16. Kansas City Chiefs
The injury to Patrick Mahomes last season was an exclamation point on the most disappointing season for the Chiefs since Mahomes became the starter back in 2018. In fact, it was really the only disappointing year. The Chiefs not only dropped out of 1st place in the AFC West, but they fell all the way down to 3rd place and are hoping to bounce back in a big way this year.
Mahomes looks on track to play Week 1, and he'll have a new friend in the backfield with him. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker is now going to lead the Chiefs' backfield.
The defense has a ton of youth and might be a work in progress early, but there is a ton of talent on that side of the ball as well.
15. Cincinnati Bengals
It's a bit of a projection to have the Cincinnati Bengals in the top half of the league for NFL Power Rankings at this point, but a healthy Joe Burrow means this team has title contender capabilities. And this might -- might -- be the best team Burrow has had around him since he's been with the Bengals.
Keep in mind, they made it to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. The trade to acquire Dexter Lawrence, along with the additions of Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe on the defensive front, have given the Bengals a massive boost where they needed it the most.
14. Detroit Lions
Although there were a few candidates for the award, the Detroit Lions might take the cake when it comes to the most disappointing team of the entire 2025 season. The losses of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn proved to be more than this team could ultimately recover from in just one offseason.
Still, you have to think the pieces are in place for this Lions team to contend in 2026. Dan Campbell is going to have his guys playing with a chip on their shoulders from Week 1. Drew Petzing is taking over as the new offensive coordinator, and if he can get them back to the level they were playing under Johnson, Detroit is going to vault back up to the top of the NFC North in a hurry.
13. Baltimore Ravens
Just like a number of other AFC teams in 2026, you have to figure the Ravens will be title contenders if their starting QB is healthy. The Chiefs and Bengals are in a very similar boat here, maybe even the Colts, but the Ravens have the league's most dynamic player under center.
When Lamar Jackson is on, few defenses can keep up with him. Still, even in the 13 games he played last season, the Ravens were just 6-7. Baltimore needs the 2024 version of Lamar Jackson out there in 2026, and if Jesse Minter can have the same type of impact on the defense in Baltimore that he had in Los Angeles, this team is going to be a tough out all year.
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