn\u2019t have broken his ankle during their divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills. They brought back nearly every starter, improved through the draft, and even traded for Miami Dolphins star WR Jaylen Waddle. There are a plethora of reasons for me to embrace the Broncos as the AFC\u2019s next big powerhouse out west\u2026but I just can\u2019t bring myself to care for them. I just can\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n Maybe it has something to do with my dislike of their head coach, Sean Payton. Maybe it has something to do with those new uniforms, which look like they were pulled out from a clearance rack in Wal-Mart. Maybe it\u2019s rooted in some grudge I have against the Broncos for beating the Texans – and giving a concussion to CJ Stroud – in Week 6 last year. I don\u2019t know what it is, but you can\u2019t make me care for them.<\/p>\n Regardless of my apathy, they\u2019re going to be a very good team yet again this year. The most important spots on their team: the offensive line, defensive line, and defensive backfield remained largely untouched. QB Bo Nix has recovered and is reportedly back to his old self in practice. RB J.K. Dobbins has also returned from injury, he and second-year RB RJ Harvey make for a deadly one-two punch, that is even scarier when you remember that Nix is fully capable of running himself. Head coach Sean Payton isn\u2019t exactly known for developing an offense that takes advantage of his quarterback\u2019s athleticism, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if we get some Taysom Hill-esque plays called this year with Nix in mind. Another layer of the offense that Payton can exploit is trade acquisition WR Jaylen Waddle. Waddle will be an immediate impact player on this offense, and should give Bo Nix more chances to show off his impressive deep-ball accuracy.<\/p>\n On defense, Denver brings back one of the most productive defensive lines in recent NFL history. DEs Nik Bonitto and DE Jonathan Cooper rivaled our favorite pass-rushing duo in Houston for best in the NFL, and DT Zach Allen completed the front to make it quite impossible to protect against. They finished the season with 68.0 sacks, a whopping 11.0 more than the second place Atlanta Falcons. LB Dre Greenlaw is getting replaced by longtime Bronco LB Justin Strnad, who may not be the spark plug Greenlaw was but should at least play at a starting-caliber level. He\u2019s saved the Broncos in the past, and if he can build on his 2025 campaign, they\u2019ll be in the running for the best defense in the NFL yet again. The defensive backfield, like the Texans, is an embarrassment of riches. CB Patrick Surtain II is one of the few cornerbacks in the league that can rival Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. for the title of \u201cBest Cornerback in the NFL.\u201d CB2, Riley Moss, may not be as much of a lockdown corner as his teammate, but still tallied 15 pass deflections last year. NB Ja\u2019Quan McMillian struck fear into my heart during their game against the Texans, and did so to basically every other team the Broncos faced considering he was Broncos highest graded starter on PFF. At safety, Denver is once again led by Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones. The only starter they lost on defense this offseason was DL John Franklin-Myers, who will have much of his production effectively replaced by a combination of DLs D.J. Jones, Sai\u2019vion Jones, and rookie third-round pick Tyler Onyedim.<\/p>\n This is largely the same team from last year, so it\u2019s clear Denver thinks they\u2019ve landed on a winning formula already. Not unlike the Jaguars, the Broncos seem almost satisfied with the roster they\u2019ve assembled already. But, unlike the Jaguars, they have reason to believe so at nearly every single position on the team. They are absolutely loaded on defense, and the offense may not be far behind with the addition of Jaylen Waddle. Although, I doubt the Broncos will be able to repeat their 2025 record of 11 wins in one-score games. Chances are, they\u2019re going to lose a few more of those games than they did last year, but a worse record does not necessarily mean a worse team. I may project the Broncos to have a lower win total in 2026, but they are still a Super Bowl contender all the same.<\/p>\n 6. New England Patriots (0-1)<\/p>\n SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 09: Josh Jobe #29 of the Seattle Seahawks intercepts a pass in the end zone intended for Mack Hollins #13 of the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter in the game at Lumen Field on September 09, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jane Gershovich\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n WR AJ BrownWR Romeo DoubsS Kevin Byard IIIWR Kayshon BoutteWR Stefon DiggsS Jaylinn Hawkins<\/p>\n The NFL world is now fully awakened to QB Drake Maye. Okay, well, after his three-interception performance to kick off the 2026 season, that sentence may not seem as intimidating as it did before, but Drake Maye is still one of the NFL\u2019s very best quarterbacks. In order to compete with the division-rival Buffalo Bills, the Patriots needed to find their own source of serious firepower. Drake Maye appeared to fit the bill after his rookie season in 2024, but he realized his astronomical potential in 2025. He finished his sophomore season fourth in passing yards, first among all starters in completion percentage and first among all starters in yards per attempt.