NFL 2026 Season Preview

Standings

NFC EAST
x-Dallas Cowboys 11-6
y-Philadelphia Eagles 11-6
New York Giants 7-10
Washington Commanders 5-12

NFC NORTH
x-Chicago Bears 13-4
y-Minnesota Vikings 10-7
Detroit Lions 8-9
Green Bay Packers 7-10

NFC SOUTH
x-New Orleans Saints 9-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-10
Atlanta Falcons 6-11
Carolina Panthers 5-12

NFC WEST
x-Los Angeles Rams 13-4
y-Seattle Seahawks 12-5
San Francisco 49ers 10-7
Arizona Cardinals 4-13

AFC EAST
x-Buffalo Bills 12-5
y-New England Patriots 11-6
New York Jets 5-12
Miami Dolphins 2-15

AFC NORTH
x-Cincinnati Bengals 11-6
y-Baltimore Ravens 10-7
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-7
Cleveland Browns 4-13

AFC SOUTH
x-Jacksonville Jaguars 11-6
Houston Texans 9-8
Tennessee Titans 9-8
Indianapolis Colts 6-11

AFC WEST
x-Kansas City Chiefs 11-6
y-Denver Broncos 11-6
Los Angeles Chargers 7-10
Las Vegas Raiders 5-12

Playoff Predictions

NFC Wild Card	NFC Divisional	NFC Championship
4 – New Orleans Saints vs. 5 – Seattle Seahawks
	1 – Los Angeles Rams vs. 5 – Seattle Seahawks
3 – Dallas Cowboys vs. 6 – Philadelphia Eagles		1 – Los Angeles Rams vs. 2 – Chicago Bears
	2 – Chicago Bears vs. 3 – Dallas Cowboys
2 – Chicago Bears vs. 7 – Minnesota Vikings

AFC Wild Card	AFC Divisional	AFC Championship
4 – Cincinnati Bengals vs. 5 – Denver Broncos
	1 – Buffalo Bills vs. 5 – Denver Broncos
3 – Kansas City vs. 6 – New England		1 – Buffalo Bills vs. 2 – Jacksonville Jaguars
	2 – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. 3 – Kansas City
2 – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. 7 – Baltimore Ravens

SUPER BOWL LXI:
SoFi Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
ABC/ESPN – Sunday, February 14, 2027
LOS ANGELES RAMS over Jacksonville Jaguars

Award Predictions

MVP: Joe Burrow, CIN
Offensive Player of the Year: Bijan Robinson, ATL
Defensive Player of the Year: Will Anderson Jr., HOU
Protector of the Year: Penei Sewell, DET
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jeremiyah Love, ARI
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Downs, DAL
Comeback Player of the Year: Patrick Mahomes, KC
Coach of the Year: Ben Johnson, CHI

Roster Projections

NFC

Dallas Cowboys

HC: Brian Schottenheimer
2nd year as Cowboys HC
Career/Team record: 7-9-1
AGE: 53

OC: Klayton Adams
2nd year as Cowboys OC – AGE: 43
DC: Christian Parker
1st year as Cowboys DC – AGE: 34

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#4	Dak Prescott	Mississippi State 11th year, Age: 32	30 TDs, 10 INTs, 4.552 yds, 70.2 QBR 177 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#33	Javonte Williams	North Carolina 6th year, Age: 26	252 carries, 1,201 yds, 11 TDs 35 receptions, 137 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#88	CeeDee Lamb	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 27	75 receptions, 1,077 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#3	George Pickens	Georgia 5th year, Age: 25	93 receptions, 1,429 yds, 9 TDs
WR	#19	Ryan Fluornoy	SE Missouri St. 3rd year, Age: 26	40 receptions, 474 yds, 4 TDs 4 carries, 25 yds
TE	#87	Jake Ferguson	Wisconsin 5th year, Age: 27	82 receptions, 600 yds, 8 TDs
G	#73	Tyler Smith	Tulsa 5th year, Age: 25
G	#52	Tyler Booker	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 22
C	#56	Cooper Beebe	Kansas State 3rd year, Age: 25
T	#60	Tyler Guyton	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 25
T	#78	Terence Steele	Texas Tech 7th year, Age: 29

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#7	Rashan Gary	Michigan 8th year, Age: 28	7.5 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 7 TFL – (GB)
DE (EDGE)	#41	Donovan Ezeiruaku	Boston College 2nd year, Age: 22	2 Sacks, 40 Tackles, 1 FF, 9 TFL
DT	#92	Quinnen Williams	Alabama 8th year, Age: 28	2.5 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 FF 1 PD, 10 TFL – (NYJ/DAL)
DT	#95	Kenny Clark	UCLA 11th year, Age: 30	3 Sacks, 36 Tackles, 6 TFL
ILB	#53	Dee Winters	TCU 4th year, Age: 25	101 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 5 PD 8 TFL – (SF)
ILB	#57	Malachi Lawrence (R)	UCF Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P23 by DAL
CB	#26	DaRon Bland	Fresno State 5th year, Age: 26	73 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 6 PD 3 TFL
CB	#2	Cobie Durant	South Carolina St. 5th year, Age: 28	40 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 FR 7 PD, 1 TFL – (LAR)
S	#28	Malik Hooker	Ohio State 10th year, Age: 30	52 Tackles, 1 PD, 2 TFL
S	#18	Caleb Downs (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P11 by DAL
S (NB)	#34	Jalen Thompson	Washington State 8th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 95 Tackles, 1 FF, 6 PD 2 TFL – (ARI)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#17	Brandon Aubrey	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 31	47/48 XP, 36/42 FG — 11/17 50+
P	#5	Bryan Anger	California 15th year, Age: 37	41 punts, 1,994 yds, 14 <20
KR	#9	KaVontae Turpin	TCU 5th year, Age: 29	69 attempts, 1,814 yds
PR	#9	KaVontae Turpin	TCU 5th year, Age: 29	10 attempts, 55 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Sam Howell – #16 (North Carolina, 5th year, Age: 25)
HB: Emari Demercado (TCU, 4th year, Age: 27
HB: Malik Davis – #43 (Florida, 3rd year, Age: 27)
FB: Hunter Luepke – #40 (North Dakota State, 4th year, Age: 26)
TE: Luke Schoonmaker – #86 (Michigan, 4th year, Age: 27)
DE: Jonathan Bullard – #98 (Florida, 11th year, Age: 32)
ILB: Shemar Jones – #50 (Florida, 2nd year, Age: 22)
OLB: Von Miller – #40 (Texas A&M, 16th year, Age: 37)
OLB: James Houston – #53 (Jackson State, 5th year, Age: 27)
S: Markquese Bell – #14 (Florida A&M, 5th year, Age: 27)
S: P.J. Locke – #1 (Texas, 7th year, Age: 29)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Dak Prescott
Addition: OLB Rashan Gary
Breakout Player: S Caleb Downs
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Pass attack, run prevention, secondary
Weaknesses: Offensive line, pass rush, RB depth

The Cowboys’ consistency of mediocrity hit it’s peak in 2025 after getting off to a hot start only to finish 7-9-1. Dak was healthy, and a dynamic receiving duo of Lamb and Pickens headlined one of the most explosive offenses in football. It still wasn’t enough, as they enter Prescott’s age-32 season looking to capitalize on a wide open division. Pickens returns on the franchise tag, while Javonte Williams was extended after rushing for a career year in 2025. The offensive line will be the main issue, a core that his been depleted with injuries and retirements. Tyler Smith will headline the bunch in a core that is young and looking to improve their protection for Dak.

The defense, especially the secondary, was the main cause for concern last year, and they definitely tried to address it this offseason. The loss of Micah Parsons was huge, but the deadline acquisition of Quinnen Williams added to Kenny Clark should prevent the run very well. Edge rusher Rashan Gary was brought in to lead the pass rush and give them a big playmaker. Their two first round picks were both used on defense, with Caleb Downs added to the secondary and Malachi Lawrence likely becoming an on-ball linebacker. The secondary is now mightily improved with the additions of Cobie Durant, Jalen Thompson, and P.J. Locke. Dallas should have a good shot of winning the division, but it’s tough to predict them to do so based on all of their letdowns. Although, I do think the Eagles take a step back, the Cowboys will likely need a Wild Card to get into the playoffs.

New York Giants

HC: John Harbaugh
1st year as Giants HC, 19th year as a HC (Baltimore ’08-’25)
Career record: 180-113, Career Playoff record: 13-11
AGE: 64

OC: Matt Nagy
1st year as Giants OC, 6th year as an OC, 4 years as Bears HC – AGE: 48
DC: Dennard Wilson
1st year as Giants DC, 3rd year as a DC – AGE: 44

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#6	Jaxson Dart	Ole Miss 2nd year, Age: 23	15 TDs, 5 INTs, 2,272 yds, 57.5 QBR 487 rush yds, 9 TDs
HB	#44	Cam Skattebo	Arizona State 2nd year, Age: 24	101 carries, 410 yds, 5 TDs 24 receptions, 207 yds, 2 TDs
FB	#45	Patrick Ricard	Maine 10th year, Age: 32	1 carry, 3 yds 1 reception, 8 yds – (BAL)
WR	#1	Malik Nabers*	LSU 3rd year, Age: 22	4 GP, 18 receptions, 271 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#17	Darnell Mooney	Tulane 7th year, Age: 28	32 receptions, 443 yds, 1 TD – (ATL)
TE	#9	Isaiah Likely	Coastal Carolina 5th year, Age: 26	27 receptions, 307 yds, 1 TD – (BAL)
G	#76	Jon Runyan	Michigan 7th year, Age: 28
G	#65	Francis Mauigoa (R)	Miami Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P10 by NYG
C	#61	John Michael Schmitz	Minnesota 4th year, Age: 27
T	#78	Andrew Thomas	Georgia 7th year, Age: 27
T	#72	Jermaine Eluemunor	Texas A&M 10th year, Age: 31

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#0	Brian Burns	Florida State 8th year, Age: 28	16.5 Sacks, 67 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR 7 PD, 22 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#5	Kayvon Thibodeaux	Oregon 5th year, Age: 25	2.5 Sacks, 25 Tackles, 2 PD, 5 TFL
DT (DL)	#95	Roy Robertson-Harris	UTEP 10th year, Age: 32	35 Tackles, 1 PD, 3 TFL
DT (DL)	#91	Darius Alexander	Toledo 2nd year, Age: 25	3.5 Sacks, 20 Tackles, 1 PD, 4 TFL
MLB	#49	Tremaine Edmunds	Virginia Tech 9th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 112 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FR 9 PD, 3 TFL – (CHI)
OLB	#52	Arvell Reese (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 20	DRAFTED: R1 P5 by NYG
OLB	#3	Abdul Carter	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 22	4 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 FR 7 TFL
CB	#20	Greg Newsome II	Northwestern 6th year, Age: 26	52 Tackles, 1 INT, 9 PD, 2 TFL – (CLE/JAX)
CB	#21	Paulson Adebo	Stanford 6th year, Age: 27	73 Tackles, 1 INT, 8 PD, 1 TFL
S	#8	Jevon Holland	Oregon 6th year, Age: 26	63 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD
S	#27	Tyler Nubin	Minnesota 3rd year, Age: 25	78 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FR, 2 PD 7 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#34	Dominic Zvada (R)	Michigan Rookie, Age: 22	UNDRAFTED in 2026
P	#15	Jordan Stout	Penn State 5th year, Age: 27	53 punts, 2,657 yds, 24 <20 – (BAL)
KR	#2	Deonte Banks	Maryland 4th year, Age: 25	19 attempts, 622 yds, 1 TD
PR	#8	Jevon Holland	Oregon 6th year, Age: 26	2 attempts, 7 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jameis Winston – #19 (Florida State, 12th year, Age: 32)
HB: Tyrone Tracy Jr. – #29 (Purdue, 3rd year, Age: 26)
HB: Najee Harris – #22 (Alabama, 6th year, Age: 28)
HB: Devin Singletary – #26 (Florida Atlantic, 8th year, Age: 28)
WR: Calvin Austin III** – #82 (Memphis, 5th year, Age: 27)
WR: Odell Beckham Jr. – #3 (LSU, 11th year, Age: 33)
WR: Gunner Olszewski*** – #80 (Bemidji State, 8th year, Age: 29)
TE: Theo Johnson – #84 (Penn State, 3rd year, Age: 25)
DE: Chauncey Golston – #57 (Iowa, 6th year, Age: 28)
DT: D.J. Reader – #98 (Clemson, 11th year, Age: 32)
DT: Shelby Harris – #93 (Illinois State, 12th year, Age: 34)
ILB: Micah McFadden – #41 (Indiana, 5th year, Age: 26)
CB: Deonte Banks – #2 (Maryland, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Dru Phillips – #22 (Kentucky, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Colton Hood – #12 (Tennessee, Rookie, Age: 21)
S: Jason Pinnock – #25 (Pittsburgh, 6th year, Age: 27)

*Nabers is rehabbing a torn ACL and could miss the start of the season
**Austin suffered a torn ACL in training camp and will miss the entire season
***Olszewski has a torn achilles and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: OLB Brian Burns
Addition: ILB Tremaine Edmunds
Breakout Player: S Tyler Nubin
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Future QB, LB room, improved offensive line
Weaknesses: Run stop, secondary

Is it possible that a new era of Giants football is upon us? I’d say, for the first time in over a decade there is a glimmer of hope towards this being true. The past 12 months have been full of ups and downs for Giants fans, finishing 2025 with one of the worst records in football, another coach firing, but still plenty of reason for hope. Jaxson Dart shined in his rookie year, as the young QB looks like the first star they will have at the position since the hey day of Eli Manning. Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo provided hope as his top targets, although both will be battling back from season ending injuries. But the biggest news was the hiring of Super Bowl champion John Harbaugh as the next head coach after his dismissal after almost 20 years in Baltimore. This, more than anything, brings a proven winner back to New York and is the most highly anticipated hire they have had in a long time.

Harbaugh’s defensive mindset should bode well for their young pieces on that side of the ball, with big years needed from former top picks Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter. Brian Burns has become one of the best pass rushers in the game, and rookie LB Arvel Reese will add even more depth to a stacked LB room. The secondary will be the bigger question, with Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland as the headliners. Tyler Nubin had a shocking standout sophomore year and should be relied on as more of a threat in the starting unit. The new look Giants should be greatly improved this year, pending the health of Dart, Skattebo, and Nabers. With a whole new look, there will still be some growing pains, but 7 or 8 wins should be expected from this bunch.

Philadelphia Eagles

HC: Nick Sirianni
6th year as Eagles HC
Career/Team record: 59-26, Career Playoff record: 6-4
AGE: 45

OC: Sean Mannion
1st year as Eagles OC – AGE: 34
DC: Vic Fangio
3rd year as Eagles DC, 23rd year as a DC, 3 years as Broncos HC – AGE: 68

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#1	Jalen Hurts	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 27	25 TDs, 6 INTs, 3,224 yds, 55.2 QBR 421 rush yds, 8 TDs
HB	#26	Saquon Barkley	Penn State 9th year, Age: 29	280 carries, 1,140 yds, 7 TDs 37 receptions, 273 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#6	Devonta Smith	Alabama 6th year, Age: 27	77 receptions, 1,008 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#0	Hollywood Brown	Oklahoma 8th year, Age: 29	49 receptions, 587 yds, 5 TDs – (KC)
WR	#9	Makai Lemon (R)	USC Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P20 by PHI
TE	#88	Dallas Goedert	South Dakota State 9th year, Age: 31	60 receptions, 591 yds, 11 TDs
G	#69	Landon Dickerson	Alabama 6th year, Age: 27
G	#56	Tyler Steen	Alabama 4th year, Age: 26
C	#51	Cam Jurgens	Nebraska 5th year, Age: 26
T	#65	Lane Johnson	Oklahoma 14th year, Age: 36
T	#68	Jordan Mailata	Australia 9th year, Age: 29

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#52	Jonathan Greenard	Florida 7th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 10 TFL – (MIN)
DE (EDGE)	#3	Nolan Smith Jr.	Georgia 4th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 TFL
DT	#90	Jordan Davis	Georgia 5th year, Age: 26	4.5 Sacks, 72 Tackles, 6 PD, 9 TFL
DT	#98	Jalen Carter	Georgia 4th year, Age: 25	3 Sacks, 33 Tackles, 7 PD, 5 TFL
ILB	#53	Zack Baun	Wisconsin 7th year, Age: 29	3.5 Sacks, 123 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 1 FR, 7 PD, 7 TFL
ILB	#30	Jihaad Campbell	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 22	80 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#33	Cooper DeJean	Iowa 3rd year, Age: 23	93 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 16 PD 4 TFL
CB	#27	Quinyon Mitchell	Toledo 3rd year, Age: 24	45 Tackles, 1 FR, 17 PD
CB (NB)	#2	Riq Woolen	UTSA 5th year, Age: 27	41 Tackles, 1 INT, 12 PD, 1 TFL – (SEA)
S	#24	Andrew Mukuba	Texas 2nd year, Age: 23	0.5 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 PD 2 TFL
S	#29	Marcus Epps	Wyoming 8th year, Age: 30	21 Tackles, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#4	Jake Elliott	Memphis 10th year, Age: 31	41/42 XP, 20/27 FG — 4/8 50+
P	#10	Braden Mann	Texas A&M 7th year, Age: 28	72 punts, 3,591 yds, 20 <20
KR	#28	Will Shipley	Clemson 3rd year, Age: 23	29 attempts, 777 yds
PR	#18	Britain Covey	Utah 5th year, Age: 29	11 attempts, 124 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Andy Dalton – #14 (TCU, 16th year, Age: 38)
HB: Tank Bigsby – #8 (Auburn, 4th year, Age: 23)
HB: Elijah Mitchell – #38 (Louisiana, 6th year, Age: 28)
WR: Dontayvion Wicks – #13 (Virginia, 4th year, Age: 25)
WR: Elijah Moore – #19 (Ole Miss, 6th year, Age: 26)
TE: Eli Stowers – #87 (Vanderbilt, Rookie, Age: 23)
TE: Grant Calcaterra* – #81 (SMU, 5th year, Age: 27)
DE: A.J. Epenesa – #57 (Iowa, 7th year, Age: 27)
DT: Moro Ojomo – #97 (Texas, 4th year, Age: 24)
DT: Byron Young – #94 (Alabama, 4th year, Age: 25)
ILB: Jalyx Hunt – #58 (Houston Christian, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Michael Carter II – #35 (Duke, 6th year, Age: 27)
CB: Jonathan Jones – #32 (Auburn, 11th year, Age: 32)
CB: Kelee Ringo – #7 (Georgia, 4th year, Age: 24)

*Calcaterra has a back injury and will miss the first 4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: HB Saquon Barkley
Addition: WR Makai Lemon
Breakout Player: S Andrew Mukuba
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Offensive line, run game, LB core, run stop
Weaknesses: Secondary depth, pass rush, pass attack

The Eagles had a bit of a letdown season just a year removed from their second Super Bowl title in franchise history. Saquon followed up one of the best season’s a RB ever had, with another 1,000-yard rushing year but not nearly the same efficiency. We started to see the holes in Jalen Hurts’ game as a true passer, and the drama with A.J. Brown hit a breaking point as he was dealt to the Patriots this offseason. Now, Devonta Smith will step up as WR1 with rookie 1st rounder Makai Lemon starting alongside him. They still have arguably the best O-Line in football, with Hall-of-Famer Lane Johnson leading the way for Saquon, Hurts, and Bigsby to attack in the running game. Again, most of their dominance will come on the ground rather than through the air.

The defense will be a bit shaken up, after losing a few core pieces. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter will still clog the middle, with the pass rush looking scarce. Zack Baun headlines the LB room, with two of the best corners in the game in Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell. The safeties will see an increased role from Andrew Mukuba, their breakout rookie who will be the headlining man roaming the backfield on defense. This division is wide open, with the Cowboys, Giants, and Commanders all looking better than last year. I still think the Eagles are the favorites to win the division, but a lot could fall apart with their aging roster and lack of depth on defense.

Washington Commanders

HC: Dan Quinn
3rd year as Commanders HC, 9th year as a HC (Atlanta ’15-’20)
Career record: 60-59, Commanders record: 17-17, Career Playoff record: 5-3
AGE: 56

OC: David Blough
1st year as Commanders OC – AGE: 31
DC: Daronte Jones
1st year as Commanders DC – AGE: 48

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#5	Jayden Daniels	LSU 3rd year, Age: 25	7 GP, 8 TDs, 3 INTs, 1,262 yds 278 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#1	Rachaad White	Arizona State 5th year, Age: 27	132 carries, 572 yds, 4 TDs 40 receptions, 218 yds – (TB)
WR	#17	Terry McLaurin	Ohio State 8th year, Age: 30	38 receptions, 582 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#13	Treylon Burks	Arkansas 5th year, Age: 26	10 receptions, 130 yds, 1 TD
TE	#85	Chig Okonkwo	Maryland 5th year, Age: 26	56 receptions, 560 yds, 2 TDs – (TEN)
TE	#87	John Bates	Boise State 6th year, Age: 28	11 receptions, 103 yds, 1 TD
G	#76	Sam Cosmi	Texas 6th year, Age: 27
G	#75	Chris Paul	Tulsa 5th year, Age: 27
C	#67	Nick Allegretti	Illinois 8th year, Age: 30
T	#72	Josh Conerly Jr.	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 22
T	#71	Andrew Wylie	Eastern Michigan 9th year, Age: 31

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#98	Odafe Oweh	Penn State 6th year, Age: 27	7.5 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 9 TFL – (BAL/LAC)
DE (EDGE)	#45	K’Lavon Chaisson	LSU 7th year, Age: 26	7.5 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 1 TD, 2 FF 1 FR, 2 PD, 10 TFL – (NE)
DT	#94	Daron Payne	Alabama 9th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD 7 TFL
DT	#99	Javon Kinlaw	South Carolina 7th year, Age: 28	43 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 TFL
MLB	#52	Sonny Styles (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P7 by WAS
OLB	#4	Frankie Luvu	Washington State 9th year, Age: 29	3 Sacks, 86 Tackles, 2 FF, 6 PD 5 TFL
OLB	#54	Leo Chenal	Wisconsin 5th year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 58 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD 2 TFL – (KC)
CB	#0	Mike Sainristil	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 25	85 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF, 12 PD 1 TFL
CB	#2	Amik Robertson	Louisiana Tech 7th year, Age: 28	52 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF, 12 PD 2 TFL – (DET)
S	#20	Quan Martin	Illinois 4th year, Age: 26	99 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD, 1 TFL
S	#25	Nick Cross	Maryland 5th year, Age: 24	2.5 Sacks, 120 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 5 PD, 5 TFL – (IND)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#16	Jake Moody	Michigan 4th year, Age: 26	15/16 XP, 19/23 FG — 2/2 50+ – (SF/CHI/WAS)
P	#10	Tress Way	Oklahoma 13th year, Age: 36	56 punts, 2,651 yds, 29 <20
KR	#11	Luke McCaffrey	Rice 3rd year, Age: 25	26 attempts, 769 yds
PR	#83	Jaylin Lane	Virginia Tech 2nd year, Age: 24	23 attempts, 314 yds, 2 TDs

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Marcus Mariota – #8 (Oregon, 12th year, Age: 32)
HB: Jeremy McNichols – #26 (Boise State, 6th year, Age: 30)
HB: Jacory Croskey-Merritt – #22 (Arizona, 2nd year, Age: 25)
WR: Dyami Brown – #6 (North Carolina, 6th year, Age: 26)
T: Laremy Tunsil* – #78 (Ole Miss, 11th year, Age: 31)
DE: Dorance Armstrong – #92 (Kansas, 9th year, Age: 29)
DE: Charles Omenihu – #90 (Texas, 8th year, Age: 28)
DE: Deatrich Wise Jr. – #91 (Arkansas, 9th year, Age: 31)
DT: Tim Settle – #97 (Virginia Tech, 9th year, Age: 29)
DT: Jer’Zhan Newton – #95 (Illinois, 3rd year, Age: 23)
ILB: Jordan Magee – #58 (Temple, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Ahkello Witherspoon – #24 (Colorado, 10th year, Age: 31)
CB: Trey Amos** – #23 (Ole Miss, 2nd year, Age: 24)
S: Jeremy Reaves – #39 (South Alabama, 7th year, Age: 29)

*Tunsil has a torn triceps and will miss the majority of the season
**Amos suffered an ankle injury in traning camp and will miss the first 4 weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: OT Laremy Tunsil
Addition: DE Odafe Oweh
Breakout Player: ILB Sonny Styles
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Offensive line, defensive line, secondary
Weaknesses: WR core, run game, LB core

After Dan Quinn’s surprising 2024 season at the helm of the Commanders, Washington put up a dud in 2025. Mainly due to Jayden Daniels’ injury issues, the sophomore slump hit him hard and Washington suffered for it. Well, it goes a little but beyond that, as the defense was rough all around and the offense couldn’t get any momentum outside of Terry McLaurin. They still have one of the best tackles in the game in Laremy Tunsil, but the pass attack might still struggle. The WR core isn’t much improved, with Treylon Burks, Van Jefferson, and Dyami Brown fighting to be WR2. Chig Okonkwo was a good signing, giving them a pass catching TE to pair with great blocking from John Bates.

