Lions' Week 18 Rooting Guide for Best Possible Draft Position

The Detroit Lions would clinch their fourth straight winning season with a win Sunday over the Chicago Bears.

Detroit will be sidelined for the postseason after officially being eliminated last week, but could salvage a winning record at 9-8 with a win. However, a loss would have some merit as it could help improve their overall draft position for the upcoming draft.

Currently, the Lions are projected to land somewhere between the No. 12 and No. 18 overall picks in the first round of the draft. Along with their own game against the Bears, there are several other games whose results could impact where Detroit is selecting when April rolls around.

Here's a look at the results in Week 18 that would give the Lions a path to their best possible draft position for the 2026 NFL draft.

Saints at Falcons — Falcons

This game is uniquely impactful for the postseason, as even though both teams are eliminated the winner will decide the NFC South champion. After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers Saturday, there's currently a potential for a three-way tie atop the division if the Falcons win.

Should the Falcons win, the Panthers would win the NFC South even after losing against Tampa Bay Saturday night. Additionally, a Falcons win would bring them to 8-9, which would be even with Detroit if the Lions lose, and Atlanta currently has a slightly more difficult strength of schedule that would push their pick later.

Cowboys at Giants — Cowboys

If the Cowboys win, they will be 8-8-1 on the year. Though the tie is an outlier, and the Lions defeated Dallas in Week 14, because they have one less loss they will pick after the Lions at 8-8-1 if Detroit is 8-9.

Packers at Vikings — Vikings

This game would have an impact both on draft position and future scheduling. The Lions would finish last in the NFC North with a loss or a Vikings win, due to the fact that Minnesota swept them in the regular season. As a result, the Lions would be on track to play last-place crossover teams in 2026 along with being guaranteed a top-17 pick with Minnesota finishing with nine wins.

Colts at Texans — Colts

The Colts are another team entering the finale at 8-8, so a win would bump them past the Lions in draft order. If they finish with the same record, the Lions currently have the advantage to pick higher based on the strength of schedule tiebreaker.

Dolphins at Patriots — Dolphins

If Miami could pull off the upset, it would be their eighth win of the year. They also would hold the advantage in terms of strength of schedule tiebreaker, but things could change on the final game. If Miami loses, they'd be 7-10 and automatically pick ahead of the Lions.

Ravens at Steelers — Ravens

This is one of the highest stakes games of the week, with the winner winning the AFC South and the loser staying home. Baltimore enters the game at 8-8, while Pittsburgh is 9-7. If the Ravens win, then the Steelers would be on the outside of the postseason and would pick behind Detroit automatically if the Lions lose. Even if Detroit were to win and finish 9-8, Pittsburgh is ahead of them in strength of schedule and.