David J. Phillip/Associated Press
The 2020 NFL draft may be less than a week into the past, but you can bet that NFL teams are already looking ahead to next year's edition. They may not consider tanking for a particular prospect—at least, they won't admit to it—but they can begin mapping out roster strategies for the coming season.
Knowing which positions are likely to be deep in next year's draft can help determine where a team wants to spend on long-term options. This past season, for example, teams could approach the wide receiver position knowing that the looming draft class was likely loaded.