2026 NFL Thoughts and Predictions

Most Valuable Player

Top Contenders: QB Matthew Stafford, QB Drake Maye, QB Josh Allen, QB Lamar Jackson, WR Puka Nacua, RB Jonathan Taylor, QB Joe Burrow, RB Bijan Robinson, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Christian McCaffrey

Dark Horse Candidates: QB Justin Herbert, QB Trevor Lawrence

Stafford won the award last year and he returns his whole offense and plays for one of the best offensive minds in football.  He’s a top contender until either his age or his back issues catch up with him or he retires.  Drake Maye finished second last year in his second year in the league, he’s going to be in the race for the foreseeable future.  Josh Allen has won the award and if he takes the Bills back to the top of the AFC, he’ll be right back in contention.  Lamar Jackson was hurt last year and now has a new offensive system, if he’s back, he’s in contention. 

Puka Nacua is arguably the best WR in football and Stafford loves him.  Stafford takes away from his votes though.  Jonathan Taylor looked like an MVP candidate for the first half of the year last year, he could pull it off if he has a full season like that.  Burrow has to stay healthy, and the Bengals have to win for him to be in the race, if he does and they do, he’s in the race.  Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are two of the best RBs in the game, if their teams are good, they can be in the conversation.  McCaffrey may be a victim of his own success.  Last year he was a one-man offense and barely got any recognition for it.  His incredible numbers have become the expectation at this point. 

Justin Herbert has always been one of the most physically gifted QBs in football and now he has an offensive coordinator who might actually understand how to use him.  If he’s unleashed, his season could be incredible.  Trevor Lawrence fits the same mold except now he’s in his second season with his offensive genius.  If the last half of last year is any indication, he could finally live up to his reputation. 

My Pick: Drake Maye

Sure, it’s a homer pick but it’s a legitimate possibility.  He almost won it last year with Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte as his primary weapons.  Now he has a pissed off AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs as his top guys.  No QB upgraded their weapons like Maye did and we all know it’s a QBs award at this point.

Offensive Player of the Year

Top Contenders: WR Jaxon Smith-Njiba, WR Puka Nacua, RB Jonathan Taylor, RB Bijan Robinson, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Christian McCaffrey, RB Saquon Barkley, WR AJ Brown

Dark Horse Candidates: RB Kenneth Walker III, RB James Cook

Smith-Njiba won the award going away last year because he was the Seahawks passing game.  Nacua actually had a better statistical year overall, but he was overshadowed by Stafford’s MVP year, maybe he gets this award this year.  Taylor is always a threat to win it; he’s a true work horse back.  Bijan Robinson might have to carry the Falcons offense this season given their QB situation, he can certainly handle it.  Gibbs will be relied on even more in Detroit with David Montgomery gone to Houston.  McCaffrey is still the best all-around weapon in football; he’s an incredible runner and an incredible receiver.  Barkley could rebound if Philly’s offensive line gets healthy and the new OC relies on him instead of Jalen Hurts. AJ Brown is on a mission this season to show he’s not done yet.  With Drake Maye’s ability to throw down the field, Brown could put up some ridiculous numbers. 

Walker was signed in Kansas City to take some pressure off Patrick Mahomes and if he’s the big play guy, they want him to be, his numbers could be impressive.  Cook’s numbers already are impressive; he just gets overshadowed by Josh Allen in Buffalo. 

My Pick: RB Jahmyr Gibbs

I think Gibbs is in for a great year.  The offensive line in Detroit should be much improved, and the new offensive coordinator has to be better than the guy they had last year.  Gibbs shouldered a bigger load last year and he should be ready to be the guy this year from the start. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Top Contenders: DE Myles Garrett, CB Patrick Surtain II, CB Derek Stingley Jr., CB Christian Gonzalez, DE Will Anderson Jr., DE Aidan Hutchinson

Dark Horse Candidates: CB Trent McDuffie, LB Jack Campbell

It’s hard to see someone else winning this award after the season Garrett had last year and now, he’s actually playing for a real Super Bowl contender.  The two things that could hurt him is that he’s already won the award and he has more help on the Rams so his numbers may only be awesome instead of record-breaking.  Surtain has won the award before too, but he is still generally considered the best cover corner in football, although his competition is getting closer. 

Stingley is one guy coming for Surtain’s title and so is Christian Gonzalez.  Both those guys could make the leap this year as the top CB in football, it’s not out of reach for either.  Will Anderson Jr. is one of the elite edge players in football both against the run and pass.  He doesn’t have the sack numbers of the very top edge guys, but he’s respected as a cornerstone of the best defense in football.  Hutchinson is a one-man wrecking crew on Detroit’s defensive line.  If the defense was better overall, he might get more recognition for this award.  

McDuffie has been one of the best corners in football and now he’s playing on a defense with Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald up front.  If he can take advantage of that and up his interception total, he might get noticed.  It’s hard for a LB to win this award but Jack Campbell is about to put himself in position as the best LB in football.  It’s been Fred Warner’s title for years but he’s coming off an injury and he’s getting older; Campbell is the next guy up.      

My Pick: DE Myles Garrett

I want to pick Christian Gonzalez but betting against Garrett is just dumb at this point.  He probably won’t have 23 sacks again this year because Aaron Donald, and some other Rams will steal some from him.  However, when he has 18 sacks and the Rams are the NFC’s top seed in the playoffs, it will be hard not to vote for Garrett. 

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Top Contenders: RB Jeremiah Love, RB Jadarian Price, WR Carnell Tate, WR De’Zhaun Stribling, WR Denzel Boston

Dark Horse Candidates: WR Ja’Kobi Lane, OT Monroe Freeling, C Jake Slaughter, WR Malachi Fields

There isn’t a rookie QB to really count on since Fernando Mendoza is starting the year as the backup (maybe third-string) in Vegas.  That really puts Jeremiah Love in the driver’s seat.  He should get the biggest share of the carries in Arizona and he’s an excellent receiver out of the backfield.  Price will be the guy in Seattle until Zach Charbonnett gets healthy, and even after that, it might still be his job.  Tate should make some big plays for Cam Ward, if he gets enough targets, he could win the award.  De’Zhaun Stribling and Denzel Boston are two second-round WRs who have risen up to the top of the depth charts for their team.  Stribling at least has Brock Purdy throwing to him and so far, he might be the only 49ers WR who’s healthy.  Boston is a freak and the crappy QBs in Cleveland have to throw the ball to someone. 

Ja’Kobi Lane has been all the talk in Baltimore, he’s the type of big, physical WR they have lacked for years.  Offensive linemen don’t win this award, but Monroe Freeling is stepping in as a starter immediately in Carolina and if he’s good and the skill guys this year don’t flash, he could be the pick.  Slaughter is in a similar spot having to step in for an injured veteran and if he plays well for Mike McDaniel and helps the Chargers offense look good, he gets a look.  Malachi Fields is starting opposite Malik Nabers in New York.  That’s a high profile spot and Jaxson Dart has to throw TDs to someone.

My VERY DEEP Dark Horse: RB Jonah Coleman

JK Dobbins is going to get hurt in Denver, that’s a given.  They won’t go to RJ Harvey as their lead back, Coleman will get the job.  His candidacy really depends on how soon Dobbins goes out.  The more Coleman plays, the better his chances of winning this award.

My Pick: RB Jeremiah Love

This isn’t the most inspiring group of skill position players to bet on.  Some guys aren’t in great situations, like Love, the Cardinals aren’t going to be good.  This might be the year a really good lineman wins it and Freeling is the guy with the most upside.  I can’t bet against Love, he’s such a great talent.  If he has 1200 yards rushing and catches 50 passes, he’ll win the award.  If Coleman gets the Denver job early in the year, he’s getting 1200 yards rushing, he just won’t get the receiving numbers because that’s RJ Harvey’s game. 

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Top Contenders: Edge David Bailey, Edge Rueben Bain Jr., S Caleb Downs, CB Mansoor Delane, LB Arvell Reese, S Dillon Thieneman

Dark Horse Candidates: DT Caleb Banks, S AJ Haulcy, S Treydan Stukes, LB CJ Allen

David Bailey is going to be a big part of the pass rush for the Jets, I’m just not sure the Jets defense is going to be good enough for it to matter.  Bain is going to be the guy in Tampa Bay’s pass rush and if they are a playoff team, he could win this award in a walk.  Downs is going to be the nickel in Dallas, that means plenty of opportunities to make plays and make tackles.  Delane will start in Kansas City, he might even be their top CB.  Carson Schwesinger proved a LB could win this award racking up tackles last year, Arvell Reese could be that guy for the Giants this year.  Thieneman could be a big play guy for the Bears defense if they get him some pass rush help up front. 

If Caleb Banks’ foot is healthy, he’s freak of nature who could single-handily change the Vikings defense.  Haulcy won the starting safety job in Indianapolis; he’s going to rack up tackles there.  Stukes could be a ball hawking safety for the Raiders; they haven’t had one of those in a while.  Allen is like Reese, he could be one of the big tackle leaders for the year, the Colts LB group isn’t great. 

My Pick: Edge Rueben Bain Jr.

It’s hard to bet against a guy who Tampa Bay has to unleash as their top edge rusher, and a guy who’s motor runs as hot as Bain’s.  He’s going to be a menace off the edge and Todd Bowles has every reason to use him to his fullest, he’s trying to save his job.  If it’s not Bain, it’s Bailey, I love David Bailey, I wish he didn’t play for the Jets. 

Playoff Predictions

NFC Playoff Teams

Division Winners

Philadelphia

Chicago

New Orleans

LA Rams

Wildcard Teams

Seattle

Green Bay

Dallas

NFC Championship Game

LA Rams vs. Seattle

AFC Playoff Teams

Division Winners

New England

Cincinnati

Houston

LA Chargers

Wildcard Teams

Buffalo

Jacksonville

Baltimore

AFC Championship Game

New England vs. Houston

Super Bowl

New England vs. LA Rams

Super Bowl Champions

LA Rams (as much as I want to pick New England, the Rams are so stacked it’s hard to think they won’t win it in SoFi Stadium) 

