Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
Some fireworks came in regarding the draft order on the NFL’s final regular-season day. The Bears upended the Texans for the No. 1 pick, reeling in a team that held that top slot for much of the season. The Bears last made a pick at No. 1 overall in 1947. Their former head coach — Lovie Smith, whom the Texans just fired — oversaw this final-day flip-flop. Clarity on the rest of the non-playoff-bound teams’ draft slots emerged as well.
The Jaguars’ rally to win the AFC South moves them into a postseason spot, and the Titans’ seven-game losing streak to end the season drops them to their highest selection since 2017. Tennessee’s next general manager will have the opportunity to make a pick at No. 11 or deal from that draft position, while Jacksonville will hold its lowest selection since 2018. The Texans will hold two top-12 picks in April, thanks to the Browns’ Week 18 loss to the Steelers, while the Lions will have two in the top 20 as well.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 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 how the draft order looks at the regular season’s close:
- Chicago Bears: 3-14
- Houston Texans: 3-13-1
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-12-1
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Carolina Panthers: 7-10
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Tennessee Titans: 7-10
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- New York Jets: 7-10
- New England Patriots: 8-9
- Green Bay Packers: 8-9
- Washington Commanders: 8-8-1
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-8
- Detroit Lions: 9-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
- Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
- New York Giants: 9-7-1
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-7
- Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Cincinnati Bengals: 12-4
- Minnesota Vikings: 13-4
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers)
- Buffalo Bills: 13-3
- Kansas City Chiefs: 14-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3
This year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice
Packers OL Elgton Jenkins Could Move Positions Again; Latest On Extension
- The Packers took care of an important piece of business recently by extending o-lineman Elgton Jenkins on a four-year deal which could be worth up to $74MM. As a result of the new pact, Green Bay was able to adjust the 27-year-old’s base salary for this season, and reap financial benefits down the road. As Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details (on Twitter), the Packers’ structuring of the deal will see Jenkins carry a cap hit of only $6.8MM in 2023, a season in which the team is projected to have very little financial wiggle room due to cap spikes from the deals such as those for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, left tackle David Bakhtiari and cornerback Jaire Alexander.
- Jenkins has a new deal, and could wind up with a new position at some point. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, on Twitter) that the Pro Bowler could play at any spot along the o-line “down the road.” Jenkins has returned to his familiar left guard spot this year after adding to his time spent as a right tackle earlier in the campaign; he also has experience at center and left tackle dating back to previous seasons.
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Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
As the NFL determines how it will proceed with the postponed Bills-Bengals game, Week 18 is on as scheduled. The No. 1 overall pick remains in doubt, and seven teams enter the final week either 6-10 or 7-9. Several games will impact how the top 10 shakes out.
Having lost nine straight, the Bears (3-13) are a half-game behind the Texans (2-13-1) for the No. 1 overall pick. Houston last held that draft slot in 2014, while Chicago has not picked first since 1947. The Texans are also playing a Colts team they tied in Week 1; Indianapolis enters Week 18 on a six-game skid. Conversely, the Bears face a Vikings squad that still has a path to the NFC’s No. 2 seed.
Week 17 also brought clarity on the NFC South. Although the Buccaneers have disappointed, their comeback win over the Panthers secured the franchise’s third straight playoff berth. That will mean Tampa Bay’s pick will check in no higher than 18th overall, while the Carolina and New Orleans slots could land in the top 10. The loser of Saturday’s Jaguars-Titans game would also see their draft slot rise several positions. Four of the five traded picks remain in the top 12, with the Seahawks’ spot (via the Broncos) still slotting highest — behind only the Texans and Bears’ positions.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 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 how the draft order looks entering Week 18:
- Houston Texans: 2-13-1
- Chicago Bears: 3-13
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-12
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-11-1
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Atlanta Falcons: 6-10
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-10
- Carolina Panthers: 6-10
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Tennessee Titans: 7-9
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- New York Jets: 7-9
- Washington Commanders: 7-8-1
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-8
- Green Bay Packers: 8-8
- Detroit Lions: 8-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 8-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-8
- New England Patriots: 8-8
- New York Giants: 9-6-1
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-6
- Los Angeles Chargers: 10-6
- Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
- Minnesota Vikings: 12-4
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-4
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers)
- Buffalo Bills: 12-3
- Kansas City Chiefs: 13-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-3
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/3/23
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: G Koda Martin
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB John Reid
