ESPN Ranks best rosters for 2026

[TheRainMaker]

Pats make a big jump from 2025, but I think they are rated too low here. However, there is a team that for some reason keeps being ranked really high.....for absolutely no reason. That team is the Bills. They are projected to have the 4th best roster in the NFL. Chubb was a nice addition, but he's not going to scare OC's. Eagles are way too high. Lions and Ravens are too high as well.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49231555/2026-nfl-roster-ranking-starting-lineups-projection-32-teams

 

[mgteich]

Pats make a big jump from 2025, but I think they are rated too low here. However, there is a team that for some reason keeps being ranked really high.....for absolutely no reason. That team is the Bills. They are projected to have the 4th best roster in the NFL. Chubb was a nice addition, but he's not going to scare OC's. Eagles are way too high. Lions and Ravens are too high as well.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49231555/2026-nfl-roster-ranking-starting-lineups-projection-32-teams

Might I suggest that there is only one group who considers BUF other than the best team in the AFC. That group is pats fans. especially those who post on message boards.

BUF is the heavy favorites as best in the division and conference among bettors and among the media.

I think that being judged the 7th best team in the NFL is approximately fair. We are likely to make the playoffs, even if we don't win the division, and we are closer to BUF than most think, IF AND ONLY IF Drake is improved, the OL is greatly improved and Landry is healthy (or someone else steps up).

 

[TheRainMaker]

Might I suggest that there is only one group who considers BUF other than the best team in the AFC. That group is pats fans. especially those who post on message boards.

BUF is the heavy favorites as best in the division and conference among bettors and among the media.

I think that being judged the 7th best team in the NFL is approximately fair. We are likely to make the playoffs, even if we don't win the division, and we are closer to BUF than most think, IF AND ONLY IF Drake is improved, the OL is greatly improved and Landry is healthy (or someone else steps up).

Buffalo is better than NE at QB, RB and OL.

It's a wash at Edge. NE beats them everywhere else and it's not even close.

 

[Triumph]

Buffalo is better than NE at QB, RB and OL.

It's a wash at Edge. NE beats them everywhere else and it's not even close.

DJ Moore is going to blow up in Buffalo this season.

 

[Wozzy]

Might I suggest that there is only one group who considers BUF other than the best team in the AFC. That group is pats fans. especially those who post on message boards.

BUF is the heavy favorites as best in the division and conference among bettors and among the media.

I think that being judged the 7th best team in the NFL is approximately fair. We are likely to make the playoffs, even if we don't win the division, and we are closer to BUF than most think, IF AND ONLY IF Drake is improved, the OL is greatly improved and Landry is healthy (or someone else steps up).

The media and even Vegas thought Buffalo was better last season… they weren’t.

I wonder where NE was on this same list at this point last year. Middle of the pack… worse?

Lists are dumb.

 

[JoeSixPat]

ESPN and the betting sites are going to pick the Bills as the AFC East favorites just because of Josh Allen - though outside of that I wouldn't rank their roster that high.

They're right about the importance of Gilliam, but they've misinterpreted his stats, noting that Buffalo had more rushing yards when he was off the field than when he was on.

Someone needs to explain to ESPN that Gilliam's role is to help the RB get short yardage when they absolutely NEED short yardage.

And yet he STILL had them up near their average of 4.9 ypc

Even if it's just 4.4 ypc here that's a huge improvement over last season's 3.1 ypc - and that doesn't even count the many plays we saw where they just needed a half yard to keep the chains moving or punch it in to the goal line. He's going to be a difference maker.

I could even see Josh having him line up at TE if depth becomes an issue and the need for a blocker - and that of course opens up the possibility that he'll get a few thrown his way too when Ds are not expecting it.

