Green Bay Packers News & Rumors

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.

Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

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

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/24

Saturday’s minor moves, including gameday elevations for Week 17:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

It was already known Lamb would be out for the remainder of the year, but the same will now be true of Oruwariye. The latter made seven appearances in 2024, his debut Cowboys season. That included four starts and a defensive snap share of 62%, making him a notable contributor on a Dallas defense which has dealt with a number of injuries. Oruwariye, 28, is a pending free agent.

McCoy and Patrick suffered injuries during the Saints’ Week 16 loss, and today’s move confirms they will both miss the remainder of the season. New Orleans’ offensive line has been dealt a number of blows in 2024, and that will continue through the final two games of the season. McCoy appeared in just seven games this year, but plenty of term remains on his pact. Patrick, by contrast, is set to hit the open market this spring.

Whitehead returned to practice earlier this week, so it comes as no surprise he will be available to the Buccaneers tomorrow. He will be expected to reprise his role as a defensive starter as Tampa Bay looks to seal the NFC South over the final two games of the campaign. Bringing back Whitehead and Johnson will leave the team with two IR activations.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

Two weeks remain in the regular season, and while a number of teams are jockeying for playoff spots several others are still in contention to land a coveted draft slot. It remains to be seen where the No. 1 selection will wind up.

The Giants and Raiders entered Sunday’s action with two wins apiece, and New York’s loss kept the team strongly in contention to kick off the draft in April. By virtue of winning against the Jaguars, though, the Raiders hurt their chances of finding themselves in that position. A top-two spot (or thereabouts) may be required to draft either of this year’s top passers, but a small move up the order positioning Vegas to add one could still be on the table.

Five teams currently sit a 3-12, and a head-to-head matchup between the Titans and Jaguars on Sunday will be key in deciding where each of them wind up. Another three squads own a 4-11 record, so plenty of potential exists in terms of changes being made to the order at the top of the board. Numerous expected suitors for a Day 1 quarterback (including teams like the Browns and Jets) may very well find themselves out of reach for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders without a trade-up being necessary. The Panthers’ starting situation with Bryce Young is certainly not settled for 2025, but adding a passer on Day 1 would come as a surprise at this point.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. New York Giants (2-13)
  2. New England Patriots (3-12)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
  5. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
  7. Carolina Panthers (4-11)
  8. New York Jets (4-11)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-11)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  12. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
  13. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
  14. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
  15. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
  17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
  19. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
  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 (11-4)
  28. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (12-3)
  30. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
  31. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/24/24

Tuesday’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: K Andre Szmyt

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Szmyt spent time on the Bears’ practice squad last year before playing with the USFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks recently. The 26-year-old terminated his pact with the spring league club to take a deal in Cleveland. A former All-American and Lou Graza winner as the country’s top kicker during his college career, Szmyt could see time late in the year given the Browns’ kicking struggles in 2024.

Thomas appeared to be on his way to join the Colts after he was claimed off waivers by Indianapolis. The veteran corner failed his physical upon arrival with his new team, however, leading to another trip to the waiver wire. No teams put in a claim this time around, but shortly after reaching free agency Thomas has landed a deal. The former 49er has 42 games and 11 starts to his name, and he will provide Minnesota with cornerback depth through the closing stages of the campaign.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/24

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Tennessee Titans

The Titans’ decision to move on from Brayden Narveson comes as a bit of a surprise following this weekend’s roster machinations. The organization didn’t only promote the kicker from the practice squad…they also signed him through the 2025 campaign. With Nick Folk apparently approaching full health, the Titans have decided to stick with the veteran and move on from his fill-in.

Narveson’s stint with the Titans featured only a single appearance, when he missed his lone field goal attempt and converted two extra points in yesterday’s loss. Narveson spent the beginning of the season in Green Bay, where he converted 12 of his 17 field goal attempts.

Packers To Activate TE Luke Musgrave

Luke Musgrave is set to make his return to the Packers’ lineup tonight. The second-year tight end will be activated from injured reserve in advance of Green Bay’s Week 16 contest, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Musgrave has been on injured reserve since October due to an ankle injury which required surgery. It remained possible at that time that he could return to the lineup at some point late in the campaign, and signs have continued to point in that direction. The 24-year-old had his practice window opened earlier this month, giving the Packers 21 days to activate him.

Provided the move is made in time for tonight’s contest, Musgrave will be in line to play Green Bay’s final three regular season games. The Packers will still have five IR activations once the Oregon State product returns to the lineup, meaning they will retain considerable flexibility in that respect through the postseason (during which all teams receive an additional two IR-return slots). Getting Musgrave back in action will give Green Bay another option at the skill positions.

That group is littered with recent draft picks, and their development since the start of last season has been a central aspect of the Packers’ success on offense. Musgrave posted 34 catches for 352 yards and one touchdown as a rookie, adding another score during the team’s postseason run. During his four appearances in 2024, however, the Oregon State product saw his playing time drop considerably (39% offensive snap share compared to 66%). That resulted in a drop in production.

