2014 NFL Draft Order: Breaking Down First Round After Wild Card Weekend

2014 NFL Draft Order: Breaking Down First Round After Wild Card Weekend

The first 24 picks of the upcoming 2014 NFL draft are now set after Wild Card Weekend's action, with four teams joining the mix.

While it's still to be determined how the final eight picks will shake out, things have been figured out for much of the first round as a majority of the league's 32 teams know what their fate is this season and are able to start planning toward 2014 and their selections in the upcoming draft.

Teams like the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and more won't be paying much attention to the draft order for now, but it's the next step ahead for the teams that have seen their Super Bowl aspirations come to a halt.

Here's a look at the updated first-round draft order, with the first 24 now set in stone barring any trades.

2014 NFL Draft Order: As of Jan. 5
Draft Pick Team W L T SOS
1 Houston Texans 2 14 0 0.559
2 St. Louis Rams (WAS) 3 13 0 0.516
3 Jacksonville Jaguars 4 12 0 0.504
4 Cleveland Browns 4 12 0 0.516
5 Oakland Raiders 4 12 0 0.523
6 Atlanta Falcons 4 12 0 0.553
7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4 12 0 0.574
8 Minnesota Vikings 5 10 1 0.512
9 Buffalo Bills 6 10 0 0.520
10 Detroit Lions 7 9 0 0.457
11 Tennessee Titans 7 9 0 0.504
12 New York Giants 7 9 0 0.520
13 St. Louis Rams 7 9 0 0.551
14 Chicago Bears 8 8 0 0.465
15 Pittsburgh Steelers 8 8 0 0.469
16 Baltimore Ravens 8 8 0 0.484
17 Dallas Cowboys 8 8 0 0.484
18 New York Jets 8 8 0 0.488
19 Miami Dolphins 8 8 0 0.523
20 Arizona Cardinals 10 6 0 0.516
21 Green Bay Packers 8 7 1 0.453
22 Philadelphia Eagles 10 6 0 0.453
23 Kansas City Chiefs 11 5 0 0.445
24 Cincinnati Bengals 11 5 0 0.480
25 San Diego Chargers 9 7 0 0.496
26 Cleveland Browns (IND) 11 5 0 0.484
27 New Orleans Saints 11 5 0 0.516
28 New England Patriots 12 4 0 0.473
29 San Francisco 49ers 12 4 0 0.494
30 Carolina Panthers 12 4 0 0.494
31 Denver Broncos 13 3 0 0.469
32 Seattle Seahawks 13 3 0 0.490

Despite a crushing, last-second loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers could take solace in knowing they grabbed the top draft pick among the four teams that lost over the weekend. Since the Packers were just 8-7-1 entering the postseason, they nabbed the 21st overall pick.


Mike McCarthy and company have plenty of areas to use the pick on. The defense has some key pieces, but its few holes have made it a big weakness for the Packers this season, and the offensive line may demand some help as well. But if Green Bay's pick of Eddie Lacy in last year's draft is any indication, the Packers' front office should be able to find the right pick.

The Chiefs and Eagles both ended turnaround seasons in underwhelming fashion with a playoff loss, but each made plenty of strides in 2013. Philly goes into the offseason with the indication that their offense is set, so look for Chip Kelly to address his atrocious secondary in the draft.

As for Kansas City, a glaring hole at wide receiver emerged throughout the season and Dwayne Bowe could only fix it on occasion. With some studs in the mix this season like Sammy Watkins, Marqise Lee, Jordan Matthews and Allen Robinson, the Chiefs could greatly bolster their offense with a high draft pick.

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The last of teams to have their draft position solidified over the weekend was Cincinnati. It will take some time to transition to draft season for the Bengals, who had big Super Bowl aspirations and a team that seemed to be coming together at a championship level.

But when they do, cornerback could be a potential position to draft for early. The Bengals have two solid starters in Adam Jones and Terence Newman, but they combine for 16 years of pro experience. That can be useful at times, but having no depth and no young guys beneath them could prove devastating if injuries become a problem in 2014.

The needs and areas of concern for these four teams go much deeper than what has been mentioned, and it's a good thing for general managers and team officials that the draft doesn't occur until May 8 this year. There are hundreds upon hundreds of players—out in the draft and on their own team—to evaluate and make decisions on.

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