Keeping an eye on the Browns’ 2017 draft position: Week 12 rooting guide

Here is your Week 12 NFL rooting guide that would help Cleveland’s chances of finishing with higher draft picks.

Outlook on the Browns’ own pick

The 49ers, Bears, and Jaguars continue to lose, leaving the Browns little margin for error when it comes to securing the No. 1 overall pick. Cleveland remains the only winless team at 0-11. 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 still have one win and a lower SOS (.526) than the Browns (.532). As a reminder, the team with the lower number would get the higher draft pick if the teams finished with the same record. The 49ers face the Dolphins this week, and although Miami has won five straight, they are due for a bad game from Ryan Tannahill, aren’t they? Plus, we all know how much Colin Kaepernick likes Florida.
• The Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars each have two wins. The Bears host the Titans this week, while the Jaguars are on the road against the Bills. I could see one of those games going Cleveland’s way this week. We’d like for both Chicago and Jacksonville to win, as they each have lower SOS numbers than Cleveland.

Outlook on Eagles & Titans

Last week, the Eagles and Titans both lost, which was good news! Heading into this week:

• The Titans have a 5-6 record and the No. 13 pick. Cleveland has their second-round pick, which would be around No. 44, which is four spots better than last week. The Titans play the Bears this week. We want Chicago to beat the Titans here.
• The Eagles have a 5-5 record and the No. 18 pick, up two spots from a week ago. Cleveland has their first-round pick. Philadelphia faces the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. We’re rooting for the Eagles to lose every week.

Week 12 Rooting Guide Summary

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

• Green Bay Packers defeat Philadelphia Eagles
• Chicago Bears defeat Tennessee Titans
• Jacksonville Jaguars defeat Buffalo Bills
• San Francisco 49ers defeat Miami Dolphins

The New York Giants beating Cleveland would help our draft position, but I won’t say that I’m rooting for that.