The defense should be the one bright spot that was vastly improved through free agency. The signings of Odafe Oweh, Charles Omenihu and K’Lavon Chaisson give them solid veteran power in the pass rush. Sonny Styles will be the star LB, with newly signed Leo Chenal and Frankie Luvu supporting him on the exteriors. Nick Cross and Amik Robertson also join a secondary with breakout CB Mike Sainristil and Quan Martin. One of the better young and hungry defensive backfields in football. In an open division, the Commanders will rely heavily on what their offense can bring to the table for them to compete. Their offense, on paper, is too depleted to truly call them a playoff team, but the magic of rookie year Jayden Daniels will need to come back big time.

Chicago Bears

HC: Ben Johnson
2nd year as Bears HC
Career/Team record: 11-6, Career Playoff record: 1-1
AGE: 40

OC: Press Taylor
1st year as Bears OC, 4th year as an OC – AGE: 38
DC: Dennis Allen
2nd year as Bears DC, 10th year as a DC, 6 years as Raiders/Saints HC – AGE: 54

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#18	Caleb Williams	USC 3rd year, Age: 24	27 TDs, 7 INTs, 3,942 yds, 58.2 QBR 388 rush yds, 2 TDs, 22 rec yds, 1 TD
HB	#4	D’Andre Swift	Georgia 7th year, Age: 27	223 carries, 1,087 yds, 9 TDs 34 receptions, 299 yds, 1 TD
WR	#15	Rome Odunze	Washington 3rd year, Age: 24	44 receptions, 661 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#10	Luther Burden III	Missouri 2nd year, Age: 22	47 receptions, 652 yds, 2 TDs 6 carries, 37 yds
TE	#85	Cole Kmet	Notre Dame 7th year, Age: 27	30 receptions, 347 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#84	Colston Loveland	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 22	58 receptions, 713 yds, 6 TDs
G	#62	Joe Thuney	NC State 11th year, Age: 33
G	#73	Jonah Jackson	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 29
C	#67	Garrett Bradbury	NC State 8th year, Age: 31
T	#58	Darnell Wright	Tennessee 4th year, Age: 24
T	#70	Braxton Jones	Southern Utah 5th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#98	Montez Sweat	Mississippi State 8th year, Age: 29	10 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR 5 PD, 13 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#94	Austin Booker	Kansas 3rd year, Age: 23	4.5 Sacks, 35 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 5 TFL
DT	#90	Neville Gallimore	Oklahoma 7th year, Age: 29	3.5 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 3 PD, 4 TFL – (IND)
DT	#93	Kentavious Street	NC State 8th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 21 Tackles, 3 TFL – (ATL)
MLB	#12	Devin Bush	Michigan 8th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 125 Tackles, 3 INTs, 2 TDs 2 FF, 1 FR, 8 PD, 7 TFL – (CLE)
OLB	#53	T.J. Edwards	Wisconsin 8th year, Age: 29	0.5 Sacks, 67 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 5 PD, 2 TFL
OLB	#44	Noah Sewell	Oregon 4th year, Age: 24	59 Tackles, 1 PD, 3 TFL
CB	#29	Tyrique Stevenson	Miami 4th year, Age: 26	49 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR 10 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#6	Kyler Gordon	Washington 5th year, Age: 26	3 GP, 1 Sack, 7 Tackles, 1 FR 1 TFL
S	#31	Dillon Thieneman (R)	Oregon Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P25 by CHI
S	#23	Xavier Woods	Louisiana Tech 10th year, Age: 31	1 Sack, 39 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 PD – (TEN)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#8	Cairo Santos	Tulane 13th year, Age: 34	39/39 XP, 25/30 FG — 4/6 50+
P	#19	Tory Taylor	Iowa 3rd year, Age: 28	60 punts, 2,870 yds, 21 <20
KR	#81	Zavion Thomas (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R3 P89 by CHI
PR	#14	Kalif Raymond	Holy Cross 10th year, Age: 31	32 attempts, 241 yds, 1 TD – (DET)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tyson Bagent – #17 (Shepherd (D-II), 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Kyle Monangai – #25 (Rutgers, 2nd year, Age: 24)
WR: Scotty Miller – #35 (Bowling Green, 8th year, Age: 28)
DE: Grady Jarrett – #50 (Clemson, 12th year, Age: 33)
DE: Dayo Odeyingbo – #55 (Vanderbilt, 6th year, Age: 26)
ILB: D’Marco Jackson – #48 (Appalachian State, 5th year, Age: 28)
ILB: Jack Sanborn – #57 (Wisconsin, 5th year, Age: 25)
CB: Jaylon Johnson – #1 (Utah, 7th year, Age: 27)
CB: Cam Lewis – #21 (Buffalo, 7th year, Age: 29)
S: Coby Bryant* – #2 (Cincinnati, 5th year, Age: 27)
S: Elijah Hicks – #22 (California, 5th year, Age: 26)

*Bryant had knee surgery and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Caleb Williams
Addition: ILB Devin Bush
Breakout Player: WR Luther Burden III
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Offensive line, young receivers, LB core
Weaknesses: Pass rush, run game

The Bears had a true renaissance in 2025, coming within inches of the NFC Championship game, 58 yards short of their first 4,000-yard passing season in franchise history, and a new HC that is bringing a high powered offense to Chicago. The Bears have always been know for stellar defense, but what they’re building around Caleb Williams and offensive genius Ben Johnson is beginning to take shape. They added another top pick WR in Luther Burden to pair alongside Rome Odunze who will now slot in as WR1 with the departure of D.J. Moore. The duo of Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift helped a much improved backfield and should continue to build on their progress. They have one of the best O-Lines in football with Joe Thuney, Darnell Wright, and Garrett Bradbury as the anchors.

The defense will be the bigger question, although their core looks strong enough to hold their own. They have a dominant secondary that added SB winning S Coby Bryant from the Seahawks and drafting Dillon Thieneman. Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, and Jaylon Johnson all return, a CB core that has headlined Chicago for several years. Devin Bush is coming off a career year with the Browns in year 7 of his career, and Chicago brings him in to replace Tremaine Edmunds as the roaming LB. I’m a big fan of this squad and think they’re destined to win their second straight NFC North title. This time, they have a legitimate shot at the NFC Championship and maybe even the Super Bowl if all goes well.

Detroit Lions

HC: Dan Campbell
6th year as Lions HC, 7th year as an HC (Miami ’15)
Career record: 53-43-1, Lions record: 48-36-1, Career Playoff record: 2-2
AGE: 50

OC: Drew Petzing
1st year as Lions OC, 4th year as an OC – AGE: 39
DC: Kelvin Sheppard
2nd year as Lions DC – AGE: 38

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#16	Jared Goff	California 11th year, Age: 31	34 TDs, 8 INTs, 4,564 yds, 57.3 QBR 45 rush yds
HB	#0	Jahmyr Gibbs	Alabama 4th year, Age: 24	243 carries, 1,223 yds, 13 TDs 77 receptions, 616 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#14	Amon-Ra St. Brown	USC 6th year, Age: 26	117 receptions, 1,401 yds, 11 TDs
WR	#1	Jameson Williams	Alabama 5th year, Age: 25	65 receptions, 1,117 yds, 7 TDs
TE	#87	Sam LaPorta	Iowa 4th year, Age: 25	40 receptions, 489 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#83	Tyler Conklin	Central Michigan 9th year, Age: 30	7 receptions, 101 yds – (LAC)
G	#69	Tate Ratledge	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 25
G	#73	Christian Mahogany	Boston College 3rd year, Age: 25
C	#64	Cade Mays	Tennessee 5th year, Age: 27
T	#58	Penei Sewell	Oregon 6th year, Age: 25
T	#76	Blake Miller (R)	Clemson Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P17 by DET

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#97	Aidan Hutchinson	Michigan 5th year, Age: 25	14.5 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 FF 1 FR, 3 PD, 14 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#9	Derrick Moore (R)	Michigan Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: R2 P44 by DET
DT	#54	Alim McNeill	NC State 6th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 14 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 2 TFL
DT	#91	Tyleik Williams	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 18 Tackles, 4 PD, 2 TFL
MLB	#46	Jack Campbell	Iowa 4th year, Age: 25	5 Sacks, 176 Tackles, 3 FF, 2 FR 4 PD, 9 TFL
OLB	#55	Derrick Barnes	Purdue 6th year, Age: 27	4 Sacks, 78 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD 6 TFL
CB	#4	D.J. Reed	Kansas State 9th year, Age: 29	46 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 7 PD
CB	#23	Rock Ya-Sin	Temple 8th year, Age: 30	47 Tackles, 9 PD
S	#32	Brian Branch*	Alabama 4th year, Age: 24	2.5 Sacks, 75 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 9 PD, 5 TFL
S	#31	Kerby Joseph	Illinois 5th year, Age: 25	6 GP, 18 Tackles, 3 INTs, 4 PD
S (NB)	#12	Thomas Harper	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 25	37 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 5 PD 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#39	Jake Bates	Arkansas 3rd year, Age: 27	54/56 XP, 27/34 FG — 4/9 50+
P	#3	Jack Fox	Rice 7th year, Age: 29	56 punts, 2,611 yds, 28 <20
KR	#25	Jacob Saylors	East Tennessee State 2nd year, Age: 26	33 attempts, 897 yds
PR	#8	Greg Dortch	Wake Forest 6th year, Age: 28	16 attempts, 185 yds – (ARI)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
HB: Isiah Pacheco – #10 (Rutgers, 5th year, Age: 27)
WR: Isaac TeSlaa – #18 (Arkansas, 2nd year, Age: 24)
TE: Brock Wright – #89 (Notre Dame, 6th year, Age: 27)
DE: Levi Onwuzurike – #95 (Washington, 6th year, Age: 28)
DE: D.J. Wonnum – #98 (South Carolina, 7th year, Age: 28)
DT: Tyler Lacy – #93 (Oklahoma State, 4th year, Age: 26)
ILB: Damone Clark – #11 (LSU, 5th year, Age: 26)
ILB: Malcolm Rodriguez – #44 (Oklahoma State, 5th year, Age: 27)
CB: Avonte Maddox – #29 (Pittsburgh, 9th year, Age: 30)
CB: Roger McCreary – #21 (Auburn, 5th year, Age: 26)
S: Chuck Clark – #36 (Virginia Tech, 10th year, Age: 31)

*Branch is rehabbing a torn achilles and will miss the first few weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: HB Jahmyr Gibbs
Addition: OT Blake Miller
Breakout Player: WR Isaac TeSlaa
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Explosive offensive attack, offensive line, pass rush
Weaknesses: LB core, secondary

The Lions had a huge letdown of a season in 2025, as a team who looked like they were so close to a Super Bowl took a major step back. Mainly, it had to do with their defense, as their offense exploded for yet another big season. Goff had 4,500 passing yards, Gibbs had nearly 2,000 combined yards with Montgomery close behind him, and they had two receivers eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Clearly the offense wasn’t the issue, but now they’ll attempt to replace David Montgomery with Isiah Pacheco as the duo RB to star Jahmyr Gibbs.

Outside of Aidan Hutchinson and Jack Campbell, the defensive front struggled all year long. Now, they’ll look at 2nd round rookie Derrick Moore to pair alongside Hutchinson on the edge with D.J. Wonnum added to sure up the depth. The LB core and secondary will look scarce once again, with Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph both battling back from injuries. Rock Ya-Sin, D.J. Reed, and Avonte Maddox will need to provide veteran depth in the secondary to supplement for their young star power being injured. I like the Lions to bounce back from 9-8 this year, but I’m not convinced they are a true threat in the NFC. The Bears look much better than them, and the Packers and Vikings won’t be easy outs either. The North will be a crowded division as per usual, and the last place team may find themselves in contention until the final few weeks.

Green Bay Packers

HC: Matt LaFleur
8th year as Packers HC
Career/Team record: 76-40-1, Career Playoff record: 3-6
AGE: 47

OC: Adam Stenavich
5th year as Packers OC – AGE: 43
DC: Jonathan Gannon
1st year as Packers DC, 3rd year as a DC, 3 years as Cardinals HC – AGE: 43

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#10	Jordan Love	Utah State 7th year, Age: 27	23 TDs, 6 INTs, 3,381 yds, 72.7 QBR 199 rush yds
HB	#8	Josh Jacobs*	Alabama 8th year, Age: 28	234 carries, 929 yds, 13 TDs 36 receptions, 282 yds, 1 TD
WR	#9	Christian Watson	North Dakota State 5th year, Age: 27	35 receptions, 611 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#0	Matthew Golden	Texas 2nd year, Age: 22	29 receptions. 361 yds 10 carries, 49 yds
WR	#11	Jayden Reed	Michigan State 4th year, Age: 26	7 GP, 19 receptions, 207 yds, 1 TD 3 carries, 28 yds
TE	#85	Tucker Kraft	South Dakota State 4th year, Age: 25	8 GP, 32 receptions, 489 yds, 6 TDs
G	#65	Aaron Banks	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 28
G	#71	Anthony Belton	NC State 2nd year, Age: 25
C	#75	Sean Rhyan	UCLA 5th year, Age: 25
T	#50	Zach Tom	Wake Forest 5th year, Age: 27
T	#77	Jordan Morgan	Arizona 3rd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#1	Micah Parsons**	Penn State 6th year, Age: 27	12.5 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 12 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#95	Devonte Wyatt	Georgia 5th year, Age: 28	4 Sacks, 27 Tackles, 2 PD, 6 TFL
DT	#98	Javon Hargrave	South Carolina State 11th year, Age: 33	3.5 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 TFL – (MIN)
DT	#94	Karl Brooks	Bowling Green 4th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 PD, 1 TFL
MLB	#56	Edgerrin Cooper	Texas A&M 3rd year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 118 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 4 TFL
OLB	#44	Zaire Franklin	Syracuse 9th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 125 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD 7 TFL – (IND)
OLB	#58	Isaiah McDuffie	Boston College 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 92 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD 3 TFL
CB	#25	Keisean Nixon	South Carolina 8th year, Age: 29	72 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 17 PD 3 TFL
CB	#24	Carrington Valentine	Kentucky 4th year, Age: 24	31 Tackles, 4 PD
S	#29	Xavier McKinney	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 107 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 10 PD
S	#33	Evan Williams	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 24	100 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FR, 5 PD 4 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#28	Trey Smack (R)	Florida Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: R6 P216 by GB
P	#19	Daniel Whelan	UC-Davis 4th year, Age: 27	49 punts, 2,533 yds, 18 <20
KR	#23	Skyy Moore	Western Michigan 5th year, Age: 25	33 attempts, 907 yds – (SF)
PR	#23	Skyy Moore	Western Michigan 5th year, Age: 25	25 attempts, 291 yds – (SF)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tyrod Taylor – #6 (Virginia Tech, 16th year, Age: 36)
HB: Chris Brooks – #30 (BYU, 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Kaleb Johnson (Iowa, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Jonnu Smith (Florida International, 9th year, Age: 31)
TE: Luke Musgrave*** – #88 (Oregon State, 4th year, Age: 25)
DE: Lukas Van Ness – #90 (Iowa, 4th year, Age: 25)
DT: Chris McClellan – #55 (Missouri, Rookie, Age: 22)
ILB: Nick Niemann – #31 (Iowa, 6th year, Age: 28)
ILB: Ty’Ron Hopper – #59 (Missouri, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Benjamin St-Juste – #21 (Minnesota, 6th year, Age: 28)
CB: Brandon Cisse – #2 (South Carolina, Rookie, Age: 21)
S: Javon Bullard – #7 (Georgia, 3rd year, Age: 23)

*Jacobs has legal issues and will be out indefinitely
**Parsons continues to rehab a torn ACL and will miss the first several weeks
***Musgrave has a neck injury and will miss several weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DE Micah Parsons
Addition: OLB Zaire Franklin
Breakout Player: HB Chris Brooks
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Defensive line, Secondary depth
Weaknesses: WR core, offensive line, rushing depth

The Packers slightly nudged out the Lions last season going 9-7-1 and finishing a tie ahead of them. Losing four straight to end the season is what plummeted them and ultimately gave up the division title to the Bears. Jordan Love had a solid season, but will lose two of his top targets in Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs. Now it becomes even more critical for Christian Watson to emerge as a true WR1 with Matthew Golden entering a pivotal year 2. Tucker Kraft should return early this season and provide a big time threat as one of Love’s favorite targets. I like the odds of 4th year back Chris Brooks to overtake Josh Jacobs in shared RB duties, with Jacobs beginning to age despite coming off a great season. The offensive line will be middle of the pack once again, with no real standout performers.

The defensive will be awaiting the return of Micah Parsons, their franchise cornerstone who went down with a torn ACL in the middle of last season. Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, and newly added Zaire Franklin headline one of the best LB cores in football. The secondary also looks stellar, with Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and Keisean Nixon all returning after great seasons a year ago. They’ll also add rookie CB Brandon Cisse to the mix as more depth to lock down the WRs. How far Green Bay goes will be based completely on their offense and how explosive they can be. The defense is stellar and will only get better once Parsons returns to the field. The offense, especially the pass catchers, will need to come into their own to have a chance at winning the division.

Minnesota Vikings

HC: Kevin O’Connell
5th year as Vikings HC
Career/Team record: 43-25, Career Playoff record: 0-2
AGE: 41

OC: Wes Phillips
5th year as Vikings OC – AGE: 47
DC: Brian Flores
4th year as Vikings DC, 3 years as Dolphins HC – AGE: 45

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#1	Kyler Murray	Oklahoma 8th year, Age: 28	5 GP, 6 TDs, 3 INTs, 962 yds 173 rush yds, 1 TD – (ARI)
HB	#33	Aaron Jones Sr.	UTEP 10th year, Age: 31	132 carries, 548 yds, 2 TDs 28 receptions, 199 yds, 1 TD
WR	#18	Justin Jefferson	LSU 7th year, Age: 27	84 receptions, 1,048 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#3	Jordan Addison	USC 4th year, Age: 24	42 receptions, 610 yds, 3 TDs 2 carries, 81 yds, 1 TD
WR	#14	Jauan Jennings	Tennessee 6th year, Age: 29	55 receptions, 643 yds, 9 TDs – (SF)
TE	#87	T.J. Hockenson	Iowa 8th year, Age: 29	51 receptions, 438 yds, 3 TDs
G	#76	Will Fries	Penn State 6th year, Age: 28
G	#74	Donovan Jackson	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23
C	#64	Blake Brandel	Oregon State 6th year, Age: 29
T	#75	Brian O’Neill	Pittsburgh 9th year, Age: 30
T	#71	Christian Darrisaw	Virginia Tech 6th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#43	Andrew Van Ginkel	Wisconsin 8th year, Age: 31	7 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FR 10 PD, 11 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#15	Dallas Turner	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	8 Sacks, 66 Tackles, 4 FF, 3 PD 11 TFL
DT (DL)	#61	Jalen Redmond	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 27	6 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 5 PD, 12 TFL
DT (DL)	#95	Caleb Banks (R)	Florida Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: R1 P18 by MIN
DT (DL)	#97	Domonique Orange (R)	Iowa State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R3 P82 by MIN
ILB	#51	Blake Cashman	Minnesota 8th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 144 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 4 TFL
ILB	#55	Eric Wilson	Cincinnati 10th year, Age: 31	6.5 Sacks, 115 Tackles, 4 FF, 17 TFL
CB	#7	Byron Murphy Jr.	Washington 8th year, Age: 28	71 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 7 PD 3 TFL
CB	#2	Isaiah Rodgers	UMass 6th year, Age: 28	66 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 TDs, 1 FR 7 PD, 4 TFL
S	#44	Josh Metellus	Michigan 7th year, Age: 28	0.5 Sacks, 86 Tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PD 1 TFL
S	#26	Theo Jackson	Tennessee 5th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#16	Will Reichard	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 25	31/31 XP, 33/35 FG — 11/13 50+
P	#47	Brett Thorson	Georgia Rookie, Age: 26	UNDRAFTED in 2026
KR	#4	Myles Price	Indiana 2nd year, Age: 24	57 attempts, 1,479 yds
PR	#4	Myles Price	Indiana 2nd year, Age: 24	30 attempts, 298 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: J.J. McCarthy – #9 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 23)
QB: Carson Wentz – #11 (North Dakota State, 11th year, Age: 33)
HB: Jordan Mason – #27 (Georgia Tech, 5th year, Age: 27)
TE: Josh Oliver – #84 (San Jose State, 8th year, Age: 29)
DT: Levi Drake Rodriguez – #50 (East Texas A&M, 3rd year, Age: 25)
ILB: Jake Golday – #41 (Cincinnati, Rookie, Age: 23)
OLB: Ivan Pace Jr. – #0 (Cincinnati, 4th year, Age: 25)
OLB: Jamal Adams* – #54 (LSU, 10th year, Age: 30)
CB: James Pierre – #23 (Florida Atlantic, 7th year, Age: 29)
S: Jay Ward – #24 (LSU, 4th year, Age: 26)

*Jamal Adams suffered a torn ACL in training camp and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Justin Jefferson
Addition: QB Kyler Murray
Breakout Player: DT Caleb Banks
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: WR core, run game, secondary
Weaknesses: Defensive line, QB question marks, pass rush

The Vikings round out the North coming off of a solid year with not much to work with. After burning through a carousel of QBs, they still finished 9-8 and will be going with yet another QB this season. Kyler Murray comes in fresh off of being released by Arizona, looking to revive his career in a brand new town. Former 1st round pick J.J. McCarthy showed no real promise last year and will become Kyler’s backup. He’ll have plenty of weapons on offense, with J-Jettas, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones, and newly signed Jauan Jennings. If Murray can’t make it right with the surplus of talent he has around him then it may be the beginning of the end of him.

