In the 2026 offseason, seven NFL teams completely revamped the top trio of their respective coaching staffs -- hiring a new head coach and offensive and defensive coordinators. This means that, in many cases, they'll have entirely new schemes and approaches on one or both sides of the ball.
As the 2026 NFL Draft draws near, we have a unique opportunity to look at these seven new regimes and how their plans for the season inform their draft decisions. What follows is an extensive look at what to expect from each team, according to Next Gen Stats (available on NFL Pro) and the newly added NFL IQ hub.
NOTE: NFL Network and NFL+ will have live coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23-25.
- Head coach: Klint Kubiak (former Seahawks OC)
- Offensive coordinator: Andrew Janocko (former Seahawks QBs coach)
- Defensive coordinator: Rob Leonard (former Raiders D-line coach)
The team hired new HC Klint Kubiak and OC Andrew Janocko out of Seattle and promoted Rob Leonard to replace Patrick Graham at DC. Theoretically, the defensive scheme won’t change much -- though, whether Maxx Crosby is still on the roster at the end of April remains to be seen. But the offense may be unrecognizable after a dismal year under Pete Carroll, Chip Kelly (fired in November) and Greg Olson (interim OC after Kelly's firing), especially with Geno Smith's departure and Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza a near-lock to be the Raiders' draft pick at No. 1 overall.
Kubiak’s offense in Seattle operated heavily through new highest-paid wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and his NFL-high 35.8% target share. Kubiak's unit also averaged a hefty 8.3 air yards per attempt in 2025. The Raiders did not have a single receiver with a target share over 20% and their 6.6 air yards per attempt were second-fewest in the NFL. Seattle also used multiple running backs at the sixth-highest rate in the league last year (24.8%), and the new Raiders' regime underscored that tendency by signing FB Connor Heyward in free agency. Additionally, Kubiak’s offense featured outside runs at the fifth-highest rate in 2025, so you can expect to see last year's top-10 pick, Ashton Jeanty, outside the tackles more often in 2026.
Best of all, focusing on the defense in free agency has freed up GM John Spytek and Co. to pepper the offense in the draft. Starting in the trenches, the return of left tackle Kolton Miller and the acquisition of center Tyler Linderbaum will be massive, but additional upgrades at the guard spots and right tackle should be a priority. Additionally, the Raiders should look for a receiver capable of commanding WR1 target volume alongside tight end Brock Bowers, while Tre Tucker and free-agent pickup Jalen Nailor stretch the field. They likely would have been in position to snag one with the Ravens’ first-round pick before the Crosby trade fell apart, and while they could still target a WR on Day 2, don’t be shocked if they find another suitor for the star pass rusher to bring in an extra Day 1 pick.
- Head coach: Robert Saleh (former 49ers DC)
- Offensive coordinator: Brian Daboll (former Giants HC)
- Defensive coordinator: Gus Bradley (former 49ers assistant HC of defense)
The Titans won six total games over the two seasons following Mike Vrabel’s departure, so the regime refresh should come as no surprise. For starters, Brian Daboll’s game plan tends to morph to the personnel at hand, leading to mixed historical data. In 2025, for example, the Giants logged the sixth-highest air yards per attempt (8.7) in the NFL, while throwing deep at the fifth-highest rate (12%). Yet, in Daboll’s previous three seasons in New York, his unit averaged the second-fewest AY/A (6.9) and threw deep at the third-lowest rate (7.7%). Despite Cam Ward’s storied arm talent, the Titans ranked in the bottom 10 of both categories last season. I expect that, among other things, to change under Daboll.
As for the defense, the most basic and obvious shift will be the one from Dennard Wilson's 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 scheme under Robert Saleh and Gus Bradley. Incredibly, recent acquisitions Jermaine Johnson II, John Franklin-Myers, Solomon Thomas, Jordan Elliott and Jake Martin have all played in Saleh’s 4-3 front in previous years, so the line is now well established. Tennessee could look to bolster the safety and linebacker positions in the draft, but there are more pressing offensive needs.
The team is now frequently linked to Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 4 overall, which would make him the first RB drafted in the top five since Saquon Barkley, whom Daboll featured in New York in 2022 and '23. Whether the Titans land Love or not, they should also prioritize finding a legitimate WR1 in the first two rounds, since no one on the current depth chart meets that criteria. We saw what Daboll and Stefon Diggs did for Josh Allen in his third season with Buffalo. Tennessee brass could draw up a similar blueprint for Ward heading into Year 2.
