Preseason NFL Power Rankings 2026: How all 32 teams stack up

With all 32 NFL teams making their final cuts Sunday night, it's the perfect time to size up the league in our Power Rankings just days away from the 2026 season.

To form the list, our power panel of more than a dozen NFL analysts evaluates how all 32 teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.

In addition to our 1-32 ranking, NFL Nation reporters picked a milestone to watch for each franchise this season. From 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan becoming the longest-tenured coach in 49ers history to Ravens running back Derrick Henry moving upto No. 6 on the career rushing list, there's plenty at stake beyond who winsSuper Bowl LXI. Let's dive into the record books, starting with two NFC West teams.

Previous rankings:Post-Super Bowl, Postdraft

Jump to a team:

ARI |ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN

CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND

JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN

NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF

SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

1. Los Angeles Rams

Postdraft ranking: 2

Milestone to watch: Quarterback Matthew Staffordsurpassing Philip Rivers for the sixth-most touchdown passes in NFL history during the regular season.

Stafford has quickly climbed several career lists in recent years, including becoming the 10th quarterback to hit the 60,000 passing yardsmilestone in Week 1 of 2025. He could check off another box with three more touchdown passes, eclipsing Rivers' career mark of 425. Given that Stafford averaged 2.7 touchdown passes per game in 2025, he could reach the milestone as early as Week 1 or Week 2. Brett Favre is fifth on the list with 508 touchdowns. -- Sarah Barshop

2. Seattle Seahawks

Postdraft ranking: 1

Milestone to watch:Jaxon Smith-Njigba becoming the fourth player with at least 100 receptions in three of his first four seasons.

Smith-Njigba had 100 receptions in 2024 before setting a franchise record with 119 last season on his way to winning AP Offensive Player of the Year. So his catch count will be worth watching come December. Brandon Marshall, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Michael Thomas are the only three players who've accomplished the feat -- though Rams star receiver Puka Nacua can also join the list in 2026. -- Brady Henderson

3. Buffalo Bills

Postdraft ranking: 4

Milestone to watch:Josh AllensurpassingPatrick Mahomesfor the most combined passing and rushing yards by a quarterback in his first nine NFL seasons.

This would take Allen close to the end of the season, but it is well within reach. Allen is 3,782 yards away from eclipsing Mahomes (38,604), and Allen has not missed a start since his rookie season. He averages 590.1 rushing yards and 3,762.8 passing yards per season, so he could pass Mahomes with multiple games to spare. Breaking records is a common occurrence for Allen, and with new No. 1 receiver in DJ Moore added to the mix, he's primed to set many marks yet again. -- Alaina Getzenberg

4. Denver Broncos

Postdraft ranking: 3

Milestone to watch: Sean Payton moving into top 10 for career coaching wins.

Payton, now in his fourth season with the Broncos, could move into the top 10 if the team plays at even a wild-card level. The Broncos, who were tied for a league-best 14 wins last season, would move Payton from the No. 13 spot (184) to No. 9 with at least nine wins. Currently, Hall of Famer Chuck Noll and Mike Tomlin are tied at No. 9 with 193. Marty Schottenheimer is No. 8 with 200 wins. -- Jeff Legwold

5. Philadelphia Eagles

Postdraft ranking: 5

Milestone to watch:Jalen Hurts becoming the third quarterback with at least 75 career rushing touchdowns.

Hurts has 63 rushing TDs. He would join Allen (79) and Cam Newton (75) as the only signal-callers to reach 75. Last season, he had a career low since becoming the full-time starter in rushing attempts (105), yards (421) and touchdowns (eight). But he looked faster this summer when breaking from the pocket or executing designed runs. -- Tim McManus

6. New England Patriots

Postdraft ranking: 6

Milestone to watch: Wide receiver A.J. Brown totaling 1,000 receiving yards for the seventh season of his career.

