Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
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:
- New England Patriots (3-13)
- Tennessee Titans (3-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-13)
- New York Giants (3-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
- Carolina Panthers (4-12)
- New York Jets (4-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
- Chicago Bears (4-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-11)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
- Miami Dolphins (8-8)
- Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
- Houston Texans (9-7)
- Denver Broncos (9-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
- Green Bay Packers (11-5)
- Washington Commanders (11-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
- Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
- Buffalo Bills (13-3)
- Detroit Lions (13-2)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/24
Saturday’s minor moves, including gameday elevations for Week 17:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: RB Michael Carter, S Andre Chachere
Atlanta Falcons
- Placed on IR: S Antonio Hamilton
- Signed to active roster: LB Josh Woods
- Elevated: CB Lamar Jackson, OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: S Lewis Cine, WR Tyrell Shavers
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: DB Chau Smith-Wade
- Signed to active roster: RB Mike Boone, QB Jack Plummer
- Elevated: DT DeShawn Williams
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR CeeDee Lamb (story), CB Amani Oruwariye
- Activated from IR: T Asim Richards
- Signed to active roster: LB Darius Harris
- Elevated: CB Troy Pride Jr., OL Dakoda Shepley
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: S Omar Brown
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: C Erik McCoy, G Lucas Patrick
- Signed to active roster: OL Kyle Hergel, LB Isaiah Stalbird
- Elevated: T Austin Deculus, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
New York Giants
- Placed on IR: S Raheem Layne (story)
- Activated from IR: OL Austin Schlottmann, DL Armon Watts
- Elevated: OLB Carlos Basham
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: K Greg Zuerlein
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated from IR: WR Kameron Johnson, S Jordan Whitehead
- Signed to active roster: P Jack Browning
- Elevated: LB Deion Jones, QB Michael Pratt
- Waived: LB Vi Jones
Tennessee Titans
- Signed to active roster: G Arlington Hambright, LB Raekwon McMillan, K Matthew Wright
- Elevated: T Chandler Brewer, DB Gervarrius Owens
- Released: DB Tre Avery, DB Gabe Jeudy-Lally
It was already known Lamb would be out for the remainder of the year, but the same will now be true of Oruwariye. The latter made seven appearances in 2024, his debut Cowboys season. That included four starts and a defensive snap share of 62%, making him a notable contributor on a Dallas defense which has dealt with a number of injuries. Oruwariye, 28, is a pending free agent.
McCoy and Patrick suffered injuries during the Saints’ Week 16 loss, and today’s move confirms they will both miss the remainder of the season. New Orleans’ offensive line has been dealt a number of blows in 2024, and that will continue through the final two games of the season. McCoy appeared in just seven games this year, but plenty of term remains on his pact. Patrick, by contrast, is set to hit the open market this spring.
Whitehead returned to practice earlier this week, so it comes as no surprise he will be available to the Buccaneers tomorrow. He will be expected to reprise his role as a defensive starter as Tampa Bay looks to seal the NFC South over the final two games of the campaign. Bringing back Whitehead and Johnson will leave the team with two IR activations.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
Two weeks remain in the regular season, and while a number of teams are jockeying for playoff spots several others are still in contention to land a coveted draft slot. It remains to be seen where the No. 1 selection will wind up.
The Giants and Raiders entered Sunday’s action with two wins apiece, and New York’s loss kept the team strongly in contention to kick off the draft in April. By virtue of winning against the Jaguars, though, the Raiders hurt their chances of finding themselves in that position. A top-two spot (or thereabouts) may be required to draft either of this year’s top passers, but a small move up the order positioning Vegas to add one could still be on the table.
Five teams currently sit a 3-12, and a head-to-head matchup between the Titans and Jaguars on Sunday will be key in deciding where each of them wind up. Another three squads own a 4-11 record, so plenty of potential exists in terms of changes being made to the order at the top of the board. Numerous expected suitors for a Day 1 quarterback (including teams like the Browns and Jets) may very well find themselves out of reach for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders without a trade-up being necessary. The Panthers’ starting situation with Bryce Young is certainly not settled for 2025, but adding a passer on Day 1 would come as a surprise at this point.
