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The Cleveland Browns head into Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season with no chance of grabbing the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft order but feeling good about their Week 17 win versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. While some fans are frustrated that the Browns won a “meaningless” game last week, beating the Steelers holds a special place in the hearts of all fans.
All the Cleveland 2026 NFL mock drafts now have interesting decisions to make with the team either sitting pat to skip on a quarterback, looking to trade up, or trading down to pick up more draft capital.
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With one game remaining, the top seven in the current draft order are all that matters for the Browns. The New Orleans Saints, currently in the eighth spot, have six victories, something Cleveland cannot accomplish:
Las Vegas Raiders: 2-14
New York Giants: 3-13
New York Jets: 3-13
Tennessee Titans: 3-13
Arizona Cardinals: 3-13
Cleveland Browns: 4-12
Washington Commanders: 4-12
The primary NFL draft tiebreaker is Strength of Schedule. The Browns are the only team with an SOS lower than .500 (.491), but the Commanders are close at .509. Washington plays the 11-5 Philadelphia Eagles while Cleveland plays the 6-10 Cincinnati Bengals. That difference in opponent could push the Commanders SOS under the Browns, depending on the rest of the outcomes.
Cleveland also cannot match Las Vegas’ record, but none of the other teams ahead of the Browns play each other, which means they could move all the way up to the second overall pick if all of those teams win and Cleveland loses.
The Browns range for their first pick in the 2026 NFL draft is between the second and seventh selection heading into Week 18.
Which pick do you think Cleveland has at the end of Week 18’s action?
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