The Bengals lost last night, but moved up a few spots in the draft order, which is all the consolation you get this time of year when you’re not in the playoff mix.
Of course, the Browns (0-12) would still pick first in the 2018 NFL Draft if the season ended today. Also, a lot of people would be saying: “Why did the season end the Tuesday after Week 13?”
The Giants (2-10) leapfrogged the 49ers (2-10) for the second spot this week, thanks to Geno Smith’s and Jimmy Garoppolo’s respective 2017 debuts.
The Broncos sit atop the group of 3-9 teams in the fourth spot, followed by the Colts and Bears. The Browns also own the seventh pick as it stands now, with Houston’s slot ahead of Tampa Bay (4-8).
The Bengals (5-7) would pick ninth based on the current standings, followed by the Cardinals, Jets, Washington and the Dolphins.
Draft order ties are broken based on strength of schedule, with teams with the lower number there getting preference.
So with the above group not playing for anything meaningful in the current context, this at least gives them something to look forward to the rest of the year.