Thoughts and Predictions

  • Last year I wasn’t disappointed that the Patriots lost the Super Bowl, that may sound strange, but they weren’t supposed to be there.  Losing another one would suck and this one would hurt a lot more.  However, Drake Maye gives the Patriots an open window to Super Bowl contention for years to come.  There is no substitute for having an elite QB running your team. 
  • I usually look at the first coach fired and that’s too easy this year.  Aaron Glenn’s seat in New York is scorching already.  I would say no one will ever fire a coach after week 1 in year two, but the Jets start the season against Tennessee and Rober Saleh, the guy they fired before hiring Glenn.  The Titans are supposed to be bad too, but Saleh is going to have his team ready for that game and the Titans have some guys on defense.  I don’t think Glenn gets fired if they lose week 1 to Tennessee but I won’t be surprised if he does.  They do have Frank Reich on staff to be the interim.  Also, if they win week 1, Glenn isn’t out of the woods.  They play Green Bay, Detroit, and Chicago, the next three weeks, that’s a 1-3 start at best.  Then comes Cleveland in week 5.  If the Jets lose to Cleveland to start the year 1-4, he’s gone then.  I’m looking forward to the Patriots week 6 game against the Frank Reich-led Jets. 
  • Glenn might be the first coach fired but he’s not alone in needing to get off to a good start.  Todd Bowles is on thin ice in Tampa Bay and their schedule doesn’t start off easy.  Cincinnati and Cleveland to start, then Minnesota, Green Bay, Dallas, and Pittsburgh.  Cleveland is the only gimme in that group.  Carolina, Atlanta, and Chicago going into their week 10 bye.  If the Bucs start the season 2-7 or 3-6 going into their bye, that could be the end for Bowles.  They don’t have an obvious interim candidate but new OC Zac Robinson could give them a fresh start or long-time NFL defensive assistant George Edwards could steer the ship the rest of the season. 
  • There are other coaches who have to get off to good starts to cool their seats.  These guys probably don’t get fired during the season unless things really go off the rails.  Dan Quinn in Washington, replaced both his coordinators this off season, he has no one left to blame but himself.  Zac Taylor in Cincinnati has had injury issues he could blame for the Bengals offensive issues and a bad defense.  They spent on the defense and if Burrow is healthy, the Bengals need to be a playoff contender and an AFC Championship contender.  Kevin O’Connell is staking his QB whisperer reputation in Minnesota on Kyler Murray.  That’s not a bet I would want to make and they have Brian Flores on the staff.  Flores is going to be a head coach again someday (once his lawsuit against the NFL is over), why not in Minnesota.  Todd Monken just took over Cleveland but if there is going to be a one-and-done head coach this cycle, it’s Monken in the most dysfunctional place in the NFL. 
  • The one other coach we have to discuss is a guy who is not getting fired and probably isn’t going anywhere but if the wheels come off, retirement is possible.  Andy Reid has been losing steam over the last few seasons and if Ken Walker isn’t enough to turn around the offensive regression in Kansas City, tough questions have to be asked.  Reid is 68 years old, has nothing left to prove, and he’ll want to go out on his own terms.  If KC doesn’t turn the offense around this season, it’s time for either Reid to walk away or he has to clean house on the offensive staff completely and find a new, young guy to overhaul things.  It would also help if their front office would get Patrick Mahomes a real threat at WR and a new TE would be nice. 

There are a few young coaching candidates to keep in mind when openings come up.  It feels like the last few years have picked the coaching tree clean but here’s a few guys to watch. 

  • The Rams OC Nate Scheelhaase is the next guy off the Sean McVay tree, he’s 35 and it’s only a matter of time for him.
  • Rams DC Chris Shula will also be high on many lists.  He’s 40, has the bloodlines (ever heard of Don Shula?), and he’s about to run the craziest defense in the NFL with Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald, and Trent McDuffie.  He’ll have his pick of jobs next season. 
  • Ravens OC Declan Doyle is climbing the ladder quickly, from Denver’s TE coach, to Bears OC under Ben Johnson, to Jesse Minter’s OC in Baltimore in three years.  Next year, he could be a hot coaching candidate if Lamar Jackson has a bounce back year. 
  • A quiet one that should get more attention is Texans DC Matt Burke.  DeMeco Ryans gets a lot of credit in Houston for their ridiculous defense and it’s unfair to overlook Burke.  He took over play calling and the defense got even better.  He’s not as young as the others, he’s 50, and has never been a head coach.  He’s spent a long time in the NFL as an assistant and he deserves a chance. 
  • The last one I’ll throw out is also in Baltimore.  Jesse Minter hired Anthony Weaver as his DC and he won’t get credit when the Raven’s defense is good this year, it will all go to Minter.  However, Weaver is an excellent coach who did more with less in Miami last year and he should also get a real long look from teams looking for new leadership. 

A few other random thoughts

  • AJ Brown is going to have a monster season
  • Brian Thomas Jr is going to bounce back and have a very good year in Jacksonville
  • The Dolphins are not going to be good but they aren’t going to be as bad as every is projecting, they won’t have the #1 pick in the draft
  • Two rookie RBs I think have good years that people aren’t talking about, Jonah Coleman in Denver and Emmett Johnson in Kansas City.  JK Dobbins will get hurt and Coleman will play.  Kenneth Walker III isn’t going to completely carry the load in KC, they will use Johnson, he’s a good back
  • The Browns kept four QBs on the opening day roster; Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green.  I think there’s a legitimate chance they start at least four different QBs this season and I don’t think Green is one of them.  They pick up some random veteran at some point and try it just because why not? 
  • Some QB is going to get traded early in the season.  Tua, Shedeur, Tanner McKee maybe, I’m not sure but there are teams that need a QB and there will be movement.  Maybe the Browns send Shedeur to Philly in a trade for Tanner McKee, just a thought
  • The Bengals defense and the Texans offense will both be much improved units this season and those two teams will be two of the final four teams left in the AFC playoff race.  Cincinnati, Houston, New England, and I’m not sure of the fourth
  • Two teams in each conference I don’t have in the playoffs that might surprise you…No Detroit or San Francisco in the NFC.  I have Dallas as the seventh team and I think Detroit’s defense will cost them, and I don’t trust San Fran’s health.  In the AFC it’s Denver and Kansas City.  I think the Chargers win the West, the North gets two teams and south gets two teams, keeping Denver and KC at home.  It makes KC take a long look at themselves in the off season, Denver, well I’m not sure why I guess maybe I don’t trust Bo Nix. 

2026 AFC South Preview

Houston Texans

The Texans finished a game behind the Jaguars last season in the division and made the playoffs.  They had an elite defense and if CJ Stroud hadn’t melted down in the playoffs, they would have gone much further.  They are hoping some changes along the offensive line, the return of Tank Dell, and the second year in Nick Caley’s offense can get the offense back on track.  The defense might be even better this year than they were last year, that’s a scary thought if you’re the rest of the AFC. 

QB CJ Stroud is at a pivotal point in his career as the Texans have to decide what to do with his contract situation soon.  He’s going into year four and the team will have his fifth-year option, but they need to know if he’s going to be good enough when it counts.  The defense is Super Bowl level at this point; Stroud has to be a big part of making the offense good enough to get there.  His playoff meltdown could have been just a bad run or it’s who he is when the lights are brightest.  I think with a better run game and improved offensive line, we will see the real Stroud this season. 

The passing game was set to have Nico Collins leading the way with Jayden Higgins ready to break out and for Tank Dell to return as one of Stroud’s favorite targets.  Higgins went down with an ACL tear, and Dell isn’t ready to return to start the season.  His horrific knee injury from 2024 is keeping him out. Now they will be counting on Kayshon Boutte, who they recently traded for and Jaylin Noel, who is also dealing with injury issues.  Collins can carry a heavy load, but he will need some help.  Boutte can be a real player, but he’s barely been there to learn the offense.  Dalton Schultz isn’t a play maker at TE but he’s a solid veteran. 

The offensive line has had another makeover with only LT Aireontae Ersery and RG Ed Ingram returning as starters from last year’s overhauled unit.  They brought in aging veterans RT Braden Smith and LG Wyatt Teller.  Smith is starting the season on IR and Teller is a backup.  Rookie Keylan Rutledge was drafted in round one with the thought he could be their starting center, instead he’ll start at LG.  He brings power and nastiness to the interior but he’s still a rookie.  They signed Evan Brown as interior depth but he’ll start at center for now.  Trent Brown is still hanging around and he holds onto the RT job until Braden Smith gets healthy, and maybe past that. 

The biggest upgrade this offense made this off season was trading for RB David Montgomery from Detroit. Montgomery isn’t flashy but he’s far more consistent than anyone the Texans had last year at RB.  He can bring power to the run game they just didn’t have.  Woody Marks handled the job at the end of last season but he’s not an every down back.  Marks now becomes the change-of-pace player he’s meant to be.  Montgomery’s arrival makes the whole position better and will take a lot of pressure off Stroud. 

The defense was fantastic last year, and DC Matt Burke deserves a lot of credit after he took over play calling on that side of the ball.  DeMeco Ryans is a brilliant defensive mind but allowing Burke to take over so Ryans could focus on being the head coach really helped the group overall.  They return everyone from last year’s team and the only change is S Reed Blankenship coming over from Philadelphia. 

The defense starts up front with DE Will Anderson Jr. being the tone setter and DE Danielle Hunter being an absolute menace off the edge.  Sheldon Rankins seems to fit the Texans style as well as anyone can, and he excels playing in Houston.  Tommy Togiai stepped up last season as the big body inside but he’s going to have to fend off rookie Kayden McDonald, who can be a real game wrecker.  If that wasn’t enough, the Texans added veterans DE Jadeveon Clowney, DT Logan Hall, and DE Dominique Robinson to strengthen their depth.  This defensive front is stacked. 

MLB Azeez Al-Shaair and LB Henry To’o To’o are not the scariest pair of LBs in football, but they are in a great situation behind that defensive front.  They play their positions well and don’t get beat.  They tackle everything that gets through and are always in position.  They aren’t making Pro Bowls, but they’re good players.

The secondary isn’t as deep as the front four is now, but they have elite talent.  CB Derek Stingley is one of the top three CBs in football.  He’s able to match up with any receiver in the league and that’s as valuable as any CB can possibly be.  CB Kamari Lassiter may not be as good as Stingley but don’t tell him that.  He plays with a confidence and an edge not many CBs have.  He’s continued to get better every year, and he and Stingley might be the best CB duo in the game.  Jalen Pitre never quite fit as a true safety but he found his place as their nickel player.  He excels there and makes their defense work.  Calen Bullock was a steal in the third round of the draft a couple of years ago and he’s a good starter at SS.  Reed Blankenship comes in at FS and while he isn’t the best FS in football, he’s a smart, instinctive player who should be awesome in this defense. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars won the division last season and while their offense should continue to grow in Liam Coen’s second season, there are issues on defense and maybe a question or two on offense to sort out.  It took a little time last year, but Coen got the offense working once WR Jakobi Meyers showed up.  The best thing that happened to the coaching staff was defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile not getting a head coaching job, he did a great job last season. 

Trevor Lawrence looked good in Coen’s offense once he had some WRs he could trust.  The trade for Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline last season was the key.  Before that, Brian Thomas Jr. was simply not good, and Travis Hunter was a non-factor.  Lawrence really didn’t trust anyone but Parker Washington and RB Travis Etienne.  Once Meyers arrived the offense found another gear.   Lawrence has always been a talented player but for the first time in his career, the offensive scheme, the play caller, and the talent around him, all meshed together. 

At WR, Parker Washington became Lawrence’s go-to WR.  His ability to get open, run the right routes, and simply be reliable are elite.  Jakobi Meyers turned out to be the key that unlocked the offense because he catches everything and he took some of the defensive attention away from Washington.  Now Coen needs to figure out how to get Brian Thomas Jr. back to being the guy he was as a rookie.  BTJ is a supremely talented WR who brings a different dimension than Washinton or Meyers due to his size and deep speed.  If Coen can unlock Thomas, this offense finds fifth gear and the Jaguars passing game will be flying.  Travis Hunter will still get to play some at WR but he’s moving to CB as his primary position.   

The offensive line was better under Coen last year than it had been but apparently the coaching staff had some different ideas from last year.  Anton Harrison had to fill in at LT early in training camp due to some injury issues and now he’s flipping full-time from RT to LT.  The injury issue was with Cole Van Lanan who stepped in for Walker Little at LT last year, now Little is slated for RT with Van Lanan as the swing tackle.  Those aren’t the only moving parts. Ezra Cleveland is moving RG from LG and rookie Emmanuel Pregnon will be the LG.  That leaves Patrick Makari, who was a big free agent signing of theirs a year ago, coming off the bench once he’s healthy.  That means the only starter from last year playing the same spot is C Robert Hainsey.  If all these changes work, Coen will look like an even bigger offensive genius. 

