NFL Team Needs: 2026 NFL Draft & Post-Free Agency Targets (AFC)

NFL Team Needs: 2026 NFL Draft & Post-Free Agency Targets (AFC)

NFL free agency reshaped the league, but it didn’t complete it. It’s time to explore the remaining NFL Team Needs following free agency.

While March brought splash signings, trades and short-term roster fixes, it also clarified where teams still fall short. Holes that weren’t addressed have now become glaring priorities heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, where franchises will look to add young, cost-controlled talent to round out their rosters.

Some teams attacked aggressively in free agency, filling immediate needs and positioning themselves to draft the best player available. Others took a more conservative approach, leaving clear paths for rookies to step into meaningful roles right away.

That’s where this NFL Team Needs breakdown comes in.

Below, we’re identifying each team’s primary and secondary needs following free agency, along with key roster changes that shaped their draft outlook. Whether it’s a contender looking for one final piece or a rebuilding squad laying its foundation, the NFL Draft is where these needs get answered.

FantasyPros Fantasy Football My Playbook

NFL Team Needs: AFC Conference

*Free Agency Glossary:

  • ERFA = Exclusive Rights Free Agent
  • RFA = Restricted Free Agent
  • CLUB = Club Option

Las Vegas Raiders

Team Needs: QB, RT, WR, DT, CB, RB, EDGE

2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

QB Geno Smith, OG Dylan Parham, RT Stone Forsythe, OG Alex Cappa, S Lonnie Johnson, CB Darnay Holmes

2026 Free Agents Losses:

    2027 Free Agents:

    There’s no sugarcoating that the Raiders’ two biggest needs for 2026 are quarterback and offensive line. Those positions were dreadful for the Black Hole in 2025, and it’s exactly why they find themselves holding the No. 1 overall pick.

    Conventional thinking holds that Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza will be selected first overall by the Raiders in this year’s draft. If you glance at the betting markets, he’s listed at -10000 odds to be the No. 1 overall pick.

    However, this doesn’t mean he will be the Week 1 starter. New Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak teased Geno Smith early on as a potential bridge quarterback. Alas, it won’t be Smith after he was dealt to the New York Jets. Truly a full circle moment.

    Even so, Kubiak seemed to double down on the idea of sitting a young quarterback behind a veteran. If Kubiak isn’t confident in the offensive line/run game, he might not opt to throw a rookie signal-caller into the fire. Kirk Cousins makes a lot of sense as the veteran bridge quarterback who could start until they want to play Mendoza.

    But before that even happens, Kubiak, second-year general manager John Spytek and partial team owner Tom Brady have to devise a way to fix this offensive line.

    Bringing Kubiak’s offensive system is already a big upgrade, given how well he has coached less-than-elite offensive lines over the last two seasons with the Saints and Seahawks.

    I looked at this from a betting perspective before the season. Essentially, what was the correlation between preseason offensive line rankings and win totals? Long story short, analysts have done a decent job pinpointing bad offensive lines during the preseason… which has led to more underwhelming win totals.

    Well, until the 2025 season. Seattle and New England’s offensive lines were both inside the bottom five across preseason publications. Seattle was a bottom-five unit for the third consecutive season.

    Sure, the tackles stayed relatively healthy, and Grey Zabel was a great first-round draft pick. But I think Kubiak’s scheme played such a big role in the offensive line’s improvement to 15th overall, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).

    The interior was definitely its weakest part in Seattle, and it’s similar in Las Vegas.

    I want to point out that it’s more about the interior offensive line needs than tackle, given the team already has Kolton Miller, who was just injured last season (limited to just four games).

    Why is this so critical to call out? Per PFF, Miller was arguably the best left tackle in the league before his injury, as he earned an 89.5 PFF pass-blocking grade. Jackson Powers-Johnson was also hurt last season.

    Still, nobody will argue against another offensive tackle remaining a glaring need. Per PFF, the Raiders’ two starting tackles from last season ranked first and second in sacks allowed.

    Just getting healthier across the offensive line will see this unit play dramatically better in 2026. Factor in Kubiak’s scheme, and we could really see Ashton Jeanty shine in Year 2. Brock Bowers might get the Jaxon-Smith Njigba treatment with favorable looks all over the formation.

    The run-blocking was terrible in 2025, ranking near the bottom of the NFL (30th-32nd) in win rate and yards per attempt. The line struggled to create space, resulting in rookie running back Ashton Jeanty being hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on nearly 50% of his carries during his rookie season.

    Jeanty has a three-down skill set, but Kubiak wants a two-headed backfield. Same as Seattle until Zach Charbonnet went down.

    Alex Cappa was a salary cap cut casualty, further bolstering the need for more interior blocking depth.

    The minute free agency started, the Raiders wasted little time upgrading the offensive line. Tyler Linderbaum signed a mega-deal to be the starting center. Jordan Meredith re-signed and can kick outside to another guard spot, joining Powers-Johnson.

    In the fallout of free agency, the Raiders are just one more tackle away from a completed rebuild. And they should be able to draft that player at the top of the second round.

    Tre Tucker is entering the last year of his contract, but it remains to be seen how this new coaching staff views him. Probably as a depth piece but not a true No. 1 WR by any means.

    Neither rookie Jack Bech nor Dont’e Thornton flashed enough to justify bringing back the same veteran wide receiver corps from 2025 with a rookie quarterback under center.

    Las Vegas did sign Jalen Nailor from the Vikings. They also hired Nick Holz as their passing game coordinator. He spent last year with the Titans as their offensive coordinator.

    And because the team retained Maxx Crosby after the trade with the Ravens fell through, they will definitely not have to address pass-rush as much. Malcolm Koonce will return on a one-year deal.

    The Raiders also signed pass rusher Kwity Paye to a three-year deal. They alos further boosted the defense with two former Georgia linebackers in Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker.

    But depending on Crosby’s longevity, they still might look for alternative pass-rush options. His return is a boost to the run defense because their defensive tackles aren’t great. They had two interior defensive linemen ranked in the bottom 25 in run defense, per PFF.

    Top cornerback Eric Stokes also signed a three-year deal to come back to the Raiders, and the team traded for Taron Johnson.

    An interesting coaching note: The Raiders’ former running backs coach was Deland McCullough, who spent 2022-2024 in the same position at Notre Dame. Not to say that Jeremiyah Love will be taken first overall, but don’t completely rule out an Ashton Jeanty/Jadarian Price tandem (although I am already preparing my pitchfork).

    And I am acknowledging the likelihood that this actually could happen after Kubiak’s quotes from the NFL Scouting Combine. The Raiders hired Omar Young as their new running backs coach. Last year, he was with Iowa. Before that, he was with the Patriots (2024) and the Bears (2023-2022).

    Most of the running backs he has coached aren’t marquee names — other than David Montgomery and Aaron Jones (both on new deals/and under contract for 2026).

    Still, we could see an Antonio Gibson, Khalil Herbert or Roschon Johnson type of addition to the Raiders’ running back room, given they need a No. 2 back behind Jeanty. Fighting Irish to monitor include Billy Schrauth, Eli Raridon and Aamil Wagner.

    The Chiefs also requested to interview McCullough — he was the former running backs coach for Kansas City from 2018 to 2020. Perhaps the Chiefs are showing their interest in these Notre Dame backs. I’m sure we can all stay level-headed when the Chiefs select Love ninth overall. Thank the lord they signed Kenneth Walker III, and that Love will be long gone by the time they pick in round one.

    New York Jets

    Team Needs: QB, CB, EDGE, WR, LB

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    QB Justin Fields, OG John Simpson, OT Alijah Vera-Tucker, LB Quincy Williams, EDGE Micheal Clemons, WR John Metchie, S Tony Adams

    2026 Free Agent Losses:

    2027 Free Agents:

    Sources told Tony Pauline that the Jets have let it be known they’d like to bring Tyrod Taylor back in 2026 in a similar role to the one he manned last season.

    However, Justin Fields wasn’t as lucky (or maybe he was luckier, depending on how you frame it). After a disastrous first year with the Jets, second-year head coach Aaron Glenn did not feel obligated to return Fields as the team’s QB1 in 2026 (last year on his deal).