I think the offense will figure it out, my bigger concern is around the defense. The defensive front is a bit scarce, relying heavily on rookies Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange to step into starting roles on the run defense. The LB core remains solid, with Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, and Ivan Pace all returning after having great 2025 seasons. The secondary saw the retirement of franchise staple Harrison Smith, as Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson will anchor the safety room. I think Minnesota can be a surprise team this year, and if they can win 9 games with last year’s roster, it’s not far fetched to think they can win more this year.

Atlanta Falcons

HC: Kevin Stefanski
1st year as Falcons HC, 7th year as a HC (Cleveland ’20-’25)
Career record: 45-56, Career Playoff record: 1-2
AGE: 44

OC: Tommy Rees
1st year as Falcons OC, 2nd year as an OC – AGE: 34
DC: Jeff Ulbrich
2nd year as Falcons DC, 7th year as a DC, 1 year as Jets Interim HC – AGE: 49

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#1	Tua Tagovailoa	Alabama 7th year, Age: 28	20 TDs, 15 INTs, 2,660 yds, 37.5 QBR 43 rush yds – (MIA)
HB	#7	Bijan Robinson	Texas 4th year, Age: 24	287 carries, 1,478 yds, 7 TDs 79 receptions, 820 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#5	Drake London	USC 5th year, Age: 25	68 receptions, 919 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#4	Jahan Dotson	Penn State 5th year, Age: 26	18 receptions, 262 yds, 1 TD – (PHI)
WR	#14	Olamide Zaccheaus	Virginia 8th year, Age: 29	39 receptions, 313 yds, 2 TDs 4 carries, 25 yds – (CHI)
TE	#8	Kyle Pitts Sr.	Florida 5th year, Age: 25	88 receptions, 928 yds, 5 TDs
G	#65	Matthew Bergeron	Syracuse 4th year, Age: 26
G	#63	Chris Lindstrom	Boston College 8th year, Age: 29
C	#64	Ryan Neuzil	Appalachian State 5th year, Age: 29
T	#70	Jake Matthews	Texas A&M 13th year, Age: 34
T	#71	Jawaan Taylor	Florida 8th year, Age: 28

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#27	James Pearce Jr.	Tennessee 2nd year, Age: 22	10.5 Sacks, 26 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 5 PD, 10 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#96	Zach Harrison	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 24	4.5 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 5 TFL
DT (DL)	#54	Brandon Dorlus	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 25	8.5 Sacks, 27 Tackles, 11 TFL
DT (DL)	#94	LaCale London	Western Illinois 3rd year, Age: 29	5 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 7 TFL
ILB	#0	Divine Deablo	Virginia Tech 6th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 73 Tackles, 1 FR, 7 PD 5 TFL
ILB	#53	Kendal Daniels (R)	Oklahoma Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: R4 P134 by ATL
CB	#24	A.J. Terrell Jr.	Clemson 7th year, Age: 27	68 Tackles, 2 FF, 12 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#21	Mike Hughes	UCF 9th year, Age: 29	51 Tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD, 2 TFL
CB (NB)	#12	Avieon Terrell (R)	Clemson Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R2 P48 by ATL
S	#3	Jessie Bates III	Wake Forest 9th year, Age: 29	98 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 6 PD, 1 TFL
S	#31	Xavier Watts	Notre Dame 2nd year, Age: 24	96 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 FR, 11 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#6	Nick Folk	Arizona 19th year, Age: 41	22/22 XP, 28/29 FG — 7/8 50+ – (NYJ)
P	#16	Jake Bailey	Stanford 8th year, Age: 29	63 punts, 3,005 yds, 21 <20 – (MIA)
KR	#17	Zachariah Branch (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R3 P79 by ATL
PR	#17	Zachariah Branch (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R3 P79 by ATL

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Michael Penix Jr. – #9 (Washington, 3rd year, Age: 26)
HB: Brian Robinson Jr. – #15 (Alabama, 5th year, Age: 27)
TE: Austin Hooper – #81 (Stanford, 11th year, Age: 31)
TE: Charles Woerner – #89 (Georgia, 7th year, Age: 28)
DE: Samson Ebukam – #52 (Eastern Washington, 10th year, Age: 31)
DT: Gervon Dexter Sr. – (Florida, 4th year, Age: 25)
DT: Da’Shawn Hand – #90 (Alabama, 9th year, Age: 30)
ILB: J.D. Bertrand – #40 (Notre Dame, 3rd year, Age: 26)
OLB: Jalon Walker* – #11 (Georgia, 2nd year, Age: 22)
CB: Billy Bowman Jr. – #33 (Oklahoma, 2nd year, Age: 23)
S: Sydney Brown – #29 (Illinois, 4th year, Age: 26)

*Walker tore his ACL in training camp and will miss the whole season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: HB Bijan Robinson
Addition: QB Tua Tagovailoa
Breakout Player: ILB Kendal Daniels
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Run game, offensive line, secondary
Weaknesses: QB situation, WR core, defensive line, pass rush

The Falcons enter the new year with a new look squad ready to attack the worst division in football. Long-time Browns HC Kevin Stefanski was hired while Tua was added to compete for QB1 duties with Michael Penix. Both QBs have underperformed mightily as of late and both look to revive their careers in a pivotal year. The WR core brings in veterans Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus to pair with recently extended standout Drake London. Kyle Pitts was also signed to an extension after finally breaking out in his 4th year in the league. The offensive line should be solid as well, with Matthew Bergeron, Chris Lindstrom, and Jake Matthews headlining the group. Star RB Bijan Robinson will be the headliner of the offense, after cashing in on a huge extension after a stellar 2025 season.

The main question of the offense will be their QB play, whereas the main question on defense will be their front four. Jalon Walker will miss the entire season, sidelining their best pass rusher. Their entire defensive line will consist of young pieces, with James Pearce needing to step up as the anchor after a 10.5-sack rookie season. The secondary will be the headliner, with stars A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates leading the unit. This division is going to be similar to last year, where an 8-9 team could potentially win it. All four teams have almost equal chances at it, and it’ll all come down to whoever gets hot at the right time. Atlanta will need some solid QB play from someone in order to get over the hump.

Carolina Panthers

HC: Dave Canales
3rd year as Panthers HC
Career/Team record: 13-21, Career Playoff record: 0-1
AGE: 45

OC: Brad Idzik
3rd year as Panthers OC – AGE: 34
DC: Ejiro Evero
4th year as Panthers DC, 5th year as a DC – AGE: 45

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#9	Bryce Young	Alabama 4th year, Age: 25	23 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,011 yds, 47.6 QBR 216 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#30	Chuba Hubbard	Oklahoma State 6th year, Age: 27	134 carries, 511 yds, 1 TD 30 receptions, 223 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#4	Tetairoa McMillan	Arizona 2nd year, Age: 23	70 receptions, 1,014 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#17	Xavier Legette	South Carolina 3rd year, Age: 25	35 receptions, 363 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#13	John Metchie III	Alabama 4th year, Age: 26	33 receptions, 274 yds, 2 TDs – (PHI/NYJ)
TE	#82	Tommy Tremble	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 26	27 receptions, 249 yds, 2 TDs
G	#68	Damien Lewis	LSU 7th year, Age: 29
G	#50	Robert Hunt	Louisiana 7th year, Age: 29
C	#77	Luke Fortner	Kentucky 5th year, Age: 28
T	#63	Rasheed Walker	Penn State 5th year, Age: 26
T	#57	Monroe Freeling (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P19 by CAR

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#5	Jaelan Phillips	Miami 6th year, Age: 27	5 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 FR 4 PD, 7 TFL – (MIA/PHI)
OLB (EDGE)	#91	Patrick Jones II	Pittsburgh 6th year, Age: 27	4 GP, 1 Sack, 9 Tackles, 1 PD 2 TFL
DT (DL)	#95	Derrick Brown	Auburn 7th year, Age: 28	5 Sacks, 73 Tackles, 1 FF, 7 PD 5 TFL
DT (DL)	#98	Tershawn Wharton*	Missouri S&T (D-II) 7th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 36 Tackles, 1 PD, 2 TFL
ILB	#55	Devin Lloyd	Utah 5th year, Age: 27	1.5 Sacks, 81 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD 1 FR, 7 PD, 6 TFL – (JAX)
ILB		Bobby Okereke	Stanford 8th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 143 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR 6 PD, 2 TFL – (NYG)
CB	#8	Jaycee Horn	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 26	37 Tackles, 5 INTs, 8 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#2	Mike Jackson	Miami 6th year, Age: 29	68 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 19 PD, 4 TFL
CB (NB)	#26	Chau Smith-Wade	Washington State 3rd year, Age: 23	56 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 2 PD 1 TFL
S	#7	Tre’von Moehrig	TCU 6th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 103 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD 14 TFL
S	#21	Nick Scott	Penn State 8th year, Age: 31	111 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 3 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#10	Ryan Fitzgerald	Florida State 2nd year, Age: 25	27/30 XP, 24/29 FG — 2/5 50+
P	#6	Sam Martin	Appalachian State 14th year, Age: 36	56 punts, 2,642 yds, 27 <20
KR	#23	Trevor Etienne	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22	31 attempts, 733 yds
PR	#23	Trevor Etienne	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22	20 attempts, 163 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Kenny Pickett – #12 (Pittsburgh, 5th year, Age: 28)
HB: A.J. Dillon – #28 (Boston College, 7th year, Age: 28)
HB: Jonathon Brooks – #25 (Texas, 3rd year, Age: 23)
WR: Chris Brazzell II** – #19 (Tennessee, Rookie, Age: 22)
WR: Jalen Coker – #18 (Holy Cross, 3rd year, Age: 24)
WR: Jimmy Horn Jr. – #15 (Colorado, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Ja’Tavion Sanders – #0 (Texas, 3rd year, Age: 23)
DT: Bobby Brown III – #97 (Texas A&M, 6th year, Age: 25)
DT: Lee Hunter – #92 (Texas Tech, Rookie, Age: 24)
ILB: Claudin Cherelus – #53 (Alcorn State, 4th year, Age: 27)
OLB: Nic Scourton*** – #11 (Texas A&M, 2nd year, Age: 21)
S: Lathan Ransom – #22 (Ohio State, 2nd year, Age: 24)

*Wharton had neck surgery and may miss the first few weeks
**Brazzell had knee surgery and will miss the entire season
***Scourton tore his ACL in training camp and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DT Derrick Brown
Addition: ILB Devin Lloyd
Breakout Player: OLB Jaelan Phillips
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: C-
Strengths: Secondary, LB core, passing game
Weaknesses: Run game, offensive line, pass rush

The Panthers, more or less, won the South by default last year, finishing 8-9 and losing 1st round of the playoffs. They did get to host their first playoff game in years, and all in all, it was a solid experience for their young core. Now is the true test, as not much has changed in the division and the winner will likely be right around .500 again. Bryce Young had a much better show in his third year, but he still isn’t a pro bowl or #1 pick worthy QB yet. Tet McMillian is a stud and they will have their options in the run game with Jonathon Brooks returning from injury behind Chuba Hubbard and veteran A.J. Dillon. The offensive line is headlined by stars Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt while Ikem Ekwonu will likely miss extended time, vaulting their 1st round pick Monroe Freeling into the starting line.

The offense should be the better facet of the team, as the defense looks a little worse than mediocre. Derrick Brown is their star lineman, with Jaelan Phillips getting paid big money on the free agent market to be the lead edge rusher. The LB core also added former Jag Devin Lloyd who had a stellar year in 2025. The secondary is led by Jaycee Horn and Tre’von Moehrig in a unit that has all around solid talent. I think the Panthers will revert back to their old ways and have a set back this year. I think the Saints and Bucs are ahead of them, but again, anyone can win this division as they just need to be hot in the last few weeks of the year.

New Orleans Saints

HC: Kellen Moore
2nd year as Saints HC
Career/Team record: 6-11
AGE: 38

OC: Doug Nussmeier
2nd year as Saints OC – AGE: 56
DC: Brandon Staley
2nd year as Saints DC, 3rd year as a DC, 3 years as Chargers HC – AGE: 44

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#6	Tyler Shough	Louisville 2nd year, Age: 26	10 TDs, 6 INTs, 2,384 yds, 48.8 QBR 186 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#3	Travis Etienne Jr.	Clemson 6th year, Age: 27	260 carries, 1,107 yds, 7 TDs 36 receptions, 292 yds, 6 TDs – (JAX)
HB	#41	Alvin Kamara	Tennessee 10th year, Age: 31	131 carries, 471 yds, 1 TD 33 receptions, 186 yds
WR	#12	Chris Olave	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 26	100 receptions, 1,163 yds, 9 TDs
WR	#0	Jordyn Tyson (R)	Arizona State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P8 by NO
TE	#83	Juwan Johnson	Oregon 7th year, Age: 29	77 receptions, 889 yds, 3 TDs
G	#51	Cesar Ruiz	Michigan 7th year, Age: 27
G	#76	David Edwards	Wisconsin 8th year, Age: 29
C	#78	Erik McCoy	Texas A&M 8th year, Age: 28
T	#75	Taliese Fuaga	Oregon State 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#71	Kelvin Banks Jr.	Texas 2nd year, Age: 22

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#96	Carl Granderson	Wyoming 8th year, Age: 29	6 Sacks, 57 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD 11 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#99	Chase Young	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	10 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 1 TD, 2 FF 3 FR, 4 PD, 11 TFL
DT	#92	Davon Godchaux	LSU 10th year, Age: 31	43 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 TFL
DT	#93	Nathan Shepherd	Fort Hays St. (D-II) 9th year, Age: 32	3 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 TFL
ILB	#55	Kaden Elliss	Idaho 8th year, Age: 31	3.5 Sacks, 107 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 6 PD, 10 TFL – (ATL)
ILB	#20	Pete Werner	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 81 Tackles, 3 FR, 5 PD 4 TFL
CB	#1	Kool-Aid McKinstry	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23	76 Tackles, 3 INTs, 17 PD, 3 TFL
CB	#29	Quincy Riley	Louisville 2nd year, Age: 25	35 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 10 PD
S	#21	Justin Reid	Stanford 9th year, Age: 29	0.5 Sacks, 72 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD 6 PD, 2 TFL
S	#33	Jonas Sanker	Virginia 2nd year, Age: 23	80 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 6 PD 3 TFL
S (NB)	#23	Julian Blackmon	Utah 7th year, Age: 27	1 GP, 7 Tackles, 1 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#48	Daniel Carlson	Auburn 9th year, Age: 31	21/22 XP, 22/27 (5/8 50+) – (LVR)
P	#17	Ryan Wright	Tulane 5th year, Age: 26	65 punts, 3,184 yds, 25 <20 – (MIN)
KR	#19	Barion Brown (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R5 P190 by NO
PR	#19	Barion Brown (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R5 P190 by NO

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Zach Wilson – #4 (BYU, 6th year, Age: 27)
QB: Spencer Rattler – #2 (South Carolina, 3rd year, Age: 25)
HB: Devin Neal – #24 (Kansas, 2nd year, Age: 22)
WR: Devaughn Vele – #14 (Utah, 3rd year, Age: 28)
TE: Noah Fant – #87 (Iowa, 8th year, Age: 28)
DE: Cameron Jordan – #94 (California, 16th year, Age: 37)
DE: Tyree Wilson – #98 (Texas Tech, 4th year, Age: 26)
DT: Bryan Bresee* – #90 (Clemson, 4th year, Age: 24)
DT: Christen Miller – #52 (Georgia, Rookie, Age: 22)
ILB: Danny Stutsman – #28 (Oklahoma, 2nd year, Age: 23)
OLB: Anfernee Jennings – #54 (Alabama, 7th year, Age: 28)

*Bresee tore his ACL in training camp and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Chris Olave
Addition: HB Travis Etienne Jr.
Breakout Player: WR Jordyn Tyson
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: WR core, secondary, LB core
Weaknesses: Offensive line, QB situation, defensive front

The Saints took big leaps forward in 2025 despite their record only indicating finishing 6-11. They won 4 of 5 to finish the season, potentially have their future QB, and developing a solid defense around them. Shough stepped in for Spencer Rattler midseason as the starting QB and helped ignite the 4-1 finish to the season. Now, they added another top weapon in rookie Jordyn Tyson, a star RB in Travis Etienne, and extended their leading receiver Chris Olave. The offensive line will once again be an issue though, and the run game may continue to suffer because of it. Their offense is coming along, but it all depends on the type of sophomore year we will see out of Tyler Shough.

The defense was a dynamic force in 2025 led by DC Brandon Staley after a miserable tenure as the Chargers’ Head Coach. Chase Young broke out for a 10-sack season, and 2nd year CB Kool-Aid McKinstry established himself as CB1 for the team. Veterans Justin Reid, Carl Granderson, and Davon Godchaux all return, with ILB Kaden Ellis added to pair alongside Peter Werner. Julian Blackmon also returns after missing all but 1 game in 2025, adding him to a loaded secondary and safety room. The Saints have as good of a chance to improve on 6 wins and potentially win the division. I like them a lot to take the reigns over and compete for a South title.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HC: Todd Bowles
5th year as Buccaneers HC, 9th year as a HC (NY Jets ’15-’18)
Career record: 61-74, Buccaneers record: 35-33, Career Playoff record: 1-3
AGE: 63

OC: Zac Robinson
1st year as Buccaneers OC, 3rd year as an OC – AGE: 40
DC: –NONE–

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#6	Baker Mayfield	Oklahoma 9th year, Age: 31	26 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,693 yds, 61.3 QBR 382 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#7	Bucky Irving	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 23	173 carries, 588 yds, 1 TD 30 receptions, 277 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#14	Chris Godwin Jr.	Penn State 10th year, Age: 30	33 receptions, 360 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#2	Emeka Egbuka	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23	63 receptions, 938 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#11	Jalen McMillan	Washington 3rd year, Age: 24	4 GP, 12 receptions, 178 yds
TE	#88	Cade Otton	Washington 5th year, Age: 27	59 receptions, 572 yds, 1 TD
G	#69	Cody Mauch	North Dakota State 4th year, Age: 27
G	#68	Ben Bredeson	Michigan 7th year, Age: 28
C	#62	Graham Barton	Duke 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#78	Tristan Wirfs	Iowa 7th year, Age: 27
T	#67	Luke Goedeke	Central Michigan 5th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#0	Yaya Diaby	Louisville 4th year, Age: 27	7 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 13 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#3	Rueben Bain Jr. (R)	Miami Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P15 by TB
NT (DL)	#50	Vita Vea	Washington 9th year, Age: 31	4.5 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD 7 TFL
DT (DL)	#91	A’Shawn Robinson	Alabama 11th year, Age: 31	2.5 Sacks, 65 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD 3 TFL – (CAR)
DT (DL)	#94	Calijah Kancey	Pittsburgh 4th year, Age: 25	3 GP, 1 Tackle, 1 TFL
ILB	#34	Alex Anzalone	Florida 10th year, Age: 31	2.5 Sacks, 95 Tackles, 1 INT, 9 PD 4 TFL – (DET)
ILB	#8	SirVocea Dennis	Pittsburgh 4th year, Age: 26	3 Sacks, 101 Tackles, 1 INT, 5 PD 10 TFL
CB	#27	Zyon McCollum	Sam Houston St. 5th year, Age: 27	65 Tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#25	Jacob Parrish	Kansas State 2nd year, Age: 22	2 Sacks, 76 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR 7 PD, 7 TFL
S	#31	Antoine Winfield Jr.	Minnesota 7th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 93 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 1 FR, 8 PD, 4 TFL
S	#23	Tykee Smith	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 100 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FR 13 PD, 6 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#4	Chase McLaughlin	Illinois 8th year, Age: 30	32/33 XP, 32/38 FG (11/12 50+)
P	#9	Riley Dixon	Syracuse 11th year, Age: 32	63 punts, 2,815 yds, 29 <20
KR	#1	Kenneth Gainwell	Memphis 6th year, Age: 27	26 attempts, 633 yds – (PIT)
PR	#19	Kameron Johnson	Barton (D-II) 3rd year, Age: 24	27 attempts, 685 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jalon Daniels – #10 (Kansas, Rookie, Age: 23)
HB: Sean Tucker – #44 (Syracuse, 4th year, Age: 24)
WR: Tez Johnson – #15 (Oregon, 2nd year, Age: 24)
TE: Payne Durham – #87 (Purdue, 4th year, Age: 26)
DE: Elijah Roberts – #95 (SMU, 2nd year, Age: 24)
DT: Rakeem Nunez-Roches – #56 (Southern Miss, 12th year, Age: 33)
ILB: Christian Rozeboom – #52 (South Dakota State, 6th year, Age: 29)
ILB: Josiah Trotter – #45 (Missouri, Rookie, Age: 21)
OLB: Al-Quadin Muhammad – #97 (Miami, 9th year, Age: 31)
OLB: Anthony Nelson – #98 (Iowa, 8th year, Age: 29)
CB: Benjamin Morrison – #21 (Notre Dame, 2nd year, Age: 22)
S: Miles Killebrew – #29 (Southern Utah, 11th year, Age: 33)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: OT Tristan Wirfs
Addition: ILB Alex Anzalone
Breakout Player: OLB Rueben Bane Jr.
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: WR core, defensive line, run game
Weaknesses: Secondary, offensive line

Rounding out the South we have the Bucs who looked to have a stronghold on the division all last year but faded quickly at the end of the season. Baker started off red hot, and later resorted back to his inconsistent play down the stretch. The question of him being the long-term answer at QB is still up in the air, with an extension desired on his side. Future Hall-of-Fame WR Mike Evans left the team after a stellar career in Tampa, leading way for Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Tez Johnson to see increased roles behind veteran Chris Godwin. Bucky Irving returns as the lead back, with Sean Tucker who had a great 3rd year in the league in 2025. The offense should still remain a powerhouse, barring any fall of from Mayfield.

