National Football League

Updated 2015 NFL draft order, team needs: Week 16

Published Dec. 23, 2014 4:13 p.m. ET

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Four teams have already won their divisions and secured a playoff spot. A total of 10 teams have already punched their tickets for a run at the Super Bowl. But there is still some jockeying for seeding positions and an NFC South crown to hand to a team with a losing record.

On the flip side of the draft selection coin, no one has cemented their spot at the top of the draft at this point. Tampa Bay and Tennessee are both two-win teams, with Jacksonville, the New York Jets and Oakland at 3-12.

As last week, two of the teams with big needs at quarterback are drafting in the top two spots.

Draft order is set for the first 20 picks (teams that did not make the playoffs) in reverse order of finish. Ties are broken by strength of schedule. The playoff teams will be placed in the draft order as they get knocked out. The Super Bowl winner gets the 32nd pick, the loser No. 31.

To keep from predicting playoff winners and losers, teams that are currently slated for the playoffs will be placed in reverse order of finish and ties broken just like the non-playoff teams; strength of schedule.

If the season ended today, here's what the NFL draft order would be:

2014 Record: 2-13 Strength of Schedule: .483

Notes: For the third time in four games, the Bucs failed to throw for at least 200 yards. Josh McCown completed only 46.2 percent of his passes against the Packers, exacerbating Tampa Bay's dire need for a quarterback that can change games.

With the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Buccaneers take: Marcus Mariota, QB -- Oregon

2014 Record: 2-13 Strength of Schedule: .496

Notes: Both Charlie Whitehurst and Jake Locker have thrown passes for Tennessee over the last two games. Neither is what the Titans need at quarterback moving forward, even though Whitehurst wasn't bad against Jacksonville. Rookie Zach Mettenberger showed a few signs of potential this season, but Tennessee needs a quicker solution.

With the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Titans take: Jameis Winston, QB -- Florida State

2014 Record: 3-12 Strength of Schedule: .513

Notes: Jacksonville can't go with an offensive lineman with the third pick because there isn't a player rated high enough. The Jags would also love for one of the quarterbacks to fall to No. 3 so they could move out of this spot and get good trade value. That said, beefing up the interior of the defensive line is likely where they'll go here.

With the No. 3 pick in the draft, the Jaguars take: Leonard Williams, DT -- USC

2014 Record: 3-12 Strength of Schedule: .552

Notes: The Jets would like to upgrade their secondary in this draft, but the No. 4 slot in the first round is not the proper place for that. If they can't trade out of this pick, and if one of the top two quarterbacks doesn't fall, New York might try and help its secondary by upgrading its pass rush.

With the No. 4 pick in the draft, the Jets take: Shane Ray, DE -- Missouri

2014 Record: 3-12 Strength of Schedule: .576

Notes: The Raiders picked up a future star in Khalil Mack in the first round of the 2014 draft. In a division with Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers, enhancing their pass rush doesn't seem like a bad idea.

With the No. 5 pick in the draft, the Raiders take: Randy Gregory, DE -- Nebraska

2014 Record: 4-11 Strength of Schedule: .492

Notes: It seems likely that the Redskins will choose between an offensive tackle and a pass-rusher if they were to pick in this slot. Washington has given up 33 sacks over the last five weeks; half the league's teams haven't given up 33 sacks all season. It's time for better pass protection.

With the No. 6 pick in the draft, the Redskins take: Brandon Scherff, OT -- Iowa

2014 Record: 5-10 Strength of Schedule: .523

Notes: The Bears are going to look hard at fixing their secondary during the offseason. Chicago will find an instant upgrade at safety in the first round, and then spend more resources in the draft to fix an ailing defense that ranks 30th in the league in yards allowed.

With the No. 7 pick in the draft, the Bears take: Landon Collins, S -- Alabama

2014 Record: 6-9 Strength of Schedule: .479

Notes: The Falcons need to upgrade their pass rush, could use more depth along the offensive line and have a linebacker corps that's only adequate at best. But boy wouldn't Amari Cooper look good as a long-term tandem with Julio Jones, both proud alums of the Alabama football program? As cool as that sounds, it's time to work on attacking the quarterback.