    This was extremely telling about Fields’ status in New York, given that the Jets already have a ton of salary cap space (fourth-most). Fields was eventually traded to the Chiefs instead of being released, while the Jets traded for Geno Smith from the Raiders.

    Frank Reich was brought in as the new offensive coordinator after finishing last year as Stanford’s interim head coach. Reich has been out of the NFL since he was fired by the Panthers in 2023 (just 11 games as head coach). Reich typically wants a big pocket passer. Essentially, as far removed from Fields as possible. Smith makes sense from this perspective.

    Given that this is a one-quarterback class, the Jets are better off punting the position entirely with veteran options than investing in one with the second overall pick (or even the 16th overall pick). At least that’s my opinion.

    Breece Hall was potentially one of the most highly-coveted running backs hitting free agency. Rumblings suggest the team wants to use the transition tag on Hall, according to NFL insider Jonathan Jones.

    Given that the Jets have so much cap space, it’s hard to see them just letting Hall completely walk without at least offering him something. However, given all the needs this team has during a full rebuild, it shouldn’t be surprising to see them allocate resources to younger assets who don’t play running back. Also, does Hall even want to be a Jet? It doesn’t matter what he wants, however, as he is staying with the Jets until they work out a long-term deal.

    That crushes the hopes for third-year backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis to see expanded roles. Still, keep an eye on rookie running back Jaydn Ott. Bill Musgrave (new Jets quarterbacks coach and certified Derek Carr stan) was his offensive coordinator at Cal in 2022 during Ott’s true freshman season.

    For whatever it’s worth, Musgrave was the offensive coordinator at Cal when Fernando Mendoza was a freshman.

    Here’s the thing about the Jets — it’s not a completely terrible landing spot for a quarterback like Smith. You have a stud No. 1 WR in Garrett Wilson (but not much depth behind him, aside from Adonai Mitchell).

    The offensive line is bookended by two young, promising tackles. The interior offensive line needs some work. After losing Alijah Vera-Tucker (although he has been mostly injured), they signed Dylan Parham at guard.

    The Jets need to get defensive playmakers to force more turnovers after getting zero interceptions in 2025. Basically, they need to replace Quinnen Williams and Ahmad Gardner, who were traded at last year’s deadline.

    Luckily, they have all the draft capital they need, with four picks inside the top 44 (two in the top 20).

    The Jets also traded for T’Vondre Sweat from the Titans to plug their defensive interior. The trades continued on the eve of free agency.

    The Jets acquired safety Minkah Fitzpatrick with a 2026 seventh-round draft pick and signed him to a three-year deal. They also signed Nahshon Wright, Demario Davis and Joseph Ossai.

    Overall, the defense has already been significantly overhauled, with seven new starters.

    Tennessee Titans

    Team Needs: OG, WR, RB, DT, EDGE, LB

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    TE Chig Okonkwo, OG Kevin Zeitler, EDGE Arden Key, DT Sebastian Joseph, CB Darrell Baker Jr., CB L’Jarius Sneed, OC Lloyd Cushenberry

    2026 Free Agents Losses:

    2027 Free Agents:

    It works in the Titans’ favor that they are the only team picking inside the top four without a dire need at quarterback. That should allow them to draft a top-three player in this class.

    Getting Cam Ward more weapons is a must. It’s hard to justify the Titans not coming away with one of the draft’s top receivers in this year’s class (or multiple shots in later rounds). Or perhaps a highly-coveted running back such as Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. He is the favorite to be the No. 4 overall pick.

    With Brian Daboll stepping in as the Titans’ new offensive coordinator, you don’t have to squint to see how Ward is poised for a massive Year 2 leap.

    I forecasted Wan’Dale Robinson re-joining forces with Daboll in Nashville. Swish. Check out the full read on the Titans signing the former Giants slot receiver.

    Although I should acknowledge that Chimere Dike seems to be in the team’s plans for 2026. Last season, he set the record for the most all-purpose yards by a rookie (2,427 yards) and made the Pro Bowl. He took advantage of his opportunities.

    New head coach Robert Saleh joins second-year general manager Mike Borgonzi in Tennessee with more salary cap space than they know what to do with (most in the NFL).

    Defensively, the team ranked dead last in yards per pass attempt faced (8.2) in 2025. It’s hard to say no to a defensive-minded head coach who wants to build his defense with a premier EDGE rusher. Somebody to pair with Jeffery Simmons. Jermaine Johnson is now a Titan after a trade with the Jets, reuniting with Saleh, who was the head coach when he was drafted by the Jets.

    And building out Gang Green South didn’t stop there. They also traded for Solomon Thomas and signed John Franklin-Myers. The Titans also signed Jordan Elliott. These moves were necessary given that three of the five top pass-rushers from last season were impending free agents across the defensive line.

    Cornerback is probably the team’s biggest need, and that’s where Saleh’s defense can be exposed the most by poor personnel. L’Jarius Sneed has been a mega bust since he signed two years ago. He was released. Jalyn Armour-Davis remains a free agent.

    They signed a trio of cornerbacks to completely revamp the secondary: Joshua Williams, Alontae Taylor and Cor’Dale Flott. The defense was completely flipped on its head from last season, with potentially six new defensive starters brought in.

    Calvin Ridley was rumored not to make this final roster, but he has restructured his contract. Let’s not forget that Ridley broke his fibula in 2025, which is no easy injury to rebound from.

    With a new head coach and offensive coordinator (worth noting that Brian Daboll coached Ridley at Alabama in 2017), it certainly says something about Ridley’s remaining prospects in the NFL if the Titans eventually release him. The fact that Ridley restructured his contract to remain with the Titans is noteworthy. Obviously, anything he provides is probably just gravy.

    The team being connected with Love and other running backs makes sense, as Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are both entering the final years of their deals. The Titans can save over $7 million in cap space by cutting Pollard. He will be 29 years old just after the 2026 NFL Draft, which certainly puts him on the wrong side of the age cliff.

    The Titans also need another guard to replace 36-year-old Kevin Zeitler. Lloyd Cushenberry was released.

    The Titans signed center Austin Schlottmann (also another former Giant) to a two-year deal and guard Cordell Volson to a one-year deal. Volson might not be a true answer at guard, so it’s still an area to address in the NFL Draft.

    And let’s not forget who Saleh coached in San Francisco — Fred Warner. His popular comp, Sonny Styles, might be available at the fourth overall pick.

    Cleveland Browns

    Team Needs: OT, WR, DT, QB, S

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    OG Wyatt Teller, OG Joel Bitonio, OT Jack Conklin, TE David Njoku, OC Ethan Pocic, DL Shelby Harris

    2026 Free Agents Losses

    2027 Free Agents:

    The Browns were in pretty rough shape entering the 2026 offseason. Specifically, the offensive line had four of its five starters from 2025 hitting free agency. Jack Conklin was the lone returner at tackle, but he only played eight games last season. He was subsequently released. Joel Bitonio is contemplating retirement. It’s a major problem, as the offensive line was bad with them.

    Poor blocking upfront makes it really tough to evaluate the influx of young talent across the Cleveland roster.

    A week before free agency started, the Browns made a move to trade for Tytus Howard and signed him to a three-year extension. He definitely helps bolster one of the tackle spots for the Browns and helps them evaluate their current offensive skill positions. Left tackle is still ambiguous, given that Dawand Jones is rehabilitating from season-ending knee and hamstring injuries

    But they didn’t stop there. Elgton Jenkins, Teven Jenkins and Zion Johnson were also brought on board. Context is needed with these signings. Jenkins was cut from the Packers after failing his physical. Johnson was not retained by the Chargers, who had one of the worst offensive lines last season. Even with the new bodies, the offensive line is still far from a finished top-10 unit. However, the draft should help fill out the rest of the offensive line.

    There is young talent on this offense that could thrive if the offensive line can be average.

    The 2025 Browns are the only team since the 1970 merger to have a rookie lead them in passing yards (Shedeur Sanders), rushing yards (Quinshon Judkins) and receiving yards (Harold Fannin Jr.) and tackles (Carson Schwesinger) in a season. Fannin was also the fantasy TE6 overall.

    Tight end David Njoku is already preparing for life post-Cleveland. Looks like Fannin TE1 SZN is full go in 2026.

