NFL Power Rankings: Ranking every AFC team's best new addition in 2026

From the coaching carousel to the free agency frenzy; From the trade block to the NFL Draft...Every NFL team has spent the past five months putting their teams together for the 2026 season, and we're now finally starting to see teams hit the field for offseason activities.

As teams start to get their first look at rosters on the field, we're going to take a look back at the last few months and the best additions every team has made. Not every team is going to be gunning for the Seattle Seahawks as a Super Bowl contender just yet, but every team is trying to get to that point.

What were the best additions made by every team in the AFC? We're going to explore all of the top moves in the AFC made dating back to January, including all coaching hires, free agent pickups, trade acquisitions, and draft picks. Which teams made the most substantial strides in the 2026 offseason so far?

2026 NFL Power Rankings: The best addition for every AFC team in 2026

16. Jacksonville Jaguars: Emmanuel Pregnon, OG (3rd round pick, NFL Draft)

The Jacksonville Jaguars, by most accounts, did not have a good offseason. They lost more than they gained in the grand scheme of things, letting running back Travis Etienne walk out the door along with another former first-round pick, linebacker Devin Lloyd.

Not that those guys were first-round picks made by current GM James Gladstone, but those two players were key pieces on the Jaguars' roster last year as they ascended to the top of the AFC South.

The best player they drafted this year, at least according to a lot of the consensus boards, was Oregon offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon. And as a third-round pick in this year's draft, Pregnon could really end up being a steal for the Jags. And in a draft class marked by one reach after another, they could use one of those.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Michael Pittman Jr., WR (Trade with Colts)

Another AFC team that has just had a mixed bag of moves this offseason is the Pittsburgh Steelers. I really didn't love the offseason we saw from Pittsburgh at all, starting with the decision to move on from head coach Mike Tomlin. Maybe that was necessary, or maybe the Steelers will regret that one for quite some time.

Either way, the most substantial move this team has made in the 2026 offseason is trading for and re-signing wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Pittman is a solid player, just 28 years old, and could end up being a really nice No. 2 with DK Metcalf, even if their skill sets are somewhat redundant as bigger-bodied outside receivers.

14. Indianapolis Colts: CJ Allen, LB (2nd round pick, NFL Draft)

The Colts are another team that has had a bit of a rough offseason overall, which is why we're talking about a 2nd-round draft pick as their best offseason move. And yes, I considered moves to re-sign players among these rankings, and I just really don't love the Colts bringing back Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce, especially at the price tags to do it.

And those two could end up proving me dead wrong. Time will tell.

For now, I really loved the value the Colts got in Georgia linebacker CJ Allen as a 2nd-round draft pick. The former Georgia star can step in and be a captain on that side of the ball for Lou Anarumo, which the Colts are going to need after trading Zaire Franklin to the Packers.

13. Miami Dolphins: Kadyn Proctor, OT (1st round pick, NFL Draft)

There is really a lot going on with the Miami Dolphins this offseason. I think you could make a number of arguments about what move was the "best" for them so far, but I ultimately just went with their top overall pick in this massive incoming NFL Draft class.

New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley came to Miami from the Packers' organization, and those two guys have absolutely put their stamp on this franchise immediately. They took on a ton of dead money this offseason, cut or traded a bunch of former star players, and they started the rebuild in the NFL Draft by going to the trenches.

I like that strategy, and I was personally higher on Kadyn Proctor than others. He's obviously got great size, but Proctor is a tremendous athlete who can play multiple positions as the Dolphins look to assemble the best possible starting five up front.

12. Cleveland Browns: Spencer Fano, OT (1st round pick, NFL Draft)

You're seeing a couple of teams whose most impressive offseason acquisition was an offensive lineman down here at the bottom of this list, but make no mistake -- lack of star power or jersey sales doesn't mean these are all "bad" moves. They might not be individual needle movers, but the Browns' commitment to rebuilding their offensive line the right way is exemplified perfectly with the Spencer Fano pick.

