Dustin Baker's post-draft NFL power rankings for 2026 show Minnesota in the middle tier after recent draft and free agency moves. The rankings come as rookie minicamps begin across the country.
Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The NFL Draft is in the rearview by two weeks, a couple of free agents have signed here and there, and rookie minicamps are blooming around the country. That means itâs time for power rankings, courtesy of VikingsTerritory.
The draft and free agency reshuffled the league, but Minnesota still lands in the middle tier.
Weâll publish one more batch before Week 1, but hereâs our pecking order in May.
Whoâs your No. 1?

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) walks off the field after a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sep. 15, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Harrison quickly became one of the NFLâs most closely watched young receivers because of his polished route-running and immediate offensive impact. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.
The key takeaways include Minnesota's placement in the middle tier and the impact of the recent draft and free agency on team rankings.
The NFL Draft reshuffled the league, influencing team strengths and weaknesses as reflected in the updated power rankings.
The next batch of NFL power rankings is expected to be published before Week 1 of the season.
The specific top contenders are not detailed, but the rankings provide an overall pecking order based on recent team changes.

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Heading into a regular season with Jacoby Brissett and Carson Beck as proposed quarterback solutions is wild â and screams âWe want Arch Manning, please.â
Heading into a regular season with hasnât-been-good-since-2020 Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green as proposed quarterback solutions is wild â and screams âWe want Arch Manning, please.â
The roster talent is there, but Aaron Glenn just overhauled his entire coaching staff. In the end, we donât trust the Jets to be any different than last year. Geno Smith as the fix-all is lunacy.
The Dolphinsâ roster just doesnât have the firepower to hang with its peers. Not yet, anyway. Go look at the wide receivers here. The group could be the Minnesota Vikingsâ practice squad, and thatâs not an exaggeration.
The Raiders will stabilize, mainly because Klint Kubiak has the mind to be an effective head coach. It just wonât happen as soon as 2026, especially when Las Vegas will play Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Denver six times.
The Titans have the perk of living in a division that isnât gangbusters. But Cam Ward quietly had worse efficiency metrics than J.J. McCarthy in 2025, and nobody cared. This feels like a year where the Titans go 6-11, and thatâs considered a step forward.
Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa will split starts, which has all the makings of a 7-10 finish.
This may be too low; weâll admit it. But we have to see Tyler Shough turn the corner into a stable QB1 to believe it. Thankfully, the Saints finally removed themselves from salary cap hell.
The Colts started the season hot, but when they faced serious opponents in 2025, they began losing. We believe the true Colts identity came to light last December â not September.

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn (8) stands on the field during first-quarter action on Jan. 7, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Horn later emerged as one of the NFLâs most respected young defensive backs when healthy, showcasing physical coverage skills and versatility in Carolinaâs secondary. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports.
Carolina reached the postseason in 2025. Its defense ranked 22nd in the NFL per DVOA. Our perception is that the Panthers were lucky to wiggle into the postseason.
Mike McCarthy will make sure these boys will finish 9-8. Is that good? Thatâs up to Steelers fans to decide.
If Dart develops in Year No. 2, the Giants can finish 10-7 and reach the playoffs. Versus the Vikings, though, he played an imbecile, and we just canât shake that lasting memory.
If Jayden Daniels stays healthy, this will be a 9-8 club at worst. Somehow, Dan Quinn coached the NFLâs fifth-worst defense in 2025. Thatâs scary, and it keeps them out of the Top 15 of power rankings.
Another one thatâs probably too low â the Buccaneers have the perk of an âeasyâ division, where each team is about the same caliber. Theyâll be 8-9, 9-8, or 10-7, and keep their current status: not a serious Super Bowl contender.
In 2022, we watched as the Vikings won nearly every close game, convincing the fan base that they were a âteam of destiny.â The 2025 Bears did the same thing. Like Minnesota in 2023, Chicagoâs close-game luck will return to this solar system, and the Bears will finish in last place in the NFC North at 8-9 or so.
Itâs all about the defense, baby. Every year, folks wonder if the defense will catch up to the offense and if Joe Burrow will stay healthy. Here we are again.
The Vikings finished 2025 with a winning record, despite the NFLâs fifth-worst quarterback performance per EPA/Play. Now, they have Kyler Murray. With Brian Floresâs No. 3-ranked defense, Murray and the Vikings will finish the season with an 11-6 or 12-5 record.
If the Packers didnât have Micah Parsons, Minnesota would leapfrog them in these power rankings. It remains mind-boggling that of all 31 NFL teams Jerry Jones couldâve shipped Parsons, it just had to be the Packers.
The Patriots had a strength-of-schedule oddity that analysts will study for years. A book may be written about it. New England will face the real world in 2026 without a cakewalk schedule.
Speaking of Jerry Jones, he rebuilt the defense in a single offseason. Dallas will reach the postseason.
Weâre still not on board with Bo Nix as a franchise quarterback. At some point, not being able to drive the ball downfield will mean something. The rest of the team is in great shape, though.
Trusting Jim Harbaugh is wise, but one must ask if it will ever net a Super Bowl. Is Justin Herbert cut out for that? He seems to have eternal Matthew Stafford-like sympathy around the league.
Jacksonvilleâs defense ranked sixth-best in the NFL last year per DVOA, and Trevor Lawrence is figuring it out in real-time. Look out.

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) waves to fans after a 34-27 victory over the New York Giants on Nov. 23, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Hutchinson continued building his reputation as one of the NFLâs premier young edge rushers during Detroitâs successful 2025 campaign. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
The Lionsâ roster is too complete for another crummy season. Their Super Bowl window closed the day they coughed up the NFC Championship to the San Francisco 49ers, but Detroit will win the NFC North with a 12-5 record and lose in Round 1 or 2.
This teamâs defense is deadly. Utterly deadly. If C.J. Stroud does not rebound, DeMeco Ryans can toss Davis Mills in the lineup, and the Texans will still finish 11-6.
Youâre going to find out that Kansas Cityâs woes in 2025 were a one-year pause. The dynasty can resume. There is no rule against it.
Like the Lions, the Ravensâ roster is wonderful. Just in case Lamar Jackson suffers a Cam Newton-like slowdown â the abrupt kind â Baltimore must try to win it all this year.
The 49ers added Mike Evans, Osa Odighizuwa, and Christian Kirk this offseason. That will matter. 12-5 at worst.
This is usually about the time on the Nick Sirianni lunar cycle when the Eagles start winning, and the weird strife behind the scenes vanishes. Howie Rosemanâs roster construction keeps Philadelphia in the Top 4.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, 2026, at Leviâs Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Darnold completed one of the NFLâs most surprising turnaround stories by guiding Seattle to a championship victory. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Tip of the cap to Sam Darnold for winning the Super Bowl and making the Vikings look like damn buffoons. Now, he has to stay consistent year by year to prove his staying power as a Top 12 quarterback.
Is this the year?
There isnât a single aspect of the Ramsâ roster, coaching staff â or anything â to dislike. They have everything. They could even get away with reaching for a rookie quarterback (Ty Simpson) just for kicks and giggles.