Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Several dominoes have fallen so far in Week 16 with respect to the NFL’s playoff picture. The Cowboys have been eliminated while the Patriots, Seahawks, Bears, Eagles and 49ers have locked in a postseason berth.
The final two weeks of the campaign will determine the remaining playoff spots, but they will also sort out the top of the draft order. Six teams remain within striking distance of the No. 1 pick, although the Titans’ win on Sunday greatly weakened their chances of landing the top selection for the second year in a row. One contest in particular will be worth monitoring next week with respect to draft positioning.
The Giants and Raiders each sport a record of 2-13. They will play each other in Week 17, meaning the loser of that contest will have the inside track for the No. 1 pick. New York already has a head coaching vacancy while Pete Carroll is in danger of going one-and-done in Vegas. Plenty of incentive for winning will exist for Carroll in particular, but the outcome of that game will have major implications on the draft order.
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 (2-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- New York Jets (3-12)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Washington Commanders (4-11)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
- Miami Dolphins (6-9)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (7-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
- Detroit Lions (8-7)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Carolina Panthers (8-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Philadelphia Eagles (10-5)
- Houston Texans (10-5)
- Buffalo Bills (11-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
- Chicago Bears (11-4)
- New England Patriots (12-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins Suffers Fractured Fibula, Dislocated Ankle
5:01pm: Judkins is facing a recovery timeline of four to five months, Cabot reports. That should allow him to fully heal with plenty of time before training camp.
4:18pm: Quinshon Judkins‘ 2025 season has come to an end. The rookie running back suffered a fractured fibula along with a dislocated ankle in today’s game, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced. 
Stefanski confirmed (via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) Judkins will undergo surgery. Once that takes place, a lengthy recovery process will begin. This development marks an abrupt and unwanted end to Judkins’ debut campaign in the NFL.
The second-round pick was arrested in July on charges of battery and domestic violence. Those were ultimately dropped, something which paved the way for a fully-guaranteed rookie contract to be signed just before the start of the regular season. Judkins wound up being activated in time for Week 2, and he was in the fold from that point on.
That run of availability came to an end when the 22-year-old was carted off the field during today’s contest against the Bills. Not long after that took place, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported a fibula fracture had occurred. Testing to evaluate a potential knee injury took place, and it appears nothing was revealed on that front. That represents a small consolation, but today’s news is still a notable blow to Cleveland’s offense late in the year.
Having elected not to re-sign Nick Chubb, the Browns relied heavily on Judkins once he joined the lineup. The Ohio State product notched double-digit carries 12 times in 13 games entering Sunday, including five games with 20 or more attempts. Judkins totaled 947 scrimmage yards prior to suffering the injury. He will look to build off that production once healthy in 2026.
The Browns also have Jerome Ford in the backfield to close out the campaign. Rookie Dylan Sampson is another candidate to receive an increased workload over the final two games of the season. Cleveland sits at 3-12 after today’s loss, so attention will increasingly turn to the team’s position in the first round of April’s draft. Efforts to end on a winning note have been dealt a blow with Judkins sidelined, though.
Browns Place RT Jack Conklin On IR
The Browns will finish 2025 without starting right tackle Jack Conklin. The two-time first-team All-Pro is going on injured reserve, the Browns announced.
Conklin hasn’t played since he suffered his second concussion of 2025 in a loss to the 49ers on Nov. 30. The 31-year-old will end up sitting out the Browns’ last five games of the season. KT Leveston is expected to fill in for Conklin for the rest of the year.
Conklin, who has also dealt with eye, elbow, and knee injuries this year, will end 2025 with eight starts in as many appearances. The sixth-year Brown has been a full-time starter over 57 games with the team, but durability has long been an issue. Conklin has missed between five and 16 games in four of his seasons with the Browns, whom the ex-Titan joined on a three-year, $42MM contract in March 2020.
Conklin scored a second lucrative pact with Cleveland – a four-year, $60MM extension – in December 2022. He would have been under club control through 2026, but Conklin agreed to restructure the deal last March. He’ll be a free agent in the offseason as a result.
The Browns are primed for major offseason changes up front with left tackle Cam Robinson (who has filled in for the injured Dawand Jones for most of 2025), guards Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio, and center Ethan Pocic also unsigned past this season. Both Conklin and Pocic (Achilles) endured injury-ruined campaigns, which won’t do either any favors on the market.
To take Conklin’s roster spot, the Browns signed safety Chris Edmonds to their active roster. Primarly a special teamer, he’ll make his seventh appearance of the season in a Week 16 meeting with Buffalo. Defensive tackles Keith Cooper Jr. and Maurice Hurst will join Edmonds on Sunday. The Browns elevated Cooper and Hurst from the practice squad.
Two Teams Have Expressed Interest In Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick‘s return to football as head coach at North Carolina could not have gone much worse. Despite an underwhelming product on the field and an unusual amount of news off the field, Belichick is still apparently attracting some interest from the NFL.
[RELATED: Bill Belichick Expected To Draw Interest From Multiple Teams]
According to Josina Anderson, two unidentified NFL teams have recently expressed interest in the future Hall of Fame coach. This follows a report from last month that Belichick was expected to receive interest from multiple organizations.