The defense will be the bigger question, with star NT Vita Vea remaining away from the team after demanding a trade. It would be a huge loss for a Bucs defense that already lost a few key pieces. Reuben Bain was drafted with their first round pick and will become one of their starting pass rushers. Alex Anzalone and A’Shawn Robinson were both added for veteran depth. The secondary will be the worst core, with Zyon McCollum stepping in as their CB1. The Bucs are the favorites to win the division, but a few losses, an aging core, and some drama around star players makes me doubt that they will definitely win it. It could be a situation where a huge letdown causes them to blow things up in January.

Arizona Cardinals

HC: Mike LaFleur
1st year as Cardinals HC
AGE: 39

OC: Nathaniel Hackett
1st year as Cardinals OC, 11th year as an OC, 1 year as Broncos HC – AGE: 47
DC: Nick Rallis
4th year as Cardinals DC – AGE: 33

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#7	Jacoby Brissett	NC State 11th year, Age: 33	23 TDs, 8 INTs, 3,366 yds, 41.2 QBR 168 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#4	Jeremiyah Love (R)	Notre Dame Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P3 by ARI
WR	#18	Marvin Harrison Jr.	Ohio State 3rd year, Age: 24	41 receptions, 608 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#14	Michael Wilson	Stanford 4th year, Age: 26	78 receptions, 1,006 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#17	Kendrick Bourne	Eastern Washington 10th year, Age: 31	37 receptions, 551 yds – (SF)
TE	#85	Trey McBride	Colorado State 5th year, Age: 26	126 receptions, 1,239 yds, 11 TDs
G	#73	Isaac Seumalo	Oregon State 11th year, Age: 32
G	#74	Isaiah Adams	Illinois 3rd year, Age: 26
C	#72	Hjalte Froholdt	Arkansas 8th year, Age: 29
T	#70	Paris Johnson Jr.	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 25
T	#65	Elijah Wilkinson	UMass 10th year, Age: 31

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#10	Josh Sweat	Florida State 9th year, Age: 29	12 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 4 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 13 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#5	Baron Browning	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 34 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 1 PD, 4 TFL
DE (DL)	#56	Darius Robinson	Missouri 3rd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 43 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 TFL
DT (DL)	#95	Andrew Billings	Baylor 10th year, Age: 31	1 Sack, 31 Tackles, 6 TFL – (CHI)
NT (DL)	#51	Roy Lopez	Arizona 6th year, Age: 29	2 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 1 PD, 4 TFL – (DET)
ILB	#1	Mack Wilson Sr.	Alabama 8th year, Age: 28	60 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 6 PD 3 TFL
ILB	#50	Jack Gibbens	Minnesota 4th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 81 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 8 TFL – (NE)
CB	#29	Denzel Burke	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23	49 Tackles, 3 INTs, 11 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#2	Will Johnson	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 23	37 Tackles, 1 FF, 10 PD, 2 TFL
S	#3	Budda Baker	Washington 10th year, Age: 30	0.5 Sacks, 120 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 5 PD, 4 TFL
S	#27	Andrew Wingard	Wyoming 8th year, Age: 29	84 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR, 9 PD 3 TFL – (JAX)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#38	Chad Ryland	Maryland 4th year, Age: 26	36/36 XP, 25/33 FG (6/10 50+)
P	#12	Blake Gillikin	Penn State 7th year, Age: 28	5 GP, 22 punts, 1,138 yds, 8 <20
KR	#81	Devin Duvernay	Texas 6th year, Age: 28	40 attempts, 1,069 yds – (CHI)
PR	#81	Devin Duvernay	Texas 6th year, Age: 28	21 attempts, 231 yds – (CHI)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Carson Beck – #19 (Miami, Rookie, Age: 23)
QB: Gardner Minshew II – #15 (Washington State, 8th year, Age: 30)
HB: Tyler Allgeier – #22 (BYU, 5th year, Age: 26)
HB: James Conner – #6 (Pittsburgh, 10th year, Age: 31)
OG: Chase Bisontis* – #57 (Texas A&M, Rookie, Age: 22)
TE: Elijah Higgins – #84 (Stanford, 4th year, Age: 25)
DT: Walter Nolen III – #97 (Ole Miss, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DT: Dante Stills – #55 (West Virginia, 4th year, Age: 26)
ILB: Cody Simon – #0 (Ohio State, 2nd year, Age: 24)
OLB: Zaven Collins – #25 (Tulsa, 6th year, Age: 27)
CB: Max Melton – #16 (Rutgers, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Garrett Williams – #21 (Syracuse, 4th year, Age: 25)
S: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson – #42 (Texas Tech, 3rd year, Age: 25)

*Bisontis tore his MCL in training camp and will miss the majority of the season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: S Budda Baker
Addition: HB Jeremiyah Love
Breakout Player: QB Carson Beck
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: D
Strengths: Pass rush, run game
Weaknesses: QB situation, WR core, defensive line, secondary

The Cardinals enter the new year entering a tough division and once again being the odd men out. There was some turnover, as franchise QB Kyler Murray was let go and Mike LaFleur was hired as the new Head Coach. Still, Jacoby Brissett returns after a solid year as the starting QB for Arizona last year and will be a place holder for either 3rd round rookie Carson Beck or a potential 2027 draft pick to become the QB of the future. They’re going to need to get a lot more out of Marvin Harrison Jr. who has been a big letdown since entering the league. Jeremiyah Love should rejuvenate the RB room after being taken 3rd overall, with veterans Tyler Allgeier and James Conner behind him. The offensive line should be good enough, with Paris Johnson and Hjalte Froholdt as the headliners.

The defense will be the worse side of the ball for them, with only two real standout players in Josh Sweat and Budda Baker. Around them, there isn’t much else as a few veterans were added in Roy Lopez, Andrew Wingard, and Andrew Billings. If Sweat plays and is not traded, the pass rush may be the best part of their defense with everything else lacking true consistent play. I don’t think Arizona has much of a chance, especially while having to play the Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers twice each. They’ll definitely be in the race for the #1 pick in a highly anticipated 2027 Draft.

Los Angeles Rams

HC: Sean McVay
10th year as Rams HC
Career/Team record: 92-57, Career Playoff record: 10-6
AGE: 40

OC: Nathan Scheelhaase
1st year as Rams OC – AGE: 36
DC: Chris Shula
3rd year as Rams DC – AGE: 40

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#9	Matthew Stafford	Georgia 18th year, Age: 38	46 TDs, 8 INTs, 4,707 yds, 71.2 QBR 29 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#23	Kyren Williams	Notre Dame 5th year, Age: 25	259 carries, 1,252 yds, 10 TDs 36 receptions, 281 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#12	Puka Nacua	BYU 4th year, Age: 25	129 receptions, 1,715 yds, 10 TDs 10 carries, 105 yds, 1 TD
WR	#17	Davante Adams	Fresno State 13th year, Age: 33	60 receptions, 789 yds, 14 TDs
WR	#88	Jordan Whittington	Texas 3rd year, Age: 25	18 receptions, 171 yds
TE	#84	Colby Parkinson	Stanford 7th year, Age: 27	43 receptions, 408 yds, 8 TDs
G	#69	Kevin Dotson	Louisiana 7th year, Age: 29
G	#73	Steve Avila	TCU 4th year, Age: 26
C	#65	Coleman Shelton	Washington 8th year, Age: 31
T	#77	Alaric Jackson	Iowa 6th year, Age: 28
T	#71	Warren McClendon Jr.	Georgia 4th year, Age: 25

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#95	Myles Garrett	Texas A&M 10th year, Age: 30	23 Sacks, 60 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 PD 33 TFL – (CLE)
OLB (EDGE)	#0	Byron Young	Tennessee 4th year, Age: 28	12 Sacks, 82 Tackles, 1 FF, 12 TFL
DT (DL)	#99	Aaron Donald	Pittsburgh 11th year, Age: 35	DNP – Retired since 2023
DE (DL)	#91	Kobie Turner	Wake Forest 4th year, Age: 27	7 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 3 PD, 9 TFL
NT (DL)	#97	Poona Ford	Texas 9th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 1 PD, 4 TFL
ILB	#53	Nate Landman	Colorado 5th year, Age: 27	2.5 Sacks, 132 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 FF 2 FR, 6 PD, 8 TFL
CB	#22	Trent McDuffie	Washington 5th year, Age: 25	1 Sacks, 63 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 7 PD, 2 TFL – (KC)
CB	#35	Jaylen Watson	Washington State 5th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 64 Tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PD 3 TFL – (KC)
S	#3	Kam Curl	Arkansas 7th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 122 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 5 PD, 2 TFL
S	#37	Quentin Lake	UCLA 5th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 61 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 1 FR, 10 PD, 2 TFL
S (NB)	#5	Kamren Kinchens	Miami 3rd year, Age: 23	84 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FR, 6 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#92	Harrison Mevis	Missouri 2nd year, Age: 24	39/39 XP, 12/13 FG (1/1 50+)
P	#42	Ethan Evans	Wingate 4th year, Age: 25	50 punts, 2,315 yds, 20 <20
KR	#88	Jordan Whittington	Texas 3rd year, Age: 25	17 attempts, 434 yds
PR	#19	Xavier Smith	Florida A&M 3rd year, Age: 28	27 attempts, 251 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Ty Simpson – #15 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 23)
HB: Blake Corum – #24 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 25)
TE: Tyler Higbee – #89 (Western Kentucky, 11th year, Age: 33)
TE: Terrance Ferguson – #18 (Oregon, 2nd year, Age: 23)
DE: Braden Fiske – #55 (Florida State, 3rd year, Age: 26)
DE: Tyler Davis – #90 (Clemson, 3rd year, Age: 25)
ILB: Omar Speights – #48 (LSU, 3rd year, Age: 25)
OLB: Josaiah Stewart – #10 (Michigan, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Emmanuel Forbes Jr. – #1 (Mississippi State, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Josh Wallace – #30 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 26)
S: Jaylen McCollough – #2 (Tennessee, 3rd year, Age: 25)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DE Myles Garrett
Addition: DE Myles Garrett
Breakout Player: WR Jordan Whittington
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: A
Strengths: Pass rush, Star QB, pass attack, secondary
Weaknesses: Offensive line, TE core

The Rams had quite the resurgence in 2025, vaulting back into the spotlight led by an MVP season from Matthew Stafford. There’s no doubt that the clock is ticking on this squad, but their star power still looks like one of the best in football as they try to win another Super Bowl. They’re in the same division with the reigning champs though, and a 49ers team that will be fierce as usual. Their main core from a year ago stays together, with Kyren Williams as the lead back and stars Puca Nacua and Davante Adams as the top receivers. Ty Simpson was drafted with their 1st round pick as the potential heir apparent to Stafford who is quickly approaching his 40s while still putting up career numbers.

Their defense will be arguably the best in football after trading for superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett, coming off his record setting 23-sack season for the Browns. This is a massive pickup, especially with the potential of Aaron Donald coming out of retirement as he continues to work out with the team. Beside him is another young star in Byron Young, creating the best tag team edge rushing duo in the league. The secondary added two star Super Bowl winning CBs in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, both coming over from Kansas City. Pairing them alongside Kam Curl and Quentin Lake in the backfield is going to be a fierce secondary. The Rams are my favorites to win it all in 2026 as this core seems destined to win at least one more before age breaks them apart. This could be the golden chance and year for them to do so.

San Francisco 49ers

HC: Kyle Shanahan
10th year as 49ers HC
Career/Team record: 82-67, Career Playoff record: 9-5
AGE: 47

OC: Klay Kubiak
2nd year as 49ers OC – AGE: 38
DC: Raheem Morris
1st year as 49ers DC, 5th year as a DC, 2 years as Falcons HC – AGE: 50

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#13	Brock Purdy	Iowa State 5th year, Age: 26	20 TDs, 10 INTs, 2,167 yds, 72.8 QBR 147 rush yds, 3 TDs
HB	#23	Christian McCaffrey	Stanford 10th year, Age: 30	311 carries, 1,202 yds, 10 TDs 102 receptions, 924 yds, 7 TDs
FB	#44	Kyle Juszczyk	Harvard 14th year, Age: 35	24 receptions, 213 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#5	Mike Evans	Texas A&M 13th year, Age: 32	30 receptions, 368 yds, 3 TDs – (TB)
WR	#19	Deebo Samuel Sr.	South Carolina 8th year, Age: 30	72 receptions, 727 yds, 5 TDs 17 carries, 75 yds, 1 TD – (WAS)
TE	#85	George Kittle*	Iowa 10th year, Age: 32	57 receptions, 628 yds, 7 TDs
G	#77	Dominick Puni	Kansas 3rd year, Age: 26
G	#75	Connor Colby	Iowa 2nd year, Age: 23
C	#64	Jake Brendel	UCLA 9th year, Age: 33
T	#71	Trent Williams	Oklahoma 17th year, Age: 38
T	#68	Colton McKivitz	West Virginia 7th year, Age: 30

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#97	Nick Bosa	Ohio State 8th year, Age: 28	3 GP, 2 Sacks, 17 Tackles, 2 FF 1 FR, 4 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#98	Mykel Williams**	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22	1 Sack, 20 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 TFL
DT	#92	Osa Odighizuwa	UCLA 6th year, Age: 28	3.5 Sacks, 44 Tackles, 6 TFL – (DAL)
DT	#91	Sam Okuayinonu	Maryland 4th year, Age: 28	3 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 1 FF, 6 TFL
ILB	#54	Fred Warner	BYU 9th year, Age: 29	6 GP, 51 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 2 TFL
ILB	#57	Dre Greenlaw	Arkansas 8th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 43 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 PD, 2 TFL – (DEN)
CB	#0	Renardo Green	Florida State 3rd year, Age: 25	60 Tackles, 10 PD
CB	#20	Upton Stout	Western Kentucky 2nd year, Age: 24	1 Sack, 82 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD 4 TFL
CB (NB)	#2	Deommodore Lenoir	Oregon 6th year, Age: 26	61 Tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PD, 4 TFL
S	#27	Ji’Ayir Brown	Penn State 4th year, Age: 26	76 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 6 PD 2 TFL
S	#6	Malik Mustapha	Wake Forest 3rd year, Age: 24	76 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD, 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#18	Eddy Pineiro	Florida 9th year, Age: 30	34/38 XP, 28/29 FG (6/7 50+)
P	#7	Corliss Waitman	South Alabama 4th year, Age: 31	62 punts, 2,823 yds, 26 <20 – (PIT)
KR	#31	Isaac Guerendo	Louisville 3rd year, Age: 26	5 attempts, 100 yds
PR	#19	Jacob Cowing	Arizona 3rd year, Age: 25	DNP – Hamstring injury

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Mac Jones – #10 (Alabama, 6th year, Age: 27)
HB: Kaelon Black – #26 (Indiana, Rookie, Age: 24)
WR: Brandon Aiyuk*** – #11 (Arizona State, 6th year, Age: 28)
WR: Ricky Pearsall**** – #1 (Florida, 3rd year, Age: 25)
WR: Christian Kirk – #3 (Texas A&M, 9th year, Age: 29)
WR: Demarcus Robinson – #7 (Florida, 11th year, Age: 31)
TE: Jake Tonges – #88 (California, 4th year, Age: 27)
DT: Alfred Collins – #95 (Texas, 2nd year, Age: 24)
ILB: Tatum Bethune – #48 (Florida State, 3rd year, Age: 25)
ILB: Luke Gifford – #51 (Nebraska, 8th year, Age: 30)
CB: Jack Jones – #25 (Arizona State, 5th year, Age: 28)
S: Marques Sigle – #36 (Kansas State, 2nd year, Age: 24)

*Kittle continues to rehab a torn achilles and may miss the first couple of weeks
**Williams continues to rehab a torn ACL and may miss the first couple of weeks
***Aiyuk continues to not report to the team and will be out indefinitely
****Pearsall has a torn PCL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: HB Christian McCaffrey
Addition: WR Mike Evans
Breakout Player: WR De’Zhaun Stribling
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Veteran star power on offense, run game, pass game, pass rush
Weaknesses: Secondary, LB health, WR health

The Niners faced plenty of adversity in 2025 despite finishing 12-5 and beating the reigning champion Eagles in the Wild Card round. Brock Purdy missed a lot of time, but former Pro Bowl backup Mac Jones stepped up and carried the torch very well. CMC returned to his old form, rushing and receiving for nearly 1,000 yards each. Drama ensued though, as star WR Brandon Aiyuk refused to report to the team, leading to a loss in contract incentives and a battle that bleeds into this year. They added some star power to replace him, with Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel being brought in as the top WRs. Last years breakout star Ricky Pearsall will miss the entire year in what has become a true roller coaster career for the 25-year-old. The offensive line remains tough, led by future Hall-of-Famer Trent Williams entering his 17th season in the league.

The defense gets back Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, their two leaders who played 9 games in total last season. Dre Greenlaw was also brought back after a year in Denver and Osa Odighizuwa was acquired to lead the run stop. The one issue will be the secondary, as it looks a bit scarce, leaning heavily on young talent who have been moving up their depth charts each year. This Niners team looks tough, but they’re in a divison that will beat up themselves heavily, with 3 Super Bowl contenders in San Fran, Rams, and Seahawks. The 49ers may be the odd ones out, unless Seattle’s Super Bowl hangover causes them issues in 2026.

Seattle Seahawks

HC: Mike Macdonald
3rd year as Seahawks HC
Career/Team record: 24-10, Career Playoff record: 3-0
AGE: 39

OC: Brian Fleury
1st year as Seahawks OC – AGE: 56
DC: Aden Durde
3rd year as Seahawks DC – AGE: 47

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#14	Sam Darnold	USC 9th year, Age: 29	25 TDs, 14 INTs, 4,048 yds, 55.6 QBR 95 rush yds
HB	#26	Zach Charbonnet	UCLA 4th year, Age: 25	184 carries, 730 yds, 12 TDs 20 receptions, 144 yds
WR	#11	Jaxon Smith-Njigba	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 24	119 receptions, 1,793 yds, 10 TDs 7 carries, 36 yds
WR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 5th year, Age: 27	59 receptions, 687 yds, 2 TDs 9 carries, 69 yds – (NO/SEA)
WR	#10	Cooper Kupp	Eastern Washington 10th year, Age: 33	47 receptions, 593 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#88	A.J. Barner	Michigan 3rd year, Age: 24	52 receptions, 519 yds, 6 TDs 10 carries, 14 yds, 1 TD
G	#75	Anthony Bradford	LSU 4th year, Age: 25
G	#76	Grey Zabel	North Dakota State 2nd year, Age: 24
C	#61	Jalen Sundell	North Dakota State 3rd year, Age: 26
T	#67	Charles Cross	Mississippi State 5th year, Age: 25
T	#72	Abraham Lucas	Washington State 5th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#0	DeMarcus Lawrence	Boise State 13th year, Age: 34	6 Sacks, 53 Tackles, 2 TDs, 3 FF 3 FR, 1 PD, 11 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#7	Uchenna Nwosu	USC 9th year, Age: 29	7 Sacks, 35 Tackles, 3 PD, 7 TFL
DT (DL)	#99	Leonard Williams	USC 12th year, Age: 32	7 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 1 PD, 9 TFL
DT (DL)	#91	Byron Murphy II	Texas 3rd year, Age: 23	7 Sacks, 62 Tackles, 7 TFL
ILB	#13	Ernest Jones IV	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 26	0.5 Sacks, 126 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD 7 PD, 4 TFL
ILB	#32	Drake Thomas	NC State 4th year, Age: 26	3.5 Sacks, 96 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 8 PD, 10 TFL
CB	#21	Devon Witherspoon	Illinois 4th year, Age: 25	0.5 Sacks, 72 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 7 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#29	Josh Jobe	Alabama 5th year, Age: 28	0.5 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 1 INT, 12 PD
S	#20	Julian Love	Notre Dame 8th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 34 Tackles, 1 INT, 6 PD 1 TFL
S	#3	Nick Emmanwori	South Carolina 2nd year, Age: 22	2.5 Sacks, 81 Tackles, 1 INT, 11 PD 9 TFL
S (NB)	#39	Ty Okada	Montana State 2nd year, Age: 27	1.5 Sacks, 65 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 6 PD, 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#5	Jason Myers	Marist 12th year, Age: 35	48/48 XP, 41/48 FG (9/12 50+)
P	#4	Michael Dickson	Texas 9th year, Age: 30	52 punts, 2,548 yds, 20 <20
KR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 5th year, Age: 27	15 attempts, 447 yds, 1 TD – (NO/SEA)
PR	#22	Rashid Shaheed	Weber State 5th year, Age: 27	23 attempts, 339 yds, 1 TD – (NO/SEA)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Drew Lock – #2 (Missouri, 8th year, Age: 29)
QB: Jalen Milroe – #6 (Alabama, 2nd year, Age: 23)
HB: Emanuel Wilson – #27 (Fort Valley St. (D-II), 4th year, Age: 27)
HB: Jadarian Price – #8 (Notre Dame, Rookie, Age: 28)
WR: Tory Horton – #15 (Colorado State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Elijah Arroyo – #18 (Miami, 2nd year, Age: 23)
DT: Jarran Reed – #90 (Alabama, 11th year, Age: 33)
ILB: Tyrice Knight – #48 (UTEP, 3rd year, Age: 25)
OLB: Dante Fowler Jr. – #56 (Florida, 12th year, Age: 32)
OLB: Derick Hall – #58 (Auburn, 4th year, Age: 25)
CB: Terrion Arnold (Alabama, 4th year, Age: 23)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Addition: CB Terrion Arnold
Breakout Player: HB Zach Charbonnet
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: A
Strengths: Secondary, defensive line, WR core
Weaknesses: Run game, offensive line

The Super Bowl champs dominated all 2025, surprising many in the process. Their biggest move was signing Sam Darnold and cutting ties with Geno Smith, bringing in a new face of the franchise eager to prove his spot throughout a tumultuous career. Smith-Njigba had an incredible year, winning Offensive Player of the Year with nearly 2,000 rush yds. They do lose their lead rusher and SB MVP Kenneth Walker, but Zach Charbonnet is on pace to become RB1 with Emanuel Wilson behind him. Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp should see increased roles as star veterans behind JSN. The offensive line should be solid, although not their strongest area of expertise.

