The NFL offseason has finally rounded third base, and is headed toward the home stretch. Soon, all 32 teams will be back out onto the practice fields for training camp, and football season will officially be upon us.
And before teams get their 90 -man rosters out onto the field and in pads, we're going to do our best to rank every roster around the league, worst to best.
These new NFL Power Rankings will not only break down every team based on star power, but also potential, core pieces to build around, depth, and general talent from top to bottom. It's impossible to know exactly how everything will play out, so we're taking the most optimistic approach we can with every roster around the league, viewing them through the lens the actual team might be seeing things. Which rosters are the best (and worst) heading into the 2026 season?
2026 NFL Power Rankings: NFL roster rankings worst to best heading into training camp
32. Miami Dolphins
It's becoming a bit of a tired narrative at this point, but the Dolphins undoubtedly have the "worst" roster in the NFL right now. You can break it down by position groups, starting lineups, or premium positions -- no matter what way you slice it, the Dolphins are in full-on rebuilding mode, and they are aware of that.
But that doesn't mean this team is devoid of anything positive to get a look at this up coming season. The Dolphins actually might have some enviable pieces in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and maybe especially on the offensive line.
We'll see how Malik Willis does at the helm of an NFL team for the first time in his career. He has earned it with the way he's played as Jordan Love's backup. The Dolphins' biggest opportunity before them is to get as good of a look at the 2026 NFL Draft class as possible, and be able to make long-term decisions in the 2027 NFL Draft class, which looks absolutely loaded.
Even if this team isn't competing for an AFC East title in 2026, the foundation is being laid by the new brain trust of GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. They want to use this season to discover who has staying power for the future.
31. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns just traded away the best player in their franchise's history on the defensive side of the ball, maybe regardless of position, and they don't have a long-term quarterback solution.
It's pretty easy to put this team near the bottom of the league right now, but similar to the Dolphins, the Browns are exercising some self-awareness that is probably long overdue. Although this team is in another rebuilding and evaluation season, they have quite a few pieces on both sides of the ball to be excited about, and plenty of wild card options as well.
The offensive line has gotten a major makeover, which was much-needed. The receiver position got a couple of young, talented prospects in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. The Browns had a stellar 2025 NFL Draft class, highlighted by Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger and stud running back Quinshon Judkins.
Again, the pieces are there, especially if Jared Verse can continue to progress. But the loss of Myles Garrett and lack of a quarterback ultimately drag this team down.
30. Arizona Cardinals
As fun as the Arizona Cardinals will be this season if players like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiyah Love live up to their lofty NFL Draft status, it's the dreaded "P-word" that is putting a bit of a ceiling on this team:
Potential.
The Cardinals don't have many household names at the moment. They have a rookie head coach. Trey McBride is a superstar, but he doesn't play a premium position. Arizona needs a lot of young guys to really step up this coming season as they continue to build the foundation for the future.
Just like some other teams, this is not a roster devoid of talent or upside, but it's just too much unproven, and with no long-term QB solution in place right now. This is a year where Arizona desperately needs young players to step up, including hopefully a number of players on defense emerging as core players.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the most interesting teams in the NFL, but they are also far from done with their current rebuilding project.
This offseason was a much more aggressive step in the right direction, bringing in players like Tyler Linderbaum to upgrade the center position and linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker to hopefully solidify the linebacker position.
The Raideres were obviously able to get a potential franchise QB with the #1 overall pick in Fernando Mendoza, and he has some fun weapons already with running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers.
Still, this is a team that arguably has the worst WR room in the NFL, maybe the worst defensive line in the NFL, and an unproven group of corners. The Raiders are young and raw in a lot of ways, and they're still looking to free agents and reclamation projects in others.
The state of this roster is exactly what the Raiders said it is when they traded Maxx Crosby to Baltimore. Even though that trade was called off, it spoke volumes about the team's awareness that they are smack dab in the middle of a rebuild/reload.
28. New York Jets
The New York Jets might just be missing a quarterback at this point.
