Patriots 2024 NFL Draft odds: A frustrating loss to Commanders doesn’t help

Patriots

The Patriots will need a few NFC teams to start posting wins to help their draft odds.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick studies game photos during the third quarter. The New England Patriots host the Washington Commanders on November 5, 2023 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots currently have the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Barry Chin / The Boston Globe

For all of the misery that Patriots fans are currently trudging through during the 2023 season, some of that pain can be assuaged if New England lands a franchise-altering talent in next spring’s 2024 NFL Draft.

At 2-7, the Patriots currently sit at the bottom of the AFC standings ahead of what is projected to be a loaded draft class — especially on the offensive side of the ball.

But if the Patriots want to be realistic players for a lauded QB talent like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye — or arguably the most complete wide receiver prospect in recent memory in Marvin Harrison Jr. — New England is going to need a few NFC cellar-dwellers to start stacking some wins down the stretch.

Even with their ugly 20-17 loss to a tanking Washington Commanders team, New England hasn’t moved up the draft leaderboard as it looks to the future.

Here is the updated 2024 NFL Draft order, as of Monday evening. 

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 only potential change with this top-10 grouping during Monday Night Football would be if the 3-4 Chargers fall to the New York Jets. Another loss would see the Chargers leapfrog the Titans for the No. 10 overall spot.

New England ending with a top-five pick could give them a blue-chip prospect for the future. But given the QB woes currently present with the Cardinals, Bears, and Giants, it does seem like top signal callers in Williams and Maye will be off the board by pick No. 5.

And with Chicago also holding the 1-7 Panthers’ pick as well, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the Bears opt to pair their next QB1 with an elite pass-catching threat like Harrison Jr.

Granted, New England should still be in a spot to acquire an impact player on offense with pick No. 5, be it a left tackle like Penn State’s Olu Fashanu or Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, a QB like Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., or a wideout such as Florida State’s Keon Coleman.

More losses on the horizon should further bolster New England’s odds of a higher spot in the draft order, but more wins for the Cardinals, Bears, Panthers, and Giants will also help the Patriots’ long-term goals.

New England could also leapfrog the Giants on the draft leaderboard if New York defeats the Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 26.