The running game last year was built around Travis Etienne and he was excellent.  He got a huge contract in the off season in New Orleans so now it’s up to Bhayshul Tuten to step up.  Tuten flashed some skill last year, but he’ll be a much bigger part of the plan now.  Chris Rodriguez Jr., who played at Kentucky for Coen, was signed to give them a guy with more size because Tuten is a smaller back.  LeQuint Allen Jr. is the third down back they like.  This is very likely to be a committee approach for the Jaguars. 

Anthony Campanile came in last year, took pretty much the same players the Jaguars had before, and turned them into a pretty good defense.  Now, almost everyone returns but there are a couple of changes, and the team expects Campanile to do it again.  I’m not saying he can’t but losing Devin Lloyd isn’t going to be easy to replace.

The front four is led by Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker at DE.  While neither of them had the individual seasons they would hope to have, the defense was still good.  If these two can increase their sack totals the defense will be even better.  At DT, Arik Armstead and DaVon Hamilton return.  While Armstead isn’t the dominant player, he once was, he’s still an affective player.  Hamilton does his job too.  The team traded for Ruke Orhorhoro from Atlanta.  He wasn’t good for the Falcons, but they are hoping a change of scenery unlocks him.  At least he adds some youth to the group inside.   

The LB group took a major hit when Devin Lloyd signed in Carolina.  He was the heart and soul of the defense and leader in the middle.  Foyesade Oluokun returns but they are counting on Ventrell Miller to really step up his game.  They know they need more than that so they signed Jahlani Tavai as veteran free agent who at least brings some playing experience to the group.  If the front four drops off at all, this LB group could struggle. 

The secondary found a player in Montaric Brown who had a breakout season last year.  He played well at one outside CB spot, and they re-signed him to keep him there.  Travis Hunter will still get some plays at WR but he’s going to become a full-time CB this year and should be the starter opposite Brown.  This should have been the play with him from the start but better late than never.  Jourdan Lewis played well at nickel last season so that leaves Jarrion Jones as a nice depth piece.  Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray are the most non-descript safety tandem I can think of, but they were fine there last year.  With Hunter playing CB full-time, they upgraded the talent level at that spot so that should help. 

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts offense was awesome for about eight weeks last season and then fell off a cliff.  They were hoping they could recreate that magic by bringing back Daniel Jones despite his torn Achilles.  Jones seems to have made a miraculous recovery and looks like he’ll start in week 1.  The problem is the rest of the passing game is house of cards and pieces are falling quickly.  Jonathan Taylor is a work horse, but it may be too much even for him.  The defense has some massive holes to fill and major questions filling them. 

Daniel Jones must be superhuman given his ridiculous timeline coming back from the torn Achilles tendon.  However, we don’t know what he will look like on the field and how good he might be.  The offense started to fall apart last season before he tore the Achilles but after he suffered other injuries that compromised his athleticism.  Just because he’s ready to play week one, that doesn’t mean he’ll be the guy he was before the injuries last year. 

At WR, the Colts traded away their most consistent player in Michael Pittman Jr. in order to save some money to re-sign Alec Pierce.  Pierce is a big-time playmaker down the field but he had surgery, after he signed his major deal, and still hasn’t returned to the field since.  The team signed Keenan Allen late in camp hoping to bring in a vet who could acclimate quickly.  He once played for Shane Steichen when Steichen was the Chargers OC.  He’s still a useful player but he just got picked up for drunk driving after the last pre-season game.  Josh Downs is banged up, and he might be their most reliable WR to start the season.  Early on, it may be Ashton Dulin time again.  At TE, Tyler Warren is an excellent player be he may have to shoulder a lot of responsibility in this offense early in the year.

The offensive line was good last year, and four of five starters return.  LT Bernhard Raimann has developed into a very good player.  LG Quenton Nelson may not be the dominant force he once was at his peak but he’s still a very good player.  C Tanor Bortalini and RG Matt Goncalves stepped in as starters last year after the team lost Ryan Kelly and Will Fries.  They had planned on that transition to get younger on the line.  This year, they let RT Braden Smith leave and are counting on Jalen Travis to step in.  Travis was a fourth-round pick in 2025, and they are hoping he develops like their other young guys.  There is no reason to doubt that he will.

The running game is in the capable hands of Jonathan Taylor who is one of the best RBs in the league.  He was incredible to start the season last year and they hope he can do that all year this year.  Taylor can be an absolutely dominant runner and can certainly carry a heavy load.   The team drafted Seth McGowan in round seven this year to go with DJ Giddens from last year’s draft to back up Taylor.  Neither one will be counted on to do much, but McGowan has some upside.

The defense is where this team could fall apart.  Lou Anarumo is a smart defensive coordinator but there are some major questions for him to answer with his front seven. The secondary has a chance to be excellent if everyone stays healthy but if they can’t find a pass rush or their LBs are getting run over, it won’t matter how good the defensive backfield is. 

Up front, DE Laiatu Latu is by far their best pass rusher and while he more than doubled his rookie year sack total last year in year two, he still only had 8.5 sacks.  They signed Arden Key to give them a veteran opposite him but he’s not a big sack guy either.  Jaylahn (formerly JT) Tuimoloua didn’t contribute much last year as a rookie, he’s the third end. It would be helpful if DeForest Buckner could stay healthy all season but he’s a 32-year-old DT who’s played a lot of games in his career.  DT Grover Stewart is the other DT and he’s even older (he’ll be 33 this season).  Guys like these two don’t tend to get healthier with age.  There’s not much depth here and if either of the starters goes down, this defense could get ugly. 

The LB corps is on even shakier ground than the front four.  I was a big fan of CJ Allen as a prospect, and he has upside as a starter at MLB.  However, he’s a rookie and playing behind a suspect defensive front can be challenging for rookie LBs, just ask the Bengals.  An even bigger issue is their next best LB is probably fellow rookie Bryce Boettcher who could start next to Allen.  They have veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither, who played in Cincinnati for Anarumo but he’s not a great option, just a more experienced one. 

The secondary can be the strength of the defense if their CB group is healthy.  They traded multiple picks for CB Sauce Gardner last year and he promptly got injured and never really contributed.  Charvarius Ward is their other outside starter and he’s good, but he’s been banged up too.  The guy they are counting on to be the slot guy is Justin Walley, a draft pick from 2025 they really love but he missed his rookie year with a knee injury.  Cam Bynum is exactly the type of high football IQ safety Anarumo loves, and he can be excellent in this defense.  Rookie AJ Haulcy got a chance in training camp to play with the starters due to some injuries, and it looks like he’s taken over the starting job opposite Bynum.

Tennessee Titans

To say the Titans are in a transition year would be a major understatement.  Robert Saleh gets his second chance at being a head coach and he’s counting on Brian Daboll to get the offense going.  Saleh has some players to work with on defense, and they shouldn’t be bad on that side, I’m not saying they will be good, but they shouldn’t be bad.  The offense has some questions, the line has some holes, the WR group might have issues, and the RBs are average. 

Brian Daboll’s top priority is getting Cam Ward going in the right direction.  Ward has a ton of physical talent, and the guy does not lack for confidence.  He’ll try any throw, but he needs guys to make plays on the other end.  If Daboll can give him some easy throws and make the offense simpler and easier, it would allow Ward to use his physical gifts more. 

The hope is that Wan’Dale Robinson can come in and be as productive as he was in New York last season under Daboll.  Robinson isn’t going to be a game breaker, but he should give Ward someone to trust in this offense.  Carnell Tate was drafted very high (too high for me anyway) so they are counting on him to give them a playmaker outside.  Robinson should be the slot guy; they need Tate to give them a real threat on the edge.  Calvin Ridley is still here so he’s going to play but he’s aging like milk at this point and can’t be counted on for too much.  Gunnar Helm is the starting TE and he’s fine, but Daboll brought in Daniel Bellinger from the Giants too and perhaps he’ll add a solid target to the equation. 

The offensive line is where things could go very wrong.  They overpaid LG Dan Moore last season so he’s still here and he’ll start.  He’s not terrible but that’s about the best you can say about him.  LG Peter Skoronski is very good, and the Titans gave him a contract extension.  At least one spot on the line is settled.  C Austin Schlottman was in New York with Daboll too and he comes in and gets the starting spot by default; they don’t have anyone better.  Fernando Carmona Jr., a fifth-round rookie, won the RG job out of camp, that’s not a good thing.  JC Latham will return at RT and I’m not sure that’s a good thing either.  He was not good last year and he’s dangerously close to bust territory.  The offensive line doesn’t have much depth, if it did, some of these guys wouldn’t be starting. 

Tony Pollard had the quietest 1000-yard season for a RB ever.  He’s 29 and the Titans are going to try to squeeze at least another solid year out of him.  It would help if they gave him an offensive line to run behind but that’s a problem for next year.  Tyjae Spears was banged up last year and didn’t do much of note.  He’s back but the team drafted Nick Singleton in the draft.  Singleton is a great athlete who could add some pop to this RB group.  They could use that.

On defense, Robert Saleh came in, saw what they had, and started cleaning house.  He runs a different scheme than they had been running so a lot of guys didn’t fit.  He’s significantly overhauled the whole unit, now the question is are the new guys any good? 

Saleh started by trading NT T’Vondre Sweat for DE Jermaine Johnson from the Jets.  Sweat didn’t fit Saleh’s preferred DT mold and Johnson gives him an edge rusher he likes.  Johnson was hurt last year so he’s looking for a bounce back season before hitting free agency.  The Titans signed John Franklin-Myers at DT, he fits Saleh’s scheme quite well.  He’ll partner with the one guy Saleh did keep, DT Jeffrey Simmons.  Simmons is one of the best DTs in football, and it doesn’t matter what scheme he’s playing in, he’s a stud.  Jacob Martin is the other starter at DE; he’s mostly a pass rusher but the team invested in some depth so that should work.  Rookie DE Keldric Faulk, and free agent DTs Solomon Thomas and Jordan Elliott give the defensive front some depth they can really use. 

At LB, Cody Barton seems to have held off second-round pick Anthony Hill Jr. in the middle.  That bodes well for Barton and this defense, but I doubt the competition is over.  Hill is likely the future at the position.  Cedric Gray played well last season and Saleh loves a good LB so if Gray is keeping his starting job, that’s good for him.  Hill and James Williams Sr. give the defense depth and options at LB. 

The secondary got a facelift at CB, but the safeties are back.  Amani Hooker returns at SS; he should work well in Saleh’s defense.  He’s a guy who can come up in the box and support the run.  Kevin Winston Jr. is the FS; he’s a former third-round pick who has some skill.  It will be interesting to see how Saleh uses him.  The team signed Alontae Taylor to be their new top CB.  He played well in New Orleans for the past few years but he’s new to being CB1 full-time.  Another New York Giant followed Daboll to Tennessee, CB Cor’Dale Flott had a good year in New York, and the Titans need him to do it again.  This isn’t a deep secondary, but they spend a lot a time and money fixing other units, they can’t fix everything in one off season.      

2026 AFC North Preview

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals can’t be my pick to go from worst to first in their division because they finished second to last in the AFC North because the Browns are perpetually terrible.  Instead, I have them going from third to first, but only if Joe Burrow plays the whole season.  Last year Burrow played eight games, and they went 6-11 because the entire offense is based around Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.  The downgrade from Burrow to any backup QB is just too great to overcome.  Zac Taylor is back as head coach and the staff returns but if things go badly, Taylor isn’t surviving another six-win season. 

