6. NFC North: Green Bay Packers
There is obviously some concern over the Green Bay Packers' defense, at least at the start of the season, due to the ongoing recovery process of superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons. When Parsons went down late last season against the Broncos with a knee injury, the Packers' entire season went off the rails.
Now, they are going to be getting used to life without guys like Rashan Gary (who may have worn out his welcome anyway), Quay Walker, and even depth pieces like Kingsley Enagbare.
The new defensive coordinator is former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who is taking over with Jeff Hafley off to the Miami Dolphins as their new head coach. Gannon's defense has always been favorable for pass rushers of all shapes and sizes, so there's optimism that players like Devonte Wyatt and even free agent Javon Hargrave can return to form on the interior, with Lukas Van Ness still needing a breakout in his fourth season.
A lot of this Green Bay defense is revamped, but there was also a need for some fresh blood on that side of the ball. We'll see how quickly Gannon can put all of the pieces together, especially without Parsons, but there are a lot holes to poke in every NFC North defense right now. When Parsons returns, the Packers may have the fewest.
5. AFC East: New England Patriots
As much as people might want to poke fun at the way the Patriots' offense laid an egg throughout the course of the playoffs last year (and they aren't wrong), there's no question that the New England defense stepped up in a big way.
Mike Vrabel knows what he's doing when it comes to calling a good defense and scheming against an opponent. A couple of the things he's done better than most coaches in the NFL since he became a head coach are getting the most out of his players and managing every situation over the course of a game.
The Patriots' personnel defensively might not be the most impressive in the NFL, though they do have some stars. The group of pass rushers off the edge would have to be the biggest concern for this team moving forward, but even a team that ranked dead last in the NFL in sack differential last year (sacks allowed vs. sacks defensively) was able to beat some really strong teams throughout the playoffs.
Even if it was ugly offensively.
This defense for the Patriots is, overall, pretty well-rounded. The secondary is their biggest reason for optimism of a return to the top 5 overall defenses in 2026, led by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and veteran free agent pickup Kevin Byard, who is still picking off passes left and right.
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