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Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 17th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

This NFL season saw several teams slip out of contention quicker than usual, slimming wild-card races and expanding the pursuit for the No. 1 overall pick. Two teams now lead that race.

While no prospect on the Caleb Williams level is dangling for the Raiders and Giants, an interesting showdown has formed. With three weeks to go, the Giants would currently hold the top 2025 draft choice. But based on projected strength of schedule, the Raiders would win the tiebreaker if the results held. The team with the weaker overall strength of schedule would win that. The Giants still have a game against the 12-2 Eagles, while the Raiders’ upcoming matchup with the 3-11 Jaguars works in their favor.

The Giants have not held the No. 1 pick in the common draft era (1967-present), last making a choice atop a draft in 1965 (running back Tucker Frederickson). Their Eli Manning trade occurred after the Chargers had chosen the quarterback to start the 2004 draft. The Raiders have held the top pick once in the common draft era, famously choosing JaMarcus Russell to start the ’07 draft. Both teams have coaches fighting for their jobs, but each also has seen All-Pros (Dexter Lawrence, Maxx Crosby) removed from equations. Losers of 10 straight, the Raiders follow their Jaguars matchup with games against the Saints and Chargers. The Giants, who have dropped nine consecutive games, go Falcons-Colts-Eagles to close the season.

Five 3-11 teams sit behind the Raiders and Giants presently, with the NFL having nine teams who have already lost double-digit contests. If a Giants or Raiders win occurs, there are candidates to move toward pole position in what could be races for Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Though, a non-Giants or Raiders team finishing in the top two creates a bit more intrigue, as both those clubs are in dire need of QB help.

With an eye on teams’ projected strength of schedule based on current records, here is how the draft order looks with three games to go:

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

Commanders Activate Jamison Crowder, Elevate Greg Joseph

December 14th, 2024 at 9:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jamison Crowder returned to practice this week, signaling that he could be an option for the Commanders in Week 15. The veteran receiver/returner has indeed been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

A calf injury suffered in Week 3 has kept Crowder out of the fold until this point. He is now healthy, though, and as a result he could take on a returner role for the closing stages of the season. Of course, playing time on offense could also be possible in Crowder’s case.

Noah Brown has been moved to injured reserve, which comes as no surprise. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday Brown is likely to miss the remainder of the campaign, and an IR stint ensures at least a four-week absence. Brown will therefore not be available until at least the wild-card round of the postseason should Washington (8-5) qualify. Crowder has made only 17 catches since joining the Commanders last year, so expectations in that regard will be limited upon return.

In other roster news, Washington has elevated Greg Joseph from the practice squad. The veteran kicker was added to the team’s taxi squad yesterday, and he will provide insurance at the position. Zane Gonzalez practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, but over the past two sessions he has been listed as a full participant. It would therefore come as a surprise if Gonzalez was forced to miss tomorrow’s game, but if that proves to be the case Joseph will be available to take his place.

The Commanders sit only 18th in the NFL in passing yards per game (221) despite rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ strong campaign. Losing Brown could deal a blow to the team’s offense given his status as the top complementary WR option to Terry McLaurin, but if Washington is to reach the playoffs he will not be part of the equation the rest of the way.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/24

December 14th, 2024 at 8:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Demercado has taken a backseat to Florida State third-round rookie Trey Benson, but he has averaged 9.3 yards per carry on 24 carries this year. Palardy will take over punting duties with Gillikin landing on injured reserve.

Jackson signed with Bills in late July, and although he was among the team’s final roster cuts he was immediately retained via a practice squad deal. This elevation means Week 15 will mark his first time spent on the active roster this season. The 36-year-old has started all but 10 of his 203 NFL games, but last season was marred by suspensions which led to his Broncos release. Jackson could suit up for Buffalo down the stretch as a gameday elevation in a bid to rebuild his stock to a degree.

