• Dallas Cowboys: Quarterback Dak Prescott – who was PFF’s fourth-highest graded quarterback in 2023 – is entering the final year of his contract and while his level of play gives the Cowboys a chance every season — the roster appears to have a lot of holes for a team that is supposed to be among the contenders with an upper-tier signal caller.
• Buffalo Bills: In order to get back to a Super Bowl contender level, the Bills need to rebuild the core of this team as soon as possible and that starts this week with the NFL draft.
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This is one of, if not the, most exciting weeks of the NFL calendar with the NFL draft taking place. It is also a week that puts immense pressure on teams to make the right decisions and take advantage of the opportunity to improve their teams. However, admittedly, some teams face more pressure because they have to get it right this week. We take a look at five teams who we feel are in this position because of where they are in the team-building process or how the offseason has unfolded for them so far.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback Dak Prescott – who was PFF’s fourth-highest graded quarterback in 2023 – is entering the final year of his contract and while his level of play gives the Cowboys a chance every season — the roster appears to have a lot of holes for a team that is supposed to be among the contenders with an upper-tier signal caller. With the departures of left tackle Tyron Smith and center Tyler Biadasz, it is almost taken for granted that Dallas will need to find at least one offensive lineman in this draft who will start for them in 2024. That is not going to be an easy job for a rookie so the Cowboys need to make sure they draft one who is up for the task.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have almost entirely blown up their roster by releasing, trading or not re-signing multiple key players on both sides of the ball, including wide receiver Stefon Diggs and cornerback Tre’Davious White. Quarterback Josh Allen was PFF’s highest-graded quarterback in 2023 and his play provides a very high floor for Buffalo. However, while the floor is high; without a strong and reliable supporting cast, the ceiling of this Bills team might not be winning the Super Bowl. In order to get back to that level and into the echelon of teams that are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl, they need to rebuild the core of this team as soon as possible and that starts this week with the NFL draft.
Chicago Bears
The Bears are in a completely different category than the Bills and the Cowboys, as they do not need this draft to remain or become a contender. Nevertheless, they are in a position to shape the next decade of the team by getting this draft right. It feels like the Bears have been working toward this moment since appointing Ryan Poles as general manager two years ago. Fans were patient with the team after they traded away the No. 1 pick a year ago and the move paid off as they ended up with two top-10 picks 12 months later. However, now the Bears need to capitalize on this opportunity and make the most of those picks, especially considering that they only own four picks going into the draft.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders are in a somewhat similar situation to the Bears. Even though they just had a fresh start with the appointment of general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, fans might be getting impatient, as Washington has the longest playoff drought in the NFC East and has not won a playoff game since the 2005 season. In addition, the Commanders are in a prime position to dominate this year’s NFL draft. Washington will most likely have the second choice of this year’s quarterbacks and while probably not all of the quarterback prospects will work out in the NFL, there is a good chance at least two will become franchise quarterbacks so with a smart choice they can be set at the position for a decade or even more. Furthermore, the Commanders have six picks in the top 100, which means they should come away from this week with multiple players who can start and contribute immediately.
New York Jets
Considering quarterback Aaron Rodgers’s age and the moves they have made in the last two offseasons, the Jets are essentially in all-in mode in 2024. Even though the roster can already be considered strong; the Jets — picking 10th overall — would need their first-round pick to contribute immediately. While edge defender Will McDonald IV – who the Jets selected with the 15th overall pick last year – was the sixth defender selected in 2023, 70 rookie defensive players played more snaps than he did last season. Considering the Jets' goals the for 2024, they cannot allow to pick a player who they then would need to essentially redshirt during his rookie season.
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