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NFC North Notes: Mack, Lions, Pack, Addison

February 20th, 2025 at 6:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Ryan Poles‘ rebuild effort began in 2022, the Bears traded Khalil Mack for second- and sixth-round picks. After three Chargers seasons, Mack is hitting free agency for the first time. The decorated pass rusher showed sustained health in Los Angeles, missing only one game in three years, and earned three Pro Bowl nods. The Chargers want Mack back, but the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes to not rule out a Bears reunion. Mack is heading into his age-34 season and would profile as a decorated but declining rusher opposite Montez Sweat. Although Poles is expected to receive an extension, he is 0-for-3 in playoff berths for a team trying to maximize Caleb Williams‘ rookie-contract window. The Bears will have a chance to add talent, as they are projected to hold more than $69MM in cap space, and Mack would be an interesting bookend piece — even though both the GM and team president roles have changed from when Chicago acquired him in 2018.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • Staying on the Bears, they are not likely to retain Gerald Everett for too much longer. Given a two-year, $12MM deal, Everett followed Shane Waldron to a third team. Waldron was done by midseason as Chicago’s OC, and The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain indicates the veteran tight end will be as well. The Bears gave Everett a two-year, $12MM deal but saw him total just eight catches for 36 yards despite playing all 17 games. By cutting the former Rams, Seahawks and Chargers TE, the Bears would save $5.5MM.
  • The Lions have announced their coaching staff, and some new names have emerged. The most notable among them, Marques Tuiasosopo will make an NFL return more than 15 years after his playing career wrapped. The former Raiders QB is joining the Lions as an offensive assistant. He comes over after four seasons as Rice’s OC, having previously coached QBs and tight ends at Washington, UCLA, USC and Cal. Detroit also hired Justin Mesa as a quality control staffer, and Caleb Collins and August Mangin are joining as defensive assistants. Mesa spent the past four seasons at Washington State, working most recently as the Cougars’ tight ends coach.
  • Detroit is also losing two staffers. Director of scouting advancement Mike Martin is heading to Notre Dame to become the program’s GM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. Martin has worked under Brad Holmes throughout the GM’s time in Detroit. Another Lions staffer, Jon Dykema, is leaving for the college ranks. Michigan State is hiring the exec to handle contract management for its athletics programs, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel adds. Dykema had worked as the Lions’ director of football compliance, staying with the team for 15 years; he will now help the Spartans navigate the NIL waters.
  • The Packers are adding to Jeff Hafley’s defensive staff. They are bringing in recent Patriots assistant Jamael Lett as a defensive quality control coach, 247Sports.com’s Matt Zenitz tweets. A former staffer at North Carolina and Akron, Lett also spent time as South Alabama’s special teams coordinator. Lett was part of the Pats’ defensive staff under DeMarcus Covington, who is now the Packers’ D-line coach.
  • Circling back to the player side of the NFC North, Jordan Addison‘s DUI case continues. The Vikings wideout filed a continuance and is set to appear in court, for a pretrial hearing, March 12, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. Addison pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor DUI charges — stemming from an August 2024 arrest — earlier this year. A suspension would stand to affect his 2025 availability, should this matter be resolved this offseason.

Byron Murphy, Vikings Push Back Contract Void Date

February 18th, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Vikings have agreed with cornerback Byron Murphy to push back the void date on his contract, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

Murphy’s deal was set to void this week, which would accelerate the remaining prorations of his signing bonus into $4.2MM of dead money in 2025. The Vikings now have until March 11 until the contract voids, giving them more time to negotiate an extension with Murphy. The agreement is similar to one reached with veteran running back Aaron Jones last week.

As part of the deal, the Vikings cannot place the franchise or transition tag on Murphy. However, the move signals that the team is interested in extending Murphy for 2025 and beyond after he started all 17 games in 2024 with a team-high six interceptions. He is reportedly looking for a significant raise from the two-year, $17.5MM deal he signed with the team in 2023.

The Vikings did not reach a similar agreement with quarterback Sam Darnold, whose contract will also void this week, according to Graziano. That will cause his $5MM in remaining signing bonus prorations to hit the Vikings’ 2025 cap as dead money. However, the team retains the option to use the franchise or transition tag on Darnold, a crucial factor in their ongoing negotiations.

This continues what has already been a busy and important offseason for Minnesota. In addition to Murphy, Jones, and Darnold, the Vikings see key veteran contributors like offensive tackle Cam Robinson and cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin face expiring contracts this offseason, as well. The front office will have several decisions to make as they plan to once again push for the NFC North title in 2025.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Vikings Could Extend Andrew Van Ginkel, Josh Metellus

February 17th, 2025 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

It remains to be seen how the Vikings will proceed at the quarterback spot this offseason. While the team weighs its options on the Sam Darnold front, other positions could receive financial attention.

Edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and safety Josh Metellus are both on the books for 2025, but their respective performances this past season could put them in line for new deals. Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune names both players as logical extension candidates. Working out new pacts would prevent potential free agent departures next spring in each case.

Van Ginkel spent the first five years of his career with the Dolphins, seeing a varying degree of playing time in Miami. He departed on the open market last spring, inking a two-year, $20MM pact. The Rams and Eagles both showed interest, but by signing with Minnesota the 29-year-old took on a large role in his new team’s post-Danielle Hunter plans. Along with fellow signee Jonathan Greenard, Van Ginkel thrived in a starting role.

The latter set a new career high with 11.5 sacks while adding a forced fumble and two pick-sixes. Van Ginkel’s production yielded a Pro Bowl invitation and a second-team All-Pro nod, honors which could help his case at the negotiating table if he and the Vikings discuss a new deal. As things stand, the former fifth-rounder is set to carry a $12.4MM cap hit next season.

A new pact could lower that figure, something which is of course also the case for Metellus (who is set to count $7.38 against the cap in 2025). The 27-year-old played primarily on special teams during his first three years with the team, but he became a full-time starter in 2023. An extension had been worked out by early September of that year, and Metellus proved that investment to be worthwhile by notching 116 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

After restructuring his deal this past summer, the former sixth-rounder was again a key safety contributor in 2024. Metellus reached triple-digit tackles for the second straight campaign, adding a pair of interceptions. He will be counted on as an important secondary figure in 2025, but that will especially be the case if Harrison Smith retires.

The Vikings are near the top of the list in terms of projected cap space as free agency approaches, and a notable addition or two could be feasible as a result. With respect to in-house priorities, though, it will be interesting to see if at least one of Van Ginkel or Metellus receive an extension.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 15th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Free agency is roughly one month away, and teams are preparing for the first major roster-building checkpoint on the offseason calendar. In several cases, of course, the lead-in to the start of the new league year will require cost-cutting measures.

Teams expect the 2025 cap ceiling to check in somewhere between $265MM and $275MM, providing a general target to aim for before the final figure is unveiled by the NFL. Using a projected cap of $272.5MM, here is a look at where all 32 teams currently stand (courtesy of Over the Cap):

  1. New England Patriots: $119.8MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $92.53MM
  3. Washington Commanders: $75.21MM
  4. Arizona Cardinals: $71.33MM
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41MM
  6. Chicago Bears: $62.97MM
  7. Minnesota Vikings: $58.01MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26MM
  10. Detroit Lions: $45.69MM
  11. San Francisco 49ers: $44.26MM
  12. Tennessee Titans: $44.08MM
  13. New York Giants: $43.38MM
  14. Green Bay Packers: $42.14MM
  15. Los Angeles Rams: $38.33MM
  16. Denver Broncos: $34.78MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27MM
  18. Indianapolis Colts: $28.25MM
  19. Carolina Panthers: $20.33MM
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08MM
  21. New York Jets: $16.86MM
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $5.96MM
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24MM
  24. Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
  26. Dallas Cowboys: $2.85MM over
  27. Miami Dolphins: $5.44MM over
  28. Atlanta Falcons: $11.15MM over
  29. Seattle Seahawks: $13.46MM over
  30. Buffalo Bills: $14.18MM over
  31. Cleveland Browns: $30.17MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $54.11MM over

These figures will of course change based on where the final cap ceiling winds up for the year, but they take into account each team’s carryover amount for 2025. Even with those savings in play, more than one quarter of the league finds itself in need of cost-shedding moves to simply achieve cap compliance by mid-March.