Brown has had four straight 1,000-yard seasons and has hit 1,000 in six of his seven NFL seasons. He could become one of seven WRs to have seven or more 1,000-yard seasons in his first eight years in the league, joining Mike Evans (eight), Lance Alworth (seven), Torry Holt (seven), Brandon Marshall (seven), Jerry Rice (seven) and Randy Moss (seven). -- Mike Reiss

7. Green Bay Packers

Postdraft ranking: 7

Milestone to watch: Edge rusher Micah Parsons becoming the first player to record at least 12 sacks in each of his first six NFL seasons since the metric became official in 1982.

Parsons is likely to start the year on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from last season's torn ACL. He could be targeting a Week 6 return, which would give him 13 games to hit the dozen sack mark. He played in exactly that many games in 2024. If Parsons gets to at least 10 sacks, he would join Reggie White as the only players since 1982 to reach that mark in their first six seasons. -- Rob Demovsky

8. Baltimore Ravens

Postdraft ranking: 10

Milestone to watch:Derrick Henry surpassing four Hall of Fame running backs to move to No. 6 on the career rushing list.

Henry, who ranks 10th on the league's career rushing list, needs 995 yards to move up four spots. He would surpass Eric Dickerson (ninth), Jerome Bettis (eighth), LaDainian Tomlinson (seventh) and Curtis Martin (sixth). Based on Henry's average rushing yards per game (85.1), he would likely move into No. 6 by the Nov. 29 game at the Texans. Henry would need 1,811 yards rushing to surpass Adrian Peterson and climb into the top five. -- Jamison Hensley

9. San Francisco 49ers

Postdraft ranking: 8

Milestone to watch: Kyle Shanahan surpassing Bill Walsh for most games in charge of the 49ers and total wins.

Shanahan has coached the Niners in 141 regular-season games, compiling 82 wins in the process. The legendary Walsh owns the franchise record for games coached (152) and won 92 of those (second most in franchise history). Shanahan can pass the games coached record at home in Week 12 against the Vikings, and he can move to second in wins with 11. The Niners would have to go a spectacular 17-1 for Shanahan to also pass George Seifert (98 wins) as the winningest coach in team history, but that's a record within striking distance over the next two seasons. -- Nick Wagoner

10. Houston Texans

Postdraft ranking: 13

Milestone to watch: Quarterback C.J. Stroud becoming second in multiple Texans passing categories.

If Stroud throws for 3,663 passing yards in 2026, he'll pass Deshaun Watson (14,539) and move into second place in Texans' history. Stroud (10,876) currently sits behind David Carr (13,391) at fourth overall, while Matt Schaub is well ahead at No. 1 (23,221). Another category to watch is passing touchdowns in franchise history. Stroud is third with 62, but if he goes nuclear and tosses at least 43 touchdown passes, he'll also pass Watson (104) for second. Schaub leads with 124. -- DJ Bien-Aime

11. Detroit Lions

Postdraft ranking: 11

Milestone to watch: Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown posting the most receptions through first six seasons all time.

The fourth-round pick from the 2021 draft will try to continue to add to his record-breaking start as he enters this season with 547 career receptions. St. Brown can surpass Justin Jefferson (579) for the most receptions by a player in his first six NFL seasons, which could happen near midseason. The "Sun God" can also become the first player with at least 100 receptions in five of his first six seasons. -- Eric Woodyard

12. Chicago Bears

Postdraft ranking: 9

Milestone to watch:Caleb Williams becomes the first Bears QB to throw for 4,000 yards in a season

This feels like a slam dunk. Williams was 58 yards from reaching the 4K threshold in his first season under coach Ben Johnson, and he still managed to set the Bears' single-season passing record (3,942 yards). Williams threw for less than 200 yards in four games in 2025, so if he has one or two fewer instances of that, he should be at 4,000 yards by mid-December. One focus for Williams this offseason has been improving his accuracy (58.1% completion percentage). That not only will assist the offense's ability to stay on the field but also increase his production in the passing game. -- Courtney Cronin

13. Kansas City Chiefs

Postdraft ranking: 12

Milestone to watch:Travis Kelce reaching second-most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history.

