Browns' Rooting Guide for 2025 NFL Draft Implications of Week 12

The Cleveland Browns haven't given their fans much to celebrate this season, but a Thursday Night Football win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 was a nice exception.

Jameis Winston made some timely plays and the Browns defense stepped up in snowy conditions to deliver a vintage performance. When fans look back on the season, this win will be one of the top highlights of the year.

Taking a step back form that excitement, though, it's still clear this is a franchise in need of some fresh talent.

The idea of putting a top-10 draft pick on this roster is something that should give the Cleveland fans hope for next season.

Beating Pittsburgh obviously doesn't help with draft positioning. If the Browns are going to maximize their draft slot some things are going to have to break their way. Here's a look at a few of those results for Week 12.

There was a time when the New England Patriots were in pole position for the No. 1 pick. Moving to Drake Maye as the starting quarterback seems to have taken them out of that race, though.

The rookie is 2-4 as the starter but has won two of the last four. He has progressed nicely and even went 29-of-39 for 282 yards with two touchdowns in a 28-22 loss to the Rams last week.

That's all good news for the Browns. The three-win Patriots have an opportunity to pick up another victory and slide down the draft board. The Dolphins have picked up a little midseason momentum themselves and won back-to-back games against the Rams and Raiders.

With Tua Tagovailoa back in the lineup, the offense is starting hit a groove.

That being said, the Patriots are a live dog on the road. They are mostly a young group playing under a first-year head coach. They aren't going to get into playoff contention, but they also aren't going to just give up on the season.

A win over a team as good as the Dolphins is only going to encourage them to keep playing hard.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are already behind the Browns in the draft order. A loss would draw them closer, but they should also continue being competitive as Tua Tagovailoa and Co. need a positive end to the season.

There's an argument to be made that the Browns should favor the Giants over the Bucs in this one. After all, they only have two wins so another one would at least close the gap between Cleveland and New York.

The problem is that it's highly unlikely the Browns finish with a worse record than the Giants. According to ESPN's NFL draft projections, Big Blue has the highest chance of drafting No. 1 overall.

A win over the Buccaneers would work to move the Giants back in the draft. But it still wouldn't put them in the same neighborhood as Cleveland. ESPN's projections give the Browns a 50.2 percent chance of picking in the top five. The Giants are at 70 percent.

A loss for the Bucs could be devastating. Right now, they have a 38 percent chance to make the playoffs. NFL.com projects that a win over the Giants this week would inflate those odds to 46 percent chance.

However, a loss would take their playoff odds to just 20 percent. All of a sudden, the Buccaneers could be in the running for the same draft range as Cleveland.

The Giants switch at quarterback will likely play a role. They made headlines by benching Daniel Jones and turning to Tommy DeVito as their starter this week. Drew Lock will be the backup.

That feels like a decision made by a team that is trying to tank, but the Bucs are on a four-game losing streak. They'll need to up their game to win even with DeVito at quarterback.

The unpredictability in the NFL is often on display when two inter-division rivals meet up. Just ask the Browns after their performance on Thursday.

They picked up a surprise win against the division rival on prime time. There were other factors that helped give Cleveland an edge over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they found a different gear than they've played with most of the season.

Could the Dallas Cowboys follow suit?

That would be a benefit to Cleveland. Dallas was ranked just below the Browns on ESPN's projected draft order. That's bound to change after they upset the Steelers. However, a win for the Cowboys would move them down the draft board as well.

The storylines abound in this one. Dan Quinn left his post as Dallas defensive coordinator to become Commanders head coach this offseason. The two franchises have switched places ever since.

The Cowboys have lost five consecutive games and are still starting Cooper Rush after Dak Prescott had season-ending surgery. The last two weeks have been particularly bad. They lost by a combined score of 68-16 in back-to-back home games against the Eagles and Texans.

The silver lining here is that the Commanders are on a two-game losing streak and have recently hit a snag. The Cowboys' familiarity with Quinn and the recent struggles for Washington should give Browns fans some hope.