The NFL’s Top Five Tank Candidates in 2022

Which NFL teams should tank this season for a top quarterback prospect?

Whether the NFL wants to admit it or not, their current system for awarding draft picks incentivizes losing for teams at the bottom of the league. Presently, the NFL’s draft order is determined by the final standings from the previous season, with the team sporting the worst record receiving the first overall pick. As such, teams can dramatically increase their odds of picking first by losing as much as possible. This strategy is known as “tanking”, and may or may not (wink) be deployed by teams without realistic playoff aspirations.

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Tanking is especially attractive when an elite quarterback prospect projects to be available in the upcoming draft. This year’s draft didn’t offer any such prospects, with no quarterbacks going in the top ten. But next year’s draft almost certainly will. Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud are already seen by many as prospects worthy of getting taken first overall. Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson are toolsy prospects that could soar up draft boards with strong college seasons.

So, with the 2023 NFL Draft looking like a fertile one for franchise-level quarterback prospects, let’s rank the five teams that should be the most motivated to tank this season for a top pick.

1. Seattle Seahawks

When the Seahawks dealt longtime starting quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos this offseason, they announced the complete overhaul of their franchise. Wilson was the face of the team for ten seasons, making the playoffs eight times and winning one Super Bowl. Now, with Wilson gone and their roster looking shaky at best, Seattle appears set to embark on a rebuild. Head coach Pete Carroll is 70 years old, so he’ll want to get this ship righted quickly, and the best way to do that is to find your next franchise quarterback as soon as possible.

2. Atlanta Falcons

Much like the Seahawks, the Falcons are entering the potentially perilous world of starting over at quarterback. Atlanta shipped Matt Ryan, their starter for 14 long seasons, to this Indianapolis Colts this offseason in an effort to forge a new identity. Second-year general manager Terry Fontonot and second-year head coach Arthur Smith are looking to rebuild the Falcons in their image, and they’ll need their very own franchise quarterback to do so. Rookie third-round pick Desmond Ridder and 2015 second-overall pick Marcus Mariota will both have an opportunity to make their case this season, but look for Atlanta to be in the hunt for the likes of Young or Stroud next April.

3. Houston Texans

The Texans are another team fresh off of trading away their former franchise quarterback. The embroiled Deshaun Watson is now with the Cleveland Browns, leaving Houston with uncertainty at quarterback. 2021 third-round pick Davis Mills played above expectation as a rookie, so he’ll have this year to show Texans brass he deserves to be their long-term starter. He’ll have a pretty porous roster to work with, however. If he struggles, the Texans will look to the 2023 draft to find their next quarterback.

4. Detroit Lions

Finally we get a team that didn’t just move on from their long-time quarterback. Detroit is now a year removed from sending their decade-plus starter Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. In the deal the Lions had to take back quarterback Jared Goff, and more importantly his mammoth contract.  Detroit has little other option but to pay and play Goff through this season, but next offseason the Lions can get out of his contract while eating a just $10-million dead cap hit. That should free them up to pursue a rookie-contract quarterback in next year’s draft. They should be plenty bad enough to do so.

5. New York Giants

The Giants have finally put the unsuccessful Dave Gettleman era in the rearview mirror, bringing in first-year general manager Joe Schoen and first-year head coach Brian Daboll to helm the next phase of Giants football. One prominent remnant from Gettleman’s regime is quarterback Daniel Jones, who is entering his fourth NFL season. New York’s new brass chose to decline the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, which is a clear sign that they’re ready and willing to move on from his after this season. Unless Jones plays well enough to force the Giants franchise tag him or hand him a brand new contract, Big Blue will be looking for a new signal caller for 2023.

– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.