Now that the bulk of the acquisition period from the offseason is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take stock of what each team has done. While the 2026 NFL regular season is still three and a half months away, most of the heavy lifting in the roster-building department is out of the way, which means teams will turn their focus to the rest of their offseason program and to getting ready for training camp. Predicting success based on “unofficial” depth charts is a futile process, but it’s at least
worth taking a more zoomed-out approach to wrap up the offseason that was. Without further ado, let’s dive into our post-draft NFL Power Rankings.
1) Seattle Seahawks
Top Acquisition: RB Jadarian Price (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: RB Kenneth Walker III (Kansas City Chiefs)
On paper, Seattle didn’t have an overly active offseason. They lost more than they gained, but with most of the league’s elite teams, it’s easy to see a path to them being just as good because of the system they have in place. While they would have liked to keep Walker in the mix, Price should be a nice complement to Zach Charbonnet. As for the rest of the roster, it’ll continue to be a nasty defense and an offense capable of being Top 10.
2) Los Angeles Rams
Top Acquisition: CB Trent McDuffie (Trade via Kansas City Chiefs)
Biggest Loss: CB Cobie Durant (Dallas Cowboys)
Last year, the Rams were my NFC pick for the Super Bowl. Although I was right on the division, I was wrong on the team. Despite having one of the more talented rosters in the league, the defense didn’t quite hold up its end of the bargain. With a revamped secondary headlined by McDuffie, that might be enough to get them over the top. I expect another heated race between the Rams and Seahawks for the NFC West and potentially, the Super Bowl representative of the NFC.
3) Denver Broncos
Top Acquisition: WR Jaylen Waddle (Trade via Miami Dolphins)
Biggest Loss: DL John Franklin-Myers (Tennessee Titans)
If Bo Nix doesn’t go down before the AFC Championship game, I believe the Broncos head to the Super Bowl comfortably. The biggest need they had heading into the offseason was receiver, and the trade of Waddle fixes that immediately. Even with the loss of JFM, this is still an elite defense with plenty of depth in the trenches. Even with a more competitive Kansas City squad, it’s easy to see a path to the Broncos being the favorites for the division.
4) Buffalo Bills
Top Acquisition: WR DJ Moore (Trade via Chicago Bears)
Biggest Loss: iOL David Edwards (New Orleans Saints)
Only time will tell whether or not 2025 turns out to be the Bills’ best shot to get to a Super Bowl. That said, the addition of Moore should help out Josh Allen, and retaining center Connor McGovern was another big move. With a new head coach calling the shots, Joe Brady will either get this team over the hump, or they’ll live to regret firing Sean McDermott. I’m choosing to believe the shake-up will be a good thing.
5) New England Patriots
Top Acquisition: S Kevin Byard (Chicago Bears)
Biggest Loss: WR Stefon Diggs (Released)
There were plenty of surprise teams in 2025, but none more impressive than the Patriots. That said, they played well over their heads. Current scandal aside, Mike Vrabel is a hell of a coach, but it’s worth wondering if they are the league’s prime regression candidate for 2026. Much of that will depend on how well Drake Maye plays in Year 3. For many reasons, a big season is ahead for New England.
6) San Francisco 49ers
Top Acquisition: WR Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Biggest Loss: WR Jauan Jennings (Free Agent)
2025 was supposed to be a retool year for the 49ers, and despite sustaining an unreal amount of injuries, they finished with 12 wins. Health will be key this year, but there’s no reason to doubt their legitimacy, even in the best division in football. When all is said and done, their defense might be the difference-maker, for better or for worse. We’ll see if the loss of Robert Saleh for a second time has as big an impact as it did when they lost Demico Ryans.
7) Baltimore Ravens
Top Acquisition: DE Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals)
Biggest Loss: C Tyler Linderbaum (Las Vegas Raiders)
While many expected 2025 to be another year of contention, an inconsistent and surprisingly bland season led to a complete reset for the coaching staff. With no more John Harbaugh in the building, it will be fascinating to see how this new era of Ravens football unfolds. Having an elite quarterback helps, but if their defense doesn’t improve, none of it will matter. Jesse Minter will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Mike MacDonald, and I have faith he will.
8) Houston Texans
Top Acquisition: iOL Keylan Rutledge (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: Tytus Howard (Traded to Cleveland Browns)
Looking at Houston’s overall roster, it’s easy to see a path to them being a Super Bowl contender. The only issue is quarterback play, and despite extension talks with C.J. Stroud, this feels like a critical year for the fourth-year quarterback. Simply put, with better quarterback play, they are one of the league’s elite teams. If the last two years are just who he is, there’s going to start to be a lot of impatient people in Houston, which could make things interesting.
