Many people were expecting the AJ Brown trade, as he was sent from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots, but it's hard to say for sure how many expected the league-altering Myles Garrett trade.
Garrett went from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams in a move that clearly sticks out as being the most impactful of the 2026 NFL Offseason. Both New England and Los Angeles making major trades like this does stick out as a classic example of 'the rich getting richer.'
And now that we're into June, most of the major roster moves are likely totally over. Let's get into some fresh league power rankings with this being the case, simply taking a look at each team's raw roster talent, also factoring in 2025 success.
2026 NFL Power Rankings: Updated rankings following recent major trades
32. Arizona Cardinals
Let's kick things off with the lowly Arizona Cardinals. Arguably sporting the worst roster in the NFL, along with the worst quarterback room, this team simply does not have a path to much of anything in 2026. In fact, it would not surprise me if the Cardinals flirted with being the first 0-17 team in the history of the NFL.
If nothing else, this could help the team land a top-3 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, a class that is projected to be quite rich at the quarterback position.
31. Cleveland Browns
Trading Garrett depleted this roster of its best player. The Browns to have some nice young talent, but a largely iffy roster and bad quarterback room gives this team, like Arizona, virtually no chance at winning much of anything this year.
While General Manager Andrew Berry has hit on a ton of young draft picks recently, and has a bit of a war chest in that regard, the Browns could eventually build toward something notable.
30. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins come in at No. 30 in our updated power rankings as we get underway in June. The Dolphins brought in a new coaching staff, new front office, and also parted with a ton of key players like Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, Tua Tagovailoa, and others.
The team signed Malik Willis in free agency, which is some odd timing, given that this team is clearly embracing a full rebuild. The coaching staff is in its first year, led by Jeff Hafley, who was previously the defensive coordinator in Green Bay.
The newness of it all, coupled with the team clearly having a bare bones roster, is not going to bring much success for 2026. That is also kind of the point here, too - Miami needed to undergo a rebuild, so fans may just have to be patient for a couple of seasons.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders did make some notable roster change this offseason, almost trading Maxx Crosby, signing a slew of free agents, and also landing Fernando Mendoza in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza does appear to have a strong profile to be a franchise quarterback, but it's obviously way too early to tell at this point.
With Kirk Cousins in the picture and likely starting, coupled with the Raiders being a flat-out dysfunctional franchise, the 2026 season could be another rebuilding-type of season. Yes, Mendoza is in the picture, but there is no guarantee he works out, and there isn't even a guarantee that he sees any starts this year.
The Raiders clearly want to take it a bit slower with Mendoza, or else they would not have signed Cousins. This team is looking toward 2027 and beyond, clearly wanting to be patient with the current situation.
Vegas is No. 29 in our power rankings.
28. New York Jets
While the New York Jets did add a ton of talent this offseason, including three first-round picks in the 2026 draft, the team does appear to have a bottom-3 head coach in Aaron Glenn, and a bottom-5 starter in Geno Smith.
Smith is now, suddenly, on his third team in as many seasons, going one-and-done with the Raiders n 2025. It's clear that the Jets are hoping Smith is at least functional, which he was as recently as 2023, when he was with the Seattle Seahawks.
Still, though, this rebuild is still in its earlier stages, but with three first-round picks in next year's NFL Draft, it's obvious that the Jets want to use next year as the true 'leap' point for the franchise. The Jets appear to be going in a deliberate direction, which is great, but given the current situation, fans should expect another rebuilding season.
The Jets come in at No. 28 in our power rankings, just barely escaping the 30s.
27. New York Giants
The New York Giants could be a very obvious break out team in the 2026 season. Hiring John Harbaugh was a stellar move, and to be fair, quarterback Jaxson Dart was quite good in 2025. He was responsible for 24 total touchdowns in just 14 games, making some big-time throws here and there, and also showing a strong ability with his legs.
The assumption here should be that Harbaugh helps bring some stability at a hugely important position, allowing the Giants to slowly begin to feel what it's like to win. While this team is still likely a year away from competing for a playoff spot, a modest improvement is realistic to expect.
However, everything I just said is still a lot of if, so we can't just rank this team higher, assuming they will improve.
26. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans come in at No. 26 in our updated power rankings, but, like the Giants, this team has a lot to be optimistic about heading into the new season. While all eyes may be on Cam Ward, and if he can make a year two jump, I have been looking at offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who has a strong track record with young quarterbacks.
Daboll is absolutely going to help Ward reach that next level. New head coach Robert Saleh also brings a strong defensive mind to the mix, so, practically speaking, both sides of the ball are taken care off.