Joe Burrow is one of the best QBs in football, when healthy.  He’s injured far too often, and the team relies on him too much.  While their focus this off season was fixing the defense, they did that because it will actually take pressure off Burrow.  If the Bengals defense can keep them from being down double digits in games, it would allow the offense to be more balanced, they wouldn’t have to throw the ball 40+ times a game to get back into games, and Burrow wouldn’t be in danger of getting hit so much.  The offense needs to be less pass dependent, that would actually make Burrow an even better QB.

That said, the WR duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins is the best in the league and that is not meant to dismiss or disrespect the Rams duo of Nacua and Adams, or the Cowboys duo of Pickens and Lamb, it’s just a fact.  Chase is the best pure WR in the league and when he has a healthy Burrow, he’s simply unmatched.  Higgins is the perfect complement to Chase because his skill set is exactly what you want opposite Chase.  Higgins is a big, physical ball winner who can also go deep and is awesome at the catch point.  When you have these two, the third WR is of no consequence, sorry Andrei Iovisas.  Iovisas is fine but he’s just a guy in this offense.  TE Mike Gesicki makes some plays in the passing game and gives Burrow a different type of target but he’s not a major player in the game.  Keep an eye on Erick All Jr. if he gets healthy this season, he might be the best combination of blocker and pass catcher they have at TE. 

The offensive line might be a group in transition over the next couple of seasons as they have some aging players and some good young talent.  Inside, they have C Ted Karras, he’s the oldest starter at 33, he’s still effective, but they have protected themselves against his possible age regression.  They drafted Connor Lew, who may have been the best center prospect last season if he hadn’t had a knee injury, he’s still working his way back from.  They also drafted Brian Parker II who can play every position on the line.  He could play center if needed but he’s more likely the hedge against RG Dalton Risner’s potential falloff.  Risner has been a late veteran signing the past few seasons who ends up starting because he’s just a little better than a replacement level guy so he’s good enough.  RT Amarius Mims is a rising star and could potentially move to the left side if they feel that’s the best move.  He’s a freak athlete who is only getting better.  LG Dylan Fairchild had some ups and downs as a rookie last year, but the arrow seems to be pointing up for him.  The biggest issue is LT Orlando Brown Jr.  He’s been solid enough but he’s 30 now and at 6’8 350 lbs. (at least, that’s his listed weight), his body may start to betray him.  It’s not his fault, guys that big just don’t last that long, it’s a lot of size to carry around.  Mims would likely move to LT if they need but one thing they don’t have is a good third OT.  Jalen Rivers is a young guy they have but Brian Parker II might be a fill-in if they need to get by.  If the offensive line holds up, this offense should be excellent.   

The running game wasn’t great last year but the offensive line wasn’t awesome at it and teams simply didn’t respect the passing game without Burrow around.  Also, the team fell behind a lot because of the defense and was playing catchup.  Chase Brown is a talented RB and put up better numbers than he probably should have given the circumstances.  If they get the passing game back with Burrow, Brown’s running lanes become much bigger, and he’ll put them to good use.  I don’t feel great about their backups if Brown goes down, Semaje Perine hasn’t been very good at his last few stops.  Maybe he has a resurgence returning to the Bengals where he was once at his best.

The two things that have held the Bengals back from being legitimate Super Bowl contenders since their Super Bowl run a few years ago have been Joe Burrow’s health, and their terrible defense.  They finally decided to address the defense and attacked the defensive front deficiencies with gusto.  They traded their first-round pick for DT Dexter Lawrence.  Lawrence can still be a major difference maker up front.  He didn’t have much DT help in New York; the Bengals have guys to help him.  They signed Jonathan Allen to start next to Lawrence, Allen is aging but if used correctly, can still get it done.  That also moves BJ Hill and TJ Slaton to the backup roles and gives the DT spot actual depth.  At DE, Myles Murphy finally started to play better at the end of last season, it took three years, but he finally showed some ability.  They signed Boye Mafe to be the top edge rusher, he was a rotational guy in Seattle, and they also added to their rotation, they have some guys.  Shemar Stewart was their first-round pick in 2025, had a lost year as a rookie, but he’s a talented athlete who won’t be asked to do more than he’s capable of.  Also, they drafted Cashius Howell in round two this year and he’s going to be the first true speed rusher off the edge this team has had in years.  He’s undersized but he’s lightning quick. 

All of the added talent up front should also help their beleaguered LB corps.  They drafted Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter in the 2025 draft and those two started and played a lot last year.  It wasn’t pretty most of the time, but they let them take their lumps, hoping it will lead to a better future.  Having a far more talented and effective front four will certainly help the play of Knight and Barrett.  Allowing them to play more freely and without having to deal with as many blockers getting to them.  Lawrence and Allen alone will occupy the offensive line in a way that last year’s DTs just couldn’t do and having legitimate pass rushers will make life a lot easier. 

The secondary is pretty set at CB with Dax Hill coming off his best season, it helped he was finally healthy.  And DJ Turner played well as the other outside CB.  Jalen Davis is a solid nickel player and these three all return to do it again.  The safety spot is another ball game.  They were bad at safety last season, and they gave up big plays because of it.  Enter free agent Bryan Cook from the Chiefs.  His job is to tackle everything that gets by the first two lines of defense, and he’s excellent at it.  They return Jordan Battle who should take over at SS but they hedged their bet by adding Kyle Duggar, a veteran who can also tackle.  With a more effective pass rush, the secondary shouldn’t be under constant duress, but Cook gives them a better playmaker when it does happen.   

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens finished 8-9 last season, John Harbaugh was sent packing after 17 years, and they hired the guy they hope is the next Mike Macdonald, Jesse Minter.  There’s a good chance Minter is as good as Macdonald, but he has to prove it.  It will be a lot easier to do if Lamar Jackson is healthy, he just wasn’t last year.  They need his dynamic playmaking on offense because the passing game is almost all him. 

Jackson is a superstar when he’s healthy, a two-time MVP.  He’s getting a new offensive coordinator this year in Declan Doyle who worked for years with Sean Payton and last season with Ben Johnson, those are great minds to learn from.  Doyle will be a first time play caller, it’s not as simple as Payton and Johnson make it look.  If Doyle has the dynamic playmaking Jackson at QB, that job is easier, if Jackson is an injured shell of himself, it’s much, much harder. 

The WR group isn’t great, and they seem to be hoping a rookie really blossoms right away.  Zay Flowers is the volume pass catcher here; he led the team in catches by a lot with 84.  Unfortunately, he only had five touchdowns, that’s not great.  Rashod Bateman is the other returning starter, and he was mostly useless last year.  They drafted two big rookie WRs, Elijah Surratt and Ja’Kobi Lane.  Surratt was drafted before Lane, but Lane has been the breakout player of training camp.  They could really use his size and skill in the red zone to score some TDs.  TE Mark Andrews has slowed down considerably from his heyday but he’s still a guy Lamar is going to trust in tough situations.  He’s not catching 80 balls this year, but he’ll be there when Lamar needs him. 

The offensive line was atrocious last season, and it was almost exclusively the interior that were bad.  Losing C Tyler Linderbaum in free agency isn’t going to help but signing LG John Simpson and drafting RG Vega Ioane is going to fix those two spots.  They signed former Browns starting C Ethan Pocic early in training camp as he is just recovered from an injury.  He should be the starter immediately because going with Danny Pinter there would be a mistake.  LT Ronnie Stanley is still getting it done, even though he’s an aging player with some previous health issues.  RT Roger Rosengarten is fine but unspectacular in every way.  They don’t have much depth so it’s a precarious situation if anyone goes down. 

The running game is in the capable hands of the ageless wonder Derrick Henry.  I’ll believe his downfall due to age when I see it, and I haven’t seen it yet.  He’s a freak athlete with insane size and speed.  If the offensive line can do better, he’s nearly unstoppable.  If the passing offense can find a way to push the ball downfield, that helps him even more.  Justice Hill is a good speed back who complements Henry’s skill set and he’s a useful player. 

The offense suffered last year from Lamar not being healthy, the defense crated when Nnamdi Madubuike went down with an injury.  He’s not as well known as Lamar but he’s just as important to this defense as Lamar is to the offense.  There was worry he may never play again, it was a neck injury, and that’s still possible but it looks like he’s trying to be back.  They need him up front to make Travis Jones and Brandon Washington their best selves.  The team did sign another ageless wonder, Calais Campbell, to give them some cover.  He’s playing defensive line in the NFL at 40 years old; that’s an amazing feat. 

The LBs suffered not having Madubuike up front last season and Roquan Smith just wasn’t himself.  Smith is one of the best ILBs in football, but he looked a bit lonely out there.  They are hoping Teddye Buchanan can be healthy this season because he looks to have a higher ceiling than what they have been getting from Trenton Simpson.  If the line is better up front, that will make the job easier on the ILBs.  They finally invested some money in a pass rusher, signing Trey Hendrickson.  They traded for Maxx Crosby too, but that deal fell through when Crosby failed his physical.  Hendrickson will lead the edge group, but they still need one of the young guys; Tavius Robinson, Mike Greene, or rookie Zion Young to breakout.  Robinson holds down the starting job for now, but the competition is there to take that job. 

It will be interesting to see how Minter deploys this secondary.  He has the ultimate chess piece in Kyle Hamilton.  He’s a safety, a nickel, or anything you need him to be.  They also signed S Jaylinn Hawkins after losing Alohi Gilman in free agency.  Between Hamilton, Hawkins, and Malaki Starks, the Ravens have the three safeties; something they enjoy employing regularly.  At CB, they need Nate Wiggins to be healthy on the outside, he’s their best CB.  Marlon Humphrey will also start but it depends on how they want to line up with Hamilton.  Humphrey is probably best used in the slot but if Hamilton is the nickel, Humphrey is the other outside CB.  If Humphrey is inside, then Chidobe Awuzie probably starts outside.  They do have some guys like TJ Tampa and rookie Chandler Rivers to look at in camp with both Humphrey and Awuzie aging. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers went 10-7 last year and won this division.  The team looks like it’s more talented but the Ravens and Bengals should be healthier and better this season.  It’s going to be an uphill climb for Mike McCarthy in a division that’s getting better and having to replace Mike Tomlin.  Doing it with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers is going to be a challenge.  The entire coaching staff has been made over so there’s a lot of change for a franchise that has been the model of consistency for so long. 

Rodgers was fine but not great last year and some of it was on him and some of it was on the team around him and the offense.  He doesn’t move at all like he once did and it really affects the way he runs the offense.  He doesn’t want to hold onto the ball very long and he doesn’t extend plays so there’s a lot of short and intermediate routes and not much down the field.  Better protection up front would help but if Rodgers isn’t willing to get hit and only looks for the short throws, the offense isn’t going to be much better.

The team relied heavily on TEs last season under Arthur Smith and while McCarthy will use TEs, they invested in some WR help so you should see less two and three TE sets.  DK Metcalf is the big-play guy and unfortunately, his downfield prowess is underutilized with Rodgers.  They traded for Michael Pittman Jr., and his mastery of the intermediate area should pair quite nicely with Rodgers. They drafted Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen and both of them should be good short area guys, and they hope this is Roman Wilson’s breakout year.  They still have TE Darnell Washington, who looks like an OT, and Pat Freiermuth is also a guy who should be used more. 

