Now that the train wreck of a season that 2010 was for the Cardinals is complete, we fans are only left with looking ahead to the 2011 NFL Draft. The top of the draft is pretty much set, and the 5-11 Cardinals know their pick. They will have the fifth pick. The order is the Carolina Panthers (2-14), the Denver Broncos (4-12), the Buffalo Bills (4-12), the Cincinnati Bengals (4-12), the Arizona Cardinals (5-11) and the Cleveland Browns(5-11).
If you notice multiple teams with the same record, the method for breaking ties is not the same as determining playoff ranking or division championships. For the draft, the only thing that matters is strength of schedule. If you have the same record as another team and have a weaker schedule, the logic is that you are the worse team and are in greater need of a higher pick.
In the case of the Cardinals, they had a weaker schedule than the Browns, thanks to playing in the NFC West while the Browns had to play the Steelers and Ravens twice each. In fact, in almost every single case, had more teams finished with the same record as the Cardinals, Arizona would choose first because their schedule was weaker than almost every other team in the league.
Twice before in recent history the Cardinals have had the fifth pick in the draft. Most recently they drafted tackle Levi Brown and before that they drafted Anthony Bell. Hopefully, they do a better job this time around.