- Star quarterbacks offer plenty of optimism: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence and other quarterbacks headline the reasons their teams can feel confident entering 2026.
- Young talent could drive major improvements: Players such as Tetairoa McMillan, Caleb Williams, Laiatu Latu and Cam Ward give their teams reasons to believe another step forward is possible.
- Several contenders return loaded rosters: The Rams feature Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and a reinforced defense, while Denver returns PFF's top-ranked offensive line from 2025.
Every NFL team enters 2026 with a reason for optimism, whether it’s an MVP-winning quarterback in Los Angeles, the league’s top-ranked offensive line in Denver or a Cleveland draft class that landed four of the top 35 players on PFF’s final predictive board.
Pulled from PFF’s 2026 team previews, here is the strongest case for optimism for all 32 teams heading into the season.
Arizona Cardinals: Young offensive talent
The Cardinals‘ offense has plenty of young talent, led by left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. Three seasons into his NFL career, the former No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has earned PFF pass-blocking grades above 77.0 in each of the past two seasons. Marvin Harrison Jr. has also shown flashes through his first two NFL seasons. The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft earned PFF grades of 77.7 and 68.4, though he still sits behind tight end Trey McBride in Arizona’s target pecking order. In one of the NFL’s toughest divisions, however, this roster still needs time to develop.
Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson
Bijan Robinson remains one of the best running backs in football and is coming off a season in which he forced 86 missed tackles — 19 more than any other player at the position during the 2025 regular season. He also became a bigger factor in the passing game, averaging 1.88 yards per route run.
Baltimore Ravens: A healthy Lamar Jackson and a new-look staff
Jackson missing time and playing through injury clearly played a major role in the Ravens’ struggles last season, but a healthy Jackson paired with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle can rejuvenate the offense.
Doyle learned under Sean Payton and Ben Johnson, so expect the Ravens to lean more on three-receiver sets and use plenty of motion. It’s also worth noting that while Jackson had a down year, he earned a 91.4 PFF overall grade over his final four games of the season. That came just one year after he earned a 94.0 PFF overall grade and posted a 41-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Jesse Minter replacing John Harbaugh doesn’t just give the Ravens a fresh perspective at the top; it should also boost a defense that has struggled in recent years — Minter ran a Chargers defense that ranked inside the NFL’s top 10 in expected points added (EPA) allowed on defense in each of the past two seasons. Hendrickson should also provide a significant boost to the pass rush. He has earned a PFF pass-rush grade above 90.0 in each of the past three seasons, something no Ravens edge defender has accomplished since Elvis Dumervil in 2013.
Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen
Josh Allen is the first quarterback in 20 years of PFF grading to produce six straight 90.0-plus PFF grades, having accomplished the feat every year since 2020. His turnover-worthy play rate has declined in each of the past three seasons, reaching a new career low each year and rewriting the narrative surrounding his ability to protect the football. He is also one of the NFL’s best running quarterbacks, as he has put up a 90.0-plus PFF rushing grade in five straight seasons. Whether scrambling or converting in short-yardage situations, Allen has scored at least 14 rushing touchdowns in three straight seasons, including the playoffs, while forcing at least 20 missed tackles in each of the past five seasons.
Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan made an immediate impact in his first NFL season, leading all rookie wide receivers in receiving grade (79.2) and trailing only Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III with an average of 1.85 yards per route run. McMillan quickly established himself as Bryce Young’s favorite target, with his 126 targets across the regular season and playoffs twice as many as any other player on the Panthers’ roster.
Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams’ second-year jump
Williams took a significant step forward in 2025, improving his PFF grade from 67.6 as a rookie to 76.9 in his second NFL season. The improvement showed up across the board, but perhaps nowhere more clearly than in his pressure-to-sack rate. As a rookie, his 28.2% pressure-to-sack rate ranked second-worst among the 47 quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks. In 2025, that figure dropped to 9.6%, the third-best mark at the position.
It’s important to note that pressure-to-sack rate is not solely a quarterback stat, as scheme and the type and speed of pressure also play a role. Even so, it was an area Williams struggled with throughout his college career, making his improvement an encouraging sign.
With DJ Moore now in Buffalo, expectations will be high for Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III at wide receiver. Odunze improved both his PFF receiving grade and yards per route run from his rookie season to 2025, while Burden’s 2.34 yards per route run was a half-yard higher than any other rookie with at least 30 targets.
