NFL Draft Order

[djs]

Does anyone know how the NFL Draft order is determined? I'm pretty sure that the Superbowl winner has the last pick, and the runner up the next to last pick, but how about other teams? Do all the playoff teams draft behind the non-playoff teams? If this is the case, it looks like the Patriots would have the 19th pick.

 

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

I don't know the exact order for this year.

But, you are on the right track for the formula.

Detroit at 0-16 would own the first pick, then next worst team record, etc. (ties are broken kind of the reverse of who would have 'won' the tiebreaker to get into the playoffs).

My Cowboys traded for Detroit receiver Roy Williams, so the first round is an empty one for Dallas

Pat

 

[Dave M]

This is a bit complex, but here goes....

The Super Bowl winner drafts last and the loser drafts next to last, no matter what their regular season record. Other than that, all teams pick in reverse order of their regular season record, whether or not they got to the playoffs. So, as stated, Detroit would pick first.

Strength of schedule during the season (opponents W-L record) is the first tie breaker. Divisional and conference comparative records are next on the tiebreaker list, followed by a coin toss, if necessary. If a playoff team and a non-playoff team have the same record, the non-playoff team drafts first, no matter what the result of the other tiebreakers would be.

As for the Patriots, 8 of the other 31 teams have the same or better records than the Patriots. The other two with the same record both made the playoffs. Thus, if the draft were held today, only those 8 teams would pick behind the Patriots, meaning that they would pick 24th. If one or two of the playoff teams with worse records than the Patriots gets to the Super Bowl, that would move the Patriots up to 23rd or 22nd in the draft order.

 

[djs]

Thanks Dave, unfortunately not the answer I was hoping for. I was hoping that if they got "hosed" out of a playoff spot that they'd at least make up for it in the draft order. Though had they been able to stop the Jets on 3rd and 15 in OT, or been able to beat the Chargers earlier this year none of this would matter. Perhaps the Cowboys should have stepped up in their last game at Texas Stadium.

Of course they weren't really "hosed" they did not win their division and that's what eventually did them in.