NFL power rankings 2026: Seahawks, Chiefs & Bears bump up; Eagles, 49ers slide in post-draft edition originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 NFL Draft is the latest mile-marker of the league's long offseason journey. After free agency, another part of the puzzle has been revealed for all 32 teams to know who'll be better or worse from the 2025 season.
Looking at first-rounders and draft classes as a whole, there is some impact to consider that will slide a team a few spots up or down going into the OTA and minicamp with spring becoming summer soon:
NFL DRAFT 2026:Team-by-team grades | Pick-by-pick analysis | Overreactions
The Seahawks have reloaded at positions they lost in free agency with first-round running back Jadarian Price, along with Bud Clark and Julian Neal for the defensive backfield. Much is intact for Mike Macdonald with the challenge of keeping up the effective, balanced offense vibe without Klint Kubiak.
The Rams perhaps thought they were OK wasting some draft picks with quarterback Ty Simpson and tight end Max Klare representing two of their strongest positions. At least they did their work before flipping the weakness at cornerback big-time with former Chiefs Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
The Chiefs had to be in reloading mode to get back right to the playoffs and push for the AFC champions. The answers with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo most in mind were cornerback Mansoor Delane to replace McDuffie and Peter Woods to help Chris Jones. Don't sleep on running back Emmett Johnson, a well-balanced, quick option, being a big factor supporting Kenneth Walker III.
The Bills made their splashy trade for former Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore and had limited draft capital like the Rams. They were smart to turn attention to defense for new coordinator Jim Leonhard, as both edge rusher T.J. Parker and cornerback Davison Igbinosun can have an immediate impact vs. the pass.
The Ravens got a needed interior line upgraded with Olaivavega Ioane and then went to work on reloading the pass rush and receiving corps. Baltimore maintains its new-look buzz under defensive-minded coach Jesse Minter and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
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The Patriots prioritized offensive line well with Caleb Lomu and then added an upside pass rusher in Gabe Jacas. New England already has a strong foundation to contend for another NFC title with Drake Maye, and now the challenge lies off the field with Mike Vrabel.
The Bears have a loaded offense led by Caleb Williams and they got a few versatile weapons later for Ben Johnson. But safety Dillion Thieneman and offensive lineman Logan Jones were good picks
The Eagles have made it clear they are ready to move A.J. Brown with the trade-up drafting of Makai Lemon. They also shrank their draft capital by taking a shot on Jonathan Greenard. They need a lot from their current core in a new offense to get back to battling for the NFC title.
The 49ers opted out of the first round but did make sure to get wide receiver help in De'Zhaun Stribling and a needed edge rusher, Romello Height. They need some supporting pieces to fall into place for coach Kyle Shanahan and improve overall health to take back the NFC West.
The Chargers made the right tweaks for their defensive and offensive scheme changes under Jim Harbaugh with pass rusher Akheem Mesidor, interior offensive lineman Jake Slaughter and speedy wide receiver Brenen Thompson.
The Broncos did OK with some defensive picks without a first-rounder, but after using their first-round pick to get Jaylen Waddle, they did well to further support their offensive skill with running back Jonah Coleman and tight end Justin Joly.
MORE: Ty Simpson, Max Iheanachor headline worst value picks in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Packers didn't have a first-rounder after dealing for Micah Parsons but still went defensive-minded for Jonathan Gannon with cornerback Brandon Cisse, tackle Chris McClellan and edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. Those reinforcements will pay off to keep them strong, minus Jeff Hafley.
The Jaguars didn't have a first-rounder, either, and they were stuck drafting for depth with a so-so draft class. Jacksonville will be more about doing what they did in Liam Coen's rookie season better overall.
The Lions did right by their offensive line by getting Blake Miller for left tackle help and also gave Aidan Hutchinson some pass-rush boost with end Derrick Moore. Detroit is positioned well for a playoff rebound in the NFC.