2026 NFL Predictions: Last-Place Team in Every Division — SkimNews
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- Miami Dolphins are projected to finish last in the AFC East while carrying an NFL-record $181.6 million dead salary cap hit in 2026 from the releases of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Bradley Chubb plus the trades of Jaylen Waddle and Minkah Fitzpatrick, with the team stockpiling rookies for a 2027 push.
- Cleveland Browns are picked last in the AFC North after the article noted that Deshaun Watson has played only 19 games across four Cleveland seasons, never thrown for 300 yards in any of them, and ranked 41st of 42 qualifying quarterbacks in yards per attempt (6.0) from 2022-2024.
- Las Vegas Raiders are predicted to finish last in the AFC West despite holding the No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who may sit behind Kirk Cousins behind a "questionable offensive front line" while the Chiefs (adding Kenneth Walker III), Broncos, and Chargers all improved this offseason.
- Washington Commanders are projected last in the NFC East after left tackle Laremy Tunsil could miss the entire season with a torn triceps, and Jayden Daniels — the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year — missed 10 games in 2025 with knee, hamstring, and elbow injuries; CBS Sports' Zach Pereles said Washington "didn't even belong on the same field" as the Ravens in a late-August joint practice.
- Minnesota Vikings are forecast last in the NFC North despite signing two-time Pro Bowler Kyler Murray, who the article reports missed 30 of 68 possible games from 2022-2025 and posted a career-low 227.0 total yards per game across his five 2025 appearances.
- Atlanta Falcons are pegged for last in the NFC South as pass rushers Jalon Walker (torn ACL in camp) and James Pearce Jr. (eight-game suspension for a domestic dispute) will both be out for extended stretches; Tua Tagovailoa, fresh off a 15-INT 2025 in Miami, essentially lost the QB competition to Michael Penix Jr. (recovering from his third torn ACL).
- Arizona Cardinals are picked last in the NFC West, a division featuring defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, NFC runner-up Rams, and divisional-round 49ers; the Cardinals won just one of Jacoby Brissett's 12 starts in 2025 under new head coach Mike LaFleur.
Why it matters: Eight divergent front-office decisions — from the Dolphins' record $181.6 million dead-cap teardown to the Cardinals' hiring of a new head coach — leave each projected cellar-dweller structurally exposed against division rivals who either got better or simply weren't as damaged. With multiple projected last-place teams anchored by either aging or injured quarterbacks (Watson, Murray, Tagovailoa, Daniels), the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 draft could be unusually wide open.
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