Fatal Flaw That Could Keep NFL Contenders From Winning Super Bowl After 2026 NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL draft was the last real opportunity teams had to make sweeping improvements. While clubs can still explore costly trades to fill holes before training camp, most are going to go into the upcoming season with the players they currently have on their rosters.

While the draft didn't drastically shift the shortlist of serious Super Bowl contenders, it did help some Lombardi Trophy hopefuls smooth over rough patches and plug the last lingering voids with premium prospects. Others missed their opportunity to do so, and now must enter the 2026 campaign hoping for major improvements from their incumbent starters or a breakout performance from one of their unheralded depth options.

With that in mind, here's a look at one fatal flaw some of the top Super Bowl contenders still have after the draft.

Baltimore Ravens: Center

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One of the biggest issues the Baltimore Ravens will have to overcome at the start of new head coach Jesse Minter's tenure is attrition in the offensive trenches. The unit lost its anchor in the middle after Tyler Linderbaum—a Pro Bowler in each of the last three seasons—was poached by the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.

Linderbaum's contributions to this rush-heavy offense were immense. He was one of the most dynamic run blockers in the league, and while he wasn't as consistent in pass protection, he flashed the ability to stonewall interior rushes and still has the potential to become far more consistent in that area.

Baltimore has several candidates to fill the void at center, but none profile as a seamless replacement for Linderbaum. The most natural fits are 2024 undrafted free agent Corey Bullock and bargain-bin pickup Jovaughn Gwyn, but these centers have fewer than 25 offensive snaps combined across their five collective seasons in the league.

The Ravens could opt to slide one of their guards into the middle of the o-line, with veteran Andrew Vorhees making the most sense from the current crop of candidates on the roster.

Although the 6'6", 320-pounder is taller than most centers, Vorhees' short arms and protection woes have held him back from becoming anything more than average starter at his current position. Moving him to center could be Baltimore's best chance at finding stability in the offensive trenches.

Baltimore still has time to bring in a free-agent center, but the veteran options still lingering on the open market are underwhelming at best and won't come close to matching Linderbaum's efforts.

There's a real danger that the position becomes both a revolving door and turnstile in 2026, preventing the Ravens from reaching their potential and keeping them out of the Super Bowl hunt.

Houston Texans: Quarterback

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The Houston Texans had a strong 2025 campaign, winning 12 games and emerging as a Super Bowl threat heading into the postseason. The team's vaunted defense—which held foes to an average of just 277.2 yards and 17.4 points per game during the regular season—largely did its job during the playoffs, but the offense cratered when it mattered most.

The main issue that plagued Houston during its two-game playoff run was quarterback C.J. Stroud.

While Stroud looked to be a franchise centerpiece after earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023 and went on to win playoff games in back-to-back years to open his career, he hasn't been trending in the right direction. Stroud regressed as a sophomore and didn't show any significant improvements last year before his playoff meltdown sunk Houston's chances of winning its first Super Bowl.

The Texans still managed to dispatch a middling Pittsburgh Steelers squad in the Wild Card round by a 30-6 margin despite Stroud's erratic throws, questionable decision-making and three turnovers, but those issues only grew worse the following week in a winnable game against the New England Patriots.

The Pats exposed the 24-year-old's mechanical and mental flaws in that Divisional clash, limiting Stroud to a meager 20 completions on 47 attempts, 212 passing yards and one touchdown while intercepting him on four occasions.

It should be quite telling that the Texans, a team with a history of quickly issuing long-term extensions to its homegrown stars, has thus far declined to extend Stroud. Despite agreeing with Will Anderson Jr.—the player who went one pick after Stroud near the top of the 2023 draft—on a record-setting three-year, $150 million deal, the Texans appear content to wait and see if Stroud can recover from his playoff collapse.

While the gamble could backfire and cause Houston to pay far more to retain Stroud if he re-emerges as one of the league's best signal-callers, it could also save the franchise from a costly mistake. If Stroud remains broken and can't elevate the Texans to a Super Bowl level, it could be best for both parties to split once his rookie deal expires after the 2027 campaign.

Kansas City Chiefs: Wide Receiver

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The Kansas City Chiefs managed to win a pair of Super Bowls without a clear superstar in the receiving corps, but the team's inability to draft and develop an elite talent at the position is becoming a real problem.

The unit was abysmal across the board in 2025, with none of the team's new or established players finding much success in what became the first season without a playoff berth in the Patrick Mahomes era.

Rashee Rice has been and remains the team's best wideout, but even he struggled last year. After returning from a six-game suspension, Rice only managed to catch 53 balls for 571 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. He fumbled twice, was credited for five drops and posted career-lows in yards per receptions (10.8) and catch rate (67.9 percent).