<\/p>\n Despite the easy schedule, the Patriots offense was deserving of all the praise they received last season, and Patriots fans can rest easy knowing they officially have a quarterback that can stand toe-to-toe with Josh Allen\u2026It\u2019s just that\u2026y\u2019know\u2026sometimes, those Josh Allen-like quarterbacks don\u2019t have a great game. Sometimes, they have a three-interception game, too! Okay, Drake Maye didn\u2019t look good in the Patriots\u2019 Wednesday-night loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but I\u2019m betting on that to be the exception, rather than the norm. On top of that, I expect the Patriots offensive line to gradually improve its pass-blocking with Jared Wilson moving to center and free-agent signee Alijah Vera-Tucker manning the LG spot. And, once he\u2019s a little more comfortable in the pocket, new WRs Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown will be feasting on Maye\u2019s passes all season long. The Maye-to-Brown connection alone might be good enough to guarantee a playoff victory.<\/p>\n On defense, the Patriots are mostly running it back with largely the same squad, but will be adding some new faces to the pass-rush, as well as the defensive backfield. Gone are DEs K\u2019Lavon Chaisson, Anfernee Jennings, DL Khyiris Tonga, and LB Jahlani Tavai, and in their place arrive DE Dre\u2019Mont Jones, rookie second-round pick DE Gabe Jacas, and third-year Patriot DE Elijah Ponder. The focus of the defensive front is with DT Milton Williams and DT Christian Barmore, but the Patriots have put a lot of weight on the shoulders of these incoming DEs. In the backfield, free agent addition S Kevin Byard replaced free agent departure Jaylinn Hawkins, and arguably improves the already dominant group, that is, as long as he doesn\u2019t start aging this season. CB Christian Gonzalez was just made the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history a few days ago, and he was worth every penny.<\/p>\n Realistically, like the Denver Broncos, the Patriots can\u2019t expect another 14-3 season. A lot of things broke in their favor on the way to that record, and a lot of things went their way in the postseason, and you simply can\u2019t expect to get that lucky twice in a row. Who knows, though? Maybe Drake Maye also has the Tom Brady gene of constantly being lucky. It\u2019s too early to tell, but I suspect the Patriots to be equally as deadly on offense, and little less fortunate on defense. New England gets the edge on Denver here purely because of the higher ceiling I suspect Drake Maye has over Bo Nix.<\/p>\n ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 27: Frank Gore Jr. #20 of the Buffalo Bills is tackled by Carson Bruener #44 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter of a preseason game at Highmark Stadium on August 27, 2026 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n WR DJ MooreLB Bradley ChubbS C.J. Gardner-JohnsonG David EdwardsDE Joey BosaLB Matt Milano<\/p>\n Even though I believe the Buffalo Bills made a mistake in firing head coach Sean McDermott, I think they effectively covered for that mistake in hiring Joe Brady. Part of McDermott\u2019s coaching staff, Brady won\u2019t rock the boat too much, and is the architect of the modern QB Josh Allen-led offense. Josh Allen is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL right now, and probably the most athletically gifted besides Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. He\u2019s finally receiving his next big #1 receiver in WR DJ Moore, who was acquired from the Bears for a 2026 second-round pick. Moore will open up the offense so much for both Allen and star RB James Cook that you\u2019ll almost forget about the army of good TEs the Bills have in Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and Jackson Hawes. The o-line has stayed the same besides LG David Edwards, who departed in free agency for the New Orleans Saints. In his place arrives longtime Bill backup Alec Anderson, who\u2019s feisty demeanor has made him a fan favorite. It\u2019s a bit risky to be rolling with such an unproven player as the starter, but the Bills have excelled at both run-blocking and pass-blocking in the last few years, so I\u2019m inclined to trust them.