The offensive line is in flux.  Troy Fautanu has moved from RT to LT and that is probably an upgrade over Broderick Jones who had  struggled to really establish himself and was traded to Dallas.  Fautanu may not be an All-Pro level guy but he’s a very good player.  They were hoping Max Iheanachor would step in at RT but he’s had some injury issues and he’s also inexperienced overall.  For now, Dylan Cook is the RT.  Inside, C Zach Frazier is one of the better young centers in football and Mason McCormick is moving to LG where he should also excel.  RG is Spencer Anderson’s job at the moment, but they have guys like Brock Hoffman and Gennings Dunker waiting in wings if Anderson stumbles.

Jaylen Warren started the season as the lead back last season and was doing well but eventually the job became more of timeshare with Kenny Gainwell.  Gainwell looked really good but he left for Tampa Bay.  The team signed Rico Dowdle who was very good in Carolina last season and played well in Dallas for McCarthy.  Eli Heinenreich becomes the third back after they traded Kaleb Johnson to Green Bay.  Heinenreich has a unique skill set and adds another dimension of speed to the backfield. 

The defensive line is still anchored by Cam Heyward; he’s 37 years old but he’s still a good player.  They gave Keanu Benton a new contract this off season even though he’s not guaranteed to start this year.  Yayha Black is set to be the NT; he brings the size and physicality they want at that position.  Derrick Harmon was their first-round pick last year and they are looking for a breakout season from him.  New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has plenty of talent to work with on this defense, it should be fun to see what he can do with it.

The LB group is still led by TJ Watt; he missed some games last season and wasn’t his dominant self but he’s still a threat other teams have to worry about.  The team signed Nick Herbig to a new contract because he’s a 24-year-old pass rusher who had 7.5 sacks as a part-time player last year.  He’s coming for Alex Highsmith’s starting spot even though Highsmith had 9.5 sacks last year.  Highsmith is 29 and they invested in the younger player. At ILB they still have Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson who are a solid pair.  They don’t have much depth inside, so Queen and Wilson have to hold up. 

The secondary is dealing with two questions in the secondary with guys they absolutely need.  Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey started out on the PUP list, but both made the initial roster as healthy.  Porter’s issues go beyond any injury as he wants a new contract and the Steelers may be reluctant to pay him market value, especially with the market exploding with Devon Witherspoon’s new contract and Christian Gonzalez up next.  They need Porter but they have Jamel Dean, who they signed in the off season, Asante Samuel Jr has looked good in camp, and they drafted Daylen Everette.  Ramsey is moving full-time to safety once he’s back and he’ll pair with free agent pickup Jaquan Brisker.  They have DeShon Elliott at safety too and Brandin Echols at CB, they have some depth. 

Cleveland Browns

The Browns were bad last year, and it led to an overhaul of the coaching staff, the only problem is I’m not sure it led to an upgrade on the coaching staff.  Todd Monken is a smart offensive mind, but he’s mostly been a long-time offensive coordinator without much head coaching experience (and only in college).  Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was awesome and after he was passed over for the head coaching job, he quit as DC so now it’s Mike Rutenberg calling the defense.  Schwartz had this unit humming and it won’t be an easy transition.  They made it even harder, trading away Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.  The team picked Deshaun Watson as the starting QB, that’s not a good idea at all.  They won five games last year and despite the upgrades they have made on offense, five wins might be aiming a bit high. 

Deshuan Watson is entering the final year of his disastrous fully guaranteed contract that has been the albatross around the neck of the Browns since the day he signed it.  Their nightmare will finally be over, but they will play him at QB anyway for some reason.  Shedeur Sanders was his competition and either choice is bad.  Watson will be booed mercilessly, he already has been in the preseason, and Sanders is such a limited player it’s awful all around.  The rest of this offense deserves better than these two at QB, the team actually has real playmakers this year. 

At WR, Jerry Jeudy isn’t a great player but he’s a solid professional and he’s going to benefit by no longer being the top option at the position.  The team drafted KC Concepcion in round one and then doubled down in round two taking Denzell Boston.  Boston has already had a breakout training camp looking like a future WR1 and Concepcion has looked good too.  These guys push Jeudy to a role he’s better suited for.  TE Harold Fannin Jr. was arguably the best pass catcher on the team last year and now he has even more help that takes the pressure off him.  If this offense had decent QB play to go with Monken’s play calling, they might have a chance at being fairly dangerous.  That’s going to have to wait a year until they can draft a new QB.

The offensive line gets a complete overhaul; it really needed one.  They drafted Spencer Fano in round one and while he played RT at Utah, he’s coming in and starting at LT on day one.  He’s an upgrade over anyone they played there last season.  LG Zion Johnson got a big contract in free agency, I’m not exactly sure why, he wasn’t good for the Chargers.  However, maybe in a new system the talent that made him a first-round pick will finally show through.  Elgton Jenkins was signed from Green Bay and is penciled in at center.  He may be better at RG but unless rookie Parker Brailsford can show he’s starter level at center, Jenkins is their best bet there.  Teven Jenkins was a backup for the Browns last year and for now, he’s the RG.  The team traded for Tytus Howard from Houston to be their new RT, he should be fine there.

The Browns are on a two-year run of drafting some very good players.  Last season it was TE Harold Fannin Jr. and RB Quinshon Judkins who really gave the offense a jump start.  Judkins got hurt at the end of the year, but he should be back healthy and he’s a true talent.  They also drafted Dylan Sampson and he’s a great complement to Judkins.  If the offensive line can stabilize, the running game will be this team’s best friend.  Being able to lean on the run means putting less on the plate of either bad QB. 

The Browns defense has been excellent for the past few seasons but losing Jim Schwartz and trading away Myles Garrett removes the two biggest pieces to the puzzle and I’m not sure what it looks like without them.  I really like Jard Verse, the guy they got in the Garrett trade, he’s an emerging talent, but he’s just not Myles Garrett.  They have rarely had a good pass rusher opposite Garrett and Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire were nice players, but they don’t scare anyone.  McGuire becomes the starter with Wright going on IR.  DT Maliek Collins was their next best player on the line and he’s dealing with an injury at the moment.  They really need Mike Hall Jr. to step up and be a playmaker, and it would help if Mason Graham takes a second-year leap.  Graham might be the most talented player on the line who isn’t Verse, he needs to be more impactful. 

LB Carson Schwesinger was the defensive rookie of the year last season and was a great pickup by the Browns when they needed one at LB.  They signed Quincy Williams in the off season to be the other LB that actually plays next to Schwesinger and he’s a talented player.  Last season didn’t go well in New York with the Jets for Williams but he’s better than they allowed him to be last year.  These two will be making plays all over the field this year. There’s no real depth, so they need these two to stay healthy and if not, it gets a little rough at LB.

The secondary is led by CB Denzel Ward, one of the more underrated players in the league.  He rarely gets mentioned with the best CBs but he is one of the better CB1s in football.  The team traded for Tyson Campbell from Jacksonville last season, he’s a bit overpaid but he’s better as a CB2 in Cleveland than being miscast as a CB1 in Jacksonville.  They aren’t deep at CB with Myles Harden set to be the nickel and not much beyond him.  At safety, SS Grant Delpit and FS Ronnie Hickman hold down the starting roles but the team invested a second-round pick on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren this year.  He will be the third guy this year, but he has starter potential sooner or later. 

2026 AFC East Preview

New England Patriots

The Patriots went 14-3 last year, won the division by two games, Drake Maye was nearly the MVP in year two of his career, they added AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs to the offense and somehow, they aren’t supposed to be better this year?  That doesn’t track.  Yes, the schedule is harder, but this team is better than they were a year ago.  Maye showed he’s a legitimate top-level QB already and now he has Brown and Doubs as his top pass catchers, this offense will hum.  The defense should at least be as good as it was last season. 

Drake Maye nearly won the MVP last season, and everyone wants to forget it because the playoffs weren’t great.  He was clearly banged up dealing with a shoulder injury during that run and his offensive line was compromised with Will Campbell not being healthy.  Campbell is healthy in camp now and Maye had the off season to get his shoulder healed up.  With two new weapons in the passing game, Drake Maye has a chance to be even better than he was last year, when he NEARLY WON THE MVP. 

Stefon Diggs was good for the Patriots last season and Kayshon Boutte had a solid year too as the second WR.  Now AJ Brown is the top dog, and Romeo Doubs will be the second receiver, they traded Boutte to Houston, but they still have depth.  Brown is an upgrade over Diggs and adds a power element the team didn’t have last year.  DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams round out the group and each of them can play a role.  TE Hunter Henry is still an effective security blanket, and the team hopes Eli Raridon just follows in Henry’s footsteps.  Losing free agent signing TE Julian Hill to a season ending injury over the summer hurts since he was supposed to be the blocking TE but it probably just means you see more FB Reggie Gilliam on the field.

LT Will Campbell is getting treated much like Drake Maye with everyone only remembering how poorly he played in the playoffs.  The truth is Campbell didn’t play great after returning early from a knee injury during the season, the playoffs just amplified it.  When he was healthy, he was fine at LT, he’s not Trent Williams or Tristan Wirfs, but he was playing good football.  Health will help him the most this year but also having a veteran at LG would be helpful too.  Counting on Alijah Vera-Tucker to stay healthy is a risky bet but he’s a true talent when he’s on the field and major upgrade at guard from Jared Wilson.  Wilson wasn’t suited to the guard spot, but he moves to his more natural center position, and he should be fine there.  Flanking him with two big, powerful veteran guards like Vera-Tucker and Michael Onwenu should really help him too.  RT Morgan Moses returns and should be fine at RT, but the Patriots also drafted Caleb Lomu as depth at either tackle spot.  Marcus Bryant, a late round pick from the 2025 was having a great camp until he got hurt.  For now, it’s  rookies Lomu and OT Demetrius Crownover, and veteran guard Greg Van Roten as depth.

Rhamondre Stevenson started the year pretty poorly with multiple fumbles early last season, then he pulled it together and was pretty good the rest of the year.  TreVeyon Henderson was supposed to be new star, but he struggled with pass protection and couldn’t steal those snaps from Stevenson.  He does add the big play element that Stevenson doesn’t have but he needs to be more consistent to take over more of the role.  The team also signed FB Reggie Gilliam from the Bills.  He adds a real fullback to the offense so Josh McDaniel can use that in his offense again.  It also took him away from their division rival, the Bills, that’s a bonus. 

The Patriots’ defense is officially being run by Zak Kuhr who stepped in last season and took over as the interim when their defensive coordinator stepped away for health reasons.  He did an excellent job and now it’s his.  The scheme should be virtually the same, but they did add a few new pieces. 

Up front, the team lost NT Khyris Tonga but having Milton Williams and Christian Barmore back is the real key.  Williams and Barmore are a devastating duo and Williams proved he was more than worth the money they paid him.  Corey Durden played well towards the end of last season and gets the first shot at Tonga’s NT job.  They should have enough depth to get through the year with Joshua Farmer and Leonard Taylor III on the roster and Jeremiah Pharms and Eric Gregory around on the practice squad.

The edge group had some issues last season with Harold Landry being beat up and K’Lavon Chaisson being a pass rush guy but not good against the run.  Landry’s health is still a big issue they have to deal with, but they signed Dre’Mont Jones at OLB and he’s a better overall player than Chaisson.  They drafted Gabe Jacas in round two and he brings a similar power element to what Jones is.   Elijah Ponder played some as a rookie last year and now he will likely start opposite Jones until Landry is back, they hope he keeps developing.  ILB Robert Spillane is a leader and a tackling machine while they need Christian Elliss to hold up at the other spot. 