The defense is what led them all year last year, as they had the best core in all of football. DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams were the stars up front, with a secondary headlined by Devon Witherspoon who has become one of the best CB’s in the game. The defense does lose a couple of pieces, including Riq Woolen who left in free agency. Two rookie secondary pieces became huge staples in 2025 in both Nick Emmanwori and Ty Okada. These two will get increased roles, while the signing of Terrion Arnold could be huge for the secondary if he can resolve his legal issues. Seattle will have a tough time making it back to the Super Bowl with how much star power there is in the NFC and the amount of losses they’ve had this offseason. They’re still an easy playoff team and can make a deep run for another appearance.

AFC

Buffalo Bills

HC: Joe Brady
1st year as Bills HC
AGE: 37

OC: Pete Carmichael Jr.
1st year as Bills OC, 16th year as an OC – AGE: 55
DC: Jim Leonhard
1st year as Bills DC – AGE: 44

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#17	Josh Allen	Wyoming 9th year, Age: 30	25 TDs, 10 INTs, 3,668 yds, 65.4 QBR 579 rush yds, 14 TDs
HB	#4	James Cook III	Georgia 5th year, Age: 26	309 carries, 1,621 yds, 12 TDs 33 receptions, 291 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#2	D.J. Moore	Maryland 9th year, Age: 29	50 receptions, 682 yds, 6 TDs 15 carries, 79 yds, 1 TD – (CHI)
WR	#10	Khalil Shakir	Boise State 5th year, Age: 26	72 receptions, 719 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#86	Dalton Kincaid	Utah 4th year, Age: 26	39 receptions, 571 yds, 5 TDs
TE	#88	Dawson Knox	Ole Miss 8th year, Age: 29	36 receptions, 417 yds, 4 TDs
G	#64	O’Cyrus Torrence	Florida 4th year, Age: 26
G	#70	Alec Anderson	UCLA 4th year, Age: 26
C	#66	Connor McGovern	Penn State 8th year, Age: 28
T	#73	Dion Dawkins	Temple 10th year, Age: 32
T	#79	Spencer Brown	Northern Iowa 6th year, Age: 28

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#9	Bradley Chubb	NC State 9th year, Age: 30	8.5 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 8 TFL – (MIA)
OLB (EDGE)	#15	Greg Rousseau	Miami 6th year, Age: 26	7 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 6 TFL
DE (DL)	#55	Michael Hoecht	Brown 6th year, Age: 28	2 GP, 2 Sacks, 5 Tackles, 1 FF 1 TFL
DT (DL)	#91	Ed Oliver	Houston 8th year, Age: 28	3 GP, 3 Sacks, 12 Tackles, 1 FF 7 TFL
DT (DL)	#96	Deone Walker	Kentucky 2nd year, Age: 22	1 Sack, 39 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 PD 8 TFL
ILB	#8	Terrel Bernard	Baylor 5th year, Age: 27	65 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FR, 3 PD 7 TFL
ILB	#42	Dorian Williams	Tulane 4th year, Age: 25	63 Tackles, 1 FR, 2 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#47	Christian Benford	Villanova 5th year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 TDs 2 FR, 4 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#23	Dee Alford	Tusculum (D-II) 5th year, Age: 28	2 Sacks, 67 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF 1 FR, 13 PD, 6 TFL – (ATL)
S	#24	Cole Bishop	Utah 2nd year, Age: 23	2 Sacks, 85 Tackles, 3 INTs, 7 PD 4 TFL
S	#22	C.J. Gardner-Johnson	Florida 8th year, Age: 28	3 Sacks, 66 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 4 PD, 5 TFL – (HOU/CHI)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#16	Tyler Bass	Georgia Southern 7th year, Age: 29	DNP – Hip surgery
P	#39	Tommy Doman Jr. (R)	Florida Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: R7 P239 by BUF
KR	#7	Ray Davis	Kentucky 3rd year, Age: 26	31 attempts, 943 yds, 1 TD
PR	#10	Khalil Shakir	Boise State 5th year, Age: 26	16 attempts, 124 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Kyle Allen – #11 (Houston, 8th year, Age: 30)
HB: Ty Johnson – #26 (Maryland, 8th year, Age: 28)
WR: Keon Coleman – #0 (Florida State, 3rd year, Age: 23)
WR: Joshua Palmer – #5 (Tennessee, 6th year, Age: 26)
WR: Tyrell Shavers – #14 (San Diego State, 2nd year, Age: 26)
TE: Jackson Hawes – #85 (Georgia Tech, 2nd year, Age: 25)
DE: Mike Danna – #51 (Michigan, 6th year, Age: 28)
DT: T.J. Sanders – #98 (South Carolina, 2nd year, Age: 23)
ILB: Joe Andreessen – #44 (Buffalo, 3rd year, Age: 26)
OLB: T.J. Parker – #99 (Clemson, Rookie, Age: 21)
CB: Maxwell Hairston – #31 (Kentucky, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Davison Igbinosun – #21 (Ohio State, Rookie, Age: 21)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Josh Allen
Addition: OLB Bradley Chubb
Breakout Player: DT Deone Walker
Offensive Grade: A-
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Josh Allen, run game, offensive line
Weaknesses: Defensive line, pass rush, secondary

The Bills enter the new season fresh off of another disappointment after being handed a golden opportunity. Their arch nemesis who they can never make it past in the playoffs, the Chiefs, had a down year leaving the door wide open for someone new to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Well, they didn’t even make the AFC Championship, losing to the Broncos, and leading to the firing of Sean McDermott. Now, OC Joe Brady takes over as Josh Allen looks to appear in his first career Super Bowl again. They return James Cook, Khalil Shakir, Dawson Knox, Dalton Kincaid, and Keon Coleman as Allen’s toys to play with. D.J. Moore was traded for in the offseason, and the offensive line is still one of the fiercest in the league. The offense will clearly not be the issue once again.

The defense is where things get shaky and quite honestly has been their true reasons for collapse. Bradley Chubb was added as the top pass rusher, replacing Joey Bosa. Ed Oliver and Greg Rousseau continue to clog the middle while Terrel Bernard becomes the lead LB. The secondary is going to be a cause for concern once again, with Geno Stone and Dee Alford being the additions that will be relied upon heavily to bolster the group. There isn’t much depth or star power on this defense, which is not something that will bode well for a team trying to at least appear in their first Super Bowl in over 30 years. The offense will lead them, and they will likely win 11+ games as they always do, but the Patriots are just as tough once again and the AFC has only gotten stronger.

Miami Dolphins

HC: Jeff Hafley
1st year as Dolphins HC
AGE: 47

OC: Bobby Slowik
1st year as Dolphins OC, 3rd year as an OC – AGE: 39
DC: Sean Duggan
1st year as Dolphins DC – AGE: 33

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#2	Malik Willis	Liberty 5th year, Age: 27	4 GP, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 422 yds 123 rush yds, 2 TDs – (GB)
HB	#28	De’Von Achane	Texas A&M 4th year, Age: 24	238 carries, 1,350 yds, 8 TDs 67 receptions, 488 yds, 3 TDs
WR	#6	Malik Washington	Virginia 3rd year, Age: 25	46 receptions, 317 yds, 3 TDs 17 carries, 110 yds, 1 TD
WR	#7	Caleb Douglas (R)	Texas Tech Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R3 P75 by MIA
WR	#1	Jalen Tolbert	South Alabama 5th year, Age: 27	18 receptions, 203 yds, 1 TD – (DAL)
TE	#85	Greg Dulcich	UCLA 5th year, Age: 26	26 receptions, 335 yds, 1 TD
G	#74	Kadyn Proctor (R)	Alabama Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P12 by MIA
G	#72	Jonah Savaiinaea	Arizona 2nd year, Age: 22
C	#55	Aaron Brewer	Texas State 7th year, Age: 28
T	#73	Austin Jackson	USC 7th year, Age: 27
T	#52	Patrick Paul	Houston 3rd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#98	Clelin Ferrell	Clemson 8th year, Age: 29	4 Sacks, 25 Tackles, 4 TFL – (LAC/SF)
DE (EDGE)	#44	Chop Robinson	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 23	4 Sacks, 21 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 4 TFL
DT	#92	Zach Sieler	Ferris State 9th year, Age: 30	5.5 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 1 FR, 1 PD 10 TFL
DT	#94	Jordan Phillips	Maryland 2nd year, Age: 22	34 Tackles, 1 TFL
MLB	#20	Jordyn Brooks	Texas Tech 7th year, Age: 28	3.5 Sacks, 183 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 13 TFL
OLB	#10	Jacob Rodriguez (R)	Texas Tech Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: R2 P43 by MIA
OLB	#9	Josh Uche	Michigan 7th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 23 Tackles, 1 PD, 2 TFL – (PHI)
CB	#33	Jason Marshall Jr.	Florida 2nd year, Age: 23	23 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#3	Chris Johnson (R)	San Diego State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P27 by MIA
S	#11	Dante Trader Jr.	Maryland 2nd year, Age: 23	55 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD
S	#23	Zayne Anderson	BYU 4th year, Age: 29	15 Tackles, 2 FR – (GB)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#47	Riley Patterson	Memphis 6th year, Age: 26	34/35 XP, 27/29 FG (3/4 50+)
P	#48	Bradley Pinion	Clemson 12th year, Age: 32	64 punts, 2,889 yds, 34 <20 – (ATL)
KR	#6	Malik Washington	Virginia 3rd year, Age: 25	36 attempts, 965 yds
PR	#6	Malik Washington	Virginia 3rd year, Age: 25	20 attempts, 260 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Kyle McCord (Syracuse, Rookie, Age: 23)
HB: Jaylen Wright – #5 (Tennessee, 3rd year, Age: 23)
TE: Will Kacmarek – #82 (Ohio State, Rookie, Age: 23)
DT: Kenneth Grant – #78 (Michigan, 2nd year, Age: 22)
ILB: Willie Gay Jr. – #40 (Mississippi State, 7th year, Age: 28)
CB: Darrell Baker Jr.* – #22 (Georgia Southern, 4th year, Age: 28)
CB: JuJu Brents – #8 (Kansas State, 4th year, Age: 26)

*Baker has an undisclosed injury and may return midseason

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: HB De’Von Achane
Addition: QB Malik Willis
Breakout Player: WR Caleb Douglas
Offensive Grade: F
Defensive Grade: D-
Strengths: Maybe Malik Willis?, star RB
Weaknesses: Everything else

The Dolphins could likely be the worst team in football in 2026, with very little hope for any type of relevance. Mike McDaniel was let go, and the team cut ties with Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, and Jaylen Waddle this offseason, setting forth a full rebuild. Malik Willis was signed after glimpses of development while being Jordan Love’s backup in Green Bay last year. He’ll get a chance at being Miami’s new future QB. De’Von Achane is the lone star that remains on the roster, as the WR core will be up for grabs with Malik Washington, Tutu Atwell, and rookie Caleb Douglas all having shots at seeing significant targets.

The defense, although slightly better, is still in full rebuild as well. LBs Tyrel Dodson and Jordyn Brooks still remain with Zach Sieler still on the defensive line. Rookies LB Jacob Rodriguez and CB Chris Johnson should get starting roles right off the bat. Veterans Clelin Ferrell and Lonnie Johnson were signed in efforts to keep their careers alive. Jeff Hafley is surely in for some beat downs in his first year as an NFL HC. This team will likely win 2 or 3 games, and be a real threat at the 1st pick in the highly anticipated 2027 Draft.

New England Patriots

HC: Mike Vrabel
2nd year as Patriots HC, 8th year as a HC (Tennessee ’18-’23)
Career record: 68-48, Patriots record: 14-3, Career Playoff record: 5-4
AGE: 51

OC: Josh McDaniels
15th year as Patriots OC (3rd stint), 16th year as an OC, 4 years as Broncos/Raiders HC – AGE: 50
DC: Zak Kuhr
1st year as Patriots DC – AGE: 38

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#10	Drake Maye	North Carolina 3rd year, Age: 23	31 TDs, 8 INTs, 4,394 yds, 77.1 QBR 450 rush yds, 4 TDs
HB	#32	TreVeyon Henderson	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23	180 carries, 911 yds, 9 TDs 35 receptions, 221 yds, 1 TD
WR	#1	A.J. Brown	Ole Miss 8th year, Age: 29	78 receptions, 1,003 yds, 7 TDs – (PHI)
WR	#87	Romeo Doubs	Nevada 5th year, Age: 26	55 receptions, 724 yds, 6 TDs – (GB)
WR	#3	DeMario Douglas	Liberty 4th year, Age: 25	31 receptions, 447 yds, 3 TDs 7 carries, 21 yds
TE	#85	Hunter Henry	Arkansas 11th year, Age: 31	60 receptions, 768 yds, 7 TDs
G	#71	Mike Onwenu	Michigan 7th year, Age: 28
G	#75	Alijah Vera-Tucker	USC 6th year, Age: 27
C	#55	Jared Wilson	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 23
T	#76	Morgan Moses	Virginia 13th year, Age: 35
T	#66	Will Campbell	LSU 2nd year, Age: 22

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#2	Harold Landry III	Boston College 9th year, Age: 30	8.5 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 1 FF, 10 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#5	Dre’Mont Jones	Ohio State 8th year, Age: 29	7 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 FR, 1 PD 7 TFL – (TEN/BAL)
DT (DL)	#90	Christian Barmore	Alabama 6th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 4 TFL
DT (DL)	#97	Milton Williams	Louisiana Tech 6th year, Age: 27	3.5 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 1 PD, 8 TFL
ILB	#14	Robert Spillane	Western Michigan 8th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 97 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 5 PD, 4 TFL
ILB	#53	Christian Elliss	Idaho 5th year, Age: 27	94 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD
CB	#0	Christian Gonzalez	Oregon 4th year, Age: 24	69 Tackles, 10 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#7	Carlton Davis III	Auburn 8th year, Age: 29	69 Tackles, 10 PD, 3 TFL
CB (NB)	#25	Marcus Jones	Houston 5th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 65 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD 3 FR, 11 PD, 8 TFL
S	#31	Kevin Byard	Middle Tennessee 11th year, Age: 33	93 Tackles, 7 INTs, 8 PD, 4 TFL – (CHI)
S	#4	Craig Woodson	California 2nd year, Age: 25	79 Tackles, 2 FR, 3 PD, 4 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#36	Andy Borregales	Miami 2nd year, Age: 23	53/55 XP, 27/32 FG (4/4 50+)
P	#17	Bryce Baringer	Michigan State 4th year, Age: 27	51 punts, 2,416 yds, 21 <20
KR	#18	Kyle Williams	Washington State 2nd year, Age: 23	11 attempts, 290 yds
PR	#25	Marcus Jones	Houston 5th year, Age: 27	21 attempts, 363 yds, 2 TDs

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tommy DeVito – #16 (Illinois, 4th year, Age: 28)
HB: Rhamondre Stevenson – #38 (Oklahoma, 6th year, Age: 28)
FB: Reggie Gilliam – #44 (Toledo, 7th year, Age: 28)
WR: Mack Hollins – #13 (North Carolina, 10th year, Age: 32)
TE: Eli Raridon – #82 (Notre Dame, Rookie, Age: 22)
DT: Cory Durden – #94 (NC State, 2nd year, Age: 27)
ILB: K.J. Britt – #35 (Auburn, 6th year, Age: 27)
OLB: Gabe Jacas – #50 (Illinois, Rookie, Age: 22)
CB: Kindle Vildor – #28 (Georgia Southern, 7th year, Age: 28)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Drake Maye
Addition: WR A.J. Brown
Breakout Player: HB TreVeyon Henderson
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Secondary, pass rush, Star QB/WR duo
Weaknesses: Run game, offensive line

The Patriots were probably the biggest surprise team of 2025, entering the first year of the Mike Vrabel era, Drake Maye’s breakout into a star QB, and a trip to the Super Bowl. Now as the reigning AFC Champs, the Pats franchise know all about winning rings, but without Brady there’s no guarantee they’ll even make it back. They upgrade their WR room big time, adding star A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs who will give Maye two big-time weapons. TreVeyon Henderson should become more of the clear cut RB1 ahead of Rhamondre Stevenson. The offensive line is what will need to be figured out, with inconsistent play from top pick Will Campbell last year. And of course, Vrabel’s off the field issues headlined the offseason, and it will be interesting to see if that leaks into the season.

The defense is arguably one of the key catalysts to their explosive performance in 2025, and they look like a solid core again this year. Dre’Mont Jones joins Harold Landry on the edges with Christian Barmore as the lead run stopper. Christian Gonzalez has developed into one of the best corners in the league with his lockdown coverage. He headlines a star-studded secondary with Carlton Davis, Kevin Byard, and Marcus Jones. It feels like it’ll be really tough for the Pats to reignite what they did last year, but they will still be in the top of the AFC without a doubt. The AFC East will be a battle between these two and it’ll be interesting to see if Maye is the real superstar he looked to be becoming last year.

New York Jets

HC: Aaron Glenn
2nd year as Jets HC
Career/Team record: 3-14
AGE: 54

OC: Frank Reich
1st year as Jets OC, 5th year as an OC, 6 years as Colts/Panthers HC – AGE: 65
DC: Brian Duker
1st year as Jets DC – AGE: 37

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#7	Geno Smith	West Virginia 14th year, Age: 35	19 TDs, 17 INTs, 3,025 yds, 34.1 QBR 109 rush yds – (LVR)
HB	#20	Breece Hall	Iowa State 5th year, Age: 25	243 carries, 1,065 yds, 4 TDs 36 receptions, 350 yds, 1 TD
WR	#5	Garrett Wilson	Ohio State 5th year, Age: 26	36 receptions, 395 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#15	Adonai Mitchell	Texas 3rd year, Age: 23	33 receptions, 453 yds, 2 TDs – (IND/NYJ)
TE	#85	Mason Taylor	LSU 2nd year, Age: 22	44 receptions, 369 yds, 1 TD
TE	#16	Kenyon Sadiq (R)	Oregon Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P16 by NYJ
G	#64	Dylan Parham	Memphis 5th year, Age: 26
G	#66	Joe Tippmann	Wisconsin 4th year, Age: 25
C	#71	Josh Myers	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 28
T	#74	Olu Fashanu	Penn State 3rd year, Age: 23
T	#70	Armand Membou	Missouri 2nd year, Age: 22

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#31	David Bailey (R)	Texas Tech Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P2 by NYJ
DE (EDGE)	#9	Will McDonald IV	Iowa State 4th year, Age: 27	8 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 10 TFL
DT	#97	Harrison Phillips	Stanford 9th year, Age: 30	0.5 Sacks, 60 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PD 5 TFL
DT	#93	David Onyemata	Manitoba (Canada) 11th year, Age: 33	1 Sack, 62 Tackles, 7 TFL – (ATL)
ILB	#56	Demario Davis	Arkansas State 15th year, Age: 37	0.5 Sacks, 143 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 6 TFL – (NO)
ILB	#44	Jamien Sherwood	Auburn 6th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 154 Tackles, 8 PD, 8 TFL
OLB	#52	Kingsley Enagbare	South Carolina 6th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 6 TFL – (GB)
CB	#21	Brandon Stephens	SMU 6th year, Age: 28	73 Tackles, 1 FF, 9 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#26	Nahshon Wright	Oregon State 6th year, Age: 27	80 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD, 2 FF 3 FR, 11 PD, 3 TFL – (CHI)
S	#29	Minkah Fitzpatrick	Alabama 9th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 82 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 2 FR, 6 PD, 4 TFL – (MIA)
S	#27	Malachi Moore	Alabama 2nd year, Age: 24	101 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 PD 3 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#19	Jason Sanders	New Mexico 9th year, Age: 30	DNP – Hip injury – (MIA)
P	#14	Austin McNamara	Texas Tech 2nd year, Age: 25	71 punts, 3,317 yds, 32 <20
KR	#3	Kene Nwangwu	Iowa State 6th year, Age: 28	18 attempts, 604 yds, 1 TD
PR	#18	Isaiah Williams	Illinois 3rd year, Age: 25	28 attempts, 396 yds, 2 TDs

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Cade Klubnik – #10 (Clemson, Rookie, Age: 22)
HB: Isaiah Davis – #32 (South Dakota State, 3rd year, Age: 24)
FB: Andrew Beck – #47 (Texas, 7th year, Age: 30)
WR: Omar Cooper Jr. – #83 (Indiana, Rookie, Age: 22)
WR: Tim Patrick – #17 (Utah, 9th year, Age: 32)
TE: Jeremy Ruckert – #89 (Ohio State, 5th year, Age: 26)
DE: Joseph Ossai – #46 (Texas, 6th year, Age: 26)
DT: Jowon Briggs – #91 (Cincinnati, 3rd year, Age: 24)
DT: T’Vondre Sweat – #99 (Texas, 3rd year, Age: 25)
ILB: Kiko Mauigoa – #51 (Miami, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Jarvis Brownlee – #2 (Louisville, 3rd year, Age: 25)
CB: Azareye’h Thomas – #1 (Florida State, 2nd year, Age: 22)
S: Dane Belton – #6 (Iowa, 5th year, Age: 25)
S: Andre Cisco – #8 (Syracuse, 6th year, Age: 26)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Garrett Wilson
Addition: S Minkah Fitzpatrick
Breakout Player: OLB David Bailey
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Young receiving core, LB depth, secondary
Weaknesses: QB situation, offensive line

It was another let down of a year for the lowly Jets, as the Rodgers era has come and gone and now so has the Justin Fields era. Former Jet and veteran Geno Smith was traded for to be a place holder QB this season as the franchise still looks to fill that immense need. Many have been impressed with rookie Cade Klubnik’s play, but other people in the franchise already have their eyes set on the 2027 Draft. That would mean another tanking year that I’m not sure the fanbase can take, something eventually will have to give. Garrett Wilson returns from injury as the top target with yet another new QB. Kenyon Sadiq will be an intriguing receiving TE to pair with Mason Taylor, while Breece Hall was extended to lead the run game.

Their fire sale on defense at last year’s deadline only seemed to bode well, as Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner were shipped out for draft picks and younger talent. Quincy Williams also left in free agency, and the team brings in the 2nd overall pick, edge rusher David Bailey to lead the pass rush group. Veterans Harrison Phillips and David Onyemata will clog the middle, and Demario Davis will be tasked to replace Quincy. The secondary looks solid once again, bringing in breakout star CB Nahshon Wright and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Malachi Moore and Azareye’h Thomas were two impressive rookies last year that should develop into bigger roles. It’ll be a tough year to compete, but all this team needs is some hope for the future. The ceiling seems like 7 wins, and it may not be unrealistic to reach if they can put it all together.

