5. Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks come in with a No. 5 seed in our NFC playoff predictions following OTAs and minicamp. It would not be the worst thing in the world and would still represent a very strong season, but it's hard to disregard just how much better the Rams got this offseason.
If revamping the cornerback room with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson was not enough, the Rams also pulled off what could be one of the biggest trades in NFL history, dealing for Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns.
The Seahawks are now, firmly, the second-best team in the division, as the Rams clearly have the roster advantage, and may also have a coaching advantage. They absolutely have the quarterback advantage, too.
It's going to be another double-digit win season for the Seahawks, as this team is still returning many of the same key players from the Super Bowl run in 2025, but a Super Bowl hangover is possible, and the sheer talent the Rams have will be enough to bump Seattle down to a still manageable No. 5 seed, which would mean they would travel to face the No. 4 seed in our predictions in what could turn out to be a very winnable Wild Card Round game for the defending champions.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers get back into the playoffs in our predictions, securing the No. 4 seed. I can truly see all four teams winning the NFC South this year, but Tampa has been the mainstay atop the division in recent years outside of the 2025 season.
The Buccaneers don't have a high ceiling by any means, but the high floor should allow them to again finish with nine or 10 wins. The Carolina Panthers won the division with an 8-9 record in 2025, but Tampa Bay and Atlanta also both finished 8-9.
While not a great division, it's going to be a competitive one, and as of now, the Bucs are a more stable, proven franchise, so we'll defer to them in our playoff predictions. The Bucs winning the NFC South becomes even more likely if Baker Mayfield is able to play like he did in 2023 and 2024, as he endured a down year in 2025.
The Buccaneers are a playoff-caliber team, but this isn't a Super Bowl contender, so if our playoff predictions do come true, the Bucs could get throttled in the Wild Card Round by the Seahawks.
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