Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order After Sunday's Week 8 Results
If the Carolina Panthers had won on Sunday, they would be in first place in the NFC South. Instead, they lost 37-34 in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons and sit bottom of the division.
It's not a huge surprise that Carolina is 2-6 and could continue to struggle in the second half of the 2022 regular season. The Panthers have already dealt away star running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Robbie Anderson, and they could make more moves ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline.
If the season continues trending in this direction for Carolina, though, it will have a top pick in the 2023 NFL draft. But if the Panthers are going to land the No. 1 overall selection, they'll need some other bottom-tier teams to win more games than they have been of late.
Nearly all of the Week 8 action is complete, with only a Monday night matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns remaining. So, let's take a look at how the 2023 NFL draft order would stack up at this point in the season.
Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
1. Detroit Lions (1-6)
2. Houston Texans (1-5-1)
3. Carolina Panthers (2-6)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
6. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5)
7. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns) (2-5)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans Saints) (3-5)
10. Seattle Seahawks (via Denver Broncos) (3-5)
11. Arizona Cardinals (3-5)
12. Chicago Bears (3-5)
13. Green Bay Packers (3-5)
14. Detroit Lions (via Los Angeles Rams) (3-4)
15. Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1)
16. New England Patriots (4-4)
17. Washington Commanders (4-4)
18. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
19. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)
20. Miami Dolphins (via San Francisco 49ers) (4-4)
21. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
22. Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
23. New York Jets (5-3)
24. Forfeited pick (via Miami Dolphins) (5-3)
25. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
26. Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
27. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
28. New York Giants (6-2)
29. Tennessee Titans (5-2)
30. Minnesota Vikings (6-1)
31. Buffalo Bills (6-1)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (7-0)
Draft order via Tankathon.com.
Lions' Struggles Continue with Tough Loss
The Detroit Lions got close to snapping their four-game losing streak at home on Sunday. They had a 10-point lead over the Miami Dolphins in the second half, and their offense had been performing well for much of the matchup.
Yet, they ended up losing 31-27 for a fifth consecutive defeat and dropped to an NFL-worst 1-6.
Over the final two quarters of Sunday's game, the Lions had only three offensive possessions, which resulted in a pair of punts and a turnover on downs. It was a disappointing showing by Detroit after its 27-point first half that featured three touchdowns, including a pair of rushing scores by Jamaal Williams.
Now, the Lions will look to get their season back on track against a pair of NFC North rivals. They'll host the Green Bay Packers in Week 9 and go on the road to face the Chicago Bears in Week 10.
It's possible Detroit could still get hot and string together some wins in the second half, but it will need to do a better job of playing complete games moving forward.
Texans Face Challenging Turnaround
The Texans fell to 1-5-1 on Sunday with a 17-10 loss to the AFC South rival, the Tennessee Titans. But Houston has little time to think about its latest setback, because it has a quick turnaround heading into Week 10.
On Thursday night, the Texans will be back in action. And it'll be one of their most challenging matchups yet, as they're set to host the 7-0 Eagles, which are the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL.
Anything can happen in any given game, but it would be a big upset if Houston became the first team to knock off Philadelphia. The Texans' lone victory thus far was a 13-6 win over the Jaguars in Week 5, while the Eagles have cruised through the early part of their schedule.
Houston doesn't play a game against a team that currently has a losing record until Week 13, when it hosts Cleveland (2-5). So, if the Texans don't pull off some upsets, their two-game losing streak will be getting longer.
Which Team with 2 Wins Can Still Turn Season Around?
Five NFL teams currently have two-win records. The Browns could leave that group on Monday night if they can pull off an upset win over the AFC North rival Bengals. But it's more likely Cleveland falls to 2-6.
If that's the case, the Browns will have the same record as the Jaguars, Panthers and Steelers. The Raiders also have only two wins, but they're 2-5 following their bye week.
Most of these teams are likely to continue trending in the wrong direction. But if any has a decent chance of playing better soon, it's Las Vegas. Even though the Raiders are in the challenging AFC West, they have a solid roster and some light upcoming opponents.
Las Vegas' next three games are against teams that have losing records: Jacksonville (2-6), Indianapolis (3-4-1) and Denver (3-5). So, perhaps this is an opportunity for the Raiders to get on a roll finally.
In order for that to happen, though, Las Vegas can't afford another performance like its 24-0 loss to New Orleans on Sunday.