![Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) proudly wears his AFC South Division Champions hat during the fourth quarter in an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7 [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_313,w_2878,h_1618/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/136/01kh6p5h5bz32tgk3y1n.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) proudly wears his AFC South Division Champions hat during the fourth quarter in an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7 [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
Some have wondered if new head coach Mike McCarthy is simply just another version of Mike Tomlin. That might be the case, but McCarthy brings a sharp offensive mind to the team that has needed that for years.
7. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens hired Jesse Minter as its next head coach, and there's really not going to be much of a surprise when Baltimore plays well on that side of the ball and takes back the AFC North in 2026, but just because that's what's likely to happen, doesn't mean it will.
6. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have gone 11-6 in each of the last two seasons. One of the more 'good not great' teams in the NFL, the Bolts have to improve along the offensive line if they hope to take that next step.
5. Houston Texans
Houston has a Super Bowl-caliber defense but might not have a top-20 quarterback. Year four in the NFL for CJ Stroud is going to be a huge make-or-break season. The Texans did, though, win 12 games in 2025, so this team isn't incompetent.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville put the league on notice in 2025 and have the infrastructure in place to keep climbing in 2026. Not only do they defend the run well, which is crucial, but Trevor Lawrence appears to have finally found his footing, and Liam Coen quickly proved to be the right man for the job.
3. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills needed to field an average wide receiver room, and the team could have made it to the Super Bowl. That's really one of the main points of focus this upcoming offseason. Even with Buffalo losing the AFC East in 2025, it's not hard to see how this team is among the best in the conference.
2. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots made the Super Bowl the year after being one of the worst teams in football. It's truly miraculous the kind of season they had in 2025. While a regression might be on the horizon, there's always a chance that it doesn't happen and the Pats continue to be an elite team.
1. Denver Broncos
It's hard to not rank the Denver Broncos as the no. 1 team in the AFC given how the end of the season transpired. The Broncos nearly beat the Patriots in the AFC title game with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback, and many would agree that Denver would have put up a much better fight in Super Bowl 60.
The Broncos could have won the Super Bowl this year had Bo Nix not gotten hurt, and with a runway to add a ton of talent this offseason, Denver figures to again be in a deep playoff run next year.