Almost every team enters each year’s NFL draft with a declared intent on maintaining the long-term view and focusing on selecting the best player available. But it doesn’t take much for those plans to be skewed.
With wildly disparate salary cap outlooks from year to year, some teams can face heightened obligations when it comes to importing young, cost-controlled contributors at key spots. Positional pressures – particularly at quarterback – can also further box in a front office and coaching staff. And whether facing a rebuild or being asked to retool on the fly, decision-makers can face serious timeline crunches that some of their peers are spared.
With all that in mind, here are the 10 teams with the most at stake in this year’s NFL draft:
1. New York Giants
For all of the hyperbole that surrounds the draft every year, few teams typically enter the event with a true mandate. But in keeping coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen for another year, co-owner John Mara made explicit that he’s ‘just about run out of patience’ and expects the current brain trust to find a quarterback of the future.
After signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston earlier in the offseason, Schoen contended Wednesday that picking a passer isn’t ‘mandatory.’ But the Giants certainly aren’t taking the matter lightly, with the team set to hold workouts this week with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Louisville’s Tyler Shough, per multiple reports. Entrusting Wilson and Winston to hold things down doesn’t seem like a realistic choice for a leadership tandem entering the year on the hot seat, so all eyes will be on Big Blue to see how the organization goes about taking yet another swing for a solution behind center.
What they need to do: Take a premier talent with their first choice and then make their move for a quarterback. While Sanders can’t be fully ruled out as a possibility at No. 3, the more sensible route would seem to be grabbing either Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter or Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. That would then create pressure on the Giants to make sure they doesn’t get left out in the cold at quarterback, as they might need to move up from the No. 34 overall selection to get ahead of the Cleveland Browns (No. 33) and possibly the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21) for a signal-caller they’re truly comfortable with. Getting into the last few picks of Day 1 might suffice for Shough and Milroe, but a more sizable leap might be required to get into range for Sanders or Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart.
2. New Orleans Saints
The rebuild that the franchise has stubbornly resisted for years might finally be imminent. How New Orleans embarks on the first steps of that process, however, could define the first round, both this year and next year.
With Derek Carr’s status for the 2025 season in jeopardy amid reports of the veteran dealing with a shoulder injury, the Saints could actually be staring down a changing of the guard behind center in short order. But will a franchise that – excluding the supplemental draft – hasn’t selected a quarterback in the first two rounds since taking Archie Manning in 1971 really use the No. 9 overall selection on a passer given the suboptimal support? Rolling into next season with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener might be a stretch for an organization that has clawed to remain competitive in recent years, so maybe a passer is in the cards at some point. But New Orleans can use help almost everywhere, so addressing the position ahead of some lean cap years might make for an odd setup. Regardless, Kellen Moore might have his first year – and his overall future – take shape much earlier than he was planning.
What they need to do: Don’t panic and force a pick at quarterback. Sanders could end up an option at No. 9, but the team should be fully sold on him if it is going to pull the trigger. New Orleans could easily end up in the top five of next year’s draft, and it shouldn’t be overly committed to a signal-caller it’s unsure of. The better option might be to take a shot at someone like Dart, Milroe or Shough in the second round, though it’s not clear which – if any – will still be around when the Saints come back on the clock at No. 40.
3. Cleveland Browns
Making their first pick in three years after the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade, Cleveland enters the draft in a state of crisis. Owner Jimmy Haslam essentially admitted defeat on the move for the former star signal-caller, calling it a ‘big swing-and-miss.’ And with Watson’s status for 2025 in doubt after he re-tore his right Achilles tendon in January, Cleveland is now counting on Joe Flacco to rediscover the form he showed with the team as the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 before flaming out in Indianapolis last season.
Yet even with an expected return to Kevin Stefanski’s standard scheme, this offense is a far cry from the one Flacco once thrived in.
The league’s lowest-scoring outfit (15.2 points per game) looks deficient at almost every spot. Jerry Jeudy’s Pro Bowl campaign was perhaps the lone bright spot for an otherwise unimpressive collection of skill position talent. The offensive line, meanwhile, is in a rather tenuous place. And while taking a quarterback at No. 2 looks far-fetched, things are lining up for the team to take a shot early – perhaps with the first pick of the second round, or even in a trade-up scenario to get another Day 1 pick.
What they need to do: Take Hunter at No. 2 and then try to stack some offensive hits throughout the draft. Cleveland might need to part with a decent chunk of draft capital to get itself into position for a quarterback at the end of Round 1, whether that’s Dart, Shough or even Sanders. Beyond that, however, the Browns can’t afford to get cute – and they should be especially wary of parting with any 2026 picks to rush what is looking like an extensive process of building the roster back up. An additional spark at running back would help after the team moved on from Nick Chubb, but Andrew Berry shouldn’t force anything early given that there could be several starting-caliber options on Day 3, including Miami’s Damien Martinez and Kansas’ Devin Neal.
