Updated 2023 NFL Draft order after Week 8

Here’s what the updated NFL Draft order looks like now that we’re through Week 8 of the season.

As we hit the halfway point of the NFL season, the playoff picture is finally starting to take shape. There’s obviously a lot of football left to play this year, but the margins are narrowing and cream is rising to the top.

Unfortunately for some teams, the playoff picture is nothing more than a mirage on the horizon. While some teams are eyeing the playoff picture, others are beginning to look at the flip side of that coin which is positioning in the NFL Draft order.

It’s not what any fan wants to do, let alone do in October, but it’s where most of the league is.

As much as we make about how much greater the AFC is than the NFC, the bottom of that conference is as heavy as the top is sharp. 3 of the top 5 picks are owned by teams in the AFC, although the top two selections are slated to be made by the worst teams in the NFC.

Just like the NFL Playoff Picture, there’s a lot of football left in the season and the draft order will undoubtedly change between now and the end of the year. But after Week 8’s action, here’s a look at where things stack up.

Updated NFL Draft Order after Week 8

Before we get into the bad teams that are hoping to get top picks, we need to address the fact that the best team in the NFL currently owns a Top 10 pick.

Thanks to the New Orleans Saints trading their first-round pick to Philadephia, the Eagles own the No. 9 pick in the draft. Let that sink in: a team that may play in the Super Bowl may also have a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft.

It’s just unfair.

Philadephia isn’t the only team currently sitting with incredible NFL Draft luck. The Houston Texans own two Top 10 picks, one is their own and the other is Cleveland’s by way of the Deshaun Watson trade. Thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade the Detroit Lions own the Los Angeles Rams first-round pick, which right now is in the Top 15.

The Eagles aren’t the only potential playoff team that could be picking in the top half of the draft. Seattle owns the Denver Broncos first-round pick from the Russell Wilson trade, which means the more that train goes off the rails the better the Seahawks look — and are positioned in the draft to replace their former quarterback.

Here’s what the top half of the NFL Draft looks like right now:

1. Detroit Lions (1-7)
2. Houston Texans (1-5-1)
3. Carolina Panthers (2-6)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
6. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
7. Houston Texans (from Cleveland Browns)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans Saints)
10. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos)
11. Arizona Cardinals (3-5)
12. Chicago Bears (3-5)
13. Detroit Lions (from Los Angeles Rams)
14. Green Bay Packers (3-4)
15. Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1)
16. New England Patriots (4-4)
17. Washington Commanders (4-4)
18. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)

After this point, the NFL Draft order is determined by playoff losing position. Teams that lose in the Wild Card pick 19-24, Divisional Round losers pick 25-28, teams that lose in the Championship Round pick 29-30, and the Super Bowl teams pick last. For the sake of argument, the following teams are simply listed by their record and not playoff predictions.

19. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)
20. Miami Dolphins (from San Francisco 49ers)
21. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
22. Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
23. New York Jets (5-3)
24. Miami Dolphins forfeit their 2023 first-round pick
25. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
26. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
27. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
28. New York Giants (6-2)
29. Tennessee Titans (5-2)
30. Minnesota Vikings (6-1)
31. Buffalo Bills (5-1)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (7-0)