Who has the inside track for the top pick in the 2016 NFL draft?
There’s not of ton of mystery heading into Week 17 in terms of the playoffs, but there still is some doubt over the other end of the spectrum.
The first pick in the 2016 NFL draft is still up for grabs, and it’s down to two teams. Either the Tennessee Titans or Cleveland Browns will end up with that honor, and the Titans appear to be in the driver’s seat to pick first overall.
Both teams are 3-12 heading into the final week of action, but the first tiebreaker after overall record is strength of schedule and the Titans have a significant edge there. Their opponents have combined to win only 49.2 percent of their games, while the Browns’ opponents have been significantly stronger at a .532 win percentage.
And assuming both teams lose, there won’t be a change in the order. The Titans play the Indianapolis Colts, who sit at 7-8, and the Browns face the 9-6 Pittsburgh Steelers.
That would mean the Titans, who took Marcus Mariota second overall a year ago, managed to move up in the draft. Mariota performed admirably at times, although injuries knocked him off course a bit. They aren’t taking a quarterback first overall if they keep the pick.
What then? Offensive line would make sense, and Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil and maybe Notre Dame tackle Ronnie Stanley have been mentioned in a few top-five conversations. Or they could go defense and take Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa or Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey, but that might not represent the best value and need together. The good news is that we’re four months away from them needing to narrow down a pick.
And the Browns? They likely would consider a quarterback, even with Johnny Manziel getting a chance to prove himself. But is there one worthy? Cal’s Jared Goff and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch are most often mentioned as possibilities there, but we’re a long way from knowing if either is worthy of that spot.
Here’s the full current draft order for the teams currently out of the playoffs entering Week 17:
Pick | Team | Record | Opponent win percentage |
1 | Tennessee Titans | 3-12 | 0.492 |
2 | Cleveland Browns | 3-12 | 0.536 |
3 | San Diego Chargers | 4-11 | 0.523 |
4 | Dallas Cowboys | 4-11 | 0.529 |
5 | San Francisco 49ers | 4-11 | 0.552 |
6 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 5-10 | 0.471 |
7 | Miami Dolphins | 5-10 | 0.475 |
8 | Baltimore Ravens | 5-10 | 0.506 |
9 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6-9 | 0.483 |
10 | New York Giants | 6-9 | 0.492 |
11 | New Orleans Saints | 6-9 | 0.508 |
12 | Philadelphia Eagles | 6-9 | 0.513 |
13 | Detroit Lions | 6-9 | 0.536 |
14 | Chicago Bears | 6-9 | 0.544 |
15 | Indianapolis Colts | 7-8 | 0.498 |
16 | Buffalo Bills | 7-8 | 0.510 |
17 | Oakland Raiders | 7-8 | 0.511 |
18 | St. Louis Rams | 7-8 | 0.527 |
19 | Atlanta Falcons | 8-7 | 0.471 |
20 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-6 | 0.511 |
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm