2019 NFL Draft order, waiver priority: Detroit Lions currently sitting at 7th

Week 10 is finally over now that the 49ers and Giants finished what I’m sure was can’t-miss game on “Monday Night Football” that everyone decided to miss anyways. That means the standings are officially set for Week 11 and we know the current NFL Draft order that, of course, is subject to change until the end of the 2018 season.

The Detroit Lions are currently at 3-6 on the season, tied with three other teams for the seventh-worst record in the league. The tiebreaker for draft order is strength of schedule, and contrary to belief, the Lions’ schedule has actually been on the easier end of the spectrum. According to Tankathon.com, the Lions’ have actually had the easiest strength of schedule among 3-6 teams, meaning if the 2019 NFL draft were today, they’d be picking seventh. Here’s a look at the current top 10, per NFL.com:

1. Raiders (1-8)
2. 49ers (2-8)
3. Giants (2-7)
4. Cardinals (2-7)
5. Jets (3-7)
6. Bills (3-7)
7. Lions (3-6)
8. Jaguars (3-6)
9. Broncos (3-6)
10. Buccaneers (3-6)

Of course, if you’re not ready to move onto the draft yet, these standings are still relevant to the 2018 season. At this point in the year, waiver priority is also determined by overall record, meaning if the Lions put in a claim for a waived player, they will be awarded him as long as the six teams below them in the standings (Raiders, 49ers, Giants, Cardinals, Jets, Bills) don’t make a claim for the same player. It’s also worth noting that because we’re past the trade deadline every player cut from a team is subject to waivers—even vested veterans.