This is a look at the first-round order for the 2020 NFL Draft heading into Week 8, along with the top three needs for each team. The order is determined by record, using strength of schedule as the first tiebreaker (click here to see a full list of the draft-order tiebreakers). Keep in mind -- teams 21-32 would make the playoffs if the season ended today and are marked as PL (short for playoffs) in the order below. The draft order for playoff teams is determined by the results of postseason play.
For a while on Sunday, it looked like we were heading for a special kind of pandemonium in the race for the 2020 draft's top pick. The league's two winless teams -- the Dolphins and Bengals -- held second-half leads over the Bills and Jaguars, respectively, in Week 7, only to watch them evaporate in the fourth quarter.
Had Miami and Cincinnati held on, we could have entered the midway point of the season with five one-win teams vying for the right to draft first. Alas, it's still a battle of land vs. sea, with The Fish and The Big Cats still on course to determine which club will top the board when they meet on Dec. 22. Until then, we're just a few surprise occurrences away from a team without a major need at quarterback ending up with the top pick and gobs of leverage over those who'll be bidding for the services of the presumed next big thing at the position.
The needs for each team listed below offer just a snapshot of the areas that project to require the most attention as of today. Draft needs for NFL teams don't crystallize until the spring, after free agency plugs some holes and creates others, but we are firm believers that it's not too soon to see what might be coming around the corner.
The order and needs will evolve as we go along. Stay tuned. It's going to be a rather inglorious ride.
Arrows indicate how far up or down a team has moved relative to last week.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 1
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Steelers
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> QB, OT, edge rusher
The team that is supposedly playing for the future rather than the present has flirted with winning in each of the last two weeks, which doesn't say a lot for the Redskins or Bills. Anyway, the Dolphins are playing better football since their Week 5 bye. Kudos to Brian Flores. Maybe Miami will shock someone before the finish line mercifully greets this squad.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 2
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs.
Rams (in London)
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> QB, OL, LB
I understand not wanting to hand the reins over to a rookie QB during a week when the team has to travel overseas to play Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and Co., but barring some kind of masterpiece by Andy Dalton against the Rams, we have to be nearing Ryan Finley's first career start ... right? Dalton is coming off the worst game ( three INTs, including a pick-six, vs. Jacksonville) of his worst season (career-low 77.9 passer rating). I know he doesn't have much help around him, but it's time for a change.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 3
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Vikings
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> OL, CB, TE
Washington won't be open to trading Trent Williams until the offseason, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, but it certainly looks like this team will need a new left tackle to protect its QB of the future ( but not in Week 8), Dwayne Haskins.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 4
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Seahawks
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> DL, DB, OL
Vic Beasley, the former first-round pick who has 11.5 sacks in his last 37 games, feels like
he's let Dan Quinn down. The
Falcons are feeling like they're ready to bring
the Beasley era to an end. It's turned hopeless in a hurry for an Atlanta team that has the 5-2
Seahawks, a bye week (is that when Arthur Blank makes a coaching change?), and the 6-1
Saints up next. Oh, and the
Falcons defense has five sacks in 2019, which is the fewest through seven games of a season by any team since 2009.
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<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 5
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Jaguars
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> OL, edge rusher, CB
The Jets might have been Cowboys-ready, but they weren't Patriots-ready. Sam Darnold, who lived out what I imagine was his worst nightmare on Monday night, still needs a much-improved O-line and a better receiving corps. Those holes on defense? The Pats did what the Pats do, exposing them for all to see.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 6
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Bears
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> OL, CB, QB
Oh no. The losers of five of their last six now face their toughest four-game stretch of the season: at Bears, vs. Packers, at Raiders, vs. Chiefs (in Mexico City). As for the needs, I'm not suggesting Philip Rivers should be pushed out the door in his contract year, but now would be the time to invest in an heir apparent for the soon-to-be 38-year-old.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 8
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Colts
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> Interior D-line, OL, DB
After winning back-to-back games against cratering offenses in Weeks 5-6, the Broncos came down to earth with a loud thud against the Chiefs. Denver's O-line and its statuesque QB certainly weren't ready for prime time. Let the trade-deadline fire sale begin.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 9
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Lions
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> Edge rusher, DB, WR
I know Danny Dimes is in the dumps after turning the ball over nine times in the last four games. There's a lot riding on the young man. That said, the Giants' lack of pressure against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals was inexcusable, as well.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 11
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Patriots
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> OT, S, interior OL
GM John Dorsey wants an upgrade at left tackle so bad that he's called the Redskins once a week for the last month and a half to inquire about Trent Williams. Washington says it's not moving Williams in 2019, so Cleveland might have to ride with Greg Robinson until the offseason.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 12
<strong>This week's Steelers game:</strong> vs. Dolphins
The Dolphins acquired this pick in the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. See No. 1 for the Dolphins' needs and the bottom section of this file for analysis of the Steelers' needs.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 13
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Titans
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> QB, edge rusher, OL
There are enough winnable games left on the schedule -- including two against the Falcons -- to envision a scenario where the Bucs earn enough Ws to push themselves out of range from drafting one of the top few quarterbacks in next year's class. In that scenario, does Tampa Bay bring Jameis Winston back for another year? I'm sorry to mention this, Bucs fans, with visions of a six-turnover debacle still fresh in your minds, but it still feels like a possibility even as the hope of a breakthrough for Winston under the tutelage of Bruce Arians continues to fade.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 16
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Giants
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> CB, OL, WR
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 7
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Buccaneers
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> QB, OL, RB
Derrick Henry is coming off one of his better games this season (108 total yards, one TD vs. the Chargers), which reminds me -- are the
Titans going to pay him this offseason? He's due to become a free agent and is averaging a career-low 3.7 yards per carry. Whether it's Henry or someone else, Tennessee is going to need a back who can provide balance to the offense.