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Tarik Black
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LS Kameron Canaday
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Julian Stanford
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Austin Allen, K Matt Ammendola
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Sheldrick Redwine
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Jerrion Ealy
- Placed on IR: WR Cornell Powell
New York Giants
- Signed: WR David Sills
- Released: DT Jack Heflin
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: QB Jacob Eason
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Chris Steele, WR Connor Wedington
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DT Curtis Brooks, CB Shyheim Carter, LB Sam Okuayinonu
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/22
Today’s roster moves heading into gameday:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: WR Andre Baccellia
- Promoted from practice squad: LS Hunter Bradley, S Josh Thomas
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: S Micah Abernathy
- Activated from IR: OL Matt Hennessy
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Josh Ali
- Placed on IR: T Chuma Edoga, S Jovante Moffatt
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to active roster: QB Anthony Brown
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Andy Isabella, DT Rayshad Nichols
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from IR: WR Andre Roberts
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Josh Norman, C Sam Tecklenburg
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: LB DeMarquis Gates, CB Greg Stroman
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: S Brady Breeze
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: K Ramiz Ahmed, RB Tyler Goodson
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Keke Coutee, LB Segun Olubi
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: T Coy Cronk
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: QB Chase Garbers
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Ike Brown, T Sebastian Gutierrez
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from IR: T Chandler Brewer
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jared Pinkney
- Waived: G Bobby Evans
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: T Kendall Lamm
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Josiah Bronson, LB Brennan Scarlett
- Placed on IR: DT Justin Zimmer
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted from practice squad: G Kyle Hinton, DL T.J. Smith
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: CB Tae Hayes
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Quandre Mosely, TE Matt Sokol
- Placed on IR: CB Jack Jones
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: G Josh Andrews, WR Keith Kirkwood
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: T Cedric Ogbuehi
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Chris Streveler
- Placed on IR: WR Jeff Smith
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted from practice squad: P Brett Kern
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Renell Wren
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Tay Martin, DL Kemoko Turay
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: LB Vi Jones
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Cade Johnson, TE Tyler Mabry
- Placed on IR: WR Marquise Goodwin
Washington Commanders
- Signed to active roster: DT David Bada
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Troy Apke, RB Jaret Patterson
- Waived: DT Daniel Wise
Notable Incentives Still In Play For 2022
As we head into Week 17, a number of players still have key incentives available. Here is a handful of the notable escalators in reach — many involving Smiths — courtesy of SI.com’s Albert Breer.
- Justin Houston, OLB (Ravens): Already collecting $1MM by reaching 7.5 sacks, the 12th-year pass rusher (nine sacks) can move that number to $1.5MM by getting to 10.
- Christian Kirk, WR (Jaguars): The big-ticket Jags signing can collect $500K by hitting 80 receptions, with another $500K available if he reaches 90. Kirk has 76 catches. The ex-Cardinal (988 receiving yards) can also collect $1MM by surpassing 1,100.
- Raheem Mostert, RB (Dolphins): The offseason addition will almost certainly add $1MM to his 2022 earnings. By clearing 900 scrimmage yards, Mostert needs only the Dolphins to stay in the top 25 in total offense. Considering Miami ranks ninth, it is a good bet the ex-49er — who signed for one year and $2.2MM — will cash in.
- Geno Smith, QB (Seahawks): After already collecting $1MM for hitting playing-time incentives and $500K by making the Pro Bowl, Smith is likely to add another $1MM by eclipsing 4,000 passing yards for the first time. Smith, who signed for one year and $3.5MM, has 3,886 yards through 15 games.
- Preston Smith, OLB (Packers): Sitting on 8.5 sacks, the veteran edge rusher can collect $1MM by ballooning that number to 10. Another $1MM would be in play for Smith if he reached 12 sacks this season.
- Za’Darius Smith, OLB (Vikings): The 2022 Minnesota signee can up his incentive package to either $750K by hitting 10.5 sacks or $1MM by reaching 12.5. The veteran edge has 10 sacks through 15 games.
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR (Chiefs): Leading Chiefs wideouts in receiving yards (877) by a wide margin, Smith-Schuster is likely to enhance his already-impressive incentive collection by topping 900 receiving yards. That would put the ex-Steeler at $3MM in total incentives earned. Signing a one-year deal worth $3.76MM, Smith-Schuster has already collected $2.5MM in escalators.
- J.J. Watt, DL (Cardinals): Lastly, the retiring D-lineman collected $900K by reaching nine sacks (9.5); he can bump that number to $1MM by tallying a 10th sack over the team’s final two games.
S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Retires
Veteran NFL safety Ha’Sean “Ha Ha” Clinton-Dix reportedly joined his former team in order to retire today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Clinton-Dix has effectively been out of the league for over a year now and has decided to hang up his cleats at 30 years old. 