9) Chicago Bears
Top Acquisition: S Coby Bryant (Seattle Seahawks)
Biggest Loss: S Kevin Byard (New England Patriots)
If you just focus on the Bears’ offseason, it seems underwhelming and borderline alarming how little they did at key positions. Once you zoom out to the rest of the division, it’s easier to see a path forward to winning the NFC North again. With Dennis Allen having another offseason to build his defense, sweeping improvements are needed. That said, all eyes will stay on Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams’ second-year marriage. Another step forward could lead to a Top 3 offense.
10) Kansas City Chiefs
Top Acquisition: RB Kenneth Walker III (Seattle Seahawks)
Biggest Loss: CB Trent McDuffie (Traded to Los Angeles Rams)
One of the league’s most burning questions heading into 2026 surrounds the Chiefs. Was last year a fluke, or is it the beginning of the end? I’m not ready to write them off yet, and maybe a year of missing the playoffs woke some people up. Patrick Mahomes is still damn good, but the NFL is far more than a one-star-gets-you-everything league. The support around him needs to improve on both sides of the ball. Even if they don’t win the division, a return to the playoffs seems likely.
11) Detroit Lions
Top Acquisition: OT Monroe Freeling (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: DE Al-Quadin Muhammad (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Speaking of teams that fell off in 2025, the Lions will be looking to prove that their window hasn’t closed. The NFC North is as closely paired as any division in football, but on paper, the Lions still appear to have the most talent. That said, injuries have continued to be an issue, and I’m not sold on the hiring of Drew Petzing. Coaching goes a long way in this league, and so far, head coach Dan Campbell is 1-for-3 on his offensive coordinator hires. With multiple high-level players set to become free agents, 2026 feels like a critical year for the direction of this franchise.
12) Philadelphia Eagles
Top Acquisition: DE Jonathan Greenard (Trade via Minnesota Vikings)
Biggest Loss: WR A.J. Brown (Post-June 1st Trade)
If football were played on paper, it would be easy to feel good about the Eagles heading into the season. That said, last year’s dynamic felt like a ticking time bomb, and had they not been in such a bad division, things might have fallen apart. Something about this franchise’s “vibe” feels very off, and it feels like Jalen Hurts is on the verge of being run out of town. The talent is there, but the chemistry is what concerns me most, especially with the other three teams in the division looking much stronger than they did a year ago.
13) Los Angeles Chargers
Top Acquisition: DE Ahkeem Mesidor (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: DE Odafe Oweh (Washington Commanders)
To an extent, the Chargers have turned around their fortunes since hiring Jim Harbaugh. Back-to-back playoff trips are nice, but postseason success must come at some point soon. Getting the trenches back up to snuff is key here, especially for quarterback Justin Herbert. On paper, this is a quality roster, but does this team make the playoffs with a better Chiefs team? I’m not so sure.
14) Green Bay Packers
Top Acquisition: DT Javon Hargrave (Minnesota Vikings)
Biggest Loss: LT Rasheed Walker (Carolina Panthers)
In the moment, losing Micah Parsons felt like a big blow. Not winning a game after that just added to that point. Despite still being a young team, this roster showed its flaws in many ways last year. This offseason was much more about losing than adding, and it’s fair to wonder how much of that was predicated on last year’s free agent failures. On paper, the Packers don’t look any better, but it’s easy to argue that the NFC North is there for the taking. We’ll see how they rebound after last year’s collapse.
15) Jacksonville Jaguars
Top Acquisition: iOL Emmanuel Pregnon (3rd Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: LB Devin Lloyd (Carolina Panthers)
There are strange offseasons, and then there’s what the Jaguars have done over the last few months. Liam Coen looks like the real deal as a head coach, but second-year general manager James Gladstone’s moves since last year’s draft have been a bit confounding. Free agency was lackluster at best, and their draft class, at least on paper, looks like a disaster. Maybe Gladstone truly is smarter than everyone else, but as history has shown, going that far against consensus rarely works out. We’ll see if the Jaguars have what it takes to stay atop the AFC South. If Trevor Lawrence takes another step in 2026, they’ll be a dangerous team.
16) Carolina Panthers
Top Acquisition: DE Jaelan Phillips (Philadelphia Eagles)
Biggest Loss: DT A’Shawn Robinson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
On paper, the Pathers have had one of my favorite offseasons. Not only did they lose very few impact players, but they also attacked the acquisition period like a team aware it needed to get better in multiple areas. Unlike most of last year’s playoff teams, the Panthers took an aggressive offseason approach to improve their roster. Bryce Young is still their biggest question mark, but there’s little doubt about them being the favorites in the South. The only issue is that, at least on paper, the entire division is better. As comfortable as I feel with their floor, the ceiling is my bigger concern.
