The 2012 NFL Draft order is taking shape. With just one regular season game left to play, all but one of the spots for non-playoffs teams has been determined.
Jan 1, 2012 - The 2012 NFL Draft order is set, at the top anyway. The Indianapolis Colts (2-14) secured the first overall pick with a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The St. Louis Rams, who also finished the season with a 2-14 record, have the second pick in the draft because of the league's use of strength of schedule as a draft order tiebreaker. The other top spots in draft order include some familiar teams.
Minnesota, who lost the Chicago Bears in their season finale, has the third pick in the draft as the only team with a 3-13 record. The Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who both finished with a 4-12 record, have the fourth and fifth spots in the draft, respectively.
A loss to the Philadelphia Eagles today gives the Washington Redskins (5-11) the sixth pick in the draft. Jacksonville, who stand at 5-11 after their win on Sunday, has the seventh pick in the draft. The top-20 picks look like this, with the outcome of the Sunday night game to be determined:
1. Indianapolis Colts, 2-14
2. St. Louis Rams, 2-14
3. Minnesota Vikings, 3-13
4. Cleveland Browns, 4-12
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4-12
6. Washington Redskins, 5-11
7. Jacksonville Jaguars, 5-11
8. Carolina Panthers, 6-10
9. Miami Dolphins, 6-10
10. Buffalo Bills, 6-10
11. Seattle Seahawks, 7-9*
12. Kansas City Chiefs, 7-9*
13. Arizona Cardinals, 8-8
14. Dallas Cowboys, 8-8
15. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-8
16. New York Jets, 8-8
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders, 8-8)
18. San Diego Chargers, 8-8
19. Chicago Bears, 8-8
20. Tennessee Titans, 9-7
*Will be determined by coin flip
Previously, we reported that Jacksonville would have the sixth pick and Washington would have the seventh. It's now being reported that the draft position for those two teams will be reversed based on strength of schedule.
The outcome of tonight's game between the Giants and the Cowboys will also switch the order around some. If New York wins, Dallas will pick 14th and Philadelphia will have the 15th pick. If Dallas wins, Philadelphia will have the 14th pick and the Giants will pick in the 18th spot.
With seven teams at 8-8, the draft order could still look a little different for picks 13-19 based on final strength of schedule calculations. If any teams end up with the same record and same strength of schedule, a coin flip will decide the draft order. SB Nation does not have access to the NFL's department of coin flipping, if there is such a place.
As for the rest of the draft order, it all depends on the playoffs. Picks 21-24 will go to the teams that lose in the Wild Card round. Picks 25-28 will go to the losers in the division round. Picks 29 and 30 belong to the losers from the conference championship games. The Super Bowl loser picks 31st and the winner picks 32nd.
Three teams have multiple first-round picks: the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots. The Bengals' extra pick is from the Carson Palmer trade. The Browns picked up Atlanta's first rounder in the Julio Jones deal at last April's draft, and New England snagged New Orleans' pick so the Saints could move up to take Mark Ingram last year.
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Jan 2
2012 NFL Draft Order: Non-Playoff Teams Almost Set With One Game Left To Go
Jan 1
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Jan 2
2012 NFL Draft Order: Non-Playoff Teams Almost Set With One Game Left To Go
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