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<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 15
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Bills
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> DB, edge rusher, LB
Are the Eagles going to end up regretting not offering more for Jalen Ramsey? The Philly defense is a mess! Jim Schwartz's unit has allowed 37-plus points and 400-plus total yards in consecutive games.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 10
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Jets
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> CB, offensive playmaker, DL
The Jags needed a fourth-quarter collapse from Andy Dalton to fend off the Bengals, which isn't exactly an encouraging sign for the Duval faithful. This team has been through a lot, from Nick Foles' injury to the jettisoning of Jalen Ramsey, but it still has a chance to turn its season around with the Jets coming to town before a real opportunity to get weird presents itself in Week 9 when the Texans visit.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 14
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Saints
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> OL, edge rusher, offensive playmaker
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 19
<strong>This week's Bears game:</strong> vs. Chargers
The Raiders acquired this pick in the Khalil Mack trade. See No. 18 for the Raiders' needs and the bottom section of this file for analysis of the Bears' needs.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Texans
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> Edge rusher, CB, WR
Yes, Oakland could still use another wide receiver, but how about the job Jon Gruden did leaning on his tight ends against the Packers? The bigger concerns here are on defense, where there are needs at all three levels. The Raiders have been solid against the run, but only three teams have allowed a higher passer rating this season (the Dolphins, Falcons and Cardinals). They just sent former first-round CB Gareon Conley -- a selection of the previous regime -- packing (more on him in the Texans' section). Oh, and QB could end up on the needs list this offseason if Derek Carr isn't more careful with the ball.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 17
The Jaguars acquired this pick in the Jalen Ramsey trade. See No. 14 for the Jaguars' needs and the bottom section of this file for analysis of the Rams' needs.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 20
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at 49ers
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> DB, OL, edge rusher
With two starters due to hit free agency after this season ( Greg Van Roten, Daryl Williams) and a third (Taylor Moton) scheduled to hit the market after next season, I'm replacing pass catcher on the needs list with with the offensive line. Adding a receiver to complement D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel could be a luxury compared to the necessity of adding help up front.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> On bye
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> DB, pass catcher, DL
The ship has been righted! One heck of an offseason awaits, though, with nine starters due to hit free agency, including
Dak Prescott,
Amari Cooper and
Byron Jones.