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:
- New York Giants (2-13)
- New England Patriots (3-12)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
- Carolina Panthers (4-11)
- New York Jets (4-11)
- Chicago Bears (4-11)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
- Miami Dolphins (7-8)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
- Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
- Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
- Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
- Houston Texans (9-6)
- Denver Broncos (9-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
- Washington Commanders (10-5)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
- Green Bay Packers (11-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
- Buffalo Bills (12-3)
- Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
- Detroit Lions (13-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/24
Tuesday’s minor NFL moves, including elevations for tomorrow’s Christmas Day doubleheader:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: OL Jackson Barton, LB Benton Whitley
- Placed on IR: LT Paris Johnson Jr., RT Jonah Williams
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: WR Anthony Miller
Buffalo Bills
- Placed on IR: LB Baylon Spector
Carolina Panthers
- Signed (off 49ers’ practice squad): LB Chandler Wooten
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: S Adrian Colbert
Dallas Cowboys
- Designated for return: T Asim Richards
Detroit Lions
- Waived: LB David Long
Denver Broncos
- Signed to active roster: RB Blake Watson
- Waived: CB Levi Wallace
- Designated for return: RB Tyler Badie
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB D’Angelo Ross, WR Jared Wayne
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed to active roster: G Mark Glowinski
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: LB Joe Giles-Harris
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated from IR: TE Peyton Hendershot
- Elevated: LB Swayze Bozeman, S Deon Bush
New England Patriots
- Designated for return: LB Curtis Jacobs
New York Giants
- Activated: LB Dyontae Johnson
- Designated for return: DL Armon Watts
- Waived: DL Casey Rogers
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: S Jarius Monroe
- Placed on IR: T Olu Fashanu (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: TE Kevin Foelsch
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed (off Cardinals’ practice squad): T Charlie Heck
The Cardinals – who were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday – will close out the season without either of their starting tackles. Both Johnson and Williams are dealing with knee injuries, and they will be shut down for the remainder of the campaign. The former was a full-time starter as a rookie last year and made 14 appearances in 2024 upon switching to the blindside. Williams signed a one-year deal in free agency to handle RT duties, but two separate knee ailments will limit him to six games played this year. The 27-year-old’s free agent stock will take a hit as a result.
Wallace has made 13 appearances in 2024, his first season with the Broncos. The veteran has handled part-time defensive duties along the way, while also chipping in on special teams. As Denver returns to health at the CB spot, though, Wallace will hit the waiver wire. Should he clear, head coach Sean Payton said the Broncos would like to re-sign him via a practice squad deal (h/t Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette).
Fashanu exited the Jets’ Week 16 contest on crutches, and it was recently reported he would miss the rest of the season as a result. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said on Tuesday surgery to repair the first-round rookie’s plantar fascia would be needed, but the team has since clarified a procedure will not take place. Fashanu is expected to recover in full through rehab.
Bills Sign LB Nicholas Morrow
Nicholas Morrow has landed back in Buffalo. The linebacker is signing with the Bills, per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg. Morrow will be joining Buffalo’s active roster.
Morrow spent the majority of this season on the Bills roster, but he was squeezed off the squad earlier this month. He went unclaimed on waivers, and per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he was set to fly to Green Bay to audition for the Packers. Instead, the Bills called and Morrow accepted their offer to return.
The journeyman joined the Bills this past offseason. After starting 29 games in stints with the Bears and Eagles between 2022 and 2023, Morrow found himself primarily playing special teams in Buffalo. He was limited to only 44 defensive snaps in 11 games, although his 182 ST snaps were among the highest on the team.
The Bills’ linebackers room looks a bit different than it did when Morrow was cut a few weeks ago. Matt Milano (groin), Dorian Williams (elbow), and Baylon Spector (calf) are all dealing with injuries at the moment, leaving Terrel Bernard as the lone healthy LB. There’s a chance Morrow finds himself with an increased defensive role during his “second” stint in Buffalo.
Bills’ Josh Allen Played Through Fractured Non-Throwing Hand For Most Of 2024
Prior to the Bills’ win over the Patriots on Sunday, details emerged on an injury Josh Allen had been playing through for most of the campaign. The MVP favorite’s left (i.e. non-throwing) hand had been fractured until recently, although the ailment did not affect his level of play. 
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Allen suffered the injury in Week 1, and he appeared on subsequent injury reports for several weeks as a result. The 28-year-old remained on Buffalo’s injury reports past the team’s Week 12 bye, but he did not miss any game action as a result of the ailment. By the time the Bills took on the Patriots Sunday, the fracture had healed.
Clarifying the nature of Allen’s injury is notable since many quarterbacks miss at least some game action with hand injuries (even when the non-throwing hand is the one affected). The two-time Pro Bowler has led an offense which ranks second in the NFL in points and seventh in yardage, posting top-10 averages through the air and on the ground. Doing so has put him squarely in contention to win his first career MVP award, and having had much of his success at less than full health could help his chances of winning the award.
Allen’s left hand injury is now behind him, but during yesterday’s game he took a hard hit to his right arm. He managed to remain in the game but said afterwards he had “no feeling” in his right hand for a period after the hit. Allen delivered less of a statistical output than he has in many other games this season, but it was sufficient (along with the Bills’ performance on defense) to pull out a win. His status over the coming days will be worth monitoring, but given his ability to remain in the lineup so far this year, missed time would come as a surprise in Allen’s case.