While the roster isn't quite there, and this team did lose a ton last year, the 2026 season should be one where things stabilize a bit. Ward also has a new weapon on offense in Carnell Tate, and the remade defensive line should also help out everyone else on defense.
Tennessee won't make the playoffs this year, put flirting with a winning record is absolutely possible.
25. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have a tough quarterback situation, as one of Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr will get the starting nod. Ideally, the Falcons should hope that the younger Penix puts it all together and takes a huge step forward in 2026.
If that does not happen, Tagovailoa is going to get the reigns. If nothing else, the Falcons do have a ton of competent weapons on offense, a solid offensive line, a defense that did make some notable strides in 2025. Two-time Coach of the Year, Kevin Stefanski, is also in the mix, and the NFC South does appear to be very winnable.
But the Falcons have done nothing but lose for a while now, so there isn't, currently, much of a reason to rank this team higher.
24. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints come in at No. 24 in our power rankings as June gets going. The Saints won four of five games to end th 2025 season, as rookie quarterback Tyler Shough really began to figure things out during that period.
The Saints added some nice pieces on offense in the offseason as well, drafting Jordyn Tyson, and signing two rock-solid starters in Travis Etienne and David Edwards. This offense suddenly has enough pieces to take off in 2026.
The defense also flew under the radar a bit and was a sneaky-good unit under Brandon Staley. If I had to make an educated guess, the Saints are going to easily get inside the top-20s in various NFL power rankings as the 2026 season progresses.
This franchise does have a formula to break out this year, but, like other teams ranked in this range, we cannot just assume that a break out is going to happen. I would bank on it, though.
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
A team that isn't going in the right direction, the Pittsburgh Steelers come in at No. 23 in our power rankings. Pittsburgh was able to get quarterback Aaron Rodgers back for another year, but Rodgers was thoroughly mediocre in 2025.
The roster is filled with aging veterans, and, as we saw last year, this team did not do anything particularly well. Rodgers is a year older, Mike Tomlin isn't there anymore, and there just isn't much to cling onto with this team that makes you think they'll achieve greatness.
Given that Cincinnati drastically improved the defense, and Baltimore could have some better injury luck, Pittsburgh could suddenly fall into a deep third-place in the AFC North this coming season. A non-playoff, losing season is what this franchise desperately needs, though.
The Steelers are irrelevant.
22. Indianapolis Colts
Despite starting out 7-1 in the 2025 season, the Indianapolis Colts managed to win just one game the rest of the way, finishing 8-9. It was not crazy to think that the Colts could have earned the top seed in the AFC for the playoffs.
For the first half of that season, quarterback Daniel Jones was playing at a borderline-MVP level, the run game was working, and the defense was holding up its end of the bargain. Things just collapsed, especially after Jones tore his Achilles.
The Colts have become the prime example of what a 'mid' team looks like in the NFL - they're good for eight or nine wins a year, not nearly good enough to be a contender or a threat in the playoffs, but not nearly bad enough to be among the worst teams in the NFL.
This is actually the worst spot for a team to be in, as it's not clear which direction the franchise should go. The Colts should either be hoping that the 7-1 team comes out all year in 2026, or everything just falls off the rails, as that would prompt a much-needed rebuild.
21. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders won just five games during the 2025 season, and while the 2024 season was special, we're now approaching two years removed from that year. What could end up being the case here is that the Commanders finish with a win total in the middle of the past two seasons.
I would be shocked if this team did not improve on its 5-12 record from 2025, as the roster did get a lot better in free agency, but injury concerns could still linger for this team, and even after an active free agency period, the roster still doesn't feel all that special.
20. Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings backed their way into a winning record during the 2025 season. This team comes in at No. 20 in our power rankings. Even with quarterback Kyler Murray in the picture, that room is still largely a question mark.
The defense also saw a good bit of change in the offseason. The defensive line got a pretty substantial makeover, so there is also new uncertainty with that unit. Being trapped in the loaded NFC North also does not help.
What does go in the Vikings favor, though, is that head coach Kevin O'Connell clearly knows how to win football games, as we've seen him get the most out of lesser quarterback talents than Murray. I might actually be undershooting the Vikings here, but anytime a team makes a ton of change in an offseason, uncertainty clouds over the franchise.
At best, the Vikings feel like a stable, 10-7 Wild Card team, but that would end up being a pretty notable step in the right direction.
19. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys escape the 20s in our latest NFL power rankings, coming in at No. 19. This team needed to make some major defensive changes this offseason, and that's precisely what they did. Christian Parker, a Vic Fangio disciple, is now in as the new defensive coordinator, and a ton of new players were brought in, too.
