Just like that, the 2025 NFL regular season is heading into its final week. It feels like every year, most fans go through the same emotions of feeling like the season just started, and yet, in the blink of an eye, the 18-week regular season closes out. For some teams, the start of the playoffs is around the corner. For others, it’s the start of a new beginning as the coaching and general manager hiring cycles will heat up. No matter how you view it, the final game of 2025 is in the books. In this
week’s installment of our WCG Power Rankings, we’ll take a look at each team’s biggest strength for 2026 as we turn the page to a new year.
1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3) Previous Week: 1
There’s an argument to be made for Seattle having the most well-rounded team in football. Not only did they knock off the Rams to become the NFC’s top seed in Week 16, but they’ve been one of the more consistent teams in football all season. To help matters along, their combination of cap flexibility ($71 million according to Over The Cap), and their first three rounds worth of selections in April’s draft. This is a classic case of a good team having more than enough resources to get better next season.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Resource Flexibility
2. Denver Broncos (13-3) Previous Week: 3
Overall, the Broncos have an incredible roster, but their margin for error has been much larger than most teams’ due to their defense. Not only do they lead the league in sacks, but they’ve got stars all over the depth chart. Considering their floor on the offensive side of the ball, Denver is set up for plenty of future success, especially if the Chiefs take a year or two to retool.
Biggest Strength For 2026: The Defense
3. New England Patriots (13-3) Previous Week: 4
The thing about teams that arrive a year too early: They’ve usually got plenty of unused resources to spend the following year. In a way, we saw it with the Commanders, although that has gone up in flames due to their roster construction and overall age. It’s hard to see that being the case in New England, but they need to continue building out the trenches while giving Drake Maye more weapons. Any time you have a quarterback playing at a sustainable level with that type of ceiling, the sky is going to be the limit.
Biggest Strength For 2026: An MVP-Level Quarterback And Plenty Of Cap Flexibility
4. San Francisco 49ers (12-4) Previous Week: 6
2025 was supposed to be somewhat of a “reset” year for the 49ers, and yet they have clinched a playoff spot and look like a team that could make some noise in January. All of this despite losing multiple key players to injuries. San Francisco is clearly a good team, but it’s hard to imagine that many coaching staffs can get what Kyle Shanahan and company have in the same situation. They might be fighting an uphill battle in a deep division, but there’s no reason to believe they won’t be right back in the mix for 2026.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Coaching Staff
5. Los Angeles Rams (11-5) Previous Week: 2
Similar to their division rivals, the Rams are loaded with resources heading into the offseason. They have a projected $81.5 million in cap space, plus 10, maybe 11, draft selections in April. Of those picks, they’ll have two first-rounders, thanks to Atlanta’s reckless trade last April. This team is already loaded and has more than enough ammo to do virtually anything they want. That’s tough news for the NFC West and every other team in the conference.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Resource Flexibility
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) Previous Week: 5
Sustainability has never been something we’ve seen the Jaguars maintain, but it’s fair to believe that they can do it moving forward. After a slow start to the season, quarterback Trevor Lawrence is playing the best football of his NFL career. The defense, which ranked in the bottom three in 2024, has turned the corner and ranks second in the league in takeaways. They could still use some talent on both sides of the ball, but that defensive line should keep its trajectory heading in the right direction.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Defensive Line
7. Houston Texans (11-5) Previous Week: 10
Following a slow start, the Texans have come on strong and are firing on all cylinders. This is a talented roster that only has a few holes. With C.J. Stroud finally looking like he did in his rookie year, this is a dangerous team. The offensive line needs to be a focus in the offseason, but thanks to their defense, they can focus on holes without concerns in other areas.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Defense
8. Chicago Bears (11-5) Previous Week: 7
Since firing Lovie Smith following the 2012 season, Chicago has struggled to find much success. Not only have they posted just two winning seasons and three playoff appearances in that time, but their last playoff win came in January of 2011. The goal for the Bears isn’t simply to make the playoffs in 2025 but to build sustained success beyond this season. With every starter projected to return on the offensive side of the ball and Ben Johnson leading the team, there are reasons to believe that 2026 will be a continuation of success, and not a reality check.
