Editing NFL draft (section)

===Rules for determining draft order===
The selection order is based on each team's win–loss record in the previous season and whether the team reached the playoffs. Teams that did not reach the playoffs the previous season are ranked in reverse order of their records (thus the team with the fewest wins is awarded the first selection). Ties between teams with identical records are determined by the following tiebreakers (in order):<ref name="Draft order">{{cite web|url=http://operations.nfl.com/the-players/the-nfl-draft/the-rules-of-the-draft/|title=The Rule of the Draft|work=NFL.com|access-date=January 26, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.milehighreport.com/2018/12/30/18162098/2019-nfl-draft-order| title=Update: Broncos will likely pick 10th in NFL Draft after clarification on tie-breaking scenarios| last=Lynch|first=Tim|date=December 30, 2018|website=Mile High Report|access-date=January 6, 2019}}</ref>
#[[Strength of schedule]], which is the combined win–loss record for all 17 of the team's opponents in the previous season (ties count as half a win and half a loss). The team with the ''lower'' strength of schedule (i.e. their opponents compiled fewer wins) is granted the ''earlier'' pick in round one. (Each game against a division rival is counted separately, so divisional records are weighted double.)
#If any teams are in the same division, the [[NFL playoffs#Breaking ties|other playoff tiebreakers]] will be applied in the specified order.
#If any teams are in the same conference, the other playoff tiebreakers will be applied in the specified order.
#If two teams remain from opposing conferences, a series of tiebreakers starting with head-to-head (if one team lost to the other in the previous regular season), win percentage of common games, and strength of victory are applied. Prior to the [[2020 NFL draft]], interconference ties were only broken by a coin flip.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.quirkyresearch.com/nfl-tiebreakers/|title=NFL tiebreakers|website=Quirky Research|date=February 12, 2017|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref>

Teams that reached the playoffs the previous season are then slotted in the order in which they were eliminated as indicated in the table below. Within each tier, the slotting is determined as above (i.e. worst record picks first and the same tiebreakers apply).<ref name="Draft order"/>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Status
! Draft picks
|-
| Non-playoff teams
| 1–18
|-
| Eliminated in wild card round
| 19–24
|-
| Eliminated in divisional round
| 25–28
|-
| Conference runners-up
| 29–30
|-
| Super Bowl runner-up
| 31
|-
| Super Bowl champion
| 32
|}

Once the order for the first round is determined as described above, the selection order remains the same for subsequent rounds with the exception of teams with identical records within their tier. These tied teams "cycle" picks in each subsequent round. For example, in the [[2014 NFL draft|2014 draft]], the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]], [[Cleveland Browns]], [[Oakland Raiders]], [[Atlanta Falcons]], and [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] all finished 4–12, and selected in that order in the first round (based on the tiebreakers described above). In the second round, Jacksonville cycled to the back of the line with the order becoming Cleveland, Oakland, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Jacksonville. That cycling continued in each round.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft|title=Draft 2018 – NFL Draft History: Full Draft Year| website=NFL.com|language=en|access-date=August 22, 2018}}</ref>

An exception to this ordering strategy occurs when "[[expansion team]]s" are added to the league. Any expansion team is automatically granted the first selection; if there are two or more expansion teams added, a coin toss (for two expansion teams) or a drawing of lots (for three expansion teams or more) determines which team is awarded the first selection in the regular draft. The winner of the coin toss (or of the drawing of lots in the event there are three or more expansion teams) is awarded the first selection in the expansion draft.<ref name="1995 expansion coin flip">{{cite web| title=Carolina Panthers history| url=http://www.panthers.com/team/history/chronology.html#1994| publisher=[[Carolina Panthers|Panthers.com]]| access-date=March 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927113839/http://www.panthers.com/team/history/chronology.html#1994| archive-date=September 27, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Similarly, the order of [[NFL draft#Compensatory picks|compensatory picks]] generally does not follow the standard draft order.

====Timing====
Each team has its representatives attend the draft. During the draft, one team is always "on the clock." Teams have 10 minutes to make their choice in the first round, seven minutes in the second round, five minutes in the third through sixth rounds, and four minutes in the seventh round.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://operations.nfl.com/the-players/the-nfl-draft/the-rules-of-the-draft/|title=The rules of the NFL Draft|website=[[NFL.com]]|access-date=December 31, 2018}}</ref> Until 2007, the limits were 15 minutes in the first round, 10 minutes in the second, and 5 minutes for all subsequent rounds.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/09000d5d807cf87e/printable/teams-will-have-to-get-down-to-business-with-less-time-for-picks|title=Teams will have to get down to business with less time for picks|website=[[NFL.com]]|access-date=December 31, 2018}}</ref> The time for seventh-round selections was shortened from five to four minutes in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.si.com/2015/04/27/philip-rivers-trade-titans-chargers-nfl-draft|title=Rivers Trade Dead? Draft Intrigue Begins at No. 2|website=SI.com|date=April 27, 2015 |language=en|access-date=December 31, 2018}}</ref> If a team does not make a decision within its allotted time, the team still can submit its selection at any time after its time is up, but the next team is then free to make a selection, thus possibly 'stealing' a player the team with the earlier pick may have been considering. This occurred in the [[2003 NFL draft|2003 draft]], when the [[Minnesota Vikings]], with the 7th overall pick, were late with their selection. The [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] drafted quarterback [[Byron Leftwich]] and the [[Carolina Panthers]] drafted offensive tackle [[Jordan Gross]] before the Vikings were able to submit their selection of defensive tackle [[Kevin Williams (defensive tackle)|Kevin Williams]].  This also happened in [[2011 NFL draft|2011]]; as the [[Baltimore Ravens]] were negotiating a trade with the [[Chicago Bears]], their time expired and allowed the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] to pick ahead of Baltimore, who were unable to finalize the trade with Chicago.