Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Sunday’s action provided more clarity on a number of fronts relating to the playoff pushes in each conference. The list of teams still in contention for the top pick in the 2026 draft remains long, however.
Week 15 saw the Broncos and Rams clinch a postseason berth. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, Bengals and Vikings have each officially been eliminated from the playoffs. They will join the group of teams turning their attention to offseason planning. That of course includes extensive evaluation of the top prospects in this year’s class; several have already turned pro (with some exceptions).
Sunday’s results mean there are nine teams with two, three or four wins. Each of them remain candidates to secure the No. 1 selection, although victories by the Saints and Commanders yesterday will greatly hinder their chances of moving to the top of the order. Jockeying amongst teams like the Raiders, Jets and Cardinals (each on track to pursue a new quarterback this spring) will be a storyline worth following closely down the stretch.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is an updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
- Tennessee Titans (2-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-11)
- New York Jets (3-11)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
- New Orleans Saints (4-10)
- Washington Commanders (4-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Miami Dolphins (6-8)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (6-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-7)
- Carolina Panthers (7-7)
- Detroit Lions (8-6)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
- Houston Texans (9-5)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Buffalo Bills (10-4)
- Chicago Bears (10-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- New England Patriots (11-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-2)
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/13/25
Here are today’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for Week 15’s Sunday slate of games:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: T Christian Jones
- Elevated: WR Jalen Brooks, WR Trent Sherfield
- Placed on IR: DT Bilal Nichols
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Dane Jackson, DE Andre Jones Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: LB Isaiah Simmons
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: OL Garrett Dellinger
- Elevated: S Chris Edmonds, DT Maurice Hurst
- Waived: WR Jamari Thrash
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: LB Jordan Turner
- Elevated: WR Michael Bandy, QB Sam Ehlinger
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: TE Shane Zylstra
- Elevated: S Erick Hallett, TE Giovanni Ricci
- Placed on IR: S Brian Branch (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: RB Pierre Strong
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: TE Harrison Bryant
- Elevated: RB Jawhar Jordan, S K’Von Wallace
- Waived: RB Cody Schrader
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: G C.J. Hanson
- Elevated: T Chukwuebuka Godrick, DT Zacch Pickens
- Placed on IR: T Wanya Morris (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson, G Atonio Mafi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: WR Dalevon Campbell, S Marcus Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: S Tanner Ingle
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: RB D’Ernest Johnson
- Elevated: DT Leonard Taylor
- Placed on IR: RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Kevin Austin, K Charlie Smyth
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: WR Dalen Cambre, OLB Tomon Fox
- Elevated: DT Elijah Chatman, P Cameron Johnston
- Placed on IR: OLB Victor Dimukeje, CB Nic Jones
- Waived: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Cam Jones
- Elevated: CB Tre Brown, QB Adrian Martinez
- Placed on IR: CB Azareye’h Thomas
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: S Andre’ Sam
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: DE Rylie Mills
- Elevated: RB Velus Jones
- Placed on IR: TE Elijah Arroyo
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: T John Ojukwu
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Darius Rush
Nichols began the year on the reserve/PUP list. The eight-year veteran has been hampered by injuries since signing with the Cardinals in 2024. After playing just six games last year, Nichols’ 2025 campaign will end after only four appearances.
Bryant makes his return to the Texans’ offense to replenish a thinned out tight ends group, while in Seattle, the Seahawks place their second-round rookie tight end, Arroyo, on injured reserve with a knee injury.
In Buffalo, this will be Jackson’s third and final standard gameday practice squad elevation. If the team wants to see him in another game this season, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster. The same is true for Strong in Green Bay, Jackson and Mafi in Las Vegas, Smyth in New Orleans, Sam in Philadelphia, and Jones in Seattle.
On the flip side of that, in Denver, Turner has been signed to the 53-man roster after running out of elevations last week.
Thomas suffered a shoulder injury in Week 14 and it will end his season. The third-round rookie confirmed on social media today he is set to undergo surgery in the near future. Thomas made five starts in 2025, totaling 22 tackles and seven pass deflections.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Week 14’s action brought about a few notable updates to the standings at both ends of the NFL’s conferences. Another four teams are officially out of playoff contention, while wins by Tennessee and New Orleans could prove to be rather important once the campaign has ended.
