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14 weeks of the 2022 NFL season have passed, and many teams need to go into 'tank mode' to secure a higher draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young, both of whom have the potential to change an NFL franchise, could be the first two players selected next year.
Teams who should be tanking are those who have no realistic shot at the playoffs and could do with finishing the year off poorly in order to obtain a more valuable draft selection.
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NFL teams who need to enter tank mode in 2022
#1 - Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are prime tank candidates, as they’ve won just one game all season through 14 weeks. Houston is clearly in a rebuild, something that could be aided by a potential top-tier quarterback like Stroud or Young.
Davis Mills has been terrible in comparison to his solid rookie campaign, albeit in a tricky situation with the Texans.
In 2022 he’s passed for just 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and was recently benched in favor of Kyle Allen before retaining his starting berth.
Bringing in a quarterback may not be the answer for Houston, but it could be a franchise-altering one if they hit the draft pick.
#2 - Indianapolis Colts
The Texans’ AFC South rivals Indianapolis Colts should also be looking to tank for the rest of the 2022 season.
Despite a season that promised so much behind new quarterback Matt Ryan and All-Pro back Jonathan Taylor, Indy has won just four games all year.
The Matt Ryan experiment clearly hasn’t paid off for the Colts, who are still looking for a long-term replacement for Andrew Luck. Since Luck’s shocking retirement prior to the 2019 season, Indianapolis has lined up with Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan in successive seasons.
The constant change can’t be helping anyone within the organization, and tanking for a franchise quarterback may be the smartest thing Indy has done since drafting Luck in the first place.
#3 - Los Angeles Rams
Despite winning the Super Bowl a year ago, the Los Angeles Rams should be looking to tank the 2022 NFL season.
L.A. has been decimated with injuries this year, with Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp both missing a substantial amount of time.
The Rams have also looked shaky on the offensive line ever since Andrew Whitworth retired, so tanking for some protection for Stafford should be a priority.
Consensus top-5 pick Parris Johnson Jr. out of Ohio State could help fill the void left by Whitworth on the offensive lineup, and give Stafford more time in the pocket.
Protecting your franchise quarterback is a priority for all teams, and tanking the season is one way to do this, especially as L.A. has a 4-9 record after 14 weeks.