    Judkins is more of a question mark. He is coming off a pretty serious injury (ankle dislocation, fractured fibula) and benefited from a lot of volume and was very inefficient in 2025. It could be more of the same in 2026 behind a potential patchwork offensive line. Still, the expectation is that he won’t be limited during the offseason periods.

    Wide receiver is a big area of need for the skill positions that you’d anticipate them using one of their two first-round picks on.

    There’s no additional need for those positions, although the Browns never seem settled at quarterback.

    New head coach Todd Monken did not declare Sanders as the team’s QB1 heading into the offseason. Deshaun Watson is still on the team for at least one more season based on his contract structure. No point in cutting bait now. Dillon Gabriel is also on the roster.

    Needless to say, the Browns probably won’t add much of anything at quarterback until they can finally move on from Watson in 2027. It’s possible that Monken could see something in rookie Carson Beck after coaching him at Georgia for three seasons (although Beck was not the starter). The team is also doing its due diligence on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who projects as a late-first/early-second-round pick.

    Monken has also coached 2026 draft-eligible rookies Oscar Delp and Dillon Bell (potential late-round targets).

    The Browns’ major offensive needs are simple — offensive line and wide receiver. Monken will have a lot of input, given that part of the appeal of the Browns’ job was building the offensive roster from the ground up.

    I’d also add that Jerry Jeudy has an out in his contract in 2027. He was heavily praised by the former head coach Kevin Stefanski. General manager Andrew Berry has also recently expressed confidence in Jeudy, betting on him to bounce back in 2026.

    Jeudy’s former wide receivers coach with the Browns is in Kansas City (Chad O’Shea). The Giants are another interesting spot for Jeudy, given the need for wide receiver help. The Titans could also look at Jeudy, given his Alabama connections to Daboll.

    Another coaching nugget for you: Spencer Fano is one of the top tackle prospects in this class, inside an elite tier with Francis Mauigoa. Who coached him in 2024 at Utah? New Browns quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian. This is the stuff I live for.

    Bajakian also coached the other highly-touted Utah tackle, Caleb Lomu. The Browns could wait to draft him rather than spend their highest capital on Fano, given some concerns about his arm length (although his versatility is collectively praised). Berry is very analytical-driven, so I could see that as an issue with Fano.

    Monroe Freeling might represent the most upside among this year’s tackle group. He is tied with Mauigoa to be the first offensive lineman drafted, according to betting odds.

    As a final note on the offensive line, the Browns also hired George Warhop as their new offensive line coach. He is one of the most well-respected offensive line coaches in the NFL (although last year’s offensive line in Baltimore was hardly his greatest output).

    The Browns’ defense was great last year, but how they will manage without defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will be worth monitoring.

    The interior defensive line needs more depth, given that Shelby Harris is still unsigned. The Browns’ run defense disintegrated after losing Maliek Collins in the second half of last season (also a 2027 free agent).

    Could the Browns entertain safety Caleb Downs in the draft? Monken has seen firsthand what a dynamic safety can present for opposing offenses, given his time spent with Baltimore.

    New Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg also has an extensive track record with safeties stemming from the Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich coaching trees. Before the Jets’ defense fell apart at the end of his tenure, it was a locked-and-loaded unit.

    Ulbrich on Rutenberg, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic:

    “He’s one of the best teachers in this league. He understands the back end at a PhD-plus level. He’s a huge part of our success back there. Whether he gets a coordinator job this season or next, it’s inevitable. He’s too good a coach.”

    Rookie safety Xavier Watts was terrific last year playing under Rutenberg in Atlanta. The Browns also have two starting safeties hitting free agency next season.

    Kansas City Chiefs

    Team Needs: CB, EDGE, WR, OT, TE, DT

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    RB Isiah Pacheco, EDGE Charles Omenihu, S Bryan Cook, CB Joshua Williams, CB Jaylen Watson, LB Leo Chenal, DL Derrick Nnadi, DL Jerry Tillery, WR Marquise Brown, RT Jawaan Taylor,

    2026 Free Agents Losses:

    2027 Free Agents:

    Kansas City only has two receivers on the roster under contract in 2027 entering the offseason — Jalen Royals and Xavier Worthy.

    Tyquan Thornton re-signed with the Chiefs. The speedy wide receiver had his most productive season in the NFL last year, catching 19 passes for 438 yards and three touchdowns (on nearly 1,000 air yards and 23 deep targets). He stepped up at the start of the year due to Worthy’s injury and Rashee Rice‘s suspension.

    Over the first five weeks of the year, Thornton averaged 10.3 fantasy points per game. His 2025 yardage and touchdown totals set new career-highs, and he averaged 23.1 yards per reception (first in the NFL). Also had zero recorded drops.

    Rashee Rice continues to put himself in legal trouble and cannot be a trusted long-term asset. Even if he avoids suspension this year, he’s skating on extremely thin ice.

    Meanwhile, Travis Kelce will be entering his age-37 season in 2026.

    The Chiefs desperately needed to add an explosive playmaker out of the backfield. Hello, Kenneth Walker III. Full breakdown on his signing.

    Kansas City will have to continue adding skill-position players this offseason to help quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is coming off a season-ending torn ACL and LCL injury.

    With the ninth overall pick, the Chiefs could very much make a splashy fantasy football acquisition.

    The team has already replaced offensive coordinator Matt Nagy with a familiar face in Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy has spent time with the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders over the last several seasons, so he has some connections to veteran backs like D’Andre Swift and Brian Robinson Jr.

    DeMarco Murray was hired as the new running backs coach (spent the last five years as the running backs coach). Backs he coached over that span include Kentucky’s Seth McGowan, veteran Eric Gray and Oklahoma’s Jaydn Ott. Obviously, he can provide insight on some of these former Sooners (especially the incoming rookies).

    Murray was seemingly a big fan of McGowan early on in his collegiate career before he got dismissed from the program for committing a felony.

    Offensive line also remains a priority given how things unraveled for this unit in 2025 (injuries). The personnel remains intact from last year, but solving the right tackle spot long-term needs to be addressed. Rumor is that the Chiefs want to take care of this early in the draft.

    Overall, it’s a strong run-blocking unit when healthy. If they can add an explosive runner to the backfield, that could pay off massive dividends. General manager Brett Veach made that point clear at the NFL Scouting Combine. Also spoke about the best players being available at non-premium positions.

    Jaylon Moore will be a free agent in 2027. Jawaan Taylor was cut outright as the Chiefs look to get under the salary cap. He has been penalized 56 times since joining the team in 2023. Woof.

    Defensively, Kansas City is rumored to be in the market for a big-bodied pass-rusher. According to Arrowhead Pride, the defensive line struggled in 2025 in both pass rush and run defense. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the Chiefs were interested in acquiring Seahawks free agent Boye Mafe before the 2025 trade deadline.

    They started the rebuild on defense by signing former Patriots run stuffer Khyiris Tonga to a three-year contract.

    I should note that Kansas City will already be in a better position than last year with defensive linemen Omarr Norman-Lott and Felix Anudike-Uzomah returning from injuries.

    The secondary also needs help (but this is the perfect draft to need defensive backs). Jaylen Watson left as a free agent along with Joshua Williams.

    Trent McDuffie was entering the final year of his rookie contract, but he was traded to the Rams for the 29th overall pick in this year’s draft, along with some Day 3 selections.

    Starting safety Bryan Cook was replaced with safety Alohi Gilman on a three-year deal.

    They also signed nickel cornerback Kader Kohou to a one-year deal. Nohl Williams looks like a nice find from last year’s draft, but cornerback is thin behind him and Kristian Fulton.

    After losing Gardner Minshew, the Chiefs also traded for Justin Fields to be Patrick Mahomes‘ backup while he rehabs from his ACL injury.

    Cincinnati Bengals

    Team Needs: EDGE, LB, DT

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    OG Cordell Volson, TE Noah Fant, EDGE Trey Hendrickson, EDGE Joseph Ossai, S Geno Stone, CB Marco Wilson, CB Cam Taylor-Britt, QB Jake Browning

    2026 Free Agents:

    2027 Free Agents:

    Say it with me: Defense. No defense had more missed tackles than the Bengals did in 2025. They were also dead last in rushing yards allowed per game (147.1).

