Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Sunday’s action provided more clarity on a number of fronts relating to the playoff pushes in each conference. The list of teams still in contention for the top pick in the 2026 draft remains long, however.
Week 15 saw the Broncos and Rams clinch a postseason berth. Meanwhile, the Chiefs, Bengals and Vikings have each officially been eliminated from the playoffs. They will join the group of teams turning their attention to offseason planning. That of course includes extensive evaluation of the top prospects in this year’s class; several have already turned pro (with some exceptions).
Sunday’s results mean there are nine teams with two, three or four wins. Each of them remain candidates to secure the No. 1 selection, although victories by the Saints and Commanders yesterday will greatly hinder their chances of moving to the top of the order. Jockeying amongst teams like the Raiders, Jets and Cardinals (each on track to pursue a new quarterback this spring) will be a storyline worth following closely down the stretch.
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 updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
- Tennessee Titans (2-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-11)
- New York Jets (3-11)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
- New Orleans Saints (4-10)
- Washington Commanders (4-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Miami Dolphins (6-8)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (6-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (7-7)
- Carolina Panthers (7-7)
- Detroit Lions (8-6)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
- Houston Texans (9-5)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Buffalo Bills (10-4)
- Chicago Bears (10-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- New England Patriots (11-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
- Denver Broncos (12-2)
Russell Wilson Expected To Play In 2026
Giants quarterback Russell Wilson is set to become a free agent in March. It appears the 37-year-old will look for another contract then. Wilson “still seems like a quarterback intent on playing more,” Jordan Raanan of ESPN writes.
A high-end starter with the Seahawks for most of his time in Seattle from 2012-21, Wilson has gone on a nomadic and far less successful run over the past few years. The 10-time Pro Bowler spent two seasons with the Broncos and one with the Steelers before signing a one-year, $10.5MM contract with the Giants last March. Nine months later, it’s fair to say his Giants stint will go down as a second straight one-off.
The Wilson addition was part of a major offseason shakeup at quarterback for New York. Along with signing Wilson, the team inked fellow veteran Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8MM pact. The Wilson and Winston pickups came roughly a month before the Giants traded up to select Jaxson Dart 25th overall in the draft.
With the goal of easing Dart into action, the Giants named Wilson their starter to open the season. However, it didn’t take long for Dart to wrest the job away from Wilson.
After the Giants stumbled to an 0-3 mark under Wilson, now-former head coach Brian Daboll made the switch to Dart ahead of Week 4. Dart has missed two games with a concussion since then, but Winston started over Wilson in those contests. With Dart healthy again, interim head coach Mike Kafka has designated Wilson as the Giants’ emergency No. 3 QB in back-to-back games. In six appearances this season, Wilson has completed 58% of passes with 7.0 yards per attempt, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Regardless of who assumes the reins as their head coach in 2026, the Giants are poised to continue with Dart and Winston as their top two QBs. That will leave Wilson to seek employment elsewhere, though he’ll do so with his stock at a low point. With that in mind, starting offers may be difficult to come by for the one-time Super Bowl champion and potential Hall of Famer.
Giants HC Rumors: Hafley, Freeman, OCs
At 2-11 and in contention for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Giants will likely bring in a new head coach from outside the organization in the next couple of months. Interim choice Mike Kafka, who replaced the fired Brian Daboll a little over a month ago, seems like a long shot for a full-time promotion. Now coming off their bye, Kafka’s Giants have gone 0-3, including a blowout loss to the Patriots in Week 13.
General manager Joe Schoen is leading New York’s head coaching search. After hiring Daboll in 2022, he’s in line to pick his second head coach despite a 20-43-1 record as the team’s GM. Schoen doesn’t expect his presence to push away candidates, though there’s some disagreement about that around the league, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post details.
With Schoen only under contract through 2026, an NFC assistant coach told Dunleavy: “The biggest deterrent to taking that job is a lame-duck GM. If you’re signing a five-year deal to become the head coach, you’d like to know that you can develop a vision for your program with a GM that’s aligned the same way. But if the GM is in win-now mode and you need time to bring in scheme-specific talent, that will not mesh very well.”
On the other hand, a different assistant who could receive head coaching interviews told Dunleavy: “Joe’s well respected around the league. It’s not going to be a deterrent. When you look at the quarterback and the game-changers they have, it’s going to be one of the more attractive jobs.”
