The NFL offseason is a great time to be a fan, because every team around the league is undefeated. Every team has a chance to start fresh, rebuild, and reload.
For many teams around the league, having a clean slate means another chance to be this year's breakout team. We've seen a number of teams come from the bottom of the standings to quickly establishing themselves as powerhouses in both conferences, including the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and even the Washington Commanders going from picking 2nd in the 2024 NFL Draft to playing in the NFC Championship Game that same season.
We're all excited to find out which teams will break out around the league in the 2026 season, and we have some candidates in mind.
Our latest NFL Power Rankings will not only be taking a closer look at which teams we think will break out in each division around the league, but we'll stack them up against each other from worst to best based on their projection for the upcoming season. Which teams might go from the bottom of their divisions to Super Bowl contention?
NFL Power Rankings: Every division's top breakout team ranked from worst to best in 2026
8. AFC North: Cleveland Browns
Unfortunately, the Cleveland Browns look like the least likely breakout team in the NFL this coming season. The Myles Garrett trade sort of cemented this team's spot at the bottom of the NFL, although you could still make a case that this is going to be a very fun team to watch week in and week out.
The decision to trade Myles Garrett is an obvious needle-mover for both the Browns and Rams, but it's not like the Browns were going to be Super Bowl contenders with him on the team. As good of a player as Jared Verse is, the Garrett trade just makes the Browns that much worse.
But this team has talent, and a massively upgraded offensive line. The quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders is uninspiring, but it could help land the Browns much higher on this list for 2027 if they can land a quarterback of the future.
7. NFC West: Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals might not be everyone's pick as the "it" team this season, but nobody else in the NFC West is poised for a breakout this season. Let's just be honest.
Every other team in the NFC West is established, so why might we see the Cardinals be a breakout team this year? The top reasons to believe this team could maybe make a little more noise than anyone realizes are their offensive skill players. The Cardinals just used the 3rd pick in the NFL Draft on Jeremiyah Love, who could hit the ground running as one of the most dynamic backs in the NFL.
They've already got arguably the best tight end in the league in Trey McBride, who is an elite featured weapon in that passing attack. If Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson can both play at the level they're capable of, this Cardinals team could absolutely exceed expectations.
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