While Anderson doesn’t mention any definitive suitors, she does note that “upper-level personnel” with the Falcons, Giants, and Browns are “still fond” of Belichick. It’s only natural to connect the Giants to the iconic head coach, as Belichick had a long and successful stint as the team’s defensive coordinator, a stretch in which he earned a pair of Super Bowl rings.
After the Giants moved on from coach Brian Daboll in November, there were some rumblings that the organization could take another look at Belichick. The coach was quick to deny any interest in the opening while restating his commitment to the Tar Heels. Similarly, there were reports that Belichick wasn’t included in the team’s “shortlist of candidates.” Either way, depending on the results of the Giants’ initial survey of coaching candidates, it wouldn’t be completely unfounded for the team to land back on Belichick.
Browns ownership doesn’t have any connection to the coach; in fact, Belichick coached the iteration of the Browns that ultimately transformed into the Baltimore Ravens franchise. The 73-year-old still represents a major “what if” for the city of Cleveland. Belichick never had the same success as he would later have in New England. In five seasons with the Browns, he only had a single winning season, and he finished his tenure with a 36-44 record. The coach did help lay the groundwork for the franchise’s future success in Baltimore, and there’s been a sentiment that he would have continued with the Art Modell-iteration of the organization had they stayed in Cleveland.
The Falcons’ lone connection to Belichick is a public flirtation back in 2024. Atlanta appeared to be the lone serious suitor for the coach following his ouster with the Patriots, but the Falcons ended up opting for Raheem Morris instead. There’s already been whispers that Morris could be on his way out in Atlanta, and perhaps Arthur Blank ends up turning back to one of his main alternatives from several years ago.
Belichick hasn’t done much in 2025 to help his case for a future NFL gig. He had a dreadful first season as North Carolina’s head coach, guiding his squad to a 4-8 record. The Tar Heels also failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time in seven years. At the same time, Belichick was embroiled in a number of off-the-field stories. From his continued pettiness with the Patriots to his handling of recruits and incumbents to his his very-public dalliance, Belichick’s legacy would have done better had the coach stayed off the field (and out of the headlines).
Of course, Belichick’s illustrious resume will always keep him in the NFL coaching cycle. It’s hard to blame teams from being enticed by Belichick’s eight Super Bowl rings, including six as the head coach of the Patriots. Even if he doesn’t garner a job this offseason, this surely won’t be the last we hear his name connected to open jobs.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/25
Wednesday’s NFL practice squad transactions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: RB Montrell Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: C Wesley French
Denver Broncos
- Signed: G Nash Jones
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Marcus Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Jimmy Holiday
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: G McClendon Curtis
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OLB Andre Carter II
- Released: TE Tanner Conner
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Caleb Etienne
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Amari Gainer
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: WR John Rhys Plumlee, RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: QB Adrian Martinez
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: S D’Anthony Bell
- Released: CB Tyler Hall
Martinez parted ways with San Francisco a week ago and signed with the Jets, who elevated him on Sunday to back up undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook. New York released him from their taxi squad yesterday, so Martinez has found his way back to the Bay Area.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/25
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Designated for return from IR: LB Jay Higgins
Buffalo Bills
- Designated for return from IR: WR Mecole Hardman
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return from IR: WR David Moore
Cleveland Browns
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: LB Winston Reid
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: LB Karene Reid
Detroit Lions
- Designated for return from IR: T Giovanni Manu
Green Bay Packers
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP: G John Williams
- Placed on IR: LB Micah Parsons (story)
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: LB Darrell Taylor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on IR: QB Patrick Mahomes (story)
- Opened practice window: TE Jake Briningstool, DB Nazeeh Johnson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: DE Jahfari Harvey
Miami Dolphins
- Signed off Texans’ practice squad: LB Jackson Woodard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: S Rashad Wisdom
Tennessee Titans
- Designated for return from IR: LB Ali Gaye, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, WR Bryce Oliver
Probably the most overqualified transaction we’ve ever listed in this space, Mahomes is heading to IR for the first time. The superstar Chiefs quarterback suffered ACL and LCL tears and has undergone surgery. Generally, Chiefs IR-return moves are impactful at this stage of the season. In the cases of Briningstool and Johnson, they are returning to practice for a 6-8 team. The Chiefs designated both for return in August, meaning both have already counted toward the team’s eight-activation total. As our IR return tracker shows, Kansas City has not used any other injury activations this season.
Given a one-year, $4.75MM deal by the Texans, Taylor worked as a backup in four games before going down with an ankle injury. Despite his contract, the former Seahawks second-rounder played just 64 defensive snaps before hitting IR.