<\/p>\n On defense, the major problem with moving on from Sean McDermott arises. In McDermott\u2019s place, Joe Brady has hired defensive coordinator Jim Leonard, who is seeking to replace Buffalo\u2019s 4-3 defensive scheme with a 3-4 defensive scheme. This will put the defensive linemen in new gap assignments and force DEs Greg Rousseau and Michael Hoecht to become OLBs and will now have some sort of upright stance. I\u2019m not entirely sure why you\u2019d want to change a defense that ultimately finished seventh in the league in yards allowed, but the Bills did in fact struggle against teams that were more effective running the ball, so I guess some change is warranted. Free agent DE Bradley Chubb will certainly look more at home in the new defensive scheme, but I\u2019m a little unsure of the change, overall. It won\u2019t prevent the group from being a top-half unit, but it\u2019s a little risky. Rolling with S C.J. Gardner-Johnson and second-year CB Maxwell Hairston as starting players is a risky move, too. Gardner-Johnson\u2019s mental errors were something us Texans fans had to briefly tolerate while he was on the team, and Hairston has yet to prove he can truly excel at the NFL level.<\/p>\n And yet, despite all of those lingering questions on defense, I still expect the Bills to yet again be a Super Bowl contender. The roster on offense is still loaded with talent, led by an MVP-contending quarterback. The defense still has DT Ed Oliver and CB Christian Belford on the roster, so they can\u2019t be terrible. Similar to the Bears, the Bills just need an average defense to be true contenders. Unlike the Bears, they certainly have the roster and the continuity to make that happen. Getting over the divisional round\/championship game hump will primarily mean putting less on Josh Allen\u2019s plate, so he isn\u2019t as incentivized to play hero-ball in order to win. If Joe Brady is able to develop a reliable offense around feeding the ball to James Cook, DJ Moore, and Dalton Kincaid, then they might just break through that glass ceiling.<\/p>\n Projected 2026 Record: 12-5<\/p>\n PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 28: The Philadelphia Eagles huddle during an NFL preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field on August 28, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Perry Knotts\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n WR Makai Lemon (Rookie)DE Jonathan GreenardWR Dontayvion WicksWR AJ BrownLB Nakobe DeanS Reed Blankenship<\/p>\n We all have our favorite players. Some of them are players that played for our Alma-maters, some are from our home town, and some we just like for no specific reason at all. One of my favorite players that I don\u2019t have a good reason for liking as much as I do is Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. The Eagles won the Super Bowl two years ago, fizzled out in the wildcard last year, and now are looking towards Hurts as the beacon to lead their team once again back to the championship. All the way from second-round pick, to system-quarterback, to franchise face, to franchise liability, Jalen Hurts has heard it all this offseason. He\u2019s had to surmount rough patches in his career as the Eagles starter before, too. Multiple stretches in 2023 and 2024 of ugly passes and uninspired route-designs drove Philly fans mad, and at one point led former star WR AJ Brown to take up reading affirmations on the sidelines. A major subplot to the frustrations surrounding the Hurts-led offense was his usage – or lack thereof – of Brown, widely seen as one of the best receivers in the NFL. His production was hit-or-miss with the Eagles and largely depended on the opponent they were facing, which is not the kind of lifestyle a superstar receiver wants to lead.<\/p>\n Hurts\u2019 failure to satisfy this receiver as well as the general public has me ready to admit that he needs to improve in year six as the starter. He\u2019s had a fantastic offensive line, multiple good receivers and running backs, and offenses tailored to his strengths, and yet, he still only passed for 3,224 yards. He\u2019s a good quarterback, but the Eagles are searching for more complexity and more\u2026unpredictability on offense, and new offensive quarterback Sean Mannion is likely to bring some of that McVay\/Shannahan spice with him to Philadelphia. Expect more motion, more plays where Hurts is under center, and a lot more passing down the middle of the field. If Hurts can channel some of that quarterbacking he showcased in 2021 and 2022, the Eagles should be able to easily transition to a more complex passing offense. Doing so should free up star RB Saquon Barkley to have more of a season like 2024 than like 2025, as he proved last year that he cannot carry an offense that relies so heavily on just running the ball. Heck, even giving him a few more screen passes and outside-zone attempts should improve his yards per attempt in 2026.<\/p>\n On defense, the Eagles have a much more appreciated core of young stars. DTs Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, and CBs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell were four of the most popular players on the team last season, leading the Eagles to the 13th-ranked defense in yards allowed. They\u2019re one weakness was against the run, where they hope free-agent signing (and former Texan) DE Jonathan Greenard will come to the rescue. 