- The Rams have a new dynamic duo at cornerback: After trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson, Los Angeles has transformed a low point into a terrific tandem.
- The Jets‘ defense could grow in 2026: New York's trades for Minkah Fitzpatrick and T'Vondre Sweat, alongside signing Joseph Ossai, David Onyemata and others, should improve one of the league's worst defenses.
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
For as wild as the 2025 NFL season was, the early stages of the offseason have perhaps been even crazier. Between numerous Pro Bowlers being on the move, trades being reneged and teams handing out contracts worth over $100 million, it’s been a whirlwind start to the new league year.
Although there are still some six months until the start of the 2026 campaign, several organizations have already landed foundational upgrades at positions of need. Below are groups or specific attacks that should make strides based on either free-agent signings or trades.
Los Angeles Rams cornerbacks
The Rams’ defense finished 2025 ranking 10th in EPA per play, although its secondary was questionable for multiple stretches, including in the postseason. Indeed, Los Angeles’ cornerback room ranked 17th in overall PFF grade, with starters Cobie Durant, Darious Williams and Emmanuel Forbes all finishing below a 66.0 PFF coverage mark.
Los Angeles has had a recurring need at cornerback for several offseasons but hadn’t touched the position — that is, until making two splashes in only a few days. General manager Les Snead acquired superstar Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs in exchange for four draft picks, then signed former teammate Jaylen Watson to a three-year, $51 million contract.
All of a sudden, the Rams boast two of the 10 highest-graded corners from last campaign. Impressively, both McDuffie and Watson ranked in the top 10 in PFF run-defense grade among qualified cornerbacks, plus were in the top 24 in coverage grade — reflecting their abilities to impact the game in multiple forms. Los Angeles has hastily turned a roster weakness into a major strength, helping maximize the Rams’ window with Matthew Stafford and potentially making them the preseason Super Bowl 61 frontrunners.
New York Jets secondary
The Jets have been much more active than anticipated through the first two days of free agency, and the vast majority of their resources have been deployed to improve Aaron Glenn’s defense. A primary focus has been the Jets’ secondary, a unit that was 28th in overall PFF grade last season.
The headliner maneuver was acquiring safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the division-rival Dolphins in exchange for only a seventh-round pick. Fitzpatrick looked revitalized in his return to Miami, with his 81.8 overall grade not only his best since 2022 — but also fifth among qualified safeties. The team granting Fitzpatrick a three-year, $40 million extension to make him the ninth-highest-paid player at the position also feels reasonable, securing a veteran presence for multiple years.
On top of that, general manager Darren Mougey signed cornerback Nahshon Wright and safety Dane Belton to one-year deals. Although Wright surrendered 800 yards in coverage — the sixth-most among any defender last year — he snagged five interceptions during an extended stint with the Bears. Further, Belton missed just 4.1% of his 2025 tackle attempts, and his 3.3% run stop rate placed in the 78th percentile among safeties.
Adding Fitzpatrick, Wright and Belton may not render the Jets’ secondary one of the premier in football. But these additions, paired with returners Brandon Stephens, Azareye’h Thomas, Malachi Moore and Jarvis Brownlee Jr., amplify the group’s potential regarding all of coverage, run defense and tackling.
Tennessee Titans cornerbacks
The Titans entered free agency with more cap space than any other team. Although Tennessee had a slew of areas to address, the team made a concerted effort to bolster its cornerback unit.
Robert Saleh landed two big-money, burgeoning cornerbacks in Cor’Dale Flott (three years, $45 million) and Alontae Taylor (three years, $20 million). After up-and-down career paths, each impressed last season by earning at least a 67.7 PFF coverage grade. Further, both could align with Saleh’s zone-heavy game plan after securing top-20 grades in zone looks among qualified corners last year.
In addition to Flott and Taylor, Tennessee signed former Chief Joshua Williams to a two-year contract. While Williams appeared on only 17 snaps last season, he owns a career 74.3 coverage grade across four years and 962 coverage snaps with Kansas City.
