Things are all bad right now for the Cleveland Browns. On Sunday, they fell to 2-7 on the season, losing to the New York Jets, who entered the game with just one win. En route to the 27-20 final score, the Browns gave up a kick return touchdown and a punt return score, 127 rushing yards, and once again looked bad on offense. While Cleveland has eight games left on the schedule, this season is beyond over.
For fans, the rest of the games will be about getting in the best draft position possible. In that sense, Sunday was a great day for Cleveland’s race towards the top of the draft. With a ton of football left to be played, the Browns currently sit with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 Draft. With more losses certainly on the way, Cleveland could continue moving even closer to No. 1.
Browns in position to have No. 4 pick in 2026 Draft after 2-7 start
With the Jets also being one of the worst teams in the NFL, Sunday’s result shook up the current top 10 order. Here’s a look at where things stand after the early slate of Week 10:
Order | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Tennessee Titans | 1-8 |
2 | New Orleans Saints | 2-8 |
3 | New York Giants | 2-8 |
4 | Cleveland Browns | 2-7 |
5 | New York Jets | 2-7 |
6 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-7 |
7 | Miami Dolphins | 3-7 |
8 | Washington Commanders | 3-6 |
9 | Cincinnati Bengals | 3-6 |
10 | Atlanta Falcons -> Los Angeles Rams | 3-6 |
The Browns are one of three 2-7 teams, with one of the other being the Jets, and the other one being the Las Vegas Raiders, who Cleveland will play in Week 12. The Browns will also play the Tennessee Titans and Cincinnati Bengals before the season is over, giving Cleveland a real opportunity to secure itself a high draft spot.
While it’s paradoxical for fans to pull for their own team to lose, a high draft pick is nearly all Browns fans have to look forward to the rest of the season. The only other thing Cleveland fans are anticipating is the debut of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, however, that doesn’t appear to be happening as quickly as everyone would like.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski further committed to Dillon Gabriel as the starter after his latest underwhelming game on Sunday. While his words don’t necessarily guarantee Gabriel will be starting in Week 11, it’s clear he wants that to be the case. Still, it would make sense for the Browns to start the in-game evaluation of Sanders, because they are clearly headed towards a high draft pick.