Week 17 results in No. 3 spot in draft

The Patriots might have lost Sunday, but they were able to improve their standing in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Following their loss to the Bills, the Patriots hold the No. 3 overall pick, moving up a spot from where they were entering Week 17.

For those who want to see the Patriots obtain the highest possible draft pick, you can thank the Cardinals for helping them move up. The Cardinals’ upset win over the

Eagles gave them four wins, moving the Patriots and

Commanders into a three-way tie with

Arizona for the second-worst record in the NFL.

So, with the Patriots, Commanders, and Cardinals all at

4-12, the strength of schedule tiebreaker currently determines which teams hold the No. 2-4 picks. Washington’s strength of schedule (.515) is just a bit worse than New England’s (.518), giving it the advantage for the No. 2 pick. The Patriots’ strength of schedule is markedly worse than the Cardinals (.562), giving New England a clear edge for the third pick.

With the 2-14 Panthers losing, they clinched the worst record in the NFL. So, the highest possible pick the Patriots can get is No. 2.

The easiest way for the Patriots to get that No. 2 pick is if they lose to the Jets while the Cardinals beat the Seahawks and the Commanders beat the Cowboys. Of the two teams they’re tied with though, the Patriots are the only one to open up as favorites for Week 18. If the Patriots, Commanders, and Cardinals all lose in Week 18, the No. 2 pick will likely be determined by other games, which will affect strength of schedule. Because the Cardinals’ strength of schedule is significantly superior, No. 2 would likely come down to the Patriots and Commanders.

In that scenario, the Patriots’ best path to getting strength of schedule help would be if the Texans, Bears, Broncos, Ravens, and Falcons win in Week 18.

Of course, the Patriots could also beat the Jets in Week 18, which likely would cause them to fall back in the draft order. There are currently three teams (Giants, Chargers, Titans) with five wins, meaning the worst pick the Patriots could end up with is No. 7.