At least that’s what 18 NFL teams will be telling themselves heading into the weekend. They were denied entry in the dance, left out in the cold to wonder what went wrong. It was injuries for some and bad luck for others, with a tiny collection that never stood a chance.

The NFL playoffs were out of their league right from the opening kick in training camp. While the remaining group of 14 clash for the chance to become champions, everyone else is thinking about how they can get to the other side of that red velvet rope.

Perhaps this year’s bottom dwellers hit the gym in the new year and experience that coveted “glow-up” that so many crave. While free agency steals headlines, those are temporary fixes, like your fad diets. No amount of Ozempic can cure this.

The NFL draft is where lasting change happens, where champions are built. If teams want to earn entry into the cool kids club, they need to make the right picks during the last weekend in April.