The Bills’ win kept them in contention to land the AFC’s No. 1 seed. With games remaining against the Jets and Patriots to close out the campaign, a 14-3 record is feasible considering Buffalo’s head-to-head advantage over Kansas City. Regardless of how the race for the first-round bye shakes out, Allen’s ability to maintain his level of play through the remainder of the campaign into the postseason will be a key storyline.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/24
Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: T Jackson Barton, RB Michael Carter
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed to active roster: WR Chris Blair
- Elevated: WR Dylan Drummond
- Waived: LB Rashaan Evans
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: S Kareem Jackson, WR Jalen Virgil
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: RB Mike Boone, T Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- Signed to active roster: RB Darrynton Evans
- Placed on IR: G Ryan Bates
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: DE Isaiah Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: CB Kahlef Hailassie, WR James Proche
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed to active roster: CB Andrew Booth
- Elevated: LB Darius Harris, T Dakoda Shepley
- Placed on IR: CB Trevon Diggs (story)
Detroit Lions
- Activated from IR: S Ifeatu Melifonwu
- Signed to active roster: OLB Mitchell Agude, WR Tom Kennedy, DL Chris Smith
- Elevated: RB Jermar Jefferson, S Loren Strickland
- Waived (via injury settlement): DT David Bada
- Waived: WR Maurice Alexander
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: CB Kyu Blu Kelly
- Elevated: TE John Samuel Shenker
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: CB Charles Woods
Miami Dolphins
- Activated from reserve/PUP: LB Cameron Goode
- Elevated: WR Erik Ezukanma
- Waived: DT Neil Farrell
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: S Bobby McCain, TE Nick Muse
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: RB Terrell Jennings
- Elevated: WR Alex Erickson, LB Monty Rice
New York Giants
- Signed to active roster: DB Raheem Layne
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, T Tyre Phillips
New York Jets
- Elevated: DT Bruce Hector, S Jarius Monroe
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: FB Khari Blasingame
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: LB Jalen Graham, T Austen Pleasants
- Elevated: DT Alex Barrett, RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
- Waived: T Sebastian Gutierrez
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: QB Jaren Hall
- Elevated: CB Artie Burns
- Placed on IR: OLB Trevis Gipson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: P Jack Browning
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: DT Carl Davis
After being activated from injured reserve in early November, Bates only played two games before suffering a concussion. The 27-year-old has not played since Week 11 and will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Bates is under contract through 2025.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/19/24
Today’s practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Casey Toohill
- Released: DT Eli Ankou
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Artie Burns
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/24
Here are the latest practice squad updates from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Jalen Virgil, OL Will Clapp
- Released: DE Kameron Cline, DT Branson Deen
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris, S Jaylen Key
Cleveland Browns
- Released: TE Cameron Latu
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Stantly Thomas-Oliver
- Released: DE Isaiah Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Albert Okwuegbunam
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Kalen DeLoach
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: TE Cole Fotheringham
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Isaiah McKenzie, QB Skylar Thompson
New England Patriots
- Released: G Liam Fornadel
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: LB Adetokunbo Ogundeji
- Signed: OT John Leglue
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT Austen Pleasants, LB Chandler Wooten
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Mason Pline
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: DE DeVere Levelston
Washington Commanders
- Signed: TE Tyree Jackson
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR/R Kazmeir Allen
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/24
Here are the latest moves from the around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: OL Tylan Grable
- Waived: DE Casey Toohill
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: LB Trevin Wallace, LB Claudin Cherelus
- Waived: DB Anthony Brown
- Signed to active roster: WR Dan Chisena, LB Jacoby Windmon
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: K Cade York
Detroit Lions
- Signed from Jaguars’ practice squad: LB Anthony Pittman
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: LB Nick Hampton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on commissioners/suspended list: DE Janarius Robinson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: LS Jake McQuaide
- Placed on IR: WR Grant DuBose
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Ambry Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Artie Burns
After another round of injuries in Week 15, the Lions signed Pittman off the Jaguars’ practice squad to bolster their linebacker room. The five-year veteran appeared in just one game for Jacksonville this season, which coincidentally came against the Lions in Week 11. Pittman has primarily played special teams in his NFL career and will continue that role in Detroit.
The Raiders will be without Robinson for the rest of the season after he received a three-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
The 49ers placed Thomas on injured reserve after initial roster cuts, but never designated him to return. He is “now healthy and, as a former third-round pick out of Michigan, is expected to garner interest,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Thomas appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, in San Francisco, but never developed into a consistent starting corner as the team hoped.