The NFL draft is less than a month away, and the teams towards the top of the draft are getting more and more focus. Rightfully so, as they are teams who could potentially add quarterbacks or elite prospects who can change the NFL.
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However, some other teams lower in the draft, despite not having top picks, are in tough positions entering the 2025 season. Some teams lost a lot of players in free agency, some have a lot of needs to fill, and some have much older rosters but aren't quite contenders.
Among those teams, three stand out as teams who desperately need to have a good draft to keep the franchise afloat, and not end up even higher in the draft order next season and beyond. Here are those three teams.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints have the ninth overall pick in the NFL draft, but don't really have any standout young talent on the roster. That is a recipe for a difficult future full of high draft picks and miserable seasons.
That makes them a team that desperately needs a good draft this year if they want to have a chance of getting back on track. The team has a lot of holes on the roster to fill, both from a pure talent standpoint and an age standpoint.
On offense, the team could use younger replacements for quarterback Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara. The team could also use better pass catchers after some significant injuries last year.
The defense is also on the older side, with Cameron Jordan (35) and Demario Davis (36). Both are great players, but they will need to be replaced with younger options soon.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers went from contenders to in a bad spot really quickly after losing a ton of key free agents this offseason. The team now has a lot of work to do to replace them, starting with the No. 11 pick in the draft.
They also have to deal with Brock Purdy's upcoming extension, which could limit their financial flexibility greatly, or, if they move on from him, put them in the tier of bad teams who need a quarterback.
The 49ers badly need a good draft this year if they want to compete again, as their roster is only getting older, and they may lose even more key pieces once Brock Purdy is signed long-term.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have the 13th pick in the draft, despite being one of the oldest rosters in the NFL. The team also had numerous injuries last year, most notably to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
They are in a weird spot in the AFC East where they are a solid enough team to compete, but it will take a lot to reach the level of the Buffalo Bills, and the New England Patriots could be on the rise with Drake Maye at quarterback.
Unless they have a great draft, the Dolphins could fall behind in the AFC East, and it could take some time to catch back up again.
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This story was originally published March 29, 2025 at 3:31 PM.