The Washington Redskins won their second-straight game on Sunday and third of the season. Good for morale, good for the players, bad for the future draft position, right?
Wrong.
By some miracle, even after notching a third victory on Sunday, the Redskins actually managed to improve their draft stock, moving up one spot to No. 3, and surpassing the Miami Dolphins, who also won on Sunday and moved to 3-9. Here’s how, according to NBC Sports Washington:
When two teams have the same record, the determining factor as to which team selects first is their strength of schedule. In simpler terms, that is determined by each team’s combined opponent’s record. Whichever team’s opponents have combined for fewer wins will select first.
After Week 13, the Redskins have a lower strength of schedule than the Dolphins, meaning Miami has played opponents with an overall better record. Therefore, the Redskins move to the No. 3 overall spot in the draft order, with Miami sliding back to four.
Obviously, the strength of schedule is subject to change as the season goes on due to a team’s ability to win or lose games. But for now, the Redskins got the best of both worlds on Sunday; a thrilling win over the Carolina Panthers, and a jump up in the 2020 NFL Draft. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?
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