24. Washington Commanders
It feels like a century ago that the Washington Commanders were 12-5 and within one game of the Super Bowl. That insane season was followed up by a year which they did a total 180 and finished 5-12.
Part of the problem were mounting injuries, but the roster was also simply not in a great spot, and it seems like that 2024 season was a 'lightning in a bottle' year. In the offseason, the front office got active in free agency, but even now, there are still some major concerns.
The offensive line is a mess, and there really isn't any sort of high-end talent present on offense. QB Jayden Daniels is also coming off a year where he played in just seven games, so he might be someone who is now injury-prone.
It's just hard to be super optimistic about the Commanders at the moment. Outside of nailing the Daniels' pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, this current regime hasn't really done a ton else to be happy about.
23. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are outside the top-20 in our power rankings. Carolina went 8-9 last year and won the NFC South, but what we saw from this team wasn't anything special. Bryce Young played the best football of his career but was still largely mediocre, throwing for at least 200 yards in just four starts.
Carolina doesn't have much on paper that would make you believe they could be a playoff team this year, and even Young's physical limitations could lower his ceiling. They do deserve credit for winning the division and earning a home playoff game, but 2025 is done and over with now, and I struggle to see what this franchise can latch onto for the 2026 season, hence the lower ranking.
Carolina sits at No. 23.
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