With the playoffs nearly out of reach and quarterback Joe Burrow dealing with a few ailments (wrist and knee), the Bengals don’t seem to be taking any chances. Jake Browning will continue serving as the primary backup, while Woodside’s promotion will allow him to act as the emergency backup.

Adams has seen his biggest NFL roles during his time in Pittsburgh. Though he hasn’t gotten the same number of starts as he had in 2022 and 2023, he’s continued the same level of production. After missing the last four games, he’ll be looking to return to the field as early as tomorrow.

Commanders DT Jonathan Allen Hoping To Return In 2024

December 14th, 2024 at 11:39am CST by Ben Levine

Jonathan Allen‘s pectoral injury was once deemed season-ending, but the Commanders defensive lineman is still hoping to return in 2024. According to ESPN’s John Keim, Allen “has not abandoned hope” that he can return this season.

[RELATED: Commanders DT Jonathan Allen Suffers Season-Ending Pectoral Injury]

The veteran suffered his pectoral injury back in November, but there was some good news during his subsequent surgery. While it was initially believed that Allen tore his muscle, Keim notes that doctors discovered that Allen’s pectoral muscle was only partially torn. While Allen eventually landed on IR, there was growing hope that he could return for the stretch run of the 2024 campaign. Keim adds that later checkups helped maintain optimism that Allen could play again this season.

In anticipation of a potential return, the defensive lineman has been recently working out at team facilities with a hope of returning before the end of December. Keim writes that Allen would have to prove that he’s “regained all his strength” before he’d be allowed back on the field.

The 2017 first-round pick has spent his entire career in Washington, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods while transforming into one of the organization’s top defenders. After collecting 22 sacks and 22 QB hits between 2021 and 2023, Allen was continuing to produce in 2024, collected a pair of sacks and six QB hits through six games. The 29-year-old is on the books through 2025 (although none of his 15.5MM base salary for that year is guaranteed). With the organization also invested in Daron Payne and used a pair of recent second-round picks at the position (Phidarian Mathis, Jer’Zhan Newton), leading some teams to sniff around last offseason about a potential Allen trade.

With Allen out of the lineup, Mathis and Newton have basically split snaps playing next to Payne. Sheldon Day and Jalyn Holmes also saw an uptick in playing time when Allen went down with an injury. Mathis was a healthy scratch back in Week 13, so the team wouldn’t have any difficult decisions to make if Allen returns.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/24

December 13th, 2024 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s practice squad transactions in the NFL:

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Since being waived by the team that drafted him 26th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, McKinley has struggled to find a place in the NFL. Since 2020, McKinley has spent time on six different teams, failing to stick anywhere.

Commanders Sign K Greg Joseph

December 13th, 2024 at 11:34am CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders are adding another kicking option ahead of Week 15. Greg Joseph has been signed to Washington’s practice squad, his agent confirmed on Friday.

Joseph bounced around the NFC North earlier this season before joining the Giants in September. He took the place of the injured Graham Gano, handling kicking duties for six games. Joseph connected on 13 of 16 field goal attempts and all six of his extra point kicks during that span. He landed on injured reserve in November, however, a move which was preceded by a release via injury settlement.

A one-month free agent spell ensued, but Joseph has now landed another deal. He will be an option to be designated as a gameday elevation for the Commanders in Week 15, but the team does have Zane Gonzalez in the picture as well. The latter has kicked for Washington over the past three weeks, going 10-for-1o on extra points but missing a pair of field goal attempts during the team’s last game. Head coach Dan Quinn expressed confidence in Gonzalez during the week, but an experienced replacement option is now in place.

Austin Seibert took over as the Commanders’ kicker in Week 2, a move which seemed to being an end to the carousel at the position which was in place throughout the offseason. After missing time midway through the campaign, however, a groin injury led to a stint on injured reserve. Seibert will be unavailable until at least the regular season finale as a result, so Gonzalez will look to rebound from his latest outing in a bid to remain in place for the time being.

