The NFL playoffs begin this weekend with the wild card round. While the Arizona Cardinals did not make the postseason and are currently preparing for an offseason of improvement, they do have a first-round draft pick tied up in the playoffs.
They own the Houston Texans’ first-round pick and that pick will be determined by a combination of the round in which the Texans lose and the teams who lose in the same round.
Once the playoffs begin, draft order is determined by reverse-order records and the round in which the team lost.
Teams losing in the wild card round will pick between No. 19 and No. 24.
So if the Texans, who host the Cleveland Browns Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. ET, lose, their pick, which belongs to the Cardinals, will be somewhere between 19 and 24.
Teams who lose in the division round pick between No. 25 and No. 28. Losing in the conference championship means picking 29 or 30. Losing in the Super Bowl means having the 31st pick and winning it gives the team No. 32.
The Texans finished the regular season 10-7. Two other playoff teams — the Green Bay Packers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — went 9-8.
If Houston loses to Cleveland, their pick would be no lower than No. 21.
If the Packers (who face Dallas on the road) and Bucs (who host the Eagles) both lose, their picks would be ahead of Houston’s.
So the best scenario for the Cardinals is for the Texans to lose to the Browns and for both Packers and Bucs to win their games.
If that happens, the Texans’ pick would be 19th overall.
So Cardinals fans who want the highest pick possible from the Texans’ selection should root for the Browns, Packers and Bucs.
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