Collectively, Titans cornerbacks produced the 29th-ranked coverage grade last season. The team should be at least closer to league average — if not better — courtesy of its early work at the position, giving Tennessee solid starters along the perimeter and in the slot.
Los Angeles Chargers’ run game
The Chargers reached the wild-card game for a second straight season, yet their offense — and especially their run game — held the team back. Indeed, Los Angeles slotted 22nd in rushing EPA per play and 24th in rushing success rate, prompting the firing of offensive coordinator Greg Roman. After hiring Mike McDaniel as Roman’s successor, it’s clear that the Chargers are making a deliberate effort to improve on the ground, and their early signings follow that trend.
Center Tyler Biadasz should bring a welcome presence along the middle of the team’s offensive line, including via the run. Last year, Biadasz’s 71.2 PFF run-blocking grade was the 11th-best among qualified centers; by comparison, consider that former LA starter Bradley Bozeman placed last in the same metric (50.0). On top of that, Biadasz’s 11.8% defeated run-block rate was the seventh-lowest among centers to play 500 or more snaps.
Los Angeles also signed former Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar, who flourishes in the ground game. Kolar’s 71.5 run-blocking mark last year was sixth among qualified tight ends, and he places ninth in the department over the last two years. Further, Kolar sits in the 98th percentile in positively graded run-blocking plays since 2024.
Although fellow newcomer Alec Ingold hasn’t been as dynamic as a run-blocker (50.3 run-blocking grade in 2025), his reunion with McDaniel further signifies that Los Angeles should get both more diverse and effective on the ground. Even though additional work is needed along the team’s interior offensive line, the Chargers’ preliminary moves — coupled with the returns of Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt — are welcome news for second-year back Omarion Hampton.
Las Vegas Raiders linebackers
Like the Titans, the Raiders were armed with an upper-echelon amount of cap space this cycle. General manager John Spytek certainly ameliorated the bedrocks of a bad offense, but he also concentrated on linebacker in particular. Las Vegas reunited former Georgia teammates Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, giving the pair a combined $76.5 million to leave the Eagles and Packers, respectively.
While Dean has battled injury throughout his career, he’s been dynamic as a blitzer by generating 30 pressures on only 110 pass-rushing snaps. Further, Dean’s run defense was outstanding during Philadelphia’s championship season in 2024, as he compiled an 82.5 grade on the ground.
Although Walker’s grading profile is a bit more alarming for his price point — his PFF run-defense and coverage grades sat below 55.0 in 2025 — he’s an extremely reliable tackler. Since 2023, Walker’s 7.2% missed tackle rate ties for the fifth-lowest among linebackers with at least 200 tackles in that span.
As with Tennessee, there are doubts about whether either Dean or Walker will live up to their prodigious contracts over the next few years. Nevertheless, both will help reshape a linebacker room that was most recently 26th in overall PFF grade.
Washington Commanders defensive line
Last offseason, the Commanders’ efforts to better their defensive line — such as signing Javon Kinlaw and Von Miller — didn’t yield desired results, with Washington placing 27th in overall grade along its front four. Now, the team has gone back to the well.
The Commanders made a splash at edge rusher, signing former Raven and Charger Odafe Oweh on a four-year, $100 million pact. While Oweh’s grading throughout his five-year career has been somewhat inconsistent, he dominated with an 81.6 PFF pass-rush grade and 39 pressures in 13 games after being acquired by Los Angeles at the 2025 trade deadline. The former first-round pick’s presence will lift a room that ended the year 26th in pass-rush win rate.
Additionally, Washington brought in interior defender Tim Settle from the Texans. Settle generated only 17 pressures last year, but his 78.0 pass-rush grade was the 11th-best among interior defenders to play at least 200 pass-rushing snaps.
In 2025, the Commanders had no starting defensive lineman reach even a 69.0 pass-rush grade. The additions of Oweh and Settle should be big steps in the right direction for the unit, which may receive other touted prospects via the draft.
New York Jets defensive line
New York’s free-agent splurges didn’t just include its secondary. Mougey also acquired multiple impact players to better a defensive line that ranked 16th in overall PFF grade last season.