The secondary contains one of the best CBs in the NFL, Christian Gonzalez.  They are working on his extension and once it’s signed, Gonzalez can focus on becoming the best CB in football.  He’s good enough to take the mantle from Patrick Surtain II.  Carlton Davis Jr. is a solid player who needs to stay healthy even as he ages.  He can be an excellent CB2, but he needs to be on the field.  Marcus Jones is an excellent slot player and he’s great on special teams.  Craig Woodson was really good as a rookie last year and now has a chance to breakout as one of the better young safeties in the game.  They signed veteran Kevin Byard to bring some more playmaking to the backend of the defense.  Byard is an old favorite of Mike Vrabel’s from his years in Tennessee and he’s still a ballhawk. 

Speaking of Mike Vrabel, I have to address the off season events between Vrabel and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini.   While it was quite the story and doesn’t make Vrabel look good, I don’t see it having a long-term effect on his coaching of the Patriots.  There is no law against having an affair, if that’s what really happened.  Also, if the Patriots were going to do something about it, they would have already.  Clearly, Robert Kraft is not firing Vrabel over this, if he was going to, he would have done it when it first came out.  The league has no standing to punish Vrabel, and I can’t see many Patriots players actually caring about this.  It’s a story, questions may be asked throughout the season, but no one is going to answer them and then reporters will stop asking because they know they won’t get answers.  I have always liked Dianna Russini’s reporting and it may be completely unfair that she lost her job, and Vrabel keeps his but is anyone surprised by this outcome, I’m not.  At the end of the day, this is non-story for the season.  Unless there is some crazy detail we haven’t heard about, and we’ve heard plenty of stories so far, this will pass.  You don’t have to like it, I don’t particularly care about it, and it’s going to pass without much more fanfare. 

Buffalo Bills

The Bills went 12-5 last season and while there was no shame finishing second to the Patriots in the division, another early exit in the playoffs cost Sean McDermott his job.  They didn’t look too far for his replacement as they promoted Joe Brady from offensive coordinator.  The biggest change will be going from McDermott’s defense to new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s scheme.  Leonhard is a bright mind; the issue will be if he has the right players for his system. 

The team kept Joe Brady in large part because he’s run an extremely effective offense with Josh Allen at the helm.  Allen is the engine that keeps the Bills in contention every season and he’s in the prime of his career.  Brady moves into the big chair, but he’ll continue to run the offense and focus it on Allen’s incredible gifts.  He’s a big armed QB who also happens to be the size of a LB and runs guys over in the run game.  He’s perpetually in the MVP debate and that’s not going to change any time soon.

Allen has been making the most of a less than elite WR corps.  The team tried once again to address the issue and may have found an actual answer in DJ Moore.  Moore has always been a productive player, but it wasn’t working especially well in Chicago but he’s still better than anyone the Bills have.  Moore adds a real playmaker down field and should help open up the underneath stuff for Khalil Shakir.  Shakir is a good player but he’s not a game breaker.  Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are a solid duo at TE even if Kincaid hasn’t been the playmaker they were hoping they were getting when they drafted him.  WR Keon Coleman is trying to hang on to his roster spot, and they hope they get more from Josh Palmer, but Moore is the major addition to the offense. 

The Bills return four of their five starting offensive linemen from one of the best units in the league.  LT Dion Dawkins never gets mentioned with the top LTs in football but he’s still an excellent player.  RT Spencer Brown is in the same boat, his name rarely comes up with the best at his position, but he’s been very good for several years.  They re-signed Connor McGovern at center and just gave a major extension to RG O’Cyrus Torrance.  Those two signings were a big reason they had to let David Edwards leave in free agency.  Alec Anderson replaces Edwards at LG, he’s unproven.  They did sign veterans like Lloyd Cushenberry and Austin Corbett just to cover themselves inside. 

The running game has been excellent since Joe Brady took over as the play caller a couple of years ago.  James Cook is a real talent, and they know how to use him and how not to overuse him.  He’s one of the best RBs in the league.  They have depth with Ty Johnson and Ray Davis, but it really helps that Josh Allen is one of the better short-yardage backs in the league.  Losing FB Reggie Gilliam may hurt their run game a bit, he is one of only a few true fullbacks left in the league.

The defense will undergo a major change with Jim Leonhard looking to revamp the unit and get more out of the guys they have.  Leonhard has been in Denver working with their 3-4 scheme, but Buffalo isn’t set up to run that scheme exclusively, there may be some hybrid version to start.  Up front, TJ Sanders and Ed Oliver can be the DEs on a three-man front, but Deone Walker isn’t really a nose tackle despite his size.  Landon Jackson, Zane Durant, DeWayne Carter add depth behind those guys, but no one is built to be a true NT. 

The LB group starts with Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb as the edge rushers.  They’re  two big OLBs as they are both over 265 lbs.  Chubb has played OLB his entire career but lining up in that formation will be a change for Rousseau.  He’s athletic enough to pull it off but it will be a transition.  They did draft TJ Parker, and he gives them another athletic guy who should be a good pass rusher.  ILBs Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard are solid LBs who should do fine in this scheme.  Rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr will play inside too.   

The secondary needs everyone to get healthy so they can see what they have with all their guys playing together.  CB Christian Benford is a very good player when he’s on the field.  They drafted Maxwell Hairston in round one in 2025, but he was injured and never really got to play with Benford, having them together would be helpful.  They have Cole Bishop at one spot, and they signed CJ Gardner-Johnson to be the other safety.  Gardner-Johnson had a little injury issue during camp but should be back.  They do have some rookie backups to like with S Jalon Kilgore and CB Davison Igbinosun ready to contribute.  Leonhard was a defensive back in the NFL; he should have a good idea how to put this unit together. 

New York Jets

Aaron Glenn is the coach most likely to be fired first this season and I don’t believe the odds are even close.  Glenn’s first season as a head coach went poorly and considering his QB was Justin Fields, that’s not surprising.  What was surprising was a defense coached by a former NFL corner and long-time defensive backs coach didn’t have single interception last year.  Hiring Frank Reich as your new OC is not an inspiring move and while they made some wholesale changes on the defensive side, Glenn has to pull it all together fast or he’ll be out the door. 

Geno Smith was an epic failure in Las Vegas last season, but it wasn’t all on him.  That offense was bad in every way.  He can be an upgrade over what Fields was giving them last year; that’s a low bar.  He will be better at using Garret Wilson in the passing game and could potentially unlock the deep passing game since that’s his bread and butter.  If Geno fails, they probably give some snaps to rookie Cade Klubnik, he’s the quickest route to the top of the draft. 

Garrett Wilson should benefit the most from having Smith around, he’s at least a decent passer in theory.  Smith might actually be the best thing that happens to AD Mitchell.  Mitchell is a deep ball specialist, and Smith loves to throw down field. The team drafted Omar Cooper Jr. and he will be a very nice player for whomever becomes the long-term QB for the Jets, for now, he’s fourth on the depth chart.  Isaiah Williams beat him out for the third WR spot right at the end of camp. TE Mason Taylor had a solid rookie year, and the team drafted Kenyon Sadiq to give them a more dynamic weapon in the passing game.  If Smith can’t be decent with this group, it will be clear his career is coming to an end, there is talent at pass catcher. 

 The Jets have one of the best young offensive lines in the league and they should only get better.  C Josh Myers is the elder statesman of the group and he’s only 28.  The tackles are LT Olu Fashanu who’s 23 and RT Armand Membou is only 22, and both are good already and should only get better.  RG Joe Tippmann and new LG Dylan Parham are in their mid-20’s and are solid players.  This line should be good for a few years at this point.  If the offense is a mess, it won’t be because the offensive line isn’t talented enough.

Breece Hall got a new contract this off season and Frank Reich would be smart to lean on his offensive line and his very talented RB and less on his aging QB.  Hall was a 1000-yard rusher last year in an offense that wasn’t very good.  He’s also a talented pass catcher so he should be the focal point of the offense. They also have depth with Braelen Allen and Isaiah Davis. 

The Jets defense was a mess last season and Glenn took over play calling during the season from Steve Wilks, he’ll continue to call plays this year.  The team is going to use more variations in its fronts but given some of the personnel, they should lean to a 3-4 look more.  The team traded for DT T’Vondre Sweat and he’s a space-eating NT any 3-4 team would be happy to have.  They also signed DL David Onyemata from Atlanta, he fits the 3-4 end position.  DE Harrison Phillips also fits the 3-4 end position well. 

The LBs and edge rusher seem to be a 3-4 group too.  David Bailey was their first, first-round pick this season, he can play DE or OLB, he’s just an excellent pass rusher.  Will McDonald is also built like a 3-4 OLB, he’s a true speed rusher.  The team also has Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare who are guys who can play in either alignment.  They at least have depth at pass rusher.  At ILB, DeMario Davis comes over from New Orleans, he may be 37 years old but he’s still a tackling machine.  He also gives them the leadership they need on defense.  Jamien Sherwood struggled last year but the hope is having Davis will help unlock him again.  His best season was when they had CJ Mosley next to him, Davis is that type of player.  They don’t have depth here so Sherwood needs to be good.    

The secondary got some new faces too this off season.  S Minkah Fitzpatrick was brought in to bring a playmaking element to this unit; they were horrible last season.  Fitzpatrick has his warts but he’s a tough player and will really help.  Nashon Wright had an excellent year for the Bears with a bunch of interceptions; the Jets gave him a one-year deal hoping to strike oil with him for a second year.  They also drafted De’Angelo Ponds, and he should be their slot corner at least.  He might even give Brandon Stephens a run for the other outside CB spot.  Jarvis Brownlee was good for them last year and the team has some depth at safety.  Dane Belton will give Andre Cisco a run for the other safety spot opposite Fitzpatrick and they also have Malachi Moore.  This unit shouldn’t be nearly as bad as it was last year, if it is, Aaron Glenn will be out quickly in New York. 

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins fired their GM, head coach, and took major salary cap hits to let Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill go in the off season.  They also traded Jaylen Waddle to Denver, to say they wanted to start fresh is an understatement.  Jon-Eric Sullivan is the new GM, and he brought Jeff Hafley in as the head coach, they both come from Green Bay.  New QB Malik Willis was also in Green Bay.  It’s a total teardown of the roster from the previous regime and it’s going to be a painful year in Miami as they start over. 

Malik Willis was really good in a small sample size replacing Jordan Love when he was hurt at different times the past few years.  In Green Bay, he was running a Matt LeFleur offense with some very talented skill position players around him.  Now he’s in Miami, they are fairly devoid of talented pass catchers, and it’s Bobby Slowik running the offense.  Slowik’s one tenure as an OC before ended when he was fired in Houston, not a ringing endorsement. 

The Dolphins have a large group of middling and unproven WRs to choose from this year, and it could go a number of different directions.  They have cornered the market on veteran WR3s; Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Terrace Marshall, they also had Tutu Atwell, but they traded him back to the Rams for a RB they didn’t even roster (he’s on the practice squad).  Their only real hope for a true difference maker is for one of their three rookies to breakout.  Caleb Douglas was a bit of a surprise third-round pick, but he’s looked good early in camp, given his competition, it’s understandable.  Chris Bell would have been a much higher pick than then where he went in round three if he wasn’t coming off an ACL injury.  He has the highest upside, but they will have to wait for him.  Kevin Coleman Jr. was a solid choice in round five and if he can break through, he might actually be a guy worth investing time in.  As bad as the WR group is, the TE group is worse.  Greg Dulcich isn’t scaring anyone and the two rookies they have there don’t have the upside of the rookie WRs. 

