This is a look at the first-round order for the 2020 NFL Draft heading into Week 6, 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.
While the Bengals are looking like a lock to remain in the race for the 2020 draft's top pick over the duration of the season, one team just behind them in the draft order is essentially guaranteed to suffer a blow to its chances next Sunday.
The winless Redskins and Dolphins will meet in South Florida in Week 6 with more on the line than you might think. It would be fitting if the game were to end in a tie, but it likely won't, meaning there will be at least one fewer squad searching for Victory No. 1 the next time we update the draft order.
So, yes, this is a situation where you might lose in the long run by winning. Mmmmm. This is the kind of stuff dreams are made of.
Now, 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.
**Previous week:** No. 3
**This week's game:** at Ravens
**Biggest needs:** QB, OL, WR
Andy Dalton and the Cincy offense turned it on late
against the Cardinals, but it wasn't enough. Kind of a metaphor for Dalton's career to this point. He shows you some good and can win some games with the right supporting cast, but in the end, it hasn't been
*enough* to get a playoff win nine years into his career.
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**Previous week:** No. 1
**This week's game:** at Dolphins
**Biggest needs:** OL, CB, TE
Godspeed, Bill Callahan. If the Redskins don't beat the Dolphins on Sunday, I'm not sure when the next good opportunity for a W comes along on the schedule. They play the Jets in November, but I have to figure that will be a much better team with a healthy Sam Darnold.
**Previous week:** No. 4
**This week's game:** vs. Redskins
**Biggest needs:** QB, OT, edge rusher
If ever there is a time to avoid an 0-16 season, it's coming off a bye with a home game against a team that appears to be in an even worse state of disarray than your own. Of course, the Dolphins have lost every game by at least 20 points this season, so ...
**Previous week:** No. 5
**This week's game:** vs. Cowboys
**Biggest needs:** OL, edge rusher, CB
The Jets are fielding one of the league's worst offensive lines right now, which is going to make life unpleasant for Sam Darnold whenever he returns from the unpleasantness of mononucleosis. Joe Douglas knows what he needs to do in his first full offseason as GM if he wants to see his QB bloom. The Jets haven't spent a first-round pick on an offensive lineman since selecting D'Brickashaw Ferguson fourth overall in 2006, when Darnold was 8 years old. End this streak!
**Previous week:** No. 2
**This week's game:** vs. Titans
**Biggest needs:** Interior D-line, DB, OL
Well, that was a lot more like the Denver defense we expected to see this season, even though the injured Bradley Chubb wasn't a part of it. Vic Fangio and Co. still might be doing some heavy massaging to that side of the roster in the offseason, though, given the contributors due to hit the market in March (top CB Chris Harris Jr., starting safety Justin Simmons and first-string interior D-linemen Derek Wolfe and Shelby Harris among them).
**Previous week:** No. 7
**This week's game:** at Cardinals
**Biggest needs:** DL, DB, RB
The 2019 Falcons have now joined the 2018 Dolphins as the only teams to go an entire game without sacking Deshaun Watson. Only the Dolphins (this year's version) are allowing more points per game than Atlanta (30.4). There could be a reckoning coming for a defense that was bludgeoned for 592 yards and 47 points (one Houston score was a pick-six) on Sunday.
**Previous week:** No. 6
**This week's game:** vs. Falcons
**Biggest needs:** OT, offensive playmaker, edge rusher
Arizona's running game exploded to lead the Birds to the first win of the Kliff Kingsbury Era. That's encouraging and all, but it came against a winless Bengals team that rallied from 23-9 deficit to tie the game in the fourth quarter. There are a few positions (quarterback among them) where the Cardinals have players to build around, but there are still needs in most areas here.
**Previous week:** No. 11
**This week's game:** vs. Steelers
**Biggest needs:** OL, CB, pass catcher
Yikes. I don't think many of us expected to see the Chargers holding a pick inside the top 10 this season, but here we are. On a day when Keenan Allen was shut down, the Bolts couldn't get much going offensively and Philip Rivers had his worst game of the season by far, highlighting the need for a deeper contingent of pass-catching weaponry.
**Previous week:** No. 15
**This week's game:** at Patriots
**Biggest needs:** WR, DB, edge rusher
This defense made Kirk Cousins look like an All-Pro, so that has to be concerning for Giants fans given the struggles the Vikings QB has had. On offense, it would be fun to see what Daniel Jones could do with an OBJ-like playmaker at receiver.