Baltimore Ravens

HC: Jesse Minter
1st year as Ravens HC
AGE: 43

OC: Declan Doyle
1st year as Ravens OC, 2nd year as an OC – AGE: 30
DC: Anthony Weaver
1st year as Ravens DC, 4th year as a DC – AGE: 46

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#8	Lamar Jackson	Louisville 9th year, Age: 29	21 TDs, 7 INTs, 2,549 yds, 62.7 QBR 349 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#22	Derrick Henry	Alabama 11th year, Age: 32	307 carries, 1,595 yds, 16 TDs 15 receptions, 150 yds
WR	#4	Zay Flowers	Boston College 4th year, Age: 25	86 receptions, 1,211 yds, 5 TDs 10 carries, 62 yds, 1 TD
WR	#7	Rashod Bateman	Minnesota 6th year, Age: 26	19 receptions, 224 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#81	Devontez Walker	North Carolina 3rd year, Age: 25	6 receptions, 136 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#89	Mark Andrews	Oklahoma 9th year, Age: 30	48 receptions, 422 yds, 5 TDs 10 carries, 48 yds, 1 TD
G	#74	John Simpson	Clemson 7th year, Age: 29
G	#71	Olaivavega Ioane (R)	Penn State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P14 by BAL
C	#77	Ethan Pocic	LSU 10th year, Age: 31
T	#79	Ronnie Stanley	Notre Dame 11th year, Age: 32
T	#70	Roger Rosengarten	Washington 3rd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#91	Trey Hendrickson	Florida Atlantic 10th year, Age: 31	4 Sacks, 16 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 3 TFL – (CIN)
OLB (EDGE)	#95	Tavius Robinson	Ole Miss 4th year, Age: 27	4.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 3 TFL
DT (DL)	#92	Nnamdi Madubuike	Texas A&M 7th year, Age: 28	2 GP, 2 Sacks, 7 Tackles, 2 TFL
DT (DL)	#98	Travis Jones	UConn 5th year, Age: 26	5 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 2 PD, 9 TFL
ILB	#0	Roquan Smith	Georgia 9th year, Age: 29	130 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FR, 3 PD 5 TFL
ILB	#40	Teddye Buchanon	California 2nd year, Age: 23	0.5 Sacks, 93 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 5 TFL
CB	#44	Marlon Humphrey	Alabama 10th year, Age: 30	1 Sack, 68 Tackles, 4 INTs, 2 FF 1 FR, 13 PD, 3 TFL
CB	#2	Nate Wiggins	Clemson 3rd year, Age: 22	76 Tackles, 3 INTs, 14 PD, 2 TFL
S	#14	Kyle Hamilton	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 25	1 Sack, 105 Tackles, 2 FF, 9 PD 7 TFL
S	#21	Jaylinn Hawkins	California 7th year, Age: 28	1.5 Sacks, 71 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF 1 FR, 6 PD, 3 TFL – (NE)
S (NB)	#24	Malaki Starks	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 22	84 Tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#33	Tyler Loop	Arizona 2nd year, Age: 25	44/46 XP, 30/34 FG (1/4 50+)
P	#30	Ryan Eckley (R)	Michigan State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R6 P211 by BAL
KR	#26	Rasheen Ali	Marshall 3rd year, Age: 25	30 attempts, 763 yds
PR	#10	LaJohntay Webster	Colorado 2nd year, Age: 24	16 attempts, 198 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Tyler Huntley – #5 (Utah, 7th year, Age: 28)
HB: Justice Hill – #43 (Oklahoma State, 8th year, Age: 28)
WR: Ja’Kobi Lane – #6 (USC, Rookie, Age: 22)
TE: Durham Smythe – #80 (Notre Dame, 9th year, Age: 31)
DT: Calais Campbell – #93 (Miami, 19th year, Age: 39)
DT: John Jenkins – #94 (Georgia, 14th year, Age: 37)
DT: Broderick Washington – #96 (Texas Tech, 7th year, Age: 29)
ILB: Trenton Simpson – #32 (Clemson, 4th year, Age: 25)
OLB: Zion Young – #9 (Missouri, Rookie, Age: 22)
CB: Chidobe Awuzie – #3 (Colorado, 10th year, Age: 31)
CB: T.J. Tampa – #27 (Iowa State, 3rd year, Age: 24)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Lamar Jackson
Addition: OLB Trey Hendrickson
Breakout Player: WR Ja’Kobi Lane
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Pass rush, run game, Lamar, secondary
Weaknesses: WR core, LB depth

A down year led to a major shake up in Baltimore as long-time HC John Harbaugh was let go, winding up in New York. Now, the future is in the hands of Lamar Jackson who has only been able to make one AFC Championship appearance in his career. But to be honest, I’m not entirely sure this team got any better than they were last year. Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews are the top targets, with Derrick Henry still the big scare on the ground for them. Lamar didn’t run much in 2025 due to lingering injuries, but we should see him get back into the run game this year. He and Henry will once again be a scary duo against defenses who struggle in the run stop.

The defense is definitely further along than the offense, bringing in star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency. They nearly landed Raiders’ star Maxx Crosby in a trade that was nixed and forced them to pivot to Hendrickson. Madubuike returns from nearly a full season on the shelf, with veterans Calais Campbell and John Jenkins in the mix to come off the bench. The secondary is a powerhouse, with arguably the league’s best safety in Kyle Hamilton, alongside Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. Their defense will be feared as usual, but in a very tough North filled with dynamic defenses in Pittsburgh and the new look Bengals, it’ll be tough to definitively make it back atop the division. They should find a way back into a playoff spot if all goes right.

Cincinnati Bengals

HC: Zac Taylor
8th year as Bengals HC
Career/Team record: 52-63-1, Career Playoff record: 5-2
AGE: 43

OC: Dan Pitcher
3rd year as Bengals OC – AGE: 39
DC: Al Golden
2nd year as Bengals DC – AGE: 57

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#9	Joe Burrow	LSU 7th year, Age: 29	17 TDs, 5 INTs, 1,809 yds, 63 QBR 41 rush yds
HB	#30	Chase Brown	Illinois 4th year, Age: 26	232 carries, 1,019 yds, 6 TDs 69 receptions, 437 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#1	Ja’Marr Chase	LSU 6th year, Age: 26	125 receptions, 1,412 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#5	Tee Higgins	Clemson 7th year, Age: 27	59 receptions, 846 yds, 11 TDs
WR	#80	Andrei Iosivas	Princeton 4th year, Age: 26	33 receptions, 435 yds, 2 TDs
TE	#88	Mike Gesicki	Penn State 9th year, Age: 30	28 receptions, 307 yds, 2 TDs
G	#66	Dalton Risner	Kansas State 8th year, Age: 31
G	#63	Dylan Fairchild	Georgia 2nd year, Age: 23
C	#64	Ted Karras	Illinois 11th year, Age: 33
T	#75	Orlando Brown Jr.	Oklahoma 9th year, Age: 30
T	#71	Amarius Mims	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 23

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#53	Boye Mafe	Minnesota 5th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 1 FF, 5 PD 4 TFL – (SEA)
DE (EDGE)	#99	Myles Murphy	Clemson 4th year, Age: 24	5.5 Sacks, 52 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 PD 6 TFL
DT	#97	Dexter Lawrence II	Clemson 8th year, Age: 28	0.5 Sacks, 31 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD 4 TFL – (NYG)
DT	#92	B.J. Hill	NC State 9th year, Age: 31	4 Sacks, 66 Tackles, 5 TFL
MLB	#44	Demetrius Knight Jr.	South Carolina 2nd year, Age: 26	3 Sacks, 106 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF 7 PD, 4 TFL
OLB	#49	Barrett Carter	Clemson 2nd year, Age: 23	106 Tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD, 1 TFL
OLB	#42	Oren Burks	Vanderbilt 9th year, Age: 31	48 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD 1 TFL
CB	#23	Dax Hill	Michigan 5th year, Age: 25	88 Tackles, 1 INT, 11 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#0	D.J. Turner II	Michigan 4th year, Age: 25	40 Tackles, 2 INTs, 2 FF, 1 FR 18 PD, 2 TFL
S	#27	Jordan Battle	Alabama 4th year, Age: 25	125 Tackles, 4 INTs, 2 FF, 6 PD 2 TFL
S	#6	Bryan Cook	Cincinnati 5th year, Age: 26	85 Tackles, 6 PD, 1 TFL – (KC)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#2	Evan McPherson	Florida 6th year, Age: 27	41/44 XP, 25/28 FG (5/8 50+)
P	#8	Ryan Rehkow	BYU 3rd year, Age: 27	65 punts, 3,285 yds, 28 <20
KR	#12	Ke’Shawn Williams	Indiana 2nd year, Age: 24	26 attempts, 628 yds – (PIT/CIN)
PR	#12	Ke’Shawn Williams	Indiana 2nd year, Age: 24	20 attempts, 207 yds – (PIT/CIN)

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Joe Flacco – #16 (Delaware, 19th year, Age: 41)
HB: Samaje Perine – #34 (Oklahoma, 10th year, Age: 30)
WR: Mitchell Tinsley – #82 (Penn State, 3rd year, Age: 26)
TE: Drew Sample – #89 (Washington, 8th year, Age: 30)
TE: Tanner Hudson – #87 (Southern Arkansas (D-II), 7th year, Age: 31)
DE: Shemar Stewart – #94 (Texas A&M, 2nd year, Age: 22)
DE: Cashius Howell – #55 (Texas A&M, Rookie, Age: 23)
DT: Jonathan Allen – #93 (Alabama, 10th year, Age: 31)
DT: T.J. Slaton Jr. – #98 (Florida, 6th year, Age: 28)
DT: Kris Jenkins – #90 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Ja’Sir Taylor – #26 (Wake Forest, 5th year, Age: 27)
S: Kyle Dugger – #29 (Lenoir Rhyne (D-II), 7th year, Age: 30)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: WR Ja’Marr Chase
Addition: DT Dexter Lawrence
Breakout Player: DE Boye Mafe
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: Star QB/WR core, run stop, run game
Weaknesses: Offensive line, LB core, pass rush

The Bengals are now 4 years removed from their Super Bowl appearance and have not been able to do anything notable since. Several down years, and many injuries to Joe Burrow, but the Bengals finally look like they can make noise in 2026. Chase and Higgins return as the dynamic WR duo, with Chase Brown stepping into full-time RB duties last year and rushing for over 1,000 yards. The offensive line still doesn’t look great, despite adding Dalton Risner this offseason. They have never been able to provide protection for Burrow throughout his career, and it may be a lot of the same this year.

The defense was one of the biggest issues over the past couple of seasons, but the addition of Dexter Lawrence gives them star power on the defensive line. They’ll need 2025 top pick Shemar Stewart to develop into more of an impactful edge rusher along with Myles Murphy and newly added Boye Mafe. The secondary will be in question, with Dax Hill becoming their top CB and Bryan Cook given big money to come over from Kansas City. I do think, barring injuries, the Bengals should have a bounce back season. If they’re true threats to compete remains to be seen, but I do think this is a solid core that has improved in a few different areas that needed it most.

Cleveland Browns

HC: Todd Monken
1st year as Browns HC
AGE: 60

OC: Travis Switzer
1st year as Browns OC – AGE: 34
DC: Mike Rutenberg
1st year as Browns DC – AGE: 45

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#4	Deshaun Watson	Clemson 10th year, Age: 30	DNP – Torn achilles
HB	#10	Quinshon Judkins	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 22	230 carries, 827 yds, 7 TDs 26 receptions, 171 yds
WR	#3	Jerry Jeudy	Alabama 7th year, Age: 27	50 receptions, 602 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#1	KC Concepcion (R)	Texas A&M Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P24 by CLE
WR	#0	Isaiah Bond	Texas 2nd year, Age: 22	18 receptions, 338 yds 5 carries, 29 yds
TE	#44	Harold Fannin Jr.	Bowling Green 2nd year, Age: 22	72 receptions, 731 yds, 6 TDs 7 carries, 13 yds, 1 TD
G	#77	Zion Johnson	Boston College 5th year, Age: 26
G	#78	Teven Jenkins	Oklahoma State 6th year, Age: 28
C	#74	Elgton Jenkins	Mississippi State 8th year, Age: 30
T	#71	Tytus Howard	Alabama State 8th year, Age: 30
T	#55	Spencer Fano (R)	Utah Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P9 by CLE

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#8	Jared Verse	Florida State 3rd year, Age: 25	7.5 Sacks, 58 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 PD 11 TFL – (LAR)
DE (EDGE)	#57	Isaiah McGuire	Missouri 4th year, Age: 25	2 Sacks, 30 Tackles, 1 FF, 8 TFL
DT	#96	Maliek Collins	Nebraska 11th year, Age: 31	6.5 Sacks, 25 Tackles, 1 FR, 7 TFL
DT	#94	Mason Graham	Michigan 2nd year, Age: 22	0.5 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 4 PD, 7 TFL
ILB	#5	Quincy Williams	Murray State 8th year, Age: 29	3.5 Sacks, 83 Tackles, 7 PD, 8 TFL – (NYJ)
OLB	#49	Carson Schwesinger	UCLA 2nd year, Age: 23	2.5 Sacks, 156 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 PD 11 TFL
CB	#21	Denzel Ward	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 29	39 Tackles, 1 INT, 9 PD, 2 TFL
CB	#7	Tyson Campbell	Georgia 6th year, Age: 26	53 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD, 1 FF 12 PD, 1 TFL
S	#9	Grant Delpit	LSU 7th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 89 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 2 FR, 4 PD, 4 TFL
S	#33	Ronnie Hickman	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 24	103 Tackles, 2 INTs, 7 PD, 1 TFL
S (NB)	#28	Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (R)	Toledo Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R2 P58 by CLE

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#25	Andre Szmyt	Syracuse 2nd year, Age: 27	25/26 XP, 24/27 FG (5/6 50+)
P	#13	Corey Bojorquez	New Mexico 9th year, Age: 29	91 punts, 4,165 yds, 23 <20
KR	#83	Malachi Corley	Western Kentucky 3rd year, Age: 24	21 attempts, 492 yds
PR	#0	Isaiah Bond	Texas 2nd year, Age: 22	2 attempts, 9 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Dillon Gabriel* – #6 (Oregon, 2nd year, Age: 25)
QB: Shedeur Sanders – #2 (Colorado, 2nd year, Age: 24)
HB: Dylan Sampson – #22 (Tennessee, 2nd year, Age: 21)
FB: Michael Burton – #34 (Rutgers, 11th year, Age: 34)
WR: Denzel Boston – #12 (Washington, Rookie, Age: 22)
DE: Derek Barnett – #50 (Tennessee, 10th year, Age: 30)
DE: Alex Wright** – #91 (UAB, 5th year, Age: 25)
ILB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah*** – #6 (Notre Dame, 6th year, Age: 26)
CB: Myles Harden – #26 (South Dakota, 3rd year, Age: 24)

*Gabriel has a back injury and will miss the first 4 weeks
**Wright tore his achilles in training camp and will miss the entire season
***Owusu-Koramoah is set to miss a second straight season with a neck injury

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: CB Denzel Ward
Addition: DE Jared Verse
Breakout Player: DE Jared Verse
Offensive Grade: D+
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Offensive line, secondary
Weaknesses: QB situation, WR core, defensive line

When it rains it pours when it comes to the Browns and things couldn’t seem to get any worse. Troubled QB Deshaun Watson has won the job despite terrible play in training camp, leaving last year’s successful rookie duo of Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel as the backups. For a team that will be at the bottom of the league yet again, it seems counteractive to play Watson and not go with their young guns. Sanders and Gabriel both had moments of promise in their rookie years, and at the very least, you will want to see if the team will need to use their inevitable top pick in 2027 on a QB. The rest of the offense is subpar, with two rookie WRs likely to get big playing time and an offensive line that has added a few promising pieces in free agency.

The defense shouldn’t be awful, despite losing their franchise cornerstone Myles Garrett off of his record setting 23-sack season. They fill the void with promising edge Jared Verse whom they acquired from the Rams for Myles. Veterans Maliek Collins and Grant Delpit still remain, with star CB Denzel Ward getting big money to stay in The Land. Quincy Williams was also signed to be the star LB. The entire defensive core isn’t terrible, but again, so much inconsistency surrounds this team and its tough to see them compete. It’ll come down to QB play and development, which I don’t think they’ll get much of either.

Pittsburgh Steelers

HC: Mike McCarthy
1st year as Steelers HC, 19th year as a HC (Green Bay ’06-’18, Dallas ’20-’24)
Career record: 174-112-2, Career Playoff record: 11-11
AGE: 63

OC: Brian Angelichio
1st year as Steelers OC – AGE: 53
DC: Patrick Graham
1st year as Steelers DC, 8th year as a DC – AGE: 47

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#8	Aaron Rodgers	California 22nd year, Age: 42	24 TDs, 7 INTs, 3,322 yds, 44.4 QBR 61 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#30	Jaylen Warren	Oklahoma State 5th year, Age: 27	211 carries, 958 yds, 6 TDs 40 receptions, 333 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#4	DK Metcalf	Ole Miss 8th year, Age: 28	59 receptions, 850 yds, 6 TDs 2 carries, 12 yds, 1 TD
WR	#11	Michael Pittman Jr.	USC 7th year, Age: 28	80 receptions, 784 yds, 7 TDs – (IND)
TE	#88	Pat Freiermuth	Penn State 6th year, Age: 27	41 receptions, 486 yds, 4 TDs
TE	#80	Darnell Washington	Georgia 4th year, Age: 25	31 receptions, 364 yds, 1 TD
G	#74	Spencer Anderson	Maryland 4th year, Age: 26
G	#66	Mason McCormick	South Dakota State 3rd year, Age: 26
C	#54	Zach Frazier	West Virginia 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#76	Troy Fautanu	Washington 3rd year, Age: 25
T	#71	Max Iheanachor (R)	Arizona State Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P21 by PIT

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#90	T.J. Watt	Wisconsin 10th year, Age: 31	7 Sacks, 55 Tackles, 2 INTs, 3 FF 2 FR, 8 PD, 10 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#56	Alex Highsmith	Charlotte 7th year, Age: 29	9.5 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 1 FF, 3 PD 15 TFL
DT (DL)	#97	Cameron Heyward	Ohio State 16th year, Age: 37	3.5 Sacks, 78 Tackles, 1 FF, 6 PD 9 TFL
DT (DL)	#95	Keeanu Benton	Wisconsin 4th year, Age: 25	5.5 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 PD 6 TFL
DT (DL)	#69	Sebastian Joseph-Day	Rutgers 8th year, Age: 31	2 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 1 FR, 6 TFL – (TEN)
ILB	#6	Patrick Queen	LSU 7th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 120 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 8 TFL
ILB	#41	Payton Wilson	NC State 3rd year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 126 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR 2 PD, 6 TFL
CB	#5	Jalen Ramsey	Florida State 11th year, Age: 31	3 Sacks, 88 Tackles, 1 INT, 8 PD 4 TFL
CB	#24	Joey Porter Jr.	Penn State 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 52 Tackles, 1 INT, 14 PD
S	#25	DeShon Elliott	Texas 9th year, Age: 29	5 GP, 1 Sack, 38 Tackles, 1 INT 1 FF, 2 PD, 1 TFL
S	#3	Jaquan Brisker	Penn State 5th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 93 Tackles, 1 INT, 8 PD 1 TFL – (CHI)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#9	Chris Boswell	Rice 12th year, Age: 35	42/43 XP, 27/32 FG (9/11 50+)
P	#19	Cameron Johnston	Ohio State 9th year, Age: 34	4 GP, 11 punts, 490 yds, 2 <20 – (BUF/NYG)
KR	#10	Kaden Wetjen (R)	Iowa Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: R4 P121 by PIT
PR	#10	Kaden Wetjen (R)	Iowa Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: R4 P121 by PIT

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Will Howard – #18 (Ohio State, 2nd year, Age: 24)
QB: Mason Rudolph – #2 (Oklahoma State, 9th year, Age: 31)
QB: Drew Allar – #16 (Penn State, Rookie, Age: 22)
HB: Rico Dowdle – #13 (South Carolina, 7th year, Age: 28)
WR: Roman Wilson – #14 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 25)
WR: Germie Bernard – #17 (Alabama, Rookie, Age: 22)
DE: Yahya Black – #94 (Iowa, 2nd year, Age: 24)
DT: Derrick Harmon – #99 (Oregon, 2nd year, Age: 23)
ILB: Cole Holcomb – #55 (North Carolina, 8th year, Age: 30)
OLB: Nick Herbig – #51 (Wisconsin, 4th year, Age: 24)
OLB: Malik Harrison – #39 (Ohio State, 7th year, Age: 28)
CB: Jamel Dean – #35 (Auburn, 8th year, Age: 29)
CB: Brandin Echols – #26 (Kentucky, 6th year, Age: 28)
S: Rayshawn Jenkins – #31 (Miami, 10th year, Age: 32)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: OLB T.J. Watt
Addition: WR Michael Pittman Jr.
Breakout Player: OT Max Iheanachor
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Pass rush, secondary, future HOF QB
Weaknesses: Offensive line, run game

The Steelers turned a new leaf for 2026, letting go of long-time HC Mike Tomlin after never having a losing record in his 19 seasons with Pittsburgh. It was moreso a move to enter a new era, with a future QB in the looming and a need to enter a rebuild on offense. They will run it back one last time with the great Aaron Rodgers who says his 22nd season will be his last. Young QBs Drew Allar and Will Howard impressed throughout training camp, as the hope is that their future QB is already within the franchise. Mike McCarthy brings plenty of HC experiences and even won Rodgers’ lone Super Bowl victory with him in Green Bay. The RB room replaces Kaleb Johnson with Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren as the RB1. Michael Pittman Jr. was added to be DK’s co-anchor, by far the most reliable WR the Colts have had over the past several years. The offensive line will need some improvement from young pieces to help protect the aging offensive core.

The ferocious Steelers’ D remains the best part of their team, with superstar T.J. Watt as the anchor. Cam Heyward returns for his 16th season, all with Pittsburgh, in a career that will likely land him in the Hall-of-Fame. Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson were a great interior LB duo with Cole Holcomb and newly extended Nick Herbig as supporting pieces. Jalen Ramsey returns as CB1 with Joey Porter Jr. looking for a new contract and Jaquan Brisker brought over from Chicago. The Steelers should be a 9+ win team again, and the playoffs are a likely scenario. Their aging core is becoming a cause of concern, as they will likely need to address many future scenarios after this year.