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<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's Texans game:</strong> vs. Raiders
The Dolphins acquired this pick in the Laremy Tunsil trade. See No. 1 for the Dolphins' needs and the bottom section of this file for analysis of the Texans' needs.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> No. 18
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Broncos
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> DL, pass catcher, DB
The Colts stand alone at the top of the AFC South, and now they go vs. Broncos, at Steelers, vs. Dolphins, vs. Jaguars (combined record of 7-19) before their rematch with the Texans. They could easily head into that game at 8-2. People declared this team dead after Andrew Luck's retirement. I hope Frank Reich and Chris Ballard are having a good chuckle somewhere.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> On bye
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> Edge rusher, ILB, interior O-line
Now that's more like the Ravens defense we're used to seeing. Baltimore racked up seven tackles for loss, eight QB hits and two takeaways (including a pick-six by recent acquisition Marcus Peters) to cool off MVP candidate Russell Wilson. Imagine what Wink Martindale could do if Eric DeCosta lands him a havoc-wreaking edge rusher in the offseason.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Redskins
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> OL, DB, DL
I still want to see Kirk Cousins play well against some winning teams this season before doubt truly starts to dissipate -- he's only defeated one team that was above .500 this year (the Eagles, who were 3-2 entering their Week 6 meeting with Minnesota). However, the combination of his sensational performance in the last three games (325.3 pass yards per game, 10:1 TD-INT ratio, 142.6 passer rating), the $29.5 million guaranteed owed to him next season and the potential for very little salary-cap flexibility results in QB coming off the needs list this week. It's replaced by the DL, where GM Rick Spielman should be looking for a disruptive interior presence.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Falcons
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> Edge rusher, DT, OL
Seattle has generated exactly one sack and one QB hit in the past two games, which is surprising for a group with so much talent. First-round edge rusher L.J. Collier has yet to record a tally in either category through his first 50 career snaps. Jadeveon Clowney is still looking for his second sack of the year and we're almost at midseason.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Packers
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> CB, LB, OG
It was lost in all the other news coming out of the Chiefs' Thursday night spanking of the Broncos, but Kansas City's guard play continues to be a concern. The back seven got a nice little breather against Denver, but let's see how it looks in a real test against Aaron Rodgers, who just reminded everyone of what he can do against an undermanned defense.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Eagles
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> WR, CB, DE
As Sunday's Fitzmagic moments revealed, this team is shaky at corner outside of Tre'Davious White. The Dolphins were effective in targeting Levi Wallace, so I assume Carson Wentz will be looking his way early and often in Week 8. The great news for Buffalo: the combined record of their next five opponents is 8-25.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> at Chiefs
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> OT, WR, TE
UPDATE: Aaron Rodgers is still good. This past offseason was about getting the defense right. Mission appears to be accomplished. The next one should be about giving their QB1 the best supporting cast he could ask for on offense.
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Cardinals
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> CB, WR, QB
Michael Thomas has made five or more catches in 12 straight games (longest active streak in the league). He's also the only player with 50 or more receiving yards in seven games this season. At the same time, the
Saints haven't had a wide receiver other than Thomas make more than three catches or gain more than 49 yards in a game since Week 1, when
Ted Ginn had a 41-yard grab in
Drew Brees' only full game this season. They're going to need another guy to step up at some point, right? Maybe not.
They just keep winning.
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<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Browns
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> TE, OL, S
Rarely do I feel more ridiculous than when I write about the Patriots' "needs," as if deficiencies in certain areas could stop them. They steamrolled the Jets to become the league's lone 7-0 team despite playing without the guys who were supposed to be their left tackle and center ( Isaiah Wynn and David Andrews), their first-round pick (N'Keal Harry), most talented receiver (Josh Gordon), second-leading rusher (Rex Burkhead) and a starting safety (Patrick Chung).
<strong>Previous week:</strong> Playoffs
<strong>This week's game:</strong> vs. Panthers
<strong>Biggest needs:</strong> DB, OL, WR
I don't know that there's much to take away from the Mud Bowl, but, hey, the Niners won again, even though a 69-yard outing by Kendrick Bourne, an undrafted third-year veteran with 67 career catches, stands as the most productive performance by a San Francisco wide receiver in the past four games.
<strong><em>UPDATE:</strong> The Niners traded for Emmanuel Sanders on Tuesday, but with his contract due to expire after this season, WR remains on the list of the team's needs for 2020.</em>
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TEAMS WITHOUT A FIRST-ROUND PICK
Chicago Bears (3-3)
Biggest needs: DB, OG, QB
Welp, Mitchell Trubisky is forcing my hand. I'm adding QB to the list of needs because he's not giving us reason for optimism with his bad footwork and decision making. The good vibes of Year 1 with Matt Nagy are gone, and Deshaun Watson is a man of his word.
Houston Texans (4-3)
Biggest needs: OL, CB, edge rusher
Giving up a third-round pick for Gareon Conley smacks of desperation, but these are indeed desperate times in the Houston secondary. Johnathan Joseph and Bradley Roby are injured, and Phillip Gaines was placed on IR Monday. I'm just not convinced Conley solves the problem in the short-term, considering his own struggles this season, or the long-term, with Joseph, Roby and Gaines ticketed for free agency in 2020.
Los Angeles Rams (4-3)
Biggest needs: OL, edge rusher, DB
Playing the Falcons and the Bengals in back-to-back weeks has a way of getting a team back on track. Yes, the Rams rolled Atlanta and now they'll face winless Cincinnati in London. An O-line that has had major struggles will be tested again with games against the Steelers and Bears coming out of a Week 9 bye, though.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4)
Biggest needs: Edge rusher, pass catcher, OL
The Steelers are 8-4 coming off their bye week under Mike Tomlin. If he doesn't improve that mark to 9-4 with a home date against the winless Dolphins up next, the world has gone mad. Impending free agent Bud Dupree and fellow edge rusher T.J. Watt should feast.