The 2026 NFL season is beginning to take shape. With the draft and free agency behind us, rosters are pretty much locked in. There will be a few more free agent signings and trades, but whoever your team has on their roster right now is likely to be there at the start of training camp.

Earlier this week, we went through and graded every NFC team’s starting lineup, so today, we’re going to do the same for the AFC so we can figure out which teams have a real shot of representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Baltimore Ravens

Offensively, it’s hard to go wrong when you have someone like Lamar Jackson under center and Derrick Henry in the backfield. That rushing attack is lethal, but I would’ve liked to have seen them upgrade their passing attack more. Zay Flower, Elijah Sarratt and Rashod Bateman are their starting wideouts, and Mark Andrews is a bit washed. I did like the Olaivavega Ioane addition, but their offensive line does still need some work.

Defensively, I thought Baltimore got much better up front with the additions of Zion Young and Trey Hendrickson. I would’ve liked to have seen them address defensive tackle and linebacker outside of Roquan Smith, but they have a really strong secondary, which is led by their elite safety duo in Kyle Hamilton and Malakai Starks.

Pretty good roster, but there are still some holes.

Grade: A-

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have had one of the best offenses in the league for a while now, and after returning pretty much every major piece outside of David Edwards, they added to their explosiveness by bringing in D.J. Moore and Skyler Bell. This is easily one of the better offenses in the AFC, but offense was not their problem last season.

The Bills were one of the worst rushing defenses in football last year, so they upgraded their defensive line pretty heavily, bringing in guys like T.J. Parker, Bradley Chubb and Zane Durant. I would’ve liked for them to have addressed linebacker earlier in the draft, but their DL additions should improve their run defense. In the secondary, they have a lot of promise with guys like Davison Igbinosun and Jalen Kilgore, but I’m a bit worried for them with guys like Geno Stone set to start.

This is a tough one to grade because the team usually outperforms its talent level (in my opinion). The offense is great, but on paper, their defense leaves a lot to be desired.

Grade: B+

Cincinnati Bengals

When Joe Burrow is healthy, the Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best offenses in football. Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown lead and explosive attack, and even though they’re not perfect, their offensive line has gotten much better. But offense was never their issue, it was their defense.

The Bengals made a lot of additions on defense. It started in free agency, when they signed Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook before they traded for Dexter Lawrence before the draft. Then, Cincinnati went out and got Cashius Howell in round two to further improve their pass rush. Linebacker is still a big concern, but this defense is miles better than it was last year.

Grade: A-

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns were one of the biggest winners of the NFL Draft, and it’s because of the changes they made to their offense. KC Concepcion, Spencer Fano and Denzel Boston will instantly help transform this passing attack, and I thought Cleveland did a pretty good job of revamping their offensive line. Add in Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin, and if they have average quarterback play, this offense could be kind of fun.

Defensively, we know Cleveland is pretty good. Myles Garrett is obviously the headliner, but Carson Schwesinger, Denzel Ward and Mason Graham can also make plays. I do have some questions about their secondary, but if Emmanuel McNeil-Warren can make an instant impact, some of those worries will go away quickly.

This roster is far from complete, but it’s much better than last year’s.

Grade: C

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have a really fun offense. Bo Nix can be inconsistent, but when he’s rolling, Denver is fun to watch. Out wide, they have Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle and Troy Franklin catching passes. I would’ve liked to see them get a better tight end than Justin Joly, but they’ll make it work. I also really like Denver’s offensive line, so if RJ Harvey can take the next step, this offense could be very dangerous.

Defensively, the Broncos lost just one major piece from their defense that ranked top-five in scoring last year. John Franklin-Meyers was their only big loss, and they tried to replace him with Tyler Onyedim in the second round of the draft. Even if they don’t find a solid replacement, the Broncos are good enough everywhere else for it not to make much of a difference.

Denver is probably the most complete team in the AFC this year.