With the Patriots leading the way in terms of spending power, they will be a team to watch closely once free agency begins. The team’s willingness (or lack thereof) to make major free agent additions last year was a talking point, and it will be interesting to see if the regime featuring de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel takes a different approach in 2025. A serious push for Tee Higgins – by far the most sought-after wideout set to hit the market – can be expected.

Aside from Higgins, the Bengals have a number of financial priorities. Working out a monster extension for fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a new deal (and accompanying raise) for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are key goals for the franchise. Quarterback Joe Burrow is prepared to restructure his own pact to create cap space for this offseason, but the team will no doubt need to break with tradition in terms of contract structure and guarantees to keep its core intact.

The Colts’ offseason has been defined in large part by a focus on retaining in-house players during recent years. That approach has not paid off as hoped, and general manager Chris Ballard said last month he plans to oversee a shift in roster-building philosophy this year. With the finances to make at least a modest addition or two on the open market, Indianapolis could be a suitor for some of the middle-class free agent options.

Over the coming weeks, many teams will proceed with extensions and restructures to free up cap space; the Seahawks recently took the latter route with defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Teams like the Steelers (in the case of edge rusher Preston Smith) and Dolphins (with running back Raheem Mostert as well as corner Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe) have already begin cutting veterans to free up cap space. That will increasingly continue in the near future with respect to the teams currently slated to be over the cap in particular.

Saints Request DC Interview With Vikings’ Daronte Jones

February 15th, 2025 at 12:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

TODAY, 12:20pm: Daronte Jones will be interviewing for the Saints DC job today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

THURSDAY, 10:55am: The list of candidates for the Saints’ defensive coordinator position continues to grow. Daronte Jones has received an interview request, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Jones has worked with the Vikings for the past three years and four overall. His first Minnesota title was that of defensive backs coach, but since 2023 he has worked as the team’s defensive pass-game coordinator. Jones was previously linked to the Bears’ and Jaguars’ defensive coordinator gigs during this year’s hiring cycle.

New Orleans had Joe Woods at the defensive coordinator spot for the past two years. His unit finished eighth in points allowed in 2023, but a regression took place this past campaign. With head coach Dennis Allen being fired midway through the season, it came as little surprise several Saints staffers departed in search of new opportunities. That includes Woods, who is in place on Pete Carroll‘s Raiders staff.

Jones, 46, began his coaching career at Lenoir-Rhyne; for three years after that, however, he worked in Louisiana at the collegiate and high school levels. His coaching tenure also includes a one-year stint as LSU’s defensive coordinator, although he has not held a DC position at the NFL level. That possibility could exist based on how his interview with new head coach Kellen Moore goes.

With that said, it was learned before the Moore hire was made that Brandon Staley was a leading contender for the Saints’ DC position. The two worked together with the Chargers in 2023, and a reunion would see Staley – whose resume includes one year as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, three at the helm of the Bolts and, most recently, an assistant head coach title with the 49ers – tasked with guiding a Saints rebound on defense. In addition to Staley and now Jones, Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards is a name to watch.

Aaron Jones, Vikings Push Back Void Date On Contract

February 15th, 2025 at 9:38am CST by Ben Levine

Aaron Jones‘ one-year deal with the Vikings contained four void years to lessen the blow on Minnesota’s 2024 cap sheet. February 17 was a crucial date for the contract, as Jones would have officially hit free agency while leaving the Vikings with a notable dead cap hit in 2025.

Both sides bought themselves some time this morning. ESPN’s Field Yates reports that Jones and the Vikings agreed to move the upcoming void date to March 11, the day before free agency officially opens.

As Yates notes, this provides the two sides some extra time to negotiate a new contract before free agency. Today’s deadline adjustment doesn’t guarantee that the running back will re-sign with the organization. Still, it certainly bodes better for Jones’ future in Minnesota than if the front office had simply let the void years hit on Monday.

