2026 NFL draft race to the top: Browns motivated or race to the bottom?

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The 2026 NFL season was supposed to become a playoff run for the Cleveland Browns. Now, the threat of double-digit losses is looming, and jobs are at stake for both players and coaches. And maybe even an executive or two.

Now, there are things to still shoot for.

DE Myles Garrett seems to be a shoo-in for his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. Rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger has a great chance to capture the NFL Rookie Defensive Player of the Year award as well. DC Jim Schwartz will be on the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year ballot.

Because the Browns are already almost out of the playoff picture, the rest of the season will be dedicated to showing the rest of the league that these athletes deserve another roster spot as we advance, and to getting paid to play the game instead of taking real estate classes or applying for a substitute teaching position. Nothing wrong with either occupation, unless you are a giant man who was making millions for a short seven months’ worth of work and had football cards produced of your likeness.

Not many autograph requests at an open house event.

“The season that wasn’t” has begun to take on a new direction: to see if Cleveland could obtain the Number 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

During this year’s off-season, it was assumed that the Browns would flip their 14-loss season and clip off several good years with a roster that was built to win now. But losing five of their first six games, it was apparent that football teams are built on paper.

Now, the Browns are 3-8-0. The playoffs aren’t going to happen. A last-place finish in the division is very possible, and at season’s end, many players will find new employment next year. A coach (or three), the GM, and the front office could see new faces next year as well. It always happens when teams have high hopes, and then not just fail, but bomb miserably.

Will this roster play to win in the remaining games? Of course. These are professionals. They have pride in what they do, and most never give up. They also know that men who quit become unemployed men who quit.

The Browns will use lots of players who aren’t starters in the back half of the schedule. It is only right. These guys sweat and work just like the first team guys do, and show up every day with a starting mentality. It only makes sense for the coaching staff to begin inserting athletes to gain valuable live game experience and begin that portion of their development. The coaches also need to know which players to retain for next year’s camp and who to allow to move along, no matter who they are.

Can Browns fans expect to see OG Zak Zinter getting more snaps in Wyatt Teller’s place? Will Easton Mascarenas-Arnold replace guys like Devin Bush at linebacker? More Isaiah Bond getting additional targets? Will we see more Donovan McMillan supplanting Ronnie Hickman at safety?

At this point, Cleveland has a very good shot at gaining the first overall pick in next year’s college draft. They have competition, though. Let’s take a look.

These are the updated current standings if the season ended today. Each week, this list will change due to completed games. Right now, only two games are separating the Number 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft and the #8 spot.

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#32: Pick #1

Tennessee Titans (1-10-0)

At least the Titans are consistent. They lost four games, won a contest, then lost six straight. The win was against another bad club.

The winnable games remaining include Cleveland (3-8-0) and the New Orleans Saints (2-9-0). Their strength-of-schedule (SOS) is .485, ranked 15th easiest remaining games.

The main issue for the Titans this season has been in collapse of the offensive line, with a huge emphasis on right tackle. Their running back situation is bad with this team’s offensive front in shambles. This has ruined the receiver corps because the time to survey the field just hasn’t been there. QB play with a rookie is also an issue, or is it not having time to throw with a minimal running attack?

#31: Pick #2

New York Football Giants (2-10-0)

Another good contender for the worst record at season’s end, the Giants only average 22.0 points per game, plus allow the most rushing yards (1,886) and yards per rush average (5.9) on defense. They have a roller coaster for their quarterback room, and none is getting it done. No running game to talk about.

The Giants are also bad on special teams, so all areas are not doing well. They need several new faces along the offensive line in order to get this group in sync. Their head coach has already been fired, and maybe we will see Bill Belichick interview in a place where he had his second-most success.

Their remaining SOS is .447, ranked 8^th easiest. Winnable games include against the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys.

#30: Pick #3

New Orleans Saints (2-9-0)

The Saints are middle of the pack in throwing the ball and the third-worst rushing team. They have only scored three rushing TDs all season and have the third fewest passing touchdowns. This roster has a decent offensive line, but QB play has been a roller coaster.

All six of their remaining games are winnable: Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, and Carolina Panthers. The franchise possesses the easiest SOS of every NFL team at .343.

#29: Pick #4

New York Jets (2-9-0)

Defense has always been the Jets’ calling card and where their pride remains. But it’s not like they didn’t attempt to fix issues with the offense. They spent a ton of money on QB Justin Fields and retained RB Breece Hall, who is a sparkplug.

The Jets’ defense is ranked #6 against the pass, but dead last in passing when they have the ball. Their remaining SOS is #20 at .507. Winnable games include the Falcons, Dolphins, and Saints.

#28: Pick #5

Las Vegas Raiders (2-9-0)

For one, we already know the Raiders’ offensive line is a sieve just by the Cleveland Browns netting 10 sacks last weekend. So, there’s that. They have allowed the second most sacks at 41 and thrown the second most interceptions (13).

Their remaining SOS is #24 at .559. Winnable games include the Giants, and maybe outside shots at the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans. Every team in the Raiders division has a winning record except for them.

#27: Pick #6

Cleveland Browns (3-8-0)

The offensive line is quite a quandary this year for Cleveland. Several years ago, it was ranked in the Top-3 with basically the same guys. What has happened? Early on, it was that both offensive tackles remained out, with several guys taking snaps instead. But now it is basically the same roster for this group, yet the Browns are near the top in sacks allowed.

Their defense still makes plays, but the offense’s inability to sustain drives leaves this group on the field way too much. In the fourth quarter, most guys are spent. Special teams have also been a roller coaster this year.

A look at the Browns’ remaining games does reveal some games they can win, such as the Titans, Bengals, and Steelers. Their SOS is .500, ranked #18 easiest, which isn’t encouraging.

#26: Pick #7

Washington Commanders (3-8-0)

How the mighty have fallen. Last year, the Commanders were one game away from playing in the Super Bowl. They have struggled in a lot of areas this season. This team is a mess and is currently on a six-game losing streak.

This team is certainly on an injury-plagued path, including their talented QB. They have a .551 SOS, which is the 23^rd easiest with winnable games against the Vikings, Cowboys, and Giants.

#25: Pick #8

Arizona Cardinals (3-8-0)

The last of the three-win clubs, Arizona, won its first two, and then gifted several games in which they were winning or tied with nine minutes remaining. They have been snake-bit in the fourth quarter.

The bad news for the remaining games on their schedule is that their SOS is .567, which is the #7 hardest remaining games. Winnable games include the Buccaneers, Falcons, Bengals, and maybe the Texans.

Where do you think the Browns will end up selecting in the 2026 NFL draft?

Share your thoughts on what you think the draft order will be come April in our comment section below

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