Texans, Bears Can Clinch No. 1 NFL Draft Pick in Week 18

With the NFL regular season coming to an end this weekend, the chase for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft is still up for grabs and it’s down to just two teams. 

The Bears (3–13) and Texans (2-13-1) can both secure the top selection in the draft but certain things have to go their way. Here’s what it comes down to:

How the Texans get the No. 1 pick: For Houston, there are several scenarios. The Texans get the No. 1 pick if they lose their game against the Colts on Sunday or if the Bears upset the Vikings the same day. 

In another scenario, Houston also gets the No. 1 pick if the team wins their weekend matchup so long as Chicago plays to a tie. In this event, both teams would be 3-13-1 but because the Bears beat them earlier in the year, they’d have the tiebreaker and the Texans would rewarded with the pick.

How the Bears get the No. 1 pick: Chicago, on the other hand, is more limited in how it can get the pick. The Bears need to lose to Minnesota and need the Texans to beat Indianapolis. If this were to happen, then the Bears would be 3–14 while the Texans would be 3-13-1. 

Kickoff for both matchups is slated for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.