Way-Too-Early Predictions for the 2027 NFL Draft Order Before Week 1 Chaos Ensues

The 2026 NFL and college football seasons are officially underway! To celebrate, we recently released our latest 2027 NFL first-round mock draft. The scouting cycle for next April's festivities have begun.

There were various high-ranking prospects worth monitoring throughout Week 2 of the college football campaign. Meanwhile, Week 1 of the 2026 NFL schedule will present 14 additional contests on Sunday and Monday. In a few weeks, the selection order for the 2027 NFL Draft will begin following a live-standings model.

Before the contenders begin separating themselves from pretenders, we've predicted the complete first-round order of the 2027 NFL Draft. From No. 1 to 32 overall, this is how we envision the NFL standings shaking out at the conclusion of the campaign. Expect the unexpected.

Predicting the 2027 NFL Draft Order: Welcome to Week 1 of the 2026 Season

1. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns would benefit from a rock-bottom season so that they could finally replace Deshaun Watson at quarterback.

2. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are in full-blown rebuild mode, and appear to be entering the 2026 NFL season with one of the least competitive rosters in the league.

3. Arizona Cardinals

Mike LaFleur is an inexperienced first-year head coach for the Arizona Cardinals, and Jacoby Brissett is a stopgap quarterback.

4. Las Vegas Raiders

How long will the Las Vegas Raiders manage to keep No. 1 overall rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza on the bench? Rookie coach-quarterback pairings usually lose a lot of games.

5. Atlanta Falcons

There are already concerns at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, with both Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. nursing injuries. A long, difficult season could be on the horizon.

6. New York Jets

The New York Jets have built a competitive roster, especially on offense, but the lack of a long-term solution at quarterback hurts. Also, the jury is still out on Aaron Glenn as a head coach after a debut 3-14 season.

7. Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans should be better in 2026, but they still remain in the relatively early stages of GM Mike Borgonzi's indepth roster makeover.

8. New York Jets (via IND)

The Indianapolis Colts have managed to often disappoint throughout the Chris Ballard era. With quarterback Daniel Jones coming off an Achilles injury, perhaps this is the season they bottom out and make changes. Unfortunately for them, this selection belongs to the Jets via the Sauce Gardner trade.

9. New York Giants

Are we convinced John Harbaugh was the right hire for the New York Giants? Elsewhere, their campaign largely depends on the health of Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, and Cam Skattebo.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers are reuniting for a second act with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Do either of them possess enough left in the tank to make it a success? Consider us skeptical.

11. New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints took positive steps forward under Kellen Moore and Tyler Shough last season. They'll be more competitive in 2026, but they feel a year away from truly pushing for the NFC South division title.

12. Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles had a peculiar offseason, particularly across the coaching staff. Despite winning Super Bowl LIX, questions still linger about head coach Nick Sirianni, especially regarding his offensive coordinator appointments. Is Sean Mannion the right OC for Jalen Hurts? Losing A.J. Brown and OL coach Jeff Stoutland will hurt more than some realize.

13. Carolina Panthers

Can the Carolina Panthers repeat as NFC South champions? We're skeptical. Bryce Young and Dave Canales are tasked with repeating last season's surprising efforts.

14. Minnesota Vikings

Admittedly, the Minnesota Vikings are tough to forecast. Kevin O'Connell is a fantastic head coach who went 9-8 last season despite lackluster quarterback play. Will Kyler Murray be the perfect match? There's element of unknown here.

15. Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders could be much improved if quarterback Jayden Daniels stays healthy, but we're in see-it-to-believe-it mode with this team after such a step backwards in 2025.

16. Chicago Bears

The NFC North is arguably the most competitive division in football. We're forecasting a slight step backwards for the Chicago Bears, who were among the most improved teams in the league last season.

17. Los Angeles Chargers

Can offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel fully unlock quarterback Justin Herbert and this Los Angeles Chargers offense? There are already injuries on the offensive line, and the division remains competitive.

18. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots benefited from a historically easy schedule en route to a Super Bowl appearance in 2025. They're already 0-1, and offseason prize A.J. Brown suffered a multi-week injury. A more humbling season could arrive.

19. Cincinnati Bengals

We like the Cincinnati Bengals to compete for the AFC North division title. It's been too long since Joe Burrow and this offense made the playoffs.

20. Dallas Cowboys (via GB)

This Dallas Cowboys selection comes courtesy of the Green Bay Packers via the Micah Parsons trade. We're projecting the Packers for a second-place finish in the NFC North.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars slightly regress from an outstanding 13-4 season in 2025, but still finish second place in the AFC South en route to earning a wild-card berth.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have quarterback Baker Mayfield signed to a multi-year extension, removing any distraction from a season in which they should recapture the NFC South division title.

23. Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs bounce back from a nightmare 2025 season, but it's still not enough to recapture an AFC West division title that once belonged to them for nine consecutive campaigns.

24. New York Jets (via DAL)

The Cowboys win the NFC East, but owe this pick to the Jets as a result of the Quinnen Williams trade. This is the final of the Jets' trio of first-round picks.

25. San Francisco 49ers

The NFC West is an absolute gauntlet. The San Francisco 49ers should qualify for the postseason, but it might be as a third-place finisher in the division.

26. Detroit Lions

The NFC North is the most difficult division to predict. This projection has the Detroit Lions getting back on track after a disappointing 2025 campaign to win the division in 2026. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is an upgrade over John Morton.

27. Baltimore Ravens

First-year head coach Jesse Minter inherits a strong Baltimore Ravens roster. It'll be the status quo for Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Co.

28. Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills will be legitimate postseason contenders, as usual, but they'll ultimately fail to get over the hump, again.

29. Seattle Seahawks

Repeating as Super Bowl champions is extremely difficult. The Seattle Seahawks are downed in the NFC Championship Game this time around.

30. Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos may have won the Super Bowl last season if Bo Nix stayed healthy. They'll come really close again. It wouldn't shock us if the Broncos proved this projection slightly wrong by advancing to Super Bowl LXI.

31. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are the definition of an elite defense. DeMeco Ryans rides that unit to a Super Bowl LXI appearance, but their run falls short of winning the Lombardi.

32. Cleveland Browns (Via LAR)

The first round of the 2027 NFL Draft begins and ends with the Cleveland Browns. They are at No. 32 overall because the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LXI. The Myles Garrett trade pays dividends for the Rams, and the Browns select another first-round quality prospect.

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