The Jets, Browns, Falcons and Commanders were eliminated from the postseason through the results of recent days. Of course, each of those teams have been out of the running for a playoff push for some time now. Still, that group will be worth watching closely over the closing four weeks of the season as the top-10 order for Day 1 of the draft gradually comes into focus.
Uncertainty regarding the quarterback class of 2026 will no doubt remain a talking point over the coming months. Fernando Mendoza strengthened his case to be QB1 in April’s draft, although it remains to be seen if other top signal-callers like Dante Moore and Ty Simpson will turn pro or elect to remain in school for one more season. Decisions on those fronts will be central storylines carrying significant implications for the teams near the top of the order which find themselves in need of a quarterback investment.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.
Here is an updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-11)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
- Tennessee Titans (2-11)
- Cleveland Browns (3-10)
- New Orleans Saints (3-10)
- Washington Commanders (3-10)
- New York Jets (3-10)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
- Minnesota Vikings (5-8)
- Miami Dolphins (6-7)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)
- Carolina Panthers (7-6)
- Detroit Lions (8-5)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-5)
- Houston Texans (8-5)
- Chicago Bears (9-4)
- Buffalo Bills (9-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-3)
- New England Patriots (11-2)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-3)
- Denver Broncos (11-2)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/9/25
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Steven Sims
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB MJ Devonshire
- Released: OL Nick Broeker
Chicago Bears
- Released: RB Royce Newman
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Darrian Dalcourt, DT Keith Cooper Jr.
- Released: DE Ochaun Mathis, LB Mark Robinson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Sincere McCormick, WR Kyrese Rowan
- Released: OT Marques Cox
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Troy Pride Jr.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: DT Kyle Peko
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: TE Nick Muse
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB K.C. Ossai
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Josh Ross
New York Giants
- Signed: P Cameron Johnston
- Released: CB Myles Purchase
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Kingsley Jonathan
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Nate Lynn, TE Cole Turner
- Placed on IR: TE Joel Wilson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR Chris Moore
- Released: WR River Cracraft
Giants punter Jamie Gillan is dealing with an injury, so they brought in several punters to try out on Tuesday. Johnston emerged as the best of the group and will be on hand for punting duties in Week 15 if Gillan is not healthy enough to play.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/6/25
Here are the minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Week 14 Sunday slate:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: LB Channing Tindall
- Elevated: WR Jalen Brooks, WR Trent Sherfield
- Placed on IR: WR Greg Dortch
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: WR Deven Thompkins
- Elevated: CB C.J. Henderson
- Placed on IR: S DeMarcco Hellams
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: S Sanoussi Kane, DT Josh Tupou
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: DE Morgan Fox, LB Baylon Spector
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: OL Jordan McFadden
- Elevated: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- Waived: LB Carl Jones Jr.
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: DE K.J. Henry
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: TE Marcedes Lewis
- Elevated: LB Jordan Turner
- Waived: LB Garret Wallow
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB Alijah Huzzie, DT Haggai Ndubuisi
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: S Mike Edwards
- Elevated: G C.J. Hanson
- Placed on IR: S Christian Roland-Wallace
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson, WR DJ Turner
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: OL Kion Smith
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed to active roster: QB John Wolford
- Elevated: CB Dwight McGlothern Jr., DT Taki Taimani
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Kevin Austin, K Charlie Smyth
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: QB Brady Cook, CB Jordan Clark
- Elevated: CB Tre Brown, CB Nik Needham
- Placed on IR: CB Jarvis Brownlee, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: T Dylan Cook, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: RB Velus Jones
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: S Marcus Banks
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: DE DeMarcus Walker
Dort becomes Arizona’s 26th placement on injures reserve this year. The Cardinals’ receiving corps has been stretched thin with Marvin Harrison Jr. out with a heel injury and Zay Jones on injured reserve with an injured Achilles tendon.
Earning more and more responsibility over the course of his sophomore campaign, former undrafted free agent Roland-Wallace will unfortunately head to IR after starting in the Chiefs’ two most recent contests. As a roaming safety, he’s been functioning lately as a nickelback alongside the versatile pair of starting safeties behind him.
