NFC North - Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions, across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, had combined to win 27 regular season games. This team is a juggernaut, as we saw a bit of an outlier campaign in 2025. Detroit did begin the year 7-4, so it felt like another NFC North title was on the way, but a defensive collapse down the stretch left the Lions with just 9 wins and no playoff berth.
From top to bottom, this is a top-5 roster in football, and while the division is quite good, Detroit has the best chance to win it in 2026. The team had won the division two years in a row, recently, for a reason.
NFC South - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I have gone back and forth between Tampa Bay and New Orleans for 2026. Tampa Bay is one of the more 'high floor' teams in the NFL, as they feel like a lock for or 10 wins most years. And while the Saints did win four of five to end the 2025 campaign, they still might be a year early.
Tampa knows what it's like to win the NFC South and currently have the best quarterback in the division in Baker Mayfield. The Bucs find a way to return to the top in 2026.
NFC East - Dallas Cowboys
This one might be the most controversial, but after a major defensive overhaul, the Dallas Cowboys are ready to win the NFC East in 2026. Dallas already had the best quarterback and best offense in the division before all of these defensive changes. Now, with it being possible that this defense is at least average in 2026, Dallas will have a few more wins available to them.
All of Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, along with Dallas, to be fair, have notable roster concerns, but the Cowboys do have the highest ceiling of the group, especially if first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker, a Vic Fangio disciple, hits it off in year one.
NFC West - Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles' biggest roster need was at cornerback this offseason, and what did the Rams do? They signed a solid player at the position in Jaylen Watson and also traded for Trent McDuffie. Suddenly, the Rams, a team that already had a better roster than Seattle and San Francisco to begin with, have no major roster concerns.
LA did nearly win the NFC West last year, but some defensive issues down the stretch prevented that from happening. Seattle, the reigning champions, also lost running back Kenneth Walker III in free agency, so when you look at the offseason in this division on a broad scale, the Rams made the most substantive changes and will win the NFC West this year.
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