Cincinnati Bengals: An improved line and a rebuilt defense
The Bengals’ offensive line has been much maligned in recent years, but it performed at an average level in the second half of last season. From Weeks 10-18, just one starting offensive lineman earned a PFF overall grade below 60.0. That came after only one starter earned a PFF overall grade above 60.0 in the first half of the season.
The biggest improvement came in pass protection, where four of the Bengals’ five starters earned PFF pass-blocking grades of 74.0 or better. They shouldn’t be expected to field a top-five offensive line, but they have the potential to be an average unit in 2026.
The additions of Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook could be transformational for a Bengals defense that struggled throughout the first half of the 2025 season, even after losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency. The second half of last season also provided reason for optimism, with Myles Murphy producing the best stretch of his career and earning a 72.0 PFF overall grade over the final eight games of the season.
While not to the same extent, the Bengals also saw improvements from their rookie linebacker duo. Demetrious Knight and Barrett Carter earned PFF overall grades of 33.6 and 36.2, respectively, over the first nine weeks of the season before improving to 56.7 and 48.8 from Week 10 onward. That might not seem significant, but Knight ranked 58th among 58 qualifying linebackers in PFF overall grade during the first half of the season before improving to 35th among 55 in the second half. Carter improved from 56th among 58 to 48th among 55 over the same span.
Cleveland Browns: Building for the future
When looking for optimism with the Browns, it’s probably fair to look more to the future. That’s why the Myles Garrett trade made sense for Cleveland: it got a younger edge defender in return. While Verse might never reach Garrett’s peak, there’s a reasonable chance he will be the more impactful player by the time this roster is in a position to compete.
It was an impressive draft class for Cleveland, which landed four of the top 35 players on the final PFF predictive draft board. With the additional picks from the Garrett trade, the Browns have the chance to keep building.
Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens
Prescott is coming off another strong season and has shown little sign of slowing down in his 30s. He ranked fourth among quarterbacks in PFF passing grade in 2025 (85.4) and has now earned a PFF passing grade above 85.0 in two of the past three seasons.
With CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, the Cowboys boast one of the NFL’s best wide receiver duos. Pickens is coming off the best season of his career, posting career highs with an 87.2 PFF receiving grade and 2.35 yards per route run. Lamb missed time because of injury but still recorded 1,077 receiving yards while averaging 2.37 yards per route run.
Denver Broncos: The offensive line and the defense
The Broncos finished the 2025 season with PFF’s top-ranked offensive line and return their five best players up front in 2026. Left guard Ben Powers was the lowest-graded starter on the offensive line last year, and his 64.0 PFF grade still ranked 15th among left guards. Meanwhile, right guard Quinn Meinerz was the highest-graded guard in football, while Garett Bolles ranked fourth among left tackles.
They also have a tremendous defense, with rookie cornerback Jahdae Barron the only player on that side of the ball to earn a PFF grade below 60.0 while playing 300 or more snaps. The defense was highlighted by the pass-rushing ability of edge defender Nik Bonitto and interior defender Zach Allen, who combined for 164 pressures across the regular season and playoffs, as well as cornerback Pat Surtain II, who allowed just 37 receptions into his coverage over that same span.
Detroit Lions: Skill-position talent and Aidan Hutchinson
The Lions have one of the league’s best collections of skill-position talent, led by wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, who both ranked among the NFL’s top eight in receiving yards last season. At tight end, Sam LaPorta ranked fifth with a 2.00 yards-per-route-run average before an injury cut his season short. In the running game, Jahmyr Gibbs tied for third with 62 missed tackles forced during the regular season, despite the two players ahead of him logging at least 44 more carries.
Defensively, the Lions are anchored by one of the NFL’s premier edge defenders in Aidan Hutchinson. The second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has earned PFF pass-rush grades above 90.0 in each of the past three seasons. He generated 101 and 100 total pressures in 2023 and 2025, respectively, and was on pace for 153 during the 2024 regular season before suffering a serious leg injury. Entering 2026 fully healthy, Hutchinson has the potential to challenge the PFF single-season record for total pressures.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love and Tucker Kraft
The Packers have plenty of talent on offense, and tight end Tucker Kraft enjoyed a breakout before an injury ended his 2025 season. His 2.33 yards per route run trailed only Dalton Kincaid of the Buffalo Bills, and he ranked second on the team in targets before suffering the injury. Quarterback Jordan Love is coming off the highest-graded season of his career, ranking fourth among all quarterbacks in PFF overall grade (88.8) and third in passing grade (88.7). His 5.9% big-time throw rate ranked sixth at the position, while his 2.6% turnover-worthy play rate was tied for the ninth lowest.