- Head coach: John Harbaugh (former Ravens HC)
- Offensive coordinator: Matt Nagy (former Chiefs OC)
- Defensive coordinator: Dennard Wilson (former Titans DC)
This isn’t the first time Dennard Wilson has replaced Shane Bowen -- he also did so in Tennessee back in 2024. The biggest tendency changes from that shift were that Wilson implemented fewer light boxes and less dime personnel after Bowen’s defense used both at extremely high rates in 2023. Last season, both of the Titans and Giants defenses hinged heavily on a disruptive defensive tackle in a 3-4 front -- Jeffery Simmons and Dexter Lawrence, respectively -- so Wilson won’t have to change much in that respect. And while New York did make a couple major signings in LB Tremaine Edmunds and CB Greg Newsome II, they are more replacements than additions, considering the departures of Bobby Okereke and Cordale Flott.
On offense, expect to see less 11 personnel under new management. John Harbaugh’s Ravens used it the least of any team in the league in each of the last two seasons, and Nagy frequently featured multiple tight ends with the Chiefs. The signings of former Ravens TE Isaiah Likely and FB Patrick Ricard were both obvious hints at Big Blue shifting toward two-TE and/or two-RB sets. Also, Nagy’s Chiefs and Harbaugh’s Ravens ranked second and third in extended dropback rate over the past three seasons. In these schemes, for both the crucial Harbaugh run game and the preservation of Jaxson Dart, the front office will need to prioritize the offensive line in April.
With the context of these new identities, following their moves in free agency and considering the strength of their defensive line, I expect the Giants to focus on the second and third levels of the defense and the interior of the offensive line in the draft. That suggests New York could select LB Sonny Styles or safety Caleb Downs at fifth overall, followed by some mix of DB and IOL on Day 2 and beyond. And just to cover our slightly spicier bases: Even with Cam Skattebo’s breakout as a rookie, it wouldn't be out of the question for New York to land Jeremiyah Love at fifth overall to be the focal point of a run-first offense.
- Head coach: Todd Monken (former Ravens OC)
- Offensive coordinator: Travis Switzer (former Ravens run game coordinator)
- Defensive coordinator: Mike Rutenberg (former Falcons def. pass game coordinator)
New head coach Todd Monken was the OC in Baltimore the last three seasons, and new OC Travis Switzer had been on the Ravens staff since 2017. Since 2023, the Ravens’ run action rate of 60% (combined rate of called run plays and play-action dropbacks) was second-highest in the NFL, and they used multiple running backs at a top-four rate in that span. Baltimore also ranked extremely high in average time to throw (3.01 seconds, third-highest in NFL), air yards per attempt (8.7, first) and explosive pass rate (19.1%, first) during Monken’s tenure. All exciting (and largely new) concepts for Cleveland if it can field the protection and pass-catching personnel to unlock them.
The defense is harder to project -- as Mike Rutenberg is a first-time DC from a diverse tree -- but everyone in Cleveland has repeated the sentiment that the scheme is unlikely to change much in 2026. Reasonable, considering the recent success and established talent of players like two-time Defensive Player of the year Myles Garrett, 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger and Pro Bowler Denzel Ward.
Despite the ongoing need for a long-term answer under center, it’s unlikely Cleveland will select another QB prospect early this time around, so we’ll turn our attention elsewhere on the offense. This team needs star power and downfield talent at wide receiver -- Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and Isaiah Bond aren’t enough. And while Cleveland implemented a heavy reset across the offensive line through the first week of free agency, that work isn't finished. By my account, the Browns should spend the No. 6 overall pick on their favorite wideout and tackle the offensive line (pun intended) at No. 24 and on the ensuing days. Check out Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft, where he has the Browns selecting Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate at sixth and Utah OT Caleb Lomu at 24th overall.
- Head coach: Jeff Hafley (former Packers DC)
- Offensive coordinator: Bobby Slowik (former Dolphins pass game coordinator)
- Defensive coordinator: Sean Duggan (former Packers LBs coach)
The Dolphins might have one of the most intriguing, revealing and wide-open draft strategies this April after a major exodus to start the new league year, the signing of unique QB Malik Willis and the accumulation of an NFL-high seven picks in the top 100. Overseeing the reset will be former Packers Jeff Hafley and Sean Duggan on defense and leaf-off-the-Shanahan-tree Bobby Slowik on offense. That trio will be working with a roster that's without numerous star players, including Tyreek Hill (released), Jaylen Waddle (traded to Denver), Bradley Chubb (Buffalo) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (traded to the Jets), among others.
On defense, expect a shift from Anthony Weaver’s aggressive scheme to a more zone-heavy outfit under Hafley and Duggan. The 2025 Dolphins primarily used a 3-4 front and blitzed at the sixth-highest rate (32.9%) in the NFL, while Green Bay featured a 4-3 front and blitzed at the seventh-lowest rate (23%). Hafley’s Packers also used man coverage at the fourth-lowest rate (18.6%) and cloud coverage at the third-highest rate (33.9%) in 2025. It’s a scheme that requires fast, athletic, rangy linebackers and safeties.
