The Cleveland Browns came into this season with legitimate hopes of making the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the late 1980s.
But a five-game losing streak in late September and October, not to mention quarterback Deshaun Watson’s torn Achilles, doomed them, and they now have a 2-8 record heading into Thursday’s game against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers.
While some Browns fans may badly want just one win over the Steelers, others may want the team to tank in order to have a good chance of drafting a legitimate franchise quarterback this spring.
But the latter group of fans may have to keep dreaming, as Pro Football Focus has given the Browns a 20 percent chance of landing the top pick in the April 2025 NFL draft.
The Browns have a 20% chance of selecting first overall in 2025
The playoff picture/draft odds entering Week 12: https://t.co/13AJExmRco
— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) November 21, 2024
There are a couple of intriguing quarterbacks who will be eligible for this spring’s draft, including Shedeur Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Cam Ward and Carson Beck.
The younger Sanders has thrown for 3,222 yards and 27 touchdowns while completing 72.9 percent of his pass attempts through 10 games while leading the University of Colorado Boulder to an 8-2 record.
Ward is thought to be somewhat mistake-prone, but he has 3,494 passing yards and 32 passing touchdowns this season for the University of Miami Hurricanes.
Beck, a senior at the University of Georgia, has thrown for 2,835 yards and 19 touchdowns but has 12 interceptions this year.
On the other hand, Cleveland’s answer under center could already be on their roster in the form of Jameis Winston, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft who has shown some promise in three starts since Watson’s injury.
NEXT: 5 Browns Players Inactive For Steelers Game
