18. Indianapolis Colts
Where the Indianapolis Colts excel is along the offensive line and at running back. GM Chris Ballard has done a solid job at finding the talent, but as we have seen in most years of the post-Andrew Luck era, the QB position is one that has not been solved for good.
If the Colts had someone like Jordan Love on the roster, they’d likely have a top-10 team in the league, but with Daniel Jones at the helm, who feels like an average QB at best, the Colts come in just inside the top-20. The defense is a bit flawed, as the pass-rush is nothing special and the linebackers aren’t really that great, but with a top-7 offensive line and an elite running back in Jonathan Taylor in the mix, the Colts can win some games this year and did begin the 2025 season 7-1.
On a side note, I do personally think that some major changes could hit this franchise in the offseason if the team fails to get into the playoffs, but they just don’t really stand out in the AFC when you look at the group in its entirety.
17. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys needed to get better on defense this offseason, and I’d be shocked if they weren’t better. While that unit may only top out as a top-16 group in 2026, the offense is really where Dallas stands out. The core of Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, George Pickens, and CeeDee Lamb is as good as any in the league, and we did see that big-time in 2025, as the Cowboys had one of the better offenses in the league.
To me, it’s simple with the Cowboys: if the defense improves this year, they’ll make the playoffs, as the offense is electric. If not, it’ll be another wasted year of the prime Prescott seasons.
Add us as a preferred source on Google