First-round rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers, left tackle Andrew Thomas, and a talented group of pass rushers are among the reasons many consider the Giants’ position enticing. That group may appeal to Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who’s the “heavy favorite” to land the job, according to Conor Orr of SI.com. The 46-year-old New Jersey native would be a first-time NFL head coach, but he did take Boston College to two bowl games from 2020-23. Green Bay’s enjoying its second straight year as one of the league’s most effective defenses under his tutelage.
Hafley went 22-26 at Boston College. One of his losses came at the hands of a Marcus Freeman-led Notre Dame squad. Freeman, who came up as a speculative Giants candidate last month, is indeed on the team’s list, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Although Notre Dame’s season ended without a playoff berth, the Fighting Irish finished 10-2. They’re 43-12 since Freeman succeeded Brian Kelly in late 2021.
Freeman is under contract through 2030 on a lucrative extension, but Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua realizes there’s outside interest in the 39-year-old.
“Everybody has eyes on Marcus,” Bevacqua said (via Adam Rittenberg of ESPN). “College has eyes on Marcus; NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus. … He’s the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop, one of the greatest college coaches in the country.”
To better its chances of keeping Freeman, Notre Dame will revise his contract on an annual basis, Bevacqua revealed. Doing so will keep Freeman among the nation’s highest-paid coaches.
Aside from Hafley, Freeman, and Colts DC Lou Anarumo (previously reported), Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak are also on the Giants’ radar, according to Russini.
Kingsbury is the only member of the quintet with previous head coaching experience in the pros. The Cardinals went 28-37-1 under him from 2019-22. Kingsbury helped quarterback Kyler Murray to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a pair of Pro Bowls during that span. Murray hasn’t revisited that form since. Kingsbury also guided the Cardinals to an 11-6 record in 2021. That stands as their only playoff season of the past decade.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may join Kingsbury as an experienced possibility for the Giants. The Browns aren’t expected to fire the two-time Coach of the Year, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes, though he contends it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Giants trade for Stefanski.
It’s unclear what the Giants would have to give up for Stefanski, who would be part of the league’s eighth head coach trade since 1997 in this scenario. The most recent deal came when the Broncos dealt a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-rounder to the Saints for Sean Payton and a 2024 third-rounder in February 2023. The Giants aren’t in position to surrender that type of compensation for Stefanski, but it appears he’s another name to keep an eye on during their high-profile search.
Giants Designate CB Art Green For Return From IR, Activate LB Darius Muasau
DECEMBER 13: Green remains on IR at this point but Muasau has been activated, per a team announcement. That will allow him to return to action in Week 15.
DECEMBER 9: The Giants could have a pair of defenders back in the fold in time for their Week 15 game. Linebacker Darius Muasau and cornerback Art Green have been designated for return from injured reserve, per a team announcement. 
Muasau has been on IR for one month due to an ankle injury. Green, meanwhile, has been sidelined one week longer while recovering from a hamstring ailment. Both players now have up to 21 days to practice before they must be brought back onto the active roster.
In the case of Muasau in particular, having him available for the closing stages of the season would be a welcomed development. The 2024 sixth-rounder made seven starts as a rookie, and he remained a first-team presence through the current campaign before being injured. Muasau has logged a 56% snap share in 2025, totaling 32 tackles and one sack in eight games. He will look to resume that level of production upon returning to action.
Bobby Okereke has remained a starter this season, his third in New York. Fellow linebacker Micah McFadden has not played since undergoing foot surgery in September, though, something which has created a vacancy in the Giants’ starting lineup. Muasau, 24, finishing strong would help his chances of securing his spot as a defensive regular for 2026.
Green will not be expected to see the field on defense when he returns. The former UDFA is also in his second season with New York, but he has strictly contributed on special teams to date. Having logged a snap share of 78% in that regard prior to his injury, Green will no doubt reprise his role as a key third phase presence once he is activated.
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/13/25
Here are today’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations for Week 15’s Sunday slate of games:
Arizona Cardinals
- Activated from IR: T Christian Jones
- Elevated: WR Jalen Brooks, WR Trent Sherfield
- Placed on IR: DT Bilal Nichols
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: CB Dane Jackson, DE Andre Jones Jr.