The offensive line has a chance to be solid but there’s a little work to do.  LT Patrick Paul was fine last season, his first as a starter, and there’s reason to be optimistic he’ll continue to develop.  The LG spot will be filled by rookie Kadyn Proctor.  Proctor played LT in college, but most see him as a guard due to some limited mobility and his serious upside due to his power.  He can be a mauler and between him and Paul, the left side of the Dolphins line is massive.  Last year’s starter at LG Jonah Savaiinaea is moving to RG and he’s another massive individual.  He struggled last year but the team hopes he can figure it out playing on the right side.  The two massive guards are helpful when you have a small center.  Aaron Brewer was the best thing on the line last year for the Dolphins and he was an All-Pro.  He’s undersized but that shouldn’t matter at all this year.  RT Austin Jackson returns again, it seems like they always want to replace him, but he just keeps coming back and starting. 

The running backs in Miami are talented, and they actually have some depth.  De’Von Achane is a superstar, he’s the one thing this offense can count on.  It’s a shame he’s wasting one of his prime years with this team, he deserves to play for a team that is playing for something.  Ollie Gordon II is his complementary power back who spells Achane in certain situations and he’s good enough to deserve more carries but it’s hard to take the ball away from Achane.  Jaylen Wright is another talented player who doesn’t get any touches here either.

The defense is going to be a work in progress as Hafley turns over the personnel on the unit and changes the scheme.  DT Zach Seiler is the old man of the unit at 30 and the best player up front.  Seiler is really good but he needs some help from Kenneth Grant who they drafted last year.  Grant is a big man who can really move and the two of them should be a good pair at DT once Grant returns from IR.  He’ll miss at least four weeks, but they hope to get him back.   Chop Robinson will be a DE for Hafley as he remakes this front.  Robinson isn’t very big, but he’s got speed and can really get after the QB.  Unfortunately, he’s the only edge rusher they have who’s any good.  Josh Uche is a rotational player at best. They may have been hoping to get something from rookie Trey Moore, but he starts the year on IR too. 

At LB, Jordyn Brooks is really good and seriously underrated.  If he played on a better team, he’d garner far more attention.  Tyrel Dodson was supposed to start next to Brooks, but rookie Jacob Rodriguez beat him out and they ended up cutting Dodson.  I can’t blame them for going with the rookie, but it could be ugly at times for the defense.    

The secondary needed a complete overhaul, and it got one.  It starts with rookie CB Chris Johnson, he’s going to be the CB1 eventually, and Hafley’s going to love the way he plays.  The other CB spot is up for grabs.  Storm Duck is coming off a knee injury so it’s anyone’s ballgame.  JuJu Brents hasn’t been able to stay healthy for the last few years, but he still has a lot of upside and it looks like he’ll start.    Jason Marshall found his spot last year at nickel and he should continue to develop there.  As bad as the CB group looks, the safety group is worse.  Dante Trader Jr. and Michael Taaffe are the listed starters.  There is no depth to speak of and it could be a long year for the Dolphins defense. 

2026 AFC West Preview

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers finished 11-6 last season and were three games back of the Broncos in the division.  They pulled that off without their starting OTs and with Greg Roman running the offense, that’s impressive.  There is a very likely chance that Chris O’Leary, the new defensive coordinator, isn’t the brilliant defensive mind Jesse Minter was so that’s a downgrade on defense.  However, I’m quite certain that Mike McDaniel is a massive upgrade at offensive coordinator over Greg Roman.  What McDaniel can do with a QB like Justin Herbert and the skill position talent on this team will be quite impressive. 

Justin Herbert didn’t have his best season last year passing the ball, but he did more with his legs than he had in the past.  Some of that was by necessity given their offensive line issues but McDaniel should fix those along with some better health.  McDaniel built a short, quick passing attack in Miami because that’s what Tua Tagovailoa was good at throwing, Herbert can make any throw.  McDaniel will fix the run game and that should lead to a better passing attack from Herbert. 

While the Chargers don’t have a peak Tyreek Hill type of speedster, they do have guys who have receiving skills McDaniel can use.  Ladd McConkey should be a demon in a McDaniel passing offense that will take advantage of his elite change of direction skills.  Quentin Johnston has been miscast as a downfield receiver at times while with the Chargers.  Johnston’s best skill is his after-the-catch ability.  He could really blossom in a McDaniel offense.  Tre Harris should give McDaniel the downfield threat he never really had in Miami and didn’t really need because Tua couldn’t use it anyway, Herbert certainly can.  At TE, Miami’s offense did best with a serious pass catching guy like Jonnu Smith, the Chargers have Oronde Gadsden.  The Chargers also have Charlie Kolar to be the big blocking TE and even signed David Njoku, who can still be a weapon. 

The offensive line was awful last season, and you would think it was because they lost both starting OTs plus some backups and were really hurting from an availability standpoint outside.  Unfortunately, the interior was an even bigger issue as the healthy guys they had were simply bad.  LT Rashawn Slater and RT Joe Alt return to fix the edges, that’s a relief.  Those two can be the best OT duo in the league, they are that good.  Inside, they started the makeover with center Tyler Biadasz who was let go by Washington.  Biadasz isn’t some All-Pro but he was supposed to be a massive upgrade in the pivot, then he got hurt.  This is the Chargers so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by that.  Luckily, the team drafted Jake Slaughter and he should step in as the starting center instead of fighting for a guard spot.  He’s a natural center so it should work out better for him.  The team signed Cole Strange, who was playing well for McDaniel in Miami at the end of last season, he’ll be better than Mehki Becton was last year at RG.  LG was supposed to be a competition but with Slaughter at center, Kayode Awosika is set to start.  Yeah, I don’t know who he is either. 

The running game was held together by duct tape and chewing gum last year after injuries took a toll.  And by duct tape and chewing gum, I mean Kimani Vidal who did some good work under tough circumstances.  This year Omarion Hampton should be back healthy and they signed Keaton Mitchell.  Hampton is the bell cow back everyone wants while Mitchell is the speed back McDaniel will love.  Vidal is also back but should only provide great depth if all goes well.  If the line can block at all, this running game can be dangerous. 

The defense returns nearly every player of note, and the biggest loss is at defensive coordinator.  Jesse Minter got the Baltimore job based on the excellent job he’s done for two years with less-than-ideal players with the Chargers.  The team isn’t teeming with Pro Bowlers on the defense, but Minter made them a top ten unit.  Chris O’Leary, a former Minter protégé, returns after being a college defensive coordinator for one year last season at Western Michigan.  He’s never called plays in the NFL but it’s his job now. 

The defensive line returns Jamaree Caldwell and Teair Tart, two guys who played quite well last year.  Dalvin Tomlinson is the veteran they signed to start after losing Deshawn Hand in free agency.  Tomlinson is a big body who can plug up the middle quite well.  There’s not much depth to speak of and Tomlinson is 32 with plenty of wear and tear on his tires.  It’s a tenuous group they hope can hold up.

At LB, Khalil Mack is still and awesome run stuffing OLB with enough juice off the edge to still be useful.  He’s a legend and he just keeps showing up.  Tuli Tuipulotu had his best season last year and is their most important pass rusher.  He’s going into a contract year, and he wants a new deal.  The Chargers don’t have much leverage, and they need him if they are going to be competitive.  Last year, the pass rush wasn’t very effective until they traded for Odafe Oweh from Baltimore and unleashed him.  He signed with Washington and now they need rookie first rounder Akeem Mesidor to be a worthwhile replacement.  Daiyan Henley had a weird year last season with some injury issues and some personal off-the-field stuff.  They need him back to being his best self.  33-year-old Denzel Perryman would be the other starter if he wasn’t on IR and the Junior Colson experiment seems over as he’s been relegated to the practice squad.  Troy Dye holds down the other ILB spot for now, that’s not ideal. 

If you want to talk about the brilliance of Jesse Minter, look no further than the Chargers secondary.  Yes, Derwin James is an elite play maker and does everything, but the rest of this group doesn’t scare anyone individually.  CBs Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, and Dante Jackson are not guys that get talked about as elite individual performers, but they have been excellent in Minter’s defense.  S Elijah Molden found his best spot under Minter too.  Tony Jefferson was retired before he returned to play for Minter and they got by just fine.  It’s up to O’Leary to get the best out of this group, and if he doesn’t, this defense could fall apart fast.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos won the AFC West last season by three games and went all the way to the AFC Championship game where they lost to New England.  If Bo Nix plays in that game, they probably win and go to the Super Bowl.  The Broncos’ defense is elite and one of the best units in football.  The offense was good enough last season and this season they added WR Jaylen Waddle who gives them a dimension in the passing game they just haven’t had.  I do see some areas where they could regress, which is why I think they finish just behind the Chargers or maybe these teams have the same record at the end of the season.

Bo Nix was pretty good last season, but he still has his frustrating moments.  He’s a good athlete who can keep the offense moving but he’s just not an elite passer.  He needs his teammates to pick him up and last year they did most of the time but not always.  Sean Payton has turned over play calling to his newly appointed offensive coordinator Davis Webb.  Webb was the QB coach, and they fired the OC and gave the job to Webb.  We will see if Payton can resist the temptation to take back the play calling duties if things get off to a slow start.

Courtland Sutton has been a dependable if unspectacular WR1 for a few years now for the Broncos.  He’s a good WR but he’s not the type of guy who makes defensive coordinators scheme up coverages against him or worry too much.  He’s got size and plays to it, but he’s not overwhelming.  Also, this team has been looking for someone to complement Sutton’s skills, and they hadn’t found it until now.  They traded for Jaylen Waddle from Miami, and he’s an excellent addition and truth be told, he’s the WR1 now, Sutton is the complementary piece.  Waddle is a yards-after-the-catch monster, and this team has been dying for a guy to be that, sorry but Marvin Mims just isn’t that guy.  Mims, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant give the Broncos nice depth, Waddle gives them real juice.  The TE group isn’t great but Adam Trautman does what Sean Payton asks and that all you need.  Evan Engram is still here but he’s not the weapon he once was. 

The offensive line was mostly healthy all of last season and this is where some regression could happen as guys are aging.  LT Garrett Bolles was an All-Pro last season but he’s 34 and has played a ton of football, he may not be at that All-Pro level this year.  They did have some injuries on the interior with C Luke Wattenberg having a shoulder issue late in the year and LG Ben Powers missing about half the season.  They need those guys to be healthy as they don’t have a ton of depth.  RG Quinn Meinerz was a rock, and he is one of the better guards in football.  RT Mike McGlinchy played well all year too but he’s 31 and the clock could be ticking on him too.  If the offensive line doesn’t have the great health it had last season and it’s compromised at all, that makes things tough on Nix.      

The RB group is interesting.  They re-signed JK Dobbins and apparently teams are just going to keep signing him hoping someday he’ll have a healthy season.  If he ever does, he could be great, I don’t see it happening.  They also return RJ Harvey who had a nice rookie year but clearly showed he’s probably not a bell cow back.  They need someone to carry the early down load when Dobbins goes down and they found that guy in the draft, Jonah Coleman.  Coleman is 5’8 and 220 lbs. and he’s a bowling ball on the field.  I think it’s his job once Dobbins goes out, he’s a very talented back. 