The offensive plan is a little murkier. Slowik’s tendencies over two years calling plays in Houston and another coordinating Miami’s passing game have been somewhat fluid. Neither he nor really any Shanahan disciple has had a quarterback with Willis’ run-first skill set. And outside of running back De'Von Achane, the skill-position group is sparse, to say the least. Slowik's offense is often predicated on precise route-runners, in-breaking routes and yards after the catch, so after shipping out Waddle, Miami will need to refill across the board.
What can we expect in the draft? How about all of the above. New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and Co. have two first-round picks (Nos. 11 and 30) and five more on Day 2. They’ll likely prioritize some combination of defensive back, edge rusher, interior offensive lineman and talented pass catcher, and head into 2026 with a very young, very green roster.
- Head coach: Jesse Minter (former Chargers DC)
- Offensive coordinator: Declan Doyle (former Bears OC)
- Defensive coordinator: Anthony Weaver (former Dolphins DC)
New head coach Jesse Minter was a defensive assistant in Baltimore in 2017-20, but the defense he ran in Los Angeles followed notably different tendencies. During his four-year stint in Baltimore, the Ravens logged the highest blitz rate and played zone coverage at the fifth-lowest rate in the NFL. Over his two seasons as DC for the Chargers, they blitzed at a bottom-10 rate and played the second-most zone coverage in the league -- though their 46.8% pressure rate when blitzing was third-highest in that span. New DC Anthony Weaver’s Dolphins also used a high rate of zone, and both L.A. and Miami used split safeties with very high frequency, as well. Ultimately, you can anticipate the 2026 Ravens looking a little less aggressive overall; expect them to adjust their game plan and approach effectively when needed.
As for the offense, Minter hired Declan Doyle after his single season as OC under Ben Johnson in Chicago, leaving us without much history to inform our expectations. It’s worth noting that Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are not Caleb Williams and D'Andre Swift, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Baltimore continue to operate largely as it did under Todd Monken to avoid unproductive change. On the flip side, much of Monken’s offense was predicated on the use of multiple running backs and/or tight ends, yet the Ravens lost FB Patrick Ricard and tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar in free agency. The middle of their offensive line also needs addressing after three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum signed with Las Vegas.
More than any other franchise on this list, we’re likely to learn the most about the new Ravens regime from its moves in the draft. If Baltimore focuses on the interior of the offensive line, picks up a Day 2 tight end and even adds a fullback in the later rounds, we can expect Doyle to hold the status quo for the offensive scheme. Alternatively, the Ravens could draft an “X” wide receiver -- Daniel Jeremiah has mocked them Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson at 14th overall -- and then focus on filling out the defense alongside new signee Trey Hendrickson and mainstays Kyle Hamilton and Nate Wiggins.
- Head coach: Mike McCarthy (former Cowboys HC)
- Offensive coordinator: Brian Angelichio (former Vikings TEs coach/pass game coordinator)
- Defensive coordinator: Patrick Graham (former Raiders DC)
Mike McCarthy will reportedly call the plays in Pittsburgh, so we can look to his schematic background rather than first-time OC Brian Angelichio’s. McCarthy’s recent schemes have heavily utilized shotgun and wide formations. Pittsburgh was a little above average in both categories last year, possibly as a side effect of having McCarthy’s former QB, Aaron Rodgers, whose pending decision for 2026 will likely have a significant impact on how the offense looks in McCarthy's first year. No matter who’s under center, you can expect the Steelers to hold the ball longer than Rodgers’ league-low 2.59-second time to throw in 2025, and we’ll also likely see fewer multiple-TE sets, as former OC Arthur Smith was incredibly attached to the personnel, while McCarthy has not historically been.
As for the defense, Patrick Graham will coordinate T.J. Watt and Co. after four years leading Maxx Crosby and Co. in Las Vegas. Graham has fewer standout tendencies and largely tailored his schemes to the strengths of his players. In Pittsburgh, that means unlocking Watt to wreak havoc as often as possible. The Steelers have already filled out the defense in free agency and will ideally continue to maintain a high turnover rate (Pittsburgh leads the NFL with 1.7 takeaways per game since 2023), while affecting the quarterback early. Their 16.8% quick QB pressure rate is fifth-highest over that span.
Whether or not Rodgers returns, Pittsburgh will likely look to add a quarterback in the draft. Alabama’s Ty Simpson, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier or Miami’s Carson Beck (Chad Reuter’s mock pick at 85th overall) could all be considerations. The Steelers also need to upgrade the offensive line to unlock more time in the pocket, especially after the departure of LG Isaac Seumalo. And with the likely shift to wider formations and more 11 personnel, they may want to find a legitimate third wideout to complement DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman. NFL IQ's mock draft aggregator identifies wide receiver as Pittsburgh's most selected position and connects it to players such as Denzel Boston, Makai Lemon, and KC Concepcion in the first round.
