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Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 5th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Once again, we saw plenty of change occur in the projected draft order after Sunday’s games. Most notably, the Patriots took themselves out of the top overall draft slot with a win over the resting Bills. While this change likely won’t hurt their ability to select one of the players that interested them most, as they likely weren’t looking to select a quarterback with rookie Drake Maye in place, New England likely could’ve benefitted from collecting some serious draft capital trading out of the top spot to any of the teams seeking quarterback help next season.

One of those quarterback-needy teams, the Titans have officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, tying for the worst overall record in the league with the Browns and Giants but holding tiebreakers over both franchises. The Browns and Giants, who both secured the second and third overall picks, respectively, today, are also considered top candidates to draft a passer.

With all three teams at the top of the draft interested in adding help at quarterback, the draft’s top two prospects at the position, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, saw their chances at getting selected No. 1 overall rise dramatically. Plenty could still occur to change this situation; trades could alter the draft order, and further pre-draft evaluations could change opinions on top prospects.

Still, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s conclusion:

  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 (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. Houston Texans (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  22. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  24. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  25. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  26. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
  32. Detroit Lions (15-2)

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Seahawks’ Ryan Grubb Could Be On Hot Seat

January 5th, 2025 at 9:36pm CST by Ely Allen

In the first year under rookie head coach Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks improved a game from last year’s 9-8 campaign, going 10-7 and finishing just one spot shy of a playoff berth in 2024. A defensive-minded head coach, Macdonald brought in nearby Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to serve as his offensive coordinator. A disappointing offensive performance this season, though, may force a change in that position.

In their first season, Macdonald, the former Ravens defensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator Aden Durde‘s unit finished ninth in scoring defense and 12th in total yards allowed. Grubb’s unit was a bit more middle-of-the-road, finishing 19th in points scored and 15th in total yards.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Grubb’s scheme disappointed in the run game, where they finished 30th in the league, despite the presence of two second-round picks in Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. The failure to establish themselves on the ground left quarterback Geno Smith in too many obvious passing situations that limited the effectiveness of the passing game.

Grubb, a well-respected offensive mind, was heavily studied by NFL teams during his time in the collegiate coaching ranks. He worked his way up through jobs in high school, the FCS, and multiple Division I FBS jobs before landing with Washington and helping them to their runner-up finish in the 2023 national championship.

Macdonald gave him his first NFL opportunity as a first-time head coach himself, and Grubb’s NFL offensive gameplan may just take a bit of time to grow and evolve. With the offense being the weak spot of the 2024 campaign, though, it makes sense that Macdonald may be interested in looking into a few changes.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/25

January 4th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Ely Allen

The last minor moves and standard gameday elevations of the 2024 NFL regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Ross’ new deal to the Texans’ 53-man roster is good through the 2025 season, as well. Ditto for Jones, signed to the active roster in New England today.

Sanders returned to practice this week, and his activation will allow him to close out his second Panthers season on the field rather than on the mend. His Carolina tenure has fallen well short of expectations and a release in the near future could be in the cards. Given the team’s backfield injuries, though, Sanders could handle a notable workload tomorrow while potentially auditioning for free agent suitors.

Gilman’s return will be welcomed by the Chargers’ defense. The 27-year-old has remained a full-time starter this season, his second straight handling first-team duties. Los Angeles is assured of a wild-card spot, but moving up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture could be possible on Sunday. In any case, Gilman’s presence will be key for a Bolts defense which leads the league in points allowed per game (17.6).

Gardner’s campaign will come to an end after 15 games played. He fell short of a Pro Bowl nod for this first time in his young career, but the fourth pick of the 2022 draft remained a critical member of the team’s secondary when healthy. Gardner is eligible for an extension this offseason, and his financial future (which will include a fifth-year option decision in the spring) will be a key point of focus once New York’s head coach/general manager tandem is in place.

Looking At Pro Bowl Rosters’ Impact On Fifth-Year Option Statuses

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL unveiled the Pro Bowl rosters Thursday. While superstars and veterans tied to big-ticket contracts headline the AFC and NFC squads, rookie-contract players are part of both sides for an event no longer featuring an actual all-star game.

While the Pro Bowl’s prestige peak occurred decades ago, the 2020 CBA still ties invites to players’ value. Players selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot (non-alternates) will see their fifth-year option prices change. The 2025 offseason will be the fifth year in which players will see their option values determined partially by Pro Bowl recognition, but Thursday’s results will impact the 2026 and 2027 fifth-year option outcomes as well.

