5 Teams Who Must Nail the 2025 NFL Draft

With the 2025 NFL Draft around the corner at the end of the month, this draft will be pivotal to a lot of teams for the 2025 season. A good or bad draft will make or break many teams with pressure on them this season. Here are five teams that need to nail the 2025 NFL Draft to have a successful year.

Five Teams that need to nail the 2025 NFL Draft

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals need to nail the 2025 NFL Draft to have a bounce-back season in 2025. Cincinnati has missed the playoffs the last two seasons, and even though they had one of the top offenses for the 2024 season, the defense was a significant problem for them, and it cost them a playoff berth. On the offensive side of the ball, the Bengals have nearly $100 million tied up in Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and J’Marr Chase, which means they will need to address their defense through the draft.

Cincinnati is also in a contract dispute with All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks in 2025. If he is ultimately traded or decides to sit games for the Bengals, that will put the Bengal’s defense in even more hot water. The Bengals have six picks in the draft, four of which are in the top 150.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Cincy used at least three of those top 150 picks to find immediate contributors on the defensive side of the ball. In the past three drafts, Cincinnati has used top 100 picks on players like Myles Murphy, Dax Hill, and D.J. Turner, who haven’t had quite the impact the team has hoped so far, so the Bengals will need to make sure whoever they select this season, they are confident about.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have a combined 7-27 record in the last two seasons. They traded up for the Number one pick in the 2023 draft to select Bryce Young, and after a horrific rookie season and half of his sophomore season, Young was able to show flashes of the top pick. However, the Panther’s offense and defense are void of talent because of what they had to trade to get Young.

Now, the Panthers will need a strong draft in 2025 to become a relevant team looking to make a jump next season. With the need for wide receivers and almost every position on their defense, the Panthers’ front office must be sharp in filling out the roster. They do have blue chip players on the roster in defensive lineman Derrick Brown and defensive back Jaycee Horn, who they just signed to a $100 million extension, but the Panthers will need to add to it if they want to be a threat in the NFC South division. Carolina holds the eighth overall pick in 2025.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars went under an entire remake, hiring a new head coach in Liam Coen while firing their general manager Trent Baalke and hiring James Gladstone from the Los Angeles Rams organization to be the new GM. With reset in the building from the top down, it will be necessary for the Jaguars to turn the franchise around with Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback they selected number one overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lawrence has had it kind of rough since he first stepped foot on the field for the Jags. His first head coach was fired after his first season, and his second head coach was fired after three. Now on his third coach and second general manager, the Jags will need to do what they can to maximize the roster around Lawrence.

Last year, the Jags were able to draft arguably the best rookie receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. out of LSU, which is a solid core piece. They hold the fifth overall pick in the 2025 draft and could use that pick to take a top prospect or trade the pick to gather more draft capital so they can add as much talent as possible. The defense finished as one of the worst in the league in 2024, and the offensive line needs work, so expect the Jags to be active in those two areas in the draft.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys, like the Bengals, will need a stellar 2025 draft if they want to return to prominence. After being relatively inactive in free agency the last couple of years, the Cowboys opt to fill out their roster through draft picks, which they have done well the last couple of seasons. They are superstar names on the Cowboys roster whom they have selected through the draft; however, an infusion of talent is needed again, especially on the offensive side.

Outside of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb there is a lack of quality talent at wide receiver and running back. A player like star Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty would fit well with Dallas for an immediate upgrade. With a tough NFC East division featuring two teams that reached the NFC Championship game in, the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys will need an impressive draft to get back in the mix.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have the fourth pick in the 2025 draft after having the third pick in the 2024 draft. Last season, New England took quarterback Drake Maye, and he showed a lot of promise despite not having a lot to work with. In free agency, New England tried its best to lure weapons to the team for Drake Maye to throw to, even if they needed to overpay.

They signed Stefon Diggs. However, the Patriots always knew the best route for them would be through the draft. In this draft, they need to make sure they emphasize the trenches to make sure Maye is protected so he can be the prospect he was billed to be.