NFL Mock Draft: Updated draft order after Week 18 and who Top 10 could select

There were plenty of NFL fans who noted that Week 18 didn't have a ton of playoff implications. Yes, the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions were playing on Sunday Night Football for the NFC North title while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons were deciding the NFC South. There were also wild card implications in the AFC. But there was far more to be decided in terms of the 2025 NFL Draft order.

After losing handily on Saturday night to the Baltimore Ravens, the Cleveland Browns were still alive to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft but eliminated the New York Giants from that contention. But the Browns' plight would all depend on the results of the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots.

This is all to say that the results in Week 18 would got a long way in determining how the start of the 2025 NFL Draft would go down. And the Patriots made sure to fully shake things up with their regular-season finale. But let's check in on the updated 2025 NFL Draft order and then run through a mock draft projection for the Top 10 picks to see how things stand.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft order after Week 18

1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
3. New York Giants (3-14)
4. New England Patriots (4-13)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
7. New York Jets (5-12)
8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-11)
12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
19. Houston Texans (10-7)
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
21. Denver Broncos (10-7)
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
23. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
24. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
25. Los Angeles Chargers (10-7)
26. Washington Commanders (12-5)
27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
28. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
29. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
30. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
31. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
32. Detroit Lions (15-2)

New England winning against a Buffalo Bills team resting its starters — except for one play from Josh Allen — threw the top of the draft order into a bit of disarray. The Titans took care of their own business in the form of "tanking" with a loss to the Texans, which puts Tennessee in position to select the quarterback of their choosing.

Meanwhile, the Browns improved to the No. 2 overall pick, which is another spot for a quarterback. But the Giants are the ones left out in the cold a bit. Most prognosticators see this as a two-QB draft at the top of the big board, so the quarterback-needy G-Men will likely have no real path to get their guy in the draft and would likely be better off examining free agency or waiting for a Day 2 pick.

As for the Patriots, they are still in a fine position, albeit one that's less advantageous as they could've looked to trade for a king's ransom if they held onto the No. 1 overall pick. Alas, that wasn't meant to be and you have to credit the team for going out there and showing effort. Tanking is in quotations above because it's hard to ask players to not go out and try and, to New England's credit, they did start Joe Milton instead of Drake Maye.

In the late-afternoon window, we saw the Jets get a win over the Dolphins. Not only does that vault Miami into a Top 13 pick. For a team that is in serious need of talent, that's going to be huge for Mike McDaniel's team (assuming they keep him around). The Jets, meanwhile, only drop one spot in the draft order, pushing them down to the No. 7 pick in the draft.

What was supposed to be a thrilling nightcap between the Lions and Vikings on Sunday Night Football, however, turned into a blowout in favor of Detroit — Minnesota simply had no answer for Jamhyr Gibbs. That, obviously, had no effect on the draft order at the top of the board. Down at the bottom, though, it did shake things up.

Detroit, after getting their 15th win and with the Chiefs loss, now sits in the 32nd pick. Minnesota, on the other hand, dropped down from No. 30 to No. 28, ostensibly swapping places with the Philadelphia Eagles. Of course, this is all fluid at this part of the draft order as it's determined by playoff finish and then record. Only the Top 18 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft order are currently set in stone, at least set in stone until someone sparks a trade, which we definitely can't rule out at this point.

2025 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting the Top 10 picks with current draft order

The Titans, as mentioned, were the big winners of the Week 18 results by earning the top selection in the 2025 NFL Draft order. They now have their pick of a Will Levis replacement and that pick should be Cam Ward. I'm actually a fan of Shedeur Sanders, who goes to the Browns in this mock draft projection, but the upside of Ward with his physical tools and mobility far surpasses what Sanders could offer. It would be a great fresh start for the Titans to build around. Cleveland then gets the same with Coach Prime's son.

Without a viable quarterback option for the Giants, they take the best overall player in the 2025 draft, Travis Hunter. While there is a more dire need in New York for a top-tier cornerback, which the two-way Colorado star could absolutely be, the prospect of pairing a veteran quarterback or a second-round QB with Hunter and Malik Nabers at receiver is definitely hard to pass up. As for the Patriots after dropping to No. 4, it was a decision between protecting Drake Maye with Will Campbell or getting him a weapon in Tetairoa McMillan. I much prefer the free agent receiver class, though, so Campbell was the pick.

Is Jacksonville's biggest need defensive tackle? Absolutely not. But the Jaguars need a game-changer on defense and putting the uber-impressive Michigan product Mason Graham inside of Travon Walker could be something special.

The Raiders would love to get one of the top quarterbacks but it seems now that Las Vegas will have to explore the trade or free agent markets a bit heavier than expected previously. As for their pick, they nab Michigan corner Will Johnson, a player who can help the cause in a big way to give Maxx Crosby some help on that side of the ball. That leaves the Jets to get some much-needed help on the edge in the form of Abdul Carter. While Aaron Rodgers' future is uncertain, the defensive talent remains a strength. With Haason Reddick's debacle finally over, they need a playmaker on the edge. The Penn State product brings that in droves.

That leaves the Panthers a falling McMillan to give Bryce Young an elite weapon, despite falling in the draft order with their Week 18 win. New Orleans gets an explosive edge rusher they've long needed in Jalon Walker for the Saints defense, while the Bears round things out in predictable fashion, addressing the offensive line woes by taking Kelvin Banks Jr.