Power Rankings
Week 1 · 2026 season
Los Angeles Rams
Consensus preseason No. 1 after adding Myles Garrett to a defense that already had the reigning MVP and DPOY; win total climbed to 11.5 with the Over favored.
Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson reports healthy after an injury-wrecked 2025, and the Hendrickson signing fixes a defense that cratered late last year — a top-3 Super Bowl favorite near an 11-win total.
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is still the engine, DJ Moore reunites with new HC Joe Brady, and books have Buffalo tied with Baltimore as the second-best Super Bowl favorite behind the Rams.
Seattle Seahawks
Still a top contender as defending champs, but real roster turnover since the title run has them ranked behind LA entering Week 1.
Kansas City Chiefs
A healthy, cleared Patrick Mahomes and a retooled secondary around new CB Mansoor Delane keep bounce-back hopes alive after a 6-11 collapse ended their AFC West streak.
New England Patriots
One of the two biggest projected win-total jumps in the league, now on the road for a Super Bowl LX rematch to open the year.
Denver Broncos
NFL.com and ESPN both slot Denver in the top three after a 14-3 season, even as oddsmakers price in some regression with a 9.5-win total.
Houston Texans
PFT's power rankings have Houston at No. 3 overall on the strength of an elite Will Anderson Jr.-led defense, with the retooled O-line the swing factor.
Philadelphia Eagles
Reshaped after trading A.J. Brown and installing a new play-caller, but still priced around +1800 Super Bowl odds on the strength of four straight 11-plus-win seasons.
San Francisco 49ers
A 12-win, playoff-caliber roster on paper, but Kyle Shanahan's car accident and a string of camp injuries (Pearsall, Kittle, McCaffrey) inject real uncertainty.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow calls this his most talented roster yet after Cincinnati traded for Dexter Lawrence and replaced Trey Hendrickson with Boye Mafe up front.
Detroit Lions
ESPN's FPI ranks Detroit 8th overall and favors them to win a wide-open NFC North behind a Jahmyr Gibbs extension and a healthy Aidan Hutchinson.
Green Bay Packers
A top-tier offense behind Jordan Love, but the season opens with Micah Parsons on PUP and a realistic Week 6 target return for the ACL trade acquisition.
Chicago Bears
Ben Johnson's Year 2 team won the NFC North last year but drew the league's toughest projected schedule as the reward.
Los Angeles Chargers
Back-to-back playoff berths under Jim Harbaugh, healthy tackles, and a new McDaniel-run offense — tempered by a serious camp injury to the new starting center.
Dallas Cowboys
An intact starting offensive line and quiet continuity have Dallas rated above where the offseason noise suggested.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Defending AFC South champs under Liam Coen, but oddsmakers are skeptical of a repeat given a tougher schedule and regression concerns.
Pittsburgh Steelers
A genuinely new era — Mike Tomlin's 19-year run is over, Aaron Rodgers says this is his last season, and most boards still have Pittsburgh around 18th.
Washington Commanders
A year removed from an NFC title-game run, Washington is banking on a healthy Jayden Daniels and two new coordinators to reverse a 5-12 slide.
New Orleans Saints
An undefeated December behind Tyler Shough and a softer 2026 schedule have bettors bullish on a bounce-back after a 2-10 start.
New York Giants
New coach John Harbaugh, a healthy Malik Nabers, and undisputed starter Jaxson Dart give New York a real shot at climbing out of the NFC East cellar.
Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones returns on a two-year deal after a Week 15 Achilles tear unraveled an 8-2 start — modest AFC South favorites with real health uncertainty attached.
Carolina Panthers
First division title in a decade, but a season-ending ACL loss for rookie edge Nic Scourton and a Taylor Moton absence undercut real pass-rush investment.
Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson is still elite and Kyler Murray takes over at QB, but a GM-less front office and NFC North depth have Minnesota projected for a last-place finish anyway.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Most preseason power rankings have Tampa Bay in the low-to-mid 20s after a stunning second-half collapse cost them the NFC South on a tiebreaker.
Atlanta Falcons
An unsettled QB competition and a season-ending ACL loss for rookie EDGE Jalon Walker leave Atlanta looking like a team in transition, not a contender.
Tennessee Titans
Robert Saleh's full reset continues to develop Cam Ward, but a shaky preseason debut did little to quiet questions about the Year 2 jump.
Las Vegas Raiders
Klint Kubiak takes over after a 3-14 collapse, with Kirk Cousins bridging to presumptive long-term answer Fernando Mendoza — still viewed as a rebuilding year.
Cleveland Browns
A wide-open Watson-vs-Sanders QB competition and the shocking Myles Garrett trade to the Rams leave Cleveland with one of the league's lowest win totals.
New York Jets
Aaron Glenn calling his own defense and a QB swap to Geno Smith haven't moved the needle much — most outlooks still project New York among the AFC's weakest teams.
Miami Dolphins
A full teardown under first-year coach Jeff Hafley, with over $175M in dead money and the league's second-lowest win total.
Arizona Cardinals
New coach, a released Kyler Murray, and Jacoby Brissett as the presumptive starter — the NFL's lowest projected win total entering the season.