Every Teams Draft Needs

Obvious Need: Edge Rusher

Understated Need: Cornerback

Arizona’s scheme absolutely demands talent at the cornerback position. Last season they played man coverage at the fifth highest rate in the league and blitzed at the highest rate in the league, meaning that their cornerbacks are frequently playing without any help. Unfortunately they still had a hole in their nickel packages outside of Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. Jerraud Powers and Justin Bethel combined to give up 1,067 and seven touchdowns a year ago. Rounding out the secondary would be terrifying for opposing offenses.

Atlanta Falcons

Obvious Need: Defensive End

Understated Need: Middle Linebacker

Paul Worrilow has been starting for three years now and has yet to finish higher than 45th in our end-of-year inside linebacker rankings. He’s a big reason why their run defense was around average despite dropping a safety in the box at one of the highest rates in the NFL. They don’t need to draft an all-pro, simply an average starter would be a serious upgrade.

Baltimore Ravens

Obvious Need: Guard

Understated Need: Wide Receiver

It’s no coincidence that Joe Flacco’s two ugly seasons since the Ravens won the Super Bowl lull coincided with Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith’s respective departures. Steve Smith decided to come back for another year, but at 37 years old and coming off of a torn Achilles there is no guarantee he’ll be effective.

Buffalo Bills

Obvious Need: Defensive Line

Understated Need: Right Tackle

Seantrel Henderson may have two years of starting under his belt, but he’s easily been the weakest link on the Bills’ offensive line for both those years. Greg Roman’s offenses rely on the ground game, and Henderson was the 44th ranked starter (out of 61 qualifiers) in run blocking a year ago.

Carolina Panthers

Obvious Need: Offensive Tackle

Understated Need: Running Back

Last season only Buffalo ran the ball more often than the Panthers. Jonathan Stewart is 29 and injuries have plagued him his entire career. Stewart has averaged only 451 snaps a season for his career and there is a sizable drop off in talent between him and Fozzy Whittaker.

Chicago Bears

Obvious Need: Outside Linebacker

Understated Need: Cornerback

Tracy Porter’s re-emergence in 2015 was a bit overblown. The 29-year-old cornerback allowed a passer rating when targeted of 107.2, the 13th worst figure in the league. He hasn’t had a positive coverage grade since the 2010 season.

Cincinnati Bengals

Obvious Need: Wide Receiver

Understated Need: Center

The Russell Bodine experiment at center has kept the Bengals away from the top-five of our offensive line rankings for two straight years now. Bodine’s run-blocking grade was among the bottom five for centers both years. Any semblance of competency at the position would transform the Bengals rushing attack.

Cleveland Browns

Obvious Need: Quarterback

Understated Need: Inside Linebacker

Run defense isn’t as important as it once was, but you still can’t be as bad as the Browns were last year and expect to field an above-average defense. Run D starts along the defensive line, but it’s the linebackers that decide whether a run goes for five yards or for 50. And last year not a single Browns inside linebacker had a positive grade in run defense.