As the calendar turns to May, NFL teams begin to shift how they operate. Instead of being hyper-focused on roster construction, their efforts now primarily move toward building a foundation with the players and coaches they have in-house for the 2026 regular season.
With the main waves of free agency and the NFL Draft now behind them, major acquisitions will be few and far between, and what we see when we look at these rosters is largely what we'll get come September. So, who improved the most this offseason?
Every year, a few franchises carry the momentum of a strong offseason and catapult themselves not only into playoff contention but into legitimate Super Bowl contention. Take last year's New England Patriots, for example. They finished dead last in their division the previous year, but thanks to savvy additions, a new head coach and their young quarterback ascending in Year 2, they found themselves playing in Super Bowl LX.
Now, we're going to sift through all 32 teams and identify clubs that could find themselves on a similar trajectory in 2026.
Before we get started, however, let's go over a few ground rules. First, the teams we discuss must have missed the playoffs in 2025. To avoid simply looking at teams like the Ravens and Chiefs, we're also making it a bit more challenging with our second rule: These teams must have current odds of +2000 or longer to win Super Bowl LXI on DraftKings. Fair enough?
Alright, let's highlight five teams that have thrust themselves into the Super Bowl conversation thanks, in part, to their moves in free agency and the NFL Draft.
Notable offseason additions: DT Dexter Lawrence, DT Jonathan Allen, EDGE Boye Mafe, S Bryan Cook, EDGE Cashius Howell (R)
Cincinnati already has the bones of a Super Bowl contender, with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins headlining the offense. They slip just under our guidelines, however, because that pesky defense -- coupled with poor injury luck -- has kept them from reaching their full potential in the Burrow era.
And when I say "pesky" defense, I mean downright bad.
They became the first team in NFL history to allow 27 or more points and 350 or more total yards in eight straight games within a season. They also were the first team since the 1966 Giants to lose consecutive games despite scoring 38 or more points.
Fortunately for Burrow and Bengals fans alike, the front office made it a point to address those deficiencies this offseason. In free agency, Cincinnati signed defensive end Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million deal, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $28 million contract and safety Bryan Cook to a three-year, $40.25 million deal. The Bengals didn't stop there. Armed with the No. 10 overall pick, they traded the selection to the New York Giants to acquire All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
When you factor in Day 2 draft additions like Texas A&M pass rusher Cashius Howell and Washington cornerback Tacario Davis, Cincinnati has effectively overhauled that side of the ball. And if 2025 first-round edge rusher Shemar Stewart takes a step forward in his sophomore season, they'll really be cooking with gas.
The front office made the necessary investments on defense, and if this unit can climb from the basement to even league average, that could be enough for Cincinnati to emerge from the AFC with Burrow and Co. leading the way.
Notable offseason additions: LB Dee Winters, CB Cobie Durant, S Jalen Thompson, EDGE Rashan Gary, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, S Caleb Downs (R), EDGE Malachi Lawrence (R)
The Cowboys have spent the past two seasons on the outside looking in at the playoffs. Similar to what we just discussed with Cincinnati, the blame largely falls on the shoulders of the defense, which was abysmal in 2025.
Dallas allowed the most points per game (30.1) and the most passing yards per game (251.5) in the NFL last season. In the nine games Dallas surrendered 30 or more points, the club went just 2-6-1. All of that came despite an offense that scored 27.7 points per game, the seventh-most in the league.
Given those defensive struggles, the bulk of Jerry Jones' offseason efforts centered on improving that side of the ball. Perhaps the most notable addition came when star Ohio State safety Caleb Downs slid outside the top 10, prompting Dallas to trade up to No. 11 overall to land him.
Downs has the talent to become the face of Dallas' defense for years to come, which is a welcome sight for a unit that surrendered a league-high 4,276 passing yards in 2025. His arrival further raises the ceiling of the safety room after Dallas signed former Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $36 million contract in free agency.
Meanwhile, Dallas used the No. 23 overall pick on edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, continuing its effort to rebuild the front seven. During draft weekend, the Cowboys also traded for veteran linebacker Dee Winters, who could wear the green dot for new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. In March, Dallas also acquired Rashan Gary, adding yet another new face to the defense.
All of these changes should elevate the defense to a more respectable level. If Downs and Lawrence pop in Year 1, Dallas could surprise people and finally fulfill its fan base's annual proclamation that this is actually "the year."