Although the Jets don't have a flawless roster, and still have other needs -- some of them pressing, even -- they absolutely have plenty to be excited about. For the first time in a long time, they might even have more to be excited about on the offensive side of the ball than on the defensive side.
But top pick David Bailey will have something to say about that.
Just like a number of other teams near the bottom of this list, the Jets rank low not because of their lack of talent, but their lack of truly "proven" talent. And they still have some of that as well. The Jets' core group of offensive weapons is extremely fun: Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Mason Taylor, AD Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr., and Kenyon Sadiq.
This is a team that really needs to hit the lottery on the QB position so they can get on with an era of prosperity. They've certainly got the picks next year to make it happen.
27. Washington Commanders
The Commanders went into the 2025 season as one of the oldest rosters in the NFL, and it showed. They ended up allowing more yards than any other team in the league, and were completely injury-plagued on the offensive side of the ball.
That has called into question a little bit the confidence from the outside looking in on Jayden Daniels, but Washington still has a lot of pieces to be excited about. They were ultra-aggressive in reloading the defensive front, signing Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson to upgrade the pass rush.
They upgraded the second level of the defense by bringing in Leo Chenal from the Chiefs and using their top pick (7th overall) on Ohio State superstar Sonny Styles, who will be the communicator of Dan Quinn's defense.
Even with all of the additions they made this offseason, the Commanders still have major question marks at wide receiver and cornerback. And the veteran free agents aren't automatically guaranteed to work out.
26. New York Giants
When he was first hired, it seemed like John Harbaugh might be inheriting a truly special roster of young players in New York. And that may still prove to be the case, but the Giants are also still highly suspect in some areas.
Most notably, this team has major issues at the wide receiver position, especially with the loss of Wan'Dale Robinson and Malik Nabers's recovery taking longer than anticipated. The Giants dealt with injuries all throughout last season, and not just minor dings here and there. It was legitimately concerning the number of times Jaxson Dart had to be evaluated for a concussion, and Cam Skattebo going down with a brutal ankle/leg injury.
The Giants had one of the most fearsome defensive fronts in the NFL, but then they traded Dexter Lawrence for the 10th pick in the draft.
This team might have the most potential of any in the bottom 10 on this list, but they also have an extremely low floor compared to others.
25. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have to be considered one of the most improved rosters around the NFL this offseason.
The addition of coaches like Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll helps a ton, but GM Mike Borgonzi has done a really solid job the past couple of offseasons at identifying young talent that can be part of the team's core going forward.
The Titans have not only hit with their top picks, but they appear to have found some diamonds in the rough later in the NFL Draft as well. And this offseason, they really pushed all of the right buttons. They added Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers to the defensive line. They traded up and got Texas playmaker Anthony Hill Jr. at the linebacker position.
Offensively, they added some much-needed weapons for Cam Ward with Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate. This team really did a great job of improving, at least on paper, and they have coaches who have proven to be outstanding in the player development department. This is the right way to go about believing you have a franchise QB entering his second season.
24. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints might be a bit of a surprise team this upcoming season, and not necessarily for the reason(s) you might think.
The Saints were incredibly underrated on the defensive side of the ball last season already, ranking 9th in total yards allowed, 4th in passing yards allowed, 6th in yards per rushing attempt allowed, 3rd in 3rd-down effiency, and 10th in red zone efficiency.
If you asked 100 NFL fans to name the 10 best defenses in the NFL last year, you might be lucky to get one person to mention the Saints. But that defense is bringing back most of its core players, and I love that they brought back Kaden Elliss to replace veteran Demario Davis.
They added a couple of intriguing reclamation projects in Martin Emerson Jr. at cornerback and Tyree Wilson on the defensive front. Christen Miller was a steal for the defensive line in the 2nd round.
Offensively, they are looking to capitalize on the late breakthrough of Tyler Shough last season. They added David Edwards to the offensive line in free agency, and also brought in Travis Etienne, Jordyn Tyson, and Oscar Delp to upgrade the weapons on that side of the ball. This team has huge potential in 2026 if the young wild cards can prove to be hits.
23. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers took some big steps forward last year under Dave Canales, who is now entering his 3rd season with the team. The biggest strides (roster-wise) came defensively, but the offense has also shown some dynamic potential.
The biggest question mark with this team is still Bryce Young, even though he played some elite football at times last year against the LA Rams, especially. The Panthers aren't lacking options in the passing game for Young to spread the ball to, especially after the immediate breakthrough of rookie Tet McMillan as the team's WR1.
This offseason, the Panthers set out to take yet another step forward in the NFC South by adding Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd to the defensive front seven.
With contingencies in place on the offensive line (Rasheed Walker, Monroe Freeling) in case it takes Ikem Ekwonu more time to recover than expected, the Panthers are set up for at least 8 or 9 wins again this coming season. And if Young can take the next step as a player, even better.
22. Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings really haven't had a "bad" team under head coach Kevin O'Connell. O'Connell has done a great job of maximizing the talent that he has at his disposal year in and year out, and this team absolutely has some star power.
Offensively, the Vikings might have the best player in the game. Justin Jefferson is a cheat code at the wide receiver position, and they might have assembled the best trio in the NFL with Jordan Addison and free agent pickup Jauan Jennings.
Still, the Vikings are going to be relying on defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his scheme more than ever before. Even with the possibility of a breakout from Dallas Turner, this team has young players replacing the likes of Jonathan Greenard, Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, and Harrison Smith. Those are huge losses.
Factoring in the quarterback position coming down to Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy, this is going to be maybe the biggest "test" year for O'Connell and his staff.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are entering a make-or-break year for both head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Unless Mayfield signs a big-money deal before the start of the season, that is.
Overall, the Buccaneers' roster and starting lineup doesn't appear to have many flaws right now. The problem is, we've seen how limited they can be over the past couple of seasons, even with their best players on the field.
This is a Bucs roster that has the top-end talent to compete for a division title in the NFC South, but I'm not sure they have the type of talent to compete for an NFC title right now. This has the feel of a team that will win by 21 points one week, then lose by 13 the next. There is a level of volatility that comes with having depth issues on either side of the ball, and QB with a gunslinger's mentality.
For the short term, the Bucs look like a competitor in their division. For the long term, they might have too many major questions in key areas (QB, EDGE, CB).
20. Atlanta Falcons
Interestingly enough, the Atlanta Falcons might have the best collection of individual pieces out of any team in the NFC South, but nobody knows if they're going to be able to be a great sum of all their parts in the first year under new head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Most of the questions obviously revolve around the quarterback position, and the competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. But those guys have great weapons to get the ball to, starting with star running back Bijan Robinson. The Falcons also have Drake London and Kyle Pitts to feature in the passing game, and a solid offensive line from left to right.
With James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker as the top pieces on the defensive front, the Falcons' pass rush drastically improved last year. They kept defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as a result, and his unit got even more talented with the trade to acquire Maason Smith on the defensive line, and the draft investment in Avieon Terrell, the team's top pick who joins his brother in the secondary.
This roster feels like it's on the brink of a breakout, but they need the quarterback to be the catalyst for all of it.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a roster loaded with names of players you know and recognize, but it just doesn't feel like they've assembled this group at the right time in history.
If you had said five years ago that you could have a team with Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, TJ Watt, Michael Pittman Jr., Cameron Heyward, and Patrick Queen, most fans around the league probably would have signed up immediately.
Now, it just feels like the Steelers are a day late and a dollar short.
This will be the first year of the Mike McCarthy era, and he's inherited a roster that feels like it's pushing its chips all in for the 2026 season, but they don't have a face card in their hand. That's not to say the Steelers are not talented at all, nor are we saying that they don't have a chance to compete this season.
But for a team with as many reconizable names, it feels like the window is small and the floor is not as high as they need it to be.
18. Kansas City Chiefs
Yes, it's true -- the Kansas City Chiefs are in the bottom half of a list of NFL roster rankings. You never thought you would see the day, did you?
