The playoff race is heating up as is the race to the top pick in the NFL draft
The Cleveland Browns are obviously not where they want to be at this point and it doesn’t look like things are going to get better. After falling in the Battle of Ohio, the Browns are 1-6 and the NFL draft is the sole priority for fans.
While the coaches and players will talk about getting better and we appreciate RB Nick Chubb’s return, Cleveland is in 15th place in the AFC.
There are only 16 teams in the conference.
Last week, the Browns were slotted to pick second in the 2025 NFL draft. With QB Deshaun Watson likely out for the year and the team likely gaining cap space due to his injury, selecting a quarterback near the top of the draft is squarely on the table.
After Week 7, Cleveland is one of four teams with just one victory this season. Due to the Strength of Schedule (SOS) tiebreaker, the Browns actually dropped down to the third spot this week:
- New England Patriots
- Carolina Panthers
- Cleveland Browns
- Tennessee Titans
- New York Jets
With two games on Monday Night Football, the SOS could change for a number of teams.
As of now, there are 12 teams with two or fewer victories so far this season. As we continue to monitor NFL draft positioning for the Browns, it will be interesting to see how many of those teams start to play for the draft versus attempt to climb back into playoff contention.