Even though the new league year just began, much of the free agency frenzy is already over. The top free agents are typically off the board rather quickly, and as soon as the legal tampering period begins. When the latter parts of the week roll around, most of the top names are off the market.
And at this point, while there are some solid free agents left on the market, most of the legitimate difference-makers are off the board, so most teams may honestly be now preparing big-time for the 2026 NFL Draft, which is in late April.
Let's get into some updated NFL Power Rankings with free agency well underway.
Updated NFL Power Rankings as NFL Free Agency rolls on
32. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals continue to be among the worst teams in the NFL, and now that they've officially moved on from Kyler Murray, the quarterback position is going to painfully remind them of just how hard it is to find success in the NFL.
31. New York Jets
The New York Jets brought in a ton of free agents on the defensive side of the ball, so at least this front office is trying, but some of the names just aren't moving the needle, and acquiring Geno Smith was a flat-out horrendous decision.
30. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have tried to restock the offensive line a bit, but like other teams ranked this low, the quarterback position is too much of an unknown right now.
29. Miami Dolphins
Cutting Tua Tagovailoa and signing Malik Willis is bad roster-building. Sure, Willis filled in nicely for the Green Bay Packers, but what does this move accomplish? The Dolphins need to be embracing a full-on tank, not whatever this attempt is.
28. Las Vegas Raiders
The Maxx Crosby trade saga seems to have shockingly landed Crosby back with the Raiders, who did drastically improve on the defensive side of the ball. If nothing else, they signed some notable names.
27. Atlanta Falcons
Speaking of Tagovailoa, he's headed to the Atlanta Falcons, but the Falcons haven't done much of anything in free agency, and Tagovailoa only further muddies the quarterback situation.
26. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have revamped this defense big-time, so it's clear that Robert Saleh has his hand all over this. The Titans could be a fun, frisky team in 2026 if Cam Ward takes a step forward.
25. New York Giants
Jaxson Dart has the goods, and John Harbaugh is now the head coach. This team does have an uphill battle to success in 2026, but the groundwork has been laid here, and you can see a path for this team. Much of what was missing was a competent head coach, and with the quarterback in place, most of the rest should fall into place.
24. Kansas City Chiefs
Can we please recognize that the Kansas City Chiefs just saw a ton of defensive talent walk out the door? Sure, they signed Kenneth Walker, but he's a good-not-great player, and the Chiefs now have multiple massive holes on defense. This is not a good team right now, folks.
And furthermore, it's not a guarantee that Patrick Mahomes is going to be fully healthy for Week 1, either. The Chiefs have an uphill battle.
23. New Orleans Saints
Travis Etienne and David Edwards are two rock-solid offensive additions. This team could spring up our power rankings if Tyler Shough takes a step forward in 2026.
22. Washington Commanders
Credit where it's due - the Washington Commanders knew they had to address needs in free agency, and they did. It remains to be seen if those moves work on out defense, but you cannot fault this front office for spending the cap space they had to improve the roster.
21. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals really can't figure this out, can they? The team once again failed to make enough defensive additions in free agency to shore up that side of the ball. It's getting to a point where you have to wonder if Joe Burrow has had enough.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers again have a new offensive coordinator and lost Mike Evans in free agency. The direction of this team isn't clear right now, and they honestly feel like one of the more irrelevant squads in the league.
19. Carolina Panthers
Frankly, the Carolina Panthers overpaid for Jaelan Phillips, but they did seem to get a solid deal for Devin Lloyd. If nothing else, the Panthers are making strides to shore up that side of the ball, but much of their success will still hinge on Bryce Young taking a leap in 2026. Carolina does have another path to win the division next season.
18. Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have honestly had to jump through hoops with their cap situation, but the writing does appear to be on the wall for Kyler Murray to eventually land with the team, and I personally would love that fit and would actually look at the Vikings as being a frisky Wild Card team with Murray under center.
The offense is stocked up with solid weapons, and Brian Flores is still going to have that defense playing well.
17. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens backed out of the Crosby trade and instead pivoted to Trey Hendrickson, and it's pretty obvious to some that the Ravens got cold feet and didn't want to part with those two first-round picks. With some better injury luck and a new head coach, the Ravens could return to near the top of the AFC, but this roster still has some roster flaws overall.
16. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are no. 16 in our power rankings and have already made some notable defensive improvements with Rashan Gary and Jalen Thompson, who are two good players at positions of need. Dallas is clearly embracing this new era with Christian Parker as the defensive coordinator, and there are surely going to be more moves on the horizon.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
As of now, the Pittsburgh Steelers do not have a clear-cut quarterback solution, so they can be as aggressive as they want, but it's not going to matter unless the most important position in sports has some sort of direction for 2026.
14. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts were able to re-sign Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce, but they saw Nick Cross, Kwity Paye, and Michael Pittman Jr walk out the door. Sure, Pittman was traded, but this roster did not get better thus far. Indy again starting 7-1 in 2026 does not seem to be all that likely at this point.
13. Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia is still a bit of a mess, as this is another roster that has gotten a bit worse this offseason, and we're still not sure if the quarterback is truly good enough to lead this team. There's also now another new offensive coordinator, so this could be another disjointed year where they still figure out how to win 10 games.
12. Los Angeles Chargers
You would have loved to see more of an interior offensive line investment thus far, but the front office could have another plan. At the moment, the Los Angeles Chargers don't feel all that different from how they ended their season.
11. Chicago Bears
Chicago could be players for Maxx Crosby if the Raiders would be willing to try a trade again. The defensive line still needs some help, and given how many close games this team won in 2025, there is reason to think that this team could also regress a bit, but they also are an 11-win team and the winners of the NFC North.
10. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay is again going to be a top team in the NFL, but it's worth wondering if the current coaching and front office regime is good enough to get this team over the hump. Everyone knows the Packers are good enough to make the playoffs, but this franchise needs to accomplish more.
9. Detroit Lions
I believe I am higher on the Lions than most, but they've gone through a bit of a roster transition this offseason already. General Manager Brad Holmes is still among the best in the NFL, so he's earned the benefit of the doubt here.
8. Houston Texans
Houston signing right tackle Braden Smith was a solid move, and acquiring David Montgomery does give them some juice and punch in the backfield. The Texans should again be a very good team in 2026.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville didn't have the cap space to be active in free agency, as both Etienne and Lloyd are on new teams now, so there is reason to believe that a regression could hit this team in 2026.
6. San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers won 12 games in 2025 despite dealing with a ton of injuries, so as long as they can stay healthy...
5. Buffalo Bills
DJ Moore was the main prize for the Buffalo Bills this offseason. Moore is still a capable WR1 and is going to catch 100 passes or more from Josh Allen in 2026. Buffalo was also able to re-sign center Connor McGovern as well. Bradley Chubb is another recent signing who should give them some needed defensive line help.
4. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots signed Romeo Doubs in free agency and could still have a notable wide receiver move up their sleeves. They also landed safety Kevin Byard, which is a great move. The Pats should again be among the best teams in the league in 2026, but the schedule is getting a lot harder.
3. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos, at the time I am writing these words, still have not signed an external free agent. This team is clearly wanting to run it back, but they won by razor-thin margins in 2025 and have actually watched the roster get worse despite re-signing most of their own players. As of now, the Broncos are in a spot to regress a bit in 2026.
2. Los Angeles Rams
Adding Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie into a weak secondary were precisely the types of moves that the Los Angeles Rams needed to make, and this team still has a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft despite giving up one for McDuffie.
Los Angeles steps ahead of the Broncos in our latest power rankings.
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Super Bowl champions haven't done a lot in free agency, but this is the way John Schneider operates sometimes. Seattle didn't have many needs to begin with but should be able to find some good value here in the coming days, and their recent NFL Draft record is excellent.