After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Packers, Jones inked a one-year, $7MM deal with the Vikings last offseason. Thanks to those previously mentioned void years, the veteran RB was only attached to a $3.5MM cap hit in 2024. However, that contract construct also meant the Vikings were on the hook for a $3.5MM dead cap for 2025 if Jones didn’t stick around. That pseudo-financial commitment will likely have some influence on how the Vikings front office approaches the position this offseason, as it will likely make more financial sense to retain Jones than pivot to another veteran.

Beyond the financial commitment, it sounds like both Jones and the Vikings were happy with their one-year partnership. We heard recently that the 30-year-old wants to keep playing in Minnesota, and coach Kevin O’Connell has publicly expressed interest in retaining his RB1 (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert).

The Vikings got as much as they could out of Jones during the 2024 season, handing the RB a career-high 306 touches. While Jones’ efficiency took a bit of a hit this past season, he still put up impressive counting stats, particularly his 1,546 yards from scrimmage. Considering his 2024 workload, Seifert cautions that the Vikings could be eyeing more of a committee-style approach to their RBs room in 2025.

Vikings’ Harrison Smith, Stephon Gilmore To Contemplate Retirement

February 14th, 2025 at 11:07am CST by Adam La Rose

Free agency could lead to a few notable departures in the Vikings’ secondary. Retirement is another means by which the team could be shorthanded heading into 2025, though.

Safety Harrison Smith said (via Andrew Kramer of the Minnesota Star Tribune) he will give thought to hanging up his cleats this offseason. That was the case last year, but he and the team agreed to a restructured pact which paved the way for him to play a 13th campaign in Minnesota. Smith remained a full-time starter in 2024, and after being held without an interception the previous year he recorded three this past season.

As a result, his absence would be acutely felt in the event a retirement decision were to be made. Smith, 36, said he was not leaning that way in the wake of the Vikings’ wild-card loss, and if he were to play in 2025 he would carry a modest cap hit of $6.57MM. The six-time Pro Bowler would be expected to remain in a first-team role if he were to continue his career, one which has seen him cement his status as one of the top defenders in franchise history.

Smith has played 192 regular season games, the most by a defensive back amongst all Vikings players. That figure ranks eighth in franchise history, and his 37 career interceptions are the most with respect to active players. The Notre Dame product’s leadership in addition to his production would be difficult to replace, although working out a new deal with pending free agent Camryn Bynum could allow for continuity on the backend. Josh Metellus has logged a heavy defensive workload over the past two years and he could step into a full-time starting role in the event Smith were to end his career.

Just like Smith, cornerback Stephon Gilmore will give thought to retirement. The former Defensive Player of the Year has bounced around the league since the end of his Patriots tenure, spending time with the Panthers, Colts and Cowboys before inking a one-year Vikings pact in August. That deal provided the team with a full-time starter opposite Byron Murphy, and Gilmore helped Minnesota finish the year with the NFL’s fifth-ranked scoring defense.

“It’s more this year,” the 34-year-old said (via Kramer) of considering retirement. “Older, body feeling it a little bit more. Just wasn’t thinking about it during the season, but now looking back at how I feel, I’ll definitely be thinking about it.”

Murphy is in line to command a notable free agent market, while Shaquill Griffin is also in need of a new deal. Losing either of those two in addition to Gilmore hanging up his cleats would leave cornerback as even more of an offseason priority. Much of Minnesota’s outlook over the spring will of course depend on what happens with quarterback Sam Darnold, but the decisions Smith and Gilmore make in the near future will also be key team storylines to follow.

Vikings Unlikely To Let Sam Darnold Walk; ‘Significant’ Rehab Work Remains For J.J. McCarthy?

February 13th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year looks a bit light on franchise tag candidates, but the Vikings do have the most significant decision to make before the March 4 tag deadline.

Sam Darnold has come up as a player the team will consider tagging, despite his tough finish to his debut Minnesota season, and J.J. McCarthy‘s recovery timeline stands to factor into the Vikings’ decision. McCarthy has undergone two surgeries after suffering a meniscus tear in the preseason. While plenty of time remains between now and Week 1, last year’s No. 10 overall pick looks to have a ways to go in his recovery.

