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6 Teams under the most pressure to succeed in 2021 NFL Draft

By Tadhg Flynn

Nov 29, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on from the sideline during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2020; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on from the sideline during the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Jets, 2021 NFL Draft
New York Jets, 2021 NFL Draft (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) /

1. New York Jets (No. 2 and 23 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft)

New York Jets fans are accustomed to their team frustrating and disappointing them. After all, this is the team that couldn’t even lose enough in the 2020 season to secure the No. 1 pick and a guarantee a once in a generation college prospect, Trevor Lawrence.

General manager Joe Douglas is heading into his third season and, after hiring new head coach Robert Saleh, the front office will want to make a stamp on the team. Sam Darnold has been traded away, giving the roster a chance at a fresh start and new faces. They have their pick of the best of the rest of this exceptional quarterback class in addition to another first-round pick.

The front office needs to get these picks right or they will start a roster rebuild with the negativity of fans bubbling under the surface. Since his pro day midway through March, Zach Wilson has been the overwhelming favorite to be drafted by the Jets.

His quick release, special arm strength and talent, and ability off-platform have been touted as his main talents. For the Jets sake, they better hope his biggest strength is the ability to raise the game of everyone around him.

The Jets have languished at the bottom of the AFC East for 11 years since their previous playoff appearance under head coach Rex Ryan. A decade in sports is an eternity and the front office is under the most pressure of any team to turn things around. The status of the team itself is not the only contributing factor to the pressure either as their division as a whole should be cause for fan concern.

Next. 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Broncos, Bears trade into top 10. dark

Miami has built a good defense and will add to the offense around Tua Tagovailoa. Bill Belichick spent record money in free agency to turn the Patriots around after a dismal 2020. And the Bills have been building near-perfectly around Josh Allen. If the Jets don’t get their picks right, there will be repercussions for years to come.

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