With Bosa set to miss this weekend’s game with a hamstring injury, Fox has been called up from the practice squad in Buffalo to help bolster a thin group of defensive ends.
Smyth gets the call again this week as the primary placekicker in New Orleans. He’ll be kicking in his second straight game following the team’s dismissal of Blake Grupe.
For Spector in Buffalo, this will be his third elevation this season, meaning the Bills will need to sign him to the active roster in order for him to appear in another game in 2025. The same is true of Turner in Denver, Hanson in Kansas City, and Banks in Tampa Bay. On the other side of that, Tindall in Arizona, Lewis in Jacksonville, and Cook in New York were all signed to 53-man rosters today after they used up their three allotted practice squad elevations.
Bills Claim Darnell Savage, Place Darius Slay On Reserve/Retired List
As of Darius Slay‘s most recent remarks on his situation, he had not yet been moved to the Bills’ reserve/retired list. That is now taking place, though. 
Buffalo is making the expected procedural move, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This ensures Slay will not play for the Bills while opening a roster spot in the process. The team has not waited long to find a replacement in the secondary.
Darnell Savage has been claimed off waivers, per Rapoport. Savage joined the Commanders in September shortly after his Jaguars release. After not seeing much in the way of playing time in Washington, however, the former first-rounder requested to be let go. The Commanders granted it, moving Savage to the waiver wire. Instead of reaching free agency for the second time during the season, he will now (presumably, at least) head to Buffalo. Both moves are now official, per a team announcement.
Slay’s Steelers tenure came to an end after Asante Samuel Jr. signed with Pittsburgh. Reversing his intra-Pennsylvania switch from the offseason seemed to be in store at the time, and Philadelphia put in a waiver claim. With a reported mutual interest between Slay and the Eagles regarding a reunion, many have pointed to the parties reconnecting as a possibility. For now, though, Slay’s rights still belong to the Bills.
Savage, 28, made eight appearances with the Commanders but played only a rotational role on defense. His workload was set to shrink even further with Will Harris returning to the fold. Given this move, Savage will have a brief opportunity to carve out a role of some kind in Buffalo. With the Bills sitting at 8-4, he will at least have a much better chance of seeing postseason action compared to finishing out the year in the nation’s capital.
The Bills currently rank fist in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (163). Issues against the run could remain down the stretch, but the team’s secondary will be a unit continuing to face high relatively high expectations. Savage could chip in for the closing stages of the campaign and in doing so provide a slight boost to his free agent value.
Latest On Bills’ Injuries
It’s been a brutal year for injuries in the NFL, and the Bills have not been safe from the carnage. A couple reports today provided some insight on some of the team’s short-term and long-term injury situations. 
In the short term, a report from earlier this week that pass rusher Joey Bosa would miss some time was confirmed with the release of the team’s final injury report of the week. As the defensive end missed the entire week of practice with a hamstring injury, he’s been ruled out for this weekend. The same is true of linebacker Terrel Bernard, who missed last week, as well, with an elbow injury.
In Bernard’s absence last week, veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson stepped up as a replacement starter. Injuries have made Buffalo extremely thin at defensive end, though. With Bosa out, A.J. Epenesa should see an increased role across from Gregory Rousseau. At times this year, second-year pass rusher Javon Solomon has seen some increased usage, and this could be a perfect opportunity to earn more playing time. The team has also shifted defensive tackle T.J. Sanders out to the edge recently to fill out the line.
In the long term, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic offers a glimmer of hope for defensive tackle Ed Oliver. A long-time pillar on the defensive line in Buffalo, Oliver has been out since the third week of the season with a torn bicep. At the time of the injury, there was some speculation that he may be able to make a return in time for the playoffs, and head coach Sean McDermott has maintained that a window could exist in which Oliver would have the potential to return after the regular season but in time for the playoffs. Anything sooner, though, is not considered likely.
Additionally, any hope of reinforcement from third-round rookie pass rusher Landon Jackson has been shut down. The prolific pass rushing Razorback saw his rookie season put on pause when he suffered a torn MCL and PCL in November. Per Buscaglia, McDermott confirmed today that Jackson is not returning this year.