Entering this season, Kelce has 13,002 receiving yards. All he needs is 45 yards to surpass Jason Witten for the second most by a tight end in NFL history. Fans can expect Kelce to reach this next accomplishment in the Chiefs' season opener against the Broncos, a rival he has tormented throughout his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Mahomes, who is expected to be ready for Week 1 afterknee surgery, has always made Kelce his go-to pass catcher on third down. It's possible Kelce passes Witten on a third down before the "Monday Night Football"halftime show. -- Nate Taylor

14. Los Angeles Chargers

Postdraft ranking: 14

Milestone to watch:Justin Herbert becoming the fourth quarterback with at least 28,000 passing yards in hisfirst seven seasons, joining Peyton Manning (29,442), Patrick Mahomes (28,424) and Matt Ryan (28,166).

Herbert has thrown fewer than the 3,180 yards he needs to reach 28K just once in his career. That year was 2023, when he sustained a season-ending injury to his right index finger but still threw for 3,134 yards in 13 games. With new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, barring any injury, Hebert should have one of the most productive seasons of his career and reach this mark late in the season. -- Kris Rhim

15. Dallas Cowboys

Postdraft ranking: 16

Milestone to watch: Quarterback Dak Prescott becoming Cowboys' career leader in touchdown passes.

Prescott needs six touchdown passes to break Tony Romo's team record of 248 touchdown passes set from 2006 to 2016. Prescott could do it as early as Week 2 against the Commanders. His career high in a game is five against the Eagles in 2022, but he has thrown more touchdown passes against the Giants (31) and Commanders (32) than any other team. Once he sets that mark, Prescott will hold the team records for yards, attempts and completions. -- Todd Archer

16. Cincinnati Bengals

Postdraft ranking: 17

Milestone to watch:Ja'Marr Chase becoming the first player in NFL history with at least 80 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first six NFL seasons.

Chase could retire today and end up in the Bengals' ring of honor. He is already fifth in franchise history in receiving yards (6,837) and fourth in receptions (520). But he could enter an exclusive category by maintaining his averages in receptions (104.0) and receiving yards (1,367.4) per season. With a healthy quarterback Joe Burrow, it seems feasible for the two-time All-Pro to pass the 80 receptions plus 1,000 yards mark with a few games to spare. -- Ben Baby

17. Jacksonville Jaguars

Postdraft ranking: 15

Milestone to watch: The Jaguars making back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time this century.

The Jaguars, Browns and Commanders are the only three franchises to not make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons this century. The last time the Jaguars did that was a 1996-99 stretch that included two AFC Championship Game appearances (1996 and 1999). The Jaguars are returning 19 starters from a team that went 13-4, finished the regular season with eight consecutive victories and won the AFC South. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was an MVP candidate, and Liam Coen was the runner-up for AP Coach of the Year, so things are in place for the Jaguars to snap that streak. -- Michael DiRocco

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Postdraft ranking: 18

Milestone to watch: Coach Todd Bowles surpassing John McKay for the third-most wins in team history.

With 10 regular-season wins, Bowles can pass Buccaneers Ring of Honor member McKay, who had 44 wins from 1976 to 1984. Bowles would still trail Jon Gruden (57) and Tony Dungy (54), but he could move to No. 1 if he stays until the end of his contract in 2028. Bowles already became the first coach in franchise history to begin his stint with three consecutive playoff appearances and three consecutive division titles (2022, 2023, 2024). However, last season tied 2022 for Bowles' lowest number of wins in charge of the Bucs (eight). -- Jenna Laine

19. Indianapolis Colts

Postdraft ranking: 20

Milestone to watch:Jonathan Taylor becoming the fourth running back with at least 80 rushing touchdowns before age 28, joining Emmitt Smith (108), LaDainian Tomlinson (100) and Jim Brown (82).