At just 27 years old, Love appears well positioned to sustain that level of play over the next few seasons.
Houston Texans: Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter
In Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, the Texans boast two of the five highest-graded edge defenders in football. Anderson’s 102 total pressures across the regular season and playoffs were the most by any NFL player, while his 93.4 PFF overall grade led all defensive players. Hunter wasn’t far behind, ranking fifth among edge defenders with an 89.9 PFF grade while generating 92 total pressures across the regular season and playoffs. Anderson produced pressure on 19.3% of his pass-rushing snaps, with Hunter close behind at 16.3%. They were the NFL’s only edge defender duo to each earn a PFF pass-rush grade above 85.0 in 2025, and they are well positioned to wreak havoc on opposing offenses once again in 2026.
Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu’s leap
Laiatu Latu took a significant step forward in his second NFL season, improving across multiple key metrics. His PFF grade jumped from 72.1 as a rookie to 84.1 in Year 2, while his run-defense grade increased by nine points and his pass-rush grade improved by 4.9. His pressure rate also climbed from 10.1% to 14.0%, and 20 of his pressures resulted in sacks or quarterback hits, up from 13 the previous season. If Latu takes another step forward in 2026, he could establish himself among the league’s next tier of edge defenders just below the NFL’s elite.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence is coming off the best season of his NFL career, setting career highs with an 83.7 PFF overall grade and an 80.5 PFF passing grade. His overall mark ranked seventh among quarterbacks, but from Week 13 onward he was the highest-graded passer in the league with a 92.6 PFF grade.
During that stretch, Lawrence posted a 7.7% big-time throw rate, tied for the third highest in the NFL, while his 1.5% turnover-worthy play rate ranked fourth lowest. Lawrence’s late-season surge coincided with the arrival of Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline, giving Jacksonville a much stronger receiving corps.
Meyers, Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. earned PFF receiving grades of 73.2, 85.1 and 66.6, respectively. Their presence also allows second-year player Travis Hunter to spend more time at cornerback, where he was more effective as a rookie, earning a 73.2 PFF grade compared to a 62.2 mark at wide receiver.
Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes’ return
Despite coming off the lowest-graded season of his career, Patrick Mahomes being expected to return for the start of the season is a huge boost to the Chiefs’ chances of reclaiming the AFC West. His 76.0 PFF grade in 2025 tied for just 16th at the position, well below the standard he has set throughout his career. For the first time since his emergence as an NFL superstar, there are legitimate questions about whether Mahomes is still the best quarterback in football. His track record remains remarkable, though, with seven seasons featuring a PFF grade above 80.0 since 2018, including five at 90.0 or higher. A return to that level would go a long way toward putting Kansas City back among the AFC’s top contenders.
Las Vegas Raiders: Maxx Crosby's not going anywhere
After a proposed trade to the Baltimore Ravens fell through, Maxx Crosby returns as the most important player on the Raiders’ defense. Crosby’s PFF grade has dipped below 80.0 in each of the past two seasons after three straight years above 90.0, but he remains one of the best all-around edge defenders in the NFL. He has earned PFF grades above 70.0 both as a pass-rusher and run defender in five consecutive seasons.
Los Angeles Chargers: The offensive line is back to full strength
The Chargers got just 312 snaps from Joe Alt last season, with the offensive tackle having already moved from the right side to the left to replace Rashawn Slater, who missed the entire year. Both are expected to return to the starting lineup in 2026, giving Los Angeles what could be the best tackle duo in football. In 2024, Slater’s 91.1 PFF grade ranked second among tackles, while Alt earned a 77.6 mark that ranked 20th as a rookie.
Their return should significantly boost the passing game. Justin Herbert faced pressure on 288 dropbacks across the regular season and playoffs last year, the most of any quarterback in the NFL. He earned a 91.0 PFF grade when kept clean, tied for fifth at the position, compared with a 53.1 grade under pressure that ranked 17th.
Herbert wasn’t necessarily a disaster under pressure, but the sheer volume he faced was crippling for the offense. With Slater and Alt returning alongside the other improvements up front, the Chargers’ offense has a much higher ceiling in 2026.
Los Angeles Rams: A loaded roster
This is an absolutely loaded roster. At quarterback, the Rams have Matthew Stafford, who led the NFL with a 93.7 PFF passing grade last season. At wide receiver, they have Puka Nacua, who led the league with 3.57 yards per route run across the regular season and playoffs in 2025. The talent extends to the defensive side of the ball. The Rams return seven of the eight defenders who earned PFF grades above 70.0 while playing at least 450 snaps last season, then added Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett to that group.
