We’re five weeks into the 2025 NFL season, and it’s becoming increasingly clear which teams have realistic playoff hopes and which teams, well, do not.
There are no remaining undefeated teams in the league after both the Eagles and Bills were stunned over the weekend. On the other end of the spectrum, the lowly Jets stand as the final winless team in the NFL, having lost their fifth game in a row against the Cowboys on Sunday.
For New York, and a handful of other teams, any thoughts of the postseason have quickly slipped away. Jets fans will sooner be familiarizing themselves with the upcoming draft class and NFL mock drafts than potential playoff scenarios, and they’re certainly not the only team on that type of downward trajectory.
We’re going to take a look at which NFL teams are already in a position where they should begin looking toward the 2026 draft.
New York Jets
Aaron Glenn is off to a disastrous start to his stint as the Jets head coach, and the team is 0–5 for the first time since 2020. New York fired Robert Saleh last season in the midst of a 2–3 start and since his departure, the Jets have a record of 3–14 and, somehow, appear to be even further than ever from competing for a playoff spot. Discipline has been a major problem for the Jets, who average 8.4 penalties and 70.4 penalty yards per game. Fans were hoping the litany of mental errors the team made would be alleviated under Glenn, but there have been no improvements in that regard, and instead the team looks to be on the fast track to the top of next year’s draft board.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans (very, very fortunately) secured their first win of the 2025 NFL season on Sunday, staging an unbelievable comeback against the Cardinals, who practically handed Tennessee the win. Cam Ward has struggled behind a porous offensive line, but he’s shown flashes of his potential across the first five weeks of the season. There are plenty of weaknesses on the Titans roster—that much has been clear through the opening five weeks of the season. But with their franchise QB locked in, they’ll have a great opportunity to improve his protection with what figures to be an early pick in the ’26 draft.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have elected to turn the ball over to the first of their two rookie quarterbacks, as Dillon Gabriel has replaced the recently-traded Joe Flacco as Cleveland’s QB1. It’s time to see what the former Oregon standout can offer under center, but with the team already sitting at 1–4, any hope of a playoff push this season has likely been pushed to the wayside. The Browns need to fortify their offensive line, among other areas, and while they’ll still aim to improve throughout the season, the front office will certainly be focusing on the incoming draft class.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are another team that has underperformed out the gate in 2025, limping to a 1–4 start and losing some key pieces, including Tyreek Hill, to injury. Much like the Browns and Titans, the Dolphins’ offensive line has been a major issue this year, not leaving Tua Tagovailoa much time to get through his reads, but it’s Miami’s defense that has topped the list of struggles. PFF ranks the Dolphins’ defense dead last in the NFL through the first five weeks of the season, and their run defense is surrendering a league-worst 174.2 yards per game. Miami’s sole win came against a Jets team that committed 13 penalties and had three fumbles.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints picked up their first win of 2025 on Sunday, defeating the Jaxson Dart–led Giants 26–14. This isn’t a team that was expected to be very competitive this season, so their 1–4 record through five weeks isn’t shocking. One pleasant surprise is that Spencer Rattler is playing better than anticipated with six touchdowns and one interception on the year. But there’s a general lack of talent on the Saints’ roster, and coach Kellen Moore will be hoping to deploy an overall improved group in 2026. That will start with the draft, where the organization figures to have a valuable pick.
Las Vegas Raiders
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Geno Smith experiment in Las Vegas isn't working out. Rather than commit to him for another year, the Raiders would do well to begin preparations to part ways with the veteran quarterback in the offseason. That would indicate the Raiders would be looking to draft a QB again in 2026, and they’re in a solid position to do just that given their 1–4 record. Smith has nine interceptions in five games. As a result, the Raiders’ passing attack has been graded as the worst in the NFL by PFF. Playing in a top-heavy AFC, Las Vegas has already minimized its chances of making a playoff run with its poor start, and the Raiders should accept that reality sooner rather than later.
New York Giants
The Giants have plenty to be excited about, with Jaxson Dart officially inserted as the starting quarterback and winning in his debut. Yet the team’s inexperience was on full display against the Saints last week, however, as some costly turnovers did New York in during the fourth quarter. With Malik Nabers out for the season and plenty of young talent on the offense, this is a season that will be crucial for development. At 1–4, any thoughts of making a playoff run or even a mid-standings finish are optimistic at best, but New York could be in position to expedite its rebuild if it nails its early pick in the 2026 draft.
Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young still hasn’t lived up to the billing of a former No. 1 pick thus far into his career, but he’s led the Panthers to two wins in their first five games. At 2–3, Carolina’s season is far from a bust, but it hasn’t looked the part of a playoff team. A Panthers fan podcast announcing it was shutting down due to the team's ongoing struggles says all you need to know about whether this team is ready to compete. Although the Panthers are only one game below .500, they don’t seem likely to climb above that mark with matchups against the Cowboys, Packers, Bills, 49ers, Seahawks and Buccaneers (twice) still remaining on the slate.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have had some really bad losses already this season. All five of their matchups have ended as one-score games, including one-point losses to the 49ers and Titans, and a three-point defeat to the Seahawks. The loss to Tennessee is particularly worrisome, as Emari Demercado fumbled a touchdown out the back of the end zone and the team proceeded to stunningly blow a 21–6 fourth-quarter lead. They’ve beaten the teams they're meant to beat, such as the Saints and Panthers, but exiting their relatively easy early schedule at 2–3 isn't what the team had hoped for, and their schedule only gets tougher from here on out.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Teams That Already Need to Begin Preparing for 2026 Draft.