    Aside from No. 1 CB DJ Turner (also entering the last year of his contract), this defense had nothing going right for it in 2025.

    Trey Hendrickson is gone. Joseph Ossai led the team in pressures, but he’s on the Jets now.

    B.J. Hill was initially rumored to be a cut candidate, although he was praised as part of their defensive solution. Kris Jenkins is still under contract.

    Boye Mafe signed a three-year deal worth $60 million. And they signed Jonathan Allen to a two-year deal.

    The linebackers and safeties on this team were mostly abysmal (hence why they were so bad versus tight ends) outside of safety Jordan Battle (contract year). The back-end was constantly giving up huge plays. Starting safety Geno Stone left as a free agent. Nickel cornerback Jalen Davis returned on a one-year deal.

    They inked a free agent deal with safety Bryan Cook.

    Second-year defensive coordinator Al Golden is going to have his work cut out for him. But at least the defense did show signs of improvement later down the stretch. Golden expressed an interest in linebackers who can offer a combo of skills, per The Athletic. It’s a perfect draft class for that player archetype — a linebacker that blitzes, rushes off the edge, etc. He also hyped up a slot-hybrid safety.

    Keep in mind that the Bengals don’t have many defensive free agents because they have a lot of young players starting (particularly at linebacker/cornerback). They threw two rookie linebackers into the fire and got burned.

    Golden was the former defensive coordinator at Notre Dame from 2022-2024, so don’t overlook the connection in this year’s class with incoming rookies like Billy Schrauth and Jalen Stroman.

    The offense is stacked across the skill positions, so everything Cincinnati does this offseason needs to be built around improving the defensive side of the football. It’s worth noting that their offensive line has holes on the interior, with center Ted Karras also entering the last year of his contract in 2026. They re-signed Dalton Risner to a one-year deal before free agency started.

    You could also see the Bengals look at running back, but with both Chase Brown and Samaje Perine under contract for 2026, this is an issue they kick down the road. Still, there’s always a chance they will shake up the backfield by selecting one of these highly coveted Notre Dame backs. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher spoke about wanting to create more explosive plaus on first and second downs in 2026 (while also putting Joe Burrow under center more).

    Pain.

    Miami Dolphins

    Team Needs: iOL, RT, WR, CB, S, EDGE, TE, DT

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    WR Tyreek Hill, WR Jaylen Waddle, TE Darren Waller, RT Larry Borom, G Cole Strange, CB Kader Kohou, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, EDGE Bradley Chubb, G James Daniels

    2026 Free Agent Losses:

    2027 Free Agents:

    One of the first things new head coach Jeff Hafley mentioned after being hired by the Miami Dolphins was his core beliefs: Running the ball and being really physical upfront. Spoken like a true defensive-minded head coach. This also matched the tone from new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan: “We want to build this team from the inside out.”

    Seems pretty obvious that these two former Green Bay staffers have a clear, concise vision for how they want to shape this roster: Build an environment where a quarterback can succeed.

    Seventeen games of second-year Quinn Ewers to ensure a top draft pick in 2027? Not quite. Malik Willis will be the Dolphins’ starting quarterback after signing a three-year, $67.5 million deal. The new head coach and general manager are both coming from Green Bay, so this moves make sense for both sides.

    Sullivan specifically mentioned that they will look to invest in a quarterback every year to make the quarterback room as deep as possible. They do not want to put a quarterback in a position where he is getting killed behind a bad offensive line or has nobody to throw to.

    Miami cut ties with multiple veterans to create a more manageable salary-cap space.

    Even though the new regime didn’t completely rule out Tua Tagovailoa as a quarterback option initially, the writing was on the wall. He was released.

    Bobby Slowik is the new offensive coordinator (promoted from the Dolphins’ pass game coordinator job). They want to establish the run, which both the Packers’ and Dolphins’ offenses did last season at a top-six rate. Willis could be a fun offensive piece in South Beach. He led all quarterbacks in fantasy points per dropback (1.13) last season (small sample size of 47 dropbacks). However, it was also a top-three mark (0.76) in 2024.

    According to Pat Fitzmaurice, Willis has averaged 44.8 rushing yards per game and has run for four touchdowns in six career starts. He’s averaged about 8.5 fantasy points per game just with his legs.

    Slowik was in Houston before spending last season with Miami (and San Francisco before that). There’s a connection with Davis Mills as a potential trade target, given how well he played last year, filling in for an injured C.J. Stroud. He is also a free agent in 2027.

    Jimmy Garoppolo could also be another option for the Dolphins. He’s familiar with the Kyle Shanahan scheme. Slowik was with San Francisco from 2017 to 2022 (overlapping exactly with Jimmy Garoppolo‘s tenure with the Niners). Kevin Patullo spent last year with the Eagles as their offensive coordinator (yikes) and is the new passing game coordinator for Miami. Another connection is Tanner McKee.

    After the Willis signing, they might just draft another developmental quarterback.

    Bush Hamdan is the new quarterbacks coach, who spent a lot of time in the college game.

    Some draft-eligible prospects that overlapped with Hamdan include Seth McGowan, Eric McAlister, Taylen Green, Jalen Farmer, Jager Burton, DeaMonte Trayanum, Dane Key and Barion Brown.

    Taylen Green and Willis in the same backfield? Get your popcorn ready for the tanking Dolphins that might have a very high pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Hamdan served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Green at Boise State in 2023.

    Miami has also reportedly been looking at cornerbacks in this year’s draft class. This is a no-brainer considering the current state of the Dolphins’ secondary. They have massive holes all over the secondary, and they already traded away safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

    Miami traded Jaelan Phillips before last year’s trade deadline and already cut Bradley Chubb (third and first, respectively, in pressures generated). That might create some need for more defensive line help, but the Dolphins have a decent young defensive front, headlined by Kenneth Grant and Chop Robinson. Also signed David Ojabo to a one-year deal.

    Still, their struggles versus the run last season suggest that defensive tackle will remain an option. It’s not that they have pressing roster needs at defensive line, but rather a desire to make that unit just better. I still think EDGE is the most pressing, given that Grant, Zach Sieler and Jordan Phillips are under contract for the next two seasons. They also re-signed Matthew Butler to a one-year deal.

    Across the offensive line, it’s the interior that needs the most work. They need a starting guard, without much depth at that position, currently on the roster. Cole Strange signed with the Chargers in free agency. Ceter Aaron Brewer and Austin Jackson will hit free agency in 2027. According to PFF, rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea earned a 14.1 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked dead last among all guards. Jamaree Salyer signed a one-year deal to play guard. Miami still could draft a right tackle to play opposite of Patrick Paul.

    Wide receiver and tight end are obvious needs, given the lack of depth on the offensive roster. They essentially have no tight end of note, and Jaylen Waddle was traded to the Denver Broncos for a first-round pick.

    Willis is going to run a lot. But I seriously question how effective he can be with his poor supporting cast. He was also the only multi-year signing by Miami this offseason. He seems like a lock to start all of 2026 while serving as a bridge quarterback in 2027 to a rookie if Miami has a high enough draft slot in 2027. He has an out in his contract in 2028.

    Greg Dulcich re-signed on a one-year deal. He flashed with Miami in the second half of 2025 (second in yards per route run among tight ends from Week 9 onward), posting his best statistical season after battling injuries since his rookie campaign. Dulcich finished second among all tight ends in yards after the catch per reception, trailing only Tucker Kraft.

    Dulcich is worth monitoring now that he is officially returning to Miami. His rookie-year breakout coincided with Jake Moreland, who previously coached under Slowik. Not to mention, the Dolphins’ new head coach just came from Green Bay, so he clearly knows what a yards-after-the-catch tight end can offer for an offense.

    Baltimore Ravens

    Team Needs: C, CB, DT, TE, WR, EDGE, RB

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    RB Keaton Mitchell, TE Charlie Kolar, TE Isaiah Likely, OC Tyler Linderbaum, EDGE Dre’Mont Jones, S Alohi Gilman, S Ar’Darius Washington, FB Patrick Ricard

    2026 Free Agents Losses:

    2027 Free Agents:

    The biggest areas of need for the Ravens include EDGE depth and the interior offensive line (Tyler Linderbaum is gone; Daniel Faalele remains unsigned).

