Who’s Under the Most Pressure in This Week’s NFL Draft?

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The 2018 NFL Draft takes place beginning tomorrow night and running through Saturday. It’s one of the biggest events on the NFL calendar, and while free agency is important, it’s here where you’ll truly build the foundation for your future. Some teams are only a solid first rounder or two away from competing for Super Bowls. Others are looking to completely rebuild from the ground up. Some teams are at a crossroads that could honestly lead them to either outcome. This morning, I’m taking a look at some of these teams that have immense pressure on them to really nail it this year.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have one win over the past two seasons. ONE. WIN. Now, they have two of the top four picks in this year’s draft, and they absolutely have to get it right for a fan base that has been downright tortured for what feels like forever.

There are some promising young pieces up in Cleveland. I loved the draft they had last year, getting Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, and David Njoku in the first round. They signed Jarvis Landry to a huge deal, got Damarious Randall, Tyrod Taylor, AND Carlos Hyde. Pair that with a receiving corps that also includes Corey Coleman and Josh Gordon (assuming he can return to even half the form he once was), and you have some exciting pieces to build around.

But, the Browns are missing a long-term answer at the most important position on the field: quarterback. With the first overall selection, they have to nail that pick. Ultimately, I think Sam Darnold is the guy, and that’d be a hell of a start.

At #4, they could go any number of directions: Bradley Chubb, Saquon Barkley, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Denzel Ward….any number of guys make sense. But, if this franchise wants any semblance of a turnaround whatsoever, it has to get this weekend right.

New York Jets

This Jets franchise, under the tutelage of Todd Bowles isn’t so far away from being a real contender again. This pick Thursday night is crucial. It’s presumed they’re going to go after one of the quarterbacks there at the #3 spot, and Baker Mayfield may very well be their guy. Regardless, the Jets are a team that seems to be losing ground while the rest of the AFC East gets better. Plus, considering what they gave up to move up to #3, they’re going to face a ton of pressure.

Buffalo Bills

For whatever reason, no one in Buffalo ever truly believed in Tyrod Taylor. He was pulled in favor of Nathan Peterman, who I believe may still be throwing interceptions to the Chargers. But, ultimately, they went back to him because they realized he was the much better option.

Maybe there’s something I’m missing. Maybe I don’t fully understand why Taylor’s not worth a starting role. Regardless, they shipped him off to Cleveland and ended up with A.J. McCarron at quarterback. Now, I think McCarron has potential to be a quality starter in the NFL, and even said that I’d take him over any prospect in this class. But, I don’t expect the Bills feel the same way.

They have two first round selections on Thursday night – they need two play-makers to set them over the hump…one of them will likely be a quarterback. They need to get it right.

San Francisco 49ers

Alright, San Francisco – you’ve given all of this money to Handsome Jimmy G and your team was one of the hottest in the league to close out 2017. Now what?

The Niners are going to be one of the sexiest sleeper picks this Summer. Most analysts think they’re going to take advantage of the Seahawks and Cardinals declining and turn the NFC West into a Rams-Niners race as opposed to the Cardinals-Seahawks race it’s been for the last few years.

But, they still have plenty of holes. Namely, on defense and at wide receiver. They have to come out of this draft with some new talent because, I don’t care how handsome he is, one man isn’t going to carry the team.

Seattle Seahawks

It sure seems like the window has closed on what could’ve been a dominant Seahawks dynasty. They’re one pass play short of winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013-14. But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Now, all of the aging veterans on defense have moved on, and the offensive line is porous.

If the Seahawks want to contain this downward spiral and keep from bottoming out, they’re going to have to utilize this year’s draft as an opportunity to reload. They can ill afford to whiff on this one.

New England Patriots

They have two first round picks, and they absolutely have to fix that defense. I know it’s odd to say that the Super Bowl runner-up and AFC Champions are facing pressure to get these two picks right. But, the Eagles absolutely torched them in the Super Bowl.

There’s been a ton of talk in the last year about the disarray among leadership in the organization, whether or not Tom Brady is going to play much longer, and it all seems to be insinuating that the Pats’ miracle run is coming to an end. They have to prove the haters wrong, people.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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