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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)

Jets GM Darren Mougey Has Scouted QBs Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore In Person; Latest On Team’s 2026 QB Plans

November 30th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Parks

If the season ended today, the 2-9 Jets would hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 draft. Even if they do not end up with that pick – and it is certainly feasible they lose enough games down the stretch to find themselves even higher on the draft board – they should be in prime position to select one of next year’s top quarterback prospects.

To that end, GM Darren Mougey has scouted Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore in person, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. Unfortunately for Mougey, the 2026 class of signal-callers, once viewed as a promising one, has seen its stock drop over the course of the 2025 season. 

Mendoza has been among the most impressive collegiate QBs and is viewed by many as the top prospect likely to declare for the 2026 draft. Although the game that Mougey attended featured Mendoza leading a dramatic, game-winning drive against Penn State, opinions are split on his ceiling at the NFL level. Moore, meanwhile, is only 20 and could benefit from another year of development in the college ranks.

If players like Moore, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, and Texas’ Arch Manning decide to stay in school for one more season, that will strengthen a 2027 class that is already set to include Florida’s DJ Lagway and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola. We had heard one of the reasons Mougey was willing to accept a 2027 first-round pick from the Cowboys in this month’s Quinnen Williams trade was because of his belief that the ‘27 draft class offers more promise than its ‘26 counterpart. So, while the first-year GM is obviously doing his due diligence, he may wait another year to make a high-end draft investment in a QB (though Cimini says in a separate piece that there is “growing buzz” in league circles connecting Mendoza to the Jets).

Whether it is Mendoza or someone else, Cimini thinks the Jets will add a rookie QB in the 2026 draft, and he also believes Mougey will acquire a veteran passer. Despite the fact that Justin Fields’ 2026 salary includes $10MM in guaranteed money, Cimini indicates Mougey will likely release the recently-demoted signal-caller – which jibes with previous reports on the matter – and will not try to re-sign his replacement, Tyrod Taylor.

As per usual, the 2026 crop of free agents offers little by way of starting-caliber quarterbacks, and the one that does qualify as such, Daniel Jones, may not make it to free agency. Mougey could therefore look to the trade market to acquire a bridge passer, and Cimini names Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, and Kirk Cousins as potential targets (Murray and Jones, at least, could also be in the Vikings’ crosshairs).

UDFA rookie Brady Cook has spent most of the year on the Jets’ practice squad, though he has been elevated on several occasions to operate as a backup (he has not, however, seen any regular season game action). In response to a question about whether Cook would get into a game in 2025, head coach Aaron Glenn conceded it was a possibility, but he offered no guarantees. 

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/25

November 29th, 2025 at 8:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL, including gameday elevations for the remainder of Week 13:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

The Vikings brought back Desmond Ridder as quarterback insurance with J.J. McCarthy concussed. Ridder joined the team’s practice squad, and he will not dress for Minnesota tomorrow. Instead, it will be Wolford handling backup duties while undrafted rookie Max Brosmer makes his first career start.

Diggs returned to Seattle earlier this week. The veteran will receive the opportunity to play right away during his second stint with the Seahawks. Diggs earned three Pro Bowl nods during his first run in Seattle, and he will look to provide depth in the secondary with a familiar team down the stretch.

Cowboys Offered Micah Parsons, First-Rounder For Quinnen Williams During Training Camp

November 28th, 2025 at 10:22pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that he offered Micah Parsons plus a first-round pick to the Jets in exchange for Quinnen Williams during training camp. We had previously heard Cowboys-Jets discussions commenced during the runup to the eventual Parsons swap with the Packers, but the longtime owner has provided a rather notable detail here.

“I wanted a one and Parsons for Williams,” Jones said on 103.5 The Fan. That seems like an absurd offer, but Jones left little up to interpretation.

“A one and Parsons for Williams,” he repeated. Later, he added that the deal did not go through because the Jets “did not have the cap room to pay [Parsons].”

Jones also said something similar to WFAA’s Ed Werder: “We tried at training camp with the Jets to basically make an exchange that was ready to go, heads up, with Quinnen and Micah and a 1, and we didn’t get it done.”

Parsons, of course, was instead sent to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys later acquired Williams before the trade deadline for a package including a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

Jones has slowly revealed more and more information about the Parsons trade since it was completed. During a September radio appearances on ESPN New York, Jones said that called the Jets regarding Williams when he was shopping Parsons before the season. The Jets were not interested, he claimed, because they “didn’t have the resources to entertain [the] conversation,” similar to his pronouncement on 103.5.