2025 first-round pick LB Jihaad Campbell will replace the departing LB Nakobe Dean, and has all the athleticism and smarts to do so. The Eagle are also excited about DE Jalyx Hunt\u2019s ascension this offseason, and I\u2019ve been curious to see what yet another uber-athletic defensive playmaker might do to this defense. They were willing to let S Reed Blankenship come to the Texans in free agency because 2025 second-round pick Andrew Mukuba was playing exceptionally well for a rookie until his injury in Week 12. Simply put, the Eagles have pro-bowlers at all three levels of the defense, so there\u2019s very little to worry about on that side of the ball.<\/p>\n How you feel about this team largely depends on how you feel about Jalen Hurts. If you\u2019re a critic of Hurts, you\u2019re likely not expecting him to handle the additional offensive complexity very well, and if that happens to come true, the Eagles will likely suffer and Hurts will be to blame. However, if you are like me, and Jalen Hurts is one of your favorite players because of his resilience to criticism, athleticism, and\u2026fashion sense\u2026then you\u2019re likely expecting him to flourish under an offense that demands more out of him. The truth will likely end up somewhere in the middle, which, to me, will be more than enough for the Eagles to be Super Bowl contenders once again. This defense has officially passed up the Bills in my mind and is now rivaling the Broncos, Texans, and Seahawks for the top spot in the league. If Jalen Hurts can successfully run an offense that asks him to run more and to throw down the middle more often, they should have a good chance of making the Super Bowl for the third time in five years.<\/p>\n HOUSTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 20: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans calls a play in the huddle in the first half against the Las Vegas Raiders during a preseason game at Reliant Stadium on August 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n G\/C Keylan Rutledge (Rookie)RB David MontgomeryWR Kayshon BoutteDL Tim SettleDE Derek BarnettWR Christian Kirk<\/p>\n Finally, we\u2019ve arrive at our team. The Houston Texans have been one of the most hyped teams of the 2026 offseason, partially because of the relentless activity that general manager Nick Caserio has engaged in, and also because of the controversy spurred by the rather grizzly performances of starting QB C.J. Stroud. Stroud\u2019s efforts in Houston\u2019s wildcard win against the Steelers and divisional-round loss to the Patriots were the stuff of nightmares. First-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley was tasked with making the offense more complex for Stroud to take advantage of, while simultaneously improving the effectiveness of the offensive-line, which ushered in four new starters at the beginning of the 2025 season. That\u2019s a lot to deal with in Caley\u2019s first year calling plays, and even though the Texans were rather ugly on offense to start the year, they gradually emerged from mediocrity as the season wore on, became one of the more efficient passing offenses in the final six weeks of the season, and finished the season ranked 14th in passing offense. This is pretty impressive considering the state of the offense was in at the very beginning of the season, but for many spectators, all of that progress was wiped away after those two extremely ugly playoff performances by CJ Stroud. If Stroud and, by extension, Nick Caley are trying to silence the critics out there, they\u2019re going to have to do a lot better than 14th in 2026.<\/p>\n Much of this offseason was spent piecing together an improved version of last year\u2019s offense. For the second year in a row, Nick Caserio spent free agent capital and draft capital on offensive lineman, he traded for former Lions RB David Montgomery, signed free-agent TE Foster Moreau and drafted multi-talented TE Marlin Klein to contribute both to the rushing attack and the passing attack. This was going to be the year that Nick Caley got all of the toys he needed to fully realize the McVay\/McDaniels offense he envisioned for Stroud. This more developed offense was starting to materialize in training camp, when disaster struck: second-year WR Jayden Higgins tore his ACL during practice, ending his 2026 sophomore campaign before it even began.