[RELATED: Byron Murphy Seeking Significant Raise In Free Agency]

McCarthy still has “significant” work to do in terms of rebuilding his body after the injury, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora, whose recent conversations with a number of NFL execs point to the NFC North team protecting itself before the tag deadline. The Vikings should not be expected to let Darnold hit free agency, La Canfora notes. This would take the top QB option off the market, but given the Vikes’ situation, it would be understandable if they sought high-priced insurance.

The Vikings have been in talks with Darnold, who would be eligible to speak with other teams beginning March 10 when the legal tampering period starts. Darnold’s best financial play would probably be hitting the market and signing with a starter-needy team, one that would be ready to authorize multiple guaranteed years on a contract that would be expected to top $30MM per annum. The Baker Mayfield price range came up for Darnold recently; Darnold’s ex-Panthers teammate re-signed with the Buccaneers for three years and $100MM just before free agency last year.

While Minnesota could take this route in an effort to avoid a $40MM-plus cap hold clogging its payroll due to a franchise tag, McCarthy’s presence represents a rather notable difference between this situation and the one Tampa Bay navigated in 2024. Darnold also could conceivably be leery of re-signing on a multiyear deal due to McCarthy’s presence. McCarthy’s rookie contract can run through 2028 via the fifth-year option, and while a report after Week 17 — a critical juncture on the Darnold Minnesota timeline, due to his struggles in the two games that followed — indicated teams would call the Vikes on McCarthy. No indications have emerged suggesting the Vikings would entertain trading a player around whom they centered their 2024 offseason.

If McCarthy does need to take major steps forward in terms of rehab and acclimating to the NFL, the Vikings keeping Darnold — after a breakthrough season that produced a 14-3 record, an original-ballot Pro Bowl nod and a Kevin O’Connell Coach of the Year honor — would make sense regardless of cost. Minnesota is projected to carry more than $58MM in cap space. While a Darnold tag would throw a wrench into the Vikings’ ability to retain free agents Byron Murphy, Camryn Bynum and Aaron Jones, prioritizing a quarterback would stand to supersede retaining starters elsewhere.

Though, the Vikings are coming off a season in which they saw a $10MM QB make a stunning leap. A second Darnold year also cuts into Minnesota’s ability to build around McCarthy’s rookie contract. O’Connell also elevated Kirk Cousins‘ play, and the team also worked with Daniel Jones for nearly two months to close the season. Jones would be a less expensive option, in the event the Vikings decide a Darnold franchise tag would be too pricey.

Of course, teams have the choice of two tags to use each year. The lesser-used transition tag would be an interesting play, as our Nikhil Mehta suggested earlier this month. The lower-cost tag has since come up around the NFL as a potential option, according to Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero.

Whereas OverTheCap projects the QB franchise tag to eclipse $41MM, it predicts the transition tag value to check in south of $36MM. That might not be enough of a difference to risk losing Darnold for no compensation, as the franchise tag still calls for two first-round picks to come back in the event of an unmatched offer sheet. But a transition tag also would give the Vikings five days to match any offer, effectively handcuffing the team that submitted the proposal at a time when key free agents will come off the board.

Darnold, 27, represents the top QB domino this year. The Vikings’ call during the tag window (Feb. 18-March 4) will determine if he is available. If a tag takes the seven-year vet out of the equation, teams would need to pivot. Jones, Cousins, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and, if he intends to keep playing, Aaron Rodgers will be the other top veterans to monitor as bridge options (at worst) in a scenario in which Darnold stays in Minnesota.

Byron Murphy Aiming For Significant Raise; Vikings-Camryn Bynum Deal In Play

February 13th, 2025 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 13: In another indication of Murphy’s desire for a notable payday, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune notes he turned down an extension offer from the Vikings prior to the start of the 2024 campaign. Murphy’s value has certainly risen since he made that decision, and Minnesota would have a large vacancy to fill at the cornerback spot if Murphy were to depart on the open market.

