24. Washington Commanders
The Commanders made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game just two seasons ago, but injuries ravaged their roster this past season. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility to think this team could be right back in contention in the NFC East this season, but there are obvious reasons for trepidation.
I love the additions they made defensively to get Odafe Oweh, Sonny Styles, Leo Chenal, and more. They needed to get more athletic and younger on that side of the ball, and they got it done. This team will go as far as Jayden Daniels can take them.
23. New York Giants
The Giants landed a big fish this offseason with John Harbaugh coming in as their new head coach. After coaching the Ravens for nearly two decades, Harbaugh is getting a fresh start with a young and highly interesting roster.
There were times last season that the Giants looked like they might be able to make a run, but injuries got in the way. If this team can stay healthy, could they be a legitimate factor in the NFC East? That feels like a big "if" at this point, but the pieces are there for the Giants to be interesting right away under Harbaugh.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers won the AFC North and made it to the playoffs last year, but this is going to be the first year without Mike Tomlin. Even though Mike McCarthy has a solid track record as a head coach as well, the Steelers just feel like they might be due for a significant regression.
Even with Aaron Rodgers last year, it took a lot of things going their way (injury issues with division rival teams) to set the Steelers up for the success that they had. The additions of players like Michael Pittman Jr. and Rico Dowdle to the offense are intriguing, but even now that Rodgers has come back, this team seems to have a low ceiling for 2026.
21. Minnesota Vikings
This is meant to be a pretty generous projection for the Vikings, who are giving Kyler Murray a shot to win the starting quarterback job this offseason after it didn't work out for him with the Arizona Cardinals. And we've seen what Kevin O'Connell can do in the past with reclamation projects.
Murray will be under a lot of pressure this season, but so will defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The Vikings remade their defensive front this offseason in a big way, and they still have holes in the secondary where young players and holdovers now need to step up.
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