4. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans come in at No. 4 in our AFC power rankings. Houston's roster is elite, but the main question mark continues to be CJ Stroud, the starting quarterback. GM Nick Caserio shored up the weak spots in the offseason, signing two veterans along the offensive line, and trading for running back David Montgomery.
Amazingly, he figured out how to make the defense better by signing Reed Blankenship and drafting Kayden McDonald in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. In each of the past three seasons, Houston has advanced into the Divisional Round, but have not gotten past that.
This feels like a major season. If Houston is again falling short in the playoffs, and Stroud doesn't elevate his game, so tough conversations need to be had. But if Stroud plays like he did as a rookie back in 2023, this team could win it all.
Roster-wise, this is about as good as you'll see in the NFL. The Texans come in at No. 4 in our power rankings.
3. Buffalo Bills
The reliable Buffalo Bills are again primed to win a ton of games, as they do most years. Thanks to New England's schedule also getting harder, Buffalo should be able to capture the AFC East title in 2026. For this team, though, it's never really been about the regular season.
The Bills have fallen short time and time again in the playoffs, and at some point, that has to change, right? Well, maybe not. If nothing else, Buffalo hasn't done anything to make us believe they won't win a ton of games.
And when January rolls around, most expect the Bills to be right in the mix in the AFC playoffs. Josh Allen is still in his prime, and the Bills have at least established themselves as a juggernaut, even with the Super Bowl evading them.
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