10. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are one of the toughest teams to figure out in the NFC entering the 2026 season. They were one of three teams in the NFC South last year to win 8 games, but they might look the most different of them all.
The Falcons were the only team in the NFC South this offseason to make a change at head coach, firing Raheem Morris and bringing in Kevin Stefanski in his place. In fact, it was a complete overhaul of the brain trust for the Falcons, who now have Matt Ryan in the front office and Ian Cunningham helping build the roster.
The major question mark for Atlanta is obviously a big one: Quarterback. We don't know whether it's going to be Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. for this season, but whoever it is will have some big-time playmakers to get the ball to. The trio of Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts is as enviable of a trio as you'll find in the NFL.
The defense is what gives the Falcons the edge over their peers in the NFC South right now. The pass rush saw a significant upgrade last season, and Jeff Ulbrich's unit managed to rank 7th in the league in takeaways. The talent seems to be there for the Falcons to make a push for the division title if they can get competent quarterback play.
9. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are one of the teams in the NFC with a major question mark at the quarterback position, and it's a situation they really shouldn't be in.
After the 2024 season, the Vikings let Sam Darnold walk in free agency, then watched him win the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. It was made all the more torturous because JJ McCarthy has failed to develop into the starting quarterback of this team after the Vikings moved up to get him in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Now, McCarthy is competing with Kyler Murray for the starting job, although that job feels like it's more Murray's job to lose than a true competition.
The quarterback competition is causing the Vikings' issues on the defensive side of the ball to be overlooked a bit. This team moved on from a number of major contributors on the defensive line this offseason (Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Greenard), and Harrison Phillips is also gone. Brian Flores has a tough task ahead of him, and so does this team.
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