The NFL season is past its midway point, which means it's time to look ahead to the draft. Held annually in April, the NFL draft is a source of hope and optimism for fans of all teams. For the fans who are suffering through a losing season, it is, in many ways, the only source of hope and optimism surrounding football.
Whether you are one of those unfortunate fans or merely looking forward to your team's chances of finding the next NFL superstar, it's never too early to see what the draft order looks like. Below you'll find the fully updated order as the results from Week 12 unfold (tiebreakers via Tankathon).
*denotes teams who have not finished their Week 12 game
Projected NFL Draft order if the season ended today
How do NFL Draft tiebreakers work?
It is a common occurrence that multiple NFL teams finish with the same win-loss record, which can muddy the NFL draft order. How does the league determine who picks first in an instance where several teams won and lost the same amount of games?
Fortunately, the NFL is very prepared for this scenario. There are seven methods to break a tie in the draft order. Per the NFL, those are:
- Head-to-head, if applicable
- Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games (minimum of four)
- Strength of victory in all games
- Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games
- Best net points in all games
- Best net touchdowns in all games
- Coin toss
In all instances the team that is "better" (won a head-to-head matchup, boasts a higher strength of victory, etc) receives the worse draft pick. The rules are made to give the worst team the best draft pick.
Top 2025 NFL Draft prospects
This year's NFL Draft features a lot of exciting prospects who could serve as foundational pieces for the team that drafts them long into the future.
There is no prospect more exciting, though, than Colorado's Travis Hunter. Hunter plays both cornerback and wide receiver for the Buffaloes at an extremely high level and is by far the best two-way prospect to ever enter the draft. Whether he actually does end up playing offense adn defense in the NFL, or chooses to focus on one position, analysts are in universal agreement that Hunter is a game-changing talent.
Another top prospect is Hunter's teammate, Shedeur Sanders. The son of Deion, the Buffaloes quarterback has proven to be excellent under center and his 2024 season has been good enough that he's now widely seen as a top-10 talent. Sanders has a good arm, NFL-caliber athleticism, and comes with the hearty endorsement of his Hall of Fame father. He'll be a sought-after prospect come April.
In the non-Colorado division, Miami's Cam Ward has played himself into first-round consideration with a great year under center for the Hurricanes. Michigan has been disappointing but Mason Graham is still an elite defensive lineman who will make one team very happy when the draft rolls around. Other big names include Michigan corner Will Johnson, Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan, and LSU lineman Will Campbell.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Updated NFL Draft Order Through Week 12 Action: How the Top 10 Is Shaking Out .
