24. Atlanta Falcons
What really is a shame with the Atlanta Falcons is that the group on offense is plenty good enough to make the playoffs in the NFC South, but the QB room of Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr might be a bottom-5 room in the NFL.
The offensive line is rock-solid, and the trio of Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson could be the best WR/TE/RB talent that any team has in the league. With that said, the defense was dealt some blows recently and was a just OK group last year despite finishing second in the league in sacks.
The QB room really brings things down, though, as the Falcons don't necessarily have a clear path to success in 2026 unless Tagovailoa somehow figures out how to play the position again, and I'd also argue that the last regime didn't really assemble great depth, either.
To a degree, the Falcons have a top-heavy roster and only come in at No. 24 in our roster rankings.
23. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers do have a good offensive line, but they don't scare you that much anywhere else on the offense. Bryce Young played the best football of his career in the 2025 season but was largely still mediocre, throwing for at least 200 yards in just four games and going 8-8 as a starter.
We have seen GM Dan Morgan really chip away at the defense in his tenure, but the unit doesn't have much in the way of a threatening pass rush, and the secondary is average, at best. Carolina being in the NFC South does help things, but with many of the same players in 2025, this team went just 8-9.
It was good enough to win the division, but there really isn't anything on paper that makes us think this team can take another step forward for 2026.
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