If Jones’ latest revelation is true, that means two things. First, he was willing to sacrifice a massive amount of value to move Parsons and acquire Williams. Second, the Jets made a huge mistake in not accepting the deal.

Though Williams is an excellent defensive tackle, Parsons is undoubtedly a better and more valuable player, even at a higher price point. This year, Williams has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season; per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he ranks fifth among interior defenders with 40 pressures but 38th with a 12.1% pass rush win rate.

Parsons, meanwhile, has 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, plus 67 pressures and a 24.3% pass rush win rate, both top-three marks among NFL edge rushers. In his career, he has averaged 0.89 sacks and one tackle for loss per game; Williams’ per-game numbers are 0.41 sacks and 0.60 tackles for loss.

Those numbers may not tell the complete story of either player, but it seems like the Jets should have taken Jones’ offer. Sure, they would have had to pony up for Parsons’ mega-extension, but they were already prepared to move on from Williams. Adding an extra first-round pick on top would also give the Jets an opportunity to add another starter – if not a star – on a rookie contract. That would help to offset the financial cost of acquiring Parsons.

But Jones’ words should also be taken with a grain of salt. He has spent a lot of time trying to retroactively justify trading away Parsons, especially after using some of the resulting draft capital to acquire Williams. Claiming that the Jets were not interested in Parsons and a first-rounder for Williams serves to downplay the former’s value and boost the latter’s.

The idea that the Jets could not afford to pay Parsons does not hold water, either. After his extension, the All-Pro edge rusher’s cap hit in 2025 is just $9.97MM. New York certainly could have designed a similar contract structure and absorbed

Perhaps the Jets did want to commit so much money to Parsons as they were clearly contemplating a rebuild. Parsons would still be a cornerstone for that effort, but he may not have wanted to weather any losing seasons in the hopes of a future turnaround. But again, adding another first-round pick would have accelerated that process, and a core of Parsons, cornerback Sauce Gardner, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson seems like a solid foundation for the Jets to build from. That is an expensive trio, but having elite players at three of the sport’s most important positions is a good problem to have.

Instead, the Jets declined the Cowboys’ initial offer for Williams before moving him and Gardner at the deadline as part of what appears to be a full-on franchise reset.

Jets QB Justin Fields Anticipates Future Starting Opportunities

November 28th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Adam La Rose

Justin Fields did not meet expectations during his tenure atop the depth chart with the Jets. The free agent addition was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor for Week 12, casting doubt over his future in New York.

Fields has only thrown one interception through nine starts in 2025, although he has done so while averaging a career-low 6.2 yards per attempt and completing less than 63% of his passes. The 26-year-old has added 383 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, but that did not quell speculation about Taylor taking over weeks before he received the QB1 spot. In spite of that, Fields believes he will receive another look as an NFL starter.

“Of course. Yes, sir,” he said when speaking to the media for the first time since being demoted to backup duties (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). “I mean, I just know who I am as a person, as a football player, as a hard worker. I think I know I have the mindset and the skill to attain that. I just feel like I need to do it on a more consistent basis, but that’s just what it is.”

Fields added he “did not anticipate it whatsoever” when asked about his benching. The Jets went 2-7 with him at the helm, and the former first-rounder led a passing attack which drew public criticism from owner Woody Johnson and currently ranks last in the NFL. The absence of wideout Garrett Wilson has played a role in New York’s struggles on that front, but Fields’ performances have certainly left plenty to be desired.

After being traded away by the Bears last offseason, an injury to Russell Wilson allowed Fields to serve as the Steelers’ starter for the first six weeks of the campaign. Pittsburgh went 4-2 in that period, but Wilson operated as the team’s QB1 the rest of the way. On the open market, Fields secured $30MM guaranteed on a two-year Jets contract, one which seemed to put him on track to spend at least one season atop the depth chart.

Instead, Taylor is expected to remain the Jets’ starter for the rest of the campaign. Especially if that proves to be the case, it will be interesting to see how things proceed between Fields and the team. The Ohio State product is owed $20MM in base salary for 2026, half of which is already guaranteed. As such, the possibility exists he could be retained as a backup behind a rookie added early in April’s draft. Fields declined to comment on that hypothetical situation.

