AFC Offseason Grades & Playoff Paths for Five Contenders

NFL offseason grades for every AFC team, plus five contenders that have a brutal path to the playoffs

Here's everything you need to know about the NFL for May 21

By John Breech

May 21, 2026 at 12:59 pm ET • 14 min read

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Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

The end of May can sometimes be a quiet time in the NFL , but not this year. In the past 24 hours alone, we've had Aaron Rodgers announce that he's going to retire after the 2026 season, and we also had Joe Burrow make a bold Super Bowl prediction. You have to love the AFC North.

We also had new Browns coach Todd Monken ripping his quarterbacks for throwing interceptions during 7-on-7, a drill in which the quarterback faces zero pass rush. Welcome to Browns' football, Todd.

Speaking of the AFC North, we'll be handing out offseason grades today for every team in that division and every team in the AFC. Pete Prisco will also regrade the entire 2023 draft, which is always exciting.

As always, here's your reminder to tell all your friends to  sign up for the newsletter . It makes the perfect graduation gift and that's mostly because it's free. Alright, let's get to the rundown.

1. NFL offseason grades for all 16 AFC teams

From free agency to trades to the draft, it's been a busy offseason around the NFL, and now, it's time to grade every team in the AFC based on how they did.

We put Tyler Sullivan in charge of handing out the grades, and here's what he came up with for four different teams (one from each division):

AFC EAST: Jets -- A

- Notable additions : EDGE David Bailey , WR Omar Cooper Jr. , QB Geno Smith , TE Kenyon Sadiq , LB Demario Dabis, S Minkah Fitzpatrick , DT T'Vondre Sweat , OL Dylan Parham - Notable departures : QB Justin Fields , IOL Alijah Vera-Tucker , LB Quincy Williams , EDGE Jermaine Johnson II

Tyler's takeaway: The Jets still need a quarterback, but they are building well around the position as they keep their eyes open for a signal-caller of the future.

AFC NORTH: Steelers -- C+

- Notable additions : WR Michael Pittman Jr., OT Max Iheanachor , WR Germie Bernard , QB Drew Allar , S Jaquan Brisker , CB Jamel Dean - Notable departures : IOL Isaac Seumalo , RB Kenneth Gainwell

Tyler's takeaway: This was teetering with an F, depending on what transpired with Aaron Rodgers. After waiting all offseason for his decision, had the veteran quarterback retired or decided to pursue another opportunity in the league, this would've been an unmitigated disaster for Pittsburgh. However, Rodgers and the Steelers did come to terms on a one-year deal, reuniting with former Packers coach Mike McCarthy.

AFC South: Jaguars -- D

- Notable additions : TE Nate Boerkircher , DT Albert Regis , RB Chris Rodriguez Jr . - Notable departures : RB Travis Etienne Jr., LB Devin Lloyd

Tyler's takeaway:  So, what did the Jaguars actually do this offseason? If anything, they saw talent walk out the door and didn't do much to replenish the holes they left behind.

AFC West: Raiders -- A

- Notable additions : QB Fernando Mendoza , QB Kirk Cousins , C Tyler Linderbaum , IOL Spencer Burford , WR Jalen Nailor , OLB Kwity Paye , LB Quay Walker , LB Nakobe Dean , S Treydan Stukes , EDGE Keyron Crawford , CB Jermod McCoy - Notable departures : QB Geno Smith, OL Dylan Parham

Tyler's takeaway:  This has been a home run offseason for the Raiders. At the top, they hired Klint Kubiak as head coach, who has been one of the league's top offensive minds over the last few seasons and is fresh off a Super Bowl title as OC of the Seahawks . Moreover, they signed Tyler Linderbaum to a free agent deal that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL, ensuring Mendoza has protection up the middle. They also made solid additions in free agency, albeit on a lower scale than Linderbaum, ranging from adding Nailor to the receiver room and both Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean at linebacker. Even the roll of the dice on Tennessee corner Jermod McCoy in the fourth round was savvy, as he's a first-round talent and fell simply due to injury concerns.

Sullivan graded ALL 16 AFC teams, and if you want to see the other 12 grades,  Tyler has those here .

2. Re-grading the 2023 NFL Draft: Cowboys one of three teams to get an 'F'

The only thing better than handing out offseason grades is regrading some grades that we've already handed out, and that's exactly what Pete Prisco did today. Prisco went back and regraded the 2023 NFL Draft .

This is actually a fascinating exercise, and that's mainly for two reasons: For one, Prisco now has three years' worth of film on each player, so he can determine whether a team's draft class turned out to be good or bad. Also, we get to see how good (or bad) Prisco's original grade was for each team when he handed it out on the night of the 2023 draft.

Prisco clearly was not a fan of the 2023 draft, as 11 teams graded out with a 'D' or worse in his updated grades.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the only teams that earned an 'A+' and the only teams that got an 'F.'

