18. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have made a lot of good progress this offseason, but I struggled to find a good slot for the team. Sure, you want to think Dallas could improve in 2026 because of how much better they got on defense, but that is far from a guarantee.
We did see Dallas add Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. Downs should be able to contribute immediately, while Lawrence is more of a project, but those moves were just one of many on the defensive side of the ball.
Adding defensive coordinator Christian Parker was a huge win, and moves like Jalen Thompson and Rashan Gary are going to be a boost as well. Given how strong the offense is, too, it’s not a stretch to think that the Cowboys can finish with a winning record this year.
But we can’t rank them too much higher than this, as we did see one of the worst defenses in the league in 2025, and it was bad enough to only win seven games, so Dallas is still unproven until they can prove otherwise.
17. Cincinnati Bengals
Another team in a very similar boat to the Cowboys, Cincinnati could be one of the more fun teams in the NFL, as the work this team has done on the defensive side of the ball is quite impressive. The Bengals added Lawrence in a trade with the Giants, while also signing guys like Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen.
Bryan Cook came along in the secondary as well, so this defense is ready to roll. But as we have seen in previous seasons, the Bengals seem to get in their own way much of the time, as they have missed the playoffs for a third year in a row, and that’s flat-out inexcusable for the prime Joe Burrow years.
In the two seasons that Cincy has been in the playoffs in the Burrow era, 2021 and 2022, the Bengals have at least made it to the AFC Championship Game, which goes to show you just how good this team can be.
If the Bengals defense can improve just slightly, which feels realistic, they’ll shoot up 10 spots in our power rankings and return as a juggernaut in the AFC, a spot they have been before.
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