17) Dallas Cowboys
Top Acquisition: S Caleb Downs (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: DT Osa Odighizuwa (Traded to San Francisco 49ers)
Given their lack of activity in free agency and the decision to trade away Micah Parsons, 2025 always felt like a transitional year. If there’s one thing Jerry Jones is good at, it’s creating headlines, and that’s exactly what he’s done multiple times this offseason. A year ago, the defense was a complete disaster, and they’ve done about all they could to fix that. Considering how good their offense is, this is a team that feels like a league-average defense away from winning the division. Now we’ll see if they can make it happen.
18) Cincinnati Bengals
Top Acquisition: DT Dexter Lawrence (Trade via New York Giants)
Biggest Loss: DE Trey Hendrickson (Baltimore Ravens)
Offensively, it’s easy to see a path to the Bengals being good enough to contend for a deep playoff run. That, of course, is assuming their key players, namely Joe Burrow, can stay healthy. Defensively, though, it’s been a battle. Adding Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, Cashius Howell, and, of course, Lawrence to the trenches should completely transform this unit. If they can get something out of last year’s first-round pick, Shemar Stewart, and their secondary improves, the Bengals might just round into a complete team and reopen their contention window.
19) Pittsburgh Steelers
Top Acquisition: WR Michael Pittman Jr. (Trade via Indianapolis Colts)
Biggest Loss: iOL Isaac Seumalo (Arizona Cardinals)
The four-month-long hostage negotiation… Sorry, contract negotiations with Aaron Rodgers appear close to a resolution. Despite what felt like a farewell tour in 2025, the Steelers will be rolling the dice on a similar situation, this time with a different head coach. We’ll see if their goal remains simply making the playoffs, because it’s clear that ownership has no interest in a retool on the fly, at least not yet. The floor might be safe, but the ceiling of this feels… Underwhelming.
20) Indianapolis Colts
Top Acquisition: LB C.J. Allen (2nd Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: WR Michael Pittman Jr. (Traded to Pittsburgh Steelers)
Last season started impressively. It looked like the Colts were playoff-bound, then injuries happened. Quarterback Daniel Jones’ season was cut short, and the rest was history. As is typical for general manager Chris Ballard, Indianapolis was quiet during free agency, bringing in a few role players like Arden Key. Only time will tell if last year’s hot start was a fluke or a sign of things to come, but this feels like a team more stuck in the middle than a contender.
21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Top Acquisition: DE Ruben Bain (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: WR Mike Evans (San Francisco 49ers)
Over the last few seasons, it just feels like something has been missing in Tampa. While many believed head coach Todd Bowles should have been shown the door, this year’s draft class and free agency approach seems to be setting up for one final “prove-it” season for the veteran head coach. This was a roster that was aging quickly, and because of their moves, they’ve gotten younger. The question is more about the ceiling, rather than the floor. The NFC South will be competitive, and the Bucs should be right in the mix.
22) Minnesota Vikings
Top Acquisition: QB Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
Biggest Loss: DE Jonathan Greenard (Traded to Philadelphia Eagles)
Following an impressive 14-win season in 2024, many had high expectations for the Vikings last year. Thanks to a slew of quarterback issues, the Vikings finished at 9-8 and just outside of the playoff picture. Barring a historic turnaround, the chances of J.J. McCarthy being the signal-caller of the future seem highly unlikely, which is why the addition of Kyler Murray made plenty of sense. On top of that, they added third-down machine Jauan Jennings to help round out a dangerous pass-catching group that should be used a lot more in 2026, assuming better quarterback play. The NFC North is wide open, and with a “comeback” type of year from Murray, the Vikings should be right in the mix.
23) Washington Commanders
Top Acquisition: DE Odafe Oweh (Los Angeles Chargers)
Biggest Loss: C Tyler Biadasz (Los Angeles Chargers)
Even though their trip to the NFC Championship game in 2024 felt like a classic case of overachieving, not many could have seen last season going as poorly as it did. Third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels has plenty to prove, especially on the health front. On paper, the Commanders look improved, but health and stronger defensive play will be key to any success they hope to achieve in 2026. One thing is for sure- Dan Quinn got plenty of defensive chess pieces in the offseason. This season feels like a big one in Washington.
24) New York Giants
Top Acquisition: LB Arvel Reese (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: DT Dexter Lawrence (Traded to Cincinnati Bengals)
Step 1. Secure John Harbaugh.
Step 2. Hope for a big Year 2 leap from quarterback Jaxson Dart.
That appears to be the blueprint in place for the Giants, and following two first-round picks and an active offseason, the optimism surrounding this group is justified. It’s been a long time since the Giants were relevant, but this is the first time in a while that they’ve had a reputable head coach in the building. If all goes well, their defense will take a big step forward, and Dart will show enough to justify the hype surrounding his rookie season. This will be one of the sexy picks for “from worst to first” in 2026.
