Where the Cleveland Browns top pick can end up in the 2026 NFL Draft

With Week 18 coming up, Cleveland fans are looking forward to the draft, but where can their pick end up?

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Week 18 is already here (crazy, isn’t it?), and unfortunately, the Cleveland Browns will not be competing in the playoffs once again. So the next part of the NFL process to look forward to is the NFL Draft in April.

While the 13-6 win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers was an awesome way for the Browns to play spoiler and potentially keep the Steelers out of the playoffs, it caused Cleveland to fall out of the running for the top pick in next year’s draft. 

Currently, the Browns sit at pick number six overall, with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants at the number one and two spots, respectively. The Giants' win over the Raiders on Sunday seemingly cost them a shot at the No. 1 pick. 

If Cleveland were to beat Cincinnati this Sunday, the lowest that they can fall in the draft is pick seven, as picks eight and higher are all owned by teams with six or more wins.  

What is the best and worst case scenario for Browns draft pick?

Now, if Cleveland were to lose to the Bengals, and if any teams above them were to win, it would come down to SOS (Strength of Schedule). According to the NFL,

“In situations where teams finished the previous season with identical records, the determination of draft position is decided by strength of schedule — the aggregate winning percentage of a team’s opponents. The team that played the schedule with the lowest winning percentage will be awarded the higher pick.”

Currently, picks 2-5 are all owned by teams with a record of 3-13, but the New York Giants have the lowest SOS, so they have the highest pick. 

If Cleveland wanted to jump up into the top five, first, they would need to lose, then they would need either Arizona, Tennessee, or either New York team (Giants & Jets) to win on Sunday. 

Cleveland would get a better pick than all those teams if they had the same record, as they have a lower SOS than all of the other teams right now; that SOS is also dependent on how Week 18 shakes out. 

The problem is that each one of the teams higher than Cleveland will have a tall task in winning on Sunday. Arizona takes on the 11-4 Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee goes on the road to play 12-4 Jacksonville, the Jets travel to Buffalo to face the 11-5 Bills, and the Giants host the 7-8-1 Cowboys. 

The chance of moving up is possible, but not very probable at this point.