NFL's most improved position groups that can swing the season, from Rams' CBs to Patriots' pass catchers and more

An improved position group — and not just an outright offensive or defensive (or special teams! ) unit — can help drive a team to the top. These improvements can pave the road to a Super Bowl championship, or at the very least keep the road smoother than it would have been otherwise.

Turning a weakness into a strength, or even into just something resembling average, can swing a season. Not giving opponents, especially playoff opponents, an advantage to pick at and hyperfixate on keeps a season alive and sometimes is the main reason for winning a football game. (Think of the Seahawks’ offensive line from 2024 to 2025, going from travesty to something resembling average as the season wore on.

) Let’s look at some of the moves, some big, some small, that can help swing the 2026 season. We’ll start with one of the biggest moves of the offseason. Rams cornerbacks Chris Shula’s defense can maximize oddball personnel The Rams sent their 2026 first-round pick for Trent McDuffie and then double dipped on former Chiefs cornerbacks when they signed Jaylen Watson in free agency.

Los Angeles has made the most out of its oddball personnel under defensive coordinator Chris Shula, constantly blitzing and dropping defenders, moving players before and after the snap, and inverting roles in an attempt to confuse quarterbacks. Play 2026 Soccer Pick 'Em with FOX One and make your picks for the world's biggest soccer tournament Shula’s Rams blitz at a healthy clip, majoring in zone blitzes that attempt to trap the quarterback into making a bad decision after getting heated up. They also use simulated and creeper pressures at a high rate — defensive calls that “blitz” an off-ball defender but still only using four pass rushers because of another defender dropping from the line of scrimmage.