Although there has been a lot of unnecessary or contrived hate for the Chiefs in recent years, they objectively have taken a step back in the overall makeup of their roster. And part of that is by design. The Chiefs moved on from some notable veterans this offseason, and are going with a youth movement at a number of positions.
They're putting some faith in the player development process on both sides of the ball, but this team struggled in 2025 for more reasons than Patrick Mahomes's injury late in the season.
The Chiefs still have huge question marks on the offensive line, even with all of their draft investments there in recent years. They might have one of the worst/least reliable receiver rooms in the NFL.
Simply put -- they need young players on both sides of the ball to step up this season. Specifically, they need Xavier Worthy, Josh Simmons, and Ashton Gillotte to really step up this year, as well as their 1st-round picks in 2026: Mansoor Delane and Peter Woods.
The stars who helped this team win Super Bowls are getting older. GM Chris Ballard has not done the best job of drafting. Kansas City objectively has more question marks now than ever before in the Mahomes era, but there's talent on the team that could step up.
17. Dallas Cowboys
If we were simply ranking rosters based on offensive talent in the 2026 season, the Cowboys would likely finish in the top 5 overall. But the whole roster for the Cowboys still includes a lot of questions that need answering going into 2026.
What do we know about this team? We know that the Cowboys have arguably the best WR duo in the NFL in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Dak Prescott is easily a top-10 QB when healthy. Javonte Williams was a stud for this team last year.
It's the defense, and maybe even parts of the offensive line giving us pause with the Cowboys. They've brought in a ton of new faces over the last 12 months, including Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, and their two top picks in 2026: Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence.
If new defensive coordinator Christian Parker can pull all the right strings for the Dallas defense this season, this roster will skyrocket this coming season. But that player development remains a mystery.
On the offensive side of the ball, will the Cowboys be able to get the best out of former 1st-round pick Tyler Guyton? He struggled when healthy last season and might be the team's X-factor on that side of the ball in 2026.
16. Indianapolis Colts
Out of all of the teams in the NFL, the one I struggled to place the most was the Indianapolis Colts.
For the first 10 games of last season, there were few teams in the NFL better than this one. The Colts liked what they saw last year enough to bring back Daniel Jones on a two-year deal, and also bringing back Alec Pierce in NFL Free Agency on a big-money contract.
They said goodbye to Michael Pittman Jr., but they still have Josh Downs and star second-year player Tyler Warren to feature in the passing game. And this year, expect Warren to be heavily featured. Jonathan Taylor is also still one of the best and maybe most underrated running backs in the game.
The Colts' 2026 season might hinge on a trade that was made during the 2025 season to acquire Sauce Gardner. They are banking on Gardner returning to the form we saw in his first couple of NFL seasons where he allowed virtually nothing to be completed into his coverage.
In a limited sample for the Colts last season (4 games), Gardner allowed a QB rating into his coverage of just 65.1, and only 8.5 yards per completion. Those numbers would have been better than his 1st-team All-Pro numbers he posted as a rookie.
The Colts have some exciting young players who need to take the leap this season on their defensive front. Rookie CJ Allen, the team's top pick, will be fun to watch at linebacker, and JT Tuimoloau entering his 2nd NFL season could be a breakout player off the edge opposite Laiatu Latu.
15. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers were the 7th seed in the AFC last season, so this ranking is really nothing to scoff at, but it's going to be taken in an offensive way by Chargers fans.
The Chargers have a veteran-laden defense and a really solid overall offense. But this roster might just be a better sum of its parts than a collection of individual parts overall.
Offensively, the Chargers are going to work to replace their leading receiver last year -- Keenan Allen. The fact that Allen came in off the couch to lead the team in receiving last year is a bit of a picture of this team's struggles at receiver, and why Mike McDaniel's first and foremost priority as offensive coordinator for this team is to get the ground game going.
Omarion Hampton had a solid overall rookie season, but he'll be expected to absolutely take off this year if the offensive line is healthy. And that's another major question mark. Though we assume both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater will be back, will they be back at full strength?
