:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52548985/609542914.0.jpeg)
With the wild outcome in the Cleveland Browns’ final game of the regular season, the team officially clinched the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. That’s right — that means we no longer have to worry about what the San Francisco 49ers are going to do.
What about the Browns’ other first-round pick, via the Philadelphia Eagles? Cleveland entered the day with that pick being No. 10 overall. Philadelphia defeated the Dallas Cowboys to finish the year at 7-9. That means it doesn’t matter what the Bengals and Panthers did — the best possible pick by virtue of the Eagles winning was No. 10 overall.
Now, we look at the five teams below the Eagles. These are the outcomes Cleveland needed in order to prevent the Eagles’ pick from falling:
- Arizona Cardinals defeat Los Angeles Rams
- Buffalo Bills defeat New York Jets
- Indianapolis Colts defeat Jacksonville Jaguars
- Minnesota Vikings defeat Chicago Bears
- New Orleans Saints defeat Atlanta Falcons
As of this post, the Bills, Colts, and Vikings have each played. The Colts, Vikings, and Cardinals won, but the Bills and Saints lost. That means the Eagles’ pick for Cleveland will be No. 12 overall.
The Titans also held on to beat the Texans, which is a slight hit to the Browns’ second round pick from them. Here are the Browns’ first five picks of the draft:
- 1st Round: No. 1 overall
- 1st Round: No. 12 overall (from Eagles)
- 2nd Round: No. 33 overall
- 2nd Round: No. 50 overall (from Titans)
- 3rd Round: No. 65 overall
We will update this post after the rest of the games are finished.