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While the Los Angeles Rams are getting set for the playoffs, the majority of the NFL is in offseason mode and looking ahead to the 2019 NFL Draft.
So while the mock drafts are beginning to come in hot and heavy, the final week of the regular season gave us the early draft order for the 20 teams who didn’t make the playoffs:
2019 NFL Draft Order
| Rd | # | Rd# | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rd | # | Rd# | Team |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | New York Jets |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | Oakland Raiders |
| 1 | 5 | 5 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1 | 6 | 6 | New York Giants |
| 1 | 7 | 7 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 1 | 8 | 8 | Detroit Lions |
| 1 | 9 | 9 | Buffalo Bills |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | Denver Broncos |
| 1 | 11 | 11 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1 | 12 | 12 | Green Bay Packers |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | Miami Dolphins |
| 1 | 14 | 14 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1 | 15 | 15 | Washington Redskins |
| 1 | 16 | 16 | Carolina Panthers |
| 1 | 17 | 17 | Cleveland Browns |
| 1 | 18 | 18 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1 | 19 | 19 | Tennessee Titans |
| 1 | 20 | 20 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
So yes, the first and second picks of the draft will head to the NFC West via the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, respectively.
We’re going to have to wait for the coaching carousel to slow down to get a better sense of what kinds of roster builds will be required, but the general assessment of roster needs will get us settled as we head toward the combine next month. The big point of fact for both is that they have quarterbacks to rely on in Cardinals QB Josh Rosen and 49ers QB Crispy Crisco. And with the New York Jets having taken QB Sam Darnold last year, it’s not until you get to #4 with the Oakland Raiders that QB talk could surface. Would that prompt a trade from the teams below? Perhaps, though this QB class isn’t particularly strong.
One interesting note? There’s not a single trade involving these 20 teams’ first-round picks. There are three trades for first-round picks, but they all involve playoff teams. The Chicago Bears sent their first-round pick (and plenty of others) to the Oakland Raiders for EDGE Khalil Mack, so the Raiders will have a second first-round pick this year. And a third. Oakland picked up the Dallas Cowboys’ first-rounder for WR Amari Cooper. The other trade will send the New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick to the Green Bay Packers as part of a deal the Saints made in the 2018 NFL Draft to move up in the first to take EDGE Marcus Davenport.
The order for the remaining 12 draft picks will be determined by the playoffs and the usual factors (strength of schedule, record against division opponents and record against conference opponents). The four teams that lose in the wild card round this weekend will fill in the #21-24 spots. The four teams that lose in the divisional round will fill in #25-28. so the earliest pick the Rams could pick up would be the 25th. With the 29th and 30th picks going to the conference championship losers and the 31st going to the Super Bowl loser, here’s hoping the Rams pick 32nd when all is said and done.