The end of the NFL regular season means different things to different football fans - it depends of course on how your favorite team fared. If you were fortunate enough to see your team move on to the second chapter of the NFL season, the playoffs, then obviously your attention moves to your first playoff game. If your team didn't make the playoffs, then the end of the regular season likely means turning your attention to the NFL draft.
The first twenty selection slots are usually set as soon as the regular season comes to a close. Only the twelve spots set aside for teams making the playoffs remain unknown. So here is a preliminary look at the 2007 NFL Draft selection order :
1. Oakland Raiders
2. Detroit Lions
The top two spots are set. In the end, Detroit beating the Dallas Cowboys in their final regular season game may have been a moral victory but it cost them the number one draft slot. So the Raiders are on the clock with the number one pick thanks to a 2-14 2006 record.
Selections three and four are still unknown, though the picks will be made by the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers respectively. The Browns and the Bucs not only finished with identical records of 4-12, but they also finished with identical .535 strength-of-schedule percentages (the selection order tie-breaker). As such, the three and four slots of the 2007 draft will be determined by a coin flip.
3. Cleveland Browns
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Redskins and the Cardinals both finished with 5-11 records, but the Cards get the earlier pick by virtue of a slight edge in strength-of-schedule (S.O.S) percentage.
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. Washington Redskins
The Vikes, the Texans and the 'Fins all finished at 6-10. Their selection order is based on their S.O.S percentage.
The Falcons, the 9ers and the Bills all finished at 7-9. Their selection order is based on their S.O.S percentage.
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. San Francisco 49ers
12. Buffalo Bills
The next seven teams finished with identical records of 8-8.
13. St. Louis Rams
14. Carolina Panthers
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
16. Green Bay Packers
17. Jacksonville Jaguars
18. Cincinnati Bengals
19. Tennessee Titans
The last thirteen slots will be determined by how twelve teams finish in the playoffs. The Denver Broncos are in the group because teams with a lesser regular season record from the NFC made the playoffs:
20. New York Giants*
21. Denver Broncos
22. Seattle Seahawks*
23. Dallas Cowboys*
24. Kansas City Chiefs*
25. New Orleans Saints*
26. New York Jets*
27. Philadelphia Eagles*
28. New England Patriots*
29. Indianapolis Colts*
30. Chicago Bears*
31. Baltimore Ravens*
32. San Diego Chargers*
THN will update the draft selection order throughout the playoffs.
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