The Arizona Cardinals are not expected to be good in 2026. They are projected to have the fewest wins this coming season. However, after the offense looked productive in the preseason, they open the season rising in new NFL power rankings to start the season from NFL.com.
They moved up to No. 25 overall.
Jeremiyah Love's ankle injury put a damper on an otherwise-encouraging preseason for this downtrodden franchise. On the bright side, there is optimism that the No. 3 overall pick still could play in Week 1. Not to mention, Arizona has other weapons on offense. On the dark side, the Cardinals' schedule is an absolute beast. Rookie coach Mike LaFleur will have to prove himself from the start with an opener in Los Angeles against the Chargers.
They
are now ranked ahead of the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins.
The Cardinals' offense is promising. They have a potentially good duo at running back with Love and Tyler Allgeier. They have tight end Trey McBride, who was second in the NFL in receptions, and a solid pair of receivers in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.
And if Jacoby Brissett can produce the way he did last season, they could score points and be dangerous.
The problem is the defense. It was awful last season and is largely the same in personnel.
However, it is refreshing to see that there is mild optimism after an offseason of bad vibes.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFL power rankings: Arizona Cardinals rise before start of season