The Browns went out and got former 1st-round pick Zion Johnson in free agency. They signed Elgton Jenkins who can play at multiple positions. They traded for Tytus Howard. On the whole the moves are great, but I love the Spencer Fano pick. He's another guy who just fits what Todd Monken wants to do in being physical up front.

Regardless of what position he lands at, the Browns got a really good one here and someone who I think will play for a decade or more.

11. Houston Texans: David Montgomery, RB (Trade with Lions)

The Houston Texans made a really solid, but not quite spectacular, move to land David Montgomery in a trade with the Detroit Lions. This Texans team made a number of significant additions in the trenches in the NFL Draft, a strategy I'm a huge fan of, but Montgomery is coming in to play a critical role that was missing from last year's team.

With Joe Mixon's NFL future potentially in question due to injury, Montgomery gives the Texans a back they can really lean on to do the dirty work. He can play all three downs and has proven, especially since he got to the Detroit Lions, that few running backs are better at cashing in red zone trips.

The Texans won 12 games last season with the 30th-ranked red zone offense. You tell me how important this pickup is.

10. New England Patriots: Kevin Byard, SAF (Free Agent, Bears)

The New England Patriots have been in the news cycle for all the wrong reasons so far this offseason, but on the field, this team has gotten some substantial upgrades.

We can't quite write about the Patriots adding AJ Brown at the wide receiver position just yet, although that does feel like a foregone conclusion at this point. I loved the Caleb Lomu pick in the 1st round of this draft, and Gabe Jacas was on my "my guys" list from this year's class. The Patriots made a lot of smart moves, but how about the underrated Kevin Byard signing?

Byard has been an ageless wonder at the safety position, and is coming off of a season with the Chicago Bears in which he picked off seven passes, earning 1st-team All-Pro honors. He'll be a huge pickup for the Patriots' secondary.

9. Kansas City Chiefs: Mansoor Delane, CB (1st round pick, NFL Draft)

It's definitely a bittersweet move to talk about, but the Chiefs believed they had to have Mansoor Delane in the 2026 NFL Draft. They traded up three spots, giving up some valuable real estate later on, to get the LSU product, and for good reason.

Not only is Delane a quality prospect in his own right, but the Chiefs had spent the prior months absolutely gutting their defensive backfield. That housecleaning included moving on from veteran Trent McDuffie, who was traded to the Rams in a blockbuster deal early on this year.

The Chiefs' decision to trade McDuffie casts a dark cloud over some of the moves they made in the secondary, but evaluating Delane on his own, this is just a great player for Steve Spagnuolo's defense. He's physical, aggressive, and will be counted on to be a stud CB1 immediately.

8. New York Jets: David Bailey, EDGE (1st round pick, NFL Draft)

There were a lot more moves to choose from with the New York Jets than just about every other team. And instead of getting cute with this one, we're going with the low-hanging fruit. The Jets obviously believed that David Bailey could come in and be an impact player from the first day he sets foot in the facility, and I think that's exactly what we're going to see.

There were high expectations for Bailey coming over to Texas Tech after he left Stanford, and he more than lived up to those lofty expectations. He was an All-American this past season with 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, proving his absolute dominance against college competition.

With Will McDonald IV on the other side, the Jets might have a little something cooking in the pass rush department after finishing 31st in the NFL in sacks last season.

7. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB (1st round pick, NFL Draft)

You can't help but love the borderline scripted path Fernando Mendoza has been following over the last calendar year or so.

Mendoza transferred to Indiana, of all places, from California. And there were high expectations for him coming in, but he blew those out of the water by not only winning a Heisman Trophy with the Hoosiers, but leading them to a National Championship as well. And then he becomes the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft for good measure.

The Raiders are going to bring along Mendoza at their pace, but he's stepping into a great system and situation with Klint Kubiak's offense and Kirk Cousins as a veteran mentor. He might finally give the Raiders a true franchise QB to build around.

6. Buffalo Bills: DJ Moore, WR (Trade with Bears)

There was a lot of talk earlier this offseason about whether or not the Buffalo Bills "overpaid" in their deal to get DJ Moore away from the Chicago Bears, and here's what I have to say about that:

Who cares?