Highest regrades

- Seahawks new grade: A+. They had 10 picks in this draft, including two in the first round, and three are starters and the first five have all started games. The first-round picks were corner Devon Witherspoon and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba , both superstar players. Second-round edge Derick Hall has started and is rotational piece of the defense. Second-round running back Zach Charbonnet was a big part of their offense before getting hurt late last season. Fourth-round guard Anthony Bradford is a starter, even if he isn't a good one. They also got some backups in this draft who are still with the team. Prisco's 2023 grade: B+ - Rams new grade: A+. They had 14 picks in the draft and five of them are starters with the best of them being fifth-round receiver Puka Nacua . He has proven to be a star and a steal. They also got starters in guard Steve Avila (second), defensive linemen Byron Young and Kobie Turner in the third and right tackle Warren McClendon in the fifth. Backup tight end Davis Allen also came in the fifth. Backup quarterback Stetson Bennett came in the fourth. Prisco's 2023 grade: B

There were a total of six teams that earned at least an 'A,' but the Seahawks and Rams were the only two that got bumped up to an 'A+.'

Lowest regrades

- Cowboys new grade: F. They took defensive tackle Mazi Smith with their first-round pick and he busted and was traded to the Jets. Second-round tight end Luke Schoonmaker is a backup. Third-round linebacker DeMarvion Overshown was a big hit before he tore up his knee in 2024. He was back last year, but wasn't quite the same. He is still a starter. None of their remaining five picks is still on the roster. Prisco's 2023 grade: A - Commanders new grade: F. They had seven picks in the draft and only one has a real chance to be a starter this year. That's second-round safety Quan Martin , who has 37 starts but even he has been just OK. First-round corner Emmanuel Forbes flopped and was let go in November 2024. He's now with the Rams and started some last season. The only other hit was on running back Chris Rodriguez in the sixth and he signed as a free agent in Jacksonville in March. Prisco's 2023 grade: B+ - Raiders new grade: F. They used the seventh-overall pick on defensive end Tyree Wilson , who was a major flop. So much so they traded him to the Saints last month for essentially a fifth-round pick. Tight end Michael Mayer came in the second. He's a solid player, but not special. Third-round pick Byron Young was cut two years ago. The best pick might be receiver Tre Tucker in the third. He had 57 catches and five touchdowns last season. Prisco's 2023 grade: B+

As you can see, Prisco essentially whiffed on all three of these drafts. He gave all three teams here a 'B+' or better on draft night, but after watching those draft picks play for three years, all of these teams have been downgraded to an 'F.'

If you're wondering who else failed or how the other 27 teams graded out, you're going to want to click here to check out Prisco's full story .

3. Five NFL contenders that have a brutal path to the playoffs in 2026

It's been one week since the NFL schedule came out, and now that we've had seven days to pick through it, we've got some new scheduling stories coming your way, and that starts today. Zach Pereles decided to take a look at a few playoff contenders who could be kept out of the postseason this year due to their brutal schedule.

Let's check out two of the teams on his list:

- Patriots . You may have heard about the Patriots' historically difficult start to the season, but in case you haven't, here's Weeks 1-4: at Seahawks Steelers at Jaguars at Bills The .721 combined opponent win percentage is the hardest four-game start in 40 years. The first three of those opponents were division winners last year, and the fourth has Josh Allen . Yikes! - Chargers . The schedule makers did the Chargers a disservice when it comes to rest. Jim Harbaugh's team will have a rest disadvantage in seven games this season. ... Oh, and let's not forget that the Broncos -- who were in the AFC Championship last year -- and the Chiefs , with a healthy Patrick Mahomes are divisional opponents. Even the Raiders should be improved this year, considering it's nearly impossible for them to be worse than they were last year.

Zach made a list of five playoff contenders who could be in trouble this year, and you can check out his full story here .

4. Teams that will likely need a QB in the 2027 NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft was an ugly one for quarterbacks. There were only two taken in the first round -- Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson -- and there's a chance that we won't see either of them start a game this season.

Although the class of 2026 was weak at quarterback, next year's class should be better. According to one of our mock drafts here at CBS Sports , we could see three quarterbacks -- Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Jayden Maiava -- get taken with the top three picks.

Since there could be some serious QB talent available next season, Carter Bahns decided to take a look at the teams that will likely be in need of a quarterback when the draft rolls around next April.

- Browns. If Deshaun Watson revitalizes his career following a season lost to a torn Achilles, or if one of Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel takes the next step, this will be a respectable team. That's a major "if," however. Another year of mediocre quarterbacking likely leaves Cleveland at the bottom of the AFC North and searching for a franchise quarterback inside the top 10 yet again. - Jets. Considering the Jets were one of four teams to win just three games last season, it would not take much for them to slip behind their counterparts, finish 2026 with the league's worst record and grab the No. 1 pick. Aaron Glenn is already on hot-seat watch, and a sour start to the year should be enough to prompt the franchise to fully embrace tank mode and a full refresh for 2027. - Falcons . If Michael Penix is healthy enough to play Week 1, it would make sense for the Falcons to give him one more chance to prove he was worth a first-round pick. If not, there is a world in which Tua Tagovailoa plays so well early in the year that he never relinquishes the job. Both have extensive injury histories, and neither has won at a high level lately, so it may simply be safer for the Falcons to draft another option next April regardless of what happens.

Carter made a list of SEVEN teams that could be looking to add a QB in the draft next April, and you can see that full list here .

5. Aaron Rodgers set to retire after the 2026 season: Three things to know from his decision

If you want to see Aaron Rodgers play in the NFL, this year will be your final chance to do it. During a press conference on Wednesday, the four-time MVP revealed that this will definitely be his final season. The

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-offseason-grades-playoff-contenders-brutal-postseason-paths/)._