NFL: How the draft and the offseason can shift the balance of power for the upcoming season

The NFL never really stops. Even if there are 6 long months between the Super Bowl and the first game of the following season, the front offices are always busy. The NFL Draft, in April, and offseason moves consistently serve as turning points for franchises, often reshaping the balance of power ahead of the upcoming season. Targeted picks, key acquisitions, and the return of injured players can turn a non-playoff team into a serious title contender. Or vice versa, obviously. For insights into how these changes impact betting odds and team projections, could be useful to visit https://www.sportsgrid.com/betting, where it is possible to read all the latest roster updates from all around the league, getting to know each and every draft pick better and, obviously, consulting the odds to check the oscillations.

The most relevant moves made during free agency

Even if the NFL free agency is still open, a lot of relevant moves have already been made. This is not surprising at all. Teams with enough money to spend and clear needs tend to move as early as possible, in order to acquire the best players available and immediately strengthen their roster. The NFL Draft is full of future superstars, but scouts can’t always accurately judge a youngster’s talent. Moving for a veteran can bring in a lot of advantages.

Some analysts already pointed out the most relevant moves of 2025 free agency according to them and, while it’s easy to disagree on some of those, there have been some win-win developments. It’s difficult, for example, to not consider the double renewal of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in Cincinnati as one of the biggest splashes. The Bengals consolidated their receiving core and kept two of their most lethal weapons around, for the joy of quarterback Joe Burrow. Of course, it means that they’ll have less to spend on defense, but they can count on the draft for that.

And what about the Ben Johnson hire in Chicago? The Bears have a young roster, full of talent, but they disappointed (a lot) last season. So why not bring in the most talked offensive coordinator in the league and appoint him head coach? The fanbase is galvanized and players like Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze can’t wait for training camp to begin. Chicago will be a team to watch next autumn.

The path to the draft

The upcoming draft (scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin) seems less entertaining than last year’s one. The reason is the lack of clear threats in the quarterbacking position, the most important role in American football. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will be called pretty early, as usual, simply because they play the position, but neither of them seem like a clear superstar. We can say the same about Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe, who are respectively called late in the first round and at the midpoint of the second in our latest mock draft. The elite players, this year, play in different roles.

One of the most interesting prospects is clearly Travis Hunter, a rare dual threat who can play as a wide receiver and/or as a cornerback. In college it is not rare to see someone play offense and defense but in the NFL it never happens. The coaches simply put each player in a single position and that’s it: specialise is the way between the pros. It would be pretty fun to see a player never leave the field in the league and we will wait to see if the franchise who calls Hunter will use him this way.

Another probable superstar is Abdul Carter, edge from Penn State. He could dominate at the next level as he already did in the NCAA thanks to his power and determination. The best lineman are called early, just like the quarterbacks, because they are extremely valuable, even if they almost never play the ball. 

Getting a Travis Hunter or an Abdul Carter can immediately elevate a franchise and bring it to the next level but, obviously, football is a team sport and a single player doesn’t change a lot if his teammates are not good enough to win in a league stacked with unbelievable athletes.