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Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order

December 1st, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Week 12 saw the Giants become the first team in the NFL to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Based on yesterday’s results, another two teams from each conference saw their postseason chances officially come to an end.

The Titans, Saints, Raiders and Cardinals have now been eliminated as well. Attention in the case of those teams will increasingly turn toward the offseason. For some, questions about changes at the quarterback spot will be ongoing through the spring. Free agency is not expected to include many notable options, so the draft will be sought out in several instances as a means of finding a 2026 starter.

Of course, the incoming class of passers has largely underwhelmed this season. That has led to uncertainty regarding the ceiling for many of the top prospects at the quarterback position. Nevertheless, supply often outweighs demand at the top of the Day 1 order in the NFL draft. How things shake out over the closing weeks of the season will be key in determining which QB-needy teams find themselves in the best position to select a new QB1.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is an early look at the first-round order:

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

Saints To Use K Charlie Smyth In Week 13

November 29th, 2025 at 7:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Sunday will mark the Saints’ first game since their decision to move on from kicker Blake Grupe. His immediate replacement will not be the veteran signed earlier this week, though.

The Saints have made Charlie Smyth one of their practice squad gameday elevations for Week 13. The Northern Irishman is thus in line to make his first ever regular season appearance tomorrow. He will look to provide New Orleans with an improved performance compared to Grupe’s inconsistent 2025 season.

Grupe’s third year as the Saints’ kicker did not go nearly as well as the first two. His field goal accuracy rate for 2025 sits at 69.2%, and the team moved on shortly after auditioning free agent options to replace him. One of them – Cade York – was signed on Tuesday. Instead of York (who has made 23 appearances across spells with three different teams), it will be Smyth getting the first opportunity to handle kicking duties.

The 27-year-old entered the NFL when he signed with the Saints in 2024 by way of the International Player Pathway Program. Smyth has been in the organization ever since, but given his background as a Gaelic football player prior to joining New Orleans he has been seen to date more as a developmental project than a reliable backup kicking option. It will be interesting to see how his debut goes as the 2-9 Saints look to identify players worth retaining for next season.

New Orleans has also elevated receiver Dante Pettis for tomorrow’s game against the Dolphins. This is the veteran’s third elevation, so for the Saints to continue using him down the stretch he will need to be signed to the active roster in the near future.

Saints RB Alvin Kamara Has MCL Sprain, Out For Week 13

November 29th, 2025 at 12:46pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Saints running back Alvin Kamara suffered a sprained MCL in Week 12 and will miss at least one game.

Kamara went down early in last week’s loss to the Falcons. An MRI revealed he avoided a serious injury, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, but he was still ruled out for the Saints’ Week 13 matchup with the Dolphins. The nine-year veteran should still have a chance to return this season.

2025 has been a down year for Kamara. The five-time Pro Bowler is putting up career-lows across the board with 3.6 yards per carry, 5.6 yards per reception, and 59.7 scrimmage yards per game.

Kendre Miller‘s season-ending injury in October will put rookie Devin Neal atop the Saints’ depth chart in Kamara’s absence. The sixth-round pick has only appeared in seven games this season with 29 total touches for 125 yards. In his last three years at Kansas, Neal averaged 6.0 yards per carry and scored 44 total touchdowns.

Kamara’s injury will also get Audric Estime invovled after just one appearance and three offensive snaps this year. The 2024 fifth-rounder recorded 310 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries as a rookie in Denver.

The Saints’ only other running back is Ian Wheeler, a 2023 UDFA who has yet to appear in an NFL game. He will be elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game and could have a game day role until Kamara’s return. New Orleans may also add a veteran to their inexperience, unproven backfield.

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/25/25

November 25th, 2025 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Activated from IR: OT Barry Wesley
  • Signed to active roster: RB Evan Hull

Seattle Seahawks

In addition to waiving cornerback Arthur Maulet, the Lions also moved on from defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson and cornerback Nick Whiteside. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, these moves were likely made in anticipation of upcoming activations from IR and PUP.

The Patriots started preparing for Will Campbell and Jared Wilson‘s absences by adding some experienced offensive line depth, as the team snagged Thayer Munford off the Browns practice squad today. The former seventh-round pick was mostly a part-time starter during his three seasons with the Raiders, although he did start a career-high 10 games for the organization in 2023.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/25/25

November 25th, 2025 at 6:20pm CST by Connor Byrne

Tuesday’s practice squad updates from around the NFL…

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: OL Wyatt Bowles

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Signed: CB Myles Purchase

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Saints To Swap Kickers By Signing Cade York, Waiving K Blake Grupe

November 25th, 2025 at 12:16pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints are making a change at kicker. Cade York is set to join the practice squad in New Orleans, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, and Blake Grupe will be waived from the active roster as a result, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

York won the Saints’ kicking job with a successful tryout on Tuesday morning, beating out disgraced former Raven Justin Tucker.

Grupe has had a tough season, his third in the NFL. He made just 10 of his 15 field goal attempts in the first five games of the year with one miss inside of 40 yards and two more inside of 50 yards. He bounced back in his next four games, missing only a 53-yarder and converting all three of his other tries.

However, Grupe regressed in Week 12 against the Falcons, missing from 38 and 47 yards to drop his conversion rate to 69.2% on the year, a significant drop from the 81.1% and 87.1% marks of his first two seasons. The Saints’ coaching staff decided they had seen enough and opted to make a change.

York, a 2022 fourth-round pick by the Browns, made 75% of his kicks as a rookie with five misses inside of 50 yards. The Browns released him during final roster cuts in 2023; he bounced around with a few teams but did not make any appearances that year. York eventually found his way back to Cleveland during the 2024 offseason but again failed to win the starting kicker job. He was traded to the Commanders to kick in Week 1, but missed both of his field goals and was released shortly after.

