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
Jags LT Cam Robinson Out For Season
DECEMBER 24: Removing doubt about Robinson’s availability later this season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that he will undergo surgery to repair the torn meniscus. As a result, he will go on IR and begin the three- to four-month recovery process. That timeline should allow him to be at full health in time for the beginning of the 2023 campaign.
DECEMBER 19: The Jaguars continued their push for a playoff spot during yesterday’s comeback win over the Cowboys, but their offensive line will be shorthanded moving forward. When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Doug Pederson said that left tackle Cam Robinson has a meniscus injury and will “probably” miss the remainder of the season (video link). 
Robinson’s ACL is intact, Pederson added, after he was injured during yesterday’s game. Still, the news is substantial for Jacksonville, given his importance to their offensive front. Robinson had once again been a full-time starter on the blindside this season, as he has since being drafted by the Jaguars in 2017. Pederson praised his level of play this year, which has yielded a PFF grade of 67.2, the second-highest of his career.
The Alabama product has never been considered a top-tier left tackle, but the Jaguars placed the franchise tag on him for the second time this offseason. That would have locked him into a one-year salary of $16.6MM, but it became clear not long after that decision was made that a multi-year deal was in the works. In April, the 27-year-old signed a three-year, $54MM extension.
That move represented one of many made over the course of the spring aimed at upgrading the Jaguars’ offense, including big-ticket free agent deals handed out to guard Brandon Scherff and wideout Christian Kirk. They have helped the team rank 10th in both passing and rushing yards per game, and seventh in total offense. That, in turn, has allowed the Jaguars to win three of their last four games and, at 6-8, move to within one game of the Titans for the AFC South lead.
With Robinson sidelined for, presumably, the remainder of the regular season at a minimum, Walker Little is expected to take over at left tackle. The 2021 second-rounder has operated as a swing tackle this season, seeing only 51 offensive snaps to date. That would allow Jawaan Taylor to remain in place at right tackle, as the team tries to overcome Robinson’s loss in the closing stages of the campaign.
Jaguars Fear Achilles Tear For DL Dawuane Smoot
SATURDAY, 11:30am: Smoot has confirmed that he suffered a torn Achilles and is out for the season, per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco on Twitter.
“I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to finish the season on the field alongside my brothers as we fight for a postseason berth,” Smoot wrote on Instagram, “but I’m proud of the work we have done as a team to put ourselves in a position to play meaningful football at this point in the season. I plan to be there for my teammates and support them as we works towards finishing strong.”
FRIDAY, 10:30am: A Jaguars defensive line regular for the past six seasons, Dawuane Smoot may not have the chance to finish out what has become an intriguing year for the team.
The Jags fear the rotational pass rusher suffered a torn Achilles during their win over the Jets on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Smoot, 27, is months away from free agency.
The longest-tenured member of Jacksonville’s defense, Smoot has been with the team since being a 2017 third-round pick. With most of his contributions coming for struggling squads, the Illinois product has been one of the more under-the-radar D-line producers in recent years. This is the fourth consecutive season in which Smoot has totaled at least five sacks. He is sitting on five after 15 games; it does not appear that number will balloon further.
Breaking into the NFL as a reserve on the team’s “Sacksonville” defense that nearly keyed a Super Bowl berth in 2017, Smoot has mostly been a rotational defender. Despite playing for three defensive coordinators over the past three years, results have emerged. The 6-foot-3 edge defender has 22.5 sacks over the past four seasons. He totaled 33 quarterback hits from 2020-21. For a Jags team that has emerged as the favorite to win the AFC South, Smoot’s production is right in stride with recent years. He has 12 QB hits this season, including two in the team’s overtime win over the Cowboys.
Smoot signed a two-year, $10MM contract to stay with the Jags during Urban Meyer‘s brief run. This injury stands to affect his 2023 market, unfortunately. The Jags still have a fairly deep edge corps featuring Josh Allen, Travon Walker, Arden Key and K’Lavon Chaisson, but Pro Football Focus rates Smoot just outside the top 40 at the position. That grade places him just behind Allen and Key.