Grade: A

Houston Texans

Houston’s offense held them back from winning the Super Bowl last year. C.J. Stroud choked in the playoffs, but DeMeco Ryans has done everything in his power to make sure it doesn’t happen again. They brought in Keylan Rutledge and Braden Smith to bolster their offensive line, and they traded for David Montgomery, hoping he can give them a solid rushing attack.

Defensively, Houston has approximately zero holes. They retained pretty much everyone from last year’s defense that was the most dominant in the league, and on top of that, they added the best DT in the draft in Kayden McDonald. This unit should only be better than it was last year, which is a terrifying thought.

This roster is built to win the Super Bowl, but C.J. Stroud is holding them back. He needs to be better in 2026 if Houston wants to get to the big game.

Grade: A

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts were one of the best teams in the league last year before Daniel Jones’ injury, and it was largely because of their offense. Led by Jonathan Taylor, the Colts put up a boatload of points, but this offseason they lost some key pieces such as Michael Pittman Jr. and Braden Smith. I don’t love this wide receiver room and I have some concerns about their offensive line. Plus, how much do you trust Daniel Jones coming off an Achilles tear?

Defensively, I don’t love Indy’s front seven. They don’t have a great pass rush, and while they upgraded at linebacker with CJ Allen, there are a lot of question marks in that room. Their secondary should be pretty good with Sauce Gardner and A.J. Haulcy leading the charge, but secondaries need their pass rush to get home to be successful.

I don’t think the Colts will be as good as they were at the start of last year. I think they’re a five or six seed at best.

Grade: B-

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the surprise teams of last year, but man did they get worse this offseason. They lost Travis Etienne and were only able to replace him with Chris Rodriguez. I do like their receiver room, especially if Brian Thomas Jr. gets back to form, but their offensive line leaves a lot to be desired.

Defensively, I don’t think Jacksonville will be as good as last year. Devin Lloyd, their leader, walked out the door in free agency, and they didn’t get anyone near his caliber to replace him. I’m also not a big fan of their pass rush, and if Travis Hunter keeps trying to play both sides, their cornerback room is really going to struggle.

The Jags were a fun team last year, but I think they take a major step back in 2026.

Grade: B-

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are much better than a six-win team. They have far more holes on their roster than they did during their Super Bowl days, but they were also much better than their record indicated last season. Patrick Mahomes is obviously under center, but if Rashee Rice doesn’t play, they’re kind of screwed at receiver. They don’t have an alpha, so it kind of feels like the Green Bay Packers’ receiver room. I do love the Kenneth Walker addition. He’ll take some of the pressure off the receivers, but they need Rice to be cleared to play.

Defensively, the Chiefs were a top-10 unit last year, but they lost All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and his counterpart Jaylen Watson this offseason. They did add Mansoor Delane, who is very good, but corner depth is a huge issues. Their pass rush is also a big issues, but they drafted R Mason Thomas with the hopes that his explosive first step can help them get after the quarterback.

This roster isn’t perfect, but it’s better than a lot of people think. Fans are just ready for the Chiefs’ dominance to be over, so they’re putting too much stock into last season.

Grade: B+

Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have made a bunch of changes this offseason, but they’re still a ways off from being super competitive. Offensively, they have big holes at receiver and along their offensive line. Their top receiver is Tre Tucker, and outside of Tyler Linderbaum and Jackson Powers-Johnson, I don’t feel great about the trenches.

Defensively, Vegas made a huge jump. They brought in a ton of players, such as Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, Taron Johnson, Treydan Stukes, Jermod McCoy and Kwity Paye, so they should be much better than last year. It won’t be perfect, but I could see them being an average defense this season.

The Raiders made a lot of improvements, but there’s still a ways to go. But it was a great first step.

Grade: C+

Los Angeles Chargers

Defensively, the Chargers don’t have a ton of big names, but they didn’t last year either and were one of the best units in the league. I was worried about their pass rush, but they drafted Akheem Mesidor, who can give them immediate help there. I would’ve liked to see them upgrade their linebacker or cornerback room, but again, they got it done last year without any stars (but that was in Jesse Minter’s system).

