NFL Teams That Should Already Be Looking Ahead to the 2021 Draft

We're only three weeks into the 2020 NFL season, but there are already a handful of teams that might as well pack it up and starting preparing for 2021.

The 2021 NFL draft should feature several potential franchise players, including guys like Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and LSU's Ja'Marr Chase. For teams without a win this year, it's already becoming difficult to make the playoffs, so draft position will quickly become a priority for squads that continue to falter.  

Some losing teams still have hope, either because of bad injury luck or a couple of close calls that just haven't gone their way. However, the teams listed here should already be looking ahead to the 2021 draft.             

The Cincinnati Bengals were able to avoid an 0-3 start to the season this past week, but unfortunately, a tie with the Philadelphia Eagles doesn't make the team's situation a whole lot better. The Bengals have found their quarterback of the future in No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, so they surely hoped for a better start.

Three weeks into the season, Cincinnati is firmly in last place in the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens are the favorites to win the division, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0 and have a healthy Ben Roethlisberger. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns are 2-1 and have a running game that has been difficult to contain, averaging the third-most yards per game at 170.3.

Cincinnati's first three games have exposed serious weaknesses on the roster, particularly on the offensive line. Burrow has been pressured constantly, with the Bengals allowing eight sacks Sunday against the Eagles and 14 overall. Burrow may have weapons like Joe Mixon, A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, but it will be hard for the offense to do a whole lot behind the unreliable O-line.

While the start to the season has been tough for Bengals fans, the team is actually in a pretty good situation to rebuild for the future. A poor record will help them get a good draft slot. Meanwhile, Burrow is getting vital experience and playing quite well, completing 64.5 percent of his passes.

It's time for the front office to start looking ahead to the 2021 draft, particularly if the next class of offensive linemen truly is generational.                  

After being outscored by a combined 41 points in their first three games, the New York Giants might want to start looking toward the draft.

Along with an 0-3 record, the Giants lost running back Saquon Barkley in Week 2 to a torn ACL. Without their dynamic star, the Giants could only muster nine points against the San Francisco 49ers last week despite the absence of key defensive players, including reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa.

New York put up 231 total yards (compared to the Niners' 420 while being led by backup quarterback Nick Mullens) and turned over the ball three times.

While the Giants have quite a few needs to fill, but the big question is whether they will stick with Daniel Jones under center. The second-year quarterback has done an awful job of taking care of the ball, throwing four interceptions and losing to fumbles. This is after he led the league in fumbles as a rookie with 18 (the fifth-highest total in NFL history).

A quarterback who can't limit his turnovers is a detriment to an offense, and considering prospects like Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields will likely be available in 2021, the Giants will have a tough decision on their hands if they land a top draft pick despite their first-round investment in Jones.

The NFC East is technically up for grabs, with the top squads only having one win each, but the Giants haven't done anything to show that they'll be able to compete for a division title in 2020.             

Of all of the teams on this list, the Minnesota Vikings probably have the best chance of turning their season around. However, with an 0-3 start in a competitive NFC North division, it's going to be a long shot to make the playoffs.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins' inconsistency has been one of the big reasons for the team's struggles, but Minnesota couldn't even pull out a win against the Tennessee Titans with a decent showing from their QB in Week 3.

After posting a lowly 15.9 passer rating against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, Cousins threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns against the Titans. Unfortunately, his two interceptions ultimately cost his team the game. 

Defensively, the Vikings are missing their playmakers from last year. Everson Griffen (eight sacks in 2019) is with the Dallas Cowboys. Anthony Barr is out for the year with a torn pec, and Danielle Hunter is expected to miss significant time with a herniated disc that's placed him on injured reserve. The Vikings have allowed the second-most points per game in the NFL with 34.

On the bright side, rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson showed out last week with seven catches for 175 yards and a touchdown, proving that he might be a suitable replacement for Stefon Diggs. The team has a lot of young talent from this year's draft, including Jefferson, Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler and Ezra Cleveland.

The Vikings might be better off prepping for 2021 and figuring out what they want their long-term identity to be.            

The New York Jets weren't expected to make a lot of noise in 2020, but their performance through three weeks has been about as bad as it can get.

Head coach Adam Gase is firmly on the hot seat after a dreadful 0-3 start of double-digit defeats. The team has lost its three games by a margin of 94-37, and it doesn't look like things are going to get better anytime soon.

Injuries have decimated the offense, and the team had to play without its two starting tackles and top three wide receivers by the end of Sunday's game against the Colts. Sam Darnold's top targets Sunday included Lawrence Cager, an undrafted rookie who was elevated off the practice squad the day before. 

Even when the unit is healthy, wide receiver is a big need for the Jets. Players like Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman aren't mentioned among the league's top receivers, but a potential No. 1 option like LSU's Ja'Marr Chase could be an ideal weapon to draft.

The Jets will likely be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick, which will make it tempting to look at Trevor Lawrence. However, Sam Darnold is still just 23 years old and has shown flashes of being a legitimate quarterback, including with an impressive touchdown pass in Week 2 against the 49ers. 

Regardless, the Jets will have a lot of tough decisions to make, including what to do with their head coach, so they might as well start thinking about the draft sooner rather than later.        

At this point, it doesn't look like the Atlanta Falcons can hold onto lead if their lives depended on it.

For the second consecutive week, they let a sizable fourth-quarter lead dissolve before their eyes. Up 26-10 about halfway through the final frame Sunday, the Falcons let the Chicago Bears score 20 unanswered points to rally for the win. 

With an 0-3 record, the Falcons could be feeling emotionally defeated and have some serious soul-searching to do. Head coach Dan Quinn is likely on his way out in the near future, as the former Legion of Boom defensive coordinator hasn't been able to get his defense to stop giving up points. The Falcons are allowing 36 points per contest, the most in the league.

On paper, the Falcons look like a talented team with quality young pieces on both sides of the ball, including wide receiver Calvin Ridley and corner A.J. Terrell. However, franchise quarterback Matt Ryan will turn 36 years old in May, and Julio Jones is dealing with a lingering hamstring issue. 

This team is likely going to look a lot different in 2021, and the front office should get a head start on figuring out what that will look like.