Cleveland Browns coaches and players will not say it, and fans do not want to hear it but, especially after the Week 1 performance, the 2026 NFL season might be all about the 2027 NFL draft in Northeast Ohio. That doesn’t mean we won’t be paying attention to what happens on the field; a lot of young players can help raise the floor and ceiling for the future, even if the team isn’t winning games.
Whether Browns fansare blaming HC Todd Monken, QB Deshaun Watson, DC Mike Rutenberg, or GM Andrew Berry,
if Week 1 is an indication of how Cleveland’s season will go, the first overall pick is assured. That pick, however, is not assured with 16 games left in the season.
The Los Angeles Rams losing in Week 1, followed by DE Myles Garrett having knee surgery, could only add to the Browns hopes for a big 2027 NFL draft.
Cleveland enters Week 2 as an underdog but, given the Strength of Schedule tiebreaker, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the top spot on Tankathon for the 2027 NFL draft, with the Browns picking eighth and the Rams conveying the 12th pick to Cleveland:
Top 14 2027 NFL draft order after Week 1*
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Atlanta Falcons
- Green Bay Packers – goes to the New York Jets
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts – goes to the New York Jets
- Carolina Panthers
- Dallas Cowboys
- Cleveland Browns
- Tennessee Titans
- Washington Commanders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams – goes to the Cleveland Browns
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
*The Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos play on Monday Night Football; the loser will slide into the 15th slot
We know it is way, way, way, way too early for 2027 NFL draft order things, but we also know Browns fans are smart enough to know that but curious enough to wonder about the draft order after Week 1 anyway
