With the 2026 PML Draft fastly approaching and the first round of free agency over, we take a deep dive into the biggest needs for all 32 teams, discussing long term concerns, cap concerns, or fixing positional weaknesses.
AFC North:
Biggest Need – Quarterback
Pittsburgh nearly made the playoffs last season and they have been extremely active so far this off-season. The Steelers shipped away their 1st, 2nd, and 4th round picks to bring in superstar receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. More so, they added three defensive backs to their roster in free agency, including hard hitting safety Isaiah Simmons. The biggest and over glaring eye sore on this Pittsburgh roster is the quarterback position. Desmond Ridder was efficient last season throwing for 4,774 yards and 47 touchdowns, but the veteran is 72 overall and 27 years old, he’s not the type of quarterback that you build your offense around. Pittsburgh has little cap space available to sign a flashy name in the rest of free agency, so they must look to the draft for a signal caller to set up the rest of their cycle.
Biggest Need – Safeties
Signs of life in the off-season is a positive notion that there will be changes in the coming season. Cincinnati finished the season at 7-10, not where they wanted to be, but they have some momentum in the building after finishing the season with a 4-1 record over their last five games. Cincinnati signed Dylan Parham in free agency, he’s a welcome addition to that offensive line who struggled to protect Joe Burrow last season. As you gloss over this roster, the Bengals are very formidable on the offense, but their defensive backs lack ferocity, especially at the safety position. At the corner position, they have very rangy and speed driven corners that lack coverage skills, but the raw talent is there, they just need to be developed further. However, the same cannot be said about their safeties. Jordan Battle is the highest ranked safety on this team, his 88 speed, 74 zone, and 65 man coverage have him out there stuck in the mud. Caleb Downs has been a highly discussed prospect, but teams are concerned about his lack of explosiveness and drive on the ball. If Downs were to free fall all the way to pick 10, the Bengals need to draft him with their first round selection. If Downs is taken, they should seek to trade out of this pick, acquire a later first and additional second at minimum while targeting to draft S Rod Moore or Dillion Thieneman.
Biggest Need – Offensive Line
The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the most aggressive teams this off-season in terms of trades, they’ve successfully made three trades so far. They have acquired a 2nd round, four 3rd round, and a 5th round pick in exchange for their 1st round pick, Marlon Humphrey, and Ronnie Stanley. In addition, they added a mike linebacker, edge rusher, and a cornerback in free agency. The youth movement is alive in Baltimore and they’re already low average roster age of 25.6 is going to get younger after the draft. Baltimore is a team that drafts extremely well in real life, so their roster, while expensive, has few holes in the starting lineup. However, the removal of Ronnie Stanley has left a hole at the LT position, where 69 overall Carson Vinson is currently positioned. LG, RG, and RT are also positions of need, where sub 70 overall starters are currently positioned. Baltimore has a plethora of draft picks that they can use to fill out their offensive line and a few more that they can use to move up or down in the draft.
Biggest Need – Tackles and Safety
The Cleveland Browns had one of the best seasons in team history, but they fell slightly short in the Super Bowl against a very overpowered Philadelphia Eagles. In the Super Bowl, Cleveland’s defense was exposed, especially their rush defense. The pass rush was non-existent, and we actually saw Myles Garrett in coverage? Hm. Garrett was also seen limping on the sidelines wincing in pain, but his coach forced him back into the biggest game of his life. Cleveland added pass rusher Joey Bosa in free agency, they hope that he will free up the double teams on Myles Garrett this upcoming season. Cleveland has two first round selections, both later in the round, but they will be able to address a few of their concerns, particularly at the safety and tackle positions. Cleveland’s LT is a 74 overall and RT is a 64 overall, while their starting FS is a 65 overall. Cleveland has the ammo to move up in the draft to acquire one of the premier safeties or they can sit back where they are and potentially see two of the top offensive linemen fall to them as others reach on the aspiring quarterback class.