Thursday looks to mark the second straight game in which Jacksonville has lost a key lineman. The team is likely down left tackle Cam Robinson for the rest of the season.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/21/22
Today’s practice squad transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Brandin Bryant
- Released: DT Kendal Vickers
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Tyree Gillespie
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Aaron Crawford, WR Jason Moore
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Tae Crowder
Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
Christmas Day’s Broncos-Rams matchup will pit two of the league’s most disappointing teams against one another, and the Seahawks and Lions will have a vested interest in this contest. The loser of this game will give one of the latter teams — via the Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford trades — a better chance of landing a top-three pick in next year’s draft.
At 1-12-1, the Texans are cruising home. The Bears are on their heels, potentially set to become the team that selects the 2023 draft’s first non-quarterback. But eight four- or five-win teams reside behind these two, providing some intrigue for fanbases whose squads are not moving toward the playoffs.
The NFC South’s plunge toward becoming perhaps the worst division in NFL history carries draft stakes as well. The Falcons, Saints and Panthers each have five wins, and Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia (via the Saints’ pre-draft trade this year) would see those picks land in the top 10 as of now. The division-leading Buccaneers would see their draft slot check in no higher than 19th. Should one of Tampa Bay’s challengers vault the current first-place team in the standings, the Bucs would see their 2023 first-round slot rise considerably.
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 16:
- Houston Texans: 1-12-1
- Chicago Bears: 3-11
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-10
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-9-1
- Atlanta Falcons: 5-9
- Carolina Panthers: 5-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-8
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-8
- Green Bay Packers: 6-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
- New England Patriots: 7-7
- New York Jets: 7-7
- Detroit Lions: 7-7
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-8
- Tennessee Titans: 7-7
- Washington Commanders: 7-6-1
- Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6
- New York Giants: 8-5-1
- Baltimore Ravens: 9-5
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
- Dallas Cowboys: 10-4
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-4
- Kansas City Chiefs: 11-3
- Minnesota Vikings: 11-3
- Buffalo Bills: 11-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-1
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.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/22
Today’s minor transactions from around the league:
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: T Christian DiLauro
- Placed on IR: LB Dakota Allen
Green Bay Packers
- Signed to active roster: RB Patrick Taylor
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: CB Gregory Junior
- Waived: S Tyree Gillespie
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Earnest Brown IV, DE T.J. Carter
Jaguars TE Evan Engram Open To Re-Signing With Team
The Jaguars signed tight end Evan Engram this offseason as part of a free agency splurge that also saw wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones added to the roster, along with guard Brandon Scherff (among others). Engram, who has enjoyed a productive first season in Duval, is open to a return on a long-term pact, as Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com writes.
Engram, 28, was a first-round pick of the Giants back in 2017. New York exercised his fifth-year option to keep him around for 2021, but after the club brought in a new GM (Joe Schoen) and head coach (Brian Daboll) this year, it was unclear whether Engram would be in Big Blue’s plans.
As it turned out, he was not, though it appears he drew considerable interest from other clubs. Multiple teams were reportedly preparing proposals with the idea of utilizing Engram as a slot receiver rather than as a tight end, and he may have had both one-year and multi-year pacts to choose from.
Per DiRocco, Engram only wanted a one-year contract so that he could reestablish his value after a difficult platform year with the Giants, and he felt he a had a good chance to do that in the TE-friendly offense of Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. Buoyed by a monster Week 14 performance in which he posted 11 catches for 162 yards and three scores, Engram now has the fifth-most receiving yards among tight ends in 2022. His current 71.6% catch rate would represent a career-high, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence — who was effusive in his praise of Engram — has a 110.6 rating when throwing to him. The last time Engram’s QBs had a rating anywhere near that high was in 2018, which happened to be Eli Manning’s last full season with the Giants.
Pederson, who has indeed utilized Engram in the slot for a high percentage of his snaps, also believes the Ole Miss product has acquitted himself well as a run blocker (though the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus are less bullish in that regard, assigning Engram a mediocre 54.9 run-blocking grade). Both the head coach and the quarterback, it seems, would be happy to have Engram back in 2023 and beyond.