Given how good the offense is, all the defense needs to do is be average, but as we have said, a ton of change brings a ton of uncertainty. I am actually quite high on the Cowboys for the coming season and do believe they win the NFC East this year, but this is also a 'what have you done for us lately?' league.
For the time being, Dallas is given an average ranking.
18. Carolina Panthers
In one of the more interesting seasons we have seen in recent NFL history, the Carolina Panthers went 8-9 in 2025, but did win the NFC South, and managed to give the Rams a ton of fits in the Wild Card Round.
It's hard to find a good spot for the Panthers, as the 2025 season was a notable improvement from prior seasons, but the entire operation was still rather average, including quarterback Bryce Young. Young played the best football of his career in 2025, but also didn't exactly establish himself as a franchise passer.
Given that this team still did go in the right direction, the 2026 season is going to tell us, one way or another, the true identity of this team. I don't believe it's crazy to think that another win improvement is on the table, but I struggle to find a spot on this roster where the Panthers can truly be threatening.
17. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs were an average team in 2025, even when Patrick Mahomes is healthy. The roster got worse this offseason, and there is no guarantee that Mahomes is going to be ready to roll for Week 1 of the 2026 campaign.
The Chiefs overpaid for Kenneth Walker III in free agency, and also saw three key secondary pieces in Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, and Bryan Cook exit the picture. Yes, the Chiefs traded McDuffie, but he was their best cornerback.
Leo Chenal, their most athletic linebacker, also left this offseason, and the wide receiver and tight end rooms are both still a major mess. What, exactly, did the Chiefs do this offseason that would make us believe they'll return to their winning ways?
I struggle to see how the Chiefs are going to accomplish this. They sit at No. 17 in our power rankings.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaners slide in at No. 16 in our power rankings. One of the more consistently solid teams in the NFL, the Buccaneers have not been a legitimate Super Bowl contender since the Tom Brady days, but they have also been plenty good enough to make the playoffs.
The main issue with this team, though, is the low ceiling. While the Bucs have largely owned the NFC South in recent years, no one mistakes this group as being good enough to make a playoff run. The coaching staff is fine, the roster is good, but not great, and quarterback Baker Mayfield may also be the most 'good, not great' quarterback in the NFL.
Nothing major changed this offseason, so I do not see a path where anything major changes during 2026. The Buccaneers should be on pace to win 9-ish games and could be good enough to capture the NFC South title in 2026.
15. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles did trade Brown, so that elite weapon is now out of the picture. The offense has another new coordinator, with Sean Mannion taking over this time. The defense should still be quite good, but the offense could actually take a sizeable step back in 2026.
No Brown is going to hurt, Saquon Barkley is another year older, and Jalen Hurts has been and will continue to be a limited passer. While the Eagles have had a very high floor record-wise despite having dealt with some off seasons, I do believe we're in for more of a regression year.
At some point, constantly making changes on offense is going to stall the unit out entirely, and seeing as this has gone on for years now, the Eagles might eventually be staring down a season where more significant changes would need to be made.
14. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens come in at No. 14 in our power rankings. It was quite the season in 2025 for the franchise. After a brutal 1-5 start, the Ravens were on the cusp of winning the AFC North, but a missed field goal by Tyler Loop gave the division to the Steelers.
The Ravens fired Harbaugh and brought in Jesse Minter, the former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator, as the next head coach. Baltimore has typically been a stable, winning franchise, but we did see a tougher year last year.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson was banged up again, and the team also lost a top-3 center in Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. While Ravens fans might be high on the Minter hiring, there is no guarantee that he's cut-out for the job.
The Ravens are suddenly needing to re-establish themselves in 2026. The team is capable of doing that, but it's not a guarantee.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
Speaking of the Chargers, Los Angeles comes in at No. 13 in our power rankings. The Chargers lost Minter in the offseason, and since he was a truly elite coordinator, there could be a regression on that side of the ball.
If that does happen, it kind of cancels out the Mike McDaniel hiring. McDaniel was brought in to the new offensive coordinator, but on paper, this team did not upgrade as much as many of us thought they would, especially along the offensive line.
The 'big' offensive line move was signing a good center in Tyler Biadasz, who was cut by Washington. All in all, once again, nothing sticks out with the Chargers that would make you think they'll be good enough to make a run.
They're plenty good enough to make the playoffs, as they have done two years in a row now, but that is it.
12. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay settles in at No. 12 in our power rankings. Having won 29 regular season games the past three seasons, the Packers are just barely averaging 10 wins per season. Oddly enough, quarterback Jordan Love has won exactly nine games in all three years of his starting career, which is an interesting statistic.
