Top Team Needs For Every AFC Team That Missed The Playoffs

John breaks down the top needs for all AFC teams that missed out on the postseason through the 2025 NFL Draft, free agent signings, or trades.

Only 14 NFL teams get the opportunity to participate in the NFL Playoffs each season. This leaves 18 teams, nine from each conference, out of the postseason and sends them home after 17 games, where they reflect on how they fell short and begin to plan how they can improve the next season.

Obviously, that means nine teams in the AFC were sent home early. The Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans didn't make the playoffs this year, and all nine have important roster holes to fill ahead of the 2025 season.

While some are in better positions than others, all of them could use help in at least a few position groups. We'll break down the biggest deficiencies of each squad below.

Tennessee Titans: Quarterback, Wide Receiver

The Titans hold the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and with second-year quarterback Will Levis having another poor season, making a variety of unacceptable turnover-worthy plays, and failing to be consistent, it's obvious that the Titans are in need of their next franchise QB because Mayo Man is clearly not it.

ZACH SIELER PICK SIX OFF WILL LEVIS INTERCEPTION pic.twitter.com/ACyWWM2RTG

— Bench Warmer Banter (@bwb_sports) December 12, 2023

It was an ugly season for Tennessee, so it's not surprising that they ended up with the first overall pick. This is a weak QB class, but that might not dissuade them from taking one of them early. It's the most important position in football, as the starting quarterback hands nearly all the offensive snaps and has the clearest direct impact on the team's direction.

And though the team signed WR Calvin Ridley for a boatload of money in the offseason, they also traded away DeAndre Hopkins, and their planned replacement for their former top wideout, A.J. Brown, hasn't worked out. WR Treylon Burks has hardly produced in his career -- clearly, trading away Brown was a horrible idea.

OMG CALVIN RIDLEY pic.twitter.com/6VW51uBgX1

— Barstool Music City (@BS_MusicCity) January 5, 2025

It's not that Ridley isn't a good receiver, it's more that there are no options outside of him. A second WR would make for a pass-catching corps that would actually make defenses sweat, since tight end Chig Okonkwo seems to be pretty good.

But without a good signal-caller throwing it to them, it's hard to see any defense feeling threatened through the air.

Cleveland Browns: Offensive Line, Quarterback

Unfortunately for Browns fans, the team's owner is an absolute moron and gave quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) the richest contract in terms of guaranteed money in NFL history. Completely guaranteeing his contract and giving him so much cash turned out to be a horrible idea, as he seemed completely checked out when he played and was the worst QB in the NFL for 2024.

Deshaun Watson just ruptured his Achilles.

Jameis Winston is inactive today.. pic.twitter.com/QQqM57qVl1

— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 20, 2024

To make matters worse (for him, not anyone else), he tore his Achilles tendon and probably won't be fully healthy until 2026. It will be hard to watch a loser like him come back from that injury to anyone who appreciates good football. The team is better off without him, but he's making so much money that it's hard for them to move on.

This leaves them in a terrible situation that they may end up just not addressing. That would be terrible for the franchise -- but sometimes, NFL owners are so rich and arrogant that they don't care how many bad decisions they make. See: Jones, Jerry.

Pass block and run block composite ratings

Thinking about the highly-drafted QBs, it's somewhat amusing that we've heard 1000x more about the Bears' offensive line issues than the Patriots' given how horrible NE's has been all season pic.twitter.com/he9iU6Qj18

— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) November 13, 2024

The offensive line was also absolutely terrible, and it's unlikely they'll get much better QB play unless they fix that problem. They were dismal at both pass-blocking and run-blocking, and that needs to change if they want to have a chance at playing winning football in 2025.

They won't because Watson is absolutely terrible, though.

Las Vegas Raiders: Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver

The Raiders are obviously set at tight end with Brock Bowers. He's one of the best at his position in the league already. And they have some potential holes coming up on the defensive side of the ball, but it remains to be seen how many players they re-sign. But their biggest needs are on offense.

Aidan O'Connell ➡️ Jakobi Meyers ➡️ TD

📺: #LVvsNO on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/AAS6Kcn6Ci

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024

They aren't totally screwed in the QB department, but it's unlikely that we'll see Aidan O'Connell take a massive step toward being a franchise quarterback and a star. And in a class mostly devoid of QB talent, it wouldn't be surprising to see Las Vegas take a rain check and punt the position for another to see what AOC can do. They're stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

They can't afford to eschew picking up an RB, though. This is a ridiculously deep running back class, featuring multiple incredibly explosive athletes and plenty of highly productive players who should make the step to the next level well. It would be a terrible idea to ignore that.

Omarion Hampton is yet another reason why you don’t need to draft a RB inside the damn Top-15 (Yes Even Ashton Jeanty)

6’1” 220+ with hands and wheels. Hampton is a certified stud. David Johnson 2.0 in the making. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/NzXKvFMvgX

— Ray G (@RayGQue) December 1, 2024

They could even wait until the second or third round to take one and still have a chance at picking up their solution at the position for at least the next five years.

