2026 NFL season: Ranking the best, worst positional groups - ESPN

When analyzing NFL rosters, it's important to keep relativity in mind. It's easy to say a team is in «good shape» or «loaded» at a particular position, but each unit is only as good as it is relative to the league's 31 other teams.

That might seem like common sense, but you would be surprised by what you can learn sitting down and objectively grading and/or ranking each positional unit of all 32 teams. This is a project I've done each offseason, which has led to many interesting revelations, including the likely breakouts of teams such as the 2020 Buccaneers, 2022 Eagles and 2023 Dolphins.

Here are position-by-position unit rankings for all 32 teams this season covering the 10 key offensive and defensive groups. At the bottom, I've included an overall ranking weighted based on positional importance (for example, it's more crucial to be elite at quarterback than at running back). I also gave brief outlooks on the best and shakiest units at each position, as well as intriguing groups worth keeping an eye on. Note that these are 2026 rankings rather than long-term outlooks.

Let's take a look, starting at quarterback.

Jump to:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL
DT | Edge | LB | CB | S
Overall outlook