CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns entered Week 18 of the NFL season with several possibilities for where their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft might land.
But when all was said in done, Cleveland ultimately exited the weekend the way it entered it, with the No. 13 overall pick in this year's draft.
After the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos on Saturday night, the Browns possessed the potential to climb as high as No. 10 in the draft, based on Sunday's results. That would have happened, too, had Cleveland lost its Week 18 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, a game the Browns ultimately won by a score of 21-16 to finish the season with an 8-9 record.
Cleveland's win vs. Cincinnati possessed the potential to drop the Browns to as low as 15th in the draft, but results elsewhere in the league kept their pick at 13th. As a result, Cleveland now knows how long it will have to wait to make its first selection this spring, with the following picks in the first round having already been determined:
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Detroit Lions
- Houston Texans
- New York Jets
- New York Giants
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Giants (via Chicago Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons
- Denver Broncos
- New York Jets (via Seattle Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team
- Minnesota Vikings
- Cleveland Browns
- Baltimore Ravens
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Indianapolis Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New Orleans Saints
As for how the Browns will use their 2022 first-round pick, most mock drafts project Cleveland to use its first selection on a wide receiver. This year appears to be a particularly strong draft class at the position, with Ohio State's Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Alabama's Jameson Williamson, Arkansas' Treylon Burks and USC's Drake London each projecting as potential first-round picks.