NFL Power Rankings takes stock of all 32 teams throughout the season.
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1. Los Angeles Rams
L.A. had the best team on paper coming out of the NFL draft, then it pulled off the move of the summer by trading for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. This squad is littered with stars on both sides of the ball. As long as they're healthy, the Rams are the team to beat.
2. Seattle Seahawks
It's tough to disrespect the defending champions like this, but while the Rams were busy adding all offseason, the Seahawks let contributors like Coby Bryant, Kenneth Walker, and Boye Mafe walk out the door. Between the draft and internal development, Seattle believes it has adequate replacements.
3. New England Patriots
A.J. Brown's arrival pushes Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, and the rest of the Patriots' receivers into more natural roles. And New England's dynamic new wideout has been lighting up training camp after a slow start. Super Bowl hangovers have doomed runner-ups in the past, but the Pats might've added enough firepower to avoid that.
4. Denver Broncos
You could argue that the Broncos have the AFC's most talented roster from top to bottom. However, football often boils down to quarterback play, which means Bo Nix will be under the microscope all year long. Although Denver reached the conference title game last season, Nix's numbers were slightly worse than the year prior.
5. Buffalo Bills
The Bills will be contenders as long as Josh Allen is their quarterback, but they enter the preseason still facing important questions at cornerback, safety, and defensive tackle. Buffalo relied too much on Allen last season and is at risk of repeating that mistake.
6. Philadelphia Eagles
DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon missing time due to hamstring injuries is a concern for a team trying to reinvent its offense. The Eagles need both receivers and Jonathan Greenard - who's missed all of camp with a pectoral injury but was brought in to reignite the pass rush - to get healthy if they want to hit the ground running.
7. Baltimore Ravens
The pieces are in place for the Ravens to rebound after they missed the playoffs for just the second time in eight years last season. The disaster led to a coaching change, with Jesse Minter replacing John Harbaugh. Don't be surprised if Minter has Lamar Jackson and Co. back near the top of the ladder soon.
8. Chicago Bears
Luther Burden and Coby Bryant going down with injuries has squashed some of the excitement around the NFC North champions. Burden could be back from a groin problem by Week 1, but Bryant may miss the entire season with a knee injury. Regardless, the Bears have a young, exciting team capable of taking another step in 2026.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
A healthy Patrick Mahomes and a promising draft class could quickly catapult the Chiefs back into the title mix. Still, they'll need to bring in another receiver unless training camp standout Cyrus Allen turns out to be the real deal. In any event, Kansas City is coming off a 6-11 campaign but we're buying stock while it's low.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars opened a lot of eyes with a 13-win season in Liam Coen's coaching debut, and they're hoping to ride that momentum into the new campaign. Greater contributions from Travis Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. could raise the team's ceiling, though Jacksonville won't catch anyone by surprise this time around.
11. Houston Texans
Just when you thought this defense couldn't get any better, the Texans reunited with Jadeveon Clowney, who'll rotate in with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter on the edge. All the questions surrounding Houston boil down to its offense and whether C.J. Stroud can return to the form he displayed in 2023, when he ran away with Offensive Rookie of the Year.
12. San Francisco 49ers
The injury epidemic in San Francisco continues. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season, Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and De'Zhaun Stribling have all dealt with injuries in camp - and we've only touched on the receivers. Star running back Christian McCaffrey (tightness) and defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) headline the rest of the list.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers went 11-6 in 2024 and 2025, suffering wild-card beatdowns in both seasons. When you look at their roster, that feels about right. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is tinkering with Justin Herbert's footwork, but unless that unlocks something magical, the Bolts are destined for a similar fate.
14. Dallas Cowboys
A revamped defense should be better suited to complement a prolific Cowboys offense more than it did a year ago. If it does, Dallas will cause trouble for the rest of the NFC. This squad could go all the way if the stars align, but you're old enough to know that they never do.
15. Green Bay Packers
Micah Parsons could be out until mid-October while rehabbing his knee, leaving the Packers to start the season without their best player. Green Bay did little to make up for his looming absence or fill the void left by Romeo Doubs' and Rashan Gary's departures. Instead of finding help, the club's banking on internal growth to offset the losses.