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: LB Isaiah Simmons
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: OL Garrett Dellinger
- Elevated: S Chris Edmonds, DT Maurice Hurst
- Waived: WR Jamari Thrash
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: LB Jordan Turner
- Elevated: WR Michael Bandy, QB Sam Ehlinger
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: TE Shane Zylstra
- Elevated: S Erick Hallett, TE Giovanni Ricci
- Placed on IR: S Brian Branch (story)
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: RB Pierre Strong
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: TE Harrison Bryant
- Elevated: RB Jawhar Jordan, S K’Von Wallace
- Waived: RB Cody Schrader
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed to active roster: G C.J. Hanson
- Elevated: T Chukwuebuka Godrick, DT Zacch Pickens
- Placed on IR: T Wanya Morris (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson, G Atonio Mafi
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: WR Dalevon Campbell, S Marcus Williams
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: S Tanner Ingle
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: RB D’Ernest Johnson
- Elevated: DT Leonard Taylor
- Placed on IR: RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: WR Kevin Austin, K Charlie Smyth
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: WR Dalen Cambre, OLB Tomon Fox
- Elevated: DT Elijah Chatman, P Cameron Johnston
- Placed on IR: OLB Victor Dimukeje, CB Nic Jones
- Waived: CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Cam Jones
- Elevated: CB Tre Brown, QB Adrian Martinez
- Placed on IR: CB Azareye’h Thomas
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: S Andre’ Sam
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: DE Rylie Mills
- Elevated: RB Velus Jones
- Placed on IR: TE Elijah Arroyo
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: T John Ojukwu
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Darius Rush
Nichols began the year on the reserve/PUP list. The eight-year veteran has been hampered by injuries since signing with the Cardinals in 2024. After playing just six games last year, Nichols’ 2025 campaign will end after only four appearances.
Bryant makes his return to the Texans’ offense to replenish a thinned out tight ends group, while in Seattle, the Seahawks place their second-round rookie tight end, Arroyo, on injured reserve with a knee injury.
In Buffalo, this will be Jackson’s third and final standard gameday practice squad elevation. If the team wants to see him in another game this season, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster. The same is true for Strong in Green Bay, Jackson and Mafi in Las Vegas, Smyth in New Orleans, Sam in Philadelphia, and Jones in Seattle.
On the flip side of that, in Denver, Turner has been signed to the 53-man roster after running out of elevations last week.
Thomas suffered a shoulder injury in Week 14 and it will end his season. The third-round rookie confirmed on social media today he is set to undergo surgery in the near future. Thomas made five starts in 2025, totaling 22 tackles and seven pass deflections.
NFL Minor Transactions: 12/11/25
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: WR Chris Blair, S Jammie Robinson
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on IR: DE Trey Hendrickson (story)
Denver Broncos
- Waived: TE Marcedes Lewis
New York Giants
- Claimed off waivers (from Buccaneers): WR Ryan Miller
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated for return from IR: OT Cameron Williams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DL Adam Gotsis, S J.T. Gray
Marcedes Lewis is being temporarily let go by the Broncos, but the 41-year-old tight end won’t be a free agent for long. According to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post, Lewis is expected to quickly land back on Denver’s practice squad. However, the team may have some difficulty adding him back to the active roster. Since the Broncos have already exhausted Lewis’s three elevations, the team would have to sign him to the 53-man roster in order for him to make another appearance. Gabriel says the more likely scenario is Lewis sticking around on the taxi squad, with the organization valuing the player’s “leadership [and] character.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/10/25
Today’s NFL practice squad transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: G Wyatt Bowles, G Tyler Cooper
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Jordan Fuller
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Ty Summers
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Xavier Johnson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Maurice Hurst
- Released: DT Simeon Barrow Jr.