Add to that, I expect he'll also be contributing on ST packages as I wouldn't want to be a kick returner looking him down. Mack Hollins was my "y'all are gonna love this guy" pick last year and Gilliam is my pick for that role this season

 

[JoeSixPat]

Interesting that ESPN still has Boutte as a starter, which I guess they have to assume - though he is the 3rd best WR on the roster now so I don't doubt they keep him - it's the biggest contract year of his rookie season and he has an incentive to play for a FA contract

That being said, I'd still think he's a potential swap for an Edge which would be better than trading him for a 3rd day pick

They're not fully wrong about the uncertainties on the OL - there's a lot of "IF"s that we need to acknowledge, but no reason they can't play to their abilities which on the surface is pretty good.

I'm less worried about health of the old guys than I am about how Wilson plays at Center. He didn't impress me at LG so I don't have a huge reason to expect him to impress me in the anchor position of the line.

I think Campbell NOT having to play next to Wilson this season will improve his performance, and very premature to be thinking in terms of Lomu taking over at LT, even though he'll get snaps in camp there as he should, because backup LT is a need.

 

[Ring 6]

Interesting that ESPN still has Boutte as a starter, which I guess they have to assume - though he is the 3rd best WR on the roster now so I don't doubt they keep him - it's the biggest contract year of his rookie season and he has an incentive to play for a FA contract

That being said, I'd still think he's a potential swap for an Edge which would be better than trading him for a 3rd day pick

They're not fully wrong about the uncertainties on the OL - there's a lot of "IF"s that we need to acknowledge, but no reason they can't play to their abilities which on the surface is pretty good.

I'm less worried about health of the old guys than I am about how Wilson plays at Center. He didn't impress me at LG so I don't have a huge reason to expect him to impress me in the anchor position of the line.

I think Campbell NOT having to play next to Wilson this season will improve his performance, and very premature to be thinking in terms of Lomu taking over at LT, even though he'll get snaps in camp there as he should, because backup LT is a need.

We need 3 WRs in our base offense. We shouldn’t dump one of our best 3

 

[Ring 6]

Buffalo is better than NE at QB, RB and OL.

It's a wash at Edge. NE beats them everywhere else and it's not even close.

Not sure i agree about QB other than doing it longer. Not sure I agree at RB but it’s not a big difference. Buff had a better OL in 2025 but I’m not sure they will in 2026.

 

[Ring 6]

Might I suggest that there is only one group who considers BUF other than the best team in the AFC. That group is pats fans. especially those who post on message boards.

BUF is the heavy favorites as best in the division and conference among bettors and among the media.

I think that being judged the 7th best team in the NFL is approximately fair. We are likely to make the playoffs, even if we don't win the division, and we are closer to BUF than most think, IF AND ONLY IF Drake is improved, the OL is greatly improved and Landry is healthy (or someone else steps up).

You mean the team that won 12 games, got a wild card, and lost in the divisional round is assumed to be better than the one in the same division that won 14, won the division and made it to the SB? And no one bit biased fans doesn’t understand that?
We were better than Buffalo last year, and that hasn’t changed

 

[Give Kraft A Hand]

Buffalo is better than NE at QB, RB and OL.

It's a wash at Edge. NE beats them everywhere else and it's not even close.

I mean the Pats are also better than Buffalo at getting to the Super Bowl.

 

[captain stone]

Pats make a big jump from 2025, but I think they are rated too low here. However, there is a team that for some reason keeps being ranked really high.....for absolutely no reason. That team is the Bills. They are projected to have the 4th best roster in the NFL. Chubb was a nice addition, but he's not going to scare OC's. Eagles are way too high. Lions and Ravens are too high as well.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49231555/2026-nfl-roster-ranking-starting-lineups-projection-32-teams

The 4-letter network's also doing a position-a-day top 10... They finish at the end of next week; but it's not looking good so far for the 7th-ranked roster in the NFL according to them: Gonzo at CB & Milton Williams at DT; but hardly a mention at OT, C/G, RB, TE & ED...

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49306202/top-10-nfl-players-every-position-2026-jeremy-fowler-best-quarterbacks-running-backs-wide-receivers

 

[TheRainMaker]

but hardly a mention at OT, C/G, RB, TE & ED...

