2. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have the best defense in the NFL, and that's going to carry them far.
Every single week, it's going to be a brutal task trying to beat this team. It doesn't mean they're going to go undefeated, by any means, but beating the Texans is going to require winning the turnover battle and capitalizing on their mistakes, because that defense is only going to give inches at a time.
With the level of talent Houston has defensively, we're all waiting for that offense to catch up. CJ Stroud has mostly been disappointing since his rookie season, at least by comparison to the difference he made as a rookie. Can he shift that narrative this season?
Houston's upgrades on the offensive line and adding David Montgomery at running back give me confidence they can be a more complete team than last year.
1. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have the most well-rounded roster in the entire NFL. That doesn't mean they have more star power than the Los Angeles Rams (they don't), but it does mean that their roster is the deepest in the league.
Will that translate to top-10 rankings both offensively and defensively? The Rams have the type of star power to be #1 in both categories, but it would require a leap of faith in Denver's offense to think they could be on that same level this year.
That's the type of jump Sean Payton believes is possible with Davis Webb taking over as the team's play-caller offensively in 2026. If the Broncos' offense can catch up to its defense (led the NFL in sacks last season, #2 on 3rd downs, #1 in the red zone), they are going to be right back in the mix for an AFC title and the fourth Super Bowl in history.
Bo Nix looked like he was back to normal after his ankle injury in the playoffs, but questions still linger about the offense's ability to be consistent and clutch, not just clutch.
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