12. Green Bay Packers
Last week's ranking: 12
I'm bullish on Jordan Love for the 2026 season, but I think there are some really valid reasons for skepticism with this Packers team, especially at the start of the year.
The Packers aren't going to have Micah Parsons out there for the first month or so of the season. They have a lot more turnover in the starting lineup than most people may realize, and they're putting a lot of faith in player development for this season.
We've seen that work out extremely well for Matt LaFleur in the past, so we're giving him the benefit of the doubt here, but this is going to be a very interesting team.
11. Chicago Bears
Last week's ranking: 8
Even though the Bears dropped 3 spots in this week's rankings, that has nothing to do with how high I am on this team for 2026, and everything to do with some teams that just might have more well-rounded operations right now.
The primary reason I'm pumping the brakes on the Bears hype right now is their porous defense last season. They gave up a lot of yards, and while they were elite in the takeaway department, how much better is that defense going to be after losing so many members of the secondary that picked off all those passes?
Ben Johnson is going for the all-time single-season scoring record, which has been held by the 2013 Denver Broncos for over a decade. He is going to have that offense absolutely humming.
10. Baltimore Ravens
Last week's ranking: 7
A healthy Lamar Jackson means the Baltimore Ravens are going to likely be in the AFC contender category for this upcoming season. This is a Ravens team that has so much talent on both sides of the ball, but the clear message sent by moving on from John Harbaugh after nearly two decades as head coach is that the organization felt a culture change was needed.
That's a risky move to make in a championship window, but you have to acknowledge the willingness to do whatever it takes, even if it burns them.
But the Ravens got a stellar debut from Ja'Kobi Lene in their preseason win, and he could be another key weapon for Jackson to get the ball to in 2026.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week's ranking: 13
The closer we get to the start of the 2026 season, the higher I'm feeling about the Jaguars again. The Jaguars were arguably the hottest team in the NFL down the stretch last season, and the only thing that stood in their way was Josh Allen in the playoffs.
The question is obviously whether or not they can pick up where they left off at the end of the regular season last year, and some doubt has been cast because of some key losses in the offseason.
The Jaguars were also scolded by just about every publication for their 2026 NFL Draft class, but a number of rookies played well for them in the preseason opener, especially defensive lineman Albert Regis and running back J'Mari Taylor.
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