2026 NFL power rankings by division: Where all 32 teams stand after free agency

The first major waves of NFL free agency are in the past, and while there are several impact players still available — Jauan Jennings, Stefon Diggs, Joey Bosa and Aaron Rodgers chief among them — the top 33 of Pete Prisco’s top 100 free agents are off the board. Plenty of major trades went down, too, but the most recent — Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos — is now a week old.

Looking forward, the NFL Draft is still a month away. Teams are deep into their preparation regarding that phase of the offseason while still monitoring the free agency landscape. So while it’s a very busy time for front offices and coaches, it’s mostly internal work. The news cycle has slowed down. Don’t worry too much: If the NFL has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected and be ready for a big story at any moment. Things may pick up ahead of the draft, too, when teams look to have a clearer picture of their roster before the draft begins.

Still, this time allows for analysis of where teams stand. More than 450 free agents signed contracts this offseason, with beyond $5 billion spent across the NFL, per Spotrac. The Titans, Commanders and Raiders all surpassed $300 million in total free agency expenditures. Will that move any of them up in their respective divisions after difficult 2025 seasons? We polled our NFL experts to rank the teams in each division.

(VOTERS: Tyler Sullivan, Jared Dubin, Carter Bahns, Zach Pereles, Joel Magaraci, Kyle Stackpole)

AFC East

The Bills were a near-unanimous top pick here, even though they’re not the reigning division champs. That title belongs to the Patriots, who added Romeo Doubs and Alijah Vera-Tucker. Make no mistake: The Bills made some big moves, too, including trading for DJ Moore to boost an otherwise-lacking receiving group. Buffalo, transitioning now into the Joe Brady regime, won five straight division titles from 2020-24, and for now at least, our experts like them to return to that status in 2026. The Jets have had a big offseason, signing veterans to help steady the ship after a rocky first year for Aaron Glenn. That, plus the Dolphins entering a major rebuild, moves New York out of the division’s cellar for now.

AFC North

The Ravens earn the unanimous top spot here despite a strange, rollercoaster offseason. Baltimore agreed to trade two first-round picks to the Raiders for Maxx Crosby, backed out of the trade after a failed physical and, hours later, signed Trey Hendrickson. The Ravens did a decent job filling out some other spots, too, but also lost all of their top free agents, including center Tyler Linderbaum. The Bengals added Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook and Jonathan Allen to their defense but have otherwise been quiet. The Steelers acquired Michael Pittman Jr. from the Colts and added Jamel Dean, but Rodgers’ status remains up in the air. If he retires, where does that leave Pittsburgh at the game’s most important position?

AFC South

The AFC South produced two playoff teams for the first time since 2020 and very well may have had three had Daniel Jones stayed healthy. Looking to 2026, the Texans have the top spot. Houston reshuffled its offensive line, but Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller could be significant upgrades. The David Montgomery trade should very much help an underwhelming run game, too. The Jaguars have experienced some significant losses in Travis Etienne Jr. and Devin Lloyd. The Colts brought back both Jones and Alec Pierce, but with Jones coming off an Achilles and questions at several spots, Indianapolis is down to third.

AFC West

The Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs all earned at least one first-place vote, but it’s Denver on top for now. After earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed last season, Denver saw Super Bowl hopes crash in excruciating fashion with an injured Bo Nix unable to play in a 10-7 AFC Championship Game loss to the Patriots. The Broncos hadn’t done much this offseason before the Waddle trade, and now they have some much-needed juice at wide receiver opposite Courtland Sutton. The Chargers had a ton of money to spend this offseason but haven’t been as aggressive as some may have thought. There’s still time for that to change, though. The Chiefs will be looking to replace outgoing cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and perhaps boost pass catcher and pass rusher. The Raiders still appear to be a distant fourth, but they’ve made major strides after last year’s debacle under Pete Carroll.

NFC East

Philadelphia became the first team to repeat as NFC East champion in more than two decades, and it remains on top of the division. The Eagles lost a few significant pieces on defense, but they added Riq Woolen at cornerback, and the trio of Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and Woolen could be the NFL’s best. There’s still a ton of talent on offense, too, though A.J. Brown’s future is up in the air. The Cowboys’ offense figures to be among the league’s best again, but there’s still work to do on defense. The Giants and Commanders have both had big offseasons, though the progress of young quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels are the biggest keys.

NFC North

The Packers received four out of six first-place votes, with the Lions earning the other two. The NFC North was the strongest division in football, top to bottom, in 2025 — every team finished with a winning record — and it portends to be very good again in 2026. The Packers will hope the returns of Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt get the defense on track. The Lions hope for better health across the defense, and they still have plenty of offensive firepower. The Bears, who won the division in 2025, suffered some major losses and some significant additions (Coby Bryant, Devin Bush) but still seek a pass rusher. Can Kyler Murray lift the Vikings? If so, watch out for Minnesota.

NFC South

The NFC South experienced a hectic finish to 2025 — the Panthers lost a win-and-in season finale to the Buccaneers only to still make the playoffs thanks to the Falcons beating the Saints — and this voting reflects that. Three teams earned at least one first-place vote, and three teams earned at least one last-place vote. The Buccaneers just barely edged past the Panthers, who signed Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd to fortify the defense. The Falcons remain a mystery entering their first year under Kevin Stefanski; is Tua Tagovailoa in line to beat out Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback? The Saints had a strong finish to 2025.

NFC West

The Rams not only patched up their biggest weakness but made it a strength by trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson to boost their cornerbacks group. The Rams are the Super Bowl favorites, and rightly so. But the Seahawks are still the Super Bowl champs, and though they lost a lot, including Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, Mike Macdonald still figures to have an imposing defense and a solid-at-worst offense. The 49ers added Mike Evans in a widely praised move, but the team-wide health will be paramount to returning to top-tier Super Bowl contender status.