Xavier Worthy was expected to have a breakout year but failed to reach his ceiling, reeling in just 42 receptions for 532 yards in 14 contests. Considering Worthy found paydirt nine times as a rookie (six through the air and three on the ground), it was concerning that the 2024 first-rounder mustered a single score all of last season.

Tyquan Thornton found new life in Kansas City following his release from the New England Patriots, but the 2022 second-round pick still hasn't come close to realizing his potential. His 19/438/3 receiving line was a career-best, but far from the type of production the Chiefs need to get back to winning Super Bowls.

Kansas City will need these three incumbents to step up and play far better, as their is little talent of note behind them on the depth chart. 2025 fourth-rounder Jalen Royals had just two catches across his entire first season, while rookie fifth-round pick Cyrus Allen is undersized and may struggle against the bigger, stronger defenders he'll come up against at the NFL level.

With Mahomes coming off a serious knee injury that could limit his mobility and penchant for extending plays and making off-schedule throws, the Chiefs have to see drastic WR improvement if they to keep their dynastical run going.

Los Angeles Rams: Age

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The Los Angeles Rams won a Super Bowl to open the Matt Stafford era and seemed to want to bookend that championship with another to close it. The team had consistently gone all-in to field the best possible lineup around the future Hall of Fame quarterback at the expense of its future, trading away picks for proven players.

That philosophy changed during the 2026 NFL draft. Rather than take the usual "f—them picks" approach that general manager Les Snead has used to craft L.A.'s veteran-laden rosters in recent years, the Rams decided to look ahead to 2027 and beyond by using one of their rare first-round picks on quarterback Ty Simpson.

While the Rams may have secured their future with Simpson, they passed on a chance to improve their 2026 outlook in the process.

The team could have brought in one of several projected instant-impact talents when it was on the clock at No. 13 overall, with elite prospects such as edge rusher Reuben Bain Jr., wideout KC Concepion and offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane—three players who rated in the top-15 of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's final big board—all still available at the time.

It was clear that the Rams needed an heir apparent to develop behind Stafford, but it's tough to argue that this was the right time to find one. Simpson wasn't given a Round 1 grade by many experts (the B/R Scouting Department had him rated as the No. 44 overall prospect) and next year's quarterback class is expected to be far deeper and more talented.

L.A. still has a chance to make another run in wake of their 12-5 regular season showing last year, but the club came up short of a Super Bowl trip in three consecutive playoff trips and doesn't seem to have done enough to dethrone the reigning champs and bitter NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks.

Given the Rams have one of the oldest rosters in the league right now, it would have made far more sense to onboard a first-rounder who could have immediately helped the team get younger, faster and more athletic.

San Francisco 49ers: Offensive Line

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The San Francisco 49ers' offensive system is built on dominating the line of scrimmage utilizing head coach Kyle Shanahan's wide zone scheme to pave rushing lanes, generate movement and protect the quarterback.

With everything hinging on the o-line unlocking the innovative plays that Shanahan has become known for during his time at the helm, things can quickly collapse if there isn't enough talent in the trenches. That could be the case in 2026 given San Francisco's glaring left guard hole.

While the 49ers still have one of the best players in the league in Trent Williams holding down the left tackle spot and solid, if unspectacular options along the remainder of the offensive line, left guard is still a question mark with plenty of candidates to fill it but none who stand out in any meaningful way.

Connor Colby, a seventh-round pick in 2025, has perhaps the best chance of opening the year as the starter. While Colby is a homegrown talent with seven starts and 451 offensive snaps under his belt, he only earned a 50.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. His 33.7 pass-blocking score rating as the third-worst at the position amongst the 81 guards who qualified last year.

Rookie lineman Carver Willis could get an extended look at left guard in training camp. The fourth-rounder played tackle at Kansas State and Washington, but will need to move inside at the NFL level due to his physical limitations. B/R scout Brandon Thorn highlighted limited range and below average anchoring ability as key areas of concerns for the prospect who rated No. 149 overall and No. 17 amongst interior offensive linemen on B/R's big board.

Other contenders include veterans Robert Jones and Brett Toth—each brought in on budget one-year deals in free agency—but both have with consistency and haven't accomplished much during their initial NFL stops.  

Unless someone truly steps up and distinguishes themselves during camp, the 49ers are going to have a myriad of left guard issues throughout the upcoming season. It's a position that could become their Achilles heel as they try to finally break through and win a Super Bowl after multiple near-misses under Shanahan.