This is where things get… awkward.
Teams picking ninth through 12th usually don’t expect to be here — and for franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and Dallas Cowboys, selecting this high signals a season that fell short of expectations.
These aren’t rebuilding rosters (other than the Miami Dolphins).
These are teams with established franchise quarterbacks, strong cores, and playoff aspirations. But something broke — whether it was injuries, defensive regression, cap strain, coaching turnover, or roster imbalance.
That’s what makes this range fascinating.
These front offices aren’t drafting for survival. They’re drafting to recalibrate. The goal isn’t to build a foundation — it’s to fix what prevented a deep playoff run.
And unlike the teams at the very top, these organizations must balance immediate impact with long-term cap sustainability. Extensions are looming. Core players are aging. Windows don’t stay open forever.
In this batch, we break down:
- The biggest roster holes for each franchise
- Contract situations and future cap implications
- Which positions should be prioritized for veterans and rookies
- Potential fantasy football implications
These are the teams that don’t want to be here — but could use this draft slot to reload in a big way.
Up next: the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Dallas Cowboys.
Salary cap contract information provided by Spotrac.
Pick 9: Kansas City Chiefs
2026 Free Agents:
- QB: Gardner Minshew
- RB: Kareem Hunt, Dameon Pierce, Isiah Pacheco, Keaontay Ingram (RFA)
- WR: Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Nikko Remigio (ERFA)
- TE: Travis Kelce, Robert Tonyan Jr.
- OL: G Mike Caliendo (RFA)
- EDGE: Charles Omenihu, Janarius Robinson
- DL: Jerry Tillery, Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel
- LB: Jack Cochrane, Leo Chenal, Cole Christiansen (ERFA)
- CB: Nazeeh Johnson, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Eric Scott Jr. (ERFA)
- S: Bryan Cook, Deon Bush, Mike Edwards
- ST: James Winchester, Matt Araiza (ERFA)
2027 Free Agents:
- QB: Jake Haener (RFA), Chris Oladokun (ERFA)
- RB: ShunDerrick Powell (ERFA)
- WR: Rashee Rice, Jason Brownlee (RFA), Andrew Armstrong (ERFA), Jimmy Holiday (ERFA)
- TE: Tre Watson (ERFA)
- OL: RT Jawaan Taylor, RT Jaylon Moore, LT Wanya Morris, RT Matt Waletzko (RFA), G C.J. Hanson (ERFA), OT Ethan Driskell (RFA), OT Esa Pole (ERFA), OT Chukwuebuka Godrick (ERFA)
- EDGE: Michael Danna, Felix Anudike-Uzomah (CLUB), Tyreke Smith (ERFA), Ethan Downs (ERFA)
- DL: Zacch Pickens (RFA), Marcus Harris (ERFA)
- LB: Drue Tranquill, Kam Arnold (ERFA)
- CB: Kristian Fulton, Trent McDuffie, Chamarri Conner, Kevin Knowles (ERFA), Melvin Smith Jr. (ERFA)
- S: Tanner McCalister (RFA), Christian Roland-Wallace (RFA)
Team Needs: EDGE, DT, WR, TE, RB, CB, S
KC only has two WRs on the roster who are under contract in 2027 – Jalen Royals and Xavier Worthy.
Rashee Rice continues to put himself in legal trouble and cannot be a trusted long-term asset to KC.
Meanwhile, Travis Kelce needs a new contract should he decide not to retire. He will be entering his age-37 season in 2026.
Both of last year’s starting RBs are also impending free agents.
KC will have to add skill-position players this offseason to help their QB, who is coming off a season-ending torn ACL and LCL injury.
With the ninth overall pick, KC could very much make a splashy fantasy football acquisition.
Or we could see Bradshard Smith’s ADP literally go to the moon.
The team has already replaced offensive coordinator Matt Nagy with a familiar face in Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy has spent time with the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders over the last several seasons, so he has some connections to veteran RBs like D’Andre Swift and Brian Robinson Jr.
DeMarco Murray was hired as the new RBs coach (spent the last five years at his alma mater, Oklahoma, as the RBs coach).
RBs he coached over that span include Kentucky’s Seth McGowan, veteran Eric Gray, and Oklahoma’s Jaydn Ott. Obviously, he can provide insight on some of these former Sooner RBs (especially the incoming rookies).
