Cleveland Browns get good NFL Draft news after embarrassing loss to New York Jets

While Cleveland lost a heartbreaker in the Meadowlands, the future could be shining a brighter light.

Apr 25, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Hall of Fame former Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas pumps his fist as he walks on stage to announce the Browns’ second round pick during the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Tork Mason/USA Today Network via Imagn Images | Tork Mason-Imagn Images

The 2025 NFL season has not treated Cleveland Browns fans nicely, so far, as the Browns sit with a 2-7 record. Only a couple of teams have a record close to Cleveland’s; one of those teams they played today.

The New York Jets sit at 2-7 now this year, gaining their first win at home. New York went on a bit of a fire sale before the trade deadline, trading away two former All-Pro defensive players in cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. 

New York is making it obvious that they are opting out of this season without saying it out loud, as they did get three first-round draft picks in the next two years for Gardner and Williams. 

Cleveland though? Not so much, as it was reported that the team looked to be buyers at the deadline, but maybe they shouldn’t be before a game that has a lot of implications for the next year's draft.

As you can see, if Cleveland won today, their chances of acquiring the number one overall pick dip down to 7%. On the contrary, after their close loss, their chances boost up to 27%. Now these odds are independent of the Titans and Saints' results, and the 27% for Cleveland would be behind the Saints for the best odds. 

The other thing you can see is that the Jets don’t have much incentive to win this game, because if they lose, their chances of getting the No. 1 pick go up significantly. So the question is this: the game of who doesn’t want it more? Well, it seemed like the Jets did with great special teams play and some clutch first downs to put away the game. 

Your instincts as a fan will tell you not to cheer for a loss. You only get a certain amount of games to watch and cheer for a year, so you might as well hope your team is going to win. This is more of a fallback option if Cleveland were to lose, a way to soften the blow after a bad loss. And that is exactly what happened after a nail-biting loss. 

The options at quarterback for next year’s draft seem to be proving themselves in Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore, though. The Jets are another team that has struggled to find a franchise quarterback, letting go of Sam Darnold, drafting Zach Wilson, and then having Aaron Rodgers get injured; they can’t seem to catch a break.

The loss for Cleveland may sting now, but in the long run, it could prove to help their draft position in next year’s draft, not the most comforting aspect, but still something. Also, with the Jaguars losing today, the Browns' other first-round pick gets better.