NFL teams should consider tanking for the 2025 draft a top priority

As Herm Edwards tactfully pointed out, you play to win the game. There is no doubt that every player enters the season with optimism that his team can win games and that the coaches have too much to lose in terms of job security to collapse in the first week.

There are, however, things a general manager can do to already have an eye on the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s the front office’s job to maximize their team’s window of success. Sometimes that means working on improving future positioning rather than improving the current roster.

This idea also applies to teams that have been in neutral for too long. Teams that might be stuck in quarterback purgatory or mired in mediocrity would be wise to start playing younger players, shed veterans with expiring contracts and avoid dipping into their cash reserves.

The following teams aren’t going to start tanking right away, but they should also make moves that could improve their positioning for next year’s draft.

Not every team that is expected to prepare for the 2025 NFL Draft is looking for talented quarterbacks. The Broncos have already staked their franchise’s future on Bo Nix after the 2024 NFL Draft.

They should not go back, no matter what 2024 looks like.

Sean Payton’s team has plenty of other needs that the upcoming draft class could fill, though. B/R’s first draft of the 2025 NFL Draft included four defensive linemen, two cornerbacks and an offensive tackle. The Broncos could still use an infusion of young talent on the defensive line, another elite cornerback opposite Patrick Surtain II or an heir apparent to Garrett Bolles at left tackle.

The Broncos will face some pressure to improve under Sean Payton. They went 8-9 in Payton’s first season and the former Saints coach expects them to do so.

But there are still plenty of questions about this roster. The receivers room has a lot of young talent that could be good but hasn’t proven itself yet. The same could be said about the front seven, and the Broncos didn’t have the cap space or draft capital to fix it all in the offseason.

The Russell Wilson trade undoubtedly set the franchise back a few years. It will take some patience, and playing for the 2025 draft could put the Broncos in position to take a bigger step forward next season.

The Raiders, as they are known, are a gritty team whose defense will allow them to win some games. The turnaround in the second half of the season has created some good moments for the Raiders faithful, including an upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas.

Unfortunately, the Raiders’ quarterback situation makes it hard to believe they’ll be able to pull off those kinds of wins on a regular basis.

The defense is solid. Maxx Crosby is an elite defender and the addition of Christian Wilkins via free agency will give them an even better defensive line.

But Gardner Minshew II is just a good bridge option who can help a team stay around .500 and Aidan O’Connell hasn’t done enough to make anyone believe he’s the heir apparent.

The truth is, the Raiders are still looking for a quarterback who can take the franchise to greater heights than Derek Carr. So far, they haven’t found that guy.

Their best bet might be in the 2025 draft. The quarterback class doesn’t have the same hype as the 2024 class, but there are still a few options that could build a case for being a top-10 option.

The Raiders have an impressive collection of weapons. Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers make up a solid core of talented players.

But the quarterback who can take this group to the next level isn’t on the roster, and the 2025 draft might be their best option to find that player.

The New Orleans Saints are managing the salary cap like a Super Bowl contender, but they’ve been just good enough to stay afloat in the NFC South over the past three seasons since Dennis Allen took over.

The question is what good could come from another 7-10 win season for the Saints in 2024.

This is a franchise that is still riding the fumes of a successful era in franchise history. They haven’t been a true contender since Drew Brees retired and they’re stuck in a phase where they’re just good enough to avoid a top-10 finish but not good enough to win a playoff game since a wild-card victory over the Bears in 2020.

The easiest way to end this cycle would be to take the bull by the horns, get their books in order, and end up with a top-10 pick in next year’s draft. It’s worth noting that the Saints’ highest pick since 2009 is No. 11.

They selected Marshon Lattimore 11th in 2017 and Chris Olave 11th in 2022.

Trading players like Alvin Kamara and Lattimore would be considered a “tanking” move that would allow them to focus on playing younger players while building draft capital and potentially ending up with a top-10 pick in next year’s draft.

Whether the Giants can afford to sink in 2024 likely depends on whether owner John Mara can grant Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen some leniency on Daniel Jones’ contract.

Schoen offered Jones a four-year, $160 million contract last offseason, while negotiations with Saquon Barkley stalled and resulted in a one-year deal. Fast forward to 2024 and Jones’ status as a franchise quarterback is still in question. Barkley is now with the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles not only added Barkley, but also Bryce Huff on defense and two new coordinators who could fix their issues from last season. The Cowboys still have plenty of talent even if it feels like everyone is in a contract year. The Commanders have an interesting answer at quarterback and a new head coach.

There’s plenty to be excited about for the Giants. Malik Nabers gives them their most receiver potential since Odell Beckham Jr. and the defensive line added a huge missing piece in Brian Burns.

But it appears this offense is still a long way from providing the Giants with a title contender. If Mara can be patient, moves that would make the team more competitive with a potential first-round quarterback might be the best path forward.

The Seahawks are a team that has to ask itself what its goals are.

If all they want is to make the playoffs and continue to be a solid football team, then sticking with the status quo is the way to go. They’re 9-8 in each of their last two seasons since Geno Smith took over.

They didn’t get a chance to pick a quarterback with the 16th pick in this year’s draft. The same could be said for the 20th pick in the 2023 draft. They ended up picking Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2023 and Byron Murphy II in 2024. Both could become high-impact starters at key positions.

But neither of those things will matter as much if they can’t find a way to elevate the level of play at quarterback.

If a 9-8 record and a playoff chance were a good fit for Seattle, they probably wouldn’t have made the choice to part ways with Pete Carroll as head coach. However, signing Mike Macdonald opens the door for the Seahawks to turn to a high draft pick in 2025.

The Niners currently have a tight grip on the NFC West. But the Seahawks could ostensibly try to clinch a wild-card spot and hope that Sam Howell can be the quarterback of the future.

Instead, trading an aging player like Tyler Lockett mid-season could be a worthwhile move to consider to increase their investment in the draft and potentially get a new quarterback prospect in 2025.

The Tennessee Titans should have two main goals heading into the 2024 season: finding out if Will Levis can be their franchise quarterback and doing what they can to be in position to draft his replacement if he isn’t.

The Titans are still not a complete team. The AFC South was relatively weak last season and they still finished four games behind the Houston Texans (10-7), who won the division.

General manager Ran Carthon began rebuilding the roster. Derrick Henry left. They drafted JC Latham and signed Lloyd Cushenberry III to start rebuilding the offensive line and signed Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to bolster the receiving corps.

The Titans have done a good job of giving Levis what he needs to prove he can be the quarterback in 2024. After selecting him in the second round of the 2023 draft, he earned the right to show he can get the job done, throwing eight touchdowns against four interceptions while making nine starts last season.

Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd will pair with DeAndre Hopkins to form a formidable receiving trio. But there’s still room for significant growth with a youth movement on defense.

The early outlook for the 2025 NFL Draft seems to favor defensive talent. While it may be tempting to see the Titans get aggressive in Brian Callahan’s first year, it’s probably important to keep in mind that the Titans are hoping to become a threat again in the AFC so they can capitalize on their draft picks.

It’s much easier if they can move up the rankings over the course of the season.