Who will end up with the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft? Here's a look at the Week 15 games that will help determine the top of the draft order:
Records:Titans: 3-10; Patriots: 11-2
Where they stand:The Tennessee Titans' strength of schedule (.473) has the team currently holding the No. 1 pick in a tiebreaker with the Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers, and the gap figures to be just as wide or wider after Sunday. The New England Patriots, the best team in the AFC, should handle arguably the AFC's worst team with ease at home. The bigger question, at least where the No. 1 overall draft pick is concerned, is how much and in what direction Tennessee's SOS rating changes after this week.
Looking ahead:The Titans close with the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, two much more winnable games than New England will be. A loss to the Patriots and a split with Houston and Indianapolis would finish Tennessee at 4-12, and likely out of the running for the top pick.
Records:Browns: 3-10; Seahawks: 8-5
Where they stand: The Cleveland Browns are not only facing a good team here, they're facing a surging one. The Seattle Seahawks have won four consecutive games just in time to position themselves for another playoff run, so few signs point to an upset. The improvement of Johnny Manziel stands between the Browns and the first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft as much as anything. Except for a dumb-decision interception last week, Manziel played very well in a 24-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers. If Manziel puts up one more victory this season, it could easily knock Cleveland out of contention for the first pick. Meanwhile, the Seahawks' hot streak is pushing its first-round pick further toward the back of the round with each passing week. As of now, Cleveland's strength-of-schedule rating (.509) has the Browns holding the No. 2 pick behind another three-win team in Tennessee.
Looking ahead: Cleveland gets the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers to finish the season, both of which are 8-5. It's a tough three-game stretch to finish the year, one that ultimately could result in Cleveland continuing to drive the pace car in the race for the top pick.
Records:Dolphins: 5-8; Chargers: 3-10
Where they stand: The San Diego Chargers are one of three three-win teams in the NFL, but with a .521 strength-of-schedule ranking, the Chargers would have the No. 3 pick if the draft were held today, and would probably need the tie broken by record in order to rise to the No. 1 pick. A Miami Dolphins team that has lost five of its last seven games threatens San Diego's draft position. Miami's first-round draft pick could be in the top 10 if the Dolphins don't finish well, but a win against the Chargers would make a pick in the low teens more likely.
Looking ahead:San Diego finishes the season with two divisional games on the road against the Oakland Raiders and the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos. The Chargers' best chance of a fourth win, and of falling out of contention for the top pick, clearly comes against the Dolphins on Sunday.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
