8. Carolina Panthers (2-2)
People are definitely excited by the Carolina Panthers. Carolina was on the bye in Week 5, so they should come out well-rested and ready to roll in Week 6. Bryce Young has honestly played like an MVP candidate thus far, and ever since the start of the 2025 season, you can clearly see an uptick in his play.
It remains to be seen if this is the 'real' thing, though, as even his breakout campaign in 2025 was still a mediocre season overall, and the Panthers are 10-10 in Young's starts since the start of last year, so this team still isn't consistently winning.
The Panthers defense is still a bit of an issue, and they are, across the board, dealing with injuries. As I have already said, the NFC South is very winnable this year, so it might not take more than a 9-8 record to see a champion crowned.
But, as of now, the Panthers aren't there and really don't feel like anything more than an average team.
7. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
The Green Bay Packers being 3-2 despite all they have gone through in such a short time in 2026 feels like the best-case scenario. They blew out Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears in Week 5 and will have a primetime showdown against Dallas in Week 6.
The Packers being 4-2 is in reach. With that being said, all of the injuries this team has suffered could limit their ceiling when the playoff races heats up. Moreover, Jordan Love has won exactly nine games in all three years of his starting career, so this team hasn't really broken through quite yet.
A well-run team dealing with a bit of personnel dysfunction, the Packers land at No. 7 in our power rankings and are a Wild Card-caliber team right now.
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