Players who receive two Pro Bowl invites during their first three seasons skyrocket to the top of the four-tiered fifth-year option hierarchy, which will feature a value that matches the amount of that year’s franchise tag at each position. Players who draw one original-ballot invite during their first three seasons will be tied to the second option tier, which matches the transition tag value at that position.

This only applies to former first-round picks, as no other rookie contracts include a fifth-year option. With that in mind, here are the players from the 2022, ’23 and ’24 first rounds to be invited to the Pro Bowl. Here are the ex-first-rounders who changed their option statuses this week:

2022 draft:

Baltimore’s two-first-rounder 2022 draft, made possible thanks to the Marquise Brown trade, produced two Pro Bowlers. This marks the second Pro Bowl for both Hamilton and Linderbaum, bringing both players to the top fifth-year option tier. For Linderbaum, that will inflate his price to that of the offensive line franchise tag number, since all O-lineman are grouped together under this formula. That will make a fifth-year option call trickier for the Ravens, who will certainly pick up Hamilton’s by the May deadline.

This is Stingley’s first Pro Bowl, which will push the former No. 3 overall pick’s 2026 option price into the second tier among corners. Patrick Surtain‘s four-year, $96MM extension raised the bar at the position this summer, and the Texans will be able to negotiate with their top corner beginning later this month. This is Smith’s first Pro Bowl nod as well; he was named an alternate to the 2023 event.

2023 draft:

While Thursday’s announcement crystalized the value of the 2022 first-rounders with regards to the fifth-year option, the ’23 Round 1 crop still has more time. Witherspoon has landed in the Pro Bowl a second time, locking the former No. 5 overall pick into the top echelon of the CB option structure.

Conversely, this is the first original-ballot Pro Bowl for Carter, Flowers and Gibbs. The Lions running back was an alternate last season. The trio’s 2025 showings will determine if they can join Witherspoon on the highest level of the 2026 option hierarchy.

2024 draft:

The NFL’s top rookies have begun to raise their values. Although the Commanders, Raiders and Rams do not have to make option calls on this trio until May 2027, each player has already secured at least second-tier status for when that time comes. They are unlikely to stay on that level. Daniels is on track to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Bowers has already broken Mike Ditka‘s longstanding record for tight end yardage by a rookie. Verse, the first Rams first-round pick since Jared Goff, is on track for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/2/25

January 2nd, 2025 at 7:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

New England Patriots

  • Waived: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

Seattle Seahawks

The Patriots signed Haggai Ndubuisi off the Commanders practice squad just yesterday, but the team is already waiving the defensive tackle. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes, Ndubuisi is being waived with a non-football illness designation, an indication that something popped up during the player’s physical.

Brady Russell landed on IR today after the tight end dealt with a foot injury for much of the season. The special teamer got into 11 games with the Seahawks in 2024. In his place, the team signed John Rhys Plumlee from the practice squad. The rookie was listed by the Seahawks as a WR, but the former UCF QB served as an occasional signal-caller on Seattle’s scout team.

Tyler Lockett Plans To Play In 2025; WR’s Seahawks Future In Doubt

January 2nd, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Adam La Rose

Tyler Lockett has spent his entire 10-year career with the Seahawks, and his tenure with the team will include at least one more game. The veteran wideout is aware he could be on the move this offseason, but he has given no thought to retirement at this point.

Lockett and the Seahawks agreed to a restructure last March which upped his earnings for 2024 but left him on track to carry a cap hit of nearly $31MM next season. Without any guaranteed salary on the books for 2024, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic notes the strong possibility remains Lockett will be let go in a cost-cutting move this offseason (subscription required). D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are on track to remain in Seattle for years to come, but Lockett recently acknowledged Week 18 could mark his Seahawks finale.

The 32-year-old has been a staple in the passing game since his arrival and early seasons as a complement to Doug Baldwin. Lockett has since gone on to form a strong tandem with Metcalf, but the decision to add Smith-Njigba in the first round of the 2023 draft signaled Seattle’s trio at the WR spot would soon become a tandem. Indeed, Lockett has failed to see triple-digit targets for the first time since 2018 this season, and his 572 yards and two touchdowns fall well short of his previous production. The former third-rounder knows his role has been reduced in 2024 (something which could impact his free agent market), but he is content with that as his Seattle tenure likely draws to a close.

