As the 2025 NFL regular season comes to a close, we’re starting to see some clarity on which teams will get to draft near the top in April 2026. The draft order largely depends on how each team performed throughout this season and how strong each team’s schedule was (records, SOS, etc).
This means that the teams with the worst records at the end of the 2025 NFL Season will have earlier selections in April, with the exception being if those teams made trades during the NFL Draft Order 2026 process to change their selection order. After Week 16 in 2025, it is clear that there is significant competition for the first selection among the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennessee Titans; all three teams have been struggling near the end of their seasons.
The latest updated projections from a variety of different sources (including tanking draft order trackers and mock drafting websites) indicate that the top three teams will be the New York Giants, who will have pick number one; the Las Vegas Raiders; and the Cleveland Browns.
The New York Jets and Tennessee Titans will be finishing off the early picks of this group, and several other teams are trying to secure their position based on how their respective schedules finish out and also via tie-breakers. The current draft order is only an estimate, as teams still have to finish playing out all of their games, and it may change as teams make possible trades before the actual draft day.
2026 NFL Draft Order
Concerning the initial 10 selections that are presently projected, theNFL Draft Order 2026 after Week 16 is expected to resemble the following:
- New York Giants (2-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- New York Jets (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
- Washington Commanders (4-11)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via ATL) (5-9)
– The remaining teams will occupy the rest of Round 1 based on their standings and playoff scenarios.
In addition to its primary dates, the draft calendar includes a major cutoff point early in the Draft (mid-January) when college underclassman players have to opt-in to be eligible for the 2026 Draft class. The current 2026 Draft Class has several big names, including Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who opted in to the 2026 Draft class in December and is seen as a high probability of being selected in the Top-5 of the 2026 Draft, indicating that there is enough talent in this class that it could impact First-Round selections.
Continuing to put together their Draft boards and identifying potential impact players will be an ongoing process. Each team will refine their player evaluation process until the actual 2026 NFL Draft is held on April 23-25, 2026. Also, as teams finish their seasons and teams complete their player evaluations, Mock Drafts and Projection Models will change every week based on team records and teams’ evaluations.
FAQ’s Related To 2026 NFL Draft Order
When is the 2026 NFL Draft?
The 2026 NFL Draft is set to occur in April 2026, generally spanning three days, starting with the first round.
How is the draft order determined?
The draft order is established based on the teams’ records, with those having the poorest records selecting earlier.
Which team currently has the No. 1 pick?
As of the projections for Week 16, the New York Giants possess the No. 1 overall pick, determined by their record and tie-breaking criteria.
Can the draft order change before April?
Yes, indeed. The order may shift if teams win or lose their remaining games, which impacts their final records and draft positions.