And while wide receiver Jakobi Meyers had a solid season, he's not a typical No. 1 wideout, and the team could use an alpha WR1. They'll need one desperately if he leaves, as Tre Tucker is more of a gadget player. While Bowers can play the WR1 role pretty well, it's not an ideal situation for an NFL team. This concept doesn't need much explaining.

New England Patriots: Wide Receiver, Offensive Line, Pass-Rusher, Tight End

The Patriots had the league's worst offensive line and wide receiver rooms in 2024. That's impressively bad, and rookie quarterback Drake Maye had literally nothing to work with during his first season as a pro. The results of this weren't surprising, as New England was one of the worst teams in pro football last year.

Tre Harris is going to make a GM very happy.

📌 6’3 / 210 lbs
📌 5.15 Y/RR in 2024…
📌 7.7 YAC/reception
📌 Can actually run routes

One of the few prospects that I am confident will outperform their current value. A potential @scoutdnfl “my guy” looming.. pic.twitter.com/J0nsqFid4n

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) December 31, 2024

We (a.k.a the author of this article) are confident that former Ole Miss wideout Tre Harris would be a great player for them to pick up. This WR class isn't deep and doesn't have as highly regarded prospects as those of last year, so it would probably be a bad idea to take one with their highest pick. Perhaps they could swing Harris in the second round.

The offensive line is the biggest need. It wouldn't be a terrible idea for them to take one with their first-round pick, and they should probably try to draft more than one. There isn't a lot to say here except that their OL is in absolutely dismal shape and needs a ton of help.

Announcer: “The offensive line should look good against Washington backups.”

The Patriots the very next play: 👇 pic.twitter.com/HQZMLVFJkU

— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) August 26, 2024

On the defensive side of the ball, their needs aren't so glaring aside from in one area. They traded away defensive end Matthew Judon, their only good pass-rusher, and the results were predictable -- they struggled to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Every sack from Abdul Carter's 2024 season.

This is not normal for a guy playing full-time EDGE for the first time. pic.twitter.com/bfBYMYKP45

— Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) January 28, 2025

It would be a solid idea for them to trade up and get defensive end Abdul Carter, who just finished a season playing wrecking ball for the Penn State Nittany Lions and giving everyone flashbacks of Micah Parsons. Carter is the best prospect in the draft this year.

On the TE side of things, they have an aging tight end in Hunter Henry and a career backup in Austin Hooper, who hasn't been particularly impactful. Literally any good route-runner or blocker would help the WR or OL situation at least somewhat.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Offensive Line, Cornerback, Wide Receiver

The Jaguars didn't have a great offensive line in 2024, and that will be their biggest need going into 2025. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was under constant duress before he suffered a season-ending injury to his shoulder, and it's hard to succeed in the NFL when your QB can't get comfortable.

Javon Solomon strips the ball for the @BuffaloBills takeaway

📺: #JAXvsBUF on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/lLT3sBFCpZ

— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2024

They'll need major help at the LT position. Walker Little is not the guy you want there. And they are sorely lacking depth along the line, so injuries have been devastating to their performance. It needs to get figured out, but at least new head coach Liam Coen's schemes should help compensate for that.

Meanwhile, the literal worst pass defense in the last 25 years will need some serious help. It's certainly possible that Colorado Buffaloes' CB/WR Travis Hunter falls to them, but it's unlikely. It wouldn't be surprising if they attempted to trade up, and we could see a deal get done since there aren't many highly thought-of quarterbacks in this draft cycle.

Brian Thomas Jr.

96 TGTs (17th)
64 RECs (18th)
956 YDS (6th)
8 TDs (T-4th)
pic.twitter.com/gywu3Dy6Oh

— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) December 16, 2024

And while the team did draft superstar wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. less than a year ago, the injury to Christian Kirk (collarbone) and possible departure of tight end Evan Engram will leave them needing someone to fill in at WR2. Gabe Davis is not good at football, so he's not a good option.

New York Jets: Quarterback, Tight End

The New York Jets were easily the team with the biggest discrepancy between the strength of the roster and their eventual win-loss record. This was in part due to poor coaching. Not Robert Saleh's coaching, but offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's... coaching? Can we really call it that? It's not like he helped the team win, literally ever.

The same could be said about quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is like a cancer that won't go away. He wants to play personnel manager positions like he has any idea what he's doing, but the org needs to kick him out ASAP. He's washed and still tries to play like he's 25 and is an active detriment to the offense.

Aaron Rodgers threw a pick and then also got flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty.

pic.twitter.com/zwdWD5E15g

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 29, 2024

Perhaps he could be useful in mentoring whichever new QB they choose, but it was a pretty ugly show last season. That doesn't need to be repeated.

