24. Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson’s latest injury has officially paved the way for Daniel Jones to give him the old “Wally Pipp” treatment, meaning Jones is going to take his job while he’s on the mend. The addition of Jones felt like a clear message to Richardson in the first place, but his shoulder issues continuing to be a hindrance at this point are likely the final straw. I think the only way we’re seeing Richardson start for the Colts this year is as an injury replacement. This is a talented enough roster for Daniel Jones to have a Sam Darnold-like bounce-back campaign.
23. Seattle Seahawks
Mike Macdonald will probably have that Seattle defense playing a lot better in year two under his watch, but the offense for Seattle is a big question mark. They moved on from Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett. They brought in Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. It’s not the most inspiring renovation of an offense you’ll ever see, but you never know until you see how it works on the field. I’m guessing the Seahawks will need to make more adjustments on that side of the ball in 2026.
22. Atlanta Falcons
We’re all going to be interested to see how the Falcons fare with Michael Penix Jr. running the show. And as of right now, they clearly expect Kirk Cousins to be there backing him up. That weird dynamic is the type of distraction that usually doesn’t bode well for a team. Beyond the quarterback distraction, the Falcons have a lot of young pieces that need to step up for this team defensively. I have faith in Raheem Morris to get the most out of his guys, but they need a lot of different players to progress at the same time, and that’s tough to bank on.
21. Arizona Cardinals
We will see how the veteran additions on the defensive front can reshape the projection of this Arizona Cardinals team as a whole. Getting Josh Sweat to reunite with Jonathan Gannon was a good move, but older veterans like Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell might not be enough to move the needle for this team. The Cardinals can take a huge step forward this year if they get a breakout year from Marvin Harrison Jr., a can’t-miss prospect from the 2024 draft class.