The interior of the Jets’ defensive line has specifically undergone a major makeover. The team signed former Falcon David Onyemata to a one-year contract, banking on his balanced efforts after producing a 74.2 PFF run-defense grade with a solid 9.7% pass-rush win rate in 2025. Further, the Jets acquired T’Vondre Sweat in exchange for Jermaine Johnson II, with the ex-Titan sporting a career 79.9 PFF run-defense grade.
Mougey also invested at edge defender, a group that placed 26th in PFF pass-rush grade a year ago. After trading away the aforementioned Johnson, New York signed Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare for a combined $46 million, shoring up the team’s depth at the position. Ossai recorded a 10.7% pass-rush win rate with the Bengals in 2025, and Enagbare has compiled at least 25 pressures in every season of his four-year career.
It’s fair to question the value of the contracts awarded to Ossai and Onyemata, both of which exceeded projections. However, New York’s front four should certainly be better both inside and out in 2026, with another addition potentially coming via the No. 2 overall pick in April.
Carolina Panthers linebackers
It can be difficult for just one player to alter the dynamic of a position group. But in the case of Devin Lloyd and the Panthers, that’s exactly what projects to happen.
After finishing 29th in overall PFF grade at linebacker last season, Carolina added the top free agent at the position in Lloyd. Since 2023, Lloyd’s 88.1 overall grade is the fifth-highest among linebackers to play 2,000 or more snaps. He found ways to elevate his game in 2025, securing his first career All-Pro nod after placing in the top 10 in both PFF coverage and run-defense grades at the position.
In signing Lloyd, Carolina secured a young, sideline-to-sideline leader that’s a major step up over the likes of Claudin Cherelus, Trevin Wallace and Christian Rozeboom. What makes Lloyd’s agreement even sweeter is that his three-year, $45 million deal is lower than many expected, reflecting tremendous value on a consistently great star who’s just 27.
Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack
Similar to Lloyd and the Panthers, the Chiefs’ signing of Kenneth Walker III should single-handedly revolutionize the team’s run game in 2026 and beyond.
Although Kansas City’s underlying rushing metrics weren’t necessarily bad — placing 11th in rushing EPA per play and eighth in rushing success rate — the team’s running backs were lackluster. When boiling down efficiency at the running back position, the Chiefs sat 27th in PFF rushing grade, 32nd in missed tackles forced and 31st in yards after contact per attempt during the 2025 campaign.
Enter Walker. The league’s second-highest-graded runner over the last four years, Walker excels in the exact parameters where Andy Reid’s offense was subpar. Since 2022, Walker ranks third in missed tackles forced (252) and seventh in yards after contact per attempt (3.1) at the position.
While the tandem of Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco was occasionally serviceable next to Patrick Mahomes, Walker offers an entirely distinct dimension in terms of consistent success, explosiveness and elusiveness at running back. The reigning Super Bowl MVP instantly raises the floor of the Chiefs’ offense as it looks to return to dynastic, big-play form.
Miami Dolphins quarterbacks
Most of the items on new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan’s to-do list have involved the Dolphins shedding payroll, including releasing the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb. Still, that didn’t prevent Miami from gaining a massive upgrade under center.
With Tagovailoa and Quinn Ewers assuming snaps at quarterback in 2025, the Dolphins produced the 27th-ranked PFF passing grade. On top of that, the pair combined to commit 30 turnover-worthy plays, the third-most of any room.
Consequently, Sullivan reunited with former Packers backup Malik Willis on a three-year, $67.5 million contract. Although Willis has appeared on just 314 snaps over the last two seasons, he’s performed at an outstanding level with an 85.8 overall PFF grade and a sparkling 79.9 passing mark. Encouragingly, Willis has committed just one turnover-worthy play across those 118 dropbacks while garnering five big-time throws.
Willis may not exactly align with the Dolphins’ broader roster timeline, and he still has questions to answer about the long-term extrapolation of his play. But based on his tenure in Green Bay, Willis figures to be both a high-floor and relatively low-risk option for Miami — with the potential to offer top-10 quarterback play as soon as 2026.
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