Keeping an eye on the Browns’ 2017 draft position: Week 10 rooting guide

With the Cleveland Browns off today and the team at 0-10, many fans just care about what the team’s draft position will be come April/May 2017. Therefore, here is your Week 10 NFL rooting guide that would help Cleveland’s chances of finishing with higher draft picks.

Outlook on the Browns’ own pick

Cleveland currently holds the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft because they are the only winless team at 0-10. For the purpose of this article, we’ll only count teams with one or two wins as threats to that pick. SOS numbers come from SB Nation, where the SOS is forecasted to the end of the season.

• The San Francisco 49ers are the biggest threat by far to the Browns. They enter today with a 1-7 record and are on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. The 49ers’ SOS is .512, while the Browns’ SOS is .527. If The Browns and 49ers finish with the same record, the 49ers would get the top pick because they had a bad record despite having an easier schedule. It’s possible that Cleveland pulls off one fluky win before the end of the season, so we want to root for the 49ers to win so there is some cushion between us.
• The Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars each have two wins. The Bears face the Buccaneers on the road this week, while the Jaguars host the Texans at home. These seem like winnable games for Chicago and Jacksonville, so we could see some cushion between the two.
• I’d actually like to see Chicago finish with the No. 3 overall pick, so in a way, I wouldn’t mind Jacksonville winning and Chicago losing. For SOS purposes, though, Chicago has a .511 SOS, meaning they are a threat to Cleveland if both teams finish with two wins. The Jaguars have a .533 SOS, which means Cleveland basically could have a three-game edge over them.

Outlook on Eagles & Titans

Heading into this week:

• The Titans had a 4-5 record and the No. 12 pick. Cleveland has their second-round pick, which would be around No. 44. The Titans host the Green Bay Packers this week. Green Bay has been struggling, but I think they can beat the Titans’ porous secondary. We’re rooting for the Titans to lose every week.
• The Eagles have a 4-4 record and the No. 19 pick. Cleveland has their first-round pick. Philadelphia hosts the Atlanta Falcons this week. It’s a tough match-up, and we’re always rooting for the Eagles to lose.

Week 10 Rooting Guide Summary

In a best-case scenario for Cleveland’s draft position, we want the following to happen:

• Atlanta Falcons defeat Philadelphia Eagles
• Green Bay Packers defeat Tennessee Titans
• Chicago Bears defeat Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Jacksonville Jaguars defeat Houston Texans
• San Francisco 49ers defeat Arizona Cardinals