Houston Texans

HC: DeMeco Ryans
4th year as Texans HC
Career/Team record: 32-19, Career Playoff record: 3-3
AGE: 42

OC: Nick Caley
2nd year as Texans OC – AGE: 43
DC: Matt Burke
4th year as Texans DC, 6th year as a DC – AGE: 50

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#7	C.J. Stroud	Ohio State 4th year, Age: 24	19 TDs, 8 INTs, 3,041 yds, 61.7 QBR 209 rush yds, 1 TD
HB	#32	David Montgomery	Iowa State 8th year, Age: 29	158 carries, 716 yds, 8 TDs 24 receptions, 192 yds – (DET)
WR	#12	Nico Collins	Michigan 6th year, Age: 27	71 receptions, 1,117 yds, 6 TDs 2 carries, 15 yds, 1 TD
WR	#1	Tank Dell*	Houston 4th year, Age: 26	DNP – Multiple leg injuries
WR	#19	Xavier Hutchinson	Iowa State 4th year, Age: 26	35 receptions, 428 yds, 3 TDs 3 carries, 22 yds
TE	#86	Dalton Schultz	Stanford 9th year, Age: 30	82 receptions, 777 yds, 3 TDs
G	#75	Wyatt Teller	Virginia Tech 9th year, Age: 31
G	#69	Ed Ingram	LSU 5th year, Age: 27
C	#66	Keylan Rutledge (R)	Georgia Tech Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P26 by HOU
T	#71	Braden Smith	Auburn 9th year, Age: 30
T	#79	Aireontae Ersery	Minnesota 2nd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#55	Danielle Hunter	LSU 12th year, Age: 31	15 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 3 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 15 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#51	Will Anderson Jr.	Alabama 4th year, Age: 24	12 Sacks, 54 Tackles, 1 TD, 3 FF 2 FR, 3 PD, 20 TFL
DT	#98	Sheldon Rankins	Louisville 11th year, Age: 32	3 Sacks, 35 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FR 5 TFL
DT	#93	Kayden McDonald (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R2 P36 by HOU
ILB	#0	Azeez Al-Shaair	Florida Atlantic 8th year, Age: 29	103 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR 9 PD, 1 TFL
ILB	#39	Henry To’oTo’o	Alabama 4th year, Age: 25	2.5 Sacks, 95 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 PD 9 TFL
CB	#24	Derek Stingley Jr.	LSU 5th year, Age: 25	36 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 1 FF 15 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#3	Kamari Lassiter	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 23	91 Tackles, 4 INTs, 17 PD, 7 TFL
S	#5	Jalen Pitre	Baylor 5th year, Age: 27	74 Tackles, 4 INTs, 12 PD, 3 TFL
S	#6	Reed Blankenship	Middle Tennessee 5th year, Age: 27	83 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 1 TFL – (PHI)
S (NB)	#2	Caden Bullock	USC 3rd year, Age: 23	64 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF, 10 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#15	Ka’imi Fairbairn	UCLA 11th year, Age: 32	28/28 XP, 44/48 FG (9/13 50+)
P	#38	Kai Kroeger	South Carolina 2nd year, Age: 24	56 punts, 2,511 yds, 18 <20 – (NOR)
KR	#13	Jaylin Noel	Iowa State 2nd year, Age: 23	29 attempts, 799 yds
PR	#13	Jaylin Noel	Iowa State 2nd year, Age: 23	31 attempts, 335 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Davis Mills – #10 (Stanford, 6th year, Age: 27)
HB: Woody Marks – #4 (USC, 2nd year, Age: 25)
WR: Jayden Higgins** – #81 (Iowa State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
WR: Kayshon Boutte – #88 (LSU, 4th year, Age: 24)
TE: Cade Stover – #8 (Ohio State, 3rd year, Age: 26)
TE: Foster Moreau – #87 (LSU, 8th year, Age: 29)
DE: Jadeveon Clowney – #90 (South Carolina, 13th year, Age: 33)
DE: Logan Hall – #96 (Houston, 5th year, Age: 26)
DE: Dominique Robinson – #94 (Miami (OH), 5th year, Age: 28)
DE: Dylan Horton*** – #92 (TCU, 4th year, Age: 26)
DT: Mario Edwards Jr. – #97 (Florida State, 11th year, Age: 32)
DT: Tommy Togiai – #72 (Ohio State, 5th year, Age: 26)
ILB: E.J. Speed – #45 (Tarleton State (D-II), 8th year, Age: 31)
CB: Tremon Smith – #11 (Central Arkansas, 9th year, Age: 30)
S: M.J. Stewart – #29 (North Carolina, 9th year, Age: 30)

*Dell continues to rehab multiple leg injuries and will miss the first few weeks
**Higgins suffered a torn ACL in training camp and will miss the entire season
***Horton suffered a torn achilles in training camp and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DE Danielle Hunter
Addition: HB David Montgomery
Breakout Player: DT Kayden McDonald
Offensive Grade: C+
Defensive Grade: B+
Strengths: Pass rush duo, Run game, secondary
Weaknesses: Offensive line, LB core, Stroud’s inconsistencies

It has been a tale of two careers over the past three years for the Texans, as they look for Stroud to regain his rookie year form in year 4 at the helm. He has been nothing if not inconsistent in 2024 and 2025, with injuries piling up and just overall bad play when it matters most. Despite this, the team has still won a lot as DeMeco Ryans has put together a good group in his three years as HC. A big blow was hit this training camp when Jayden Higgins went down with injury, they’ll now look at Nico Collins to hold his own as WR1 and the return of Tank Dell after suffering a brutal leg injury in 2024. Their run game should be fierce with breakout rookie Woody Marks joined by former Lion David Montgomery sharing the workload.

The defense is where this team will win games, headlined by their superstar edge rush duo in Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson. Both having 10+ sack seasons last year, their attack on QBs is by far what worries opponents most about the Texans. The secondary also looks sharp reupping Derek Stingley on an extension and bringing in Reed Blankenship to a safety room with Jalen Pitre and Caden Bullock. It should realistically be a two man race in the South between the Texans and Jags for 1st place. With how deep the AFC is, a lot will ride on how much they can get out of C.J. Stroud. It’s a make or break year for the former top pick as the future QB in Houston. A playoff miss could lead them to cut ties with him.

Indianapolis Colts

HC: Shane Steichen
4th year as Colts HC
Career/Team record: 25-26
AGE: 41

OC: Jim Bob Cooter
4th year as Colts OC, 7th year as an OC – AGE: 42
DC: Lou Anarumo
2nd year as Colts DC, 9th year as a DC – AGE: 60

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#17	Daniel Jones	Duke 8th year, Age: 29	19 TDs, 8 INTs, 3,101 yds, 63 QBR 164 rush yds, 5 TDs
HB	#28	Jonathan Taylor	Wisconsin 7th year, Age: 27	323 carries, 1,585 yds, 18 TDs 46 receptions, 378 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#14	Alec Pierce	Cincinnati 5th year, Age: 26	47 receptions, 1,003 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#2	Josh Downs	North Carolina 4th year, Age: 25	58 receptions, 566 yds, 4 TDs
WR	#10	Keenan Allen*	California 13th year, Age: 34	81 receptions, 777 yds, 4 TDs – (LAC)
TE	#84	Tyler Warren	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 24	76 receptions, 817 yds, 4 TDs 6 carries, 8 yds, 1 TD
G	#56	Quenton Nelson	Notre Dame 9th year, Age: 30
G	#71	Matt Goncalves	Pittsburgh 3rd year, Age: 25
C	#60	Tanor Bortolini	Wisconsin 3rd year, Age: 24
T	#79	Bernhard Raimann	Central Michigan 5th year, Age: 28
T	#75	Jalen Travis	Iowa State 2nd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#97	Laiatu Latu	UCLA 3rd year, Age: 25	8.5 Sacks, 45 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF 5 PD, 12 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#98	Arden Key	LSU 9th year, Age: 30	4 Sacks, 22 Tackles, 6 TFL – (TEN)
DT	#99	DeForest Buckner	Oregon 11th year, Age: 32	4 Sacks, 47 Tackles, 9 TFL
DT	#90	Grover Stewart	Albany State (D-II) 10th year, Age: 32	0.5 Sacks, 55 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 4 PD, 5 TFL
ILB	#51	Akeem Davis-Gaither	Appalachian State 7th year, Age: 28	117 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR 5 PD, 2 TFL – (ARI)
ILB	#53	C.J. Allen (R)	Georgia Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R2 P53 by IND
CB	#1	Sauce Gardner	Cincinnati 5th year, Age: 24	36 Tackles, 9 PD – (NYJ/IND)
CB	#7	Charvarius Ward	Middle Tennessee 9th year, Age: 30	25 Tackles, 1 FR, 7 PD
CB (NB)	#40	Jaylon Jones	Texas A&M 4th year, Age: 24	18 Tackles, 4 PD, 1 TFL
S	#0	Cam Bynum	California 6th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 81 Tackles, 4 INTs, 1 FF 1 FR, 8 PD, 3 TFL
S	#38	Jonathan Owens	Missouri Western (D-II) 8th year, Age: 31	19 Tackles – (CHI)

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#3	Spencer Shrader	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 27	5 GP, 14/14 XP, 13/14 FG (1/2 50+)
P	#8	Rigoberto Sanchez	Hawaii 10th year, Age: 31	44 punts, 2,146 yds, 22 <20
KR	#9	Coleman Owen	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 25	5 attempts, 141 yds
PR	#9	Coleman Owen	Oregon 2nd year, Age: 25	1 attempt, 2 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Anthony Richardson Sr. – #5 (Florida, 4th year, Age: 24)
HB: D.J. Giddens – #21 (Kansas State, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Mo Alie-Cox – #81 (VCU, 9th year, Age: 31)
TE: Drew Ogletree – #85 (Youngstown State, 5th year, Age: 28)
DE: Michael Clemons – #72 (Texas A&M, 5th year, Age: 29)
DT: Adetomiwa Adebawore – #95 (Northwestern, 4th year, Age: 25)
ILB: Austin Ajiake – #58 (UNLV, 2nd year, Age: 26)
CB: Cam Taylor-Britt – #26 (Nebraska, 5th year, Age: 26)
S: A.J. Haulcy – #25 (LSU, Rookie, Age: 22)

*Allen has legal issues and may miss some time

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: HB Jonathan Taylor
Addition: WR Keenan Allen
Breakout Player: ILB C.J. Allen
Offensive Grade: C
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Offensive line, run game, secondary
Weaknesses: WR core, QB health, LB core

The Colts enter the new year with a fresh slate and a few shake ups. Alec Pierce was extended to be the top WR as Michael Pittman was dealt away. Daniel Jones was re-upped on another long-term deal, and seems to keep scamming his way into $50m contracts. It pains me to say that it seems like another team has fallen for the Jones roost, similar to what happened to the Giants after one promising year of him at QB. The Colts saw enough last year to give him a huge contract, and he will be returning from injury with a good amount of weapons in a wide open division. Jonathan Taylor will be the focal point of the offense, running behind one of the best offensive lines in the league.

The defense is headlined by a couple of veterans who have been the staples of the team for a few years in DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. Last year they traded multiple 1st round picks in a package for star CB Sauce Gardner, and he will enter his first full year as a Colt looking to develop back into the superstar he was drafted to become. The defense has a couple of other question marks with Jaylon Jones and Jonathan Owens slated to have big roles if they can stay healthy. I don’t see the Colts doing much this year, and I think they’re going to be overtaken by the star power in the AFC. The Texans and Jags are miles ahead of them, and the Titans can be a sneaky young team that can even compete a bit as well.

Jacksonville Jaguars

HC: Liam Coen
2nd year as Jaguars HC
Career/Team record: 13-4, Career Playoff record: 0-1
AGE: 41

OC: Grant Udinski
2nd year as Jaguars OC – AGE: 30
DC: Anthony Campanile
2nd year as Jaguars DC – AGE: 44

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#16	Trevor Lawrence	Clemson 6th year, Age: 26	29 TDs, 12 INTs, 4,007 yds, 58.3 QBR 359 rush yds, 9 TDs
HB	#33	Bhayshul Tuten	Virginia Tech 2nd year, Age: 23	83 carries, 307 yds, 5 TDs 10 receptions, 79 yds, 2 TDs
WR	#7	Brian Thomas Jr.	LSU 3rd year, Age: 23	48 receptions, 707 yds, 2 TDs 3 carries, 21 yds, 1 TD
WR	#3	Jakobi Meyers	NC State 8th year, Age: 29	75 receptions, 835 yds, 3 TDs – (LVR/JAX)
WR	#11	Parker Washington	Penn State 4th year, Age: 24	58 receptions, 847 yds, 5 TDs
TE	#85	Brenton Strange	Penn State 4th year, Age: 25	46 receptions, 540 yds, 3 TDs
G	#76	Ezra Cleveland	Boise State 7th year, Age: 28
G	#68	Daniel Faalele	Minnesota 5th year, Age: 26
C	#73	Robert Hainsey	Notre Dame 6th year, Age: 28
T	#77	Anton Harrison	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 24
T	#70	Cole Van Lanen	Wisconsin 6th year, Age: 28

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#41	Josh Hines-Allen	Kentucky 8th year, Age: 29	8 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 3 PD, 12 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#44	Travon Walker	Georgia 5th year, Age: 25	3.5 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 2 PD, 8 TFL
DT	#52	DaVon Hamilton	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 38 Tackles, 3 TFL
DT	#91	Arik Armstead	Oregon 12th year, Age: 32	5.5 Sacks, 28 Tackles, 1 FF, 7 TFL
ILB	#23	Foyesade Oluokun	Yale 9th year, Age: 31	1 Sack, 143 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 1 FR, 11 PD, 5 TFL
ILB	#32	Jahlani Tavai	Hawaii 9th year, Age: 29	42 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 TFL – (NE)
CB	#1	Montaric Brown	Arkansas 5th year, Age: 27	51 Tackles, 2 INTs, 12 PD
CB	#2	Jourdan Lewis	Michigan 10th year, Age: 31	39 Tackles, 2 INTs, 1 FR, 10 PD 5 TFL
CB (NB)	#4	Jarrian Jones	Florida State 3rd year, Age: 25	49 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FR, 8 PD 6 TFL
S	#29	Eric Murray	Minnesota 11th year, Age: 32	1 Sack, 54 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 6 PD, 2 TFL
S	#6	Antonio Johnson	Texas A&M 4th year, Age: 24	2 Sacks, 58 Tackles, 5 INTs, 1 TD 1 FR, 7 PD, 2 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#39	Cam Little	Arkansas 3rd year, Age: 23	50/51 XP, 30/34 FG (8/10 50+)
P	#9	Logan Cooke	Mississippi State 9th year, Age: 31	60 punts, 2,878 yds, 22 <20
KR	#33	Bhayshul Tuten	Virginia Tech 2nd year, Age: 23	19 attempts, 539 yds
PR	#11	Parker Washington	Penn State 4th year, Age: 24	25 attempts, 341 yds, 2 TDs

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Quinn Ewers – #10 (Texas, 2nd year, Age: 23)
HB: Chris Rodriguez Jr. – #24 (Kentucky, 4th year, Age: 26)
HB: Ameer Abdullah – #43 (Nebraska, 12th year, Age: 33)
WR/CB: Travis Hunter – #12 (Colorado, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Nate Boerkircher – #87 (Texas A&M, Rookie, Age: 24)
G: Patrick Mekari* – #65 (California, 8th year, Age: 29)
DE: Danny Stiggrow – #92 (Minnesota, 2nd year, Age: 24)
DT: Ruke Orhorhoro – #99 (Clemson, 3rd year, Age: 24)
ILB: Ventrell Miller – #51 (Florida, 4th year, Age: 27)
OLB: Dennis Gardeck – #47 (Sioux Falls, 9th year, Age: 32)
S: Jalen Huskey – #22 (Maryland, Rookie, Age: 23)

*Mekari had back surgery and will miss several weeks

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Trevor Lawrence
Addition: ILB Jahlani Tavai
Breakout Player: WR/CB Travis Hunter
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B
Strengths: QB/WR cores, pass rush, run game
Weaknesses: Offensive line, secondary

The Jaguars had a true breakout year in 2025, going 13-4 in the first year of the Liam Coen era, only to be ousted in the first round yet again. Trevor Lawrence had a great season but failed miserably in the playoffs. At least it seems that he really is the QB of the franchise, although him ever being an MVP level passer is unlikely. They lost reliable RB Travis Etienne in free agency, leading way for impressive 2025 rookie Bhayshul Tuten to be the lead back. Jakobi Meyers was a big trade deadline acquisition, and he will headline the top targets with Brian Thomas and Parker Washington. The offensive line will be the biggest cause for concern as one of the weaker groups in the league.

The defense will be headlined by their upfront presence, with stars Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen coming off down years. Veterans DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead still man the run defense and provide stability in the core. The secondary is going to be the bigger cause for concern, with a CB room headlined by Montaric Brown and Jourdan Lewis. Lewis’ numbers are always solid but he’s one of the more questionable coverage guys in the league. I think the Jags are the favorites to win the South again, and they should see similar success as last year. If they’re built for the playoffs remains to be seen, as T-Law is becoming desperate to gain respect among the elites of the league.

Tennessee Titans

HC: Robert Saleh
1st year as Titans HC, 5th year as a HC (NY Jets ’21-’24)
Career record: 20-36
AGE: 47

OC: Brian Daboll
1st year as Titans OC, 9th year as an OC, 4 years as Giants HC – AGE: 51
DC: Gus Bradley
1st year as Titans DC, 13th year as a DC, 4 years as Jaguars HC – AGE: 60

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#1	Cam Ward	Miami 2nd year, Age: 24	15 TDs, 7 INTs, 3,169 yds, 33.2 QBR 159 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#20	Tony Pollard	Memphis 8th year, Age: 29	242 carries, 1,082 yds, 5 TDs 33 receptions, 206 yds
WR	#0	Calvin Ridley	Alabama 8th year, Age: 31	17 receptions, 303 yds
WR	#14	Carnell Tate (R)	Ohio State Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P4 by TEN
WR	#4	Wan’Dale Robinson	Kentucky 5th year, Age: 25	92 receptions, 1,014 yds, 4 TDs – (NYG)
TE	#84	Gunnar Helm	Texas 2nd year, Age: 23	44 receptions, 357 yds, 2 TDs
G	#77	Peter Skoronski	Northwestern 4th year, Age: 25
G	#64	Jackson Slater	Sacramento State 2nd year, Age: 23
C	#51	Austin Schlottmann	TCU 8th year, Age: 30
T	#55	JC Latham	Alabama 3rd year, Age: 23
T	#75	Dan Moore Jr.	Texas A&M 6th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#11	Jermaine Johnson II	Florida State 5th year, Age: 27	3 Sacks, 43 Tackles, 2 PD, 5 TFL – (NYJ)
DE (EDGE)	#91	John Franklin-Myers	Stephen F. Austin 9th year, Age: 29	7.5 Sacks, 25 Tackles, 6 TFL – (DEN)
DT	#98	Jeffery Simmons	Mississippi State 8th year, Age: 29	11 Sacks, 67 Tackles, 3 FF, 3 PD 17 TFL
DT	#95	Jordan Elliott	Missouri 7th year, Age: 28	31 Tackles, 1 PD, 1 TFL – (SF)
ILB	#33	Cedric Gray	North Carolina 3rd year, Age: 23	1 Sack, 164 Tackles, 2 FR, 4 PD 7 TFL
ILB	#50	Cody Barton	Utah 8th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 81 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 TD 11 PD, 4 TFL
CB	#24	Alontae Taylor	Tennessee 5th year, Age: 27	2 Sacks, 83 Tackles, 2 INTs, 11 PD 7 TFL – (NOR)
CB	#18	Cor’Dale Flott	LSU 5th year, Age: 25	38 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 11 PD 3 TFL – (NYG)
S	#37	Amani Hooker	Iowa 8th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 81 Tackles, 8 PD, 3 TFL
S	#38	Tony Adams	Illinois 5th year, Age: 27	1 Sack, 49 Tackles, 5 PD, 3 TFL – (NYJ)
S (NB)	#23	Kevin Winston Jr.	Penn State 2nd year, Age: 22	1 Sack, 34 Tackles, 2 PD, 4 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#6	Joey Slye	Virginia Tech 8th year, Age: 30	26/27 XP, 28/35 FG (7/9 50+)
P	#3	Tommy Townsend	Florida 7th year, Age: 29	72 punts, 3,424 yds, 30 <20 – (HOU)
KR	#17	Chimere Dike	Florida 2nd year, Age: 23	62 attempts, 1,588 yds
PR	#17	Chimere Dike	Florida 2nd year, Age: 23	23 attempts, 398 yds, 2 TDs

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Mitchell Trubisky – #10 (North Carolina, 10th year, Age: 32)
HB: Tyjae Spears – #2 (Tulane, 4th year, Age: 25)
WR: Eric Ayomanor – #5 (Stanford, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Daniel Bellinger – #82 (San Diego State, 5th year, Age: 25)
DE: Keldric Faulk – #15 (Auburn, Rookie, Age: 21)
DE: Jacob Martin – #57 (Temple, 9th year, Age: 30)
DT: Solomon Thomas – #90 (Stanford, 10th year, Age: 30)
OLB: Jaylen Harrell* – #92 (Michigan, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Marcus Harris – #26 (California, 2nd year, Age: 25)

*Harrell has a torn ACL and will miss the entire season

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DT Jeffery Simmons
Addition: CB Alontae Taylor
Breakout Player: QB Cam Ward
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: C
Strengths: Secondary, run defense, replenished WR core
Weaknesses: Unproven QB, offensive line, pass rush

The Titans shook things up after an abysmal 2025 season, and there’s some who see a glimmer of hope for them to compete this year. They made it a mission to add veteran talent to their core of young players and give 2025 1st overall pick Cam Ward some targets. Carnell Tate was draft 4th and the first WR off the board, while 1000-yard receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was signed. The run game of Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears was solid last year and will return again. The offensive line has some work to do as well as the TE room.

The new look defense is headlined by the hiring of former Jet HC Robert Saleh, a defensive minded coach. They went out and signed several top free agents, including edge rushers Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers, DT Jordan Elliott, and DBs Alontae Taylor, Cor’Dale Flott, and Tony Adams. Add this to a core with one of the best DTs in the league in Jeffery Simmons and the defense could be scary. If there’s one thing Saleh did right in his time with the Jets it was building a scary defense, and he has the pieces to do the same with Tennessee. I don’t see them as a playoff team, but somewhere in the 7 or 8 win area could be a likely outcome.

