6. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers feel like they got the missing ingredient in the 2026 offseason, and it's not a player.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is coming over after getting fired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and bringing his offensive expertise to a team that has completely fallen flat when it matters most.
One thing we know McDaniel does better than most offensive coordinators in the NFL: Run schemes. Having a more well-rounded offense should help take pressure off of Justin Herbert, and McDaniel does a good job of getting a lot of mouths fed within his offense.
The bigger question mark for the Chargers is how they handle the loss of Jesse Minter. This is veteran-laden defense, so they have earned the benefit of the doubt, but first-year DC Chris O'Leary has to prove he can play chess at the same level Minter could.
5. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are another one of those teams in the AFC that is getting a lot of credit for who they used to be, but what should we be expecting from this team in 2026?
The source of confidence in the Ravens starts with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is obviously a legit MVP candidate when healthy. Derrick Henry is still running as well as we've ever seen, and the Ravens added to their offensive weaponry this offseason with a couple of young receivers: Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt.
Still, this team is breaking in a new head coach for the first time since 2008 (Jesse Minter). They have a first-year play-calling OC in Declan Doyle, coming from the Sean Payton/Ben Johnson coaching trees.
Baltimore had question marks last year defensively that still have to be answered, but with a healthy Jackson, how can you not expect the Ravens to be a top bounce-back candidate in 2026?
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