Updated draft order after Week 16 and who the Top 10 could pick

The postseason is a distant dream for many NFL teams as we enter the final three weeks of the regular season. For as many playoff contenders as we’re still watching as they battle for seeding, there are several teams that have their sights set on the 2025 NFL Draft and how to build their rosters for the future this offseason.

When you look at teams like the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns and consider the abysmal quarterback situations they’ve found themselves in, the draft has been front and center for an unusually long time this season. Others, like the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, weren’t expected to be in this spot when the year began, but here they are, almost certain to be Top 10 picks in the 2025 draft.

Speaking of the top 10, the 2025 NFL Draft order is becoming clearer as the season draws to a close, which includes some of the high-implication results we saw in Week 16. So let’s take a look at the updated draft order before we also project even further ahead with a look at an NFL Mock Draft to see which prospects could be first off the board in late April based on which teams select early in first round.

1. New York Giants (2-13)
2. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
3. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
5. New England Patriots (3-11)
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)
7. Carolina Panthers (4-11)
8. New York Jets (4-11)
9. Chicago Bears (4-11)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
12. Dallas Cowboys (6-8)
13. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
14. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
15. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
16. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
17. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
20. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
21. Houston Texans (9-6)
22. Denver Broncos (9-6)
23. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
24. Washington Commanders (10-5)
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
26. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
27. Green Bay Packers (10-4)
28. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
29. Buffalo Bills (11-3)
30. Minnesota Vikings (12-2)
31. Detroit Lions (13-2)
32. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)

One of the big results for the top of the 2025 draft order in Week 16 was the Carolina Panthers knocking off the Arizona Cardinals in overtime. That win not only pushes the Panthers out of a Top 5 pick in the draft, but also puts a nail in the coffin for the Cardinals in terms of their playoff hopes. Arizona will now be all but locked into a Top 18 pick in the draft. And for Carolina, while getting a less valuable draft pick isn’t good, the move down the order is a sign of the much-improved vibes around this team down the stretch.

It also wasn’t that long ago that the Cincinnati Bengals were flirting with a Top 10 pick in the draft in the midst of what felt like a disastrous season. But with a win that keeps the rival Cleveland Browns in the top 5, Cincinnati keeps their own playoff chances alive and moves further back in the pecking order in the first round.

Where there were no changes, however, was at the top of the draft. The New York Giants, back to starting Drew Lock in Week 16, saw more of the same. The G-Men have been abysmal, and Michael Penix Jr. made it worse in his first start for the Atlanta Falcons with a thorough shutout of New York. They will have their pick of the litter at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft, even if the Las Vegas Raiders continue to remain neck-and-neck in terms of futility.

Quarterbacks coming off the board at 1-2 if the Giants and Raiders hang onto those spots is almost a formality. The big question will continue to be in what order they come off the board. That said, a report this week from Jeff Howe of The Athletic ($) indicated that Heisman finalist Cam Ward is clear favorite to go off the board first. While Shedeur Sanders has the bigger name and more notoriety, he offers fewer of the rare physical tools that Ward does. So we have the Giants taking Ward with Sanders going to Vegas.

As the quarterback class is top-heavy and thin, we quickly move on from the position after Ward and Sanders, with Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner, going to the Titans. There is a talent problem in Nashville, and the super athlete who plays on both sides of the ball can fill both spots in Tennessee. That leaves the Browns to then take LSU tackle Will Campbell to rebuild a failing offensive line before the Patriots get an elite weapon for Drake Maye in the form of the freaky Tetairoa McMillan.

Outside of the Top 5, Jacksonville has a major need at cornerback, and Will Johnson looks as sure as they come. That then gives the Panthers defense the potential elite playmaker they don’t currently have with Penn State’s Abdul Carter, who looks like he could become an instant double-digit sack threat as a rookie. The Jets would hope Mason Graham and Quinnen Williams, meanwhile, would be among the most dominant interior duos in the league.

The Bears would be thanking their lucky stars for having the 2025 draft play out like this for them as they need an offensive tackle to help upgrade the offensive line in front of Caleb Williams. Kelvin Banks Jr. check all these boxes. New Orleans would then round out the Top 10 with a perfect replacement for Cam Jordan, Nic Scourton, who profiles as a quality pass rusher who is as strong against the run as the veteran Saints leader has been for the defense for so many years.