Darius Slay Weighing Future; Retirement On Table?
Veteran cornerback Darius Slay is still weighing his options regarding his future in the NFL.
He was waived by the Steelers after they added Asante Samuel Jr. and declined to report to the Bills after they claimed him off waivers. However, Slay’s former team, the Eagles, also put in a waiver claim, and he may have preferred to return to Philadelphia.
A statement issued by Slay’s agent after he did not report to Buffalo said that the 34-year-old “is going to take some time away from football right now and decide in the next few days if he wants to keep playing,” suggesting that retirement is an option. Slay said before the 2025 season that it would likely be his last.
However, this standoff could also be a play to be released by the Bills and get to Philadelphia. Other teams would be unlikely to place a waiver claim and potentially put them in the same situation as Buffalo, so the Eagles would be able to win their claim.
Slay declined to say whether or not he would have reported to the Eagles had he been assigned to them.
“Mostly, it’s a family decision kind of to it,” Slay said on the Speakeasy (via ESPN’s Alana Getzenberg). “So, we just see how it goes though. But I’m going to take it day by day.”
Typically, teams work with veteran players when they wish to hit free agency, but Slay’s potential attempt to get to one specific team could rub the Bills the wrong way. They may also feel burnt after waiving cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram to clear a roster spot for Slay. Ingram was claimed off waivers, and head coach Sean McDermott said (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic) that they were hoping to get him back on their practice squad.
That would have kept Ingram available to fill the role that Slay is currently refusing to take on. Instead, the Bills will have to look to other cornerbacks to provide depth in their secondary.
McDermott called the situation “unfortunate” but declined to offer any more details.
Darius Slay Will Not Report To Bills; CB’s Future Uncertain
The end of the 2025 season will not see Darius Slay play for the Bills after all. Buffalo claimed him off waivers yesterday, but that will not actually lead to a Bills stint. 
Slay is not reporting to the team, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. At this time, it is unclear if Slay will play again in the NFL. 2025 is widely believed to be his final season, one which did not include a full campaign spent with the Steelers as intended. Buffalo still retains Slay’s rights.
“Slay is honored that a first-class organization like the Bills claimed him, but he is going to take some time away from football right now and decide in the next few days if he wants to keep playing,” a statement from agent Drew Rosenhaus reads.
So far this season, Slay has made nine starts and 10 appearances. He fell out of the Steelers’ plans for the closing weeks of the campaign, however, and in the wake of Asante Samuel Jr.‘s arrival he was a healthy scratch this past week. Slay was positioned to provide Buffalo with CB depth down the stretch, but that will not be the case. Instead, attention will now turn to the possibility of an Eagles reunion.
Philadelphia put in a waiver claim, a sign of how willing the team would be to bring the six-time Pro Bowler back into the fold. Indeed, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports a “mutual interest” exists for another Eagles stint in this case. Slay would not be counted on to reprise his role as a starter in the event he were to play once again for the defending Super Bowl champions, but he could serve as a backup option the way trade acquisition Jaire Alexander was set to before he stepped away from football.
Slay has now elected to do the same, and it will be interesting to see what happens next in this case. The Bills will presumably place him on the reserve/retired list to avoid having him take up a roster spot. If Slay were to then be released, he could wind up signing with the Eagles in time for the stretch run. For now, though, it is unclear if the veteran of 198 combined regular season and playoff games will suit up again in the NFL.
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/4/25
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DE Isaiah Land
Houston Texans
- Claimed off waivers (from Bills): DB Ja’Marcus Ingram
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: DT Quinton Bohanna
The Seahawks moved on from Quinton Bohanna today. After getting into a single game with the franchise in 2024, the defensive lineman has appeared in five games this year, collecting three tackles in 32 snaps. As Michael-Shawn Dugar points out, the Seahawks now have two open roster spots, an indication that any of Julian Love, Jarran Reed, and/or Dareke Young could be ready to return to the active roster.
Isaiah Land was promoted from the Cowboys practice squad for tonight’s game. The defensive end is insurance for Jadeveon Clowney, who will be sidelined tonight with a hamstring injury. Land got into 17 games for the Colts between 2023 and 2024, collecting seven tackles and one sack.