As the year comes to an end with the NFL’s Week 18 featuring a series of intense divisional matchups, the stakes range beyond just the playoffs; the outcomes of these games will significantly influence the 2025 NFL draft order. The playoff positions remain critical, yet for many teams who are out of this race, their focus turns towards the potential positioning in the draft order. The Cleveland Browns, following their stumble in the final Saturday game of the regular season, found themselves with an opportunity: The summoning prospect of landing the No. 1 draft pick. However, with three other teams vying for this coveted spot, the Sunday outcomes could create a seismic shift.
For those keen to understand the potential 2025 NFL draft order as Week 18 transpires, we can look at projections from Tankathon.com. Currently, the Cleveland Browns sit at an uncomfortable 3-14, their standing influenced by a strength of schedule (SOS). They boast a SOS of .543, a factor that will play out in their final draft position.
Neck-to-neck in contention with the Browns are the New England Patriots, with a rather similar season record of 3-13 but a slightly reduced SOS of .469. This could place them strategically within the Draft. Yet, the Tennessee Titans find themselves in much the same boat, mirroring the Patriots’ record but with a slightly higher SOS of .516.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants share the 3-13 record too, albeit their SOS stands at .551. On the other hand, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, and New York Jets carry 4-12 records to this final week. Their SOS falls at .473, .498, and .498 respectively, potentially affecting their place in the upcoming draft order.
Three more teams in the mix are the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints. With the Raiders at 3-12 and a .543 SOS, the Bears at 4-12 with a .555 SOS, and the Saints at 5-11 with a .505 SOS, the outcomes of Week 18 games could cause last-minute fluctuations in this projected order.
As we delve deeper into the draft order, we see the San Francisco 49ers at a 6-10 record, the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys at 7-9, all having SOS .566, .458, and .518 respectively. The Arizona Cardinals also stand at 7-9 but carry a .537 SOS. Finally, with a neutral 8-8 record, the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons bring .414 and .516 SOS to the table.
In the realm of those holding slightly better records in the single loss column, we observe the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos at 9-8, 9-7, 9-7, and 9-7 respectively. These teams are standing on the SOS measures of .475, .504, .487, and .500 respectively, which could play a part in their draft standing.
Now handling double-digit win records, we have Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers tied at 9-7, while the Los Angeles Rams sit at 10-6. Their SOS numbers are .505, .500, and .504 respectively. Further, Green Bay Packers are at 11-5 record sporting a .533 SOS, and Los Angeles Chargers make it onto the list at 10-6 with a .467 SOS.
The Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens sport 11-5 and 12-5 records, and their SOS sit at .435 and .529 respectively. Next up, the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills share an impressive 13-3 record this season, with SOS of .460 and .462.
Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, both having had splendid seasons with records of 14-2, bear .471 and .522 SOS respectively. At the apex with a formidable 15-1 record are the Kansas City Chiefs, carrying a .486 SOS into the finale of Week 18.
With the draft positioning on one hand, let us now turn our attention towards the potential candidates of the draft. As per consensus in mid-December, here’s a glimpse into the top 40 prospects of the 2025 NFL draft eager to make their mark in the NFL. The pool of talent ranges extensively from various colleges across the nation.
Travis Hunter, a promising Cornerback/Receiver from Colorado, is expected to be a hot pick, followed by the skilled Cornerback Will Johnson out of Michigan and the robust Defensive Tackle Mason Graham, also from Michigan. Ashton Jeanty, a formidable Running Back from Boise State, and Tetairoa McMillan, a skilled Wide Receiver from Arizona, are part of this elite list too.
Penn State’s gritty EDGE Abdul Carter, LSU’s Offensive Lineman Will Campbell, and Georgia’s Linebacker/EDGE Jalon Walker are high up there as well. Nic Scourton, an EDGE from Texas A&M, and Miami’s gifted Quarterback Cam Ward also make it to the top echelons of this prospect list.
Missouri’s wide receiver Luther Burden III, Tennessee’s EDGE James Pearce Jr. and Texas’ Offensive Lineman Kelvin Banks Jr., and Colorado’s talented Quarterback Shedeur Sanders gets included. Not to forget Georgia’s EDGE Mykel Williams and Tight End Colston Loveland from Michigan.
To round off this list of star prospects, Notre Dame’s Cornerback Benjamin Morrison, Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State, and Walter Nolen, a Defensive Tackle from Ole Miss are to look out for. Ohio State’s Defensive Tackle Tyleik Williams and East Carolina’s Cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. offer a lot of promise in this batch of prospective players.
In conclusion, with the mass of talent preparing for the draft and the final Week 18 games poised to shift the draft order, the 2025 NFL landscape is on the cusp of significant transformation. Stay tuned for more updates as the year culminates and dishes out a bevy of excitement for all NFL aficionados.