Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order After Sunday's Week 9 Results
The Detroit Lions and Houston Texans will be locked in a battle for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft for the rest of the regular season.
The competition for the top pick got much clearer after a surprising round of results in Week 9 and the Miami Dolphins' win over the Texans.
Detroit, who was on a bye in Week 9, is the only team without a win. Houston is the lone franchise with one victory this season.
The New York Jets, Washington Football Team and a few others are locked into top 10 picks at the moment, but for any of them to pick first in April, they need the Lions to win at least twice.
Updated 2022 1st-Round NFL Draft Order
1. Detroit (0-8)
2. Houston (1-8)
3. Philadelphia (via Miami - 2-7)
4. New York Jets (2-6)
5. Jacksonville (2-6)
6. Washington (2-6)
7. Philadelphia (3-6)
8. New York Giants (3-6)
9. Miami (via San Francisco - 3-5)
10. New York Jets (via Seattle - 3-5)
11. New York Giants (via Chicago - 3-5)
12. Minnesota (3-5)
13. Carolina (4-5)
14. Philadelphia (via Indianapolis - 4-5)
15. Denver (5-4)
16. Cincinnati (5-4)
17. Cleveland (5-4)
18. Kansas City (5-4)
19. Atlanta (4-4)
20. New England (5-4)
21. Pittsburgh (4-3)
22. New Orleans (5-3)
23. Las Vegas (5-3)
24. Dallas (6-2)
25. Buffalo (5-3)
26. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
27. Tampa Bay (6-2)
28. Detroit (via Los Angeles Rams - 7-2)
29. Baltimore (6-2)
30. Green Bay (7-2)
31. Tennessee (7-2)
32. Arizona (8-1)
Draft order via Tankathon
Houston Is Detroit's Top Competition for No. 1 Overall Pick
Sunday's clash between the Texans and Miami Dolphins was going to decide which team would compete with the Lions for the No. 1 overall pick.
In Miami's case, it would have been losing to help out the Philadelphia Eagles. The Dolphins did not move much in the draft order at No. 3, but they earned a win that likely takes them out of top-pick contention.
Houston's loss put it at No. 2 in the projected draft order behind the Lions, who were on a bye in Week 9.
The Texans confirmed their spot among the worst in the NFL with another putrid offensive performance. Houston has finished with a single-digit point total in three of its last four games.
Tyrod Taylor's return did not help the offense much. The Texans gained 272 total yards, and they failed to the find the end zone despite having a handful of red-zone opportunities.
Houston now gets to sit back and watch the action unfold in Week 10. After its bye, Houston visits the Tennessee Titans.
The Texans will play in another No. 1 pick elimination game of sorts in Week 12, when they host the New York Jets. A similar situation pops up in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who the Texans beat in Week 1.
As for Detroit, it returns to the field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10 before a road trip to Cleveland in Week 11.
Neither team has a clear path to victory, but Houston has more chances to win on its schedule with the Jaguars and Jets ahead.
Detroit's next best chance to win could be on Thanksgiving Day against the Chicago Bears. The Lions also visit the Denver Broncos in Week 14, but outside of that, they have a tough finish to the season.
Miami Has Potential to Move out of Top 5
Miami did not look like the best NFL team on Sunday, but it got the victory behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
The Dolphins will likely ride with Brissett again in Week 10 because they have a quick turnaround to their Thursday night game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Tua Tagovailoa missed the Week 9 win over the Texans with a small fracture in his middle finger, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Miami should use Thursday's clash as a chance to build more chemistry between Brissett and the top offensive figures ahead of an important four-game stretch.
The Dolphins take on the New York Jets in Weeks 11 and 15. They host the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants and a have a Week 14 bye in between.
If Miami wins one or both of the matchups with the Jets, it will significantly alter the projected draft order and hurt the Philadelphia Eagles' chances of receiving a top-three pick.
Philadelphia owns Miami's first-round selection from the wave of trades that occurred before the 2021 NFL draft. The Dolphins got the San Francisco 49ers' first-round pick in the process.
The Jets, who are also using a reserve quarterback, are No. 4 in the current draft order. If they lose to the Buffalo Bills in Week 10, the Week 11 AFC East showdown could be for a top-three pick.
Miami's quarterback situation is a bit more stable than New York's since Brissett has 36 starts in his career. The Jets have Zach Wilson and Mike White on the injury report after Thursday.
If the Dolphins win one of their games against the Jets and take a or or two at home to Carolina or the Giants, we could be talking about a completely different draft picture in the final three weeks.