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ESPN Analytics gives the Patriots a 78.1 percent chance of finishing with the No. 1 pick, ahead of the Tennessee Titans in second place at 11.9 percent odds. New England is the only team guaranteed to finish with a top-five pick regardless of what happens in Week 18.
There are four teams that still have a mathematical chance to get the No. 1 pick: Patriots, Titans, Giants and Browns.
The Patriots haven’t owned the No. 1 pick in the draft since 1993 when they selected Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe, which turned out pretty good.
It’s usually good for teams to finish the season with a win and maybe build some positivity and momentum for the following year. But that couldn’t be further from the truth for the Patriots. They need to lose this game, get the No. 1 pick, and then use that selection to add much-needed premium talent to their roster over the upcoming offseason.
The 2025 draft class likely will be headlined by two premier quarterback prospects — Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward — so securing a top-two pick is the ideal scenario for the Patriots. Those two picks will be the most valuable by far (unlike last year when the top three picks had immense value due to three franchise-level QB prospects being available), so the Patriots could receive a big return if they trade down.
What are the draft pick scenarios for the Patriots entering the regular season finale against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday?
Let’s take a look below:
Loss vs. Bills guarantees Patriots the No. 1 pick
The easiest way for the Patriots to secure the top overall pick is to lose to the Bills on Sunday.
That result would guarantee the Patriots pick first in the 2025 draft. The Patriots have the lowest strength of schedule rating, so if they finish tied with multiple teams that have a 3-14 record, they will own the tiebreaker for the No. 1 pick.
What happens if the Patriots beat the Bills?
If the Patriots win Sunday and the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2025-nfl-draft-scenarios-patriots-173644101.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-12-30 18:07:00
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