Taylor has become a prolific scorer, and there's nothing to suggest that changes with his career pace and the Colts' 2026 playmakers. He has averaged 11.5 rushing TDs in six seasons, tying a career high of 18 in 2025. With 11 touchdowns needed to hit 80, Taylor could reach this milestone toward the end of the season. His ability to play through contact at the line of scrimmage makes him a great option in goal-line situations, and he led the NFL with 835 yards after contact in 2025. Taylor's 28th birthday is on Jan. 19, 2027. -- Stephen Holder

20. Washington Commanders

Postdraft ranking: 19

Milestone to watch: Quarterback Jayden Daniels setting a franchise record for single-season TD passes.

The only time a Washington quarterback threw for more than 30 touchdowns was Sonny Jurgensen in 1969 (31). Daniels threw for 25 in his rookie season, and the Commanders have a stronger receiving corps than last season with Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs and promising rookie Antonio Williams. Daniels also has looked ultra-sharp in David Blough's new offense in practices. If Daniels stays healthy -- and the offensive line withoutLaremy Tunsil can protect him -- he can top Jurgensen. -- John Keim

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

Postdraft ranking: 21

Milestone to watch:Aaron Rodgersbecomingthe fourth quarterback in NFL history to appear in 300 games (including the postseason), joining Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Drew Brees.

Entering his 22nd -- and final -- season, Rodgers has appeared in 287 NFL games. The earliest he can join this exclusive club is Week 13 against the Texans, which is fittingly a primetime game on Sunday night. He'll mark another significant day earlier that week when he turns 43 on Dec. 2. Total games played is just one of several milestones in Rodgers' grasp this season. He can also pass Peyton Manning (579) for third-most touchdowns thrown in NFL history. Rodgers enters this season with 572 total passing touchdowns, including the playoffs. -- Brooke Pryor

22. Minnesota Vikings

Postdraft ranking: 24

Milestone to watch:Wide receiver Justin Jeffersonsurpassing Randy Moss' record for the most 100-yard games in the first seven seasons of a career.

Of all the milestones Jefferson could potentially hit in 2026, this one is perhaps most relevant to the Vikings' season. Jefferson managed only three 100-yard games last season, a career low, as the offense struggled in 12 starts by quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer. Increasing that total with new quarterbackKyler Murray would signify a return of Minnesota's previous offensive firepower under coach Kevin O'Connell. Jefferson is five away from eclipsing Moss' 41.-- Kevin Seifert

23. Carolina Panthers

Postdraft ranking: 22

Milestone to watch:Tetairoa McMillan becoming the fifth player in NFL history to post 70 catches, 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in each of his first two seasons.

McMillan can join a pretty special club (Odell Beckham Jr., Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Marques Colston) by duplicating his production from his rookie season. While it took all 17 games for him to reach 70 catches, 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns, his chemistry has blossomed with QB Bryce Young this summer. In 2026, McMillan should be able to hit two-thirds of that stat line (catches and yardage) by mid-December, with a few weeks to spare for more touchdowns. -- Mike Kaye

24. New York Giants

Postdraft ranking: 23

Milestone to watch: Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. climbing to second in Giants history for total touchdown receptions.

Beckham needs five touchdown grabs to pass Kyle Rote (48) for the second most in Giants history. Amani Toomer is first with 54. Beckham is back for his second stint with the team since leaving in 2018, and coach John Harbaughcomplimented his performanceduring training camp. Beckham is currently fourth in franchise history with 44 touchdown receptions. Joe Morrison is third with 47. -- Jordan Raanan

25. New Orleans Saints

Postdraft ranking: 25

Milestone to watch: Defensive end Cameron Jordan moving into the top 10 for NFL career sacks since the metric became official in 1982.

Jordan is currently rehabbing a hamstring injury, but if he returns to have a season anything like 2025 (10.5 sacks), he'll move up the NFL's career leaderboard. Jordan sits at 17th with 132.5 sacks. He needs six to hit 138.5, which would tie DeMarcus Ware and still-active Von Miller's current tally for ninth place. Presuming Miller continues to amass sacks in Dallas, hitting that number would at least put Jordan in a tie for 10th place. He has had at least six sacks in 12 of his 15 seasons. Six sacks would also net him $1.25 million in incentives. -- Katherine Terrell

26. Atlanta Falcons

Postdraft ranking: 26

Milestone to watch: Running back Bijan Robinson earning the most scrimmage yards by an NFL player under 25.