“If there’s any way that I want to win as a person, I want to win as a team,” Lockett said (via Dugar). “When it comes to me getting the ball, I want it to be something that’s natural and not forced or not me having to say, ‘Hey, man, give me the ball.’”

Metcalf drew trade interest leading up to November’s deadline, but to no surprise the Seahawks did not consider moving him. The Ole Miss product is only under contract for 2025 as things stand, and with no locked in salary and a similarly high cap hit on tap an extension could be in store relatively soon. Smith-Njigba’s rookie contract runs for another two seasons, meanwhile, and the fifth-year option could keep him under team control through at least 2027.

Lockett could have value to any number of suitors eyeing a receiver addition in the offseason, although his declining production will limit his earning potential on his next contract. It will be interesting to see if he and the Seahawks attempt to work out a new arrangement after the campaign, but in the event he is released he will soon need to turn his attention to his first trip to free agency.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 7:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown

Los Angeles Chargers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/31/24

December 31st, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Ely Allen

New Year’s Eve practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

  • Signed: WR Jaxon Janke

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 30th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.

Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 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 an updated look at the current draft order:

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

Geno Smith Seeking 2025 Seahawks Commitment; Team Expected To Look Into QBs

December 27th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Efforts from Geno Smith‘s camp to secure an extension this year did not produce a deal. After all, the Seahawks have their starting quarterback on a team-friendly deal that runs through the 2025 season. As Smith moves closer to a contract year, the need for a resolution will arise.

The Seahawks have Smith tied to a three-year, $75MM deal. As the market has soared well beyond the $50MM-per-year level — to the point Dak Prescott is now at $60MM AAV — Smith’s contract is in no-man’s land. He is the only passer sandwiched between Gardner Minshew‘s would-be bridge-starter deal (two years, $25MM) and Baker Mayfield‘s three-year, $100MM pact. Previous reports have pegged the Seahawks as hesitant on their current passer, which is not good news for the Russell Wilson successor due to his age.

[RELATED: Smith Aiming For 20-Year NFL Career]

Set to play an age-35 season next year, Smith is moving toward QB limbo. He will again pursue a commitment from the Seahawks in 2025, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who adds the team is expected to do work on a potential successor.

Although Seattle was connected to Patrick Mahomes in 2017 — though, the future Kansas City icon did not fall especially close to where the Seahawks were drafting that year — and then “poked around” on Josh Allen in 2018, the team stayed with Wilson and then took a low-cost route to replacing him via Smith, who had been the potential Hall of Famer’s backup from 2019-21.

Needing to beat out Drew Lock to replace Wilson in 2022, Smith was tied to a one-year, $3.5MM deal that year. He delivered a stunning Comeback Player of the Year effort and received a substantial raise, though the contract did not closely rival where the Giants went for Daniel Jones or what the Saints did to sign Derek Carr that offseason. The market has passed Smith by, and it will be interesting to see how his camp proceeds.

QBR places Smith a few decimal points above Wilson this season, slotting the ex-teammates at Nos. 21 and 22. The former Jets washout has not been able to sustain his 2022 form, but he has been far from the central concern in Seattle, regularly showing plus form. If the Seahawks entertained trading Smith, a starter market would likely form. He is on pace to eclipse his career-high yardage mark set in 2022, having passed for 4,097 in 16 games this season. Smith’s 70.2% completion rate also outflanks his then-NFL-best 69.8 mark from 2022. Though, untimely interceptions have also been a key component for the 12th-year veteran this season; his TD-INT ratio sits at 17-15.

With nine wins thus far, the Seahawks will not be close to the top of the 2025 draft order. A route to adding one of next year’s top prospects does not seem to exist. The team showed interest in Anthony Richardson in 2023, when it held the No. 5 overall pick, and hosted Bo Nix on a visit this year. But Smith has remained the unchallenged starter. While the Seahawks may not be thrilled with their QB’s play, finding a surefire upgrade in 2025 will not be easy.

A short-term deal could benefit both sides here, as it would add to the career earnings of a player who never secured a notable veteran contract after his Jets exit. While Smith will probably fall short of what he could have fetched on this market, another middle-class contract would allow the Seahawks another offseason to find a potential successor — should one not emerge this year — but Smith will obviously have to weigh that type of commitment against what he could earn as a 2026 free agent. Plenty of moving parts exist here, and this will be one of the many QB situations to monitor in 2025.

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