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Keeping an eye on the Browns’ 2017 draft position: Week 14 rooting guide

By Chris Pokorny
San Francisco 49ers v Chicago Bears Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Here is your Week 14 NFL rooting guide that would help Cleveland’s chances of finishing with higher draft picks.

Outlook on the Browns’ own pick

The 49ers and Jaguars lost last week, while the Bears picked up a win to basically take them out of contention for the No. 1 overall pick. Cleveland remains the only winless team at 0-12, San Francisco is 1-11, and Jacksonville is 2-10. 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 still have one win and a lower SOS (.516) than the Browns (.545). The margin remains significantly in favor of the 49ers and isn’t expected to change much by season’s close. As a reminder, the team with the lower number would get the higher draft pick if the teams finished with the same record.
  • This week, the 49ers host the Jets, a game that is very winnable for San Francisco. I said that about the Bears last week, though, and the Bears blew the doors off the 49ers. The Jaguars host the Vikings. We want San Francisco and Jacksonville to win.

Outlook on Eagles & Titans

Last week, the Eagles lost and the Titans were on the bye. Heading into this week:

  • The Titans have a 6-6 record and the No. 14 pick. Cleveland has their second-round pick, which would be around No. 46, which is one spot better than last week. The Titans host the Broncos this week, which will be a tough home game. We’re rooting for the Broncos to win.
  • The Eagles have a 5-7 record and the No. 11 pick, up three spots from a week ago. Cleveland has their first-round pick. Philadelphia hosts the Redskins this week. We’re rooting for the Eagles to lose every week, and Washington beat them earlier this year.

Week 14 Rooting Guide Summary

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

  • Washington Redskins defeat Philadelphia Eagles
  • Jacksonville Jaguars defeat Minnesota Vikings
  • San Francisco 49ers defeat New York Jets
  • Denver Broncos defeat Tennessee Titans

I won’t say I’m rooting for the Bengals to beat the Browns. However, a loss by Cleveland obviously continues to maintain their draft position.

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