Clinton Portis had 7,059 scrimmage yards before turning 25 in the early 2000s with Denver and Washington, while Robinson enters this season with 5,648 career scrimmage yards. So for Robinson to move to No. 1, he needs 1,412 yards from scrimmage before his 25th birthday on Jan. 30, 2027. He led the league with an average of 135 scrimmage yards per game last season. At the same pace in 2026, Robinson would close in on the record by Week 11. -- Marc Raimondi

27. Las Vegas Raiders

Postdraft ranking: 28

Milestone to watch:Brock Bowers can surpass Jason Witten (188) for the most receptions by a tight end under the age of 24 in NFL history.

Bowers needs only 13 catches to reach this milestone, and it wouldn't be surprising if he did it in the season opener against the Dolphins. Bowers has recorded at least 10 receptions in a game on five occasions, most recently in Week 9 of 2025 against the Jaguars (12). He also had 13 catches against the Dolphins in Week 11 of 2024. Bowers has been QB Kirk Cousins' go-to target throughout training camp, so expect the third-year tight end to be targeted often in Week 1. -- Ryan McFadden

28. Tennessee Titans

Postdraft ranking: 27

Milestone to watch: The Titans are one win from 500 as a franchise, including the playoffs and dating back to1964 as the Houston Oilers.

The Titans have won only six games in the past two seasons. However, their next win will put them at 500 victories as a franchise (499-552-6 overall record). Tennessee will have a good chance to win in the season opener at Nissan Stadium against the Jets, who finished with a 3-14 record last season. Currently, that's one of only two games Tennessee is favored to win this season (the other being against the Browns in Week 7). The last time the Titans won a season-opening game was a 16-14 victory at Denver in 2020.-- Turron Davenport

29. New York Jets

Postdraft ranking: 31

Milestone to watch: Running back Breece Hall can go from 12th to fourth on the franchise's career rushing list.

That's a pretty big leap, but it won't take an extraordinary season. Hall sits at 3,398 yards. All he needs is 888 yards to move past Matt Snell (4,285) for the No. 4 spot. To get there, he will leapfrog notables such as Hall of Famer John Riggins (3,880) and Thomas Jones (3,833). He's a long way from the franchise leader, Hall of Famer Curtis Martin (10,302). -- Rich Cimini

30. Arizona Cardinals

Postdraft ranking: 29

Milestone to watch:Trey McBride surpassing Jimmy Graham for the most receptions by a tight end in his first five NFL seasons.

McBride needs 40 receptions to pass Graham's record (386). At the rate McBride has been going lately, that should take just a handful of games. He is coming off his first All-Pro season and has been averaging 118.5 receptions per season the past two years. So getting 40 shouldn't be a problem, especially in new coach Mike LaFleur's offense. It'll feature McBride as a primary receiving option for QB Jacoby Brissett, who helped McBride get to 1,239 yards last season. -- Josh Weinfuss

31. Cleveland Browns

Postdraft ranking: 30

Milestone to watch: The Browns' defense breaking the record for consecutive games without allowing a 300-yard passer.

The Browns have gone 45 straight games without allowing a quarterback to throw for 300 yards, the longest streak in the NFL since the Colts went 52 games from 2005 to 2008. Cleveland could break the record in Week 8, a road matchup against the Steelers. The defense, though, will have to achieve the milestone without reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and with a new coordinator in Mike Rutenberg. -- Daniel Oyefusi

32. Miami Dolphins

Postdraft ranking: 32

Milestone to watch:De'Von Achane cracking the top 10 in receptions by a running back over first four NFL seasons.

Achane leads all running backs in receptions over the past two seasons (145), and he's 58 catches from passing Herschel Walker for the 10th most by a running back in their first four seasons. It's a good bet that he passes it this season, considering he averages 66 catches over 17 games in his career and the Dolphins will need him to shoulder a heavy workload. Achane's only barrier could be his availability, but he has missed only one game over the past two seasons despite 586 total touches. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

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