What Week 15 means for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft

The race for the top picks in the 2021 NFL Draft is coming down to the wire. The Jets still have a lead for the first pick, but the Jaguars aren’t out of the race yet. Both teams are big underdogs this week, and with just two games left after this one, it’s starting to get locked into place.

Cincinnati has a tight grip on the third pick, and barring a miraculous turnaround over the next three games, they don’t have to worry about slipping further back in the draft. The Panthers moved into the fourth spot with their loss to the Packers on Saturday night, but they could slip depending on how Sunday goes.

One thing notable about the schedule this week is that none of the teams in the top 10 are playing each other. In fact, they’re all underdogs this week—the closes line is Dallas +3 against the 49ers.

San Francisco is one of four teams sitting on a 5-8 record heading into the weekend. They’re currently 12th in the draft order, but a Cowboys’ upset could really put things into a jumble for the teams in the 10 teams with four or five wins.

After individual records, strength of schedule is the first tiebreaker for teams and is in parenthesis after each team’s record. Hat tip to Tankathon for providing that. Each team’s Week 15 opponent is listed as well.

1. New York Jets: 0-13 (SOS: .596) — @ Rams
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-12 (.550) — @ Ravens
3. Cincinnati Bengals: 2-10-1 (.533) — vs. Steelers
4. Carolina Panthers: 4-10 (.538) — Lost to Packers 24-13
5. Dallas Cowboys: 4-9 (.488) — vs. 49ers
6. Atlanta Falcons: 4-9 (.533) — vs. Buccaneers
7. Houston Texans (Miami Dolphins have pick) : 4-9 (.548) — @ Colts
8. Philadelphia Eagles: 4-8-1 (.533) — @ Cardinals
9. Los Angeles Chargers: 5-9 (.479) — Beat Raiders, 30-27
10. Denver Broncos: 5-9 (.556) — Lost to Bills 48-19