Eight teams that can contend in 2025 if they nail the NFL Draft

They call it NFL Christmas because there's no telling what surprises are waiting in the draft. And the beauty of the draft is that, whether it's the first overall selection or pick No. 199, anyone could go on to become the league's next legend.

All of that fun rhetoric aside, no two drafts are created equal. Many NFL clubs are already primed for contention, no matter what happens at the end of April, and an unlucky few are probably still at least one more draft away.

Then there are those with the most to gain. Every draft presents an opportunity for also-rans to jump to the forefront, and this year is no exception.

Here are eight teams who can become contenders (to varying degrees) by nailing their 2025 draft.

Mickey Loomis' refusal to take a step backward would be admirable if it didn't feel so reckless. The Saints' general manager has once again pushed his chips in, restructuring Derek Carr's deal and signing Justin Reid in free agency. New Orleans will once again try to win the NFC South in 2025, which will mean relying on a (very) veteran core of 34-year-old Carr, 30-year-old Alvin Kamara, 36-year-old Cam Jordan, 36-year-old Demario Davis and 33-year-old Tyrann Mathieu to both stay healthy and get the job done.

It's technically possible. The Saints looked pretty good last year before the entire roster got hurt, and key pieces like Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Erik McCoy will hopefully be healthier in 2025.

You know what'd help a lot, too? An infusion of productive young players for this vet-heavy roster. They've seen this before. The Saints were stuck in the cycle of mediocrity in 2017, when Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Kamara, Alex Anzalone and Trey Hendrickson showed up at the same time,