6. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers come in at No. 6 in our power rankings. In each of the past two seasons, which have been the first two years of the Jim Harbaugh era, the Chargers have gone 11-6 and have proceeded to get throttled in the Wild Card Round.
Quarterback Justin Herbert is now 0-3 in the playoffs with three forgettable performances. I guess if you want to bank on the Mike McDaniel hiring unlocking that offense, that's a fair point, but this team did not get noticeably better anywhere on the roster.
Even the weak interior offensive line was only marginally improved this offseason thanks to the Tyler Biadasz signing. All in all, it's going to be another Wild Card season for the Chargers.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are No. 5 in our power rankings. This team lost both Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd in free agency. Those two were some of their best players in 2025, so the talent loss is going to have a massive impact.
And even if those two were still in the picture, the roster would have needed more work. While the Jaguars have a ton of competent players all over the place, I am left wanting more at several positions. What should surely go in their favor is Trevor Lawrence, as he was playing out of his mind in the back half of the 2025 season, and if that carries into 2026, Lawrence could win the MVP.
4. Houston Texans
Houston is No. 4 in our power rankings. Arguably the best roster in the NFL, the Texans' only roster question might be CJ Stroud and just how good he can be. After a ridiculously awesome rookie season, Stroud has since been rather average and has not been able to lead this team past the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
That's really it with Houston - it comes down to Stroud's performance, and if he can flirt with that 2023 level of play, the Texans would emerge as the best team in the conference.
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