25) New Orleans Saints
Top Acquisition: iOL David Edwards (Buffalo Bills)
Biggest Loss: CB Alontae Taylor (Tennessee Titans)
Speaking of big improvement for 2026- Does anyone else get a sneaky feeling that the Saints could be one of the NFC’s surprise teams for the upcoming season? For all the hype that Dart received in New York, I would argue that Tyler Shough’s rookie season was far more impressive. While the construction of their roster still needs some work, they’ve got plenty of pieces on both sides of the ball that could make them a “surprise team” in 2026.
26) Atlanta Falcons
Top Acquisition: QB Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
Biggest Loss: RT Caleb McGary (Retirement)
Following another year of disappointment, the Falcons decided to make sweeping changes in the front office and to a brand-new coaching staff. On paper, this is a solid roster, but at quarterback, the group leaves a lot to be desired. The NFC South still projects to be one of the weaker divisions in football, so a nine-to-10-win season shouldn’t be ruled out, but this feels like an organization stuck in the middle that is hoping a big shake-up will help turn their fortunes around.
27) Las Vegas Raiders
Top Acquisition: QB Fernando Mendoza (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: QB Geno Smith (Traded to New York Jets)
The Maxx Crosby saga was one of the weirder storylines in sports this season, but in the end, it appears a resolution has been reached. Following an extremely active free agency period and the No. 1 overall pick, expectations will be much higher in Vegas than they probably should be. Veteran Kirk Cousins will get the first crack at the starting job, but despite what new head coach Klint Kubiak says, fans should expect to see Mendoza play early in the season. Receiver is still an issue on offense, but if the offensive line can hold up, this is a solid, rookie-year developmental plan for Mendoza. That said, I’m still not expecting much in 2026.
28) Tennessee Titans
Top Acquisition: DL John Franklin-Myers (Denver Broncos)
Biggest Loss: iOL Kevin Zeitler (Free Agent)
Count me out as one of the people who magically forgot how bad things were at the end of Robert Saleh’s tenure with the Jets. Maybe he’s one of those coaches who thrives in his second opportunity, but I’m just not sold. For as much as I like Cam Ward, I still have questions about the offensive line, and it’s hard to forget Brian Daboll’s failures as an offensive play-caller without Josh Allen. Although I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Titans take a step forward in 2026, I’m not sure I like their overall setup, even after an active offseason that brought in plenty of quality talent.
29) Cleveland Browns
Top Acquisition: OT Tytus Howard (Trade via Houston Texans)
Biggest Loss: iOL Joel Bitonio (Free Agent)
Gone is Kevin Stefanski, but somehow general manager Andrew Berry remains. In some ways, I get it, but without any true long-term quarterback options on the roster, the Browns’ outlook for 2026 doesn’t appear great on paper. I did like their commitment to completely rebuilding the offensive line, but I have serious questions about the offensive talent and overall depth of this roster. While it feels like they are slowly building toward a brighter future, the quarterback position is bound to hold them back in 2026.
30) Miami Dolphins
Top Acquisition: QB Malik Willis (Green Bay Packers)
Biggest Loss: WR Jaylen Waddle (Traded to Denver Broncos)
The bottom finally fell out for the Dolphins in 2025, and in my opinion, it was the best thing that could have happened to them. With a new Packers-influenced regime taking the reins, it will be interesting to see how quickly they can turn things around in Miami. I’m bullish on quarterback Malik Willis’ prospects as a full-time starter, but this roster lacks in far too many spots for me to project a quality 2026 campaign.
31) Arizona Cardinals
Top Acquisition: RB Jeremiyah Love (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: QB Kyler Murray (Minnesota Vikings)
I’m just not sure I understand the vision in Arizona. Not only did they keep general manager Monti Ossenfort, but they also spent a Top-3 pick on a running back with a bad offensive line. Unless you count Carson Beck as a potential future starting quarterback, there’s no long-term upside for anyone on their current roster at the most important position in football. Of all teams in the league, they fell the farthest away from competing for a playoff spot.
32) New York Jets
Top Acquisition: DE David Bailey (1st Round Pick)
Biggest Loss: DE Jermaine Johnson II (Traded to Tennessee Titans)
Although I’m still not convinced Aaron Glenn gets a Year 3 after last year’s disaster, there’s no doubt that they’ve kicked off their rebuild with some exciting young talent. Like most bad teams in the midst of full-blown rebuilds, quarterback is a big question, but they are also taking a smart approach by building the roster the right way. There’s a good chance this will still be a very bad team in 2026, but with some luck, they might at least show some excitement along the way.