    They desperately need to add more pass-rush juice (fifth-worst pressure rate in 2025). Defense wasn’t the same after Nnamdi Madubuike went down last season. Broderick Washington was also limited to just three games, but he could be released to save money, per The Athletic.

    General Manager Eric DeCosta echoed his concerns about the need for defensive pressure, along with the inconsistency of the offensive line at times. It’s why they were desperate to retain Linderbaum. However, the market for centers was in high demand, and they lost their starting center to the Raiders.

    They did bolster the interior offensive line with John Simpson. They also signed former Falcons center Jovaughn Gwyn. I think there is still a glaring need for the interior of this offensive line, especially with the loss of Linderbaum.

    The Ravens made the biggest move by trading two first-round picks for Raiders EDGE rusher Maxx Crosby. Well, at least that was what happened. But the Ravens reportedly “backed out” of the deal after Crosby failed a physical. Baltimore has a track record of canceling deals after failed physicals.

    Or maybe they saw an opportunity to keep their draft picks and sign Trey Hendrickson instead after he was left on the market for the first two days of free agency.

    If they have the chance to draft a great defensive tackle, they will, as it is one of the most important positions in football. But best player available is still what DeCosta has ingrained in his drafting DNA — just not safety after adding ex-Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins on a two-year deal.

    The secondary could use a reset. Marlon Humphrey is entering the last year of his deal. Chidobe Awuzie was a one-year rental that didn’t go great (although he will return). DeCosta mentioned before last year’s draft that cornerback is also a “big need” every year. Called them ‘Bugattis.’ They break down, so you need to have a surplus of reserves.

    DeCosta also said on The Inner Circle Podcast that they are a ‘draft and develop team.’

    Look for new head coach Jesse Minter to add former Chargers players after serving as their defensive coordinator from 2024 to 2025. Or former Michigan Wolverines, given that Minter spent 2022-2023 coaching there.

    Names to monitor include Marlin Klein, Derrick Moore, Rayshaun Benny and TJ Guy.

    Veteran safeties Alohi Gilman and Ar’Darius Washington departed as free agents.

    The Ravens are also in a weird spot when it comes to tight end.

    Baltimore opted to extend Mark Andrews instead of Isaiah Likely in the final year of his rookie deal. Likely struggled with injuries that dramatically hurt his 2025 production. Entering free agency, Likely’s stock was nowhere near where it was at this time last year. However, the upside we have seen from Likely when Andrews has missed time in the past — 11 fantasy points per game without Andrews — warrants a shot on Likely if he carves out a TE1 role with the New York Giants. He reunites with John Harbaugh in New York.

    Charlie Kolar is also gone. Both former Ravens tight ends played over 400 offensive snaps last season.

    Obviously, these heavy-tight end sets could change under the new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle (although he deployed plenty of 12 personnel last season as the Bears’ offensive coordinator).

    They added Durham Smythe on a one-year deal.

    Some insight into what this offense might look like in 2026: The Ravens ranked 29th in plays per game in 2025. The Bears? First. He also spent time with the Broncos and Sean Payton before landing with Ben Johnson last season.

    After losing Keaton Mitchell to the Chargers, I also think running back is a need. Derrick Henry is not getting any younger, and Justice Hill is entering a contract year.

    Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet Creator

    Indianapolis Colts

    Team Needs: LB, EDGE, OT, DT, S, CB

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    WR Michael Pittman Jr., RT Braden Smith, EDGE Kwity Paye, DT Neville Gallimore, S Nick Cross, EDGE Samson Ebukam

    2026 Free Agents:

    2027 Free Agents:

    Colts general manager Chris Ballard opened this offseason by discussing how important it was for the team to add fuel to their defensive front.

    “I think our defensive front, we’ve got to add some fuel to the front. And we’ve got to get younger. We’ve got to get unequivocally faster on defense. Offensively, we’ve got to be able to run it when we want to. And I will say that when Daniel got hurt, it took away some things that we could do from a mobility standpoint, which I think affected it, but that’s something we’ll dig into. But just off our initial thinking, our defensive front, and we’ve got to get faster.”

    Kwity Paye left in free agency, along with Samson Ebukam.

    DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are entering the last years of their contracts. Derrick Nnadi was brought in as a veteran depth piece.

    Indianapolis signed Arden Key to a two-year deal to bolster the pass rush. They also signed Michael Clemons to a three-year deal.

    Veteran pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson made a ton of sense, given his connection to Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Alas, the Ravens signed Hendrickson after the Maxx Crosby fallout.

    Ballard has greatly supported the return of quarterback Daniel Jones despite his Achilles injury. Says he has a bright future in Indianapolis. Read my full breakdown on Jones re-signing in Indianapolis here.

    Anthony Richardson seems likely to be traded, with the Colts expressing confidence in Riley Leonard.

    Ballard also said that Alec Pierce was a priority for the Colts to retain. Pierce finished 2025 with career highs in catches (47) and yards (1,003). He had 10 games of at least 65 receiving yards, and was the WR24 in half-PPR (14 games). Pierce averaged the same amount of fantasy points per game (9.1, WR16) as Jameson Williams. He was also solid in 2024 (827 yards on 37 receptions).

    It’s hard not to envision Pierce as the No. 1 WR for the Colts next season, but his ceiling will be related to the health status of Jones. Although Pierce showed he could work with less-than-stellar signal-callers, recording two 22-point games over the last three weeks of the season without Jones. He had top-five weekly finishes with Philip Rivers and Leonard.

    Michael Pittman Jr./Josh Downs/Jonathan Taylor are entering the final years of their deals in 2026. Pittman had routinely been thrown out as a potential salary cap casualty this offseason. Ballard pushed back against this narrative as closer to hypothetical than reality. He wasn’t lying, as Pittman was traded to the Steelers instead of being released.

    As for the offensive line, the right tackle position needs to be addressed.

    Braden Smith left in free agency for the Texans. Jalen Travis might be the heir apparent to that spot after seeing limited action as a 2025 rookie fourth-rounder. Blake Freeland will also be back (last year of contract) after missing all of last season.

    Impending free agent safety Nick Cross played the second-most defensive snaps last season. He signed with the Commanders. Charvarius Ward‘s future with the team remains up in the air after he suffered a series of concussions last season. Slot cornerback Kenny Moore will be a free agent at the end of the season.

    The Colts might also want to add more juice at linebacker. Zaire Franklin was PFF’s second-lowest graded linebacker last season and was traded to the Packers. Germaine Pratt ranked second on the team in tackles (Cross finished first) and remains a free agent. They signed Akeem Davis-Gaither to a one-year deal.

    This team has a lot of free agents in 2027, notably at cornerback, safety and defensive tackle.

    Pittsburgh Steelers

    Team Needs: QB, OG, OT, S, CB, DT

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    RB Kenneth Gainwell, OG Isaac Seumalo, TE Jonnu Smith, CB James Pierre

    2026 Free Agents:

    2027 Free Agents:

    Mike McCarthy is in as the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    Part of his new staff includes former Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. as his assistant head coach, Brian Angelichio as the new offensive coordinator (from the Vikings) and Patrick Graham as the new defensive coordinator (from the Raiders). They also hired the former Bills and Indiana wide receivers coach Adam Henry.

    Omar Cooper Jr. to the Steelers has a nice ring to it…

    Pittsburgh also has the former Falcons’ pass-game specialist on their staff.

    Kenneth Gainwell is not even 27 years old, and he thrived as both a rusher/receiver in 2025. He was fifth in rushing success rate, was the RB20 in fantasy points per game and averaged more points per game than both Seahawks backs and Broncos rookieRJ Harvey. Gainwell totaled 73 catches for 486 yards on 85 targets with eight scores. He had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and a 16% target share.

    Pittsburgh needs to replace that production after he signed with the Buccaneers. Jaylen Warren remains a super-efficient runner, but he’s not a traditional bell-cow back. Kaleb Johnson was a total zero as a rookie, so it remains to be seen how the new coaching staff will view last year’s third-round pick.

