Every roster has weaknesses ahead of the draft. Some are minor and can be managed internally, others are much harder to ignore and tend to throw the NFL’s traditional “best player available” mentality to the wayside.
Countless offseason articles document each team’s most pressing needs, but this article flips the dynamic slightly to explore which singular franchise is in the most dire need at each position.
This piece is based on last year’s production and recent acquisitions, identifying the teams entering the draft with needs that simply cannot be ignored. We start at quarterback, where the answer is rarely as simple as selecting the next-best signal-caller on the board.
Quarterback: New York Jets
Although the Raiders will still draft Fernando Mendoza first overall, they still don’t have the biggest quarterback need in the league since signing Kirk Cousins.
This one came down to the Jets and Cardinals, both of whom will probably select a quarterback at some point in this year’s draft while also quietly holding out for the promising crop of signal callers in 2027.
When comparing projected 2026 starters Jacoby Brissett and Geno Smith, Smith was worse by just about every metric last year, including PFF grade — 60.9 compared to Brissett’s 70.6. Neither player inspires confidence, but the Jets are probably in a bleaker position as of right now.
Running Back: Jacksonville Jaguars
The reigning Super Bowl champions are a possibility here, having lost Kenneth Walker in free agency. However, Zach Charbonnet will eventually return from injury, and free-agent Emanuel Wilson can shoulder the load until then, having excelled in his expanding role over recent seasons.
The Jaguars are currently relying on Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. to lead the charge. The former ranked 47th out of 52 eligible running backs in PFF grade last season, while Rodriguez had the fewest receiving yards (30) of any running back to run 80-plus routes.
Liam Coen’s offenses usually tick through the air, so this shouldn’t be a major stopping block for Jacksonville’s success, but they also don’t have the deepest running back class to find relief from — not great news for a team too far down the draft board to get their hands on Jeremiyah Love.
Wide Receiver: Miami Dolphins
Probably the easiest selection on this entire list — first-year GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has no option but to address wide receiver early (and often) in the 2026 draft. Other teams needing help at receiver — such as the Jets and Saints — are at least retaining one established playmaker at the position.
As it stands, the Dolphins are rolling out Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert as their starters. Whoever the Dolphins end up drafting at receiver becomes a legitimate option in the fantasy football realm with a potential WR1 target share straight away.
Tight End: Miami Dolphins
I didn’t want to repeat teams in this exercise, but it feels necessary here. Not many NFL teams have urgent needs at tight end, but the Dolphins are currently working with Greg Dulchich and Ben Sims.
There were 49 tight ends with more targets last season than Dulchich, who played in a rotational role behind Darren Waller. Ben Sims caught just three passes all year.
The Dolphins are giving Malik Willis an opportunity to prove himself as a starting quarterback, but he held onto the ball for 3.11 seconds on average in Green Bay (sixth-longest among 68 quarterbacks). The elusive Willis desperately needs targets capable of getting open in the scramble drill.
Offensive Tackle: Cleveland Browns
A handful of teams are searching for a long-term answer at one of their tackle spots, but no team's situation is quite as dire as Cleveland’s.
Free-agent acquisition Tytus Howard will stop the bleeding on one side of the line, but if the position goes unaddressed on draft day, the Browns will be relying on Dawand Jones — coming off his third consecutive season-ending leg injury — to start on the other side.
Out of 102 offensive tackles to play 500 or more snaps over the last two years, Jones ranks 99th in PFF grade. The 24-year-old is yet to get a clean run at a full season, but his leash is shortening, and the Browns have plenty of tackles to choose from in the first round.
Interior Offensive Line: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens’ interior offensive line finished 17th in pass-blocking grade and 14th in run-blocking last year — but they just lost elite center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency.
That leaves Andrew Vorhees, who allowed the third-most quarterback hits of any guard last season, and undrafted free agent Corey Bullock and his 13 career snaps. And the return of free agent John Simpson hardly inspires confidence. Last year was Simpson's third season in the top five in penalties committed at his position, including his prior stint in Baltimore, when Simpson was the most penalized interior lineman in the league.
Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane to Baltimore has been one of the most heavily anticipated pairings in the league. The Ravens are desperate to keep quarterback Lamar Jackson in good health, and preventing big-bodied defensive tackles from getting near his 205-pound frame should be of top priority.
Interior Defensive Line: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals’ interior defensive linemen managed just 72 pressures and a 55.1 PFF pass-rushing grade last season, both of which were the second-lowest in the league.
The Bengals haven’t done much to bolster this unit beyond the free agent signing of Jonathan Allen. The former Commanders star is now 31 years old, and it has been three years since he posted a grade above 80.0 in a season. He has been particularly disappointing against the run. His 36.1 PFF run-defense grade since 2023 ranks 79th among 85 defensive tackles.
The top of the first round is lacking interior talent, so the Bengals may instead search on Day 2 and 3 to find a combination of big-bodied anchors to clog rushing lanes like Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter and players who can push the pocket on passing downs like Penn State’s Zane Durant.
Edge Defender: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There are plenty of teams in search of a quality edge rusher in the draft to serve as a running mate to an already established veteran like Montez Sweat in Chicago and George Karlaftis in Kansas City. The Indianapolis Colts are another team with a need on the edge, but similarly, with blossoming star Laiatu Latu on hand, they are already halfway there.
The Buccaneers have been very active in free agency to bolster their front seven in preparation for life without Lavonte David, but Al-Quadin Muhammad’s one-year deal doesn’t erase this position from the top of Tampa Bay’s shopping list.
The Buccaneers got just 15 sacks from edge rushers last season (tied 27th), and over half of those came from Yaya Diaby, whose contract expires at the end of next season.
Linebacker: Dallas Cowboys
Several teams are lining up for linebackers in the draft, but the Cowboys have just three linebackers on the roster who combined for 760 snaps last year.
Third-year player DeMarvion Overshown has displayed promise, but this team desperately needs an upgrade from Shemar James, who finished last year ranked 90th out of 94 linebackers in PFF grade (39.9).
One of the few linebackers who graded below James — fellow Cowboy Kenneth Murray Jr. — is still searching for his next home. Ideally, Jerry Jones won’t be calling upon Murray for his services again in 2026. Will he make a splash trade up for Sonny Styles? It would be sure to grab the headlines once again.
Cornerback: New York Giants
Both the Giants and their NFC East rival, the Washington Commanders, had big needs at cornerback this offseason. Both have addressed their needs to an extent. The Commanders signed Amik Robertson and Akhello Witherspoon in free agency, while the Giants opted for Paulson Adebo and Greg Newsome II.
The one-year deal for Newsome likely isn’t a long-term answer. The 25-year-old slowly began to find his footing late last season after being dealt to Jacksonville in October. However, just two grades above 62.0 over his 13 games with the Jaguars explains why he wasn’t retained.
The Giants’ fifth overall pick in the draft is a little rich for Mansoor Delane to come into the equation, but some insiders are suggesting the first half of the draft could be littered with trade movement, so perhaps the Giants are fielding calls at least.
Safety: Chicago Bears
Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard have both departed in free agency, and the Bears responded by signing Coby Bryant and Cam Lewis.
Bryant is a highly regarded piece, having been an every-down starter on Mike Macdonald’s defense last season, but Lewis played a rotational role in Buffalo last year, where tackling continued to cause issues (17.6% career missed tackle rate).
Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is one of the most popular mock draft picks to the Bears at 25th overall, if he indeed makes it that far down the board.