Biggest Strength For 2026: The Offense
9. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) Previous Week: 9
Every year is a new Eagles team, regardless of how similar their roster may look year-to-year. Following a Super Bowl win in 2024, there’s been a lot more turmoil surrounding them throughout the season. They did lose some key pieces on defense, but it’s hard to grasp who this team truly is. There are plenty of winners on this squad, but none more than their deep group of cornerbacks.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Cornerback
10. Buffalo Bills (11-5) Previous Week: 8
There’s been a clear shift in power within the AFC, but the Bills have remained. Even if they’ve experienced more of an up-and-down 2025 campaign than anyone had hoped for, there’s plenty of value in continuity, especially in a conference where most of the top teams are younger and lack experience. Buffalo has apparent roster deficiencies to address, but with its core, it has a distinct advantage heading into 2026 that most teams don’t.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Continuity (And Of Course, Josh Allen)
11. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) Previous Week: 12
Most NFL teams have been hit with poor health this year, and the Chargers are no different. They lost both starting offensive tackles earlier this season, and it has negatively impacted the offense, especially quarterback Justin Herbert. Assuming both Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt can get healthy in the offseason, there might not be another team in the league with a better young combo at tackle.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Offensive Tackle
12. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) Previous Week: 11
It’s been a year of injury in Green Bay. They’ve been able to work around injuries to certain key players like Tucker Kraft, Devonte Wyatt, and others, but the loss of All-World pass rusher Micah Parsons has been a hard one to overcome. Even so, they are still finding ways to affect the quarterback because of their depth. Any defense is better with Micah Parsons on it, including the Packers. Assuming he’s ready for Week 1, this should once again be a top defense in 2026.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Defensive Line
13. Baltimore Ravens (8-8) Previous Week 16
2025 has been a big disappointment for Baltimore, especially after coming into the year as one of the top Super Bowl favorites in either conference. Despite the high expectations, this team has not delivered. Part of that is due to injuries, but they’ve underperformed all over the board. The good news is that their roster will be largely intact next season, which should be a big prove-it year for this core of players.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Overall Roster Talent
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) Previous Week: 13
The Steelers have been the model of consistency for as long as we can all remember. They don’t fire head coaches, and they are almost always in the playoff race. After all, head coach Mike Tomlin has yet to have a losing season this far into his career. That said, sometimes the status quo isn’t good enough. This team has one of the most expensive defenses in the league and has not performed up to expectations. On the plus side, continuity, especially in Pittsburgh, means a winning record. Now, they just have to get over the playoff hump.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Continuity (I Think…)
15. Carolina Panthers (8-8) Previous Week: 14
On paper, the Panthers’ roster has been nothing special, but in Year 2 of the Dave Canales era, things are starting to come together. No matter whether they make the playoffs or not, no one had them winning eight or more games. This is a young team with a ceiling that hasn’t been reached yet. If quarterback Bryce Young can take another step, they’ve got enough on the roster to push for a playoff spot consistently.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Youthful/Ascending Roster
16. Minnesota Vikings (8-8) Previous Week: 19
There aren’t many differences between the Vikings’ 14-win roster from a year ago and what they have right now. Although you can never blame just one player (or position), quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s lack of development in Year 2 has really set the franchise back. Heading into the offseason. I’d lean toward quarterback being their most significant need, but on the flip side, their defensive line is still as dangerous as any team in the league. Assuming that Jonathan Greenard comes back healthy in 2026, they should be able to lean on their defense more.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Defensive Line
