2026 NFL offseason power players: Ranking the 26 people who will shape free agency, draft

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Super Bowl LX is nearly here — but the 2026 offseason is already underway for 30 of the league’s 32 teams, and several big moves have shaped the NFL landscape. We figures to be in for a busy few months after 10 teams made head-coaching changes, while half a dozen teams are currently projected to sit $60 million or more under the salary cap.

Free agency is just around the corner, with the window officially open at 4 p.m. ET on March 11. The 2026 NFL Draft follows about six weeks later. And there should be some household names floating around, especially at quarterback, where some longtime fixtures might be on the move.

With that in mind, here’s a special edition of The Power Rankings — the 26 people who might most impact the ’26 offseason.

If there’s a free agent whose eventual contract could surprise some people this offseason, it might be Pierce. There are a few bigger-name players available at the receiver position, but the 2022 second-rounder has positioned himself to cash in by logging his first 1,000-yard season and topping the 20-yards-per-reception threshold in each of the past two seasons. That follows the general trend of his career, in which he’s seemingly improved his game a notch each year in the pros. Any team seeking a big-bodied vertical threat or more downfield weaponry will surely need to pony up for Pierce, who figures to have several potential suitors — and he could be worth splurging on.

Downs is not an elite physical specimen, and he might not end up being taken within the first five picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, as safety tends to be a lower-priority position for teams in April. That said, Downs is also the type of high-IQ defender who could change a unit significantly. His instincts are rare, and the NFL is craving back-line defenders who can impact games. Downs fits that profile, and if he slips a little in the draft, he could end up going to a club that is closer to playoff contention than the higher-drafting squads. Don’t be shocked if he proves to be among the more NFL-ready prospects from Day 1.

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