The Chargers' pass rush is led by the extremely underrated Tuli Tuipulotu, but how much are they going to get out of the rest of that unit this year? They went out and added Miami's Akheem Mesidor with their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The floor feels rather high for this Chargers roster, but how high is the ceiling? The question marks at receiver, interior offensive line, and how the defensive pieces fit with a first-year defensive coordinator all loom large.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars jumped from having the 5th-worst record in the NFL last season to being AFC South champions, and you can't help but feel like they stifled their own progress a bit this offseason.
The Jaguars got major contributions last year from a couple of the team's prior first-round picks -- Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd. They don't win the AFC South without those two guys on either side of the ball, so to see them walk in free agency with little resistance was discouraging.
Still, you can't help but feel like the infrastructure is in place for the Jags to once again contend for their division this season as opposed to just being another flash in the pan.
They've got a star at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, whose dual-threat abilities were really unlocked last year under Liam Coen. Then you have arguably the best receiver room in the league, and an opportunistic defense that forced a lot of takeaways (31) and dominated against the run (1st in the NFL) last season.
The biggest "upgrade" the Jaguars are getting this year might come in the form of second-year player Travis Hunter, who was hurt most of his rookie season (missing 10 games) and is obviously one of their most valuable building blocks on either -- or both -- side(s) of the ball.
The losses of Etienne and Lloyd still loom extremely large for this team, and whether or not the defense can repeat the type of success in the takeaway department.
13. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears proved last season that they have a young, loaded offense with one of the smartest minds in the NFL (Ben Johnson) calling all the shots.
In just their first year under Johnson, after making Matt Eberflus the first head coach in the history of the franchise to be fired in-season, the Bears were the best team in the NFL in overall turnover differential (+22). As a matter of fact, they had fewer giveaways and more takeaways than any team in the league over the course of the season.
There are almost zero short-term or long-term questions for this team on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense is another story. The Bears were mostly in the bottom 10 of major statistical categories defensively last year apart from their ability to take the ball away, and they lost some of the biggest pieces of their secondary (Kevin Byard, CJ Gardner-Johnson, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright).
With so many moving parts defensively, and perhaps not doing enough (yet) to upgrade the pass rush, there's at least slight cause for concern that this team can duplicate or build on last year's success. But that offense...
12. Green Bay Packers
Dating back to 2022, it feels like the Packers have not been afraid to hit the reset button, no matter how big the names of the players they were moving on from had to be.
They moved on from Davante Adams. They moved on from Aaron Rodgers. And they did each of those things rather successfully. The Jordan Love era has proven the Packers' ability to draft and develop, but also bring in the right players from the outside.
The blockbuster trade last year for Micah Parsons was one of the most aggressive we've seen around the NFL in recent memory, and it has set the Packers up for long-term success. But there's also no doubt that this team lost a lot in 2026, and they are once again banking on young -- in some cases, unproven -- players on both sides of the ball.
Parsons won't likely be out there for the start of the season, so young pass rushers are going to have to step up in his place. The Packers are not only replacing him for a short time, but also veterans like Rashan Gary, Kingsley Enagbare, and Quay Walker on the defense.
Offensively, this will be the first year since 2019 the team won't have Elgton Jenkins. Former 1st-round pick Jordan Morgan and 2nd-round pick Anthony Belton are going to have to step up big time, along with young receiver and 2025 top pick Matthew Golden.
There's a ton of talent on this Packers team, per usual, but their draft-and-develop first strategy is being tested, and their depth is going to be significantly tested, especially early on.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are one roster whose stars are carrying them significantly to this point in the rankings.
It's impossible to deny the star power of this Bengals team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. It could be argued that the Bengals have the best quarterback and best wide receiver in the entire NFL when Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are both healthy and on top of their game.
But keep this in mind as well: As great as Burrow is, he's also dealt with injury issues in two of the past three seasons, and hasn't played in a postseason game since the 2022 season. We've been talking too much about his dyed hair and Met Gala outfits in recent years.
