There are 9 teams that currently have a shot at landing the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. But of those with fewer than 4 wins heading into Week 12 of the season, it may be the Cleveland Browns who have the best shot at finishing with the top spot in the selection process.
Browns Could Land #1 Overall Pick In 2025 NFL Draft
No team has more losses than the Jacksonville Jaguars. They are currently in position to land the #1 pick with their 2-9 record, but there are plenty of teams stacked up just behind them. A four-pack of teams are sitting at 3-8 and ready to move up should Jacksonville pick up a victory, including the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants.
dawgs in the dark pic.twitter.com/vWl9ovjt8N
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 21, 2024
But based on the remaining strength of schedule for the teams involved, it may be the Browns who end up in the top spot.
Of all 32 NFL teams, Cleveland has the 3rd-toughest remaining schedule. Of the seven games that are left for the Browns, five of them will come against teams with winning records. They still have three divisional matchups, with two against the Steelers and another against the Ravens, and will take on the mighty Chiefs and upstart Broncos as well. The other two games will be played against struggling teams who are still dangerous on any given week in the Bengals and Dolphins.
Cleveland Should Be Underdogs In Each Remaining Game
Based on future projections, the Browns will be underdogs in each of their remaining games. They are listed as 4.5-point dogs for Thursday night’s game against the Steelers, and are projected to have no spread smaller than 6.5 the rest of the way.
Two of the teams that are just behind Cleveland in the race for the #1 overall pick are the Patriots and Bears, who have 3 and 4 wins. But they are the only two NFL franchises who have tougher schedules than the Browns down the stretch, and both are candidates to lose out the rest of the way. Given the way that the teams near the top are bunched up, it will very likely come down to the final week of the season in terms of deciding draft position.
Conversely, there is no team in the NFL that has an easier schedule than the Jaguars, who currently hold the rights to the #1 pick. They still have games against the Raiders, Jets, Colts, and Titans(x2), with their toughest remaining game being against the Texans.
