#draft-order

#draft-order

With the 2025 NFL regular season coming to a close, the first 13 draft order slots for the 2026 NFL draft are set as we wait for the result of the AFC North showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The Las Vegas Raiders will have the No. 1 selection, followed by the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals. The rest of the order will shake out over the course of the NFL playoffs, ending with Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8.

Uncertainty regarding the quarterback class of 2026 will no doubt remain a talking point over the coming months. Fernando Mendoza strengthened his case to be QB1 in April's draft, although it remains to be seen if other top signal-callers like Dante Moore and will turn pro or elect to remain in school for one more season. Decisions on those fronts will be central storylines carrying significant implications for the teams near the top of the order which find themselves in need of a quarterback investment.

Sorting out draft orders ahead of the NFL season has been an annual (and often elaborate) tradition at the end of every summer, with the Red Sox chipping golf balls off the Green Monster last season in order to determine the draft order. This time around, the Red Sox called upon Varitek to be the primary determinant in their fantasy football fortunes. As captured on video by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, Varitek mapped out Boston's draft order by taking batting practice at Fenway.