Clinton-Dix was a first-round draft pick after electing to forgo his remaining eligibility at Alabama back in 2014. In the draft process, Clinton-Dix was often compared against Louisville safety Calvin Pryor for the title of the draft’s top safety prospect. After the Packers did not re-sign free safety M.D. Jennings, the team selected Clinton-Dix to come in and compete with then-second-year safety Micah Hyde for the starting spot at free safety alongside strong safety Morgan Burnett.
Hyde would win the starting job to start the season, but Clinton-Dix would receive plenty of playing time to start his rookie season as a fifth defensive back. It didn’t take long for Clinton-Dix to push Hyde for the starting role, though, earning his first start only seven weeks into the year. Clinton-Dix would refuse to relinquish the starting job from then on, starting every game for whatever team he would play on after that all the way through the 2019 season.
Clinton-Dix played nearly all of the remainder of his rookie contract as the Packers’ starting safety in tandem with Burnett. As a Packer, Clinton-Dix would haul in 14 interceptions, including a 2016 Pro Bowl season that would see him intercept five passes. He also proved himself to be a physical safety for Green Bay’s defense, leading the team in 2015 with 100 total tackles.
After exercising his fifth-year option, the Packers would trade Clinton-Dix halfway through his fifth year in the league to Washington. After playing out the remainder of his rookie deal in DC, Clinton-Dix signed a one-year contract with the Bears, with whom he would nab two more interceptions as a full-time starter. These games in Chicago would end up being the last starts, and the last significant playing time, of his career.
Clinton-Dix reunited with former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas and was expected to take over at safety for the Cowboys after the loss of Jeff Heath. Unfortunately for Clinton-Dix, he was soon passed up by Darian Thompson on the depth chart and released just prior to the regular season. After sitting out the 2020 season following his release from the Cowboys, Clinton-Dix would spend a couple weeks of the offseason in San Francisco before being released prior to the 2021 season. He would be signed to the Raiders practice squad. He would appear in two games for Las Vegas off of the practice squad, playing only on special teams. Clinton-Dix was released in December and spent the short remainder of the season on Denver’s practice squad.
Over 13 months after making his last appearance on an NFL field, Clinton-Dix announced his retirement today, signing a one-day contract to end his career in his original NFL home of Green Bay.
Packers Place DL Dean Lowry On IR
Dean Lowry‘s streak of 101 straight regular-season games will come to an end. The Packers placed the veteran defensive lineman on IR on Tuesday.
The seventh-year defender suffered a calf injury against the Dolphins. To replace him on the roster, the Packers signed wide receiver Bo Melton from the Seahawks’ practice squad; Seattle drafted Melton in this year’s seventh round out of Rutgers. He has not seen any game action yet. The Packers also released linebacker Tipa Galeai from IR, weeks after opting against using one of its IR activations on him.
In order for Lowry to be activated, the Packers would need to reach the NFC championship game. While Green Bay has accomplished this twice under Matt LaFleur, the team is 7-8 and still has an uphill battle to make the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight gives the Pack a 27% chance to secure a wild-card spot. Tuesday’s transaction is likely to end Lowry’s season.
Lowry, 28, has been with the Packers since they drafted him in the 2016 fourth round. He has started 80 career games, becoming a primary starter during LaFleur’s time in Green Bay. The Northwestern product recorded five sacks last season but has only a half-sack this year. Still, Lowry has maintained a regular role on a defensive line housing Kenny Clark, Jarran Reed and first-round pick Devonte Wyatt. Lowry has played 53% of the Packers’ defensive snaps this season.
Pro Football Focus ranks Lowry just outside the top 60 interior D-linemen (out of 125 qualified players), after slotting him 33rd overall last season. Lowry’s three-year, $20.3MM extension expires after this season, though three void years are tacked on for cap purposes. Wyatt saw his highest snap share against the Dolphins, being on the field for 24 defensive plays. While the Packers have eased the Georgia product into action, he stands to see more time in the team’s final two regular-season games.
Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, much is still to be decided both in terms of playoff positioning and the order of the upcoming draft. Five teams are still eligible to land the top pick.
The Texans remain in pole position to hold the No. 1 spot, but their win over the Titans (coupled with the Bears’ losing streak extending to eight games) leaves Chicago just a half-game away. The fact that the Bears would likely select a defensive player rather than a quarterback with the top pick adds considerable intrigue to the potential implications of them ending up with that slot.
With the Browns continuing to struggle even with Deshaun Watson back from suspension, there is a distinct possibility that four first-rounders which changed hands (including Cleveland’s top 2023 pick, part of the package they sent to Houston for Watson) land in the top 10. Another premium selection would obviously soften the blow of losing out on the No. 1 spot from the Texans’ perspective, should that take place.
