Which teams would benefit more from an early exit from the playoffs for the sake of a higher draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?
The NFL playoffs are set to kick off this weekend with six games over three days for the Wild Card Round. The goal for each of these teams is to continue winning and hopefully end the season with a Super Bowl win.
There are a few teams, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are hoping to make one last run at a Lombardi Trophy as the window for the franchise seems to be closing. On the other end, there are teams that even though they made the playoffs seem to still be rebuilding towards sustained success.
That second group of teams, while it was great to make the playoffs, could actually benefit more from an early exit. The reason is that teams who lose in the Wild Card Round will be slotted in between picks 19 and 22.
When looking at the playoff teams this year, these are three teams that could use that higher pick than just one playoff win.