Vance Joseph returns at defensive coordinator, and he should keep this unit rolling as one of the best in the game.  There isn’t much name recognition for the guys up front but Zach Allen is one of the best 3-4 ends in football.  It’s a very unique skill set and he does it better than most.  They still have DJ Jones at NT and he’s good.  They re-signed Malcolm Roach and let John Franklin-Myers leave in free agency to get a little younger and a little cheaper up front. 

They did that so they could afford their edge rushers who are quite good.  OLB Nik Bonitto is one of the best pass rushers in football even if he doesn’t always get mentioned with the top group.  He’s an undersized player but he had 14 sacks last year and that’s not uncommon for him.  Jonathan Cooper played well opposite Bonitto with eight sacks, he’s just hitting his prime years.  Cooper had an off the field issue in the off season and starts the year on the Commissioner’s Exempt list so he’s not available.  They will count on Jonah Ellis and Que Robinson to take up the slack.  ILBs Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton are not the greatest duo, but they get the job done and they do what Joseph asks of them. 

The secondary is home to arguably the best CB in football, Patrick Surtain II.  The argument against it isn’t because he’s gotten worse, it’s just a few guys are starting to play as well as he is, he still sets the bar.  Surtain won a Defensive Player of the Year award a few years ago and he’s still that good.  Riley Moss has been one of the most picked on CBs in football since he entered the league because he starts opposite Surtain.  He’s done a very good job and he’s heading towards free agency; they are hoping to get one more good year from him before someone else probably pays him more than they can afford.  JaQuan McMillan is a good slot corner and Jahdae Barron gives them good depth at CB.  Talanoa Hufanga played in 17 games last year, that was what they needed from him.  He’s an enforcer over the middle and the team benefits from his toughness.  Brandon Jones is a solid FS who is the last line of defense and does pretty well at that.  

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs luck ran out last season as they had the season from hell.  They were off to a rough start early and then Mahomes got hurt and it only got worse from there.  The running game was non-existent, the pass catchers were not good, and the defense was okay but just not enough to make up for an offense that was in shambles.  Andy Reid sent Matt Nagy packing and brought back Eric Bieniemy after he spent last season with Ben Johnson in Chicago.  Reid needs some new ideas and hopefully for the Chiefs sake, Bieniemy learned something in Chicago.

Patrick Mahomes has always been the engine of this offense since the day he stepped on the field but over the years the other pieces of the car have fallen apart.  He’s still an incredible talent but he shouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting.  The passing game is far too reliant on unreliable WRs and Travis Kelce who just isn’t what he once was.  Mahomes is already back from his ACL tear and fully practicing but he can’t fix this passing game himself.  They didn’t even sign a solid veteran like Stefon Diggs or even Jauan Jennings who could have helped Mahomes.

They are still going to count on Rashee Rice to be WR1 and that’s a dangerous place to be considering his off-the-field issues and he was pretty mediocre last year.  Xavier Worthy is a fun idea because he has electric speed, but he just isn’t built to be a high-volume pass catcher.  He’s a gadget guy at best and shouldn’t be used more than that.  Tyquan Thornton has found his niche as a deep threat and playing with Mahomes gives him opportunities.  Travis Kelce is back again but he’s a shell of his once former amazing self and they have to use him sparingly and find the best possible situations to get him the ball.  He shouldn’t be an every down TE.  They need Noah Gray to become a bigger weapon.    

The offensive line should be fine if their OTs can hold up.  LT Josh Simmons had an uneven rookie year while dealing with some injury stuff and some personal issues.  If he’s good to go he has all the talent in the world to be a top LT.  Jaylon Moore was signed last year to address the LT issue before they drafted Simmons and now, he steps in at RT to replace Jawaan Taylor, he can be better than Taylor.  They have tinkered with Moore at guard with Trey Smith banged up.  That has put rookie Khalil Benson at RT, that’s not ideal.  The interior is anchored by the best center in football, Creed Humphrey, and RG Trey Smith is one of the best in the league.  Kingsley Suamataia should be the full-time LG and he’ll be fine, he started to figure it out last year and should just get better.     

The Chiefs’ running game was awful last season and they revamped most of the RB group.  Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are gone, and they signed Kenneth Walker III to a big free agent contract after he won Super Bowl MVP.  Walker hasn’t always been the most consistent player, but he’s always been a big play RB.  The Chiefs offense lacked big plays in any phase, and they chose to sign Walker to get them some big chunk yardage plays this season.  They also signed Emari Demarcado to give them some depth but waived him during camp.  They drafted Emmett Johnson; a guy I like a lot.  Johnson can be a real weapon for them and it’s him and Brashard Smith behind Walker. 

The defense returns DT Chris Jones and DE George Karlaftis as the mainstays.  Jones may not be at his peak anymore but he’s still one of the best pass rushing DTs in the game.  Karlaftis is a powerful end and while his sacks numbers have trended down two years in a row, he’s still an effective pass rusher.  What this team needs is more help to draw attention away from these two.  Austin Gillotte is the other starting DE right now, but they also added R Mason Thomas in the draft, he’s the type of speedy edge rusher they have been missing.  DT Khyris Tonga isn’t a pass rusher, but he’ll fix their run defense problems alone.  He’s an immovable object in the middle of the line. 

At LB, Nick Bolton is the heart and soul of the defense.  He’s the leader, the green dot guy calling out the defense, and they go as he goes.  Bolton is going to be the biggest beneficiary of Tonga manning the middle up front.  He shouldn’t face as many blockers getting to him from the offensive line.  Drue Tranquill is the other starter at LB and he’s solid and has gotten better every year. 

DC Steve Spagnuolo likes to play his nickel defense a lot and there are going to be plenty of changes after they traded Trent McDuffie and lost Jaylen Watson in free agency.  They traded up to draft Mansoor Delane and he’ll be good.  It took a little time in camp for him to win over Spags but he should start.  Nohl Williams, from the third round of the 2025 class has the edge at one CB spot while L’Jarius Sneed is the third guy.    Chamarri Conner should start at SS, he seemed to settle in at safety last season.  Jaden Hicks is trying to be the nickel corner but they will likely use Williams, Delane, and Sneed together.  They signed Alohi Gilman to be the veteran replacing Bryan Cook.  Keep an eye on Xavier Nwankpa, he showed out in camp and stole a roster spot at safety.  He’ll be a special team’s guy early but he may be coming for someone’s job. 

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders were a disaster on the field last season.  The hiring of Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly could not have gone worse.  Carroll may have been undone by the hiring of his sons as much as anything but that was his choice.  Kelly really wasn’t his choice but agreed to it until he had to fire him.  Carroll is gone and Klink Kubiak is here to restore order on the offensive side of the ball.  Patrick Graham survived multiple coaching changes to remain DC in Vegas but finally he’s off to Pittsburgh and they have a new coordinator, Rob Leonard.  He’s an unknown as a play caller but at least, he’ll have a little more talent to work with.

They drafted Fernando Mendoza to be the future face of the franchise, now the question becomes how soon does he take the reins.  The team signed Kirk Cousins to start the year at least, Tom Brady isn’t a fan of rookie starting QBs so Cousins gets the nod for now.   Mendoza did struggle in the preseason so it’s possible he’s not even the backup on game days, they have Aidan O’Connell who has NFL playing experience.  Kubiak will make the system QB friendly, and it will aid Mendoza’s transition eventually.  We will see Mendoza eventually but this team isn’t really playing for anything except maybe a chance to draft WR Jeremiah Smith next year. 

The WR group is not set up to help a rookie QB because there’s a lack of overall talent.  Although, some of the young guys should be considerably better playing in Kubiak’s passing game than whatever that was Chip Kelly was doing last season.  Jack Bech was miscast by last year’s coaching staff; Kubiak should have a better role for him.  Tre Tucker is small but speedy and Kubiak was a fan of Rashid Shaheed; he should understand how to use Tucker.  The team signed Jalen Nailor in free agency, he should be a perfectly fine third WR, if he’s more than that, it could be a problem.  The real star of the passing game will be TE Brock Bowers.  Assuming he’s over his injuries from last year, he’s a playmaker Kubiak will spend his nights staying awake trying to find ways to get him the ball.  He’s electric with the ball, they need that.  TE Michael Mayer should also benefit from Kubiak’s offense; there’s always ways to use TEs in that offense. 

The offensive line has no choice but to be better than they were last year.  The signing of C Tyler Linderbaum, the return of a healthy LT Kolton Miller, and the fact that Brennan Carroll is no longer the line coach guarantees they will be leaps and bounds better than they were last year.  Linderbaum is one of the best centers in football and he’s going to an offensive system that fits his skills perfectly.  Kolton Miller doesn’t get mentioned with the elite LTs in the game but he’s really good when he’s healthy.  He is rock solid at LT and that goes a long way.  They team also signed Spencer Burford, a former 49er who at least knows the system.  He’s not great but playing between Miller and Linderbaum should help him a ton.  The right side still has questions.  Jackson Powers-Johnson is set to be the RG, if he buys into the system and playing guard, he’s a talent.  RT DJ Glaze was okay as a rookie two years ago and awful last year.  If you believe last year’s issues were scheme and coaching related, and I do, I think he can be fine.  If not, they have Charles Grant or Trey Zuhn III who they could turn to. 

The running game should have been better last year with a talent like Ashton Jeanty but again, the offensive scheme and the o-line coaching were a hinderance.  Jeanty didn’t forget how to play football but when a RB gets hit behind the line of scrimmage as much as Jeanty did, there’s not much he can do with the ball. Jeanty sustained an injury in camp so he may not be ready early in the season.  The team did invest in some depth by drafting Mike Washington, a guy who has no business being as fast as he is with how big he is.  He should be fine while Jeanty is out and then be an excellent complement to him. 

The defense was always better than it had any business being under Patrick Graham, he may be a wizard, I’m not sure.  Now he’s gone but they did at least upgrade the talent.  They tried to trade Maxx Crosby, but it fell through because he failed his physical.  Now he’s back and he’s still the best defender they have.  Crosby wasn’t at his best last season, and he still had 10 sacks.  The rest of the front didn’t get a ton of help, but Adam Butler and Thomas Booker IV should be fine at DT.  Malcolm Koonce should be better at DE another year removed from his injury two years ago.  They also got some depth, signing Kwity Paye and drafting Keyron Crawford.  Watch out for Crawford, he’s a talented young player.

The biggest change was the team going from some small LBs to some new bigger, better players.  They spent a ton of free agent money to sign Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.  These two played LB together at Georgia and they are massive upgrades from last year’s LB crew.  Dean brings a major injury risk, but the Raiders had to invest in LB and Dean is worth the gamble.  They will mostly play just these two at LB, but Tommy Eichenberg isn’t a bad third LB to have. 

The secondary returns most of the starters from last year’s team.  CB Eric Stokes revived his career after it was flailing when he left Green Bay, he played pretty well.  Darien Porter started a little last year and for now, he’s penciled in opposite Stokes.  It could be a tenuous hold on that job if Jermod McCoy’s knee holds out.  McCoy dropped in the draft due to knee concerns, but if that doesn’t hold him back, he’s arguably the most talented CB on the roster, sorry Eric Stokes.  Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao return as the starting safeties.  I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.  They seem like very specific types of players but if new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard uses them right, they can be good at their jobs.  Taron Johnson was signed as a veteran addition to take over the nickel, they were bad there last year.  However, they drafted Treydan Stukes in round two and he very well could steal the job although he may be pushing for Pola-Mao’s starting safety job instead.  They should have more depth in the secondary and they certainly added more talent.