FEBRUARY 3: Ranked highly on PFR’s top 50 free agents list in 2023, Byron Murphy took a middle-class deal to position himself for a better 2025 payday. After playing out his two-year Vikings contract, the former second-round pick will look to cash in again.

The Cardinals draftee played an integral role on Brian Flores’ defenses over the past two seasons, Murphy started all 31 Minnesota games he played and intercepted nine passes in that span. Six of those came last season, helping the versatile defender set himself up for another payday. At 27, Murphy should be able to command one on a market light on proven corners seeking second contracts.

Indeed, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler offers that Murphy is looking for a significant raise on this year’s market. Murphy played out a two-year, $17.5MM deal last season. The 5-foot-11 defender earned his first Pro Bowl nod this past season; that came with a starter designation. Pro Football Focus ranked Murphy as a top-25 corner in 2024, as he improved on yards per target (7.2) and passer rating allowed as the closest defender (76.7) compared to his first Minnesota season.

The top free agent corners this year join Murphy in going through free agency for a second time. D.J. Reed, Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward are in that camp. That trio, however, played out three-year deals. Murphy having inked a two-year pact with the Vikes may well give him a advantage this time around, as he will have an age-27 season to market. Davis, Reed and Ward will all turn 29 in 2025.

Chidobe Awuzie did quite well as third-contract-seeking corner last year, securing a three-year Titans deal worth $36MM ($19MM guaranteed at signing). Awuzie going down early in the year may not help the 2025 batch of veteran CBs, but Murphy has missed more than three games in a season just once (2022). And he still commanded a quality FA deal on the heels of it. With 22 corners tied to eight-figure AAVs, Murphy can expect to join that list.

Elsewhere in the Vikings’ secondary, Camryn Bynum — a starting safety and key cog in the defense’s myriad post-turnover dance choreography efforts — is out of contract as well. This will be Bynum’s first shot at free agency, even though he is only a few months younger than Murphy. As such, this will be a pivotal offseason for the 26-year-old defender. PFF viewed Bynum as taking a step back in his contract year, ranking him outside the top 60 after a 21st-place assessment in 2023. Though, Bynum has been durable (51 starts since 2022) and has intercepted eight passes on his rookie deal. Bynum also forced three fumbles in 2023.

The Vikings discussed an extension with Bynum before last season, and while nothing came to pass, Fowler indicates both sides remain open to it — to the point a re-up before free agency could be in play. Free agents-to-be can discuss terms with other teams beginning with the legal tampering period March 10, with deals becoming official when the 2025 league year begins March 12.

Murphy and Bynum represent two important dominoes for the Vikings, who have missed on some draft investments (Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth) in recent years. The Vikings have Josh Metellus signed for one more season, at a team-friendly rate (two years, $8MM), but used veteran stopgap Stephon Gilmore as Murphy’s tandem partner outside. With Harrison Smith going into an age-36 season, the Vikings have major questions to answer soon.

The Murphy and Bynum free agencies will be critical to determining the team’s 2025 DB outlook. Minnesota is projected to hold more than $58MM in cap space. It would seem likely the Vikes will attempt to get by without a $40MM-plus Sam Darnold franchise tag going on the books, though no call has been made there. Such a decision would impact how the team proceeds in the secondary.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

February 10th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the 2024 campaign has come to a close. The final first-round order for April’s draft is now set as a result.

All 32 teams currently own a Day 1 selection, leaving the door open to each one adding a prospect in the first round for the first time since expansion in 2002. Any number of trades will no doubt take place between now and the draft, though, and it will be interesting to see how teams maneuver in the lead-in to the event. Of course, Tennessee in particular will be worth watching closely with a move to sell off the No. 1 pick being seen as a distinct possibility.

A weak quarterback class will leave teams like the Titans, Browns, Giants and Raiders with plenty of key offseason decisions. The free agent and trade markets do not offer many short-term alternatives which are seen as surefire additions, and teams which do not make moves in March will rely on the incoming group of rookies as part of their efforts to find a long-term solution under center. The two prospects seen as the clear-cut top options in 2025, however, are two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2024 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 a final look at the first-round order:

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