Record: 2-3 (.480)
**Previous week:** No. 13
**This week's game:** at Broncos
**Biggest needs:** OL, CB, RB
OK, we don't want to do this, but the
Titans are now making a pretty persuasive case that kicker should be on the list of needs. After Mike Vrabel allowed
Cairo Santos to miss four field goals in a seven-point
loss to the Bills, they are expected to sign
Bears castoff
Cody Parkey, he of
double-doink infamy, to be
their new kicker. Let's see how this goes.
**Previous week:** No. 16
**This week's game:** vs. Saints
**Biggest needs:** CB, offensive playmaker, DL
As the weirdness between the
Jaguars and
Jalen Ramsey plays on, we'll keep cornerback parked at No. 1 on the to-do list. Even if the Jags don't trade him before the deadline, he'll be a free agent after next season, as will
D.J. Hayden, and you have to wonder if
A.J. Bouye is in the long-term plans, too.
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**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** vs. Seahawks
**Biggest needs:** OT, S, interior OL
The Browns encountered a team with a ferocious pass rush on Monday night and their O-line didn't come close to measuring up. Just the latest signal that John Dorsey, despite a lot of good work in the offseason, gave Baker Mayfield a front five that isn't good enough.
**Previous week:** No. 18
**This week's game:** vs.
Panthers (in London)
**Biggest needs:** Edge rusher, OL, DB
Evidence of the team's top needs was on display in the team's loss to the Saints. The Bucs failed to register a sack and had no answer for Michael Thomas in the secondary, while Tampa Bay's offensive line was overwhelmed by the New Orleans pass rush.
**Previous week:** No. 10
**This week's game:** at Vikings
**Biggest needs:** S, edge rusher, CB
There are certain games that illustrate a team's areas of need. Sunday's demolishing of the offensively inept Jets was not one of those games for the Eagles. Keep in mind: Ronald Darby, Rodney McLeod and Jalen Mills are ticketed for free agency in 2020; Malcolm Jenkins, Sidney Jones, Cre'Von LeBlanc and Rasul Douglas are due to hit the market in 2021.
**Previous week:** No. 14
**This week's game:** vs.
Buccaneers (in London)
**Biggest needs:** DB, pass catcher, edge rusher
Yes, I'm including edge rusher here even after the team just spent a first-round pick on Brian Burns (who's off to a fine start as a pro, by the way). Mario Addison will be a free agent if the Panthers don't extend the 32-year-old before the start of free agency, per Over The Cap, and Bruce Irvin's deal is due to expire in 2020.
**Previous week:** No. 12
**This week's game:** On bye
**Biggest needs:** DL, pass catcher, OL
I know it seems absurd to mention OL for a team with one of the best offensive lines in football, but is there at least a little concern about left tackle Anthony Castonzo's deal expiring after the season and Ryan Kelly's contract running out after the 2021 season? Chris Ballard doesn't seem like the type to mess up a good thing. I just don't want to ignore the situation.
**Previous week:** No. 17
**This week's game:** vs. Eagles
**Biggest needs:** QB, OL, CB
I went in hard last week, listing QB as the Vikings' top need, and I'm not backing off after Kirk Cousins lit up a Giants defense with some glaring needs of its own. It's going to take sustained success, including some impressive performances against quality defenses, to convince me Minnesota shouldn't be looking for Cousins' successor this offseason.
**Previous week:** No. 20
**This week's game:** vs. 49ers
**Biggest needs:** CB, edge rusher, OL
The Rams' defense looks like a shell of its early-season self after allowing an eye-popping 893 yards and 79 points in the last two games. Whether it turns things around this season or not, changes are in store for that side of the ball with the overrated CB duo of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters headed for free agency. Some refurbishing might also be in order for an offensive line that has taken a step back.
**Previous week:** No. 9
**This week's game:** vs. Bengals
**Biggest needs:** Edge rusher, CB, ILB
There was a time when a Ravens defense would have dominated against backup QBs like Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, but Baltimore needed overtime to top Pittsburgh on Sunday, one week after being torched by the Browns. The offense might have spots to address on the offensive line and at receiver this offseason, but the D is in line for the bigger overhaul.
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** at Jets
**Biggest needs:** DB, pass catcher, DL
It's not panic-button time in Big D, even after two straight losses, but we all know anxiety could be running high at The Star. Huge decisions await, with Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and Byron Jones headlining a deep group of 2020 free agents. What will Jerrah do?