    Johnson is hardly the first rookie with decent draft capital to implode just to build his value in Year 2. Think Tank Bigsby, Blake Corum, etc. There is fantasy juice to squeeze in an Aaron Rodgers‘ backfield (if he returns) with how often he throws to backs. The Steelers’ offense produced two top-20 backs in 2025 (16 and 20).

    The Steelers opted for Rico Dowdle, reuniting him with McCarthy from their time in Dallas.

    I am very much under the impression that Rodgers will be back for at least one more year. With Will Howard being the youngster behind him on the depth chart, they want to develop him. However, it doesn’t mean he is the QB1 of the future.

    Other than finding a long-term signal-caller, wide receiver was definitely the team’s biggest need. They have nobody behind DK Metcalf, and were shopping for wideouts at last year’s trade deadline. They traded for Michael Pittman Jr. and signed him to a three-year deal. Steelers general manager Omar Khan is a fan of Roman Wilson, but clearly, he is not the answer for the Steelers as their No. 2 WR.

    The new offensive coordinator coming also further emphasizes the need for multiple receivers, given Arthur Smith’s offense heavily deployed multiple-tight end sets. Jonnu Smith was released.

    On the offensive line, Isaac Seumalo signed with the Arizona Cardinals. His two backups were also free agents. Spencer Anderson is a depth guard they could start, but he is a free agent in 2027. They did re-sign Jack Driscoll.

    Broderick Jones‘ injury complicates things on the offensive line, given the complexity of the injury. Dylan Cook showed some promise in limited playing time last season. In five starts, Cook graded out as PFF’s 21st-ranked tackle.

    On defense, they need to fill holes at cornerback and safety based on their free agent crop.

    Joey Porter Jr. and Brandin Echols are entering contract years. Asante Samuel Jr. signed a one-year deal to return to the Steelers. They lost James Pierre.

    The Steelers’ secondary was shredded at times last season, allowing the fourth-most passing yards per game and ranking third in total missed tackles.

    Jaquan Brisker, Darnell Savage and Jamel Dean signed deals in free agency. But the safeties were brought in for just one season.

    Filling the potential void of possibly losing Cameron Heyward always needs to be at the back of the Steelers’ mind. Heyward is in the last year of his deal at age 37 (signed another one-year contract extension). Keeanu Benton is also an impending free agent in 2027.

    They signed Sebastian Joseph to a two-year contract worth $11 million. The team would like to sign Nick Herbig to a long-term deal.

    Los Angeles Chargers

    Team Needs: EDGE, IOL, S, CB

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    OG Zion Johnson, OG Jamaree Salyer, EDGE Odafe Oweh, DT Otito Ogbonnia, CB Benjamin St-Juste, DL Da’Shawn Hand

    2026 Free Agents:

    2027 Free Agents:

    There are a lot of players the Chargers would like to bring back, and Keenan Allen being on that list is not exactly what you want to hear from Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz. Bringing back an aging veteran receiver way past his prime would take targets away from the younger skill players on the Chargers. Nonetheless, it’s something fantasy managers need to at least consider.

    The primary focus of the Bolts’ offseason has to be on the offensive line. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. We all saw this offense crater without its top two tackles (Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater), among other offensive line issues.

    Justin Herbert was constantly running for his life. The big-armed quarterback finished the 2025 season as the QB10 in fantasy points per game, mostly on the back of his rushing production (sixth in rushing yards per game at 31.1). He set career highs in rushing yards (498) and carries (83). But the losses on the offensive line crushed his ceiling, along with his own injuries. With a healthier offensive line in 2026, Herbert can flirt with elite fantasy quarterback status. In five games with Joe Alt in 2025, Hebert averaged nearly 23.9 fantasy points per game. In the 12 games without Alt? Herbert averaged just 16.2 fantasy points per game.

    Both Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are expected to return at full health in 2026.

    But patching the offensive line is still not complete. Mekhi Becton is no guarantee to return after he struggled in 2025. Zion Johnson left in free agency. Bradley Bozeman just retired. Trey Pipkins… no. He is a backup (which is why the Chargers retained him over the next two years). They also added Cole Strange.

    Protection for Herbert is the No. 1 need for this offense. The Bolts got a head start with the addition of center Tyler Biadasz.

    The offensive weapons seem set, but Hortiz said at the NFL Scouting Combine that they would attack the offensive line, defense, running backs, tight ends, wideouts, etc. The more players surrounding Herbert, the better.

    I’d guess they also bring in another tight end who is used more traditionally, with Oronde Gadsden II profiling as that true “mismatch” receiving threat. Gadsden could very much be Mike McDaniel’s new Darren Waller (who had some success last year in Miami after coming out of retirement). That would put newly-acquired Charlie Kolar into the strict blocking role that we saw Durham Smythe and Julian Hill occupy in Miami under McDaniel.

    There’s been some back-and-forth about whether Kolar is good or bad for Gadsden from a fantasy football perspective. Shoutout to FFdataroma‘s post, forcing me to take another look at it.

    Gadsden isn’t a true full-time tight end because he is clearly preferred on pass-catching downs. Signing Kolar limits Gadsden in that capacity. But it also means he will be strictly running routes.

    But it might not be as high a rate as it was last season. Last year, Waller maxed out at an 86% route participation, with him more consistently under 67%. Greg Dulcich was at 71% when he was operating as the true “move” tight end in McDaniel’s offense.

    But in 2024, the receiving tight end for Miami was Jonnu Smith. He was 24th in route participation among tight ends (60%), but was the fantasy TE4. Last year, Gadsden was at a 61% route participation. He averaged 44.3 receiving yards per game (11th in yards during regular season), and recorded the same YPRR as Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr. Gadsden finished as the TE21 in points per game (7.1), with four top-12 weekly finishes.

    Gadsden’s production dipped in the second half, but with Allen’s 126 targets hypothetically removed, you can still feel pretty good about drafting Gadsden.

    Again, the weekly upside is still present, even if the floor might be nonexistent in certain matchups where the Chargers can run the ball effectively. But at tight end, you should be less concerned about the floor and more concerned about the ceiling.

    The Bolts’ new offensive coordinator said in his introductory presser that making life easier for Herbert is the goal. An effective run game is a quarterback’s best friend.

    Omarion Hampton finished his rookie season as the RB16 in fantasy points per game in his nine games played, but he suffered from a tough situation. As noted, the Chargers were gutted by injuries on their offensive line and to Herbert. The rookie back dealt with his own injuries as well. But Hampton flashed enough upside to be worth buying into as a fantasy RB1 behind a healthy offensive line in 2026.

    Hampton had four games with a 79%+ snap share, averaging 17.5 fantasy points per game. The former Tar Heels product received bell-cow level usage, averaging 17.3 touches per game (tied for top-12 at the position). He also had four games with five or more catches (seventh in receptions per game at 3.6). He was ranked by PFF as the eighth-best graded rusher, finishing 11th in yards after contact per attempt (3.34).

    The Chargers also signed Keaton Mitchell to a two-year deal. He adds another element of explosiveness to the backfield in what’s a great scheme fit for McDaniel’s offense. Also, the Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz connection to Baltimore probably helped get this deal done. The Chargers also signed Alec Ingold.

    Defensively, the defensive line needs some love. Khalil Mack was brought back, Odafe Oweh and Da’Shawn Hand left in free agency. Del’Shawn Phillips is also coming back on a two-year deal. Teair Tart signed an extension this offseason, which suggests any more additions will more likely come in the form of EDGE rushers. They also signed Dalvin Tomlinson.

    Starting safety Tony Jefferson is returning on a one-year deal, with Derwin James entering the last year of his contract. Donte Jackson will also be a free agent at the end of the season.

    Chris O’Leary is the new defensive coordinator for the Chargers. He spent 2025 with Western Michigan. Keep tabs on EDGE rusher Nadame Tucker, who was coached by O’Leary in 2025.

    Jacksonville Jaguars

    Team Needs: LB, EDGE, CB, WR, S

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    LB Devin Lloyd, RB Travis Etienne, CB Greg Newsome II, S Andrew Wingard

    2026 Free Agents:

    2027 Free Agents:

    The Jaguars don’t have a first-round pick this year because of the Travis Hunter trade. All the offseason news has suggested that Jacksonville plans on using him as a full-time cornerback and part-time receiver in 2026 because of the team’s current needs. Greg Newsome II left in free agency, but Christian Braswell was retained on a one-year deal.

