Will Dallas Turner take another step forward in Year 3?

Analytics site Pro Football Focus believes he's on track to do just that.

PFF's Bradley Locker created a 2026 NFL All-Breakout Team, in which he predicted "the next great players" at each position. He slated Turner into one of two edge defender spots and wrote the following:

Turner's first two seasons with the Vikings haven't seen him become an outward star. That could look different in 2026.

The former 17^th overall pick finished with 65.5 and 64.1 overall PFF grades in 2025 and 2024, respectively. But last year was a step in the right direction, as Turner accrued a 70.2 PFF pass-rush grade with 42 pressures and a 12.0% pass-rush win rate.

With Jonathan Greenard now on the Eagles, Turner has a clear runway to both meaningful playing time and improved production for Minnesota.

Locker didn't include any other Vikings on his list, but he did tab two division rivals. He expects Green Bay's Matthew Golden to break out at wide receiver in his second season, and in one of the interior defender spots he highlighted Detroit's Tyleik Williams (joining Cardinals DL Walter Nolen).

The 28^th overall selection last year, Williams played in all 17 games for the Lions in 2025, making 10 starts, and totaled 18 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and four passes defensed.

In addition to Nolen, there are at least four other worthwhile candidates to improve from last year's interior defender crop. Williams may have the best track of any.

Williams settled in nicely to Detroit's defensive line rotation, playing to a 68.2 PFF pass-rush grade on 446 total snaps. That effort against the pass is particularly encouraging considering his poor performance in that area in his final two collegiate seasons.

Somewhat perplexingly, Williams wasn't effective against the run with a 5% run stop rate in 2025. But given his elite 88.6 PFF run-defense mark at Ohio State in 2024, expect an uptick in that category. Ultimately, the Lions not re-signing D.J. Reader indicates that the team is comfortable giving Williams an augmented role in his second year.

Locker opined that "all signs point toward" Golden being utilized more often in Green Bay this season.

Golden's rookie season was relatively pedestrian, with the first-round pick playing to a 72.7 PFF receiving grade with 1.53 yards per route run. However, he peaked in his final game of the year when he notched a 90.0 receiving mark, 3.50 yards per route run and 42 yards after the catch in Green Bay's [Wild Card] defeat vs. the Bears.

With the Packers losing Romeo Doubs in free agency and trading Dontayvion Wicks, the team is firmly placing its faith in Golden, whose premier route-running and ball-tracking skills should carry over from his time at Texas.

Click here to view Locker's full 2026 All-Breakout Team.

NFL.com analyzes 'most/least vulnerable' division champs

Looking across the league, which division champs are best positioned to defend their title in 2026?

NFL.com's Kevin Patra looked at just that, pointing out that only one team — the Eagles — repeated a division crown from 2024 to 2025. He said the 2026 campaign "could offer the same sort of turnover." Patra wrote:

Frankly, it might be easier to argue why all eight of the division winners will fall from their peak than suggest continuity reigns. Each defender is vulnerable. Plenty of contenders have improved this offseason to make their case for swiping their division.

As we look at which division winners might be exposed, I'd like to be clear that this is not a prediction column. I'm not officially stating that the higher-ranked teams are destined to tumble. But this exercise is aimed at analyzing how terms might have changed in the offseason.

Patra started with the Steelers and Panthers, then looked at Chicago's chances at topping the NFC North again this season.

Chicago used a host of comeback victories to flip from worst to first in the NFC North last season. Staying on top will prove a tougher challenge in a tightly packed division. Caleb Williams continues to ascend, and [Head Coach] Ben Johnson's offense figures to take another step forward with the development of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland. There is a question at left tackle, and Chicago has yet to fill the holes on the defensive line. The Bears toed the line last year, winning seven one-score games. With a more difficult route, a regression to the mean in those close tilts could cost them a chance to repeat. The Lions are improved on paper from a year ago after filling the holes on the offensive line, but they still have questions on defense. When Micah Parsons returns from injury, the Packers will be a force to be reckoned with. And if the Vikings can figure out their QB room — possibly getting a Sam Darnold-like boost from Kyler Murray — they can't be counted out. You could legitimately make an argument that any of the four teams can win the division without sounding completely nutty.

Behind the Bears, Patra listed the Broncos, Seahawks, Patriots, Eagles and Jaguars. He said he liked what Head Coach Liam Coen did with Jacksonville last season and he expects "Coen's attack to take another step forward," poising the AFC South team to return to glory.

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