Unlike many years, the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft is up for grabs. There are a whopping 11 teams within two games or less of landing the coveted top pick with seven weeks left in the regular season.
Two teams from what was considered to be one of the league’s toughest divisions entering the season — the NFC East — are vying for the No. 1 overall pick in the Giants and Cowboys. The Giants, who haven’t picked No. 1 overall since 1965, recently ended the Daniel Jones era and will move forward with Tommy DeVito as their QB1 for the remainder of the season. DeVito will now play a role in what shakes out as far as next year’s draft is concerned (more on that later).
Here’s a look at the five Week 12 games that could determine the No. 1 overall pick, along with the current top of the draft order. Click here to check out which player our CBS Sports NFL Draft analysts currently have your team taking in the first round of the upcoming draft.
Current top 10 picks
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9)
2. Tennessee Titans (2-8)
3. Cleveland Browns (2-8)
4. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)
5. New York Giants (2-8)
6. New England Patriots (3-8)
7. New York Jets (3-8)
8. Carolina Panthers (3-7)
9. Dallas Cowboys (3-7)
10. New Orleans Saints (4-7)
Important Week 12 games
Steelers at Browns (Thursday night)
Cleveland has picked No. 1 overall four times since returning to the NFL in 1999. The Browns have a chance to do so again as they have lost seven of their last eight games entering Thursday’s prime-time matchup against the rival Steelers.
Pittsburgh is 39-10-1 against Cleveland since 1999, and it is favored to get win No. 40 on Thursday night. The Browns do have a puncher’s chance at pulling off an upset as they still have one of the league’s best defensive players in Myles Garrett. Cleveland’s offense is expected to litter the sky with footballs behind quarterback Jameis Winston, who threw for nearly 400 yards in this past Sunday’s loss to the Saints.
On the other side, expect the Steelers to test a Browns run defense that has been one of the league’s worst against the run so far. During Sunday’s 18-16 win over Baltimore, Pittsburgh ran for 122 yards against what was the NFL’s top-ranked run defense.
The Titans franchise hasn’t drafted No. 1 overall since 1978, selecting Texas star and future Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell. Campbell’s career was mostly spent in Houston, the team the Titans will face Sunday.
The 2025 season was expected to be a rough one for Tennessee, which is at the beginning of what could be a lengthy rebuild. Stability at quarterback has been one of the Titans’ biggest issues so far this year, as second-year quarterback Will Levis has not elevated his game to a significant level. Levis has thrown as many touchdown passes (8) as interceptions and has failed to complete over 60% of his passes on three separate occasions.
After a 2-2 start, Las Vegas has plummeted. It’s lost six straight with just two of those losses coming in one-score games.
Like many teams in their situation, the Raiders have struggled to find consistency at quarterback. Gardner Minshew has played better than Aidan O’Connell, but he is not considered a long-term option. Rest assured that the Raiders will pursue an upgrade at that position this offseason, especially if they are able to secure the No. 1 overall pick.
On Sunday, Minshew will have his work cut out for him against Denver’s third-ranked scoring defense, led by cornerback Patrick Surtain II and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto.
As noted above, the Giants are moving forward with DeVito, a second-year pro who split his six starts last year as a rookie. Along with some solid play, DeVito became an instant star last year due to his (and his agent’s) colorful personality.
DeVito will get yet another chance to show what he can do. He’s got a good chance to have success on Sunday as he is facing a Tampa Bay defense that is 30th in the league in passing yards allowed and 29th in touchdown passes permitted.
If DeVito can mimic his success from last year, the Giants may not get a chance to pick No. 1 overall. Two of our CBS Sports NFL Draft experts currently have Big Blue selecting Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who has led the Buffaloes to an 8-2 start.
The Patriots are getting the Dolphins at a bad time, unless you are a New England fan who is hoping to land the No. 1 overall pick. Tua Tagovailoa’s return has buoyed Miami’s playoff hopes. The veteran quarterback is leading the NFL in completion percentage after going 28 of 36 with three touchdowns in this past Sunday’s win over Las Vegas.
New England is also playing better as of late. After a 1-6 start, the Patriots have split their last four games. Rookie Drake Maye’s has played a big role in New England’s improvement. The former No. 3 overall pick completed a season-high 75% of his throws in this past Sunday’s close loss to the Rams.
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
November 19, 2024 | 10:40 am
