Question on determining the draft order for the top three??

[MauiRam]

1) If we tie the Colts - who picks first and why?

2) If the Colts don't win again and we tie the Vikings - who picks 2nd and who picks third - and why?

Thanks in advance !!

[Nick]

It's based on strength of schedule. Great Blue North Report does a nice job of updating the draft order every week with opponent win-loss % to show how things are shaking out.

Great Blue North Draft Report

Given how tough the Rams' schedule is, it would probably be difficult for them to overtake either Indianapolis or Minnesota in a tie.

Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch discussed some scenarios in a recent article...

With two games left to play, it's looking more and more like the Rams will draft no lower than No. 3. In fact, barring some unexpected success in the next two weekends by Indianapolis (1-13) and Minnesota (2-12), it looks as if the Rams indeed will be picking third in the draft next spring.


The best the Rams can finish this season is 4-12, and that's highly unlikely considering they close their schedule with games against Pittsburgh (10 wins) and San Francisco (11 victories).


But if that happened, the Rams could finish with the same record as the three NFL teams that currently have 4-10 records — Cleveland, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay. The tie-breaker for draft order when teams have identical records is strength of schedule; the team that has played the easier schedule gets to pick first.


So the Rams, who have played one of the league's toughest schedules, almost certainly would draft behind Cleveland, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay if any of those teams finished 4-12 and the Rams upset the Steelers and ***** to finish 4-12.

Rams opponents have a won-lost record that is 39 games over .500. Tampa Bay's opponents are 19 games over .500; Cleveland's are 11 over .500; and Jacksonville's are one game above .500.


So drafting lower than No. 3 seems all but impossible.


How about picking higher than No. 3?


Again the strength of schedule doesn't do the Rams any favors. Colts opponents are 17 games over .500. After gaining its first victory of the season Sunday against Tennessee, Indy has Houston (10-4) and Jacksonville (4-10) remaining on its schedule.


Things are tighter with respect to the Rams and Minnesota because Vikings opponents are 30 games over .500.

So if Rams foes have a tough closing two weeks, and Vikings opponents are hot over that time, the Vikings could end up with a tougher strength of schedule than the Rams, meaning the Rams would get the draft tie-breaker if the teams finished with identical won-loss records.


But Minnesota has a better chance to pick off a victory in the final two weeks, with games remaining against Washington (5-9) and quarterback-impaired Chicago (7-7).

[AvengerRam]

If you just scroll down the page, I already answered these types of questions in another thread.

[MauiRam]

If you just scroll down the page, I already answered these types of questions in another thread.

I'm still looking .. Any hints??