York was later picked up by the Bengals for five games, during which time he made nine of his 11 field goals and 13 of his 15 extra point attempts. Despite the bounce-back showing in Cincinnati, York did not receive any interest this offseason, but he will get a chance in New Orleans and could lock down the job for the rest of the year with a strong debut in Week 13.

Saints Waive Brandin Cooks; Latest On WR’s Contract Restructure

November 24th, 2025 at 3:39pm CST by Rory Parks

NOVEMBER 24: As expected, Cooks has cleared waivers (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). He is now a free agent.

NOVEMBER 23: The Saints have officially put veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks on waivers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio passes along a few of the “contractual technicalities” that were referenced in prior reporting on Cooks’ impending departure, technicalities which held up the transaction.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football had reported that Cooks negotiated his contract downward to facilitate his exit, which appears to be true to a degree. Per Florio, the 32-year-old wideout gave up his right to $420K in termination pay, which would not have been offset by the salary an acquiring team will have to give him.

In exchange, the team that originally drafted Cooks increased his guaranteed pay for 2026 – the final year of the two-year pact he signed this offseason – from $1.69MM to $5.94MM. A team claiming Cooks off waivers would have to absorb his contract, so bumping up the guaranteed money on the deal makes it more likely he will pass through waivers unclaimed, thus making him a free agent and therefore able to sign with any team he wants (read: a playoff contender).

Of course, the perennially cap-strapped Saints would not willingly put themselves on the hook for more money for a player they are trying to remove from the roster, so the revised contract also created a window for New Orleans to cut Cooks in a way that absolves the team of its 2026 obligation to him. The problem, according to Florio, is that league rules specifically prohibit a team from modifying a contract to deter a waiver claim, which is precisely what the Saints have done.

However, it presently appears as if the NFL is allowing the waiver process to move forward. One high-ranking official with another club expressed shock at the league’s willingness to do so, and the NFL has not responded to Florio’s request for comment or clarification.

Absent some sort of about-face on the league’s part, it looks like Cooks and the Saints will achieve their desired outcome and Cooks will soon hit the open market. As our Connor Byrne noted in the story linked above, a number of contending teams – including the Bills, Broncos, and Steelers – were in the hunt for a receiver at the trade deadline but were unable to land one. They are among the clubs that could show interest in Cooks if he does, in fact, become an FA.

The former first-round pick has 19 catches for 165 scoreless yards in 2025.

Saints To Host Justin Tucker, Cade York

November 24th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Adam La Rose

With Blake Grupe struggling, the Saints are l0oking into a number of free agent kickers. Visits are being lined up today, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

The total number of kickers being auditioned is unclear at this point, but one notable name is included in the list. As Underhill reports, Justin Tucker is among the free agents who will work out for the Saints. Cade York will also receive a look.

Tucker’s illustrious Ravens tenure came to an end in May. The move came as little surprise at the time with Baltimore having used a sixth-round pick on his replacement, Tyler Loop. Performance was named by the team as the reason for the release, but Tucker’s departure came about in the wake of alleged sexual misconduct dating back several years. The 36-year-old has denied any wrongdoing, but in June he accepted a 10-game suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Tucker has now served that ban, and as of October it was known he was on the radar of interested teams. The five-time All-Pro would represent a notable addition down the stretch for any number of suitors, although his off-field situation will no doubt be a central talking point in the event a deal is worked out. Tucker struggled through the middle of last season, leading to by far his least accurate campaign; issues from long range continued to be an issue, extending a trend in that regard from recent years. This will be his first known workout of 2025.

Even with Tucker having shown a decline in 2024, his career accuracy rate on field goals sits at 89.1%. The 2010s All-Decade Team member’s showing last season was his first with a FG success rate under 82.5%, and he has missed no more than two extra points in a single season. Expectations will be high in terms of performance in the event Tucker lands a contract for 2025.

York’s resume is far different from Tucker’s, but he will also try out for New Orleans. The former Browns draftee struggled during his rookie season and did not see any regular season game action the following year. In 2024, York made one appearance with the Commanders and five with the Bengals. Overall, he has connected on 33 of 45 field goal tries and 51 of 54 extra point attempts.

Grupe has been operating as the Saints’ kicker since 2023. The team’s Wil Lutz successor improved on his field goal accuracy last season compared to his debut campaign, but things have taken a turn for the worse in 2025. Grupe, 27, has missed eight field goals this year, including two during yesterday’s loss against the Falcons.

The Saints have Grupe on their active roster along with Charlie Smyth on the practice squad. The latter has yet to make a regular season NFL appearance and it appears that will continue with a number of veterans being auditioned. It will be interesting to see if these workouts produce an agreement.

2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 22nd, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 26 became eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations once the postseason begins.

Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 13:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Carolina Panthers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Cincinnati Bengals

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Detroit Lions

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Los Angeles Rams

Designated for return:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Minnesota Vikings

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

New England Patriots

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Philadelphia Eagles

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Pittsburgh Steelers

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

San Francisco 49ers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Seattle Seahawks

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Tennessee Titans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Washington Commanders

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/25

November 22nd, 2025 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Week 12’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Sunday slate tomorrow:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

There hasn’t been much of an update since it was reported that rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was going through the league’s concussion protocol. He was able to get some limited practice time in yesterday, but he hasn’t yet been cleared. With Gabriel’s status up in the air, Zappe is getting called up in case he’s needed to back up the new starting rookie, Shedeur Sanders.

O’Connell and Sheriff are getting called up with linebackers Tyrice Knight out with a concussion and Ernest Jones questionable with a knee injury. This will be O’Connell’s third and final practice squad elevation, so if the Seahawks wants to see him play again this year, they will need to sign him to the active roster.

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