16. Detroit Lions
Detroit's offense should be fine, especially with Jahmyr Gibbs' contract situation resolved, but the defense is still a huge concern. The cornerback room remains a work in progress, both starting safeties are hurt, and Aidan Hutchinson might have to be a one-man band rushing the passer. Until the defense improves, the Lions will have to win a lot of shootouts.
17. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings named Kyler Murray their starter, with the veteran quarterback supplanting J.J. McCarthy. While Murray has his faults, Minnesota can surround him with the kind of coaching and talent he never had in Arizona. This team could be a dark horse in the NFC.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati dedicated nearly all its offseason resources to fixing a defense that couldn't get a stop to save its life last year. The Bengals have missed three consecutive postseasons, and it's now been half a decade since they reached the Super Bowl and looked like a budding powerhouse.
19. New York Giants
Season-opening contests against the Cowboys and Rams will be even more daunting if top receiver Malik Nabers isn't ready to go in his comeback from a torn ACL and meniscus. An offseason of hype could quickly wash away if the Giants open with back-to-back losses.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers is back, but expectations must be tempered considering he's 42 and provides limited upside at this stage of his career. The Steelers tinkered with the margins of their roster over the offseason, but it's going to take a much greater renovation project before Pittsburgh can dream about Super Bowls again.
21. New Orleans Saints
The Saints have quietly gotten their ducks in a row, while the rest of the NFC South seemingly spins its wheels. Chris Olave extension? Check. Jordyn Tyson healthy? Check. Alvin Kamara and Cameron Jordan back in the fold? Check. This team appears to be on the right trajectory, even after losing Bryan Bresee to an ACL injury in camp.
22. Washington Commanders
The Commanders finally found their No. 2 receiver by signing Stefon Diggs partway through training camp, only for the excitement to wash away with Laremy Tunsil's injury. The star left tackle tore his triceps over the weekend and is expected to miss most, if not all, of the regular season. One step forward, one step back.
23. Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback Daniel Jones has been a full go at practice, a positive development after he tore his Achilles in December. In less exciting news, top receiver Alec Pierce hasn't practiced since offseason ankle surgery and doesn't have a clear timetable for his return. It's a big year for the regime in Indy, and the Colts need all hands on deck.
24. Tennessee Titans
The Titans have tried to load up around Cam Ward as they look to accelerate his development and become relevant again. With only six wins over the last two years, we'll need to see results before we start to buy the hype, even if we liked their offseason.
25. Carolina Panthers
Carolina's depth is already being tested, with rookie receiver Chris Brazzell II and sophomore pass-rusher Nic Scourton out for the season and key offensive tackle Taylor Moton dealing with a blood clot in his lung. The Panthers topped the NFC South last year, but that had more to do with the division than themselves.
26. Las Vegas Raiders
A busy offseason yielded a promising new coach in Klint Kubiak and a vastly improved quarterback situation featuring veteran Kirk Cousins and No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders might not be ready to win big, but they should at least be competitive this year.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are in the precarious position of having their most important offensive player (QB Baker Mayfield) and most important defensive player (DT Vita Vea) angry over their contracts. Tampa Bay fell off a cliff down the stretch last season, and this ship is at risk of sinking further.
28. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons could be forced to start Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback in Week 1 while Michael Penix Jr. continues to rehab his knee. On the opposite side of the ball, Atlanta once dreamed of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. wreaking havoc off the edge, but Walker tore his ACL, and the NFL could discipline Pearce for his February arrest.
29. New York Jets
Though the Jets don't necessarily need to win oodles of games this year, Aaron Glenn will be two-and-out as their coach if they don't look a lot more competitive. He's remade the defense and has three first-round rookies to work with, so it's time to see some progress.
30. Cleveland Browns
The strength of the Browns is in flux after they traded away Myles Garrett, the longtime face of the franchise. Even more concerning is the state of the offense, as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are at the center of an uninspiring quarterback competition.
31. Arizona Cardinals
A veteran signal-caller like Jacoby Brissett will give the Cardinals some stability early, but it won't take long for fans to demand change as losses pile up. And they will pile up. On the bright side, Carson Beck looked good in the Hall of Fame Game.
32. Miami Dolphins
First-year coach Jeff Hafley can deny it all he wants, but it doesn't change the reality: this is a rebuilding year for the Dolphins. If Malik Willis makes good on his $23.5-million salary and first-round picks Kadyn Proctor and Chris Johnson develop, Miami will consider this season a resounding success.