Still, the storylines don't deter from the quality of the roster here. The Bengals have made some of the most substantial additions to the defensive side of the ball out of any team in the NFL, trading for Dexter Lawrence while also adding guys like Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, and top pick Cashius Howell.
There are still question marks at linebacker and in the secondary for the Bengals, but they have invested draft capital there as well. If this team can get progression from players they've invested in through the NFL Draft, they'll be a minimum 12-win team and true contender in the AFC.
10. Baltimore Ravens
Although injuries obviously hurt this team badly in 2025, the Baltimore Ravens' overall roster was somewhat exposed during the course of last season as well.
There is a reason why this team went out and swung a trade for Maxx Crosby before cancelling it and adding Trey Hendrickson instead. The Ravens desperately needed help coming off the edge, and they think they've got it, but Trey Hendrickson wasn't exactly whipping tackles left and right last season, either.
I've got Baltimore as a very "on the cusp" top-10 roster in the NFL right now. When everyone is healthy and playing their best, we've seen just how dominant this team can be. And most of all, quarterback Lamar Jackson. When Jackson is right, there might not be a better or more dynamic player at his position in the game.
Not only did the Ravens land Hendrickson to help their pass rush this year, but they also used a 2nd-round pick on Zion Young. They're not leaving any stones unturned off the edge.
The primary question marks for this team are on the interior offensive line, where we will see three new starters for the 2026 seasson. Vega Ioane, the team's top pick, should be an immediate starter, but will it take him time to get up to speed on a team with championship aspirations?
The receiver position outside of Zay Flowers is also a question, though the Ravens invested there and may have some NFL Draft steals in Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt. It will also be interesting to see how this offense does without Isaiah Likely or Charlie Kolar at tight end.
9. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are somewhat like the NFC version of the Cincinnati Bengals on this list. When it comes to offensive weapons, they've got every box checked. The defensive side of the ball is where you're going to find a ton of question marks for this Detroit team.
The Lions have one of the most enviable core groups of offensive weapons in the NFL, starting with Jared Goff, who has been a model of consistency for them in recent years. Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the most dynamic weapons at running back around the league, and the duo of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams at receiver is a duo most teams would trade places with if they could.
When Sam LaPorta is healthy, not many teams have a better trio of pass-catchers. The offensive line is going through something of a reshuffling with Penei Sewell kicking over to the left side and Blake Miller taking over at right tackle following the release of Taylor Decker.
Aidan Hutchinson is a dominant force off the edge, but the Lions also have 2026 2nd-round pick Derrick Moore entering the mix this year to try and take some pressure off of him.
Jack Campbell is the star in the middle of Detroit's defense, and when Brian Branch is healthy, he's been an All-Pro caliber player. The Lions' major question marks are in the secondary, where health has been a concern overall, and the cornerback position may not have the personnel to go deep into the postseason.
8. Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles' roster undoubtedly took a major hit when they traded away AJ Brown to the New England Patriots, but the upside they've brought in behind him is intriguing.
This is a Philadelphia roster that, for the most part, was responsible for delivering a Super Bowl win just two seasons ago. Although it's not the same exact roster overall, the primary pieces are still there, and the Eagles are loaded on both sides of the ball for another championship run.
Even with the AJ Brown question mark, the Eagles have supplemented by trading for a really promising player in Dontayvion Wicks as well as moving up in the 2026 NFL Draft to get Makai Lemon. The offensive scheme change will hopefully bring a little bit more balance, and fewer 3-and-outs for this group under Sean Mannion. And you never know -- the Super Bowl hangover might have been an unfortunately real thing for this team.
The Eagles still won 11 games last year and had one of the best defenses in the league, a unit that remains mostly intact this season. Vic Fangio has arguably the best duo of defensive backs in the NFL in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and they added Super Bowl champ Riq Woolen at outside cornerback.
The trade to acquire Jonathan Greenard at least gives them an experienced edge rusher to replace Jaelan Phillips, who left them at the altar in free agency after being acquired in a trade during the 2025 season.
