There are some teams that stand atop their respective divisions, and likely will in 2026. But not every NFL division is created equal. Some are simply better than others, and the teams sitting in the basement of those divisions have a very tough path forward.
And given how the NFL does their playoff format, a 10-7 division winner, for example, is going to have a higher playoff seed than an 11-6 second-place finisher. Some may want the NFL to adopt an NBA-style playoff format, where teams are seeded by record, but there's something to be said about how important divisional games are in the NFL.
On that note, let's power-rank the eight divisions here for the upcoming season, primarily using the 2025 finishes as the basis for our rankings.
Power-ranking all eight divisions as the 2026 NFL Offseason rolls on
8. NFC South
Not a single team in the NFC South finished with a winning record in 2025, as all of Carolina, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans were 8-9. While I do believe a winning record will have to win the division in 2026, there just isn't much talent at all here.
Many of the quarterbacks are simply bad or nothing special (yet), and the overall roster talent could be a lot better.
7. NFC East
Sometimes called the "NFC Least," the NFC East saw one winning record in 2025, and it's not like the 11-6 Philadelphia Eagles were a dominant team. While I am quite high on the Dallas Cowboys, and do believe the New York Giants could be frisky, there is still a lot of unproven players and teams here.
It'd be unfair if I ranked a division higher on this list because I only 'felt like' the division as a whole would improve.
6. AFC North
Once a tough, rugged division with solid quarterback play and multiple playoff teams a year, the AFC North is mostly a joke. The 10-7 Pittsburgh Steelers won the division with an over-the-hill Aaron Rodgers in 2026.
It's clear that Pittsburgh won't win the division in 2026, and at best, the AFC North will be a two-horse race between Cincinnati and Baltimore, but even the Bengals have missed the playoffs three years in a row now.
5. AFC East
Shockingly in 2025, the New England Patriots tied for the best record in the NFL at 14-3 and won the division, but the team did have an insanely easy schedule. New England's schedule gets a lot tougher in 2026, so the Buffalo Bills figure to be back at the top.
The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are both going to be non-factors in 2026, but with how good New England and Buffalo could be, the AFC East sees a respectable spot in these power rankings.
4. AFC South
Another shocking result in 2025, the 13-4 Jacksonville Jaguars had a breakout year in the first year of the Liam Coen era, but the Houston Texans were also close to a juggernaut. Houston winning 12 games despite an 0-3 start could tell you just how good they'll be in 2026.
And both Tennessee and Indianapolis have enough talent on both sides of the ball to give most team fits. While the latter two teams are likely on the outside looking in, the division as a whole is rather competent.
3. AFC West
The Denver Broncos won the AFC West in 2025, and it really should not have been much of a surprise. Denver's roster talent is a tier or two above the rest of their AFC West foes. Los Angeles again finished 11-6, and that does seem to be their early ceiling in the Jim Harbaugh era.
Both Kansas City and Las Vegas finished with losing records, and that happened for a reason - both teams lacked enough roster talent, and while both did add a good bit this offseason, combining for a 9-25 record does give you perspective of how much of an uphill battle both teams have.
2. NFC North
Every team in the NFC North finished with a winning record in 2025, so this division lands at No. 2 in our power rankings. You could very easily argue that we could again see four winning records in 2025. The Chicago Bears won the division with an 11-6 record, so the 'ceiling' necessary to win the NFC North was lower than expected.
However, all four organizations are competent and good enough to make some noise.
1. NFC West
Unquestionably the best division in the NFL right now, the NFC West had three teams win at least 12 games, and the NFC Championship Game featured Seattle and Los Angeles.
The Arizona Cardinals are flat-out buried in this division, as there's no indication that the three other teams won't again be near or at the very top of the NFL hierarchy.