Since the NFL is a league built on constant roster turnover, finding talent in the draft is essential for everyone to succeed. The best teams are those that can do it every year, though it's so hard to do when the process is an educated crapshoot.
It's also true as the 2015 draft inches closer that some teams need more help than others. A team like Seattle, which is loaded with young talent and depth, gave up its first-round pick for a dynamic tight end to bolster the offense. No one will expect much from the Seahawks' draft class.
When you look at the NFL right now, from the top to the bottom, most franchises have at least one massive hole that needs to be plugged if they want to win a championship.
In this instance, our latest mock draft analysis will focus on the teams that are more desperate than anyone else to make their top picks instant-impact players.
San Francisco 49ers
There was a time not that long ago when the 49ers wouldn't have sniffed a list like this. Even with the loss of Jim Harbaugh, who is being replaced by Jim Tomsula, and Patrick Willis' retirement, the San Francisco roster still looked capable of vying for a playoff spot as long as Colin Kaepernick grew as a pocket passer.
Then came the sudden, shocking retirement of Chris Borland, who was going to take over Willis' role at inside linebacker, which put the final nail in the coffin of what has been a disastrous offseason for a franchise that was in the NFC Championship game just 15 months ago.
B/R's Mike Freeman went so far as to say that this may be the worst offseason any franchise has had in NFL history:
What's important now is the speed of the unraveling of this franchise. I spoke to a handful of front office people, and no one could ever remember an offseason atomization like this. The Ray Rice debacle with the Ravens was mentioned. The Ray Lewis murder charge was mentioned. But those situations, as chaotic as they were, involved just one player.
It is likely unprecedented to see a franchise go through this level of discombobulation. Some of the issues are blameless, others are not.
This is still a roster with talented players on both sides of the ball. Hopefully, NaVorro Bowman will return to play at the level he was before having his knee torn apart in that 2014 NFC title game against Seattle. Darnell Dockett joins a defensive line that still has Aldon Smith and may have Justin Smith, who still hasn't decided on retirement.
Kaepernick is as physically gifted as any quarterback in the NFL, if he can learn to calm down in the pocket. Anquan Boldin is as reliable as any receiver in the league. Carlos Hyde will get his chance as the No. 1 running back. Torrey Smith adds a speed element this receiving corps hasn't had in years.
There are elements that can make the 49ers a quality team, but the depth has been lost through retirements and free-agent departures.
ESPN's Louis Riddick did note that the 49ers should be able to keep playing the draft like they have in recent years, going after depth as well as impact:
In order for the 49ers to get back to being one of the top teams in the NFL, they absolutely need to hit on their first pick this year. They can go in a number of directions, from offensive line to wide receiver to defensive line, but getting someone who can play right away with impact talent is critical.
As good as general manager Trent Baalke has been at finding value after the first round, he's been erratic with top picks. Smith and Eric Reid have been key starters for the defense. The jury is still out on Jimmie Ward, but A.J. Jenkins (2012) did nothing before being traded to Kansas City in 2013.
Some would argue that hitting on two top picks in four years is great, which would be valid, but getting nothing from another pick and waiting to see on another balance the scales.
There's not a lack of talent in San Francisco, but getting impact to keep up with rising teams like St. Louis and Arizona, not to mention the loaded Seahawks, is essential for this franchise to avoid falling further behind the steep NFC West curve.
New Orleans Saints
Before trading Jimmy Graham to Seattle, the Saints probably wouldn't have made a list of teams needing to hit on their first-round pick. That didn't mean they were a Super Bowl team, but the offense was good enough to get them in the playoffs in a weak NFC South.
Now, after making additional moves in addition to acquiring an extra first-round pick from the Seahawks, it's obvious the Saints are leaning toward tearing the whole thing down and starting over.
As noted by Mike Sando of ESPN, the Saints need to hit this year in the draft simply because it hasn't been a priority for the franchise in years:
The Saints' move to stockpile draft choices by trading away Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills marks a reversal from recent seasons. New Orleans has selected a league-low 28 players in the past five drafts. The other 31 teams have made 40.1 selections on average over that span, led by the Eagles, 49ers and Seahawks with 48 each. The gap between 48 picks and 28 picks helps explain why the Saints' roster was atrophied.
The only thing stopping a full-scale rebuild is Drew Brees' presence at quarterback. He's 36 years old and doesn't have time to wait for young talent to develop if he wants a shot at another championship, which brings things back to the draft picks.
Since Brees doesn't appear to be going anywhere, the clear focus has to be on upgrading the defense. Even without Graham, the offense still has a talented receiving corps led by Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks. C.J. Spiller and Mark Ingram are a solid running back tandem. Max Unger will shore up the offensive line.
The Saints were awful on defense thanks in large part to an inability to tackle. According to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus, no defense had a worse ratio of missed tackles per snap than New Orleans (0.136).
Sean Payton simply needs to find players who can wrap up an opposing player. Shane Ray would be a nice addition to the defense because he specializes in rushing the passer, even though Dane Brugler of CBS Sports says that might be a hindrance to the Missouri star's draft potential:
That one skill is precisely why the Saints would love Ray, because defensive coordinator Rob Ryan loves to send pressure whenever he can. It does leave his secondary vulnerable if pass-rushers aren't getting to the quarterback, but Ray will upgrade the unit.
As far as what to do with the No. 31 pick, the Saints can really play it however they want. Byron Jones makes sense because he's an underrated cornerback who can develop alongside Brandon Browner, who will teach him how to play physically.
Just hope that Jones doesn't develop all of Browner's traits, like the inability to avoid at least one pass-interference call per game.
Tennessee Titans
Finally, it's time for the Titans to get their act together.
The recent first-round history for this franchise is not pretty. Taylor Lewan still deserves time before being properly judged, but 2011-13 features one player who retired (Jake Locker), one bust (Chance Warmack) and one OK contributor (Kendall Wright).
Ken Whisenhunt's draft plan may not be known yet, but he can go in one of two directions with the second overall pick, each of which would be justified.
There's the potential to just go after the best player available, which is likely to be USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams. With a franchise featuring as little high-upside talent as the Titans, stockpiling a roster with players who fit the bill of "best available" when your pick rolls around makes sense.
But there's also the nagging question of what to do at quarterback, which brings us to the Titans' possibly taking whoever doesn't go to Tampa Bay: Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota.
In this scenario, Winston is off the board, so Mariota would be the pick. Zach Mettenberger may be an appealing option for Whisenhunt to work with, possibly making the "best player available" theory more likely.
However, as noted by Brugler in one of his mock drafts for CBS Sports, the upside of Mariota is hard to ignore:
Given the tough adjustment Mariota will have to make in Whisenhunt's offense, this unquestionably is a roll of the dice. But if Tennessee is going to take a significant step forward in the AFC South, it must improve at quarterback and Mariota has the tools to become a star.
It seems some analysts are down on Mariota because of a mediocre pro day. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said it wasn't impressive, via Bryan Fischer of NFL.com: "The feedback was it's not a great workout. It is what it is. He threw the ball better at the combine in my opinion. It was a little bit underwhelming."
Jeremiah also mentions the scouting combine, which was a better day for Mariota, and why panicking about a pro day is pointless.
There's a chance Mariota can turn into a colossal bust, but you can say that about any draft prospect. The potential for what he can be is so high because there are elements of his game that no one can match, Winston included.
For better and worse, quarterbacks change the dynamic of a franchise. If you have one, it's easy to compete for a playoff spot. Without one, you fall into the position Tennessee has found itself in for years.
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