17. Indianapolis Colts (8-8) Previous Week: 18
For the better part of this season, the Colts’ defense has been one of the better units in the league. Things have fallen apart as of late, but so has the entire team. On the day of the Trade Deadline, they sent a pair of first-round selections to the New York Jets for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. When healthy, he will form a great duo with Charvarius Ward. Unfortunately, that won’t be until next year.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Cornerback
18. Detroit Lions (8-8) Previous Week: 15
On paper, the Lions are one of the best teams in the league. Their stretch during 2023-2024 proved exactly that. Injuries and overall misfortune have led to a disappointing season, but there are plenty of reasons to believe that they’ll be right back in the mix in 2026. A big reason for that is their skill position talent on the offensive side of the ball. They are all young, and outside of Jahmyr Gibbs, they are all under control for two-plus seasons. Better health and a better offensive line could have them back in the “Super Bowl Contenders” column next season.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Offensive Skill Position Talent
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) Previous Week: 17
If football were played on paper, the Bucs would come closer to resembling the team we saw at the beginning of the season, rather than their most recent skid. That said, this has been every year for Tampa Bay since Tom Brady won the Super Bowl during the 2020 season. This roster has plenty of big names and talent, but no one has played up to their potential in the second half of the season. 2026 may be different.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Overall Roster Talent
20. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10) Previous Week: 21
For years now, the Bengals have spent a premium on the offensive side of the ball. It started with a lucrative contract for Joe Burrow, and has continued with big-money deals to star receivers Ja’Mar Chase and Tee Higgins. Offensive firepower has never been a question during the Zac Taylor era, but they do need more talent along the offensive line. Cincinnati will have plenty of questions to answer during the offseason, but outside of the offensive line, their skill positions and quarterback are set.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Offensive Talent
21. Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) Previous Week: 20
To nobody’s surprise, the Cowboys’ offense has single-handedly kept them in most games this season. Quarterback Dak Prescott has been great, but the addition of George Pickens and the emergence of Ryan Flournoy at receiver have been a huge difference-maker. Although Pickens is set to hit the market in March, don’t be surprised if the Cowboys opt to extend him and use their high-round picks on the defensive side.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Offensive Talent
22. Miami Dolphins (7-9) Previous Week: 22
Considering how the season started, fans and the front office alike are pleased with the back half of the season. Simply put, this team needs plenty of help, and it’s probably time to move on from head coach Mike McDaniel. For now, they’ll just have to rely on hiring the right general manager to guide the team back to a winning product with fresh eyes.
Biggest Strength For 2026: A New General Manager With A New Vision
23. Atlanta Falcons (7-9) Previous Week: 24
Going into the draft, the Falcons made it a point to add multiple players on the edge. They’ve been rewarded by heading into the final week of the season with the second-most sacks in the NFL. When all is said and done, they will come close to doubling their 2024 total. What’s even more impressive is that they don’t have a 10-sack player on the team… Yet. Atlanta has plenty of questions to solve this offseason, but the defensive line appears to be in good shape heading into next season.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Defensive Line
24. New Orleans Saints (6-10) Previous Week: 25
Are the Saints completely out of cap hell yet? Absolutely not. Yet this is the first time in close to a decade when they won’t have to use every trick in the book just to create enough cap space to operate with. They’ll have close to their whole host of picks, on top of an extra 4th and 5th rounder, thanks to the Rashid Shaheed trade. They have some promising players, but they’re also going to have a lesser roster against any team they play.
