Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order After Sunday's Week 5 Results
Winning on the field will always be the highest priority for teams, but several fanbases will soon be spending extra time on the 2023 NFL draft.
On the bright side, Week 5 is the moment the Houston Texans finally won a game. But as the Texans escaped the very bottom of the standings, four teams suffered another loss, fell to a league-worst 1-4 and drifted ever-closer to a potential top-10 pick in next April's draft.
The order will change. But if the 2022 NFL season ended today, how would the opening round be arranged?
Heading into the final matchup on the Week 5 slate—Monday night's tilt between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs—we're updating the current order, exploring the outlooks for two struggling teams and looking ahead to some notable Week 6 games relative to the draft.
1. Carolina Panthers (1-4)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4)
3. Detroit Lions (1-4)
4. Washington Commanders (1-4)
5. Las Vegas Raiders (1-3)
6. Houston Texans (1-3-1)
7. Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
8. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns) (2-3)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans Saints) (2-3)
10. Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
11. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver Broncos) (2-3)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
13. Arizona Cardinals (2-3)
14. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams) (2-3)
15. New England Patriots (2-3)
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
17. Chicago Bears (2-3)
18. Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1)
19. Miami Dolphins (via San Francisco 49ers) (3-2)
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
21. Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
22. New York Jets (3-2)
Forfeited pick (Miami Dolphins) (3-2)
24. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
25. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
26. Tennessee Titans (3-2)
27. New York Giants (4-1)
28. Dallas Cowboys (4-1)
29. Kansas City Chiefs (3-1)
30. Minnesota Vikings (4-1)
31. Buffalo Bills (4-1)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)
Draft order via Tankathon.
Since firing Jim Caldwell after the 2017 season, the Detroit Lions have wallowed in the depths of the NFL.
The reasons don't need to be rehashed, but Matt Patricia's tenure was a disaster. Detroit lost 10-plus games in each of his three seasons, and Dan Campbell inherited the mess. He oversaw a 3-13-1 record last year, and the Lions weren't expected to accomplish much in 2022.
Now, there was a slight injection of hope recently.
Heading into the weekend, Detroit actually led the NFL in both total and scoring offense. The complicating factor—it's a pretty big one—is the Lions ranked last in both categories on defense. The latter is a massive issue, but, hey, progression on offense is meaningful, right?
Well, the outlook is just plain frustrating now. Sunday, the New England Patriots forced five turnovers on downs, blanked the Lions 29-0 and dropped Campbell's squad to 1-4.
The context of every season is different. But the results are shaping the same old story for the Lions.
At this moment, the Carolina Panthers hold the No. 1 overall spot in the 2023 NFL draft.
The short version is that position might not change much. The long version is, well, let's rapid-fire the situation.
After the 37-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, third-year coach Matt Rhule is now 11-27 at the helm in Carolina. His job security has probably dropped from tenuous to nearly nonexistent. Baker Mayfield, who wore a walking boot on his left foot following the game, has been one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks in 2022. There is little optimism for marked positive improvement this season.
As a result, the Panthers may become the first vacancy on the market. They may begin to start seriously shopping star running back Christian McCaffrey. They're very unlikely to re-sign Mayfield or Sam Darnold when their contracts expire this offseason.
Carolina might soon be entering a new era—one that, right now, is expected to include a high pick in the 2023 draft.
Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Clear your Thursday night, folks, because we have an elite draft-impact clash in the Windy City. Both the Commanders and Bears dropped close games Sunday, falling to 1-4 and 2-3, respectively. Washington's loss to the Tennessee Titans sealed a fifth consecutive season with a four-game losing streak for the franchise.
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
We just covered the Panthers' woes, and the reigning Super Bowl champions aren't faring a whole lot better. The offense looks broken. Los Angeles, quite stunningly, is both 2-3 and one of six NFL teams failing to average even 300 yards per game. Injuries aren't helping, sure, but the production issues go far beyond the Rams' health concerns.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Not only is this an NFC West showdown, it's a clash between two franchises that could desperately use a nice victory. That's not to suggest this is a "must-win game" in Week 6, but Arizona's playoff hopes would take a considerable dent if the Cardinals dip to 2-4. Seattle's only wins are opposite a bad Broncos team and a worse Lions roster.