This is a roster with more long-term question marks (OL, EDGE, SAF) than immediate concerns.
7. San Francisco 49ers
Even with all of the injuries they had to deal with last season, including their primary star players on either side of the ball (Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner), the 49ers managed to win 12 games and play like one of the best teams in the NFL.
Not to get too hyperbolic, but that's just proof of how great this team can be when Christian McCaffrey is fully healthy. He's that dynamic and that impactful every single snap.
The 49ers got better this offseason, even if only by way of getting healthier. They will have everyone back in the mix once again, including bringing back Dre Greenlaw after his failed year with the Denver Broncos.
The 49ers added Mike Evans this offseason, and he brings a much-needed veteran presence to the receiver position, even if he's not the dynamic threat he was in his prime with the Buccaneers. He'll be utilized properly by Kyle Shanahan.
The 49ers' biggest weakness was their interior pass rush, which they also upgraded by making a trade for Osa Odighizuwa of the Cowboys. Adding him to the mix, along with getting Nick Bosa back, should help this team progress immediately after ranking dead last in the NFL in sacks last season.
6. New England Patriots
The reigning AFC Champion New England Patriots are back to contend for a title once again in the 2026 season, even though they may have played the "easiest" schedule out of any team in the league last year.
Even though the Patriots have been criticized heavily for the way they won their games en route to the Super Bowl, they still won the games, and that can't be taken from them. The offensive performance in those games was horrendous, however, which is why we saw New England go out this offseason and make bold moves to upgrade that side of the ball.
They used their top draft choice on offensive tackle prospect Caleb Lomu, whose role this year remains uncertain. They also brought in Romeo Doubs in free agency before swinging the blockbuster deal to get AJ Brown from the Eagles.
For a team that was the most explosive passing attack in the NFL last season without either of those guys, Drake Maye has to be feeling giddy about what he can do entering his third NFL season.
The Patriots played extremely well last year as a team defensively, but roster-wise, there has to be some concern about the play of their edge rushers. K'Lavon Chaisson caught fire at just the right time last year, but the Patriots let him go and replaced him with Dre'Mont Jones.
We'll see what the 2026 season brings for rookie Gabe Jacas, one of the most underrated players in this class. The Patriots also added the seemingly ageless Kevin Byard, who had 7 interceptions with the Bears last season, and is now reunited with Mike Vrabel in Foxboro.
5. Buffalo Bills
You could almost rank the Buffalo BIlls and New England Patriots 5a and 5b in whatever order you would choose. It's really hard to differentiate these two rosters right now, but if the Bills had gotten by Denver in last year's Divisional Round, who among us would have picked the Patriots to beat Buffalo in the playoffs?
Not me.
Buffalo's roster is really balanced on both sides of the ball, and led by superstars on the offense. Of course, Josh Allen doesn't need any introduction. He's a perennial MVP candidate, who is joined in the backfield by James Cook, a perennial NFL Offensive Player of the Year candidate at this point.
Now, the Bills have DJ Moore at the wide receiver position as an every-down threat for Allen, and the addition of Moore should open up things for both Khalil Shakir and maybe even Keon Coleman, who is getting a fresh start this offseason.
Buffalo has a fantastic offensive line, and they have the pieces defensively to win a championship, especially in the secondary. The biggest question right now is whether or not they have the pieces in the pass rush department to make a deep run. They added Bradley Chubb in free agency and TJ Parker in the NFL Draft to try and address those questions.
This roster is not without weaknesses or flaws, but it's hard to find anything really glaring, especially if their offseason acquisitions work out.
4. Seattle Seahawks
Despite losing a number of key players from the roster that helped win the Super Bowl last season, the Seattle Seahawks are loaded and ready to make another run this coming season.
They have one of the best core groups of players in the league, and one of the best parts of this roster is how well they all play together. Losing Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen means the Seahawks will have to replace two of their top four leaders in snaps defensively, but they got one of the top ballhawks at safety in this class in 2nd-round pick Bud Clark, and might have another steal in 3rd-round cornerback Julian Neal.