Tucker Kraft has been a key contributor atop the TE depth chart this year, posting a 41-555-7 statline to date. He will be expected to remain productive down the stretch, but the return of Musgrave will give the Packers additional options at the position. Green Bay can clinch a playoff spot tonight with a win over New Orleans.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

This NFL season saw several teams slip out of contention quicker than usual, slimming wild-card races and expanding the pursuit for the No. 1 overall pick. Two teams now lead that race.

While no prospect on the Caleb Williams level is dangling for the Raiders and Giants, an interesting showdown has formed. With three weeks to go, the Giants would currently hold the top 2025 draft choice. But based on projected strength of schedule, the Raiders would win the tiebreaker if the results held. The team with the weaker overall strength of schedule would win that. The Giants still have a game against the 12-2 Eagles, while the Raiders’ upcoming matchup with the 3-11 Jaguars works in their favor.

The Giants have not held the No. 1 pick in the common draft era (1967-present), last making a choice atop a draft in 1965 (running back Tucker Frederickson). Their Eli Manning trade occurred after the Chargers had chosen the quarterback to start the 2004 draft. The Raiders have held the top pick once in the common draft era, famously choosing JaMarcus Russell to start the ’07 draft. Both teams have coaches fighting for their jobs, but each also has seen All-Pros (Dexter Lawrence, Maxx Crosby) removed from equations. Losers of 10 straight, the Raiders follow their Jaguars matchup with games against the Saints and Chargers. The Giants, who have dropped nine consecutive games, go Falcons-Colts-Eagles to close the season.

Five 3-11 teams sit behind the Raiders and Giants presently, with the NFL having nine teams who have already lost double-digit contests. If a Giants or Raiders win occurs, there are candidates to move toward pole position in what could be races for Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Though, a non-Giants or Raiders team finishing in the top two creates a bit more intrigue, as both those clubs are in dire need of QB help.

With an eye on teams’ projected strength of schedule based on current records, here is how the draft order looks with three games to go:

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

NFL Injury Updates: Herbert, Bullard, Prater

The Chargers are 8-5 under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and his coaching staff, good for second place in the AFC West and the sixth seed in the AFC. Harbaugh gave the media an update today that could spell trouble for the team hoping to make a playoff push and run, per Alex Insdorf of the Guilty as Charged podcast.

According to Harbaugh, quarterback Justin Herbert is dealing with a leg contusion as well as a sprained left ankle this week. Harbaugh claimed that Herbert is “doing everything and anything in his power to play on Sunday,” hinting that practicing was a possibility today, but ultimately, Herbert was not a participant in today’s practice.

Herbert had been the picture of health, starting every game since his debut until missing the final four games of last year. Los Angeles will hope that he doesn’t need to miss much time, if any, and that he’ll be able to help them close out the season as a playoff team.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

  • Packers safety Javon Bullard left the locker room this Sunday on crutches after suffering a right ankle injury. After undergoing MRI testing today, it was determined that the injury was not guaranteed to be long-term. There is still a risk that Bullard may miss time, as he’s been designated as week-to-week, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
  • We’ve been reporting on the injury of Cardinals veteran kicker Matt Prater this season and the possibility of his return without much understanding of his injury. Last we had heard, Prater’s knee injury was not considered season-ending despite all the time missed already. Josh Weinfuss of ESPN finally shed some light on the situation, reporting that Prater has been recovering from meniscus surgery to his left knee. This is far more clarity than the “soreness” designation that had been prevalent earlier in the season and gives us a better idea of what Prater is working through to return to the field.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/11/24

Wednesday’s minor roster updates:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed to active roster: RB Carlos Washington Jr.
  • Placed on IR: RB Jase McClellan

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Los Angeles Rams

  • Reverted to season-ending IR: G KT Leveston

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

It’s unfortunate news for the rookie second-round safety, Nubin. After starting the first 13 games of his first season in the NFL, the top-drafted safety in the 2024 NFL Draft will end the year on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Nubin had graded out as the 34th-best safety in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), before the injury.

Charles will miss the remainer of the season, as well, and perhaps some of next year. The former undrafted receiver will be undergoing surgery for a torn ACL.

Packers Designate Luke Musgrave For Return From IR

The Packers have designated tight end Luke Musgrave to return from injured reserve, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

Musgrave was placed on injured reserve on October 11 with an ankle injury that ultimately required surgery. Musgrave’s comments on Wednesday indicate that he fully expects to play again this year.

“As soon as possible that they’ll let me go, I’ll go,” said Musgrave, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.

Musgrave recorded 34 catches for 352 yards in 11 games as a rookie last season, but only caught five passes for 22 yards before getting injured this year. Fellow 2023 Day 2 draftee Tucker Kraft has stepped up in Musgrave’s absence, ranking first on the Packers in receiving touchdowns (seven), second in receptions (39), and third in receiving yards (521).

Green Bay will be hoping that Musgrave can finish the season healthy after suffering a lacerated kidney that sidelined him for part of the 2023 campaign. The Packers have chosen to support franchise quarterback Jordan Love by drafting several young pass-catchers over the past few seasons, though injuries have remained a recurring issue for the group.

Musgrave now has three weeks to practice with the team before he must be activated. Otherwise, he will revert to season-ending injured reserve.