With three games out of the way this week, the St. Louis Rams are locked in a titanic three way struggle for the top spot in the NFL draft. Let's take a look at how the race to the bottom - and the race to the top of the draft - is shaping up.
The Rams, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers share a three-way tie for the league's worst record with one win apiece. Should the season end with those records still notched at one win each, the tiebreaker for draft order is strength of schedule, the first tiebreaker that is. To be more specific, the team with the easiest schedule gets the first pick. Right now, the strength of schedule puts the draft order like this: Cleveland, Tampa Bay, St. Louis.
Now, there are lots of games between now and the end of the season, when an injury or two can make the toughest opponents vulnerable. Detroit, with two wins, is in still in the race for the top three picks. Right now, it looks like Cleveland has the schedule that could allow for a couple of wins, but they're also the worst team in the mix, IMO. With the Rams missing so many key players in their most winnable game left on the schedule, another top pick seems a sure thing.