There was a shakeup in the NFL Draft order after Week 17.
The New York Giants managed to get out of the first overall pick with a surprising victory on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, a result that benefited the New England Patriots, who moved to the first position in the draft.
Here are some of the ramifications of that Giants victory, which eliminated the Colts from the postseason race, according to Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports:
It can be reasonably argued that the first choice is not worth it anyway. Miami’s Cam Ward and (Shedeur) Sanders are the draft’s top quarterback prospects, and there is skepticism about both. Neither is a sure-fire franchise quarterback. But the Giants would at least be able to choose between the two if they got the No. 1. Now, they’ll probably have to wait and see what they get, or if someone outbids them in a trade to get Ward or Sanders.
The Raiders’ victory against the New Orleans Saints also benefited the Patriots. Las Vegas and New York could use a new quarterback, and both Miami star Cam Ward and Colorado star Shedeur Sanders are available and expected to go early in the draft. It would have been an easy move for the Giants and Raiders to sack either quarterback if they had lost on Sunday. It’s now unclear if any of the players will still be around when the clock comes down.
Here’s a look at the current NFL Draft order with one game left in Week 17:
1. New England Patriots (3-13)
2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
3. Cleveland Browns (3-13)
4. New York Giants (3-13)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
6. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
7. New York Jets (4-12)
8. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
9. Chicago Bears (4-12)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
12. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
13. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
14. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
15. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
16. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
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19. Houston Texans (9-7)
20. Denver Broncos (9-7)
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
22. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
23. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
24. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
26. Washington Commanders (11-5)
27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
30. Detroit Lions (13-2)
31. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)