The Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers have joined the mix of teams whose seasons are now over. Both games, funnily enough, were insanely dramatic, and it just goes to show you how much competition has been present in the league this year.
Green Bay and Carolina will now turn their attention to the free agency period and the 2026 NFL Draft, as their seasons are now over. They joined 18 other teams that did not make the playoffs this year, so if you're keeping track at home, as the Sunday games approach, there are just 12 teams left in the NFL Playoff Picture.
Let's look into the first round draft order for 2026 as the Wild Card Round continues.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft order as the Wild Card Round continues
1. Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza, no matter what.
2. New York Jets
Dante Moore, no matter what?
3. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals pick third overall, but might not have a clear prospect to take.
4. Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward showed a lot in his rookie season and could make a huge leap in year two.
5. New York Giants
The New York Giants seem to have a shot at being able to hire John Harbaugh, which could do wonders for a year two breakout for Jaxson Dart. Harbaugh knows how to work with a young QB.
6. Cleveland Browns
The defense is very good, but everything else...
7. Washington Commanders
The old, average roster caught up to them in 2025, and I am not sure parting ways with Kliff Kingsbury was the right move.
8. New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough looked awesome this year, and I would not be shocked if the Saints had the best QB in the NFC South when 2026 rolled around.
9. Kansas City Chiefs
To be blunt, the Kansas City Chiefs have to ace this top-10 pick, no matter what.
10. Cincinnati Bengals
Defense, defense, defense!
11. Miami Dolphins
Firing Mike McDaniel did seem a tad bit surprising. On top of that, who is going to be the Dolphins QB in 2026?
12. Dallas Cowboys
The first of two first-round picks for the Dallas Cowboys in 2026 is the 12th overall selection.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via ATL)
The LA Rams are onto the Divisional Round and also have the 13th overall pick thanks to the Atlanta Falcons.
14. Baltimore Ravens
The John Harbaugh firing came as a shock. He's going to land on his feet, but what could be more interesting is who the Ravens hire to replace someone who was on the job for nearly 20 seasons.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired a ton of coaches recently, but Todd Bowles seems to be getting one more chance.
16. New York Jets (via IND)
Thanks to the Sauce Gardner trade, the New York Jets have two first-round picks in the top-20 here in the 2026 NFL Draft.
17. Detroit Lions
A 9-8 season was a huge drop-off from an insane 15-2 record back in 2024. I get the sense that this could be a defensive player at pick 17.
18. Minnesota Vikings
Despite some league-worst QB play, the Minnesota Vikings won five in a row to end the season and are now picking 18th overall.
19. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers put up a great fight, but could not seal the deal and are now picking 19th in the first round. This team should consider drafting a QB.
20. Dallas Cowboys (via GB)
Thanks to the Micah Parsons trade and a fourth quarter collapse, the Dallas Cowboys have two first-round picks in the top-20 here in 2026. Did Jerry Jones actually win this trade?