Phin Phanatic
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Draft picks on the line for more than just the Miami Dolphins this weekend

By Brian Miller

MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 22: A detailed view of NFL footballs with the 100 seasons logo on them before the start of the game between the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - AUGUST 22: A detailed view of NFL footballs with the 100 seasons logo on them before the start of the game between the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium on August 22, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /
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The NFL has found it fun to pit divisional rivals against each other late in the year. The Miami Dolphins play NE week 17. This week, it’s draft slots.

On Sunday, the NFL draft is going to get what could be the final shake-up of the top five draft spots. With the Miami Dolphins thick in the middle of the chase for numbers, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Miami will host the Bengals on Sunday and the Bengals would need to win both of their final games to lose the top draft spot. The Dolphins could slip out of the top four with a win against the Bengals. They likely won’t fall out of the top five regardless of winning both games to wrap their season.

While the Dolphins will be playing the Bengals, the Giants and Redskins, currently both 3-11, will be playing each other on Sunday in a game where the loser will likely be pushed back to the fifth overall spot. This is weekend is going to hold key draft slotting games with those mentioned above.

The first tiebreaker is the strength of schedule. This is important because many believe that is head to head. Miami and Washington both have the same SOS and are .20 higher than the Giants. Miami’s SOS will go up when they play the Patriots in week 17 because the Patriots have a winning record. It will go down if they lose to the Bengals.

The team with the weaker, or lowest SOS, drafts before other teams with similar records. Looking at the Bengals, whose SOS is over .500, the Dolphins would draft ahead of them should the Bengals and Dolphins both lose the last two weeks. The Bengals play the Browns in week 17.

For Miami, it may be more helpful for the Giants to win this weekend against the Redskins, it would create a 4th win for the Giants and wouldn’t decrease the Redskins SOS all that much considering the records of both teams.

Did you get all that? Yeah, me too. The short of it? Miami plays the Bengals and the Giants play the Redskins. All four teams represent the top four draft slots in April’s draft. For now.

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