There were no silver linings for Patriots fans after Sunday’s ugly home loss to the Washington Commanders.
Now 2-7 through nine weeks, New England stayed at the bottom of the AFC standings with its latest humiliating defeat. However, it also stood pat in the updated 2024 NFL Draft order.
Here’s the updated top 10:
1. Arizona Cardinals (1-7)
2. Chicago Bears (via 1-7 Carolina Panthers)
3. Chicago Bears (2-7)
4. New York Giants (2-7)
5. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-7)
6. Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
7. Green Bay Packers (3-5)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
9. Denver Broncos (3-5)
10. Tennessee Titans (3-5)
The order could change a bit Monday night when the 3-4 Los Angeles Chargers (currently 11th in the draft order) visit the 4-3 New York Jets. The best the Chargers could do is move up to the No. 10 spot.
As for the Patriots, they obviously could land a great prospect with the No. 5 overall pick. But the top two quarterbacks in this year’s draft, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, likely will be gone within the top three picks. So, New England would need to trade up if it wants to select its next quarterback.
But it might not be that easy. With the exception of perhaps the Packers, every team inside the top 10 will be looking for a QB in the draft. If the Cardinals, Bears and Giants all rank ahead of the Patriots in the draft order, it’s hard to imagine any of them trading away the pick.
There’s still hope, though. New England will visit the Giants in Week 12 in a matchup that could have huge draft-order ramifications.
In the meantime, the Patriots will play the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany, this Sunday before going on their bye week.