Like the Chargers, the Packers don't really stick out anywhere of note. They've been plenty good enough to get into the playoffs, but not good enough to make a run. In fact, this team, under head coach Matt LaFleur, has not been a major threat since those final Rodgers' seasons.
I've used the phrase 'good, not great' plenty of times, and it's never been truer for the Packers. Sure, they have some star-studded players, but for whatever reason, it's not all come together in recent seasons. This leads me to believe that it will be more of the same in 2026.
11. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are just outside the top-10 in our latest power rankings. The Bears won the NFC North with a modest 11-6 record in 2025, but I am not sure another 11-6 season would be good enough to repeat. The Bears made a ton of progress on offense, but that defense was a bit of a disaster outside of the turnovers.
They did not defend the pass or run, or get to the quarterback particularly well. We did see the front office make a ton of change with that unit in the offseason, but that change only adds to the uncertainty.
Dennis Allen is a rock-solid coordinator, but that defense will need to drastically improve if the team hopes to make a sizeable jump from the break out 2025 campaign. Caleb Williams' completion percentage dipped below 60 percent last year, which was also a concern.
10. Cincinnati Bengals
Coming in at No. 10, the Cincinnati Bengals finally displayed the necessary aggression this offseason to shore up the defense, a unit that was among the worst in the league last year. The personnel on defense was simply not good enough, and, among other offseason additions, the Bengals swung a major trade for Dexter Lawrence, one of the best defensive tackles in the league.
A battle-tested veteran in Jonathan Allen also joined the mix, and the team also signed pass-rusher Boye Mafe. Suddenly, this defense feels good enough to help the team become one of the more well-rounded clubs in the NFL this year.
The offense, as we have all seen, is top-tier when Joe Burrow is healthy. A top-5 offense, potentially, coupled with what could be a top-half defense, would absolutely give the Bengals double-digit wins and the potential to win the AFC North.
The Bengals get into our top-10, sitting right on the cusp.
9. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions won just nine games last year, but this team was 7-4 at one point, and also won a combined 27 regular season games in the 2023 and 2024 season. Injuries have really been a huge story with this team, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
If the Lions deal with ‘average’ injuries in 2026, this team will thrust back to the top of the NFC North in emphatic fashion.
On paper, the Lions appear good enough to win it all, but the shocking non-playoff season threw a wrench into things. Given how strong they are, though, on both sides of the ball, it’s a lot more likely that Detroit wins double-digit games, as they had done in 2023 and 2024.
Detroit gets inside our top-10 in our latest power rankings. The ceiling, though, is much higher.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars
Losing Etienne and Devin Lloyd in free agency is going to hurt this team in 2026, and even beyond that, a team winning 13 games in back-to-back seasons is largely not common. The Jacksonville Jaguars burst onto the scene last year, hitting their stride in the back half of the season.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was playing out of his mind during this stretch, and he actually ended the season as an MVP candidate. Liam Coen quickly established himself as a top head coach, but the Jaguars were not able to get past Buffalo in the Wild Card Round.
While this team is quite solid on paper, the roster isn’t overly threatening. There is also reason to believe a regression could be coming. Take the 2024 Commanders, for example - that team burst onto the scene and won a lot more than most expected, but being an unknown commodity really works in certain teams’ benefit.
Now that there is an entire year’s worth of film out on this team, coupled with losing two key players in free agency, a slight drop-off could be what hits this team. The Jags will still be good enough to get into the playoffs, but Super Bowl contention will evade them.
7. San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are No. 7 in our power rankings. Despite again being among the most injured teams in football, the 49ers went 12-5 in 2025 and actually did have a legitimate chance to win the NFC West.
Better injury luck would do wonders for this team, and despite not drafting that well, the Niners are aggressive enough with other forms of player acquisition to field top-tier rosters. In the offseason, the team brought back an old friend in Dre Greenlaw, and also signed a pair of veterans at wide receiver in Mike Evans and Christian Kirk.
They swung a trade for Osa Odighizuwa as well, to beef up the defensive line. The only thing that could hold this team back is another injury-riddled year, which has unfortunately been a theme in the Kyle Shanahan era.
San Francisco made a run to the Divisional Round in 2025, but was overwhelmed by the Seattle Seahawks.
6. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have a roster capable of winning it all, but that also assumes that quarterback CJ Stroud can elevate his game closer to how he played during his 2023 season. In all three years of Stroud’s career, the Texans have advanced into the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
It’s a remarkable display of consistency, but Stroud has been rather average these last two years, leaving most of us wondering if he’s even good enough to lead this team into the AFC Championship Game, at least.
