It is quite the feat to go from worst to first in an NFL division, but from 2024 into 2025, we saw the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears accomplish this feat. It isn't impossible, and based on how much parity the NFL has, it feels like there could be at least one instance of this in the 2026 NFL Season.
We're just under three months away from the start of the regular season, and over the next month, not much will happen, as teams are going to be on a break until training camp rolls around, which will begin in late July.
Following training camp, we'll see the preseason slate and then the regular season beginning at the start of September. In the meantime, let's power-rank all eight last-place finishers from 2026 by how likely they are to go from worst to first in 2026.
Ranking most likely worst-to-first teams for the 2026 NFL Season
8. Arizona Cardinals, NFC West
Not only can you argue that the Arizona Cardinals are the worst team in the NFL right now, but you can also easily argue that the NFC West is the toughest division in football. The Cardinals have zero chance at winning the division unless Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco all forget to show up.
Arizona could end up with the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which could be used on a top quarterback prospect who could change the franchise for the better. That is this team's best possible chance at getting out of the cellar.
For now, the Cardinals are last in these power rankings, and in most power rankings, the Cardinals should bring up the rear. It's an unfortunate reality for the franchise.
7. Cleveland Browns, AFC North
Both Baltimore and Cincinnati are plenty good enough to win double-digit games, win the AFC North, and make a deep playoff run. Pittsburgh feels like a perfectly average team, and that then leaves the Cleveland Browns. The Browns might end up being good enough to play spoiler from time to time, but this operation has so many issues, and most of them stem from the quarterback situation.
There is a lot of young talent on the roster thanks to the smart GM-ing from Andrew Berry, but without a franchise quarterback in the room, the Browns have no chance at success, and a first-year head coach in Todd Monken also does not help things.
The Browns are again going to win single-digit games, but that could pave the way for the team to snag a potential franchise quarterback in next year's NFL Draft.
6. Las Vegas Raiders, AFC West
The Las Vegas Raiders are No. 6 in our power rankings. Like the Browns and Cardinals, the Raiders are trapped in quite the division. The AFC West has seen multiple double-digit win teams in each of the last two seasons, with Denver and Los Angeles winning double-digit games this past season.
The Broncos won the division with a 14-3 record in 2025, and given how loaded that roster is, Denver is the team to beat. While the Chargers are not great by any means, this team has been a stable 11-6 in each of the last two seasons, which is impressive.
The Chiefs won just six games in a shocking regression year, but getting Patrick Mahomes back into the lineup could have the Chiefs in a solid spot to add a few more wins to that total. The Raiders took Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, but with the signing of Kirk Cousins, Vegas clearly isn't wanting to rush Mendoza out there.
It's certainly not a bad idea, as the roster still needs a bit of work, and a first-year coaching staff might prefer to have a short-term veteran option in Cousins running the show until people get comfortable.
5. New York Jets, AFC East
New York is No. 5 in our power rankings. The Jets really do not stand much of a chance in the AFC East this year, but you cannot fault the front office for going out and adding a ton of talent. The Jets do sport some encouraging talent on offense, as the offensive line is solid, the wide receiver room is encouraging, Breece Hall is a great running back, and Kenyon Sadiq became the newest addition at tight end.
This team does have some talent and could be dangerous next year if the right quarterback is brought in. The Jets also have three first-round picks in the NFL Draft next year, so GM Darren Mougey is loaded with capital.
No one is thinking the Jets are going to win a lot of games this year - I am not sure the front office intended to, either. With all of the young talent brought in this offseason, coupled with the insane capital for next year, the 2027 offseason is going be a huge one.
And it's not like the Jets do not have to deal with two double-digit win teams in New England and Buffalo. Those two are going to battle it out for the AFC East title this coming season.
4. Tennessee Titans, AFC South
We're now slowly getting into some teams that could win their divisions if things went south for the other teams, but still are looking at a very steep battle. The Tennessee Titans have made a ton of changes this offseason, and all of those changes should have been made with Cam Ward in mind. Robert Saleh is now the head coach, and he quickly landed his second head coaching stint a couple of years after getting canned by the Jets.
The Titans brought on Brian Daboll as the offensive coordinator, and as I have said for months now, Daboll is going to be great for Ward's development in year two, as Daboll has worked well with young quarterbacks before.
Tennessee revamped the defensive line a bit, which should help out the entire unit and get the defense off the field quicker, and Ward got a new weapon with Carnell Tate in the NFL Draft. On paper, Tennessee isn't a threatening team, but they're good enough to win more games than you think and could finish with 6-8 wins this year.
The Titans won't win the AFC South unless they not only exceed expectations, but all of Jacksonville, Houston, and Indianapolis stumble a bit. It's possible, but not very possible.
3. New York Giants, NFC East
When you look at the NFC East, all four teams have major concerns, and that could end up benefiting the New York Giants this year.
The Philadelphia Eagles traded AJ Brown and have a limited quarterback in Jalen Hurts. Philly's offense has done this 'up and down' trend for years now, and with Brown out of the picture, more pressure is going to be on Hurts overall.
Other key players like Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert are getting up there in age, so there could be some regressions. Dallas' defense was the worst in the NFL last year, and just because this team made a lot of changes on that side of the ball, it does not mean the unit is going to improve.
Washington won just five games last year and only saw quarterback Jayden Daniels suit up for seven games, so he could now have some injury concerns. On paper, the Commanders also aren't that much better than the Giants.
If the Giants can hit their stride onder John Harbaugh, and quarterback Jaxson Dart makes that desired year two leap, the other concerns present with the rest of the NFC East teams can allow the GMen to burst onto the scene and win the division.
2. New Orleans Saints, NFC South
It's not that the New Orleans Saints are some great team, it's that the NFC South is a bit of a mess. The Carolina Panthers won just eight games in 2025 and won the division. That simply will not happen again. None of the four teams emerged as a legitimate threat, but the Saints do have a lot going for them this year.
Tyler Shough had an encouraging season and really played well down the stretch, as the Saints won four of their final five games. The team added Travis Etienne, David Edwards, and Jordyn Tyson on offense, already sporting a solid offensive line and wide receiver Chris Olave.
One thing I keep mentioning, though, is that the defense was sneaky good. Brandon Staley is the team's defensive coordinator, and that unit played quite well last year. The Saints do have enough in place to emerge as a breakout team, as Kellen Moore's first season was largely a success.
The Saints might not have to win more than nine games to win the NFC South, and with the other three teams all sporting some type of concern, this ranking spot is warranted.
1. Detroit Lions, NFC North
It should not be a shock that the Detroit Lions are first in our power rankings. In 2023 and 2024, Detroit went a combined 27-7 in the regular season, winning the NFC North both years. Last year, the Bears won the division with an 11-6 record, and all of Green Bay, Minnesota, and Detroit finished with nine wins.
This was the most competitive division in the NFL last year, and another bounce going a certain way would have allowed another team to win the division. The Lions have owned it for a little bit now, and not only sport the best quarterback, but also have the best roster among the four teams.
Simply put, Detroit is much, much better than their 2025 record and division standing indicated. Sure, it's not going to be easy for the Lions to retake this title in the 2026 season, but they've got all the necessary pieces to do it.
The Lions also actually had the best point differential in the NFC North, sporting the best scoring offense among the four teams. A 7-4 start seemed to have the Lions in a good spot to capture the title for what would have been a third year in a row, but a mini-collapse down the stretch made that impossible.