They could also use another WR, but they'd be better off getting a tight end who knows how to block. An upgrade over Tyler Conklin wouldn't hurt, either. The Jets wouldn't be in terrible shape if they bit the bullet and took a TE in the first round of the draft. There's some serious talent at that position, and they could even trade down.

Miami Dolphins: Offensive Line, Wide Receiver

Are you starting to notice a trend here? Teams that don't have good offensive lines or have a lack of productive weapons often struggle to make it into the postseason. The outcome the Dolphins ended up with this season wasn't entirely surprising to people who understood just how great former Dolphins OL members Connor Williams and Robert Hunt were in 2023.

All 1v1 reps between Robert Hunt & Jalen Carter. Really good back-and-forth. Hunt was sitting on Carter's signature inside club and shut it down. One clean loss was him getting slipped outside. Fun matchup to watch. pic.twitter.com/nttX1ZVppd

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) December 9, 2024

If you want to know why the Carolina Panthers had any chance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14, the answer is that Hunt is an elite player. Williams was one of the best run-blockers in the NFL in 2023, but he was let go by the team and later retired. So, he's not an option anymore.

The Dolphins changed their entire offense and centered it around running back De'Von Achane to account for the lack of interior blocking. And the run-blocking was dismal. So they'll need to figure that out, or quarterback Tua Tagovailoa won't have much time to throw in 2025, either.

Here Tyreek Hill appears to have forgotten that feet are not for catching. He later returned to the hands method. pic.twitter.com/UUT6HfvOAl

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) December 16, 2024

Also, Tyreek Hill is not what he once was, and Jaylen Waddle's 2022 season appears to have been a fluke. He's also dealt with a ton of injury issues and hasn't been a reliable presence on the field. That will not work for the team, and change needs to come if they want to get back to their winning ways.

TYREEK HILL 78 YARD TOUCHDOWN

ABSOLUTE CHEAT CODE
pic.twitter.com/Bnss1SfaRi

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 3, 2023

Though it's been strange to see Hill fall off this hard, perhaps his foot injury was more serious than we thought. Or he just wasn't trying.

Indianapolis Colts: Quarterback, Cornerback, Tight End, Linebacker

The Anthony Richardson experiment is simply not working, and it's time for teams to start being more critical of drafting players with so little starting experience. The most notable recent failures in this area are Richardson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance.

Every Anthony Richardson incompletion from the broadcast. A lot of pressure. A lot of throwaways. A lot of miscommunications. And a bad drop.

What is your takeaway?#Colts pic.twitter.com/D7G2ZGVYb6

— Landon Oliver (@Landon3MR) November 24, 2024

Whatever you do, don't listen to fans who are infatuated with their team's starting quarterback try to convince you that he's actually good. Richardson couldn't even crack a 50 percent completion rate (47.7 percent, yikes) and constantly throws absolute missiles that are hard for his WRs to catch. The team needs to find their QB of the future, but they're not in a position to do so.

The Colts also had a terrible defense, both against the run and the pass, in 2024. They need to overhaul their cornerback position, as they had little success against wide receivers. They finished the year tied for third-worst in yards per pass attempt allowed to opposing quarterbacks.

Bo Nix redeems himself after interception.

Throws a dot to Nate Adkins who spin moves away from Colts defense to score a touchdown for Broncos pic.twitter.com/2Or9bp4V2d

— FirstSportz NFL (@FirstSportz_NFL) December 16, 2024

And their linebackers struggled to make tackles all season, leading to many plays by opposing offenses that ended up gaining extra yardage. Poor tackling teams almost never have success in the postseason, even if they make it there, and Indy won't have a shot unless they make some major changes.

Cincinnati Bengals: Defensive Line, Cornerback, Wide Receiver*, Tight End

The Cincinnati Bengals did not have a defensive roster anyone envied in 2025. They gave up an average of 25.5 points per game in the regular season, which made it extremely difficult for them to win games. In particular, the interior defensive line struggled to create pressure or stuff run plays, and the CBs were repeatedly burned.

Jayden Daniels airing out this Bengals defense with a double move 27 yard TD to Terry McLaurin 🤌🏾

Just call him Santa Claus because he is handing off gifts 🎅🏽 @JayD__5 pic.twitter.com/hBz5avflj7

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 24, 2024

It was obvious after Week 3 that there was a serious problem, as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels eviscerated Cincinnati's secondary and led his team to dunk on the Bengals with 38 points. They fired their defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, but they'll need to make some roster improvements to be competitive again.

As a side note, if the team doesn't get to retain WR Tee Higgins, and it will be extremely hard for them to do that, they'll need to pick up someone who can serve as their WR2. Ja'Marr Chase is set to sign a historic extension, and some teams will likely throw plenty of money at Higgins. Andrei Iosivas has not played well enough to inspire confidence heading into 2025.

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