The regular season is over, and honestly, for about 18 fanbases, the only thing left to talk about is the 2026 NFL Draft. It's that time of year when we stop obsessing over missed field goals and start obsessing over "strength of schedule" and whether a 6-foot-4 quarterback from the Big Ten can actually read a zone defense.
The nfl draft order full for the non-playoff teams is officially locked. If you're a Las Vegas Raiders fan, you finally won something: the No. 1 overall pick. It’s their first time holding the pole position since they took JaMarcus Russell back in 2007. Let's hope this one goes a little better, right?
✨ Don't miss: Who Do Messi Play For: The Reality of the Miami Era
The Top 10: Chaos and Tiebreakers
We had a bizarre four-way tie at the bottom of the standings. The Raiders, Jets, Cardinals, and Titans all finished with 3-14 records. Usually, the NFL uses a coin toss for things like this, but for the draft, it’s all about the Strength of Schedule (SOS).
Basically, the team that played the "easiest" schedule gets the higher pick. Why? Because if you went 3-14 against bad teams, you’re theoretically worse than a team that went 3-14 against a gauntlet of Super Bowl contenders.
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14) – They officially secured the top spot because their SOS (.538) was the lowest of the basement dwellers.
- New York Jets (3-14) – Woody Johnson’s team fell to the second spot. They’ve got a massive pile of assets after the trade deadline fire sale.
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14) – Kyler Murray's future is the big elephant in the room here.
- Tennessee Titans (3-14) – They’re looking to build around last year's pick, Cam Ward, but they need help everywhere else.
- New York Giants (4-13) – They actually dropped four spots because they won two games to close the season. Talk about a "painful" victory.
Rounding out the top ten, we see the Cleveland Browns at 6, followed by the Washington Commanders at 7. The New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, and Kansas City Chiefs (yes, the Chiefs had a rough 2025) take slots 8 through 10. Seeing Kansas City this high in the order is genuinely weird after their years of dominance.
How the Rest of the First Round Shakes Out
Once you get past the bottom-feeders, things get a bit more complicated because of trades. You’ve probably noticed some teams aren't picking where you’d expect.
The Los Angeles Rams are picking at 13, but that pick actually came from the Atlanta Falcons. Meanwhile, the New York Jets have a second first-rounder at 16, which they snatched from the Indianapolis Colts. If you're a Jets fan, having 2 and 16 is a pretty sweet way to start a rebuild.
The middle of the pack:
- Miami Dolphins (7-10)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
The Playoff Losers' Club
The picks from 19 to 24 are set based on the Wild Card round results. The Carolina Panthers are at 19, despite an 8-9 record, because they were the "worst" playoff team to get bounced early. The Dallas Cowboys have a second pick at 20 (thanks, Green Bay).
Then we have the Pittsburgh Steelers at 21, the Los Angeles Chargers at 22, and the Philadelphia Eagles at 23. The Cleveland Browns also own pick 24, which they got from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Remaining Slots (25-32)
We don't know the exact names for these spots yet because those teams are still playing. The NFL draft order full isn't finished until the confetti falls at the Super Bowl.
Here is how the logic works for the final 8 picks:
- Picks 25-28: These go to the teams that lose in the Divisional Round.
- Picks 29-30: These belong to the losers of the Conference Championships.
- Pick 31: The Super Bowl runner-up.
- Pick 32: The Super Bowl Champion.
The teams currently vying for these spots include the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, and the New England Patriots (who are surprisingly good again).
The Quarterback Fever
Every year, people say "next year's class is better." Honestly, 2026 actually looks interesting. Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana is the name you’ll hear a thousand times between now and April. He's the betting favorite for that No. 1 spot.
But it's not a one-horse race. Dante Moore (Oregon) and Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) are right there. For the Raiders, who haven't had a stable QB situation in what feels like decades, this is the most important decision the franchise has made in the 21st century.
👉 See also: Why the Allen Iverson Nuggets Jersey Is Still a Culture Icon 20 Years Later
Beyond the Signal Callers
If your team doesn't need a QB, there's a lot of defensive meat on the bone. Rueben Bain from Miami is a nightmare on the edge. If he falls past the top five, someone is getting a perennial All-Pro.
Then there's Abdul Carter from Penn State. Some scouts think he’s the best pure athlete in the whole draft. If the Giants sit at 5 and take a linebacker, the fans might riot, but Carter is the kind of player you don't pass on.
Understanding the "Rotation" Rule
Here’s a detail most people miss. While the first round is set by record and tiebreakers, the subsequent rounds (2 through 7) actually rotate.
If two teams have the same record and the Raiders pick ahead of the Jets in Round 1, the Jets will pick ahead of the Raiders in Round 2. This keeps things "fair" so one team doesn't get the tiebreaker advantage in every single round. It’s a small detail, but it matters when you’re trying to find value in the fourth round.
What's Next for Your Team?
The draft officially kicks off in Pittsburgh on April 23, 2026. Between now and then, we have the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine.
If you want to track your team's specific needs, keep an eye on the compensatory picks. The NFL usually announces those in March. These are "extra" picks given to teams that lost significant free agents the previous year. For teams like the 49ers or Ravens, these extra picks in the third and fourth rounds are how they stay competitive without having top-5 selections.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the Compensatory List: Wait until early March to see if your team gets extra picks in the middle rounds.
- Monitor the Combine: Watch the 40-yard dash times, but pay more attention to the 10-yard split for linemen—that’s the real indicator of NFL success.
- Draft Trade Value Chart: Familiarize yourself with the "Jimmy Johnson Chart." It helps you understand if your team is getting fleeced when they trade up or down in the nfl draft order full.