Murray was seemingly a big fan of McGowan early on in the RB’s college career before he got dismissed from the OU program for committing a felony (larceny).
Offensive line also remains a priority given how things unraveled for this unit in 2025 (injuries). The personnel remain intact from last year…but solving the RT spot long-term needs to be addressed.
Tackles Jawaan Taylor and Jaylon Moore will be FAs in 2027. Taylor might just be cut outright as the Chiefs look to get under the salary cap. Taylor has been penalized 56 times since joining KC in 2023. Woof.
Defensively, KC is rumored to be in the market for a big-bodied pass rusher. According to Arrowhead Pride, the DL struggled in 2025 in both pass rush and run defense. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the Chiefs were interested in acquiring Seahawks free agent Boye Mafe before the 2025 trade deadline.
Expect multiple defensive line bodies to come to KC this offseason.
I should note that KC will already be in a better position than last year with defensive linemen such as Omarr Norma-Lott and Felix Anudike-Uzomah returning from injuries.
The secondary also needs help (but this is the perfect draft to need defensive backs). Jaylen Watson is a free agent. Trent McDuffie is in the final year of his rookie contract (playing on the fifth-year option).
Starting safety Bryan Cook is also a free agent.
Pick 10: Cincinnati Bengals
2026 Free Agents:
2027 Free Agents:
- QB: Sean Clifford (RFA)
- RB: Samaje Perine, Gary Brightwell, Chase Brown
- WR: Charlie Jones, Mitchell Tinsley (ERFA), Andrei Iosivas, Ke’Shawn Williams (ERFA), Xavier Johnson (ERFA), Jordan Moore (ERFA)
- TE: Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, Cam Grandy (RFA)
- OL: LT Orlando Brown Jr., LT Cody Ford, C Ted Karras, RT Javon Foster (ERFA), RT Andrew Coker (ERFA), C Jacob Bayer (ERFA)
- EDGE: Myles Murphy (CLUB), Isaiah Foskey (RFA), Antwaun Powell-Ryland (ERFA)
- DL: Tedarrell Slaton, Howard Cross (ERFA)
- LB: Oren Burks, Joe Giles-Harris, Shaka Heyward (ERFA), Liam Anderson (ERFA)
- CB: Daxton Hill, D.J. Turner, Bralyn Lux (ERFA), D.J. Ivey
- S: Jordan Battle, Russ Yeast, P.J. Jules (ERFA), Jalen Kimber (ERFA)
- ST: Ryan Rehkow (RFA)
Team Needs: EDGE, DT, LB, S, IOL
Say it with me. DEFENSE. No defense has more missed tackles than the Bengals did in 2025. Dead last in rushing yards allowed per game (147.1).
Aside from their No. 1 CB, DJ Turner (also entering the last year of his contract), this defense has nothing going right for it in 2025.
Trey Hendrickson is not coming back. Joseph Ossai led the team in pressures but he’s hitting free agency. DT BJ Hill is rumored to be a cut candidate (The Athletic).
The linebackers and safeties on this team were abysmal (hence why they were so bad versus tight ends). The back-end was constantly giving up huge plays. Starting safety Geno Stone is a free agent. Nickel cornerback Jalen Davis is also a free agent.
Second-year defensive coordinator Al Golden is going to have his work cut out for him. But at least the defense did show signs of improvement later down the stretch. Keep in mind that the Bengals don’t have many defensive free agents because they have a lot of young players starting (particularly at linebacker/cornerback) in 2025.
Golden was the former DC at Notre Dame from 2022-2024, so don’t overlook the connection in this year’s class with incoming rookies like OG Billy Schrauth and safety Jalen Stroman.
The offense is stacked across the skill positions, so everything Cincy does this offseason needs to be built around improving the defensive side of the football. Worth noting that their offensive line has holes on the interior, with center Ted Karras also entering the last year of his contract in 2026.
You could also see the Bengals look at RB – but with both Chase Brown and Samaje Perine under contract for 2026, I think this is an issue they kick down the road. Still, always a chance they will shake up the backfield by selecting one of these highly coveted Notre Dame RBs.
Pain.