Biggest Strength For 2026: The Ability To Recreate The Roster
25. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) Previous Week: 23
To say that 2025 has been a disappointment for the Chiefs would be an understatement. It would be one thing if they struggled this season, but still found a way to sneak into a Wild Card spot. Instead, they are guaranteed to have their first losing season in a long, long time. With quarterback Patrick Mahomes shelved for the year with a torn ACL, it will be up to general manager Brett Veach to retool around his star players, because there’s still plenty of them.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Star Power
26. Cleveland Browns (4-12) Previous Week: 27
Believe it or not, I’ve watched quite a bit of the Browns this year, thanks to my wife being a fan. Far too often, I’ve come away thinking that they aren’t getting enough out of the talent they have on their roster. Now, let’s be honest, their quarterback situation has been less-than-ideal, and their offensive line can’t stay healthy. That said, they have promising offensive weapons and one of the league’s best defenses when they get enough support. With the proper offseason and a quality draft class, it’s not hard to see them turning into an 8-plus win team in 2026. Having a pair of first-round picks really helps.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Youthful Talent/Multiple First Round Picks
27. Washington Commanders (4-12) Previous Week: 26
2025 has been vastly disappointing in Washington for a litany of different reasons. The most crucial aspect is quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has not been able to stay healthy. Even when he was healthy, he did not look like the same MVP-caliber player that we believed him to be heading into the season. For as bad as things have been this year, it doesn’t appear that head coach Dan Quinn has lost any buy-in. Now he’ll be tasked with tweaking his staff and hoping that his experience can get them back into the playoff picture next season.
Biggest Strength For 2026: A Veteran Coaching Staff
28. Tennessee Titans (3-13) Previous Week: 29
Just months after ESPN’s article regarding them being in better shape for a No. 1 overall quarterback than previous teams, the Titans’ merry-go-round of head coaching and general managers continued. Head coach Brian Callahan was fired early in the season, but even without him, the Titans have struggled on both sides of the ball. At this point, they just have to hope they can take a page out of the Bears’ and Rams’ book and hire the right offensive mind to get Ward back on track. The good news is that he’s shown enough to excite almost any candidate who interviews for the job.
Biggest Strength For 2026: The Promise Of Quarterback Cam Ward
29. New York Giants (3-13) Previous Week: 30
Earlier in the year, the Giants were still losing games, but they looked competitive… and fun. Since firing head coach Brian Daboll, things have not looked the same, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Losing rookie running back Cam Skattebo for the year hurt, but even rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has not looked the same since returning from a concussion. Sometimes, bad teams max out, no matter how many changes are made. That said, there’s still plenty to like about this roster. It might not be a one-year turnaround, but with the right head coach, they’ll be much more competitive in 2026.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Untapped Potential
30. Arizona Cardinals (3-13) Previous Week: 28
2025 has been a complete disaster for the Cardinals, especially following an impressive 2-0 start. Since that point, they’ve won 13 of 14 games. Only time will tell whether any changes are made to the front office and coaching staff. No matter what, they’ve got plenty of decisions to make, including who their starting quarterback will be in 2026. For now, their pass catchers appear to be the strength of their team, especially if Marvin Harrison Jr. can stay healthy.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Pass Catchers
31. New York Jets (3-13) Previous Week: 31
General manager Darren Mougey saw a poor season unfolding and probably realized his team was much further from contention than he thought when he took the job. Instead of holding onto expensive pieces that would be on the older side once they are good again, he traded them away and netted plenty of high-round draft capital in the process. That’s really what the Jets have going for them right now. It will be a few years before they’ll compete for a playoff spot, but they’ve got a great launching pad to kick this rebuild off and keep it headed in the right direction.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Highly Available Draft/Free Agency Resources
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14) Previous Week 32
How many head coaches and general managers will the Raiders fire before they realize they need someone who can come in with a vision for a rebuild and execute it? Veteran head coach Pete Carroll was brought in to rebuild the culture and get the most out of this roster. Even if he oversold his ability to turn things around quickly, this roster just isn’t nearly good enough in far too many spots. Similar to the Jets, they would be best served by selling off valuable pieces and taking a rebuild head-on. I have my doubts they’ll do it, but any return on Maxx Crosby would be a massive boost in the right direction. Las Vegas must think long-term here.
Biggest Strength For 2026: Maxx Crosby (The Key To Kicking Off A Much-Needed Rebuild)
