Ranking the Best and Worst Divisions After NFL Free Agency

Is the NFC West the best? Many teams have improved since the initial wave of signings, but here’s where things stand with the draft only three weeks away.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws a pass during the first quarter against the 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Seahawks are having the ultimate offseason. Not only did they hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February, but they also watched their biggest rivals give up many resources to keep pace with them in the division. 

The Rams lost a first-round pick and then handed Trent McDuffie a market-setting four-year, $124 million contract. The 49ers are betting on Mike Evans still having plenty left in the tank after agreeing to a three-year, $42.5 million contract with the 32-year-old receiver. 

These moves could either backfire or give us another entertaining three-team race in the loaded NFC West. 

But is the NFC West the best division in football? Many teams improved after the first wave of free agency, and as we get closer to the 2026 draft.

Here’s how we view the divisions at the moment, from Nos. 8 to 1.

8. NFC South

This might be the only division that doesn’t have a true Super Bowl contender. 

The Buccaneers are talented, but they usually play down to the competition level of the teams in the weakest division in football, which might explain why the NFC South seems to constantly come down to the final weeks of the regular season. 

You could make a case for the Panthers as the new top dog in the division, not because they won it last season. (They probably shouldn't brag about that anyway, because they won via a three-way tiebreaker after posting an 8–9 record.) Carolina made splash moves in free agency, with the additions of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. However, it’s difficult to trust a team led by inconsistent quarterback Bryce Young. 

The Saints are on the rise after Tyler Shough’s impressive rookie season at quarterback. Still, this roster needs plenty of work before it can become a legitimate playoff contender. 

Then there are the Falcons, who have made several head-scratching decisions throughout their eight-year postseason drought. Now, their 2026 season hinges on Michael Penix Jr. recovering from another ACL injury, as well as showing vast improvements, or Tua Tagovailoa having a comeback season after flaming out in Miami.

7. NFC East

The Commanders and Giants are two of the most improved teams this offseason. However, this division still appears to be a one-team race with the Eagles well ahead of the pack.

Perhaps the Commanders regain their 2024 form if they get a healthy season from Jayden Daniels, who played only seven games last season. But the offense lacks weapons, and there’s a new offensive coordinator, David Blough, taking over for Kliff Kingsbury. 

With the Giants, there are too many ifs because they will have no shot of competing if wide receiver Malik Nabers, running back Cam Skattebo and left tackle Andrew Thomas can’t stay healthy. That doesn’t even include Jaxson Dart’s knack for putting his body in harm’s way. But good coaching usually leads to depth and players stepping up, and that’s what New York could get with new coach John Harbaugh. 

As for the Cowboys, they continue to make moves, yet they still seem stuck in a mediocre cycle. They made a series of strange decisions, including trading away defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and acquiring edge rusher Rashan Gary.

And there’s the possibility of the Eagles, the back-to-back NFC East champions, regressing if they decide to trade A.J. Brown, whose contract will be easier to move the closer we get to June 1.

The Jaguars and Texans played a pair of tight games in 2025, signifying how competitive the AFC South was on the whole. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

6. AFC South

Surprisingly, this was a competitive division last year with the Texans, Jaguars and Colts in the mix during the final weeks of the regular season. But this trio either got worse or stayed stagnant after the first wave of free agency. 

The Jaguars, last year’s AFC South champions, let running back Travis Etienne Jr. leave for New Orleans and stayed relatively quiet in March. Maybe they’re banking on a breakout season from two-way player Travis Hunter, who had his rookie season cut short due to injury. And rumors continue to swirl about a potential trade involving wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

The Colts went all in on re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, but in order to do that, they needed to trade wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh to create cap space. It’s not a certainty that Indianapolis kept the better wideout.

As for the Texans, their defense will likely be a dominant unit again. However, as we found out last year, the defense still needs decent quarterback play to advance in the postseason, which they didn’t receive from C.J. Stroud. To make matters worse, Stroud will again have to play behind a reshuffled offensive line. Houston desperately needs a strong season from newcomer right tackle Braden Smith, who spent the past eight years in Indianapolis.

The Titans were the only team in the division to get better, at least on paper, during free agency. With new coach Robert Saleh getting a surplus of defensive talent, they might have a shot at joining the AFC South race in 2026.

5. AFC North

It’s tough to get a read on the AFC North. The Ravens and Bengals will get plenty of hype heading into training camp because of star quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.

But, usually, around this time of year, many forget that Burrow is on the same team that has one of the worst defenses in the league. After losing edge rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency, Cincinnati appears to have the worst defensive front in football. 

Hendrickson now plays for the Ravens, but they lost plenty of Super Bowl buzz after backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade with the Raiders. As for an underrated storyline, who knows how this team will perform under first-year coach Jesse Minter, who’s replacing a coach who held his position for 18 seasons and won a Super Bowl.  

