Browns Fans Eye the 2026 NFL Draft After a Glimpse of Hope in Week 12
For one Sunday in late November, Cleveland Browns fans got to breathe a little easier. A win - a real, honest-to-goodness win - over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12 gave the Dawg Pound a much-needed reprieve from a season that’s been long on frustration and short on answers. The victory was also the debut of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders as a starter, and while it wasn’t flawless, it was enough to spark a question that’s been lingering all year: could this be the guy?
Fast forward to Week 13, and the questions are still there - just louder. The Browns dropped another one, and with that, the focus shifts once again to the big picture.
Namely: what’s next? Will the front office hit the reset button?
Will Sanders get more runway to prove he can be the future? And as always in Cleveland, what does the 2026 NFL Draft landscape look like?
Draft Positioning: Familiar Territory, New Variables
Right now, the Browns are sitting at 3-9, which puts them in line for the fifth overall pick in the upcoming draft. For a franchise that’s spent more than its fair share of time near the top of the draft board, this is familiar territory. But there’s a twist this time - thanks to a previous trade, Cleveland also holds a second first-round pick via the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars, now 8-4 and leading the AFC South, are trending in the opposite direction. With a relatively soft schedule ahead - including games against the Titans, Jets, and Colts (twice) - Jacksonville could be playoff-bound.
That means Cleveland’s second first-rounder is likely to land in the back half of the round, potentially around pick No. 26.
Full 2026 NFL Draft Order - Entering Week 14
Here’s how the first round shapes up heading into Week 14:
- Tennessee Titans (1-11)
- New Orleans Saints (2-10)
- New York Giants (2-10)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
- Cleveland Browns (3-9)
- Washington Commanders (3-9)
- New York Jets (3-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
- Atlanta Falcons (4-8) → Pick goes to Los Angeles Rams
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (4-8)
- Miami Dolphins (5-7)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6)
- Carolina Panthers (7-6)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
- Detroit Lions (7-5)
- Houston Texans (7-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (6-6)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)
- Buffalo Bills (8-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
- Indianapolis Colts (8-4) → Pick goes to New York Jets
- San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) → Pick goes to Cleveland Browns
- Green Bay Packers (8-3-1) → Pick goes to Dallas Cowboys
- Seattle Seahawks (9-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
- New England Patriots (10-2)
- Chicago Bears (9-3)
- Denver Broncos (10-2)
What’s Left on the Schedule?
Cleveland’s remaining schedule is a mixed bag. They’ll face the Titans, Bears and Bills before closing out the year with divisional matchups against the Steelers and Bengals. That’s not exactly a murderers’ row, but it’s not a cakewalk either - and with a 3-9 record, every game feels like a referendum on the future.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville’s path looks a lot more manageable. They’ll face the Titans, Jets, and Colts twice - all teams that are either struggling or inconsistent. If the Jaguars keep stacking wins, that second first-round pick could slide even further down the board.
Looking Ahead: A Franchise at a Crossroads
For the Browns, the next few weeks will be about more than just wins and losses. It’s about evaluation - of players, coaches, and front office decision-makers. Shedeur Sanders showed flashes in his debut, and whether he gets more opportunities down the stretch could shape Cleveland’s draft strategy in a big way.
Do they go all-in on a quarterback in April? Do they build around Sanders and focus on the trenches or playmakers? Or does a new regime come in and chart an entirely different course?
One thing’s for sure: the Browns are once again in position to reshape their future through the draft. And while that’s a familiar storyline in Cleveland, the pieces on the board this time - including a potential QB of the future and two first-round picks - make this offseason one of the most pivotal in recent memory.
So, Browns fans, here’s the question: come April, where will Cleveland be picking - and more importantly, who will they be building around?