Joseph is a veteran of 73 games, most of which came during his three-year run with the Vikings. The 30-year-old has a career accuracy rate of 82.5%, and this Commanders deal could represent his latest opportunity to increase that figure if he manages to see playing time down the stretch.

Commanders Claim WR K.J. Osborn

December 11th, 2024 at 10:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Noah Brown‘s injury will prompt the Commanders to act at receiver. They submitted a successful waiver claim for K.J. Osborn, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.

The Patriots ended an unsuccessful Osborn tenure Tuesday. The veteran slot receiver has produced in the past, however, faring well in Kevin O’Connell‘s Vikings offense. The Commanders will give him a shot in their Terry McLaurin-led receiving corps.

Osborn had fallen well off the radar in New England, catching only seven passes for 57 yards as the Patriots attempted to find answers at the position. The Pats had given Osborn a one-year, $4MM deal but did not benefit much from that contract. Only $1.18MM of that deal consists of base salary. Washington will only owe Osborn $278K for the season’s remainder.

Although Osborn did little in New England, he was a consistent producer in Minnesota. The former Vikings fifth-round pick posted 655 yards under then-OC Klint Kubiak in 2021 and caught on seamlessly with O’Connell a year later, finishing with 650 in an offense that featured Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and, after the trade deadline, T.J. Hockenson. Osborn concluded his Minnesota run with 540 yards in 2023 but did not command a substantial market in free agency, leading to a low-end Pats accord. From 2021-23, Osborn totaled 15 touchdown receptions.

Brown suffered what Dan Quinn said was likely a season-ending injury in Week 13. The late-summer addition had been Washington’s top McLaurin sidekick. This organization spent years trying to find a reliable WR2 but saw its Ron Rivera-era efforts fail. Jahan Dotson was the most notable disappointment; the team traded the 2022 first-round pick during training camp. Brown will likely wrap his season with 453 yards, a total boosted by a Hail Mary touchdown against the Bears, and the Commanders do not have another wideout who has passed 275 on the year. That will make Osborn an interesting addition.

Osborn, 27, may need to again settle for a one-year deal in free agency — after struggling in New England and ending up in a few trade rumors before the deadline — but he will have an interesting opportunity. Brown’s quick assimilation in Kliff Kingsbury‘s offense, along with Osborn having played under four play-callers in five seasons, offers some upside here.

Commanders WR Noah Brown Likely Out For Season

December 11th, 2024 at 11:42am CST by Sam Robinson

Despite being added days before the regular season, Noah Brown has settled into the Commanders’ No. 2 wide receiver role. The contending team will need to find other solutions moving forward, however.

Brown sustained what Dan Quinn called an internal “serious injury,” according to NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay. While Quinn stopped short of confirming Brown will miss the season’s remainder, the first-year Commanders HC said (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala). Brown has led the pack of Terry McLaurin sidekicks this season, being one of a few former Quinn charges to play a key role for a resurgent Washington team.

The Commanders have given Brown a 63% snap share on offense this season. Among the non-McLaurin Washington wideouts, Brown leads the way with 453 receiving yards. His most memorable contribution came when he snagged a game-winning Hail Mary from Jayden Daniels to down the Bears in October. Brown has scored a touchdown as well, helping a Commanders team that again entered training camp with significant questions about who would complement McLaurin.

It is not yet known what specific issue Brown is battling, but he was listed as having picked up a rib injury during the Commanders-Titans game in Week 13. Quinn calling this an internal injury points to something more serious, but the veteran coach praised the team’s medical staff for doing well to address this matter at the time. The bye week was not enough to minimize this matter, and it looks like Washington is going to need others to help fill the void. The team is close to having veteran slot Jamison Crowder back, at least; the second-stint Washington wideout has missed most of this season with a calf injury.