While they traded away Jared Verse, Byron Young more than proved he can carry the load off the edge, earning an 81.2 PFF pass-rush grade and generating 74 pressures. On the interior, Kobie Turner added an 83.9 PFF pass-rush grade and 69 pressures of his own.
Miami Dolphins: Young talent
The 2026 season could be a challenging year for the Dolphins, but if there’s cause for optimism, it’s the young talent already on the roster. De’Von Achane is one of the best running backs in football despite still being just 24 years old. He rushed for 1,350 yards in 2025, with 4.1 of his 5.7 yards per carry coming after contact. Three seasons into his career, he has yet to earn a PFF grade below 80.0. Meanwhile, left tackle Patrick Paul took a significant step forward in his second season, improving his PFF grade from 44.9 as a rookie to 66.2 last season. They also had a really strong draft, as seven of the players they drafted earned PFF grades above 75.0 in their final seasons in college. It wouldn’t be a huge shock to see six or more of this class wind up as starters by the time the 2027 NFL season begins.
Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson and Dallas Turner
Despite inconsistent quarterback play last season, Justin Jefferson extended his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career. It was the first season of his career in which he averaged fewer than 2.50 yards per route run, finishing at 1.88. That underscores the importance of getting the quarterback position right, and if the Vikings do, Jefferson should return to producing at an elite level.
The Vikings also saw significant growth from second-year edge defender Dallas Turner. The 17th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft earned a 70.2 PFF pass-rush grade after posting a 55.2 mark as a rookie. He generated 42 total pressures on 288 pass-rushing snaps.
New England Patriots: Drake Maye and the offseason around him
Drake Maye took a major step forward in his second NFL season, finishing the year with an 80.7 PFF grade that ranked eighth among quarterbacks. His 4.9% big-time throw rate ranked 11th in the league, and if he can cut down on the turnover-worthy plays after posting a 3.3% turnover-worthy play rate that tied for 23rd last season, he could take another significant step forward in 2026. The Patriots dedicated the offseason to building around him, with the additions of A.J. Brown, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Romeo Doubs upgrading three key spots on offense.
There were questions surrounding left tackle Will Campbell’s finish to the season, though many of those stemmed from the injury he was playing through late in the year. There’s no denying he endured a difficult final three-game stretch, earning a 40.8 PFF grade from the divisional round through the Super Bowl. Before that, he led all rookie offensive tackles in PFF grade (74.0), giving the Patriots every reason to expect him to return to that form now that he is fully healthy.
New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough
Tyler Shough was comfortably the best rookie quarterback in the NFL last season, with his 73.1 PFF passing grade finishing 6.9 points higher than the next-best first-year signal-caller. His biggest strength was keeping the ball out of harm’s way, as his 2.0% turnover-worthy play rate was not only the best among rookies but tied for fourth among all quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks. The next step in 2026 will be creating more big plays. Shough’s 3.8% big-time throw rate ranked just 27th at the position, leaving room for him to become a more dynamic passer in his second season.
New York Giants: The 2025 draft class
There was plenty to like about the Giants’ 2025 draft class, with several rookies making an immediate impact. Jaxson Dart earned a 68.1 PFF grade, the second-best mark among rookie quarterbacks, while his 5.2% big-time throw rate led all rookies with at least 100 dropbacks and ranked ninth among all quarterbacks.
Running back Cam Skattebo also impressed. His 80.5 PFF grade led all rookie running backs, and he proved incredibly difficult to bring down, averaging 4.1 yards per carry with 3.04 of those yards coming after contact. On defense, edge defender Abdul Carter wasted no time making his presence felt. His 84.5 PFF pass-rush grade ranked 10th among all edge defenders, while his 66 pressures ranked 11th at the position during the regular season.
New York Jets: The draft class
Like the Miami Dolphins, optimism surrounding the Jets in the AFC East should be more focused on the future than the 2026 season itself. On paper, they drafted well, and one rookie who could make an immediate impact is cornerback D'Angelo Ponds. Ponds is projected to play primarily in the slot because of his size, but he proved he could hold up on the outside in college, earning 85.0-plus PFF coverage grades in all three of his collegiate seasons. He also allowed just a 42.0 NFL passer rating on throws into his coverage last season at Indiana.
