The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North in 2025, but there could be a complete reshuffling of the deck in 2026.
After the 2026 NFL Draft, it's clear that the Steelers are going to have a much more difficult time defending their title this upcoming season with the strides everyone else in the division made between free agency and the picks they just made.
Where do things stand in the AFC North as we get ready for offseason programs to get underway, and which teams are ready to make the biggest leaps forward in 2026?
Bengals skyrocket to top of AFC North NFL Power Rankings after 2026 NFL Draft
4. Cleveland Browns (overall ranking: 31st)
The Cleveland Browns are coming off of a really strong offseason overall. They set out to upgrade the offensive line before anything else, and they accomplished that. Trading for Tytus Howard, signing veterans Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, using a 1st-round pick (their first of two) on Spencer Fano...
The Browns have undeniably upgraded in the trenches, and that can raise the floor of a team immediately. If they can limit turnovers at the quarterback position, it's possible the Browns could be, dare I say, fun.
There won't be many questions about the Cleveland defense with the way they've played, even as this team has made permanent residence at the bottom of this division. How dangerous could this offense be after the offensive line makeover and the rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston giving a jolt of talent to the receiver position?
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (overall ranking: 14th)
Everyone is operating under the assumption at this point that Aaron Rodgers is going to be back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Steelers themselves aren't making any assumptions. They put a rare UFA tender on Rodgers that will at least reward them with a compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere before training camp kicks off.
For the time being, it's going to be Will Howard and Drew Allar taking the majority of the snaps at QB.
The Steelers tried (and failed) to add Makai Lemon to the receiver room but settled on Germie Bernard in the 2nd round. It's easy to forget that the Steelers also added Michael Pittman Jr. to the mix earlier this offseason, but once again, everything is dependent on the quarterback position.
Mike McCarthy's experience as a head coach is absolutely going to be a factor this upcoming season, regardless of how that situation shakes out.
2. Baltimore Ravens (overall ranking: 15th)
Even though the Ravens came in one spot lower than the Steelers in our full 32-team NFL Power Rankings (written by Lou Scataglia), I view them as being in a better overall position right now than the Steelers.
The Ravens are entering a new era this upcoming season, and it'll be the first time we see a new head coach on the sideline for them since John Harbaugh took over in 2008. That is going to be odd, bordering on surreal, but Jesse Minter is going to boost whatever defense he touches, and the Ravens are due for a bounce-back year.
The biggest concerns after the offseason are on the offensive line where the interior needed to be addressed, but the Ravens went out and got Vega Ioane and filed at least one slot.
Just like every team in this division, the quarterback position will carry this team. Lamar Jackson has had his battles with injuries, but he's getting a fresh start with a new coaching staff and is always a threat to play at an MVP level.
1. Cincinnati Bengals (overall ranking: 17th)
If every team is healthy in the AFC North, and the Steelers get Aaron Rodgers back, and the Browns get some stable quarterback play -- if all things are equal -- I think the Bengals are the best team in the division right now.
Joe Burrow has the best receiver duo in the league to throw the ball to, and the Bengals have no shortage of offensive weapons, but it's the defensive improvements that have been made that make me think this team is going to vault to the top of the division in 2026.
The trade to acquire Dexter Lawrence gives the Bengals an absolute monster on the interior defensive line, a player who generates more pressures and affects the quarterback as much or more than any other player at his position in the league. The Bengals also fortified around Lawrence with the signing of Boye Mafe and the use of their top pick on Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell.
And you can't forget about the addition of Jonathan Allen.
The Bengals' offseason moves to upgrade the defense could put them back into contention in the AFC.
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