When the 2026 NFL season started, not many people would’ve predicted that the Week 4 Thursday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers would be a battle for first place in the division. There were very low expectations for the Browns entering the year, but after three weeks, they are 2-1 like every other AFC North team.
Obviously, it’s still extremely early in the season, but the year has already been a reminder of just how unpredictable the NFL is. Cleveland has been on the right side of that unpredictability in more ways than one. The first way is that no one saw the Browns being 2-1, and benefiting from Deshaun Watson delivering competent quarterback play.
The other way is something that Cleveland has no control over, and that’s the performance of the Los Angeles Rams. As part of the trade that sent Myles Garrett to L.A., and Jared Verse to Cleveland, the Browns own the Rams’ 2027 first-round pick. That’s why Los Angeles’ surprising 1-2 start is good news for Cleveland.
Rams’ underwhelming start gives Browns hope for 2027 Draft
After Los Angeles’ explosive offseason that included acquiring Myles Garrett, the Rams were clear-cut Super Bowl favorites to start the year. Because of that, everyone predicted that the pick Cleveland would be getting in the 2027 first round would be 32nd overall. That very well could happen, but the first three weeks of the season have already proven that it’s not a given.
Three weeks into the season, Los Angeles has a worse record than the Browns, sitting at 1-2. The Rams were embarrassed by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, got back on track with a dominant win over the New York Giants in Week 2, and lost a close game in Week 3 to the Denver Broncos.
Obviously, there are a lot of factors at play, like a trip halfway around the world to Australia in Week 1, horrible officiating in Week 3, and the fact that Los Angeles is currently without Myles Garrett and star receiver Puka Nacua. However, those factors only further drive home the point that nothing is guaranteed in football, because there are far too many moving parts.
Could the Rams get healthy and eventually be the dominant, world-beating team that everyone expected them to be? Absolutely. There’s also the possibility that things could continue to unravel for Los Angeles, and 2026 could just be a massive disappointment.
Only time will tell, but the Browns would certainly love to see the Rams fall significantly short of expectations. That would give Cleveland a solid draft pick to continue building its future, and it could even be the higher of the Browns’ two first-round picks, if Cleveland continues to be better than expected.
Browns fans shouldn’t expect to get a high pick from the Rams, but they shouldn’t count out the possibility either.
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