The Bills' biggest issue last year on the offensive side of the ball was the inconsistency and lack of talent/depth at wide receiver, so they went out and got a guy that new head coach Joe Brady knows and feels comfortable with. The cost to acquire is borderline irrelevant.

Moore is going to be capable of being a high-volume target for Josh Allen, who desperately needed a player like this to be able to lean on in the passing game.

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Dexter Lawrence, DL (Trade with Giants)

Here is a hilarious post from Warren Sharp that highlights just how ridiculously good Dexter Lawrence has been:

To say the production has been outrageous would be an understatement. The Giants have struggled badly as a team, but that hasn't deterred Lawrence from being one of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in the game.

The Bengals lost veteran pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, but you can safely say they made up for that loss with the addition of Lawrence on the interior, along with bringing in guys like Boye Mafe (free agency), Jonathan Allen (free agency), and Cashius Howell (2nd-round pick) to fortify that pass rush.

Lawrence is going to be the one to raise the floor of this defense, and even though it cost the Bengals the 10th pick in the draft, it was worth it to get this type of impact player.

4. Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter, head coach

We've reached the "impactful coach" section of today's post. The Baltimore Ravens made a very difficult and somewhat controversial move to let go of longtime head coach John Harbaugh. That decision opened up arguably the most attractive job in the NFL, and the Ravens opted to go with Jesse Minter to replace Harbaugh.

To say Minter's defense has been unbelievable for the Los Angeles Chargers the past couple of seasons wouldn't really do it justice. The scheme put a lot of the league's best quarterbacks in an absolute blender, and they ended up ranking 1st in points allowed during the 2024 season and 9th in points allowed in 2025.

If Minter's scheme is that impactful in Baltimore, his arrival could mean the Ravens having one of the most balanced teams in the entire league.

3. Los Angeles Chargers: Mike McDaniel, offensive coordinator

How do you unlock Justin Herbert's true potential and blow away any proverbial "ceiling" to his game? The answer to that question might be, "Hire Mike McDaniel to call the offense."

The Chargers brought in McDaniel this offseason after he was let go by the Miami Dolphins, and why is that such a huge move? Well, there are few offensive coordinators in the NFL who are as elite as Mike McDaniel when it comes to scheming up a running game. That was what got him promoted in San Francisco, and that's what he did well -- even to the end -- when he was with the Miami Dolphins.

Opening up the running game will make Herbert's life a lot easier, and the Chargers now have someone calling plays who has proven to get ridiculous production out of his offenses at his previous stops.

2. Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh, head coach

The first opportunity Robert Saleh got to be an NFL head coach was not exactly a golden one. The New York Jets' organization has been somewhat of a dumpster fire, and Saleh was just another case of that franchise being impatient and not being able to find stability at the quarterback position.

What we know Saleh can do is develop talent defensively, and get the most out of his guys. I think he's going to do extremely well in his second stint as an NFL head coach, and he's already pulled a lot of the right strings by hiring Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator, and the man who will be tasked with developing Cam Ward.

The hiring of Saleh has already paid off in multiple other ways, including landing a big free agent fish in defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. The Titans could be a lot more competitive this year than anyone is currently expecting, and it starts with the hiring of Robert Saleh.

1. Denver Broncos: Jaylen Waddle, WR (Trade with Dolphins)

No team in the AFC, maybe not even the NFL, made as impactful a move as the Denver Broncos trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. And yes, this was a costly one.

The Broncos gave up 1st- and 3rd-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to get Waddle, one of the best receivers in the NFL when it comes to creating separation and making plays at all levels of the field. The Broncos have been among the league leaders in dropped passes over the last three seasons, and they decided to go out and do something about raising the level of play around Bo Nix.

For a team that made it to the AFC Championship (and hosted it) this past season, the Broncos showed they are all-in on this current group by trading for Waddle. He adds an extremely dynamic and important element to the offense that simply hasn't been there in the Bo Nix era.