Pick 11: Miami Dolphins
2026 Free Agents:
- QB: Zach Wilson
- RB: Alexander Mattison
- WR: Tyreek Hill, Nick Westbrook, D’Wayne Eskridge, Cedrick Wilson
- TE: Darren Waller, Greg Dulcich, Julian Hill (RFA)
- OL: G James Daniels, RT Larry Borom, G Liam Eichenberg, RT Kendall Lamm, G Germain Ifedi, G Daniel Brunskill, G Cole Strange, LT Yodny Cajuste, OT Obinna Eze (ERFA)
- EDGE: Quinton Bell, Cameron Goode (RFA)
- DL: Benito Jones, Matthew Butler (RFA)
- LB: K.J. Britt, Willie Gay Jr., Caleb Johnson
- CB: Kader Kohou, Rasul Douglas, Artie Burns, Jack Jones, A.J. Green, Ethan Bonner (ERFA)
- S: Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ashtyn Davis, Elijah Campbell
- ST: Jake Bailey, Joe Cardona, Riley Patterson
2027 Free Agents:
- QB: Cam Miller (ERFA)
- RB: Devon Achane
- WR: Terrace Marshall, Theo Wease Jr. (ERFA)
- TE: Cole Turner (RFA)
- OL: OT Austin Jackson, C Aaron Brewer, G Kion Smith, RT Carter Warren (RFA), C Andrew Meyer (RFA)
- LB: Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, Jackson Woodard (ERFA)
- CB: Julius Brents, Storm Duck (RFA), Ethan Robinson (ERFA), Isaiah Johnson (ERFA), Jason Maitre (ERFA)
- S: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jordan Colbert (ERFA)
- ST: Jason Sanders, Alec Ingold
Team Needs: QB, CB, S, WR, TE, IOL, EDGE, DT
One of the first things new head coach and former Packers DC Jeff Hafley mentioned after being hired by the Miami Dolphins was his core beliefs: running the ball and being really physical upfront. Spoken like a true defensive-minded head coach. This also matched the tone from new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan.
“We want to build this team from the inside out.”
Seems pretty obvious that these two former Green Bay staffers have a clear, concise vision for how they want to shape this roster. Build an environment where a QB can succeed first… before diving headfirst into aggressively pursuing a specific QB.
Seventeen games of second-year Quinn Ewers to ensure a top draft pick in 2027? Buckle up.
Sullivan specifically mentioned that they will look to invest in QB every year. They will draft QBs every year, if not every other year. Make the QB room as deep as possible.
They do not want to put a QB in a position where he is getting killed behind a bad offensive line or has nobody to throw to.
Miami has already been busy getting ahead of free agency, cutting ties with multiple veterans to create more manageable salary-cap space.
Even though the new regime didn’t completely rule out Tua Tagovailoa as a QB option initially, the writing is on the wall that it’s time up in Miami for the southpaw passer. “Ideally,” they trade him.
Malik Willis is the buzziest free agent QB in this year’s crop after showing out in a limited capacity with the Packers. The new HC and GM are both coming from Green Bay.
Bobby Slowik is the new OC (promoted in 2026 from the Dolphins’ pass game coordinator).
They want to establish the run, which both the Packers/Dolphins offenses did last year at a top-six rate. Throw the return of the fullback and a dual-threat QB…Well, Willis could be a fun offensive piece in South Beach.
Slowik was in Houston before spending last season wth Miami (with San Fran before that). There’s a connection with Davis Mills as a potential trade target, given how well he played last year, filling in for an injured C.J. Stroud. He is also a free agent in 2027.
Jimmy Garoppolo could also be a stopgap option for the Dolphins. Familiar with the Kyle Shanahan scheme. Slowik was with SF from 2017 to 2022 (overlapping exactly with Jimmy G’s tenure with the Niners).
Kevin Patullo spent last year with the Eagles as their OC (yikes) and is the new passing game coordinator for Miami. Another connection could be to look at acquiring Tanner McKee.
Bush Hamdan is the new QBs coach (former Kentucky OC, Boise State OC, and Missouri coach). Obviously spent a lot of time in the college game.
Some draft-eligible prospects that overlapped with Hamdan include Seth McGowan, Eric McAlister, Taylen Green, Jalen Farmer, Jager Burton, DeaMonte Trayanum, Dane Key, and Barion Brown.
