In the 2025 NFL season, every AFC team ultimately fell short of the ultimate goal. Teams immediately got to work upgrading their coaching staffs and rosters, getting ready to try again in 2026, leading to one of the most interesting offseasons we've had in recent memory.
Some of the top contenders in the AFC have made blockbuster trades to acquire receiver help for their star quarterbacks. The #1 overall pick and Heisman trophy winner has joined the conference. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is no longer in the conference, but the reigning Super Bowl MVP has jumped ship to another contender.
Our latest NFL Power Rankings are going to take a look at every AFC team's most anticipated new addition in 2026, ranking them worst to best, and taking an early look at the type of impact we might expect this upcoming season.
NFL Power Rankings: Every AFC team's most anticipated new addition in 2026 ranked worst to best
16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Chris Rodriguez Jr., running back
To say it was a quiet offseason for the Jaguars in 2026 would be a major understatement. Not only did the Jaguars lose two players who were critical to their team's success in 2025 (Travis Etienne, Devin Lloyd), but they also didn't have a 1st-round pick and were highly criticized for their underwhelming NFL Draft class.
One of the few outside additions they made was former Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., coming off a really solid season with 500 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He could end up being a really underrated addition to the Jacksonville backfield at just 25 years old.
15. Indianapolis Colts: CJ Allen, linebacker
The Indianapolis Colts were another AFC South team without a 1st-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they still managed to somehow land a player who was projected to go in the 1st round almost all offseason long.
CJ Allen might have been somewhat undersized coming out of Georgia, but he was productive for three years, a green dot player for the Bulldogs' defense, and an All-American this past season.
After trading Zaire Franklin to the Packers, the Colts needed another leader for the middle of their defense, and he'll have to have an immediate impact.
14. Los Angeles Chargers: David Njoku, tight end
The Chargers already had a really solid young tight end in Oronde Gadsden Jr., but they are doing the right thing by not putting too much pressure on him entering his second season.
Getting an all-around player like David Njoku, who has been in the league since he was a 1st-round pick by the Browns out of Miami back in 2017, is a huge addition for the first year of the Mike McDaniel era offensively.
Njoku has missed 11 total games over the past two seasons combined, and his production has diminished pretty substantially since his prime days with the Browns, but he still had nine touchdowns over the last two seasons combined, and he can be an important weapon for Justin Herbert.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers: Rico Dowdle, running back
He might not be the most highly anticipated newcomer to an AFC roster in 2026, but Rico Dowdle is going to be one of the most important, there is no question.
He had some huge games last season for the Panthers, and is now coming off back-to-back years with over 1,300 yards from scrimmage, setting career bests in every major category. He had back-to-back games early last season against the Dolphins and Cowboys in which he racked up a whopping 473 total yards from scrimmage.
Even though his productivity diminished as the year progressed, he's replacing the very underrated Kenneth Gainwell in Pittsburgh, who leaves behind over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 8 total touchdowns on less than 200 touches.
12. Miami Dolphins: Malik Willis, quarterback
Because of the fact that the Dolphins are supposed to be one of the worst teams in the league this coming season, there isn't a lot of hype surrounding quarterback Malik Willis. And perhaps the way things went last year with Justin Fields on the Jets aren't doing him any favors here. But the possibility for Willis to take advantage of an opportunity is intriguing.
Willis was a backup for Jordan Love the past couple of years in Green Bay, and he did a fantastic job when his number was called. Good enough that two guys from that organization -- Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley -- have entrusted him with their first year in the biggest job opportunities of their lives.
Willis could end up being the league leader among quarterbacks in rushing yards. The Dolphins have every reason to give him a fair shot with the 2027 NFL Draft looming.
11. New York Jets: David Bailey, edge rusher
New York Jets fans have to be feeling really good about their young roster core after another successful draft from GM Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn. This particular class included some truly foundational pieces, but none more crucial to their rebuilding process than David Bailey.
Bailey transferred to Texas Tech last season from Stanford, and even though expectations were high, he blew them away.
Bailey was named an All-American after racking up 52 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 14.5 sacks. He also added 3 forced fumbles, and has a combined 8 of those over the last two seasons. He'll be expected to be an immediate impact player off the edge for the Jets.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: Dexter Lawrence, defensive tackle
Just before the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals made a rather shocking move to send the 10th overall pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence, one of the most productive interior linemen in the entire league.
Although Lawrence was credited with just 0.5 sacks last season, he's been one of the most dominant forces on the inside around the league, and the Bengals desperately need what he brings to the table.
Whether Lawrence is the one making plays on the quarterback, or if he's opening them up for someone else, upgrading in the trenches was essential for Cincinnati. If they are able to get back on track as a team this season, it's likely going to be able to be traced back to this trade turning out to be a huge win.
9. Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate, wide receiver
Entering his second NFL season, there are few young quarterbacks expected to make a bigger leap than Cam Ward. Ward has a stable coaching staff led by Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll. He's also got some important new weapons in the passing game, including free agent signing Wan'Dale Robinson and 4th overall pick Carnell Tate.
Tate isn't on the same level as some other top prospects we've seen at wide receiver in recent years like Malik Nabers or Marvin Harrison Jr., but he's got all of the skills NFL teams covet, and could make the Titans look really smart in the near future.
Tate runs exceptional routes, he has strong hands, he has big-play ability, and he's reliable. Getting him to grow alongside Ward is a huge move for GM Mike Borgonzi.
8. Houston Texans: David Montgomery, running back
The Houston Texans are one of the best all-around tames in the entire NFL, but their major weakness offensively this past season was clearly their running game. They finished 29th in the NFL last season at 3.9 yards per carry, and only managed 59 first-down runs all season by the top two players on their depth chart: Woody Marks and Nick Chubb.