    Recall that the 2025 Jaguars’ offense took off without Hunter in the second half of the season.

    Given that Dyami Brown was a major free agent flop (back to Washington) and Brian Thomas Jr. might get traded (lack of chemistry with Trevor Lawrence, despite the regime backing that he won’t be traded), the Jaguars might be in the market for another wide receiver. Parker Washington will be playing in a contract year after a breakout 2025 campaign.

    Running back is definitely a bigger area of need. Travis Etienne signed with the New Orleans Saints. They did draft two backs in last year’s draft, likely knowing they could lose Etienne on the open market. The Jags swooped in and signed Chris Rodriguez Jr. to a two-year deal. Rodriguez reunites with Liam Coen, who coached him in college.

    The current backfield is now comprised of Rodriguez, Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen. Obviously, a lot to shake out from a fantasy football perspective.

    For starters, Rodriguez can be simply brushed off, given his relationship with Coen. He loves Rodriguez’s toughness, tackle-breaking, consistency and finishing ability to get you the yards that are there/blocked for. It’s apparent in a lot of the advanced rushing metrics for Rodriguez (albeit on a small sample size):

    • Eighth in yards after contact per attempt (2025)
    • Eighth in rushing success rate (2025)
    • First in expected points added (EPA)/rush since 2024, per Tej Seth.
    • First in yards after contact per attempt since 2024, per Jared Smola.

    That basically ends the pro-argument for Rodriguez.

    I feel very strongly that Rodriguez is a total zero in the passing game (three catches last season; six total catches in his three-year NFL career). And the goal-line role? I still think that belongs to Tuten, given he was taking Etienne off the field in the red zone during his rookie campaign.

    Rodriguez is a significantly worse back than Etienne. I don’t think that’s up for any debate, despite what the advanced metrics might suggest.

    And I’m going to be honest. I don’t recall Rodriguez being good until the end of the season. His earlier game logs are pretty eye-opening, especially in the second half:

    • Week 9 versus Seattle was garbage time.
    • Week 11? Miami Dolphins. At the time, a historically poor run defense.
    • Before the Week 12 bye week, Rodriguez was a bottom-10 graded rusher, per PFF. That includes the game versus Miami.
    • Five missed tackles on 60 carries (second-fewest in the NFL).
    • Dead last in elusive rating (tied with Aaron Jones).
    • Eagles rested their starters in Week 18.

    I talked ad nauseam about how great the Commanders’ rest of seeason schedule was for backs in my weekly fantasy football piece in-season. Rodriguez took advantage of defenses rolling over.

    Keep in mind that Rodriguez’s career profile looks pretty similar to Gus Edwards. Very strong yards per carry and yards after contact numbers (although Edwards had a much larger sample size).

    Rodriguez is a 26-year-old former sixth-round pick who split backfield touches with a rookie seventh-rounder and Jeremy McNichols. He wouldn’t have sniffed the field if Brian Robinson Jr. hadn’t been traded. Robinson is the definition of the “just a guy” running back archetype, and Rodriguez was his backup’s backup to start the offseason.

    Rodriguez also hurt his shoulder and groin last year, which is potentially problematic given his physical style of play.

    I think Coen’s love for Rodriguez will be present during the offseason coachspeak, and perhaps he does have an annoying role to open the year. But when push comes to shove, Rodriguez is the quintessential “dead-zone, plodder, empty calorie, early-down grinder” that coaches tend to move on from sooner rather than later.

    Outside of Etienne, every other offensive starter is returning in some capacity from last season. The offensive line remains fully intact for 2026.

    Defensively, as noted, they need cornerback help. Hence, the Hunter transition. Montaric Brown was re-signed for two years. Andrew Wingard and Devin Lloyd both left, but the Jaguars have some in-house options at those positions. Lloyd is coming off a career-year with five interceptions. Wingard seems more replaceable with Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray as capable free safety options.

    On the defensive line, the Jaguars’ run defense was No. 1 in the NFL in 2025. Clearly, there’s not much needed to bolster the defensive interior. Two of their top interior defenders will be free agents in 2027.

    I’d prioritize EDGE slightly over defensive tackle (pass-rush help from either the interior or outside). Arik Armstead is in the last year of his deal and will be 33 this season. According to PFF, Jacksonville’s defensive interior ranked second-lowest in pass-rush productivity (6.1) across the NFL, with Armstead producing the lowest PFF pass-rush grade of his career (63.1). The Jaguars were 27th in sacks in 2025.

    Buffalo Bills

    Team Needs: OG, DT, EDGE, S, LB, WR

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    OG David Edwards, EDGE A.J. Epenesa, CB Taron Johnson, CB Cam Lewis, S Darnell Savage, S Taylor Rapp

    2026 Free Agents:

    2027 Free Agents:

    Buffalo needed to target a wide receiver who could stretch the field and work the boundary/intermediate levels of the field. Adding DJ Moore makes a lot of sense. My full breakdown can be read here.

    We shall see if the team keeps Keon Coleman. If he remains on the roster, it’s a low bar for him to make an impact. Think Quentin Johnston in Year 3. Coaches expressed a lot of confidence in him during the offseason, and he delivered well below low expectations. But actions speak louder than words.

    Tight end Dalton Kincaid has not been reliable with his health despite being productive when on the field.

    Kincaid’s third season was plagued by more injuries, as he reportedly played through another torn PCL (for the second year in a row). But he remained super-efficient despite limited usage and playing time (46% route participation and just three games with a snap share above 50%).

    Kincaid caught 80% of his passes for 682 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns as the TE8 in fantasy points per game (9.6). His 2.7 YPRR led all tight ends and ranked third among all receivers. His 27% target rate per route run also ranked first at his position. If Kincaid stays healthy, he could leap into elite fantasy tight end territory at a fraction of the cost.

    Dawson Knox was inked to a new three-year deal to keep him in Buffalo until 2028. If Kincaid stays healthy, we still could see his role grow. Part of why he’s been a part-time player is that he is always playing through an injury. But the Knox return definitely pours cold water on a full-blown Kincaid TE1 SZN.

    Furthermore, on offense, O’Cyrus Torrence is in the last year of his rookie contract. Connor McGovern signed a four-year contract extension. Alec Anderson is projected as a starter at left guard (2027 free agent). Sedrick Van Pran-Granger also plays center, but could compete for that other guard spot.

    The biggest defensive need for the Bills every year always seems to be their run defense. Getting a healthy Ed Oliver back will be a major boost. But many of last year’s defensive linemen free agent signings were major flops. More EDGE presence will be needed if they don’t bring back either Joey Bosa, especially after losing A.J. Epenesa. They are excited about some players returning healthy in 2026, but how effective they will be after their injuries remains a big question mark.

    Buffalo made a big acquisition in free agency, signing Bradley Chubb after he was released from Miami.

    Also, I cannot overstate the major coaching change on defense under new coordinator Jim Leonhard. He was formerly the defensive pass game coordinator for the Broncos (2024-2025). Before coaching at Mile High, he was at Illinois (senior football analyst) and Wisconsin. He coached outside linebacker and 2026 NFL Draft prospect Gabe Jacas, a potential first-round pick.

    The Bills’ new defensive line coach was also at Illinois, and their new cornerbacks coach was at Oklahoma (2022-2025). There’s a surplus of former Sooners in this year’s draft, including R Mason Thomas, Gracen Halton and Deion Burks.

    The new Bills outside linebackers coach spent the last three years at Stanford. He overlapped with projected top-10 pick David Bailey before he transferred to Texas Tech in 2025.

    After moving on from Taron Johnson, the Bills replaced him with Dee Alford (projects to play nickel/slot). They also signed Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Geno Stone to one-year deals.

    Houston Texans

    Team Needs: OL, EDGE, LB, DT

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    DT Tim Settle, LB Christian Harris, LB Damone Clark, RT Tytus Howard, iOL Juice Scruggs

    2026 Free Agents:

    2027 Free Agents:

    Similar to the Chargers, we all know what the Houston Texans need to do this offseason: Improve the offensive line. Ripping it down to the studs last year did not result in positive results, specifically from a run-blocking perspective.