With the No. 8 pick in the draft, the Falcons take: Vic Beasley, DE -- Clemson

2014 Record: 6-9 Strength of Schedule: .481

Notes: Teddy Bridgewater has completed 70 percent of his passes or greater in his last four games and has surpassed 300 yards twice. Signs of his growth are obvious. Now the Vikings should promote more growth by grabbing a nasty weapon for him to use.

With the No. 9 pick in the draft, the Vikings take: Amari Cooper, WR -- Alabama

2014 Record: 6-9 Strength of Schedule: .483

Notes: Outside of injuries, one of the biggest reasons why the Saints defense has taken huge steps backward is because they've failed to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks while rushing just three to four players. This will be priority No. 1 in the draft.

With the No. 10 pick in the draft, the Saints take: Dante Fowler Jr., OLB -- Florida

2014 Record: 6-9 Strength of Schedule: .513

Notes: The Giants absolutely have to address the defense in the draft; pass rush and stopping the run should be areas of responsibility addressed. But in the first round, in this situation, it would be hard to pass up a tackle like this at No. 11.

With the No. 11 pick in the draft, the Giants take: La' el Collins, OT -- LSU

2014 Record: 6-9 Strength of Schedule: .531

Notes: With only two top 15 quarterbacks in this draft, the Rams will have to look elsewhere to satisfy needs. It's too early to grab a corner here, but an early-entry offensive lineman would fit nicely.

With the No. 12 pick in the draft, the Rams take: Andrus Peat, OT -- Stanford

2014 Record: 7-8 Strength of Schedule: .469

Notes: The Browns used the first-round draft pick last year, and have dealt with the headaches that came with adding Johnny Manziel to the team. To ensure he has the best opportunities to thrive, Cleveland should add a top-notch target this season.

With the No. 13 pick in the draft, the Browns take: Devante Parker, WR -- Louisville

2014 Record: 7-8 Strength of Schedule: .536

Notes: Forget about the 35 points San Francisco scored in a losing effort last week against San Diego. In the five games prior, the 49ers averaged 11.2 points per game. Scoring has been a luxury lost on the 49ers this season, and the wide receiver position needs upgrading.

With the No. 14 pick in the draft, the 49ers take: Kevin White, WR -- West Virginia

2014 Record: 8-7 Strength of Schedule: .446

Notes: In what could only be called bad luck, the two biggest areas of need (QB and WR) for Houston have been picked somewhat clean in the 14 picks prior. Instead of a possible reach pick at receiver, the Texans could choose to solidify the interior of their defensive line.

With the No. 15 pick in the draft, the Texans take: Danny Shelton, DT -- Washington

2014 Record: 8-7 Strength of Schedule: .511

Notes: There are a number of useful additions the Dolphins could make with the 16th pick, but corner makes the most sense. It's smart because it's such an area of need, and the way the draft has unfolded to this point leaves good talent on the board.

With the No. 16 pick in the draft, the Dolphins take: Trae Waynes, CB -- Michigan State

2014 Record: 8-7 Strength of Schedule: .521

Notes: Only seven teams in the NFL have given up more sacks this season than the 45 Kansas City has allowed, including six last week. The Chiefs will skip over receiver and corner to grab an offensive tackle that can slow down the pass rush.

With the No. 17 pick in the draft, the Chiefs take: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT -- Texas A&M

2014 Record: 8-7 Strength of Schedule: .523

Notes: There are three big needs for Cleveland in this draft: Wide receiver, pass-rusher and offensive line. The Browns have two picks in the first round, and will address 66 percent of the three. Six picks earlier they took a receiver, now watch them solidify the line.

With the No. 18 pick in the draft, the Browns take: T.J. Clemmings, OT -- Pittsburgh

2014 Record: 9-6 Strength of Schedule: .477

Notes: Baltimore's secondary needs a retooling, and this receiving corps isn't going to be around for too much longer. But the pass rush will be addressed here at No. 19.

With the No. 19 pick in the draft, the Ravens take: Bud Dupree, DE -- Kentucky

2014 Record: 9-6 Strength of Schedule: .490

Notes: Only three teams have given up more touchdowns through the air the Philadelphia's 29. The Eagles also rank 25th in passing yards allowed. A cornerback is a much-needed addition.

