The 2025 NFL Draft is still quite a ways away, but let's still try to project some teams who could use the draft to go all-in for 2025. Do not be surprised when you see some lesser-thought-of teams making some progress in 2024. In today's microwave NFL, success seems to be demanded quicker than it ever has been in this league.
And some franchises have been able to find quick success. Others have done a rebuilding process the hard way, but for example, just take a look at the Houston Texans. They went 10-7 in the first year of the DeMeco Ryans/CJ Stroud era, and now, all of a sudden in year two, they are a Super Bowl-caliber team.
On the other side of this would be a team like the Detroit Lions. They are in year four of the Brad Holmes/Jared Goff/Dan Campbell era and are now firmly in the Super Bowl bubble. Well, as we head into the 2024 NFL Season, these teams could make enough progress this season to go all-in when the 2025 NFL Draft rolls around next April.
2025 NFL mock draft: These 3 teams could use the draft to go all-in
Denver Broncos
If you do some digging, you'll see that a ton of former and current players and coaches have said some pretty great things about what the Denver Broncos have done this offseason with Bo Nix and Sean Payton. This is a duo that could make a ton of noise in 2024, and with Denver also really fixing their defensive line, this team could breakout in 2024.
They somehow won eight games in 2023 with a bottom-7 defense and bottom-10 QB. It was a brutal first six weeks when the Broncos started 1-5, but they finished 2023 going 7-4. Denver has an improved roster, more efficient QB that fits the offense better than Russell Wilson did, and a head coach in Sean Payton who has never won fewer than seven games in his coaching career.
Denver again winning eight games or even winning nine or 10 should not be out of the question, and as they would approach the 2025 NFL Draft, they could use it to go all-in around their young QB on a rookie deal.
Arizona Cardinals
I have been quite high on the Arizona Cardinals all offseason. I predicted previously that they would win eight games in 2024, which would be doubling their win total from 2023. The Cards do not have a coaching problem, but rather a roster talent problem. Second-year GM Monti Ossenfort has done a great job thus far in bringing in more talent to the roster, but it's clear that he'll need one more offseason to get the Cards into a playoff position.
Not only will they be a fun, frisky team in 2024, but they could then make some hefty moves in the 2025 NFL Draft to make a push. Do not rule this team out for the long-term as being a mainstay atop the NFC.
Los Angeles Chargers
I am not high on the Los Angeles Chargers for the 2024 NFL Season, but new head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff are probably good enough to lead this team to seven or eight wins. They have a franchise QB in Justin Herbert and some solid pieces along the offensive line.
They also have some notable young talent on defense, but overall, the roster still needs some work. Being that Harbaugh has won at every head coaching stop of his career, he is surely confident that he can do the same in LA with the Chargers. With GM Joe Hortiz coming from a winning Baltimore Ravens front office, it's not going to be shocking to see the Chargers use the 2025 NFL Draft as a huge step in the right direction.
I do not believe this team is close to the playoffs in 2024, but a strong free agency and NFL Draft from LA next offseason could have them in a great spot to make a legitimate leap in the AFC for 2025 and beyond.