That shouldn't be surprising. No team is going to have top 10 players at every position. Pats are weak at OL and Edge. TE is solid but unspectacular. Henderson has super star potential, but isn't there yet.

That said, the Pats lead the Bills with top 10 players 2-1. I expect the Bills to only have one more and that's Allen. Pats should have Maye and Brown. Byard may get in their at S. If it goes as planned, the Pats will win that battle 5-2.

 

[DarrylS]

Rodney Harrison may have played the disrespect card here and called this "Bulletin Board Material".
While 7 is decent, it's not what last years AFC champ deserved.

 

[Real fan 02]

That shouldn't be surprising. No team is going to have top 10 players at every position. Pats are weak at OL and Edge. TE is solid but unspectacular. Henderson has super star potential, but isn't there yet.

That said, the Pats lead the Bills with top 10 players 2-1. I expect the Bills to only have one more and that's Allen. Pats should have Maye and Brown. Byard may get in their at S. If it goes as planned, the Pats will win that battle 5-2.

It's going to take at least another season to really wash off the 4-13 stench of past seasons for the haters to really believe. It's a perfect potion for this season as a whole.. as Guys like Drake and Milt are already talking about being disrespected. Is why you'll keep seeing me make mention about just how important week 1 is for this team. It's not often superbowl match ups get to square off in week 1s.

Another season Under Josh and having a better understanding of the game will have helped Henderson immensely. His talents are undeniable. Health is the only detriment to hold this team back IMO.

 

[Triumph]

Might I suggest that there is only one group who considers BUF other than the best team in the AFC. That group is pats fans. especially those who post on message boards.

BUF is the heavy favorites as best in the division and conference among bettors and among the media.

I think that being judged the 7th best team in the NFL is approximately fair. We are likely to make the playoffs, even if we don't win the division, and we are closer to BUF than most think, IF AND ONLY IF Drake is improved, the OL is greatly improved and Landry is healthy (or someone else steps up).

HC has been holding the Bills back.

Rumor is that McDermott wanted to draft Keon Coleman who has been nothing but a headache.

 

[PatsFan2]

Pats make a big jump from 2025, but I think they are rated too low here. However, there is a team that for some reason keeps being ranked really high.....for absolutely no reason. That team is the Bills. They are projected to have the 4th best roster in the NFL. Chubb was a nice addition, but he's not going to scare OC's. Eagles are way too high. Lions and Ravens are too high as well.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49231555/2026-nfl-roster-ranking-starting-lineups-projection-32-teams

His sacks in Miami were so quiet; I don't remember a game changing or meaningful one.

 

[Thelonious]

The roster is still too thin for so high a rating. Given even average attrition by injury and the usual quotient of busts and disappointments, I think right smack dab in the middle is about right - mid-teens. I expect the record to be somewhat better than that, based on coaching and on Drake potential for growth, but any success above the mean will not be the result of the roster: A wild card team needing one more year of draft-and-develop rebuilding, unless we choose again to make the mistake of snatching at such shiny objects as dead-end "proven" receivers, in which case it may take two more years to complete the dregs-to-glory plot line.

I know: we were in the SB last year (even though we weren't really in the game): ain't we lucky?

 

[PatsFan2]

Buffalo is better than NE at QB, RB and OL.

It's a wash at Edge. NE beats them everywhere else and it's not even close.

I would say they're also better @ TE and Slot Receiver; When Healthy Kincaid is a beast...Moore is going to be very good with Allen. WR Skyler Bell was a Great pick for them in the Fourth arrrrgh!

 

[PatsFan2]

That shouldn't be surprising. No team is going to have top 10 players at every position. Pats are weak at OL and Edge. TE is solid but unspectacular. Henderson has super star potential, but isn't there yet.

That said, the Pats lead the Bills with top 10 players 2-1. I expect the Bills to only have one more and that's Allen. Pats should have Maye and Brown. Byard may get in their at S. If it goes as planned, the Pats will win that battle 5-2.

TE H Henry in particular Solid against inferior Defenses and sucks against really good ones. Not the mention his ugly drops in key situations...we need to upgrade him.