AFC power rankings for all 16 teams as the 2026 preseason rolls on

A few weeks of practice and the first week of NFL preseason games have already moved the board in the American Football Conference. Baltimore is climbing after a quiet, healthy camp. Jacksonville barely changed its roster, and yet I like them more for it. Kansas City has quarterback Patrick Mahomes cleared to practice, but the Chiefs still have open questions at receiver and cornerback. Cleveland and Miami sit where they started: at the bottom. Here is how all 16 AFC teams stack up right now, counting down from worst to first. If you want to see my previous update, here’s my AFC power rankings training camp edition. MORE: NFL offensive line rankings ahead of the 2026 season 16. Miami Dolphins Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) runs with the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images Miami is running a full teardown, and the receiver group shows it. Quarterback Malik Willis carries a $23.5 million salary into his first season as a full-time starter with no proven target outside of running back De’Von Achane. Willis did throw well in the preseason opener at Washington. Head coach Jeff Hafley needs first-round picks Kadyn Proctor and Chris Johnson to develop fast. Every ranking in the league has the Dolphins last. 15. Cleveland Browns Cleveland still has not settled its quarterback job. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders keep swapping first-team work, and Watson led two scoring drives in the preseason loss at Chicago. The Browns traded pass rusher Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for edge rusher Jared Verse and picks, so the defense will take a step back. Second-round receiver Denzel Boston has been the best story in camp. Head coach Todd Monken has plenty left to sort out. 14. Las Vegas Raiders Head coach Klint Kubiak named Kirk Cousins the Week 1 starter over No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. But that’s been the plan all along. Las Vegas rebuilt a bad offensive line, signed center Tyler Linderbaum and added linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker to the front seven. Tight end Brock Bowers is the offense’s best weapon if he stays healthy. The receiver room is still thin, and the West is still the toughest division in football. 13. New York Jets New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) practices his throws during a practice for the New York Jets at their training facility on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Florham Park. Reports out of camp say quarterback Geno Smith has been carving up his own defense, which cuts both ways for head coach Aaron Glenn. The offense ranked last in the league in passing yards last season, so any lift matters. Rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik led two scoring drives against Tampa Bay with Smith held out. Rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq is hurt. Three first-round rookies give Glenn something to build on in a make-or-break year. 12. Tennessee Titans Tennessee has won six games in two seasons and is betting everything on second-year quarterback Cam Ward. He closed his rookie year with 11 touchdown passes and two turnovers over seven games. New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is the person tasked with the jump. Receiver Carnell Tate, the fourth overall pick, has already made highlight catches in camp, and Wan’Dale Robinson gives Ward a second target. Head coach Robert Saleh rebuilt the defense to fit his scheme. MORE: 5 fantasy football running back sleepers to target on draft day 11. Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Daniel Jones has been a full participant in practice after tearing his Achilles in December, and running back Jonathan Taylor’s contract situation is settled. Those are the two things Indianapolis needed. Receiver Alec Pierce still has not practiced since April ankle surgery and has no clear return date. The Colts also traded Michael Pittman Jr. and replaced him with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, which leaves the pass catchers thin. A strong offensive line returns intact. 10. Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy during warm-ups for an NFL preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters) Head coach Mike McCarthy has run a very different camp from Mike Tomlin, down to a new one-word team mantra. Pittsburgh gave defensive tackle Keeanu Benton a four-year, $72 million extension and traded for receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to help quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who turns 43 during what he has said will be his last season. Left tackle remains a question with concerns surrounding third-year player Troy Fautanu. The Steelers should be in the playoff hunt without threatening much beyond that. 9. Kansas City Chiefs Mahomes was fully cleared to practice at the start of camp, which was the only thing that truly mattered for Kansas City. Everything else is unsettled. The secondary leans on rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane and a bounce-back year from L’Jarius Sneed. Receiver Xavier Worthy is dealing with another shoulder problem, and camp standout Cyrus Allen is the current answer opposite him. The Chiefs went 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. 8. Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati poured nearly every offseason resource into a defense that finished last in the league in yards per play. The additions include defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen, edge rusher Boye Mafe and safeties Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger. That group has given quarterback Joe Burrow trouble in camp, which the team is selling as a good sign. The Bengals have missed the playoffs three years in a row, and head coach Zac Taylor needs a January win. 7. Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles went 11-6 in back-to-back seasons and got run out of the wild-card round both times. Tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are healthy again after quarterback Justin Herbert was sacked a franchise-record 54 times. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is reworking Herbert’s footwork and has a deep backfield with Omarion Hampton, Kimani Vidal and Keaton Mitchell. The interior line is all new, and that group has to come together before September. MORE: Josh Downs & 6 more fantasy football wide receiver sleepers for 2026 6. Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville won 13 games and the AFC South in Liam Coen’s first season as head coach, then barely touched the roster. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence played the best football of his career down the stretch. The lift now has to come from receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who fell to 48 catches and two touchdowns last year, and from Travis Hunter, who will play more cornerback. Nobody is going to be surprised by the Jaguars this time. 5. Houston Texans Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) leaves the field following an AFC Wild Card Round win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Houston allowed 17.4 points per game last season, second-fewest in the league, and just made that defense deeper by bringing back edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney to rotate with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. The offense is the holdup. Quarterback C.J. Stroud has not matched his rookie season and still has no extension. The Texans added guard Wyatt Teller, tackle Braden Smith and first-round pick Keylan Rutledge up front, plus running back David Montgomery. 4. New England Patriots New England lost Super Bowl LX to Seattle 29-13 and then lost seven rotation players from that run, including receiver Stefon Diggs and center Garrett Bradbury. The replacements are better. Receiver A.J. Brown has been the standout of camp, Romeo Doubs joined him, and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and first-round tackle Caleb Lomu upgrade the line for MVP runner-up Drake Maye. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez is still working through injury recovery and extension talks. MORE: Predicting which NFL head coach gets fired first in 2026 3. Baltimore Ravens Baltimore has had the quietest camp of any team that missed the playoffs last year. Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson gives first-time head coach Jesse Minter the pass rusher this defense lacked, and quarterback Lamar Jackson is healthy. Rookie receiver Ja’Kobi Lane has drawn steady praise and scored in the preseason opener. Center is the one hole, with Ethan Pocic coming off a torn Achilles and rookie Vega Ioane learning next to him. 2. Denver Broncos Denver went 14-3, took the top seed and lost the conference title game 10-7. The core is back, and receiver Jaylen Waddle arrived from Miami. Safety Brandon Barron opened the preseason with a 98-yard interception return at Atlanta. Quarterback Bo Nix is the variable after ankle surgery, since his numbers dipped last season. Running back J.K. Dobbins has to stay upright. Five 2025 playoff teams appear on the schedule in the first six weeks. 1. Buffalo Bills Dec 14, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters) Buffalo opens a new stadium and a new era under head coach Joe Brady, who was promoted after Sean McDermott was fired. Quarterback Josh Allen threw a touchdown in the preseason win over Carolina and finally has a proven No. 1 receiver in D.J. Moore. The concerns sit on defense, where the cornerback, safety and defensive tackle all have questions, and the pass rush ranked 24th in pressures. Bradley Chubb and rookie T.J. Parker are the proposed fixes. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —