NFL Teams With the Biggest Needs Entering the 2026 Draft: Chiefs, Dolphins, Bears & More

Good NFL front offices attack the offseason with a plan. Attacking free agency with the thought of eliminating teams’ need to allow themselves to enter the NFL draft with the flexibility to not feel the need to reach on certain position groups.

​Some teams couldn’t address their major needs in free agency, leaving them with glaring needs entering the draft. Whether it was a poor free agency class for the position, or wanting to simply wait for the draft. Needs are needs, and these handful of teams have got to answer these positional needs on draft weekend, or it may be a rough 2026 season.

​Cleveland Browns – Wide Receiver, Offensive Tackle

​The Browns hired Todd Monken as their new head coach this offseason, and the team quickly addressed the offensive line to help Monken run his offense. Cleveland acquired offensive tackle Tytus Howard, interior lineman Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins.

​It answers the interior and right tackle spots for Cleveland, but the current projected left tackle is Dawand Jones – the team should address left tackle with one of its first two first-round picks.

​Wide receiver is another glaring need for this Browns team. With whoever is playing quarterback for them, whether it is Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or Deshaun Watson, that quarterback will need some weapons to throw to. Outside of Jerry Jeudy, the wide receiver room includes Cedric Tillman, Isaiah Bond and Malachi Corley.

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Todd Monken, Shedeur Sanders (Credit: X)

The team hit on tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in last year’s draft class, but in this year’s draft, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is a very real option for the Browns with the sixth overall pick.

​If they opt to attack the tackle needed with the sixth pick, then solid options still remain at the receiver position in Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, Washington’s Denzel Boston and Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr.

​Kansas City Chiefs – Corner, Offensive Tackle

​Edge certainly could be seen as a major need for the Chiefs, but I’ll give some grace to see if George Karlaftis and Ahston Gillotte can put together a better season than 2025. Can the Chiefs still get more depth at edge? Yes, but I don’t think it’s one of their major needs.

​Kansas City traded All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason and gained an extra first-round pick in return. While the Chiefs are good at developing cornerbacks, selecting someone in the back-end early in this draft can certainly help the floor of their defensive back room.

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JACKSONVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 06: Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie 22 reacts after an interception during the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 6, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fl. Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA OCT 06 Chiefs at Jaguars EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon251006474909

Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is a real option at No. 9 overall, and even Tennessee Jermod McCoy, who showed out at his pro day on Tuesday.

​Still, corner isn’t the only need; tackle is another major one for Kansas City. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down last season to a torn ACL, and protecting him is priority No. 1 for the Chiefs. His tackle duo right now is Josh Simmons and Jaylon Moore. Simmons showed he can be a solid NFL tackle; he just hasn’t been able to stay on the field. I don’t know how confident the Chiefs would be in fielding Moore as their starting right tackle for 2026.

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KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 12: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes 15 flexes and screams before an NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs on October 12, 2025 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire NFL: OCT 12 Lions at Chiefs EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2510121773

Both spots the Chiefs pick at would be great options for tackle. If Miami’s Francis Mauigoa falls to nine? Sprint the card in. If they wait for pick 29, Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor would be a great selection to bring in. The team could have Moore start early on and bring Iheanachor along, who needs time to refine his technique before hitting an NFL field.

Miami Dolphins – Everything

​Is it possible for a team to need everything leading up to an NFL draft? Well, it is with the Dolphins: the organization has gutted its roster and is taking on over $ 175 million in dead cap throughout this season. The only two positions they don’t need are quarterback and running back, with Malik Willis already signed and De’Von Achane.

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2YYW1N8 Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane (28) scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The Dolphins hold 11 picks this draft, including two in the first round with 11 and 30. Expect the team to address multiple positions throughout this draft with an emphasis on wide receiver and the trenches.

​Baltimore Ravens – Interior offensive line

​Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum signed a record-breaking deal this offseason that lured him away from Baltimore. Now the Ravens must scramble to fix the need he leaves behind on the interior of their offensive line. The current projected starters going into the draft are Andrew Vorhees, Corey Bullock and John Simpson.

​That’s not gonna cut it for a team that expects to run the ball a ton with new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, and at pick No. 14, there’s a perfect option the Ravens could target. Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane is 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds with over 10-inch hands. He’s clearly a big prospect, but has one of the most fluid and stout pass sets you’ll see in guards coming out of college.

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 28: Auburn offensive lineman Connor Lew answers questions from the media during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA Scouting Combine on February 28, 2026 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire NFL: FEB 28 Scouting Combine EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602280219

He’s the perfect replacement and character the Ravens typically target in the draft, and if he’s not available to them at 14, there’s quality depth within the interior line in this draft. Florida’s Jake Slaughter, Auburn’s Connor Lew, Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon and Texas A&M’s Chase Bistontis are just a few names who can hear their name called on Day 2.

Minnesota Vikings – Safety

​It seems like in every single mock draft this draft season, the Vikings are projected to take either Oregon’s safety Dillon Thieneman or Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and for good reason – this team needs a safety to help sure up its secondary with the future of veteran safety Harrison Smith’s up in the air.

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EAGAN, MN – AUGUST 02: Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith 22 looks on during Minnesota Vikings Training Camp at TCO Performance Center on August 2, 2025 in Eagan, Minnesota. Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA AUG 02 Minnesota Vikings Training Camp EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon250802004

Even if Minnesota doesn’t tackle safety in the first round, this is a deep safety class with sure fine starters on Day 2. LSU’s AJ Haulcy is one of my favorites with his elite ball skills and fearlessness to come downhill and hit somebody. The reality is he may not even make it to pick 49 – the second round pick of the Vikings – other options in that range include USC’s Kamari Ramsey, Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley and Arizona’s Genesis Smith.

​Chicago Bears – Edge Rusher

​If we’re being honest, every single team needs an edge rusher. You can never have enough; just look at the last two Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks – both rosters have plenty of bodies capable of rushing the passer and winning on the outside.

​The Chicago Bears’ Achilles heel in the playoffs was their pass rush. Montez Sweat is a fine starter, but on the other side, it’s Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker and Daniel Hardy.

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Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff 16 is tackled by Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat 98 during the second half of an NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Sunday, November 19, 2023 Detroit Michigan United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xJorgexLemusx originalFilename:lemus-chicagob231119_npJom.jpg

Chicago picks at 25, 57, 60, and 89. A perfect range to fill that need. This draft is top-heavy in edge rushers, but once the top two in Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. are off the board, there’s a significant drop off. At 25, the realistic options for the Bears are Missouri’s Zion Young and Auburn’s Keldric Faulk. Two players whose base is using their heavy hands to create opportunities for themselves.

​If Chicago were to wait on edge rusher on Day 2, there are still quality prospects in Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton, Illinois’ Gabe Jacas and Michigan’s Derrick Moore.

It doesn’t matter the decision, but the Bears simply can’t be ranked 27th in quarterback pressure rate again next season, if they’re to make a run towards a Super Bowl.

Make sure to checkout the latest DraftCast episode with Tony Pauline and Tim Wood, where they discuss the hype versus reality of the Ty Simpson-versus-Fernando Mendoza discussion and breakdown the Jets’ best choice at the No. 2 pick.

 

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