4. San Francisco 49ers
With 11 picks, the 49ers are tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the most selections of any team in this year’s draft. And after cap casualties and free agency defections ravaged what had arguably been the league’s deepest and most talented roster, general manager John Lynch knows he needs to deliver, saying at last month’s annual league meeting, ‘more so than in recent past, there are slots we have to fill with those (picks).’
As Robert Saleh steps back into his old role as defensive coordinator, it should be priority to build out the defensive line that once led the way for one of the NFC’s formidable contenders. While Nick Bosa needs a proper running mate on the edge, the interior might be the more immediate concern given the lack of a punch after Javon Hargrave and Jordan Elliott’s releases. Cornerback also is a sore spot for a defense that will have to try to counter the Los Angeles Rams’ receiving tandem of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, while finding a successor for Trent Williams at left tackle also has to be on Lynch’s mind.
What they need to do: Make the most of their full array of picks. In the early years of Lynch’s partnership with Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers routinely struck gold in the middle to late rounds with the likes of tight end George Kittle (fifth round, 2017), linebacker Fred Warner (third round, 2018), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (fifth round, 2019) and, of course, quarterback Brock Purdy (seventh round, 2022). And while third-round offensive guard Dominick Puni showed great promise as a rookie, the team hasn’t had quite the same success rate later on in the draft in recent years. San Francisco should be able to take advantage of a deep defensive line class to find multiple options on both the interior and edge while still finding key contributors later on.
5. Tennessee Titans
It probably goes without saying that the team holding the No. 1 pick has plenty at stake. But beyond the widely expected selection of Miami quarterback Cam Ward to start things off, this class represents a vital opportunity for the franchise to finally get properly aligned.
Within the last two-and-a-half years, an ever-shifting power dynamic has led to the firings of Jon Robinson, Mike Vrabel and Ran Carthon, leaving no sense of consistent direction within the leadership ranks. A slow but steady attrition of talent has accompanied that tug of war, which means new general manager Mike Borgonzi has plenty to tackle to set coach Brian Callahan up for success in Year 2.
‘Building the trenches, getting offensive linemen, defensive linemen, building that foundation,’ Borgonzi said before the NFL Scouting Combine when asked where the Titans need to improve, according to the team’s site. ‘And certainly, at some of the skill positions as well, receiver. Adding more depth to the tight end room. There’s a lot of holes.’
What they need to do: Borgonzi has already handled his first point by signing left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and right guard Kevin Zeitler, giving Tennessee its most promising starting offensive line in years. But Ward will still need better support from a receiving corps that offers little outside of Calvin Ridley’s uneven contributions, so finding a complementary target – maybe Missouri’s Luther Burden III or Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins – will be paramount. But the Titans’ edge rush is also in rough shape, and it might be difficult to find a starting-caliber talent unless the team allots its second-round pick (No. 35 overall) there.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
Signing star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to massive extensions quelled the most pressing concerns for Joe Burrow and many others. Now the pressure is on Cincinnati to bring on a horde of rookie starters who can restore some balance to a top-heavy roster.
Hovering over the draft, however, is the Bengals’ continued standoff with All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson. The NFL’s reigning sack king has neither been handed the sizable contract he has been seeking nor had his trade request granted, leaving uncertainty about both where he and the team head from here. Getting something done before or during the draft would likely be the optimal route for both sides, as doing so would allow Cincinnati to field some returns right away. A defense devoid of difference-makers is going to need contributors at several spots, and the Bengals might be more pressed to have their rookies find their footing early given the timeline the team embraced by going all in with Chase and Higgins.
What they need to do: Hit on defense twice early while also staying mindful of offensive guard options. Regardless of what happens with Hendrickson, Cincinnati probably is due for more disruption up front after ranking just 20th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate metric last season. The composition of this draft class could set the Bengals up to address that issue at No. 17, though one of the top safety prospects (South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori or Georgia’s Malaki Starks) could be a wild card. But the team’s longstanding problem of providing Burrow sufficient protection on the interior hasn’t let up, and one of the Day 2 guard options – Georgia’s Tate Ratledge, Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea or Purdue’s Marcus Mbow – could provide stability.
7. Seattle Seahawks
In one of the more muted offseasons for player movement in recent history, the Seahawks stood out as perhaps the team that has done the most to reimagine itself despite just narrowly missing the playoffs at 10-7.
With head coach Mike Macdonald establishing a new tone by axing offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and his downfield passing attack in favor of a ground-centric scheme under Klint Kubiak, Seattle then sent wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. Signing Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp solidified the new offensive identity, but there’s plenty left unanswered after the team’s sharp pivot. With five picks inside the top 100, the Seahawks will certainly be under the microscope.