Of course, the financials will need to work for both sides. Spotrac presently believes Engram could land a two-year, $15MM contract on the open market, but after earning $9MM this year and with another salary cap spike on the horizon, it would not be surprising to see him shoot for a higher AAV, especially since he has shown he can thrive in the slot. The Jags, who have not had many productive pass-catching tight ends in their history, may be willing to overpay a bit to retain Engram.
“I would like to be back,” Engram said. “I’ve grown a lot in this year, on and off the field, and give credit to God for that, for putting the right people in my life, putting me in the right situations, the right place. It’s been a blast.”
Jags GM Trent Baalke’s Status Uncertain?
The Jaguars have made a few changes to their front office hierarchy in recent years. They currently have Trent Baalke installed as their front office leader; the former 49ers GM is in his third year with the Jaguars but first as the team’s top decision-making presence.
Urban Meyer headed Jacksonville’s operation during his 11-month stay in charge, arriving after the Jaguars named Baalke interim GM. The Jags promoted Baalke to full-time GM after hiring Meyer, but the latter became the franchise’s top personnel voice. A year after Meyer’s dismissal, the Jags may not be committed to Baalke — at least not in the GM role. Rumors have emerged regarding Jags front office changes, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes, with Baalke’s status the key question mark here.
Baalke could be reassigned within the Jags’ front office, with La Canfora adding his future as the team’s GM is “very much in the balance.” This could well lead to Doug Pederson assuming more power within the organization. Baalke played a central role in the Jags hiring Pederson this year, but rumors regarding the franchise hiring another exec to outrank the current GM emerged early this offseason.
Baalke’s status as GM was believed to be turning off select coaches during what became a long-running Jags HC search, and the team interviewed longtime Vikings GM Rick Spielman for a non-GM position — but one that would have reported directly to Shad Khan. The owner was believed to be eyeing both an executive VP-type addition and a front office lieutenant that reported to Baalke. Khan ended up not hiring the former but adding an assistant GM (former 49ers exec Ethan Waugh). The team may be prepared to revisit the prospect of a new voice leading the front office.
Jacksonville’s decision-making reins have seen extensive changes since the team hired Tom Coughlin to head up the front office, effectively demoting then-GM Dave Caldwell, in 2017. The Jags then fired Coughlin in 2019, moving Caldwell back up the chain. Meyer’s hire, coming after the ousters of Caldwell and Doug Marrone, gave the successful college coach the lead role. The team hired Baalke in 2020 and promoted him to GM in January 2021, and after Meyer’s disastrous tenure, Baalke was left standing. This is Baalke’s seventh year in a GM role. He was in this position with the 49ers from 2011-16, a tenure that included three straight NFC championship game appearances but also a power struggle with Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers making back-to-back coaches (Jim Tomsula, Chip Kelly) one-and-dones.
This marked a key year for the Jags’ GM role. The team held the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year, following a slam-dunk Trevor Lawrence pick with a process that ended with high-upside talent Travon Walker being chosen over high-production pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Baalke and Khan were believed to be split on these two players ahead of the draft; Khan was believed to prefer Hutchinson. The Jags were also very active in free agency, filling several holes in their starting lineup.
