10. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders finished with the 7th-worst record in the NFL this past season, and were in the NFC Championship Game the year prior. The NFL is weird sometimes.
If you expect the Commanders to be healthy this upcoming season, you have to expect they'll climb right back into contention for the NFC East, or at least one of the two spots in that division. Jayden Daniels couldn't stay healthy this past season, but the offseason provided a clean slate for everyone.
With all of the moves the Commanders made defensively to add players like Sonny Styles, Leo Chenal, Odafe Oweh, and K'Lavon Chaisson, it's hard to see that unit not getting better in 2026. Will we see a healthy Jayden Daniels this coming season? How does new offensive coordinator David Blough take that unit to another level?
This team still has major question marks, which is why they're still lower on the list, but they could once again be a factor.
9. Detroit Lions
The Lions might be the best team that didn't make the playoffs in the NFL last season. And still, they might be the 9th-best team in the NFC going into 2026.
Once again, we're doing some projecting with these rankings and not solely focusing on what teams did just last year. The Lions definitely needed to make some major adjustments on both the roster and coaching staff this offseason, and they did just that. The question is whether or not they did enough.
Dan Campbell brought in Drew Petzing to be his new offensive coordinator after the first year without Ben Johnson was a bit of a disaster. They changed things up on the offensive line with Penei Sewell moving over to left tackle, taking over for the released Taylor Decker. Blake Miller, the team's first-round pick, gives the Lions one of the safest picks in this year's draft to take over on the right side.
The upgrades this team needed the most were on the defensive side of the ball, and they'll be relying heavily on another former Michigan prospect -- Derrick Moore -- to make an immediate impact off the edge.
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