Denver Broncos

HC: Sean Payton
4th year as Broncos HC, 19th year as a HC (New Orleans ’06-’21)
Career record: 184-108, Broncos record: 32-19, Career Playoff record: 10-10
AGE: 62

OC: Davis Webb
1st year as Broncos OC – AGE: 31
DC: Vance Joseph
4th years as Broncos DC, 8th year as a DC, 2 years as Broncos HC – AGE: 54

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#10	Bo Nix	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 26	25 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,931 yds, 58.3 QBR 356 rush yds, 5 TDs
HB	#27	J.K. Dobbins	Ohio State 7th year, Age: 27	153 carries, 772 yds, 4 TDs 11 receptions, 37 yds
WR	#17	Jaylen Waddle	Alabama 6th year, Age: 27	64 receptions, 910 yds, 6 TDs 2 carries, 28 yds – (MIA)
WR	#14	Courtland Sutton	SMU 9th year, Age: 30	74 receptions, 1,017 yds, 7 TDs
WR	#11	Troy Franklin	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 23	65 receptions, 709 yds, 6 TDs
TE	#82	Adam Trautman	Dayton 7th year, Age: 29	20 receptions, 195 yds, 1 TD
G	#77	Quinn Meinerz	UW-Whitewater (D-II) 6th year, Age: 27
G	#74	Ben Powers	Oklahoma 8th year, Age: 29
C	#60	Luke Wattenberg	Washington 5th year, Age: 28
T	#72	Garett Bolles	Utah 10th year, Age: 34
T	#69	Mike McGlinchey	Notre Dame 9th year, Age: 31

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#15	Nik Bonitto	Oklahoma 5th year, Age: 26	14 Sacks, 46 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 14 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#0	Jonathon Cooper	Ohio State 6th year, Age: 28	8 Sacks, 50 Tackles, 4 PD, 8 TFL
DE (DL)	#99	Zach Allen	Boston College 8th year, Age: 29	7 Sacks, 38 Tackles, 6 PD, 4 TFL
DT (DL)	#93	D.J. Jones	Ole Miss 10th year, Age: 31	3 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 1 PD, 4 TFL
DT (DL)	#97	Malcolm Roach	Texas 7th year, Age: 28	4 Sacks, 41 Tackles, 3 TFL
ILB	#49	Alex Singleton	Montana State 8th year, Age: 32	1 Sack, 135 Tackles, 1 FF, 4 PD 3 TFL
ILB	#40	Justin Strnad	Wake Forest 7th year, Age: 30	4.5 Sacks, 58 Tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD 5 TFL
CB	#2	Pat Surtain II	Alabama 6th year, Age: 26	47 Tackles, 1 INT, 12 PD, 1 TFL
CB	#21	Riley Moss	Iowa 4th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 80 Tackles, 1 INT, 19 PD 3 TFL
S	#9	Talanoa Hufanga	USC 6th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 106 Tackles, 1 FF, 11 PD 6 TFL
S	#22	Brandon Jones	Texas 7th year, Age: 28	0.5 Sacks, 78 Tackles, 1 INT, 7 PD

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#3	Wil Lutz	Georgia State 11th year, Age: 32	39/39 XP, 28/32 FG (4/6 50+)
P	#16	Jeremy Crawshaw	Florida 2nd year, Age: 25	75 punts, 3,573 yds, 30 <20
KR	#19	Marvin Mims Jr.	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 25	25 attempts, 658 yds
PR	#19	Marvin Mims Jr.	Oklahoma 4th year, Age: 25	29 attempts, 452 yds, 1 TD

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Jarrett Stidham – #8 (Auburn, 7th year, Age: 30)
QB: Sam Ehlinger – #4 (Texas, 6th year, Age: 27)
HB: R.J. Harvey – #12 (UCF, 2nd year, Age: 25)
WR: Pat Bryant – #13 (Illinois, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Evan Engram – #1 (Ole Miss, 10th year, Age: 32)
DE: Eyioma Uwazurike – #96 (Iowa State, 4th year, Age: 28)
DT: Tyler Onyedim – #98 (Texas A&M, Rookie, Age: 23)
ILB: Jonah Elliss – #52 (Utah, 3rd year, Age: 23)
OLB: Dondrea Tillman – #92 (IUP (D-II), 3rd year, Age: 28)
CB: Ja’Quan McMillan – #29 (East Carolina, 4th year, Age: 26)
CB: Jahdae Barron – #23 (Texas, 2nd year, Age: 24)
S: Devon Key – #26 (Western Kentucky, 3rd year, Age: 28)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: CB Pat Surtain II
Addition: WR Jaylen Waddle
Breakout Player: DT Tyler Onyedim
Offensive Grade: B
Defensive Grade: A-
Strengths: Pass rush, secondary, defensive line, WR depth, offensive line
Weaknesses: LB core, QB situation, run game

The Broncos broke out in 2025, capitalizing on a down year from the mighty Chiefs and ending their 9-straight AFC West titles. They made it all the way to the AFC Championship and nearly made a Super Bowl appearance if it wasn’t for the injury to Bo Nix. Now, they bring back the same team in a much more stacked AFC than it was a year ago. Jaylen Waddle was the big addition giving Nix another target with Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant. The run game will be the duo of JK Dobbins and R.J. Harvey once again, with Dobbins likely getting more carries than Harvey. The offensive line is one of the best in the league, led by Garett Bolles, Mike McGlinchey, and Quinn Meinerz.

Their defense, similar to the Seahawks, is truly what won them games last year and will look fierce yet again. Bonitto and Cooper remain the two edge rushers, with Zach Allen and D.J. Jones up the middle. Pat Surtain is one of the best CB’s in the league and the rest of their secondary is stacked, with Hufanga and breakout young pieces in Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillan. The Broncos will be up at the top again, and it’ll ultimately come down to them and the Chiefs for the West title. I lean a little more towards the Chiefs, but if Bo Nix can take another step towards a Pro Bowl QB they will be a juggernaut in the AFC.

Kansas City Chiefs

HC: Andy Reid
14th year as Chiefs HC, 28th year as a HC (Philadelphia ’99-’12)
Career record: 279-157-1, Chiefs record: 149-64, Career Playoff record: 28-17
AGE: 68

OC: Eric Bieniemy
6th year as Chiefs OC (2nd stint), 7th year as an OC – AGE: 57
DC: Steve Spagnuolo
8th year as Chiefs DC, 14th year as a DC, 3 years as Rams HC – AGE: 67

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#15	Patrick Mahomes	Texas Tech 10th year, Age: 30	22 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,587 yds, 68.5 QBR 422 rush yds, 5 TDs
HB	#9	Kenneth Walker III	Michigan State 5th year, Age: 25	221 carries, 1,027 yds, 5 TDs 31 receptions, 282 yds – (SEA)
WR	#4	Rashee Rice	SMU 4th year, Age: 26	53 receptions, 571 yds, 5 TDs 5 carries, 20 yds, 1 TD
WR	#1	Xavier Worthy	Texas 3rd year, Age: 23	42 receptions, 532 yds, 1 TD 11 carries, 87 yds
WR	#2	Tyquan Thornton	Baylor 5th year, Age: 26	19 receptions, 438 yds, 3 TDs
TE	#87	Travis Kelce	Cincinnati 14th year, Age: 36	76 receptions, 851 yds, 5 TDs
G	#65	Trey Smith	Tennessee 6th year, Age: 27
G	#76	Kingsley Suamataia	BYU 3rd year, Age: 23
C	#52	Creed Humphrey	Oklahoma 6th year, Age: 27
T	#71	Josh Simmons	Ohio State 2nd year, Age: 23
T	#77	Jaylon Moore	Western Michigan 6th year, Age: 28

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#56	George Karlaftis	Purdue 5th year, Age: 25	6 Sacks, 48 Tackles, 1 FR, 4 PD 10 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#51	R Mason Thomas (R)	Oklahoma Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R2 P40 by KC
DT	#95	Chris Jones	Mississippi State 11th year, Age: 32	7 Sacks, 29 Tackles, 2 PD, 12 TFL
DT	#99	Peter Woods (R)	Clemson Rookie, Age: 21	DRAFTED: R1 P30 by KC
ILB	#32	Nick Bolton	Missouri 6th year, Age: 26	1 Sack, 154 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF 6 PD, 10 TFL
ILB	#23	Drue Tranquill	Notre Dame 8th year, Age: 31	2 Sacks, 103 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 1 PD, 10 TFL
CB	#5	Mansoor Delane (R)	LSU Rookie, Age: 22	DRAFTED: R1 P6 by KC
CB	#38	L’Jarius Sneed	Louisiana Tech 7th year, Age: 29	26 Tackles, 3 PD – (TEN)
S	#17	Alohi Gilman	Notre Dame 7th year, Age: 28	90 Tackles, 1 TD, 1 FF, 1 FR 9 PD, 1 TFL – (LAC/BAL)
S	#21	Jaden Hicks	Washington State 3rd year, Age: 24	0.5 Sacks, 42 Tackles, 4 PD
S (NB)	#27	Chamarri Conner	Virginia Tech 4th year, Age: 26	2 Sacks, 117 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 2 PD, 4 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#7	Harrison Butker	Georgia Tech 10th year, Age: 31	31/35 XP, 33/38 FG (5/8 50+)
P	#14	Matt Araiza	San Diego State 3rd year, Age: 26	56 punts, 2,664 yds, 25 <20
KR	#81	Nikko Remigio	Fresno State 2nd year, Age: 26	29 attempts, 741 yds
PR	#81	Nikko Remigio	Fresno State 2nd year, Age: 26	25 attempts, 191 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Justin Fields – #6 (Ohio State, 6th year, Age: 27)
QB: Garrett Nussmeier – #14 (LSU, Rookie, Age: 24)
HB: Emmett Johnson – #10 (Nebraska, Rookie, Age: 22)
TE: Noah Gray – #83 (Duke, 6th year, Age: 27)
DE: Ashton Gillotte – #97 (Louisville, 2nd year, Age: 23)
DT: Khyiris Tonga – #92 (BYU, 6th year, Age: 30)
ILB: Cooper McDonald – #44 (TCU, 2nd year, Age: 25)
CB: Nohl Williams – #20 (California, 2nd year, Age: 23)
CB: Chris Roland-Wallace – #30 (USC, 3rd year, Age: 24)
CB: Kristian Fulton – #8 (LSU, 6th year, Age: 27)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: QB Patrick Mahomes
Addition: HB Kenneth Walker III
Breakout Player: CB Mansoor Delane
Offensive Grade: B+
Defensive Grade: B-
Strengths: Healthy Mahomes/Kelce, run game, LB core
Weaknesses: Pass rush, young core, WR depth

The Chiefs’ dominance over the past decade can not be forgotten, although 2025 ended their 9-straight division titles and appearing in 5 of 6 Super Bowls from 2019-2024. They went 6-11 and Patrick Mahomes going down in Week 14 with a torn achilles ultimately was the final dagger for the champs. They took this offseason to retool some things, and with Mahomes looking ready to go for Week 1, they should be right back in the mix in the AFC. Kenneth Walker was signed to propel their run game as Mahomes has not had the luxury of a top tier run game in his career. Travis Kelce decided to return on a 3-year deal leaving no doubt that he will retire a Chief. The offense will lean heavily on Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, whom are both fully healthy and need to be reliable WR1 and 2. Their offensive line could be made or break with what we get from Josh Simmons in year 2 at LT, as he has shown glimpses of stardom when he can stay on the field.

The defense will be a big question, as they lose a few top contributors in Trent McDuffie, Leo Chenal, and Jaylen Watson. Rookies are going to be the name of the game to get them through, as DE R Mason Thomas, DT Peter Woods, and CB Mansoor Delane should all see big roles. Thomas will join Karlaftis, Ashton Gillotte, and Felix Anudike-Uzomah in a weak pass defense. Veteran Khyiris Tonga will be paired with Chris Jones in the middle, and Nick Bolton and Drue Tranquill return as the LBs. The CBs lost their two started from a year ago and will rely on Delane, Nohl Williams, and L’Jarius Sneed in his return to KC. On paper, this team is very raw and doesn’t scream to be a real SB contender, hence why many people are picking them to miss the playoffs. I think coaching comes down to it, as this staff has a long history of getting the most out of their plug-and-play pieces. I trust Andy, Bieniemy, Spags, and a healthy Mahomes to bring them back to the top of the league.

Las Vegas Raiders

HC: Klint Kubiak
1st year as Raiders HC
AGE: 39

OC: Andrew Janocko
1st year as Raiders OC – AGE: 38
DC: Rob Leonard
1st year as Raiders DC – AGE: 38

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#8	Kirk Cousins	Michigan State 15th year, Age: 38	10 TDs, 5 INTs, 1,721 yds, 47.6 QBR 7 rush yds, 1 TD – (ATL)
HB	#2	Ashton Jeanty	Boise State 2nd year, Age: 22	266 carries, 975 yds, 5 TDs 55 receptions, 346 yds, 5 TDs
WR	#1	Tre Tucker	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 25	57 receptions, 696 yds, 5 TDs 11 carries, 51 yds
WR	#9	Jalen Nailor	Michigan State 5th year, Age: 27	29 receptions, 444 yds, 4 TDs – (MIN)
TE	#89	Brock Bowers	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 23	64 receptions, 680 yds, 7 TDs
TE	#87	Michael Mayer	Notre Dame 4th year, Age: 25	35 receptions, 328 yds, 1 TD
G	#70	Spencer Burford	UTSA 5th year, Age: 26
G	#58	Jackson Powers-Johnson	Oregon 3rd year, Age: 23
C	#65	Tyler Linderbaum	Iowa 5th year, Age: 26
T	#74	Kolton Miller	UCLA 9th year, Age: 31
T	#71	D.J. Glaze	Maryland 3rd year, Age: 24

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
DE (EDGE)	#98	Maxx Crosby	Eastern Michigan 8th year, Age: 29	10 Sacks, 73 Tackles, 1 INT, 2 FF 6 PD, 28 TFL
DE (EDGE)	#95	Kwity Paye	Michigan 6th year, Age: 27	4 Sacks, 39 Tackles, 1 PD, 6 TFL – (IND)
DT	#69	Adam Butler	Vanderbilt 9th year, Age: 32	1 Sack, 50 Tackles, 1 FR, 3 TFL
DT	#96	Jonah Laulu	Oklahoma 3rd year, Age: 26	4 Sacks, 51 Tackles, 5 PD, 8 TFL
ILB	#7	Quay Walker	Georgia 5th year, Age: 26	2.5 Sacks, 128 Tackles, 5 PD, 8 TFL – (GB)
ILB	#17	Nakobe Dean	Georgia 5th year, Age: 25	4 Sacks, 55 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 PD 7 TFL – (PHI)
CB	#5	Eric Stokes	Georgia 6th year, Age: 27	53 Tackles, 5 PD, 3 TFL
CB	#3	Taron Johnson	Weber State 9th year, Age: 30	57 Tackles, 4 PD, 1 TFL – (BUF)
S	#11	Jeremy Chinn	Southern Illinois 7th year, Age: 28	1 Sack, 114 Tackles, 2 FF, 2 PD 3 TFL
S	#20	Isaiah Pola-Mao	USC 5th year, Age: 27	92 Tackles, 2 INTs, 4 PD, 4 TFL
S (NB)	#31	Treydan Stukes (R)	Arizona Rookie, Age: 24	DRAFTED: R2 P38 by LVR

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#4	Matt Gay	Utah 7th year, Age: 32	26/26 XP, 17/23 FG (4/9 50+) – (WAS/SF)
P	#6	A.J. Cole	NC State 8th year, Age: 30	71 punts, 3,379 yds, 24 <20
KR	#1	Tre Tucker	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 25	1 attempt, 23 yds
PR	#1	Tre Tucker	Cincinnati 4th year, Age: 25	7 attempts, 49 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Fernando Mendoza – #15 (Indiana, Rookie, Age: 22)
QB: Aidan O’Connell – #12 (Purdue, 4th year, Age: 28)
HB: Mike Washington Jr. – #30 (Arkansas, Rookie, Age: 23)
WR: Jack Bech – #18 (TCU, 2nd year, Age: 23)
TE: Ian Thomas – #80 (Indiana, 9th year, Age: 30)
DE: Malcolm Koonce – #51 (Buffalo, 6th year, Age: 28)
DT: Thomas Booker IV – #99 (Stanford, 4th year, Age: 26)
DT: Folorunso Fatukasi – #94 (UConn, 8th year, Age: 31)
CB: Darien Porter – #26 (Iowa State, 2nd year, Age: 25)

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: DE Maxx Crosby
Addition: ILB Quay Walker
Breakout Player: HB Mike Washington Jr.
Offensive Grade: C-
Defensive Grade: D+
Strengths: Future QB, run game, pass rush
Weaknesses: Offensive line, WR core, secondary, LB core

The Raiders enter the new year one-and-done in the Pete Carroll era as the legendary HC was let go after a down year. The team tried their hardest to retool for new HC Klint Kubiak, drafting Fernando Mendoza with the first pick and acquiring veteran Kirk Cousins to mentor him. Ashton Jeanty will lead the run game with training camp breakout Mike Washington as his potential running mate. The WR core and offensive line both look desolate, with Tre Tucker and newly signed Jalen Nailor as the leaders. Brock Bowers is a star and will definitely be Kirk’s favorite target from the get-go, while there should be many rushing chances for Jeanty and Washington.

The defense returns their leader as Maxx Crosby, who was dealt to Baltimore and later sent back after failing his physical, will at least start the year in Vegas. Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, and Nakobe Dean were all signed to give them some veteran depth. This Raiders team is a work in progress, and especially with Mendoza likely to sit, they seem to be punting this year to further develop their young talent. They’ll likely get a top pick again in 2027.

Los Angeles Chargers

HC: Jim Harbaugh
3rd year as Chargers HC, 7th year as a HC (San Francisco ’11-’14)
Career record: 66-31-1, Chargers record: 22-12, Career Playoff record: 5-5
AGE: 63

OC: Mike McDaniel
1st year as Chargers OC, 2nd year as an OC, 4 years as Dolphins HC – AGE: 43
DC: Chris O’Leary
1st year as Chargers DC – AGE: 35

POS.	NO.	OFFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
QB	#10	Justin Herbert	Oregon 7th year, Age: 28	26 TDs, 13 INTs, 3,727 yds, 60.6 QBR 498 rush yds, 2 TDs
HB	#8	Omarion Hampton	North Carolina 2nd year, Age: 23	124 carries, 545 yds, 4 TDs 32 receptions, 192 yds, 1 TD
WR	#15	Ladd McConkey	Georgia 3rd year, Age: 24	66 receptions, 789 yds, 6 TDs
WR	#1	Quentin Johnston	TCU 4th year, Age: 24	51 receptions, 735 yds, 8 TDs
WR	#9	Tre’ Harris	Ole Miss 2nd year, Age: 24	30 receptions, 324 yds, 1 TD
TE	#86	Oronde Gadsden	Syracuse 2nd year, Age: 23	49 receptions, 664 yds, 3 TDs
G	#69	Cole Strange	Chattanooga 5th year, Age: 28
G	#66	Jake Slaughter	Florida Rookie, Age: 23	DRAFTED: R2 P63 by LAC
C	#63	Tyler Biadasz	Wisconsin 7th year, Age: 28
T	#76	Joe Alt	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 23
T	#70	Rashawn Slater	Northwestern 6th year, Age: 27

POS.	NO.	DEFENSE	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
OLB (EDGE)	#52	Khalil Mack	Buffalo 13th year, Age: 35	5.5 Sacks, 32 Tackles, 4 FF, 6 TFL
OLB (EDGE)	#45	Tuli Tuipulotu	USC 4th year, Age: 24	13 Sacks, 49 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR 3 PD, 20 TFL
DT (DL)	#93	Teair Tart	Florida International 7th year, Age: 29	32 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 4 PD 4 TFL
DT (DL)	#94	Dalvin Tomlinson	Alabama 10th year, Age: 32	1 Sack, 26 Tackles, 1 PD, 3 TFL – (ARI)
ILB	#0	Daiyan Henley	Washington State 4th year, Age: 26	3.5 Sacks, 103 Tackles, 2 INTs, 5 PD 5 TFL
ILB	#43	Troy Dye	Oregon 7th year, Age: 29	1 Sack, 58 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR 4 PD, 5 TFL
CB	#4	Tarheeb Still	Maryland 3rd year, Age: 24	53 Tackles, 7 PD, 5 TFL
CB	#20	Cam Hart	Notre Dame 3rd year, Age: 26	48 Tackles, 1 INT, 11 PD
CB (NB)	#2	Elijah Molden	Washington 6th year, Age: 27	52 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD
S	#3	Derwin James Jr.	Florida State 9th year, Age: 30	2 Sacks, 94 Tackles, 3 INTs, 1 FF 7 PD, 6 TFL
S	#23	Tony Jefferson	Oklahoma 12th year, Age: 34	57 Tackles, 4 INTs, 7 PD, 1 TFL

POS.	NO.	SPECIAL TEAMS	College/Yr/Age	2025 Season Stats
K	#11	Cameron Dicker	Texas 5th year, Age: 26	34/35 XP, 38/41 FG (5/6 50+)
P	#16	JK Scott	Alabama 8th year, Age: 30	60 punts, 2,871 yds, 23 <20
KR	#12	Derius Davis	TCU 4th year, Age: 25	18 attempts, 464 yds
PR	#12	Derius Davis	TCU 4th year, Age: 25	11 attempts, 77 yds

NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS:
QB: Trey Lance – #5 (North Dakota State, 6th year, Age: 26)
HB: Kimani Vidal – #28 (Troy, 3rd year, Age: 25)
FB: Alec Ingold – #30 (Wisconsin, 8th year, Age: 30)
TE: David Njoku – #83 (Miami, 10th year, Age: 30)
TE: Charlie Kolar – #88 (Iowa State, 5th year, Age: 27)
DT: Justin Eboigbe – #92 (Alabama, 3rd year, Age: 25)
ILB: Del’Shawn Phillips – #53 (Illinois, 7th year, Age: 29)
ILB: Denzel Perryman* – #6 (Miami, 12th year, Age: 33)
OLB: Bud Dupree – #48 (Kentucky, 12th year, Age: 33)
OLB: Akheem Mesidor – #90 (Miami, Rookie, Age: 25)
CB: Donte Jackson – #26 (LSU, 8th year, Age: 30)
S: R.J. Mickens – #27 (Clemson, 2nd year, Age: 25)

*Perryman has an undisclosed injury and is out indefinitely

PAUL’S THOUGHTS:
MVP: S Derwin James Jr.
Addition: DT Dalvin Tomlinson
Breakout Player: HB Omarion Hampton
Offensive Grade: B-
Defensive Grade: C+
Strengths: Star QB, offensive line, secondary
Weaknesses: Pass rush, run game

The Chargers have had great success in the Jim Harbaugh era but they will be tasked with their worst roster headed into 2026. Herbert continues to letdown when it comes to winning time, and his top targets Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston were underwhelming in 2025. Omarion Hampton will try to stay healthy for a full year and prove he is their future RB running behind a great offensive line core. The offense will likely be the better side of the ball with Herbert and the offensive line as the headline.

The defense is a bit decimated, losing a few core pieces and an aging roster. Khalil Mack is not the same player he once was, and he will likely be the lead edge rusher. The run stop will be solid with Teair Tart and Dalvin Tomlinson clogging up the middle. The secondary will be on the shoulders of star Derwin James and a bunch of young and unproven talent. Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart likely will be the top CBs after solid 2025 seasons. It’ll be a tough year for the Chargers in my eyes, and I don’t see them on the same level as the Broncos or Chiefs.

NFL 2026 Season Preview

Standings

Playoff Predictions

Award Predictions

Roster Projections

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Rams

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Published by The Sports World According to Paul

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Standings

Playoff Predictions

Award Predictions

Roster Projections

Dallas Cowboys

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Rams

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Denver Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

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Published by The Sports World According to Paul

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