In October, we all hope for one thing from our NFL teams: competency. Because it’s still so, so early in the season, we just hope they’re relevant and in the playoff picture, gradually improving every week and showing quality progress. The time to give up hope — if it comes around — should ideally be in mid-to-late December at the absolute earliest.
None of this toxic positivity applies to these five depressing NFL squads, who should probably, at least, start putting some feelers out for the 2024 draft in April. They’re delusional if they haven’t already begun.
The arguable top player available in the upcoming draft will be USC quarterback Caleb Williams. As the reigning Heisman Trophy winner (and perhaps someone who will go back-to-back), the overarching sentiment is that Williams will be someone who shifts a franchise’s fortunes overnight. He just might be that field-tilting quarterback who will give one fortunate NFL team a much-needed fresh start. Presumably, barring any dramatic shifts in prospect evaluation in the coming months, Williams will very likely be the next No. 1 overall selection.
With that in mind, let’s examine the current saddest group of teams in professional football and break down why (or why not) they’ll have a chance to draft Williams in the spring. Note: The list below is in no particular order and is not a ranking of anyone’s chances.