Updated NFL Draft order after Week 13: Where do Heisman candidates land?
Week 13 of the NFL season has seen several fun results unfold. The Thanksgiving slate was perhaps more entertaining than expected, and six of the seven games in the early slate were decided by one score.
While some of these matchups had major playoff implications, they also impacted the NFL Draft order in a big way. The fact that there weren't any major upsets makes the NFL Draft picture just that much clearer.
Where the collegiate quarterbacks land is always the main focus, but where the Heisman Trophy candidates should also garner tons of attention. Who wins it remains to be seen, but Travis Hunter probably leads the way. With that being said, though, Ashton Jeanty and Cam Ward have intriguing cases in their own right.
With Week 13 of the NFL season wrapping up, let's take a look at which teams are best positioned to take the Heisman Trophy favorites.
Updated NFL Draft order heading into Week 12
Order | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-10 |
2 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-10 |
3 | New York Giants | 2-10 |
4 | New England Patriots | 3-10 |
5 | New York Jets | 3-9 |
6 | Tennessee Titans | 3-9 |
7 | Carolina Panthers | 3-8 |
8 | Cleveland Browns | 3-8 |
9 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-8 |
10 | Chicago Bears | 4-8 |
11 | New Orleans Saints | 4-7 |
12 | Miami Dolphins | 5-7 |
13 | Dallas Cowboys | 5-7 |
14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-6 |
15 | Los Angeles Rams | 5-6 |
16 | San Francisco 49ers | 5-6 |
17 | Indianapolis Colts | 6-7 |
18 | Arizona Cardinals | 6-6 |
19 | Atlanta Falcons | 6-6 |
20 | Denver Broncos | 7-5 |
21 | Seattle Seahawks | 7-5 |
22 | Washington Commanders | 8-5 |
23 | Houston Texans | 8-5 |
24 | Los Angeles Chargers | 8-4 |
25 | Baltimore Ravens | 8-4 |
26 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-3 |
27 | Green Bay Packers | 9-3 |
28 | Philadelphia Eagles | 9-2 |
29 | Buffalo Bills | 9-2 |
30 | Minnesota Vikings | 10-2 |
31 | Kansas City Chiefs | 11-1 |
32 | Detroit Lions | 11-1 |
The Jaguars won't be able to resist taking Travis Hunter No. 1 overall
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost their fifth game in a row, and with Trevor Lawrence suffering a scary injury in the defeat, it's hard to envision the Jaguars winning another game anytime soon — if at all — even with their easy schedule to finish out the year. Assuming they stay at No. 1 overall, Travis Hunter will be too difficult for them to pass on.
Traditionally, quarterbacks are taken with the No. 1 overall pick, but the Jaguars have Lawrence locked in long-term. He does have a decent amount of help around him, but none of the receivers or defensive backs are as dynamic as Hunter, the Heisman favorite.
Hunter leads the nation with 92 receptions and 14 receiving touchdowns this season, and he has reeled in 1,152 yards. He's good enough as a receiver to be taken in the first round, yet that's only some of what he does. Hunter is as good as it gets on the defensive side of the ball as well. He doesn't get targeted much, but he has four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and has forced a fumble.
Whether Hunter actually plays both positions at the NFL level remains to be seen, but he can help the Jaguars immensely at one or both spots. Simply put, he's too talented of a player to pass on, and with this quarterback class being subpar, it's unlikely that the Jaguars would get offered enough to move off of No. 1.
Ashton Jeanty can help a reeling Cowboys rushing attack
Taking running backs in the first round is typically frowned upon, but do the Dallas Cowboys have much of a choice? Sure, Rico Dowdle impressed on Thanksgiving, but are we putting much stock into what any team does against the New York Giants? At 85.8 yards per game, the Cowboys rank second-to-last in their production on the ground. Their offense struggled for much of the season even with Dak Prescott healthy in large part because of that non-existent running game.
Dowdle is better than the likes of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, but are the Cowboys going to go with him after seeing the impact guys like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have had? Drafting a player of Dowdle's caliber can help bring this Cowboys offense to the next level to seriously compete.
Again, taking a running back in the first round isn't ideal, but Jeanty is looking like an exception to that rule. He has put up video game numbers, recording 2,288 yards and 28 touchdowns. He hasn't done much in the air, but also hasn't been asked to do much. He has simply dominated on the ground to an extent we rarely see.
The Cowboys had success with the early Elliott pick, and could see Jeanty thrive as well.
Cam Ward could be the long-term quarterback that the Raiders are hoping for
The Miami Hurricanes were dealt a devastating loss on Saturday, but that wasn't Cam Ward's fault. The 22-year-old completed 25 of his 36 throws (69.4 percent) for 349 yards and two touchdowns. The Hurricanes scored 38 points.
Ward's big day added to his spectacular debut season with the Hurricanes. He now leads the nation with 36 passing touchdowns while also completing 67.4 percent of his throws for 4,123 yards. He certainly has an argument for being the first quarterback taken.
If Ward is taken before Shedeur Sanders, the Las Vegas Raiders are in the best position to take him. It's safe to say that neither Gardner Minshew nor Aidan O'Connell is their answer under center, and drafting a quarterback can help them turn things around.
In a division that includes Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix, getting this pick right is crucial for Las Vegas' future.
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