With Nick Emmanwori and Devon Witherspoon anchoring the secondary, nobody seems to be overly concerned about the young players stepping in.
The offensive side of the ball is perhaps going to look the most different with Jadarian Price joining Sam Darnold in the backfield instead of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. The Seahawks need Price to prove to be an every-down threat and a reliable one at that.
On paper, there's nothing really staggering that stands out with this team as a weak area, but the loss of Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator could have a significant effect on offensive personnel.
3. Houston Texans
From top to bottom, and on both sides of the ball, the Houston Texans have one of the more enviable rosters in the entire NFL.
It just feels like they've got every base covered.
If NFL rosters were a BINGO card, the Texans would have a blackout. That doesn't mean they have the best players you can possibly have at every position, however, but they seem to have long-term solutions at the most important ones.
The biggest question mark for Houston right now has to be the offensive line, which has been a big rebuilding project over the last two offseasons. They have invested there in both free agency and the NFL Draft, using a 2nd-round pick on a possible long-term starting left tackle -- Aireontae Ersery -- as well as a 1st-round pick on interior offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge.
The trade to acquire David Montgomery gives the Texans a much-needed veteran presence in the backfield with Joe Mixon's injury status, and the weapons around CJ Stroud are probably the best he's had in his career so far.
The Texans' defense is loaded. They have no weaknesses. They have depth, they have star power, and they have continuity. Houston's additions this offseason of players like Kayden McDonald, Reed Blankenship, and and Kamari Ramsey really set that unit off.
The way it looks on paper, this Houston team is arguably the most complete in the AFC.
2. Denver Broncos
In an era where change is the only constant in professional sports, the Denver Broncos are trying to zig while the rest of the league zags. They have not only prioritized continuity, but they've managed to actually keep guys around.
The Broncos are bringing back a staggering 94 percent of their snaps from last season, the only substantial loss in the lineup being defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. And the team has two recent 3rd-round picks -- 2026 top pick Tyler Onyedim and 2025 pick Sai'vion Jones -- waiting in the wings to replace him.
On top of prioritizing continuity, the Broncos addressed one of their primary weaknesses by adding Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster deal with the Miami Dolphins. After leading the NFL in drops over the past two seasons combined, the Broncos got Bo Nix a much-needed reliable weapon in the passing game.
The Broncos have an elite defense with star power at every level. Zach Allen was 2nd in the NFL behind only Myles Garrett in QB hits last season. Nik Bonitto has played at an All-Pro level over the past two seasons. Pat Surtain II is inevitable at the cornerback position.
The Broncos have the right combination of team-first players and star power on both sides of the ball, and Bo Nix has been as clutch as they come at quarterback. He has a combined 11 game-winning drives over his first two NFL seasons.
The talent for Denver is there in the starting lineup, but this team is battle-tested and deep. They are elite in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and the rest of the roster has been steadily progressing along with them.
1. Los Angeles Rams
I've said it before and I will say it again: The 2026 Los Angeles Rams are being constructed as though they're being run by me when I was growing up, playing Franchise Mode on the Madden video game franchise.
But even then, some of the trades the Rams are making would have been to "unrealistic" for the CPU to accept in a video game. The Rams don't feel like they should be a real team the way they're currently constructed, and yet here we are.
In the salary cap era, it's pretty wild to think that the Rams are as stacked as they are. They are the first team in league history to have the reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year with Matthew Stafford and Myles Garrett. And it's not like the Rams only added Myles Garrett, either. They addressed arguably their only roster weakness by trading for Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie, adding some star power to the cornerback position.
The Rams have arguably the best WR duo in the NFL in Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. They have so much talent on both sides of the ball, but the assembling of this kind of talent will also draw the best possible effort from teams every week this season.
If there are any real concerns here, it would have to be the tackle positions on the offensive line and the overall depth at receiver. But it's hard to see any of this team's roster issues deterring a potential Super Bowl run.