Miami has also reportedly been looking at CBs in this year’s draft class (Tony Pauline). This is a no-brainer considering the current state of the Dolphins’ secondary. They have massive holes all over the secondary at both CB and safety. They are also floating Minkah Fitzpatrick in trades as he enters the last year of his contract.
Miami traded Jaelan Phillips before last year’s trade deadline and already cut Bradley Chubb (third and first, respectively, in pressures generated). That might create some need for more defensive line help, but the Dolphins have a decent young defensive front, headlined by Kenneth Grant and Chop Robinson.
Still, their struggles versus the run last season suggest that defensive tackle will remain an option. It’s not that they have pressing roster needs at defensive line, but rather a desire to make that unit just better. I still think EDGE is the most pressing, given that defensive tackles Grant, Zach Sieler, and Jordan Phillips are under contract for the next two seasons.
Across the offensive line, it’s mostly the interior that needs the most work. They need a starting guard, without much depth at that position, currently on the roster. Aaron Brewer and Austin Jackson will hit FA in 2027.
Also, according to PFF, rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea earned a 14.1 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked dead last among all guards this season.
WR/TE are obvious, given the lack of depth on the offensive roster. They essentially have no tight end of note…and Jaylen Waddle is the last man standing among the WRs.
Pick 12: Dallas Cowboys
2026 Free Agents:
- RB: Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders
- WR: George Pickens, Jalen Tolbert
- OL: G Robert Jones, LT Hakeem Adeniji, C Brock Hoffman (RFA), G T.J. Bass (RFA)
- EDGE: Dante Fowler Jr., Jadeveon Clowney, Payton Turner, Sam Williams
- LB: Kenneth Murray, Jack Sanborn
- CB: C.J. Goodwin, Corey Ballentine, Reddy Steward (ERFA)
- S: Donovan Wilson, Juanyeh Thomas (RFA), Josh Butler (ERFA)
- ST: Brandon Aubrey (RFA)
2027 Free Agents:
Team Needs: RB, LB, CB, S, EDGE, WR, OT
The Dallas offense was a wagon in 2025. But they have key pieces from last year’s unit that are hitting the open market between George Pickens and Javonte Williams.
Pickens is the priority, and I think it’s more likely than not that Dallas finds a way to keep him around, even if they use the franchise tag to buy more time to construct a long-term deal.
Williams had a renaissance with the Cowboys in 2025, but Big D has had major issues with paying RBs since Ezekiel Elliott. They let guys like Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle walk.
If Williams is let go…they will need to bolster the RB room.
On the offensive line, all five starters are back from last season. In fact, the offensive line is intact for the next two seasons with so many guys on lower-cost rookie contracts. Big D continues to build a strong offensive line.
RT Terrance Steele is really the only position Dallas might look for a future replacement for. LT Tyler Guyton has also not lived up to his first-round expectations since being drafted in 2024.
But the defense is hardly in good shape. Particularly the secondary.
Daltas’ defense flashed with some of its young pass rushers in 2025, such as Donovan Ezeiruaku.
But they are losing a lot of edge rusher depth between Dante Fowler Jr., Jadeveon Clowney, and Sam Williams
Acquiring Quinnen Williams was also a huge boost to the defensive interior alongside Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa.
But the secondary was routinely shredded by opposing passers. Rookie CB Shavon Reveal was coming off an injury, so there’s still time for him to contribute in his second season (first full season healthy).
However, safety Donovan Wilson led the team in snaps played and needs a new deal. Malik Hooker is in the last year of his deal. According to The Athletic, cutting him would free up to $6.8 million in cap space.
LB Kenneth Murray was also awful in 2025. He needs to be replaced.
Dallas has two opportunities to help their defense in the first round of this year’s draft with picks 12 and 20. But note that Dallas could very well be a team that trades back, given that it does not have any picks in Rounds 2 or 3.
New and first-time defensive coordinator Christian Parker will need to be up for the challenge. Parker is coming over from the Eagles after serving as the Broncos DBs coach from 2021 to 2023.
Coming from Philly, nobody should be surprised if Dallas looks to follow in the Eagles’ drafting footsteps by selecting former Georgia Bulldogs.
The new linebackers coach for Dallas spent his last three seasons with Georgia. C.J. Allen, you are a Dallas Cowboy.
Also FWIW, the new Cowboys secondary coach, Ryan Smith, recruited Mansoor Delane at Virginia Tech before he transferred to LSU.
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