2026 NFL Roster Rankings: Josh Allen and Ja'Marr Chase Lead Top Units

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen leads the 2026 NFL roster rankings after a 2024 MVP season where he topped all QBs in rushing touchdowns.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen enters the 2026 season as the top-ranked signal-caller after securing the 2024 NFL MVP award. Allen has maintained a QBR within the top seven for six consecutive years, finishing third or better in four of those campaigns. Over the last three seasons, he has recorded 41 rushing touchdowns, a mark surpassed only by running back Derrick Henry’s 44 scores. Allen also led all quarterbacks in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns during the most recent season. Conversely, the Arizona Cardinals face the shakiest outlook at the position following Kyler Murray's departure. Week 1 starter Jacoby Brissett finished 24th among 28 qualified passers with a 41.2 QBR last year, despite totaling 3,366 passing yards and 23 touchdowns across 12 starts.

Offensive Skill Position Leaders

In the backfield, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor holds the top ranking after leading the NFL with 323 carries and 18 touchdowns in 2025. Taylor finished third in the league with 1,585 rushing yards and established career highs in targets, catches, and receiving yards. The Jacksonville Jaguars occupy the bottom tier at the position, relying on a committee of Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen Jr., and Chris Rodriguez Jr. Tuten was limited to 83 carries as a rookie, while Rodriguez has only six career receptions despite a 4.6 yards-per-carry average.

Cincinnati boasts the premier wide receiver duo in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. In 2024, Chase set a league record with 1,700 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in one season; he followed that by becoming the third receiver ever to post multiple seasons of 120 catches and 1,400 yards. Higgins has caught 21 touchdowns over the last two years, ranking fourth in the NFL. The Miami Dolphins have the shakiest receiver room after losing Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, now relying on rookies Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas, both third-round selections.

At tight end, Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders leads the rankings. As a rookie in 2024, he recorded 112 receptions for 1,194 yards. Despite missing five games in 2025, Bowers still caught seven touchdowns, ranking in the top 10 at the position. The Dolphins struggle here as well, starting 26-year-old Greg Dulcich, who has just 67 career receptions.

Trench Warfare and Defensive Fronts

The Denver Broncos possess the top-ranked offensive line, having led the NFL in pass block and run block win rates in 2024. The unit returns all five starters—Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, and Mike McGlinchey—for a third straight year. The Houston Texans rank last in this category after finishing 2025 with a league-low 68.4% run block win rate and a 30th-ranked 55.5% pass block win rate.

Defensively, the Seattle Seahawks interior line remains elite, allowing a league-low 17.2 points per game last season. Leonard Williams has produced 18.0 sacks over two years, while Byron Murphy II recorded 7.0 sacks in 2025. The Pittsburgh Steelers lead the edge rusher rankings for the second year in a row. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith anchor a unit that helped Pittsburgh reach 48 sacks last season. Nick Herbig added a career-high 7.5 sacks with a 24.7% pass rush win rate since 2021, trailing only Micah Parsons.

Secondary and Linebacker Outlooks

Demario Davis leads the New York Jets' top-ranked linebacker group after recording 143 tackles last season, marking his ninth consecutive year with over 100 tackles. His teammate Jamien Sherwood has 308 tackles over the past two seasons. The Indianapolis Colts rank shakiest here after finishing 30th in pass rush win rate at 29.1%.

In the secondary, Houston’s Derek Stingley Jr. leads all cornerbacks with 46 passes defensed and 14 interceptions over the last three years. Kamari Lassiter added 17 passes defensed last season, ranking sixth in the league. The Baltimore Ravens hold the best safety unit, led by Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton topped all safeties in pass-rush attempts last year and finished in the top 10 for tackles and passes defensed. He is joined by Malaki Starks and Jaylinn Hawkins, both of whom played over 950 snaps in 2025. The Miami Dolphins have the shakiest safety room, featuring Dante Trader Jr., who had 48 tackles in a situational role last season.