With the 2026 regular season officially behind us, the first 18 picks of the NFL draft have been determined. Every team that didn’t make the playoffs has already learned their fate in terms of April’s draft order. The remaining 14 will be determined through playoff results. And as the playoffs progress, we’ll get more of a clear picture of the entire draft order.
The wild-card round is at its end, after the conclusion of the Texans-Steelers game, we officially have the draft order for the first 24 picks. Once the divisional round concludes, we’ll know the top 28, and the top 30 will be provided after the conference championships. Lastly, of course, the Super Bowl will determine the remaining two spots.
So, with wild-card weekend concluding, let’s take a look at the updated 2026 NFL draft order as we head into the divisional round of the playoffs.
2026 NFL draft order
| Team | Record | Draft Position |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Raiders | 3–14 | 1 |
| New York Jets | 3–14 | 2 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3–14 | 3 |
| Tennessee Titans | 3–14 | 4 |
| New York Giants | 4–13 | 5 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5–12 | 6 |
| Washington Commanders | 5–12 | 7 |
| New Orleans Saints | 6–11 | 8 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 6–11 | 9 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 6–11 | 10 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7–10 | 11 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 7–9–1 | 12 |
| Atlanta Falcons (pick owned by Rams) | 8–9 | 13 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 8–9 | 14 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8–9 | 15 |
| Indianapolis Colts (pick owned by Jets) | 8–9 | 16 |
| Detroit Lions | 9–8 | 17 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9–8 | 18 |
| Wild-card round losers | ||
| Carolina Panthers | 8–9 | 19 |
| Green Bay Packers (pick owned by Cowboys) | 9–7–1 | 20 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10–7 | 21 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 11–6 | 22 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11–6 | 23 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars (pick owned by Browns) | 13–4 | 24 |
| Divisional round losers | ||
| Chicago Bears | 11–6 | 25 |
| Buffalo Bills | 12–5 | 26 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 12–5 | 27 |
| Houston Texans | 12–5 | 28 |
| Conference championship losers | ||
| Los Angeles Rams | 12–5 | 29 |
| New England Patriots | 14–3 | 30 |
| Super Bowl teams | ||
| Denver Broncos | 14–3 | 31 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 14–3 | 32 |
The Steelers’ playoff exit sees them settle in at pick No. 21, while the Texans advance to the divisional round, and thus lock themselves into a selection ranging from pick No. 25 to 32.
The Raiders’ opponents had the weakest strength of schedule among the NFL’s three-win teams, meaning they’ve been awarded the top pick ahead of fellow 3–14 squads such as the Jets, Titans and Cardinals.
This marks the first time the Raiders have had the No. 1 pick in the draft since 2007, when they selected JaMarcus Russell out of LSU. Las Vegas has once again been linked to a quarterback atop the draft board this year, with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza widely expected to be the selection in April.
Trades involving first-round picks in 2026 draft
Because of a draft-day trade last season, the Rams own the Falcons’ first-round pick in 2026. That trade saw Atlanta send L.A. 2025 second- and seventh-round picks, as well as a 2026 first-round pick, in exchange for the No. 26 pick (with which the Falcons selected James Pearce Jr.,) and a 2025 third rounder.
Additionally, the Jets own the Colts’ first-round pick, No. 16 overall, thanks to a mid-season trade with the Colts. New York received Indianapolis’s first-round picks in 2026 and ‘27, as well as AD Mitchell, in exchange for Gardner.
As part of the blockbuster Micah Parsons trade, the Cowboys own the Packers’ first-round pick, which slots in at No. 20.
Finally, the Jaguars traded up to draft Travis Hunter at No. 2 last year. As a result, the Browns own Jacksonville’s 2026 first-round pick, which is locked in at No. 24 following the Jaguars’ wild-card round loss to the Bills.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
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- Road to Super Bowl 60: NFL Divisional Round Picks for Every Game
- Steelers Made Unfortunate NFL Playoff History in Wild-Card Loss to Texans
- C.J. Stroud Trolled Steelers Fans After Texans’ Playoff Win In Pittsburgh
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order After Wild-Card Weekend.
