It’s not a coincidence that the teams holding the top three picks in the 2025 NFL draft are in need of a franchise quarterback. Not having that position filled has given the GMs of the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants plenty of work to do this offseason.
As for another down side, many draft experts have labeled this draft class to be a down year for quarterback prospects, making it more critical for the Titans, Browns and Giants to be right about their free-agent signings and draft picks.
But there are two teams with franchise quarterbacks that also have plenty of work to do to field winning rosters. One has an unbalanced roster and the other just said goodbye to several key starters.
Let’s take a look at the five teams that have the most work to do on their roster after free agency and heading into the draft.
5. San Francisco 49ers
Adding the 49ers to this list wouldn’t have even crossed my mind six months ago. And maybe they shouldn’t be on here even after the mass exodus of players, because they still have plenty of talent offensively, but it’s difficult to ignore the concerns on the offensive line, and Nick Bosa and Fred Warner appear lonely on the defensive side.
The 49ers were right to give themselves extra work this offseason because it was time for them to look in the mirror and admit that their Super Bowl window had closed. They needed to retool the roster to get younger and repair the salary cap, especially with the looming contract dilemma with Brock Purdy. But with Purdy, Bosa, Warner and a talented group of skill players, the 49ers are one impactful draft class away from returning to the postseason after only winning six games in 2024.
San Francisco needs to find a productive No. 2 edge rusher in addition to Bosa, and it wouldn’t hurt to add help for Warner after Dre Greenlaw left to join the Denver Broncos. But perhaps their biggest holes are on the interior offensive line—guard Aaron Banks left to join the Green Bay Packers. This team won’t get far if they can’t protect Purdy and provide lanes for Christian McCaffrey.
4. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals deserve a ton of credit for re-signing wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, but that just kept their elite offense intact and did nothing for their poor defense. There’s also the possibility of the team losing edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who’s in his second year of searching for a better contract. It wouldn’t be a reach to say this defense doesn’t have a young core player after years of the front office whiffing on draft picks.
It will be vital for Duke Tobin, Cincinnati’s director of player personnel, to hit on defensive draft picks this season because he’s currently at risk of wasting another prime year of Joe Burrow’s career with a defense that looks worse than last year and no longer has Lou Anarumo, who unfairly took the blame for the disastrous season on that side of the ball. Perhaps new defensive coordinator Al Golden can incorporate a productive scheme that doesn’t require a handful of star players.
Even if the Bengals are a middle-of-the-pack defense, that could be enough to turn this high-scoring team into a playoff contender. But it’s hard to see that currently with how the defense appears on paper while there’s uncertainty about Hendrickson’s future in Cincinnati. Burrow should put pressure on Tobin to hit on his defensive draft picks the same way he went on a media tour to make sure his top weapons get locked down.
3. Tennessee Titans
The Titans have many notable players on their roster, but that’s a bit deceiving given how poorly many of the 2024 acquisitions performed last season during Brian Callahan’s rookie year as head coach. Still, we shouldn’t rule out those players doing better in Year 2, especially if the coaching staff learns from last year’s mistakes and gets better execution on the field.
Tennessee is coming off a dreadful 3–14 record and likely doesn’t have a franchise quarterback on the current roster after poorly it went for Will Levis in his second season. But the Titans’ situation isn’t as dire as the two teams below because they can address the quarterback position with the No. 1 pick in April’s draft—all signs point toward Miami’s Cam Ward going first. If it’s Ward, Levis or a different quarterback, the starting signal-caller is going to need the team to be right about new left tackle Dan Moore Jr., who signed a four-year, $82 million contract despite four up-and-down seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As for more pressing needs, the Titans need upgrades at the skill positions—unless Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard deliver better seasons in Year 2. The defensive front needs depth at edge rusher and the secondary desperately needs L’Jarius Sneed to have a bounce-back season.
2. New York Giants
Currently, the Giants have Tommy DeVito as their QB1, an indicator of how much work the team has left for an offense that doesn’t look pretty around stud wideout Malik Nabers. New York could find its starting quarterback with the No. 3 pick, but the Titans will probably take Ward No. 1. There’s also Shedeur Sanders, but the draft experts aren’t as high on him, perhaps giving the Giants a tough decision if Ward is off the board by the time they’re on the clock.
The Giants are also waiting for Aaron Rodgers to give them an answer, but they might be the backup option as the 41-year-old signal-caller mulls retirement or joining the Steelers after the Minnesota Vikings told him no thanks. Rodgers not giving the Giants much thought says plenty about the state of the team after a few rough seasons under coach Brian Daboll. They have needs on the interior of the offensive line and desperately need left tackle Andrew Thomas to stay healthy. New York’s to-be-determined starting quarterback could also use help at tight end and another reliable wide receiver.
But at least GM Joe Schoen can hang his hat on an attractive defensive roster featuring Dexter Lawrence II, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns and safety Jevon Holland. If New York adds another quality cornerback—or Deonte Banks makes strides in Year 3—this could be a formidable unit in 2025.
1. Cleveland Browns
The Browns came close to being tabbed as this year’s team that would be better off tanking with a lackluster roster. But they avoided that by convincing star edge rusher Myles Garrett to rescind his trade request—it only took a whopping four-year, $160 million contract extension.
Garrett and some talented defensive backs give Cleveland hope, but there’s still plenty of work for GM Andrew Berry to field a competitive roster. For starters, the Browns need another quarterback option that isn’t Kenny Pickett, who’s in the mix for starting after signing in free agency. Deshaun Watson likely won’t be available for most of the season due to re-injuring his Achilles—and it was probably time for the team to create options anyway after how poorly he’s played since arriving in Cleveland in 2022.
The Browns will need to decide whether to select Sanders with the No. 2 pick if Ward goes to Tennessee. They could also take their chances selecting a quarterback later in the draft and adding a potential cornerstone piece at No. 2, possibly Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy finally played up to his potential last season, but the Browns have an aging offensive line and are thin at the skill positions. Berry is going to need an impactful draft class or more players will want out in Cleveland.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five NFL Teams With the Most Work to Do Before the Draft.