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** On bye
**Biggest needs:** WR, edge rusher, LB
The Raiders have now made trades with the Packers and Bills (teams that need receivers themselves) in the past few weeks for bottom-of-the-depth-chart-type receivers. It's a sign of the desperation the team is feeling at the position, even while they do the Gruden Dance.
**Previous week:** No. 19
**This week's game:** at Packers
**Biggest needs:** CB, WR, OL
We discussed the situations at corner and receiver here last week, so let's touch on the O-line briefly, shall we? Tackles Taylor Decker and Rick Wagner aren't exactly looking like long-term solutions, while right guard Graham Glasgow is in the final year of his contract. Center Frank Ragnow is the only guy who feels locked in place for the future.
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** On bye
**Biggest needs:** WR, DE, CB
Kudos to the Bills for getting a draft pick in return for Zay Jones and moving on. However, finding a big target at wide receiver to go get the jump balls Josh Allen loves to throw has to be a top offseason priority for Brandon Beane.
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** at Browns
**Biggest needs:** Edge rusher, DT, OL
There's plenty to like about the Seahawks' front line. It just so happens that almost all of its key players are ticketed for free agency in 2020: Ezekiel Ansah, Jadeveon Clowney, Quinton Jefferson, Jarran Reed and Al Woods. Gotta think there will be a hole or two to fill. It's a similar story on the O-line, where two starters ( Germain Ifedi and Mike Iupati) are due to hit the open market next offseason, and two others ( Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker) are up in 2021.
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** vs. Lions
**Biggest needs:** OT, WR, TE
Big statement for Green Bay, going to Big D and winning by double-digits. Would be hard to blame Aaron Rodgers for looking to the other sideline and wishing Randall Cobb were still his teammate, though. The Packers could still use a slot guy.
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** vs. Texans
**Biggest needs:** CB, OG, LB
The depth for this O-line is clearly lacking, as the Colts exposed on Sunday night. And the front seven on D is going to require some attention, as well. Kansas City is allowing 5.3 yards per carry (second-most in the league).
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** at Jaguars
**Biggest needs:** CB, WR, QB
I figure Marshon Lattimore isn't going anywhere, but the Saints' next two corners -- Eli Apple and P.J. Williams -- are due to become free agents in 2020, and the search for complementary pieces to play opposite Michael Thomas continues.
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** vs. Giants
**Biggest needs:** Pass catcher, interior OL, S
Maybe Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo are all Bill Belichick needs at tight end. He did just release Benjamin Watson. That position weighs heavily in our placement of "pass catcher" at the top of New England's list, though.
**Previous week:** Playoffs
**This week's game:** at Rams
**Biggest needs:** DB, OL, WR
It appears this defense is going from promising to dominant. The secondary is scheduled to see quite a few of its members hit free agency in 2020 and 2021, but no matter what comes of it during those shopping seasons, if this D-line keeps playing at this level, playing in the defensive backfield for San Francisco is going to be a lot of fun.
TEAMS WITHOUT A FIRST-ROUND PICK
Chicago Bears (3-2)
Biggest needs: DB, edge rusher, OG
The Bears will have some work to do to make sure the defense -- which was nowhere close to its usual form in a loss to the Raiders on Sunday -- remains among the league's best. That said, while I haven't moved it into the top three priorities for the draft yet, tight end is starting to look like a spot Chicago might have to address, even with Trey Burton (who appears to still be getting over the groin injury that kept him out of Week 1) signed through 2021. He has just 41 catches for 301 yards (7.3 average) in the 14 games since he had a career day in a loss to the Patriots last season and is one of the team's biggest disappointments.
Houston Texans (3-2)
Biggest needs: Edge rusher, OL, CB
O-line problems? What O-line problems? I kid. For just the second time in his NFL career (28 games), Deshaun Watson went an entire contest without being sacked, which tells you a little bit about the problems Houston has experienced when it comes to protecting him. Just as big a question for this team: Other than J.J. Watt, who will be getting after the passer in 2020 and beyond? Jadeveon Clowney's gone and the Texans' leader in sacks, Whitney Mercilus, is in a contract year.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4)
Biggest needs: Edge rusher, pass catcher, OL
You might be wondering what edge rusher is doing on a list of needs for a team that's compiled a whopping 13 sacks in its last two games. The thinking behind that: The uncertainty about impending free agent Bud Dupree's future on a club that's projected to be short on salary-cap flexibility is a big enough question mark to lead my list for now.
