The Cleveland Browns are now 7-8 in the 2021 NFL season. While the team still has an outside chance at winning the AFC North, their hopes for a wild card spot are near extinct.
The Browns will need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals in their final two games. Both of those teams would also have to lose the Kansas City Chiefs while the Baltimore Ravens would need to lose to the Bengals and Los Angeles Rams.
All of those things are very possible but to get all of them to happen is very slim.
That leaves us starting to turn toward the NFL draft where Cleveland will have a chance to upgrade their roster or trade their draft selections for veterans players from other teams.
At 7-8, the Browns can draft no higher than the fifth pick with Sunday and Monday games left to be completed. If the New York Giants and Chicago Bears lose this week, Cleveland’s draft ceiling is the seventh pick.
If the Browns lose out, they are highly likely to have a top ten pick in the 2022 NFL draft. If they win out but miss the playoffs, that pick will likely be between 16 and 18.
As of Sunday morning, Cleveland is slotted in with the 11th overall pick. If a higher draft pick is your hope, rooting for Seattle, Carolina, Atlanta, Washington, along with the Giants and Bears, to win out would help the Browns secure the highest pick possible.