Philadelphia Eagles: The offensive tackle tandem
The Eagles boast arguably the best offensive tackle tandem in the NFL. Left tackle Jordan Mailata has earned PFF grades above 80.0 in five straight seasons. While he is at his best as a run blocker, he remains an excellent pass protector, allowing just 28 pressures on 601 pass-blocking snaps in 2025. Lane Johnson missed time last season, but he continued to perform at an elite level at 35 years of age. He earned a PFF pass-blocking grade above 80.0 for the sixth straight season, with 2019 marking the last time he fell below that threshold. Johnson allowed just seven pressures on 262 pass-blocking snaps in 2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The setup around Aaron Rodgers
If you were looking to create the best conditions for a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers to make a final run as an NFL quarterback, it would be this. Metcalf and Pittman can both win downfield, especially on those back-shoulder throws Rodgers has trademarked throughout his career. The offensive line has some question marks, notably Troy Fautanu moving back to the left side he manned in college after playing exclusively right tackle in his first two NFL seasons, but this is a unit that finished 2025 as the eighth-ranked group in PFF’s offensive line rankings.
On defense, Pittsburgh knows how to get after the quarterback, with five players in its defensive front who earned PFF pass-rush grades of 75.0 or better on at least 350 pass-rush snaps. With Jamel Dean now completing an impressive cornerback trio, too, this is a defense that looks strong at all three levels.
San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy
Brock Purdy has been in the NFL for four seasons and has earned a PFF passing grade above 75.0 in each of them. While he is not quite in the league’s elite tier at quarterback, we’ve already seen that his level of play is good enough to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl. Surrounded by this roster and operating in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, Purdy gives San Francisco everything it needs to remain a legitimate contender. Ideally, he’ll rediscover the playmaking he showed in 2023, when his 5.5% big-time throw rate set a career high.
Seattle Seahawks: The receiving trio and Macdonald’s defense
By re-signing Rashid Shaheed, the Seahawks have kept one of the NFL’s best wide receiver trios intact. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a season in which he ranked second only to the Rams’ Puka Nacua in yards per route run (3.42) and PFF receiving grade (93.2). The group is also remarkably sure-handed, having combined for just eight drops on 268 catchable targets across the regular season and playoffs. Despite the departures on defense, the Seahawks should continue to feel confident on that side of the ball with Mike Macdonald leading the unit. Twelve defenders played at least 300 snaps and earned PFF grades above 70.0 last season, and 10 of them return in 2026. That continuity should keep Seattle among the NFL’s elite defenses.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Edge depth and the receiving corps
There is plenty to like about the Buccaneers’ depth on the edge following the additions of Rueben Bain Jr. and Al-Quadin Muhammad. YaYa Diaby has impressed over the past two seasons, generating 70 pressures in 2024 and 62 in 2025. Tampa Bay also gets David Walker back after he missed his entire rookie season. Walker earned PFF pass-rush grades above 90.0 in each of his final three seasons at Central Arkansas, giving the Buccaneers another intriguing option in what should be a deep rotation.
Despite the departure of Mike Evans, Tampa Bay still has a talented wide receiver corps. Chris Godwin is now 30 and has battled injuries in recent seasons, but he has dropped just 4.3% of his catchable targets over his career. Emeka Egbuka showed plenty of promise as a rookie, averaging 1.75 yards per route run, while Jalen McMillan returned from an injury-plagued second season to average 2.14 yards per route run over the final four games. The departure of Evans leaves the Buccaneers without the size he provided as a prototypical X receiver, but rookie Ted Hurst gives them another bigger-bodied option. The former Georgia State standout recorded 33 contested catches over his final two college seasons.
Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward’s late-season growth
Cam Ward’s 58.4 PFF grade as a rookie ranked third among first-year quarterbacks, trailing only Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints and Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants. There were encouraging signs of progress as the season wore on, however, with Ward earning a 64.2 PFF grade from Week 12 onward, the second-highest mark among rookie quarterbacks.
During that stretch, his 4.1% big-time throw rate was tied for second among rookies and tied for 18th among all quarterbacks. The biggest area for improvement entering his second season is ball security. Ward’s turnover-worthy play rate ranked 28th among the 45 quarterbacks who logged at least 100 dropbacks in 2025, and cutting down on those mistakes will be key to taking the next step in his development.
Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels
We know Jayden Daniels can perform at an elite level in the NFL because he showed it as a rookie in 2024. He earned a 90.6 PFF grade that season and posted grades above 80.0 both as a passer and as a runner. His 1.5% turnover-worthy play rate led all quarterbacks as a rookie. That figure increased to 3.0% in his second season, tying for 16th, but he has already shown he can protect the football at a high level. If Daniels can stay healthy in 2026, he has every chance to return to the form he displayed during his rookie campaign.
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