General Manager Nick Caserio did help Stroud out in the offseason, signing a pair of reliable offensive linemen in Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith, and also trading for a reliable running back in David Montgomery.
The defense also got better, so it’s really simply all up to Stroud - he is the one player who could make or break this team, and he’s also playing for a long-term contract extension, which I am sure the Texans would love to give him if 2026 works out.
5. Buffalo Bills
When was the last time we have seen a team in any professional sport suffer as many playoff heartbreaks as the Buffalo Bills have? Year after year, it’s more of the same, just packaged differently.
Last year, many looked at Buffalo as having an easier shot at winning it all, as Kansas City and Cincinnati were not in the playoffs. However, the Denver Broncos ended up being too much for this team to handle, and it ended in, you guessed it, another brutal playoff loss.
If nothing else, the Bills did make a notable change to try and fix this, as Sean McDermott got fired, and Joe Brady got promoted to head coach. Buffalo also added wide receiver DJ Moore to the mix.
Moore is a trustworthy veteran and fills a massive need for this roster. The one downside here is that the Bills are running out of things to do that would get them over the hump.
There is a chance that this team simply isn’t capable of it. However, they’ve consistently been among the best clubs in the NFL, and that cannot be disputed.
4. New England Patriots
After swinging a major trade for Brown, the Patriots became the latest AFC team to make a notable trade this offseason. This trade was long thought of as guaranteed, as the two teams were waiting for that June 1st date to come.
Brown joins another big-bodied receiver, Romeo Doubs, as new additions in the room. Drake Maye, the team’s superstar quarterback, finished second in MVP voting.
With the receiver room now significantly improved, the Pats could end up being even more efficient throwing the ball in 2026, which feels impossible given how good that unit was in 2025.
The defense was solid despite not featuring a ton of high-end players. The one thing that could go against this team is how much tougher the schedule gets.
Winning 14 games in a season is insanely hard, but some have predicted a slight regression given the increased schedule difficulty. This team did make it to the Super Bowl, though, which is something 30 other teams could not say last year.
3. Seattle Seahawks
The defending Super Bowl champions fall to No. 3 in our power rankings. The big loss was Walker signing with the Chiefs. The Seattle Seahawks also lost former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the Raiders head coaching job.
Riq Woolen, one of their now-former cornerbacks, departed in free agency for the Eagles, so the talent level did decrease a bit. Couple that with a new coach calling plays, and it’s not hard to see the Seahawks winning a little bit less in 2026.
However, the defense is returning many of the same faces, and has an elite mind calling the shots in Mike Macdonald. There is only so much regression the Seahawks can have in 2026 given how solid everything still is.
It’s clear, though, that a rival NFC West team did make enough moves to thrust ahead of them.
2. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos come in at No. 2 in our power rankings. Coming into the offseason, the Broncos already had a top-3 roster, but a trade for Jaylen Waddle could end up putting this team over the edge.
Bo Nix, had he not broken his ankle, would have very likely been able to lead the Broncos past the Patriots into the Super Bowl, and this could go down as one of the biggest ‘what ifs’ in the history of the league if the Broncos do not win a title with Nix at quarterback.
The Broncos also prioritized bringing many of their own free agents back, clearly, to a degree, embracing a ‘run it back’ mentality. It’s not a bad idea, especially with the calculated Waddle trade.
Denver is primed to defend its AFC West title in 2026, as neither Los Angeles nor Kansas City did enough to overtake the Broncos. Nix also now has a beefed-up wide receiver room, and even an improved tight end and running back room.
There isn’t really anything the Broncos do not have, but given what we just saw on the trade market, the team just misses out on our top ranking.
1. Los Angeles Rams
I am not sure if there is an argument out there that says the Los Angeles is not the best team in football right now. Adding Garrett and McDuffie via trade this offseason, coupled with signing Watson in free agency, suddenly gives the Rams a major boost on defense.
And all the offense has is the reigning MVP, an elite wide receiver duo, an outstanding offensive line, and a 1,000-yard running back. The Rams were primed to win the NFC West in 2025, but a shaky finish to the season allowed the Seahawks to overtake them.
Los Angeles could not get past Seattle in the NFC Championship Game, either, and you can clearly see that General Manager Les Snead took all of that to heart. At this point, the Rams, on paper, are one of the most ‘Super Bowl or bust’ teams of the 21st century. Clearly the best team in football right now, it might take something catastrophic for the Rams to not win the Super Bowl this year.