The final Wild Card spot in each conference is still being contested by several teams, resulting in a logjam of 7-8 squads in the middle of the order. Several head-to-head matchups will be played out between those clubs, which could lead to plenty of change in their positioning over the next two weeks. The race for both the AFC and NFC South titles will also have a significant impact on the final order, given the average (at best) record each division’s winner will have at the end of the regular season.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 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 how the draft order looks entering Week 17:
- Houston Texans: 2-12-1
- Chicago Bears: 3-12
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-11
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-10-1
- Atlanta Falcons: 5-10
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Carolina Panthers: 6-9
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Seattle Seahawks: 7-8
- Tennessee Titans: 7-8
- New England Patriots: 7-8
- New York Jets: 7-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-8
- Green Bay Packers: 7-8
- Detroit Lions: 7-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-8
- Washington Commanders: 7-7-1
- New York Giants: 8-6-1
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-6
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-5
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
- Dallas Cowboys: 11-4
- Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-3
- Minnesota Vikings: 12-3
- Buffalo Bills: 12-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2
Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice
Packers, Elgton Jenkins Agree On Extension
The Packers will not let Elgton Jenkins hit free agency. They agreed to a four-year extension with the fourth-year offensive lineman, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The versatile blocker agreed to bypass a run on the 2023 market by signing a $68MM deal that could max out at $74MM. While Jenkins has worked at both guard and tackle, he has settled in at guard this season. This deal makes him the league’s second-highest-paid guard — behind only Quenton Nelson. Incentives can take the deal to the $74MM mark, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein (on Twitter).
Davante Adams notwithstanding, Green Bay has an extensive history of keeping its priority free agents. (Though, this deal does come around the same point on the calendar when the Packers locked down Adams to his second NFL contract back in 2017.) Months after Jaire Alexander‘s cornerback-record contract, the Packers have Jenkins locked in through the 2026 season. The former second-round pick will collect a $24MM signing bonus, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has the signing bonus at $22MM (Twitter link).
The Packers do not have too much history with the franchise tag, going 12 years between bringing it out for Ryan Pickett (in 2010) and Adams. But Rapoport notes a tag was likely here. Jenkins’ signing bonus comes in a few million north of the projected $18.3MM O-lineman tag, which undoubtedly came into play during the talks. Jenkins, 27 next week, would have been one of the top free agents on next year’s market. Instead, the Packers paid to make him a long-term cornerstone.
At $17MM per year, Jenkins’ extension checks in closer to the guard field than to Nelson, who is attached to a $20MM-per-year accord. But Nelson’s accomplishments are on another level compared to his age group. Like Alexander, the Packers did not appear to deviate from their preferred contract structure of not including guarantees beyond Year 1. If the signing bonus represents the full guarantee here, Jenkins will be tied to either the fifth- or seventh-highest figure among guards.
This agreement also punctuates Jenkins’ return from the ACL tear that cut his 2021 season short. Although the Packers’ 2022 season has fallen well shy of expectations, this deal rewards a player who has bounced to a few positions along the O-line. Jenkins has made a Pro Bowl at guard — in 2020 — but began last season filling in for David Bakhtiari at left tackle. After Bakhtiari made his long-awaited return to his blindside post this season, Jenkins began his contract year at right tackle. But the Packers kicked him back inside to guard. Despite the move, Friday’s extension compares favorably to most right tackles’ money. The AAV matches Taylor Moton‘s for the fifth-highest at right tackle.
Green Bay selected Jenkins 44th overall in 2019 and made him an instant starter. Stationed alongside Bakhtiari, the Mississippi State alum soon teamed with the All-Pro blindsider to form one of the league’s top inside-outside duos. After Bakhtiari’s career-altering ACL tear on New Year’s Eve 2020, it took until this season for he and Jenkins to play together again. By the time they did, Corey Linsley — whom the Packers let walk in 2021 — was in his second season with the Chargers. Letting Linsley leave freed up funds for Jenkins, who is four years younger.
Last season represented a missed opportunity, though the Packers still secured the No. 1 seed without either standout. Bakhtiari, who underwent three surgeries to address the knee injury, has bounced in and out of the lineup this season. He remains tied to the four-year, $92MM contract he inked during the 2020 campaign. While Bakhtiari has missed five games this season, Jenkins has only missed two. He returned in Week 2 and has played at a Pro Bowl level. No such honor came this week, but Pro Football Focus ranks Jenkins as the league’s No. 7 overall guard. The Packers are paying up for what should be his prime seasons.