2025 NFL Dead Money, By Team
As we head toward the playoffs, three NFL teams are carrying more than $100MM in dead money. That represents more than a third of the salary cap. The 49ers are also on track to make the playoffs with more than $100MM allocated to players no longer on their 53-man roster. Here is where the 32 teams stand for dead money (via OverTheCap) with three weeks left in the regular season:
- New Orleans Saints: $107.83MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $103.77MM
- New York Jets: $102.1MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $87.79MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $87.27MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $86.1MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $85.49MM
- Cleveland Browns: $83.22MM
- Miami Dolphins: $72.45MM
- Houston Texans: $66.44MM
- Tennessee Titans: $59.42MM
- Green Bay Packers: $57.98MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $56.23MM
- New England Patriots: $50.56MM
- Denver Broncos: $42.78MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $41.34MM
- Detroit Lions: $40.71MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $40.39MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $38.78MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $38.38MM
- Buffalo Bills: $37.58MM
- Carolina Panthers: $36.55MM
- New York Giants: $33.74MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $33.7MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $30.6MM
- Washington Commanders: $27.29MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $27MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $20.99MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $20.33MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $17.37MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $16.51MM
- Chicago Bears: $8.6MM
The $100MM trio dwarfs last year’s leaders — the Broncos — in this unwanted area. The Saints began taking some overdue medicine for their cap-gymnastics past by trading Marshon Lattimore last year. That move coming after June 1 pushed $31.67MM onto New Orleans’ 2025 cap sheet. Derek Carr also counts $19.2MM on this year’s Saints cap, while Ryan Ramczyk‘s retirement covers more than $11MM.
The Carr punishment covers $55.88MM in total, meaning nearly $37MM from the QB’s retirement will land on New Orleans’ 2026 payroll. Mickey Loomis‘ spree of restructures on that contract created that inflated figure.
Deebo Samuel brought a receiver-record dead money total to the 49ers, who absorbed $34.12MM by trading the seventh-year veteran in March. The second leg of the post-June 1 Arik Armstead transaction from 2024 created a $15MM dead cap hit this year, with void years on Charvarius Ward‘s deal covering more than $12MM.
Gang Green took on barely $20MM combined from the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades and will do the same next year, reflecting the low signing bonus figure on the Gardner extension. The Jets, though, have taken $56MM in total from the Aaron Rodgers release ($21MM this year, $35MM next). That is the second-highest total dead cap hit in NFL history.
The team that authorized the highest dead money sum in league annals — Denver, via the 2024 Russell Wilson release — is still carrying $32MM on that contract. It comes off the books next year, and the Broncos do not have any other player counting more than $3MM in dead cap on their 2025 payroll.
The Eagles and Seahawks are also moving toward the playoffs with higher dead money counts compared to the 2024 Broncos, though it should be noted the cap’s $24MM increase from last year plays into this. Philadelphia is still carrying a combined $26MM from the 2024 Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox retirements. Josh Sweat void years also comprise $16.44MM of this year’s cap. The Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf trade brought $21MM in dead cap, while Geno Smith, Tyler Lockett and Dre’Mont Jones combine to cover more than $41MM in dead money.
Amari Cooper and Za’Darius Smith‘s 2024 Cleveland exits via trade tagged the Browns with more than $36MM in dead money together, while the Dolphins are dealing with more than $30MM combined from the post-June 1 designations on Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey. The latter counts $15.7MM in dead money this year and $20.9MM in 2026. That eclipses Lattimore’s defender-record total for dead cap.
Browns LB Devin Bush Found Not Guilty Of Simple Assault, Harassment Chargers
Browns linebacker Devin Bush was found not guilty of simple assault and harassment charges, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.
Bush, 27, was arrested and charged in May after an altercation with his girlfriend, Shkurte Leka. He pled not guilty and scheduled a bench trial for December. A judge ruled on Tuesday that Bush was not guilty, though Leka could pursue civil action.
The incident came two months after Bush re-signed in Cleveland on a one-year, $3.25MM deal. After a rotational role in 2024, he has stepped up as a starter this season. Bush ranks second on the Browns in tackles (93) and third on passes defended (seven).
Bush’s arrest obviously created the potential for discipline from the NFL. Presumably, his acquittal will reduce the chances of punishment, but the NFL may conduct their own investigation into the incident.
Bush entered the pros as the Steelers’ No. 10 pick in the 2019 draft. He never lived up to his draft billing – due partially to a torn ACL in his second year – and was not retained after his rookie contract expired. He signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks in 2023 before joining the Browns in the following offseason.
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/16/25
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: WR Jalen Brooks
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from Steelers): WR Ke’Shawn Williams
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: RB Jawhar Jordan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed off Panthers’ practice squad: RB DeeJay Dallas
- Opened practice window: LB Jalen McLeod
- Placed on IR: LB Jack Kiser
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: DT Leki Fotu
New England Patriots
- Signed off Colts’ practice squad: LB Chad Muma
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: S Jarius Monroe
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: S D’Anthony Bell
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from Browns): G Garrett Dellinger
A steady presence in Arizona a couple years ago, Fotu started four of six game appearances for the Raiders this year. The occasional starts were not indicative of his true usage, though, as he hasn’t gotten consistent time on the field for Las Vegas in 2025. The Raiders will move on from the veteran as they shift focus in a lost season towards evaluating young talent with more gametime.
As a practice squad elevation this weekend, Jordan became the first Texans running back to eclipse the century mark in a game this year. Houston wasted little time in returning him to the active roster
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)