We’re through eight weeks of the 2021 NFL season, and by now, we have a pretty good idea of what teams are. There will still be plenty of movement in the overall NFL standings, but with nearly half of the season complete and with our general knowledge of these teams, it’s a good time to check in on how the 2022 NFL Draft order is shaping up. After all, the bad teams are likely to stay bad (and in some cases just get worse).
And one thing that jumps out about how the early part of the first round would currently look: it features a lot of the NFC East.
One of those reasons is because everybody but the Dallas Cowboys (6-1) in the NFC East has played bad football this season, of course. But the Philadelphia Eagles (3-5) and New York Giants (2-6) also have first-round picks that have been acquired in trades. In the Eagles’ case, they could even have two first-rounders that were gained via trade.
If the season ended today, the Eagles would have three picks in the top-nine of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Philadelphia would have the No. 3 overall pick via the Miami Dolphins, after the teams made a trade during the 2021 draft (Miami gave Philadelphia the No. 12 overall pick and a 2022 first-rounder in return for the No. 6 overall selection that was used to take Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle). The Eagles would also have the No. 8 pick due to their own record, as well as the No. 9 pick via the Indianapolis Colts. That pick acquired from the Colts was part of the Carson Wentz trade, and it’s contingent on Wentz playing 75% of Indianapolis’ snaps this season (he’s played 99% so far), or playing just 70% of the snaps with Indianapolis also making the playoffs (but they’re currently 3-5). Otherwise, that Colts pick becomes a 2022 second-rounder for the Eagles.
The Giants would currently pick at No. 5, and they’d also pick at No. 11 due to their 2021 draft-day trade with the Chicago Bears. New York gave the Bears the No. 11 pick — used to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields — during the 2021 draft, in exchange for No. 20 and a fifth-rounder in that draft, as well as first and fourth-round picks in 2022.
Additionally, the Washington Football Team (2-6) would currently have the No. 6 overall pick.
So, the NFC East would have picks No. 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11 in the top-11 picks; or, six of the top-11 picks. Those organizations need a lot of roster help to gain some ground on the Cowboys in the future, so capitalizing on this opportunity in the 2022 draft will be crucial.
The New York Jets are also set to make some noise in the 2022 draft, with what would currently be the No. 7 and No. 10 (via the Seattle Seahawks) picks.
The Detroit Lions (0-8) and Houston Texans (1-7) would have picks No. 1 and 2 at the moment. The Five Thirty Eight record projections think the Lions will keep that top spot, followed by the Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars (currently the No. 4 pick).
Here’s a look at the current top-15 of the 2022 NFL Draft, as shared by draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic:
The current top-15 NFL Draft order. The #Eagles have three picks, the #Jets and #Giants each have two.
1. DET
2. HOU
3. PHI (MIA)
4. JAX
5. NYG
6. WFT
7. NYJ
8. PHI
9. PHI (IND)
10. NYJ (SEA)
11. NYG (CHI)
12. ATL
13. MIA (SF)
14. MIN
15. NE— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 2, 2021
You can see the full current first-round draft order at Tankathon.