What they need to: At some point relatively early, solidify the interior offensive line. The Seahawks mulled several options in free agency but ultimately stood pat on their most pressing need. Schneider famously has resisted investing heavily at offensive guard, though he seemed to soften his stance this winter when discussing the issue. But would he go as far as using his top selection on someone like North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. or Alabama’s Tyler Booker? If not, he likely will need to circle back in the second and/or third rounds to find at least one starter, lest Darnold be subjected to the pressure that unraveled him at the end of last season with the Minnesota Vikings. A wide receiver who can contrast Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kupp should also be on the wish list.
8. Carolina Panthers
After Bryce Young’s early-season benching, Carolina looked headed for another complete reset in Dave Canales’ first year as coach. But when the former No. 1 pick returned to the starting lineup, he quietly began to show the signs of development the franchise had been desperate to see. In throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions over his final three games – two of them wins – Young provided the team with its first legitimate sense of hope in some time.
That progress was important for an organization that is now tied for the second-longest active playoff drought at seven seasons. But the upward trajectory can’t accelerate – or even hold – without substantial personnel improvements. A defense that ranked last in yards allowed per play (6) and scoring (31.4 points per game) added several solid starters, but the unit is still hurting for top-end talent after missing out on defensive tackle Milton Williams in free agency. The edge rush is of particular concern, with Jadeveon Clowney propping up a group that ranked 31st in pass rush win rate. And while Canales has expressed faith that 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette can be a true No. 1 receiver after an injury-plagued rookie season, he’s also expressed a desire to field another playmaker for his signal-caller, who had to rely heavily on 34-year-old Adam Thielen last year.
What they need to do: Nail down the premium positions early. Finding an edge rusher who can consistently disrupt and finish plays typically necessitates an early draft pick, so it’s easy to see why general manager Dan Morgan might gravitate toward someone like Georgia’s Jalon Walker, who can create havoc for opposing quarterbacks early as he acclimates to other linebacker responsibilities. But given the importance of equipping Young with the proper support, Carolina might also be drawn to Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan and his track record of bailing out quarterbacks with his massive catch radius and run-after-catch ability.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
Replicating the Rams’ process and results is easier said than done, but the Jaguars appear intent on going a new way under first-year general manager James Gladstone, who arrives from the defending NFC West champs with a distinct process. One particular point of interest: Gladstone carried over the Rams’ move to largely eschew top-30 visits with prospects, instead vetting them through other avenues.
Jacksonville isn’t hurting for high-end starters in the same way that some other teams on this list are, but the roster is rather uneven. With Trevor Lawrence’s cap hit ramping up in coming years as he gets further into his five-year, $275 million contract extension, Gladstone will have to unearth the kind of mid-to-late-round gems that held down key starting spots at low costs for the Rams in recent years. While the team can and should take a patient approach after parting with several notable figures from the previous regime, getting more building blocks in place is essential as the organization turns away from the quick-fix mentality of ousted GM Trent Baalke.
What they need to do: Build up the lines, but remain flexible. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is a natural fit at No. 5 given the disruption he can create between Josh Allen-Hines and Travon Walker on the outside. But the Jaguars aren’t in a position to be pegging their picks to specific positions, so they should see how the board shakes out, particularly later on. Getting better protection on the interior and a stronger push for the running game would go a long way toward getting the offense out of neutral, and the secondary also is ripe for a revamping.
10. Las Vegas Raiders
With Pete Carroll arriving as the steady hand at coach while first-year GM John Spytek provides a fresh personnel perspective, the Raiders are hoping to fast-track a surge after having little to show from years of instability and draft whiffs. And in trading for veteran Geno Smith, the Silver and Black gave themselves the flexibility to bow out of a search for a young quarterback in an underwhelming year at the position.
But outside of record-setting rookie tight end Brock Bowers, the rest of the outlook on offense is grim. The league’s worst rushing attack requires an overhaul, while the receiver group doesn’t offer much beyond Jakobi Meyers’ steady hand. On defense, Carroll said Las Vegas needed ‘every one’ of its free agents back – and then the team proceeded to lose safety Tre’von Moehrig, cornerback Nate Hobbs and linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo. The secondary looks particularly shaky, with former fourth-round cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson seemingly ill-equipped to slow the rest of the AFC West.
What they need to do: Figure out how to boost their backfield without compromising the entire operation. Las Vegas has been widely linked to Boise State standout Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick, and it would be understandable if Carroll and Spytek wanted to make a drastic move to electrify the ground game. But there’s only so much even the most talented ball carriers can do without the right help around them, and the Raiders might not be able to spare Jeanty from loaded boxes in the early going. With Spytek having seen the benefits of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers getting things right up front by using early picks on Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke and Graham Barton, he could be interested in focusing on Missouri’s Armand Membou and looking to take a running back later – perhaps even reuniting offensive coordinator Chip Kelly with either of his former Ohio State pupils in Quinshon Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson. But cornerback probably can’t be ignored through the first three rounds, either.
This post appeared first on USA TODAY