Houston was obviously self-aware in this regard, striking a trade to acquire David Montgomery with the Detroit Lions. Montgomery has played second fiddle to Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit, but he has the type of physicality to really be a boost to that Houston offense.
They are going to be relying on him a significant amount to be a catalyst for balance in their offense.
7. Cleveland Browns: Jared Verse, edge rusher
Although he may not be the high-profile addition in his own trade, the arrival of Jared Verse in Cleveland is going to be under a microscope.
Whether or not it's fair, Jared Verse is always going to be the guy who was traded for Myles Garrett, arguably the best defensive player in modern history. It's crucial that Verse gets off to a good start with the Browns, and fans are going to be eager to find out if trading Garrett was truly worth it.
Even though there's NFL Draft capital still on the way, Verse was the centerpiece of the deal. He's had 69 pressures over the last couple of seasons, 27 QB hits last year alone, and is coming off of a breakthrough year with 7.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.
6. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, quarterback
Although Fernando Mendoza is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated rookies in the entire NFL, we may not see him play for quite some time.
The Raiders' plan -- and hope -- is that Kirk Cousins plays well enough to hold onto the job for the entire season. And you never know...
But as soon as Mendoza steps foot on the field in uniform for even a preseason game, the pressure is going to be on the Raiders to get on with the future of their organization. It's not often you see top draft picks sitting these days, but when is the last time we saw a Heisman winner, National Champion, #1 overall pick sit for a truly extended period of time?
Baker Mayfield in 2018 might be the last. Raider Nation is going to be extremely eager for the Mendoza era to get off and running.
5. Kansas City Chiefs: Kenneth Walker, running back
There aren't many offseason additions more exciting than the Kansas City Chiefs adding Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker.
Walker was obviously tremendous in the playoffs for the Seahawks last year, but it's interesting that they let him walk in free agency in the first place. Walker dealt with injuries and struggled to 3.7 yards per carry in 2024, but bounced back with over 1,000 rushing yards this past season and a career-high 1,309 yards from scrimmage. He added 417 yards from scrimmage and 4 TDs in the postseason before getting his pay day from Kansas City.
And have the Chiefs truly needed an individual player more than this in the Patrick Mahomes era? Mahomes is coming off of a major knee surgery, and the Chiefs' running game has been letting him down. Walker will be expected to pick up with the Chiefs right where he left off in the Super Bowl against the Patriots.
4. Baltimore Ravens: Trey Hendrickson, edge rusher
The decision by Trey Hendrickson to bolt for a division rival in NFL Free Agency was completely overshadowed by the fact that the Ravens reneged on a trade to acquire Maxx Crosby just before this deal was struck.
The Ravens all but introduced Crosby to the media before they failed his physical, sent him back to the Raiders, and welcomed Hendrickson as their impact addition of the offseason...Keeping their draft picks in the process.
Hendrickson has been one of the best pass rushers in the league when he's on his game, but he also has to prove he can return to form after missing 10 games last season. Especially considering the Ravens essentially cancelled the Crosby trade to sign Hendrickson, his performance this season is going to be heavily scrutinized.
3. Buffalo Bills: DJ Moore, wide receiver
Since the Buffalo Bills said goodbye to Stefon Diggs, their wide receiver position has struggled. Khalil Shakir is great at his job, but he's not the type of WR1 best suited to maximize this Buffalo Bills offense.
Joe Brady, now the head coach of the Bills, has had DJ Moore in the past. When Brady was the OC in Carolina (2020, 2021), Moore had a couple of the best years of his NFL career. He even averaged an outrageous 18.1 yards per reception during the 2020 season.
One of the only issues is, Moore is going to be 29 this season, and he's played a lot of football over the last five-plus years. He hasn't missed a single game in five seasons. While that's also a great strength of his (availability serves any pro athlete well), there's also a lot of wear and tear on his body.
The Bills need at least a couple of good seasons out of Moore, but they need him to be phenomenal this year with a Super Bowl once again on the line.
2. Denver Broncos: Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver
The Denver Broncos came just one win away from representing the AFC in the Super Bowl this past season, and most people feel like they would have made it if Bo Nix had been able to play.
Nix suffered a fractured ankle in the Divisional Round win against Buffalo, and has been recovering from that during the 2026 offseason. If you need any indication about the Broncos' worry level over Nix's ankle, the proof is in the Jaylen Waddle trade. They aren't concerned about it at all.
The Broncos made a blockbuster deal with Miami, acquiring Waddle for 1st- and 3rd-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, addressing arguably their biggest roster weakness offensively. Bo Nix has desperately needed help. His top healthy receivers in the playoffs were Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., and Lil'Jordan Humphrey.
Waddle is established as one of the top all-around receivers in the league, and is joining a receiver group that has led the NFL in dropped passes over the past two years.
1. New England Patriots: AJ Brown, wide receiver
It's hard to overstate the importance of the New England Patriots acquiring AJ Brown in their offense.
Although Stefon Diggs's arrival was huge for Drake Maye a year ago, the upgrade from Diggs to Brown is more substantial than anyone in the AFC probably wants to admit. Brown is truly a dominant playmaker at the position, and wanted out of Philadelphia because he wants to prove that.
No NFL team had a more dominant vertical passing attack than the Patriots last season, and Brown should benefit a ton from Josh McDaniels calling plays and Drake Maye throwing passes. Eagles fans certainly won't be rooting for his success, but whether you're eagerly anticipating his New England debut or excited to hate-watch, Brown is going to be one of the most significant new additions in focus around the entire NFL in 2026.