There was a ton of parity in the NFL during the 2025 season, and it ended with some wild results. Some shocking divisional finishes set up a massively entertaining playoffs. Well, as we rumble toward the 2026 NFL Draft and the regular season, that parity could reach new heights in 2026.
There aren't many teams who are truly in a rebuilding mode, so the overwhelming majority of the NFL should be in a competitive spot. And when you look at the standings from 2025, it isn't hard to see a few teams that could seriously go from worst to first.
And here, we power-ranked the eight last-place teams from 2025 based on how likely they are to finish in first place in the 2026 campaign.
Power ranking most likely 'worst to first' teams for the 2026 season
8. Arizona Cardinals
Not only are the Arizona Cardinals a bottom-3 team in the NFL, but they also happen to be in the best division in the NFL. Both Los Angeles and Seattle were two of the best teams in the NFL all of 2025, and the San Francisco 49ers, despite a ton of injuries, won 12 games and made the playoffs.
Unless the three juggernauts forget to show up to every single game, the Cardinals simply have no shot at winning the division, and I really do not believe this team is trying to win games this year. The quarterback situation is a mess, and a first-year head coach in Mike LaFleur also hurts their chances at success.
7. New York Jets
The New York Jets probably have a lame duck head coach in Aaron Glenn, who immediately looked to be in over his head. If you couple that with the Jets having a bottom-tier roster and quarterback situation, the path to success in 2026 is small. Both New England and Buffalo won double-digit games in 2025 and have superstar quarterbacks.
But with five first-round picks in the next two NFL Drafts, the Jets do have a shot to emerge as something as early as 2028 if all goes well.
6. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders share a division with the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs. Denver and Los Angeles combined to win a whopping 25 regular season games last year, and many have expected the Chiefs to rebound. Even if Fernando Mendoza is a 'hit' in year one, the Raiders are a strong year or two away from contending in the AFC West, simply due to just how far ahead Denver and Los Angeles are right now.