Houston Texans
- Signed: FB Jakob Johnson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: C Jimmy Morrissey
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Jaret Patterson, DT Kyle Peko
New England Patriots
- Activated from practice squad/injured list: RB Jashaun Corbin
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: RB Craig Reynolds
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Xavier Gipson
- Released: WR Ray-Ray McCloud
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Adrian Martinez, TE Nick Muse
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: T David Sharpe
- Released: RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Isaiah Bolden
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB Kevon Seymour
Gipson is changing clubs for the third time this season after getting claimed off waivers by the Giants for the second time this year. After starting the season with the Jets and getting cut after a crucial fumble in Week 1, Gipson found his way across town to the other New York team. The Giants waived him after about two and a half weeks, and he was claimed by Philadelphia. His stint with the Eagles has been his longest with any team this year, but he’ll return to the Giants after getting waived once again.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/10/25
Here are today’s midweek minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: CB Tre Avery
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: T Jeremiah Byers
- Waived: S Chris Edmonds
Houston Texans
- Designated for return from IR: TE Harrison Bryant, WR Justin Watson
New York Giants
- Designated for return from IR: WR Beaux Collins
- Practice window opened: OL Joshua Ezeudu
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: DE Eric Watts
- Placed on IR: DE Tyler Baron
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated for return from IR: LS Charley Hughlett
- Reverted to season-ending IR: T Myles Hinton
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: T Dylan Cook
- Placed on IR: T Calvin Anderson
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return: TE Eric Saubert
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: DT C.J. Brewer, WR Ryan Miller
Washington Commanders
- Signed to active roster: RB Chase Edmonds
- Placed on IR: TE Zach Ertz (story)
The Texans’ offense is getting healthy at just the right time. Despite not making much of an impact in the passing game, Bryant started three of eight game appearances earlier this year for the Texans and returns to a thin position group. Watson is coming back from a 13-week absence and will hope to continue working his way into a new offense.
The Eagles waived replacement long snapper Cal Adomitis yesterday, so it stands to reason that Hughlett will find himself back on the 53-man roster soon. Hinton’s 21-day practice window closed today, so he’ll add insult to injury in Philadelphia as he reverts to injured reserve without the ability to be activated while still using up one of the team’s eight allotted activations, since they designated him to return before final roster cuts.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
Week 14’s action brought about a few notable updates to the standings at both ends of the NFL’s conferences. Another four teams are officially out of playoff contention, while wins by Tennessee and New Orleans could prove to be rather important once the campaign has ended.
The Jets, Browns, Falcons and Commanders were eliminated from the postseason through the results of recent days. Of course, each of those teams have been out of the running for a playoff push for some time now. Still, that group will be worth watching closely over the closing four weeks of the season as the top-10 order for Day 1 of the draft gradually comes into focus.
Uncertainty regarding the quarterback class of 2026 will no doubt remain a talking point over the coming months. Fernando Mendoza strengthened his case to be QB1 in April’s draft, although it remains to be seen if other top signal-callers like Dante Moore and Ty Simpson will turn pro or elect to remain in school for one more season. Decisions on those fronts will be central storylines carrying significant implications for the teams near the top of the order which find themselves in need of a quarterback investment.
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 updated look at the first-round order:
- New York Giants (2-11)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
- Tennessee Titans (2-11)
- Cleveland Browns (3-10)
- New Orleans Saints (3-10)
- Washington Commanders (3-10)
- New York Jets (3-10)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
- Minnesota Vikings (5-8)
- Miami Dolphins (6-7)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)
- Carolina Panthers (7-6)
- Detroit Lions (8-5)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-5)
- Houston Texans (8-5)
- Chicago Bears (9-4)
- Buffalo Bills (9-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
- Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
- Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
- Seattle Seahawks (10-3)
- New England Patriots (11-2)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-3)
- Denver Broncos (11-2)
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/9/25
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves in the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Steven Sims
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB MJ Devonshire
- Released: OL Nick Broeker
Chicago Bears
- Released: RB Royce Newman
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Darrian Dalcourt, DT Keith Cooper Jr.
- Released: DE Ochaun Mathis, LB Mark Robinson
Denver Broncos
- Signed: RB Sincere McCormick, WR Kyrese Rowan
- Released: OT Marques Cox
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Troy Pride Jr.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: DT Kyle Peko
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: TE Nick Muse
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LB K.C. Ossai
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Josh Ross
New York Giants
- Signed: P Cameron Johnston
- Released: CB Myles Purchase
New York Jets
- Signed: DL Kingsley Jonathan
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Nate Lynn, TE Cole Turner
- Placed on IR: TE Joel Wilson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: WR Chris Moore
- Released: WR River Cracraft
Giants punter Jamie Gillan is dealing with an injury, so they brought in several punters to try out on Tuesday. Johnston emerged as the best of the group and will be on hand for punting duties in Week 15 if Gillan is not healthy enough to play.