Of course, there are plenty of unanswered questions at this point with respect to the 2026 QB market. Other openings will no doubt exist around the league, but it will be interesting to see if Fields receives serious consideration for a starting spot given how 2025 has played out.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/27/25

November 27th, 2025 at 6:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Thanksgiving Day’s taxi squad moves in the NFL:

Detroit Lions

New York Jets

  • Signed: DE Paschal Ekeji
  • Placed on practice squad/injured list: G Leander Wiegand

Ekeji replaces Wiegand as the 17th member of the Jets’ practice squad. Teams are allowed to carry one player over the 16-man limit for the taxi squad, given the 17th player is a participant in the league’s International Player Pathway Program. Wiegand, a German native, will move to the injured list to make room for Ekeji, who holds citizenship in three countries but originally hails from Lesotho, a small African country fully encapsulated within the borders of the larger country of South Africa. He most recently played rugby for a professional club in South Africa.

Jets Host CB Kaiir Elam

November 25th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Kaiir Elam is already looking to land on his feet. Days after getting cut by the Cowboys, the cornerback had a visit with the Jets today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

[RELATED: Cowboys Waive CB Kaiir Elam]

With Shavon Revel recently making his NFL debut and Trevon Diggs on the verge of returning from a concussion, Elam was unceremoniously let go by the Cowboys the other day. The cornerback was acquired by Dallas back in March and ended up starting seven of his nine appearances with the franchise.

While the veteran wasn’t the sole reason for the Cowboys’ defensive struggles, he undoubtedly contributed to them. Elam allowed 25 completions, 372 yards, and three touchdowns this season, with opposing QBs managing a 105.0 passer rating when throwing his way. Pro Football Focus currently has the 24-year-old ranked 60th among 110 qualifying cornerbacks.

The 23rd pick in the 2022 draft, Elam looked like a future piece for the Bills, as the Florida product finished his rookie campaign with a pair of interceptions while starting six of his 13 appearances. He was limited to only three games in 2023, although he did come up with a key interception in a playoff win over the Steelers. Elam served mostly as a backup in 2024, and his struggles while filling in for Christian Benford during the playoffs ultimately spelled the end of his Bills tenure.

With Sauce Gardner (and, to a lesser extent, Michael Carter) no longer in the picture, the Jets have turned to a number of cornerbacks opposite Brandon Stephens. If Elam catches on with the organization, he’d likely compete with the likes of Jarvis Brownlee, Isaiah Oliver, and Azareye’h Thomas for reps.

Jets Want To Retain Breece Hall; RB Expected To Have Strong FA Market

November 23rd, 2025 at 9:35am CST by Rory Parks

There was plenty of trade speculation surrounding Jets running back Breece Hall in the offseason and before the trade deadline. At one point, it appeared 2025 would be Hall’s last season with Gang Green, but the club’s refusal to deal him for anything less than a third-rounder leads ESPN’s Rich Cimini to believe the Jets want to retain the Iowa State product.

It is not hard to see why. Hall, whose 2023-24 form was not on the same level as his dynamic but injury-shortened rookie campaign in 2022, is looking like his old self. He has maintained a robust 4.8 yards-per-carry rate on 152 totes in 2025, and thanks to his dual-threat capabilities, he is averaging nearly 95 scrimmage yards per game.

As such, a number of personnel evaluators tell ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the four-year, $48MM contract the Packers authorized for Josh Jacobs in the 2024 offseason is a reasonable comp for Hall (though it should be noted that Jacobs’ pact includes a team-friendly guarantee structure). Cimini believes Hall will indeed be seeking a deal paying him between $10MM-$12MM annually, and given the interest he garnered from other clubs at the deadline, it appears he will have a strong market.

The Jets could, of course, make him off-limits with a franchise tag that is estimated to be worth about $14MM, and New York may be forced to go that route to keep the 24-year-old RB on the roster. Although Hall refuted prior reports suggesting he requested a trade, he neither confirmed nor denied whether he would have welcomed one. In light of the Jets’ ongoing struggles and the trades of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams that portend a rebuild, Hall may prefer to join a team closer to contention.

New York does have two recent RB draftees under club control for the next two seasons in 2024 fourth-rounder Braelon Allen and 2024 fifth-rounder Isaiah Davis. Allen, currently on injured reserve with a knee injury, has posted a subpar 3.7 YPC rate across 110 rushes at the NFL level, while Davis has shown more juice, with a stellar 5.8 YPC average (albeit on just 52 career carries).

Even with Allen, Davis, and wide receiver Garrett Wilson in the mix, the Jets need all the skill-position help they can get, especially if they have a rookie quarterback lining up under center in 2026.

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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