    However, the pass-blocking wasn’t too bad, depending on the source. Per PFF, Houston’s offensive line gave up 156 pressures, including 17 sacks, on 644 pass plays. As a result, the group posted an 86.6 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked fifth in the NFL. According to ESPN, the offensive line was tied with the Lions’ for the NFL’s second-worst pass block win rate (55.5%).

    General Manager Nick Caserio said at his opening NFL Combine press conference:

    “As it pertains to the offensive line, honestly, it’s probably one of the best years we’ve had since I’ve been here… Maybe I was watching different film.”

    I’m in the camp that it wasn’t a great offensive line (especially in the postseason). Caserio also mentioned being high on Jaylin Noel in Year 2. Tank Dell will also return for the start of the offseason program. Dalton Schultz signed on for another season.

    But last year’s starting right side of the line hit free agency (Trent Brown only played eight games). Brown signed a one-year deal to return to Houston. Ed Ingram also re-signed. The Texans also signed former Colts right tackle Braden Smith to a two-year deal. Tackles and center look set.

    They upgraded the interior offensive line by signing former Browns guard Wyatt Teller, inking him to a two-year deal worth $16 million. The rebuild in Houston looks pretty complete:

    Makes me think the betting market might be overvaluing Houston going offensive line with their first pick in the draft. That said, nobody would bat an eye if Houston drafts another offensive line piece, especially since Jake Andrews will be a free agent in 2027.

    Running back was/is a need (specifically in creating explosive plays). The team cut Joe Mixon. Nick Chubb is a free agent. And Woody Marks? I’m not sold he is a feature back after the Texans took him in the fourth round of last season. Houston traded for David Montgomery before the start of free agency, sending multiple draft picks and Juice Scruggs. Tytus Howard was also traded to the Cleveland Browns.

    Marks was one of the least efficient backs in football as a rookie, ranking in the bottom-10 in yards per carry (3.63), success rate, explosive runs and EPA per rush. He was last among backs in missed tackles forced per attempt. Marks was also the worst running back in fantasy points versus expected in 2025. And he was constantly leaving games with injury scares.

    The Texans boasted one of, if not the best, defenses in the NFL in 2025. So it’s hard to fill too many non-existent holes. Defensive tackle is an area they could use more juice. Adding Logan Hall helps address that issue. Sheldon Rankins was a free agent, but re-signed on a two-year contract.

    They suffered some injuries to their defensive interior in 2025 (Mario Edwards, Tim Settle) that made them vulnerable against the run as the season progressed.

    Linebacker and EDGE aren’t glaring 2026 needs, but they might be in 2027, given the current structure of the roster/contracts. E.J. Speed signed a two-year extension. But after him, they might run into off-ball linebacker contract issues. Projecting Houston to draft a linebacker with their first-round pick is an interesting bet to make at longer than 10-1 odds. A depth EDGE addition would also make some sense to build depth behind Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.

    Denver Broncos

    Team Needs: OG, DT, TE, LB

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    DE John Franklin-Myers, LB Dre Greenlaw, S P.J. Locke

    2026 Free Agents

    2027 Free Agents

    Veteran gamers know better than anybody to never take head coach Sean Payton at face value for fantasy football purposes. But we do know he loves to use running backs in the passing game. And technically, what he says about certain player usage actually holds less weight in 2026 compared to previous years, given he will no longer be calling plays.

    Davis Webb was promoted to offensive coordinator and will call plays. Two potential winners that make the most sense based on the switch? Evan Engram and Marvin Mims. Engram and Webb were former Giants teammates. And Mims — we all know — has suffered at the hands of Payton’s dreaded wide receiver rotations. If Webb decides he is too talented to come off the field, well, we are cooking with gas.

    Still, Payton can’t be left out entirely. He acknowledged Denver’s top needs at the NFL Scouting Combine: Running back, linebacker and tight end. Makes sense considering J.K. Dobbins, Adam Trautman and Alex Singleton were their top in-house free agents at those three positions. They also have players at these positions hitting free agency in 2027. But Denver navigated the offseason well, re-signing all three, along with Justin Strnad returning on a three-year contract.

    General Manager George Paton was adamant about bringing back his linebacker room. He also called RJ Harvey, a three-down back. I do think the Broncos will add somebody else to the backfield, but Harvey’s role as the primary pass-catcher should remain intact from his rookie year.

    The offensive line was arguably the best in the NFL last season, and everybody is returning for 2026. Left guard might be the one area they look to add more depth. Ben Powers was injured last season and is in the final year of his contract, and is a potential cut candidate, per The Athletic. The same goes for Matt Peart. Alex Palczewski signed a two-year deal.

    On defense, defensive ends John Franklin-Myers departed in free agency (Titans), so they might look to replace him in the NFL Draft because that’s really the extent of major losses for Denver, which spent most of the free agency period bringing back its own players.

    Eyioma Uwazurike might be gone as soon as 2027. Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian are also both entering contract years, but Denver drafted a cornerback in the first round last season.

    Denver’s roster is very well built and is in a window to “splurge,” given the cost-friendliness of Bo Nix still being on his rookie contract. They can and should swing for the fences on a plug-and-play piece to get them over the top. Paton mentioned there’s a possibility of adding more playmakers on offense.

    They did just that in the aftermath of free agency, using substantial draft capital to trade for Jaylen Waddle. Read our full breakdown on the trade.

    New England Patriots

    Team Needs: OT, EDGE, TE, WR, LB

    2026 Free Agent Key Losses:

    DT Khyiris Tonga, EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, S Jaylinn Hawkins, LT Vederian Lowe, LB Jack Gibbens, CB Alex Austin, WR Stefon Diggs, LB Jahlani Tavai

    2026 Free Agents

    2027 Free Agents

    Austin Hooper left in free agency. Hunter Henry will be a free agent at the end of the season at age 32. Wide receivers Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas will also need new contracts after the season.

    There’s a need for upgrades in New England at wide receiver and tight end, so I expect the Pats to make a move for a potential true alpha pass-catcher. A.J. Brown is the top player that comes to mind, but he wants to play in a warm city. DJ Moore could have been a decent fit, given that he played with Patriots passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, but he was dealt to Buffalo.

    Stefon Diggs was released before free agency. Don’t overlook tight end as a sneaky area of need. I’d be surprised if they didn’t draft one in a deep class.

    The Patriots were busy in free agency, signing Romeo Doubs and Julian Hill. Check out my full article on the Doubs signing.

    Will Campbell isn’t expected to kick inside to guard, so the Patriots won’t be adding another left tackle this offseason (at least not with high-end capital). However, they still need a long-term solution at right tackle, given Morgan Moses‘s age (35). Two of their backup tackles were free agents: Vederian Lowe and Thayer Munford. Lowe signed with the 49ers.

    De facto general manager Eliot Wolf stated at the combine that tackle is a need. He also mentioned off-ball linebacker as a draft target and improving overall wide receiver depth (more playmakers). The team cut Jahlani Tavai and signed K.J. Britt.

    Some additional interior depth across the offensive line also makes sense. Mike Onwenu is in the last year of his deal. Garrett Bradbury was traded to the Bears. If the Pats kick Jared Wilson inside to center to replace Bradbury, they will need a new left guard. They added Alijah Vera-Tucker in free agency, but he has been unreliable in staying healthy.

    On defense, the Pats did not bring back K’Lavon Chaisson after his 12-sack season. They will need more pass-rush juice. Mike Vrabel said in his opening press conference at the combine that they have met with a bunch of EDGE players in this year’s class. They signed Dre’Mont Jones to a three-year deal to help fill the void. Still, the need for more EDGE players is very apparent.

    Christian Barmore also has some ongoing legal issues, but the way his future was talked about compared to Diggs was much more in favor of the defensive tackle sticking around (he is two years into his four-year extension). New England also lost safety Jaylinn Hawkins, but he was replaced by Kevin Byard.

    If the Patriots don’t reinvent themselves this offseason, they will end up like the 2025 Washington Commanders. They won’t be as lucky when it comes to their schedule or positive injury luck, however, with the fewest total points lost by injury, per Sports Info Solutions.

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    Andrew Erickson

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    Andrew Erickson is a fantasy football analyst at FantasyPros. LFG.