Until the Steelers gain a superstar quarterback, they won’t get the same attention as the Ravens and Bengals. But the reigning AFC North champions were, without a doubt, the most improved team in the division last month. Pittsburgh added Pittman, running back Rico Dowdle, and defensive backs Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker. Now, if they can find a quarterback under the age of 40 and not named Mason Rudolph or Will Howard, perhaps this team has a shot at ending the one-and-done postseason streak that goes back a decade. 

And the Browns are the Browns. They still believe Deshaun Watson can revive his career in Cleveland. 

4. AFC East

This is a top-heavy division with two legitimate Super Bowl contenders and two teams potentially fighting for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft.

The Jets and Dolphins made notable moves at quarterback, adding Geno Smith and Malik Willis. But they appear to be placeholder signal-callers based on all the holes these two rosters have less than a month away from this year’s draft. 

Miami doesn’t have a recognizable name in the secondary after trading Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets, whose offseason strategy was to gain as many veteran names as possible and hope for the best. Also, the Dolphins traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos, giving Willis one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL.

The Patriots, last year’s division and conference champions, addressed two of their biggest needs by signing wide receiver Romeo Doubs and defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones. They even strengthened their secondary with the addition of safety Kevin Byard III. But they took a gamble trading center Garrett Bradbury to Chicago and moving Jared Wilson from guard to center. 

The Bills appear to be the best team in the AFC East thanks to the splash trade for wide receiver DJ Moore, who immediately becomes Josh Allen’s top target. Buffalo also improved on defense with the signing of Bradley Chubb, but he will turn 30 in June and has dealt with injuries in recent seasons. 

The Broncos beat the Chiefs twice in 2025 en route to their first AFC West title in a decade. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

3. AFC West

The Broncos went from a quiet offseason to a favorite to win the Super Bowl after the blockbuster trade for Waddle, which came well after the first wave of free agency. 

Still, expect the AFC West to be a competitive race. Maybe even the Raiders can make a playoff push with all the moves they made—and didn’t end up making, such as the failed Crosby trade.

Fernando Mendoza, whom the Raiders will likely select with the No. 1 pick in the draft, will get to play with center Tyler Linderbaum, the team’s prized free-agent addition, and running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers. If Crosby sticks around for good, he’ll be teammates with new linebackers Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean. 

The Chargers had an underwhelming free agency, but coach Jim Harbaugh usually finds a way to keep his team competitive, especially if he can keep his offensive line healthy. 

As for the Chiefs, they’re somewhat of a wildcard because everything hinges on how quickly Patrick Mahomes recovers from the significant knee injury he sustained in December. Kansas City should be more of an offensive-heavy team with the arrival of running back Kenneth Walker III and the departures of cornerbacks McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.

The AFC West will again be a strong division, but the Broncos remain the favorite to win the division in back-to-back seasons thanks to their dominant defense and surging offense. 

2. NFC North

The Bears have plenty of competition to repeat as NFC North champions, because this might be the only division where every team can finish either first or last.

The Vikings executed the biggest move among the four teams, signing Kyler Murray after his release from the Cardinals. Murray should give Minnesota a sizable bump at the position, but first, he’ll need to beat out 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy for the starting job. 

If the Lions can land a quality left tackle in the draft, they’ll be in position to recover from their disappointing 2025 season. They signed center Cade Mays to fill a critical need for one of the best rosters in the league. 

The Packers and Bears weren’t as active as other teams in free agency due to limited cap space. Chicago traded Moore and saw the abrupt retirement of center Drew Dalman, whom the team replaced with Bradbury. But the Bears improved their secondary, signing of safety Coby Bryant.

And Green Bay decided not to retain Gary, Quay Walker, offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins and tackle Rasheed Walker. However, the Packers did acquire linebacker Zaire Franklin in a trade with the Colts and signed defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.

Despite slow offseasons, the Packers and Bears still have attractive rosters with young talent at various positions, including quarterbacks Jordan Love and Caleb Williams. And let’s not forget the two teams' heated coaching rivalry between Matt LaFleur and Ben Johnson.

1. NFC West

The 49ers and Rams were very active this offseason, hoping to dethrone the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks. 

All three of these teams won at least 12 games last year, with Seattle finishing first with a 14–3 record before winning Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks lost some key contributors in free agency, including Bryant, Kenneth Walker III, edge rusher Boye Mafe and cornerback Riq Woolen. However, Seattle can withstand these losses because the tandem of coach Mike Macdonald and GM John Schneider has been successful at building depth across the roster. 

There are reasons why L.A. and San Francisco didn’t stand pat in free agency. The Rams pulled off the blockbuster trade for McDuffie, and followed by signing Watson a week later. With those two moves alone, the Rams could now have the strongest roster in the NFL. 

As for the 49ers, they made a pair of splash moves by signing Evans and trading for Odighizuwa. If they can resolve the contract dilemma with left tackle Trent Williams, this team will again be in the mix for a Super Bowl.

The Cardinals are the forgotten fourth team that will start over after cutting Murray and hiring coach Mike LaFleur. At the moment, it seems Arizona is content with having Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II be its top options at quarterback.