4 Teams That Can't Afford to Blow It in the 2020 NFL Draft

A handful of teams have everything on the line in the 2020 NFL draft. 

Some teams have clearly positioned this draft as the critical turning point in a rebuild, others have been forced into such a posture and some can't afford to miss on a quarterback.

With contention-worthy clubs less reliant on instant-impact draft results and not usually in a position to grab such a prospect, this will generally lean more into teams picking higher in the draft order. There's more at stake, as a rebuilding team has more to lose than a consistent playoff squad, and the higher the pick, the smaller the margin for error. 

The following teams can't afford to misplay their hand in this year's draft. Doing so could set off a chain of consequences lasting multiple years. 

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Cincinnati Bengals

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The Cincinnati Bengals don't have a ton at stake merely because the front office holds the No. 1 pick. 

This goes beyond the first pick, as the Bengals were uncharacteristically one of free agency's biggest spenders, paying up for instant-impact players D.J. Reader, Trae Waynes, Vonn Bell and Mackensie Alexander. 

Clearly, nobody in the Queen City was happy that Year 1 of the Zac Taylor era flopped to the tune of a 2-14 record. Taylor was forced to mostly inherit his predecessor Marvin Lewis' roster in a league in which resets for new coaches are the norm, which led to disastrous results.

Now the roster teardown is in full effect ahead a of draft wherein the Bengals hold the first pick in every round. They have to manage picking first to start three different days and they must also think about offering up Andy Dalton and his $17-plus million cap hit. 

This shouldn't downplay the No. 1 overall pick—the Bengals have to get it right and take quarterback Joe Burrow. Anything else risks ruining the free-agency work and draft picks after Round 1. But overall, mismanaging this draft, given the context of the picks after big free-agency spending, could derail 2020 and put a premature end to the Taylor era, potentially necessitating another reset around a new head coach. 

New York Giants

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The New York Giants seemingly have done the hard part and found a potential franchise quarterback in Daniel Jones in last year's draft. 

But the clock keeps ticking. 

It doesn't take insider knowledge to come up with the conclusion Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is on the hot seat given the team has won just nine games in the two years under his leadership. But The Athletic's Jay Glazer's recent suggestion that Gettleman has one year to turn things around is worth noting. 

And why not? The Giants have only squeaked above .500 once since 2012, an anomaly of an 11-5 season in 2016 before winning three, five and four games the following years. The latest approach under Gettleman has been an odd win-now strategy mixed with long-term building while doing questionable things such as throwing $62 million at an aging Nate Solder and picking Saquon Barkley second overall. 

The Giants pick fourth this year, and how Gettleman and Co. navigate such a draft will go a long way to deciding whether the ship turns and starts heading in the right direction. A best-player-available approach could land a key building block, but with quarterback already secure, auctioning No. 4 could mean several premium picks in return via trade.

No matter how the Giants navigate this, they're heading into Year 2 of Jones being under center during the most critical stretch of a young passer's development. Playing the draft hand correctly now could be the difference between having an above-average starter for a decade or seeking a new quarterback in the next two to three years. 

Miami Dolphins

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

For the Miami Dolphins, everything has built to this moment. 

With only one other winning season since going 11-5 in 2008, a seemingly never-ending quarterback and head coach carousel during that time span and little momentum gained as of late, the Dolphins have a ton riding on the 2020 draft. They hold 14 selections, including three-first round picks and six selections in the top 70. 

Miami boasting a treasure trove of assets also happens to coincide with future Hall of Famer Tom Brady leaving the AFC East. The Dolphins got here by selling away building blocks in defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.

Will it all be worth it? 

Much of the team's draft outcome hinges on whether the Dolphins elect to package some of the first-round selections (Nos. 5, 18, 26) and move up even higher for Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert, assuming Cincinnati indeed makes Joe Burrow the first pick. 

One could argue there's somehow even more at stake for the Dolphins than the typical team starting over with a top-five passer given the investment cost in potentially moving up if they want to guarantee themselves a specific passer. Sacrificing one or two potential first-round starters at other positions for a misfire on a quarterback now could have devastating long-term results.

As it stands, Miami has an incredible chance to remake a significant portion of its roster. But this draft will be the key moment in hindsight analysis years down the line when examining the Brian Flores era. There's an opening to finally get the franchise back on track at a good time divisionally-speaking, but just as much potential to stumble again and keep current trends going. Given the talent sacrificed to set this up, the latter would be even more devastating than usual. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Chargers are the one team here with potential to massively impact the win column immediately. 

After all, the Chargers had 12 wins in 2018 before regressing to five last season. And while the Philip Rivers era might be over, the front office has made notable win-now moves this offseason including trading for Trai Turner and getting starters in cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga in free agency. 

Now the focus turns to the draft, where the Chargers hold the sixth pick. The potential decision on a top-10 quarterback will have incredible long-term ramifications for the franchise. If the Chargers choose to ignore the position, roll with Tyrod Taylor and merely take the best player available, a big swing in the standings could come. 

But moving up for a Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert or even standing still and letting one of them fall to No. 6 could produce a meaningful quarterback competition this summer. Quietly, the Chargers have a superb cast of supporting talent around any potential rookie passer with Hunter Henry, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. 

While the Chargers have set themselves up nicely for more than a simple transition, a mishap or two in the draft could prove disastrous. Head coach Anthony Lynn, going into Year 4, could be on the hot seat quickly if this doesn't work. Besides the risk that comes with taking a rookie passer, all the spending in free agency could be for naught. Worst-case scenario is the five-win season becomes a trend instead of an anomaly, meaning the Chargers can't afford to misplay this.