The New England Patriots celebrated their first primetime win of the year. The Patriots found the end zone three times on Thursday night and took care of business in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Nonetheless, there’s division among the Patriots community as to whether the Patriots should have lost against the Steelers to earn a better draft position.
I have some good news for all the Patriots fans rooting for the tank. The Patriots’ 21-18 triumph over the Steelers on Thursday night didn’t alter the draft order and did not have an impact on the Patriots’ draft pick.
Let’s face reality for a second. The Patriots are 3-10 and have no future at the quarterback position, and without a quarterback, you can’t build a successful NFL team. So, it’s all about the draft, and right now, we know the Patriots can draft the right prospect. The Eagles, Jaguars, and Bengals found themselves in similar positions to the Patriots over the last five years, and all three of those teams got a franchise quarterback in the draft.
With four games left in the 2023 season, the race to the first overall pick is ongoing. However, ESPN is only giving the Patriots a 7% chance to secure the number one pick. The Bears currently hold the number one selection, which was traded to them by the Panthers last year. This means the Bear’s selection is based on the Panthers’ record. Currently, the Panthers are 1-11, and if the Patriots want any chance at the number one pick, Carolina will at least have to win two of their remaining five games. The Saints, Falcons, Packers, Panthers, and Buccaneers are their opponents.
Meanwhile, the Patriots only have four games left, facing off with the Chiefs, Broncos, Bills, and Jets.
Enough talking about the number 1 pick. The Patriots currently hold the second overall selection, but their two-game cushion over the Cardinals is now separated by only one game. Arizona is on a bye this week, but both teams are at 3-10.
The only reason the Patriots are ahead of the Cardinals is the strength of the schedule tiebreaker.
Here are the current Top-10 teams in the draft.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 5-7
9. New Orleans Saints, 5-7
8. Tennessee Titans, 4-8
7. New York Giants, 4-8
6. New York Jets, 4-8
5. Chicago Bears, 4-8
4. Washington Commanders, 4-9
3. Arizona Cardinals, 3-10
2. New England Patriots, 3-10
1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers, 1-11)
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