With the No. 20 pick in the draft, the Eagles take: Marcus Peters, CB -- Washington

2014 Record: 6-8-1 Strength of Schedule: .496

Notes: By way of the crazy NFC South, Carolina moved from a top 10 pick to 21 this week even though a record of 6-8-1 leads the division. No matter if the Panthers win on Sunday and stay at 21, or lose and drop back to 10 or so, an offensive lineman is needed.

With the No. 21 pick in the draft, the Panthers take: Ronnie Stanley, OT -- Notre Dame

2014 Record: 9-6 Strength of Schedule: .507

Notes: If the position hadn't been depleted in the first 21 picks, San Diego could go with an offensive tackle here. The same goes for wide receiver. That said, one of the best defensive tackles in the draft is a great consolation prize.

With the No. 22 pick in the draft, the Chargers take: Eddie Goldman, DT -- Florida State

2014 Record: 10-5 Strength of Schedule: .431

Notes: No one would fault the Steelers for grabbing an offensive tackle in the first round, but there might be better talent at cornerback. Pittsburgh ranks 27th in the NFL in passing yards allowed.

With the No. 23 pick in the draft, the Steelers take: P.J. Williams, CB -- Florida State

2014 Record: 10-5 Strength of Schedule: .504

Notes: Indianapolis could go with an offensive lineman or a good fit in the secondary. It's even possible wide receiver could be an interesting pick here. But the best fit is at inside linebacker.

With the No. 24 pick in the draft, the Colts take: Benardrick McKinney, ILB -- Mississippi State

2014 Record: 10-4-1 Strength of Schedule: .482

Notes: The Bengals will avoid adding to their offensive line in an effort to bolster the secondary. Wake Forest boasts one of the fastest-rising cornerbacks in the draft.

With the No. 25 pick in the draft, the Bengals take: Kevin Johnson, CB -- Wake Forest

2014 Record: 11-4 Strength of Schedule: .451

Notes: The Lions aren't likely going to be able to retain both their star defensive tackles. If an All-American is available this late, Detroit may jump.

With the No. 26 pick in the draft, the Lions take: Malcom Brown, DT -- Texas

2014 Record: 11-4 Strength of Schedule: .458

Notes: With only 25 sacks this season, Dallas could surely use someone with great athleticism that can attack the quarterback. The Cowboys should look at the Arkansas defensive line to see if anyone "jumps" at them.

With the No. 27 pick in the draft, the Cowboys take: Trey Flowers, DE -- Arkansas

2014 Record: 11-4 Strength of Schedule: .464

Notes: The Packers will likely look to improve on the defensive side of the football dramatically in the draft. An athletic linebacker with wheels to move all over the field, and look fine in coverage, makes sense.

With the No. 28 pick in the draft, the Packers take: Shaq Thompson, LB -- Washington

2014 Record: 11-4 Strength of Schedule: .529

Notes: As the Cardinals watch quarterback after quarterback fall, it would be nice to find a late-round gem here. That's not going to happen, so Arizona will bolster its pass rush.

With the No. 29 pick in the draft, the Cardinals take: Lorenzo Mauldin, DE -- Louisville

2014 Record: 11-4 Strength of Schedule: .549

Notes: The Broncos are likely going to do as much as possible in the offseason and draft to make an aging Peyton Manning as useful as possible moving forward. The best way to do that here at No. 30 is to grab an offensive lineman.

With the No. 30 pick in the draft, the Broncos take: Ereck Flowers, OT -- Miami

2014 Record: 11-4 Strength of Schedule: .536

Notes: While Seattle owns the top-ranked rushing offense, its passing attack leaves a lot to be desired at No. 29 in the NFL. Russell Wilson would be happy for the Seahawks to add a weapon for him to utilize aerially.

With the No. 31 pick in the draft, the Seahawks take: Jaelen Strong, WR -- Arizona State

2014 Record: 12-3 Strength of Schedule: .509

Notes: It seems almost unfair for the Patriots to give Tom Brady more ways to be an effective quarterback. But that's exactly what could happen if there's such a useful receiver waiting here with the final pick in the first round.

With the No. 32 pick in the draft, the Patriots take: Devin Funchess, WR -- Michigan