Building the NFL’s perfect roster, from Bills QBs to 49ers linebackers

At the time of writing, there are 14 Sundays between us and a full Week 1 slate of games. Even better than that, there are just 60 days until the Hall of Fame Game and football being back on our television screens – hang in there, soldiers, we’re getting closer.

As we inch closer to the NFL season, we at SB Nation continue to forecast and predict what the next campaign will bring, and who the standout performers of the season could be. We’ve already built the worst 2026 team possible, so today, we assemble a team that would be borderline unstoppable.

Quarterback: Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen is the living, breathing essence of everything we once thought was impossible at the quarterback position. Never in the history of the sport has there been a quarterback that can do what he does. He has a release as quick as a coursing river, runs with all the force of a great typhoon, and has the heart of a raging fire. Unfortunately for the 2024 MVP and the Bills, their seemingly never-ending streak of bad luck in the playoffs is as mysterious as the dark side of the moon.

His five consecutive seasons of 40+ total touchdowns are an NFL record, and likely one that will never be touched. He ranks sixth all-time in rushing yards for a quarterback, and his 79 rushing scores are the most all-time for a quarterback. Since 2023, he is second in EPA per play amongst 42 quarterbacks to play at least 500 snaps, and his 121 total touchdowns in that span are the most in the league, with second place Jared Goff totaling 20 fewer scores.

Yes, this contradicts my top 40 quarterback list, was Patrick Mahomes still sits at No. 1, but he is coming off a torn ACL, and Allen has performed better than Mahomes over the last two seasons. Appreciate what Allen is doing – we’ll never see another player like him.

Honorable mention: Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams

Running backs: Detroit Lions

There isn’t a better all-around back in the NFL right now than Jahmyr Gibbs. Even in what would be considered a down year for No. 0 in Detroit, he netted over 1,200 yards on the ground and averaged over five yards per carry. Additionally, he was third among running backs in receptions (77) and receiving touchdowns (5).

Many will put the Falcons in this spot due to Bijan Robinson, and I certainly won’t sit here and say he would be a bad pick. That said, Gibbs had a slightly higher explosive play rate in 2025 while facing more defenders in the box, on average. Detroit adding Isaiah Pacheco as their No. 2 will be a great thunder to Gibbs’ lightning.

Honorable mention: Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins

Wide receivers: Cincinnati Bengals

Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have been the NFL’s top 1-2 punch at receiver for quite some time now – they just need their All-World quarterback to stay on the field. Last season, the two combined for over 50 percent of targets in the offense, with Chase hauling in 125 catches for 1,412 yards and Higgins posting 59 receptions for 846 yards. The two combined for 19 touchdowns, as well.

Beyond Chase and Higgins, though, Andrei Iosivas and Mitch Tinsley are reliable No. 3 and No. 4 options, respectively, at the position, adding a combined 41 catches and four scores to the room.

Honorable mention: Los Angeles Rams

Tight ends: Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride did ridiculous things in 2025. It’s a shame that it came with the Arizona Cardinals, though, as their games are this close to becoming Tubi exclusives.

McBride had a total EPA of 106.27, which was over 35 points higher than second-place Hunter Henry (min. 100 routes run). He finished with over 1,200 receiving yards when no one else at the position reached 1,000, and his 11 touchdowns were tied for the most among tight ends. Don’t sleep on Elijah Higgins as Arizona’s No. 2, as he added 30 catches behind McBride.

Honorable mention: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers

Offensive line: Chicago Bears

The matter in which the Bears went about fixing a bad offensive line was admirable and it worked to perfection. They traded for both Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, both of whom were terrific in 2025. Right tackle Darnell Wright also emerged as one of the best at his position. Overall, the Bears had two All-Pros (Thuney and Wright) and center Drew Dalman was a Pro Bowler before surprisingly retiring after last season. Even without Dalman, the Bears’ offensive line is a terrific one.

Honorable mention: Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons

Defensive line: Denver Broncos

Zach Allen is such a force multiplier and may very well be the best defensive lineman in football today. His 32 quarterback knockdowns were by far the most in the NFL last season, and his 50 pressures generated led all interior defensive linemen. Plus, he knocked down six passes, which was second in the NFL. Veteran D.J. Jones is still playing at a high level, as well, as he finished the year with 27 defensive stops (PFF’s stat for tackles that constitute a failure for the offense), which was tied for seventh in the league.

Honorable mention: New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks

Edge rushers: Los Angeles Rams

You could make a strong argument the Houston Texans have a better edge rusher duo in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, but building the best possible team without Myles Garrett would be like assembling the Justice League and deciding that Batman can be left alone in Gotham. Garrett is like if Cyborg and Martian Man Hunter had a love child, the likes of which are unknown to this galaxy or another. Byron Young is also no slouch, posting 12.5 sacks and 40 pressures. The 93 combined pressures between he and Garrett are the most of any duo entering the 2026 season.

Honorable mention: Houston Texans

Linebackers: San Francisco 49ers

Fred Warner remains the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by a respectable margin. Before being lost for the season with an ankle injury, he was on pace for 45 defensive stops and 136 tackles. Getting him back in the middle of the defense, and pairing him once again with Dre Greenlaw will give San Francisco the top corps in the league when it comes to patrolling the middle of the field.

Honorable mention: Philadelphia Eagles

Secondary: Houston Texans

It’s hard to find a better cornerback duo in the league right now than Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter. The duo combined for eight interceptions in 2025 with neither corner allowing more than 56 percent completions when targeted.

On top of Stingley and Lassiter, Jalen Pitre also added four interceptions and has an argument as being the top nickel cornerback in the league. Safety Calen Bullock had four picks, as well, and only allowed 22 receptions on 50 targets in which he was the nearest defender, per Next Gen Stats. There’s a reason the Texans allowed the fewest yards in the NFL – they are absolutely loaded at all three levels.

Honorable mention: Denver Broncos, New England Patriots