The Jags have made a slight resurgence in recent weeks, beating the Ravens and Titans, and despite being 5-8, they are within striking distance in a weak AFC South. With Lawrence having a much better season compared to a rough rookie year, the Jags have the look of a rising team. It will be interesting if they follow through with the plan to make a major front office change in 2023.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/10/22
Here are the minor moves around the league in advance of the Week 14 slate of games:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed off Titans’ practice squad: QB Logan Woodside
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: QB Anthony Brown, S Ar’Darius Washington
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: WR John Brown
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from NFI list: DL Henry Anderson
- Waived: CB Tae Hayes
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: S Mike Brown, LB Tae Davis
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: T Aviante Collins
- Placed on IR: CB Anthony Brown (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: T Quinn Bailey
- Elevated: G Netane Muti, LB Harvey Langi
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: OL Ross Pierschbacher
- Elevated: LB Jarrad Davis, CB Jarren Williams
- Placed on IR: CB Chase Lucas
Houston Texans
- Elevated: WR Jalen Camp, QB Jeff Driskel
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: OLB K’Lavon Chaisson
- Elevated: LB Ty Summers
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: C Hroniss Grasu
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed to active roster: CB Kemon Hall
- Elevated: DL Christopher Hinton, S Raheem Layne
- Placed on IR: TE Richard Rodgers
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: WR Freddie Swain
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: S Myles Dorn, CB Tay Gowan
New York Giants
- Elevated: DT Ryder Anderson, CB Zyon Gilbert
New York Jets
- Elevated: LB Marcell Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: LB Christian Elliss
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: RB Tevin Coleman, S Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from PUP list: LB Jon Rhattigan
- Elevated: RB Godwin Igwebuike, WR Laquon Treadwell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: LB K.J. Britt
- Elevated: WR Deven Thompkins, S Nolan Turner
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: WR Chris Conley, LB Jack Gibbens, CB Greg Mabin
- Activated from IR: WR Racey McMath, CB Josh Thompson
- Elevated: RB Julius Chestnut, CB Davontae Harris
- Placed on IR: LB David Long
- Released: DL Larrell Murchison, OL Jordan Roos
Workout Rumors: Rourke, Davidson
Canadian Football League quarterback Nathan Rourke is in the midst of a bit of a free agency tour, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Shortly after Rourke’s BC Lions were knocked out of the playoffs in mid-November, the 24-year-old announced that he was in communication with a number of NFL teams in regard to scheduling workouts.
Rourke played three years of college ball at Ohio after transferring from Fort Scott Community College. As a starter for all three years, Rourke was one of the country’s most electric dual-threat quarterbacks. He improved each year as a passer, finishing with a career total of 7,457 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. His consistency as a runner is uncanny. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, Rourke ran the ball 137, 134, and 154 times respectively, for 912, 860, and 867 yards respectively. Over the three seasons he ran for 2,034 yards and 49 touchdowns. That’s 9,511 yards of total offense and 111 total touchdowns, when you include the two receiving touchdowns he had as a Bobcat.
Rourke went undrafted by the NFL but was the highest drafted quarterback for the CFL in almost 20 years. A rough first season in British Columbia saw Rourke serve mainly as a backup, only starting two games, and making some mistakes early in his career. He only threw three touchdowns to five interceptions, although he was able to add five touchdowns on the ground, as well. In his second year with the team, during the league’s 2022 season, Rourke became a full-time starter. In nine starts, Rourke completed 78.7-percent of his passes for 3,349 yards while throwing 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He also added 304 yards and seven touchdowns with his legs.
After the Lions’ season ended with a third loss in four matchups this year against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a few NFL teams reached out to the athletic quarterback. Rourke reportedly met with the Raiders last week, the Jaguars on Monday, and the Broncos on Tuesday.
Seeing as all three of those teams are set with starting quarterbacks on fairly recent deals, it’s worth point out that Rourke did audition for the Giants at wide receiver just prior to the CFL’s 2021 season. It’s also worth pointing out that the XFL has produced some NFL quarterbacks with limited success lately. Both Commanders backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke and Panthers backup quarterback P.J. Walker have earned playing time with their respective squads. Heinicke, who started most of the 2021 NFL season for Washington, took over the starting job this year for an injured Carson Wentz and has gone on to win five of his seven starts for the team. Walker took over the starting job for an injured Baker Mayfield before suffering an injury of his own.
This opens the door for the league to look outside of the traditional talent pools for a player as important as the backup quarterback. To say Rourke would be an upgrade over Jarrett Stidham, C.J. Beathard, or Brett Rypien is no guarantee, but it may be worth taking a look at the mobile, young quarterback.
Here’s another workout rumor about a very recent second-round pick who was recently released:
- Former Falcons defensive lineman Marlon Davidson visited the 49ers this week, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Through two and a half seasons in the league, Davidson has played in 19 games, only starting one. He’s only recorded one sack but has a fumble recovery and a 3-yard pick six off of Tom Brady to his ledger. Davidson has yet to play this season after being placed on injured reserve following arthroscopic knee surgery and was released in late October. Securing a visit with San Francisco may indicate that he’s healthy enough to find his way back to the field now.