After a season with the Texans, Brown re-signed with the team on a one-year, $4MM deal. The 28-year-old pass catcher had totaled a career-high 567 yards last season. Then possessing a crowded WR depth chart, Houston moved on, leading Brown to Washington on a $1.21MM accord.

Brown had overlapped with Quinn with the Cowboys from 2021-22 and joined former teammates Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler in signing with the Commanders. Washington has not seen another of its wideouts surpass 275 receiving yards this season. Third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey and veterans Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus represent the non-Brown options to supplement the team’s McLaurin-driven receiving corps.

Commanders WR Jamison Crowder Returns To Practice

December 9th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders will have a returner option available as early as Week 15. The team announced on Monday that  Jamison Crowder has been designated for return.

The veteran will also be in place as a depth receiver once he is back in the fold, of course. Crowder now has 21 days to be activated and avoid reverting to season-ending injured reserve. He has been out of the picture since he suffered a calf injury in Week 3.

The 31-year-old spent last season in Washington, where he began in NFL career. Crowder made only 20 catches in 2023, but he totaled 35 punt returns and posted an average of 7.9 yards per return. Once back on the roster, he will be a candidate to reprise that special teams role (although before getting injured Crowder did not register any kick or punt returns this season).

The former fourth-rounder was a regular offensive contributor during his first stint in the nation’s capital, and that remained the case during his three seasons with the Jets. Crowder only made four appearances with the Bills in 2022, and expectations were low when he took a one-year Commanders deal last September. His level of play on special teams led to another modest commitment, though, this time from Washington’s new regime led by general manager Adam Peters.

As Crowder looks to carve out a depth role on offense and/or special teams, Washington will prepare for a key stretch to close out the campaign. Sitting at 8-5 on the year, the Commanders are in a wild-card spot but are far from guaranteed to have a postseason berth with the Rams only one game back. Coming off the bye, the team will have another healthy option in place in time for its next contest provided Crowder is activated in the next few days. Once he is brought back, the Commanders will have four IR activations remaining on the year.

Commanders Aim To Retain Marshon Lattimore Beyond 2024

December 6th, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Marshon Lattimore was known to be a trade candidate well before the 2024 season began, and to little surprise he was dealt before last month’s deadline. The Pro Bowl corner is set to make his debut with his new team (in his former home stadium) in Week 15, but he is not seen strictly as a rental.

Many players moved at or around the trade deadline are pending free agents, but Lattimore’s contract runs through 2026. He is due $36.5MM between the 2025 and ’26 seasons, but none of his base salaries for those years are guaranteed. A restructure should be expected this coming offseason as a result, but the Commanders fully intend to keep Lattimore in place for years to come.

“We wanted to get him for not only this year but as long as we can, really,” general manager Adam Peters said when discussing the Lattimore trade (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). “He’s got two more years on his contract and the way he’s played, we want him to be a Commander for a long time.”

A shortlist of serious suitors emerged in the build-up to the trade deadline, and the Commanders ultimately outbid the Ravens, Chiefs and Chargers to acquire Lattimore. The 28-year-old served as an impact starter during his time in New Orleans, but injuries have been an issue in recent years. He is currently on pace to carry cap hits of $18MM and $18.5MM over the next two years, and lowering those figures will be a goal for Washington even if Lattimore lives up to expectations during his initial Commanders games. The team – unlike those who also engaged in a trade pursuit – does not have a veteran quarterback attached to a monster contract, something which will make it easier to keep Lattimore in place beyond 2024.

The secondary has been an issue in past years for Washington, but the team currently ranks fifth against the pass (a stark contrast to this season’s struggles against the run). The Commanders recently moved on from former first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes, and Lattimore (who has racked up 15 interceptions in his career and recorded double-digit pass deflections in each of his first five seasons) could emerge as a key figure in Washington’s CB room now and into the future. If Peters is able to meet his goal of working out a long-term arrangement, Lattimore should be expected to remain in the nation’s capital for several years.

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