If the draft were held today, the Browns would have the No. 3 overall pick. However, there are scenarios in which the Browns could have the first pick in April.
CLEVELAND — The only silver lining for what’s been a brutal season for the Cleveland Browns is that they will pick high in the 2025 NFL Draft. In fact, there are scenarios that could have the Browns owning the first overall pick in April.
After losing to Miami on Sunday, the 3-13 Browns are tied with the Patriots, Titans and Giants for the worst record in the NFL.
The primary tiebreaker in determining draft order is strength of schedule (SOS) using all 17 opponents’ current records.
So, as of now, here is the 2025 NFL Draft order:
- New England
- Tennessee
- Cleveland
- N.Y. Giants
According to Tankathon, the Patriots’ SOS is .469, the Titans’ SOS is .513, the Browns are at .540, and the Giants are at .551.
New England is assured of getting the top pick if they lose this weekend and will get a top-five pick regardless. So, let’s look at what might happen if the Pats get a win.
WEEK 18 OUTLOOK
The Browns will finish their season on Saturday in Baltimore against the Ravens, who need a win or a tie to secure the AFC North title. So you can expect to see Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the rest of the Ravens’ top players in the game. In fact, Baltimore was listed as a 17.5-point favorite to win on Monday.
The easiest path to that No. 1 pick for the Browns would be to lose in Baltimore, then have the Patriots and Titans win. Sound impossible? Maybe not.
The Patriots will entertain Buffalo on Sunday. The Bills are firmly locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and likely will sit down Josh Allen and the rest of their key players. Similarly, the Titans are hosting Houston on Sunday, and the Texans are locked into the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
There’s another scenario that’s possible to get the Browns the top pick.
According to Fansided, if New England wins and Cleveland, Tennessee, and New York all lose, then the three-way tie would see the Browns picking No. 1 overall, followed by the Titans and Giants based on strength of record.
Regardless of what happens this weekend, it appears that the Browns have put themselves in position to select one of the draft’s top quarterbacks come April.