<\/p>\n This was absolutely crushing news for Texans fans everywhere. Jayden Higgins was, in many ways, another copy of Texans star WR Nico Collins, who\u2019s been the primary receiver for CJ Stroud\u2019s professional career up to this point. Higgins was supposed to give Stroud another big-body receiver with a wide catch-radius for him to target downfield, which happens to be Stroud\u2019s strong suit. Downfield accuracy is a major component to what makes him a great quarterback, and Higgins was just going to give Stroud more opportunities to show that off. Now, with Higgins on IR, the pressure was on Nick Caserio to find a solution. He found one is former Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte, who is not the big body or blocker that Jayden Higgins can be, but is at least a good enough route-runner and receiving target to immediately become a starter on Houston\u2019s depth chart. He alone will not be able to replace Jayden Higgins, but the combination of Boutte and fourth-year WR Xavier Hutchinson might be enough to replicate Higgins \u201cin aggregate.\u201d<\/p>\n On defense, you already know the story! DEs Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. make up the best pass-rushing duo in the entire NFL, with Anderson\u2019s pressure rate a preposterous 80% in 2025. Anderson also improved his run defense in 2025, fully rounding out his game in just year four and establishing himself as one of the NFL\u2019s next great pass-rushers. He and Hunter and joined by the always underrated DTs Tommy Togiai and Sheldon Rankins. Togiai was a surprise star down the stretch for the Texans, who were looking for a spark in the middle of the field after DT Tim Settle suffered a season ending injury at midseason. Togiai came in, caused so much disruption that he was given the starting job, and he still has it! Rookie second-round pick DT Kayden McDonald is expected to hop into the game in place of Togiai or Rankins on rushing-downs, but McDonald\u2019s role could grow as the season goes on if he impresses quickly. Behind Anderson and Hunter are more depth pieces Dominique Robinson, Logan Hall, and former Texans star-turned journeyman Jadeveon Clowney. It\u2019s debatable whether or not the Clowney\/Robinson combination is much better than the Derek Barnett\/DeNico Autry combo that was employed last year, but the addition of Clowney means the Texans will be that much better at stopping outside zone rushes, which was one of their weaker spots last year.<\/p>\n In the backfield, the Texans have replaced the revolving door at SS (M.J. Stewart, Myles Bryant, Jaylen Reed) with free agent signee Reed Blankenship. Blankenship may have had a down year at Philadelphia in 2025, but he is still a smart and instinctual safety that will plug right into Houston\u2019s already feisty defense. The DB room could still be a spot of weakness, though, as a few major injuries could bring last year\u2019s skeleton back out of the closet. Backup CB Tremon Smith wasn\u2019t awful last year, but he certainly wasn\u2019t good against the Chargers or Colts. Maybe second-year CB Jaylin Smith or rookie S Kamari Ramsey will be capable of plugging into the Texans\u2019 defense in the event a starter gets hurt, but their lack of experience does make me nervous. Similarly, the Texans seem to have found an acceptable group of backup LBs in Jake Hansen, Jake Hummel, and rookies Aiden Fisher and Wade Woodaz, but their inconsistent play in the preseason gave me enough pause that I\u2019d fear to see what our defense would become if LBs Azeez Al-Shaair or Henry To\u2019oTo\u2019o were to suffer injuries.<\/p>\n Overall, I think the Texans have done the difficult work of further improving their offensive line as well as filling in the depth of the entire team without breaking the bank. Nick Caserio has a reputation of shrewd, but clever cap management, and was rewarded for his efforts this offseason. Houston was able to re-sign starters on both sides of the ball, bring in talented free agent players of various skill levels and poularity, and still had enough capital on hand to orchestrate a quick trade for Kayshon Boutte when a significant injury forced his hand. The Texans didn\u2019t dramatically change their starting lineup for this season, but two new starting interior linemen, a new starting running back, a new starting safety, and significantly improved depth at tight end and guard should be enough to vault the Texans from Super Bowl hopeful to bond-fide Super Bowl contender. Even without Higgins, I still think this Texans offense will improve, with CJ Stroud in particular set to benefit the most from all of this change. If Stroud is able to get back to his rookie self, then the Texans will almost certainly make the Super Bowl and potentially even beat the Rams for the championship. However, if Stroud begins to regress again, and starts to look more like his playoff form rather than his rookie form, then the Texans will be in an awkward spot in a hurry. The chants for backup QB Davis Mills may start right away if Stroud doesn\u2019t hit the ground running, so he has to make sure this this year becomes his best year yet. I\u2019m predicting\u2026a slightly worse record, but Houston will get one step closer to the Super Bowl\u2026and will unfortunately lose in the AFC Championship Game against the Bills, Ravens, or Broncos.<\/p>\n 2. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n