The Chargers have a really solid roster, but I just don’t think they’re good enough to be an elite team in the AFC.

Grade: B

Miami Dolphins

I love what the Miami Dolphins did in the draft, but they had so many needs that all those players hardly made a dent.

I like Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas, and I really love De’Von Achane, but I’m not a Malik Willis fan and I don’t trust Miami’s offensive line. Like I said, this draft was a good start, but there were just so many holes that they couldn’t upgrade everything.

Defensively, it was a lot of the same. I love some of the players they brought in, such as Chris Johnson, Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis, but they went into the draft with next to no playmakers on defense.

At risk of sounding like a broken record, this was a really good draft for Miami, but they couldn’t fill all of their holes in one offseason. But I am glad they just took best player available, knowing a tackle or edge rusher isn’t going to make or break their roster.

Grade: D+

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots were Super Bowl runner ups last year, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Drake Maye made huge strides, they have a solid 1-2 punch at running back and are solid up front. Their biggest issue was at wide receiver, and they lost Stefon Diggs, but they replaced him with Romeo Doubs and are looking to trade for A.J. Brown.

The Pats boasted one of the best defenses in the NFL last season, and while they lost a few key contributors such as K’Lavon Chaisson and Jaylinn Hawkins, they replaced them with Gabe Jacas and Kevin Byard, who could end up being even better than those two. Milton Williams and Christian Gonzalez still lead this defense, but there are plenty of others guys on this roster that may not be household names, but they’re still very good.

This is one of the most well-balanced teams in the league, especially if they get A.J. Brown.

Grade: A

New York Jets

The New York Jets had a pretty good draft class, but like with Cleveland, there’s still a lot of work to do before they’re contenders.

I actually really like the Jets’ offense. They have a ton of playmakers, such as Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper Jr., Kenyon Sadiq, Mason Taylor and Breece Hall, and they have a strong foundation on their offensive line with two young tackles. They still need to find their quarterback and beef up the interior of their offensive line, but you cannot complain about the skill positions.

Defensively, the Jets are very intriguing. Their front consists of a lot of high-upside players like David Bailey, Will McDonald IV, T’Vondre Sweat and Joseph Ossai, but they all still have a lot to prove in the league. Their secondary has a couple of really good pieces in D’Angelo Ponds and Minkah Fitzpatrick, but overall, they still need to improve on the backend of their defense.

This is a strong foundation, but there are still some massive holes on this roster.

Grade: C

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense actually doesn’t look that bad as long as you don’t look at the quarterback position. DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Pat Freiermuth and an offensive line that should be improved after the draft form a strong core, but who knows what’s happening under center. Will it be Aaron Rodgers? Mason Rudolph? Drew Allar? Will Howard? We don’t know.

Defensively, the Steelers seem as solid as ever. They have a strong defensive line, a great linebacker duo with Patrick Quenn and Alex Highsmith and some really fun pieces in their secondary with guys like Jamel Dean, Joey Porter Jr. and Jaquan Brisker.

This roster is good enough to possibly win a playoff game, but if they don’t have a quarterback, it won’t matter.

Grade: B

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans’ offense is coming along quite nicely. Cam Ward flashed traits of an elite NFL quarterback last year, and now he has a solid supporting cast with guys like Carnell Tate, Wan’Dale Robinson and Nicholas Singleton joining the mix. I still have a lot of concerns about their offensive line, but we’ll have to see if JC Latham can take the next step, because that would be huge for them.

I still don’t love Tennessee’s defense, but it’s certainly a whole hell of a lot better than it was last year. Robert Saleh is building this defense from the defensive line and back. They have Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Meyers, Jermaine Johnson and Keldric Faulk up front, but as you move back, it slowly gets more shaky. Cedric Gray is a solid linebacker and Anthony Hill Jr. is a fun prospect, but that’s about it at LB. Then in the secondary, Alontae Taylor is really the only sure thing they have.

This roster is miles ahead of where it was at this point last year, but it’s nowhere near perfect.

Grade: C+