NFL Draft order if season ended today: Bears sitting pretty, Steelers picking late

We are only entering Week 8 and already there are a few NFL teams that are probably 2-3 losses away from being eliminated from playoff contention. For some reason, there seems to be an awful lot of bottom-dwelling teams this year as six squads already have 5 or more losses on the season with 10 weeks left to go.

Based on the current trajectory, many of these teams won't stand a shot to climb back into the playoff race. Fortunately for their fans, there's always something to root for. Positioning for elite draft capital is at stake here. In the past, we have seen how quickly a great draft class can help turn a franchise around.

The 2024 NFL Draft is shaping up to have an outstanding quarterback class headlined by Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. You better believe that some of these NFL teams aren't too proud to tank. Here's a look at the current NFL draft order entering Week 8 of the 2023 season, according to Tankathon.com.

Updated 2024 NFL Draft order entering Week 8:

1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers)
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Chicago Bears
4. Denver Broncos
5. New York Giants
6. New England Patriots
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Los Angeles Chargers
9. Tennessee Titans
10. New Orleans Saints
11. Las Vegas Raiders
12. Minnesota Vikings
13. Indianapolis Colts
14. Washington Commanders
15. Los Angeles Rams
16. Arizona Cardinals (via Texans)
17. New York Jets
18. Cincinnati Bengals
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Atlanta Falcons
21. Buffalo Bills
22. Dallas Cowboys
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
24. Houston Texans (via Browns)
25. Seattle Seahawks
26. San Francisco 49ers
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
28. Baltimore Ravens
29. Detriot Lions
30. Miami Dolphins
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles

If the 2023 NFL season ended today, the Chicago Bears would own two of the top three picks in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The number one overall pick would be the compensation they received when the Panthers moved up to draft QB Bryce Young this past April.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, would own two picks inside the top 16 overall. Many expected them to own the top pick in the draft next year, but that might not happen at this rate. Another win by Arizona may be enough to catapult them out of the running for the top selection.

Despite the way they have played so far, the Pittsburgh Steelers would actually hold the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. This means they would actually have a lower pick than teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals. This is somewhat hard to believe as the Steelers actually have a negative point differential on the season and have an average scoring margin of -4.0 points per game in 2023.

With 10 weeks still remaining in the season, there is plenty of time for teams to move all over the place in the NFL Draft order. However, it certainly seems like the Chiefs and Eagles -- the two teams that met in the Super Bowl last year -- are starting to separate themselves from the pack. They both sit on a 6-1 record.

Meanwhile, 11 teams currently sit either at .500 or a game away from .500. Let's see who gets hot at we approach the mid-way point of the season. Those teams who are out of the race early can start rooting for an excellent draft pick next April.