The New England Patriots are entering the final stretch of the regular season with their playoff hopes currently on the rocks. What better way to calm the nerves of the present by dreaming up the perfect pie-in-the-sky scenario for the team at the 2023 NFL draft?
Despite the head-scratching coaching staff decisions, coach Bill Belichick knocked it out of the park on the personnel side of things at the 2022 NFL draft this year. So there’s at least some hope he can find success in back-to-back years and breathe life back into the Patriots.
But where would the team likely fall in the draft order, specifically in the first round, after 13 weeks of regular season football?
Per Tankathon, if the season ended today, the Patriots would pick at No. 17 in the draft. It’s obviously a bad spot to be at if the team fails to make the playoffs this season. There’s nothing worse than missing the playoffs and failing to nab a high-end draft pick.
Granted, if they lose more games, there’s a good possibility they’ll move up in the pecking order. But then again, it would be better seeing them get their act together late in the season and making a miracle postseason run. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Here is the full projected order in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft after Week 13.
- Houston Texans (1-10-1)
- Chicago Bears (3-10)
- Seattle Seahawks; via Denver Broncos (3-9)
- Detroit Lions; via Los Angeles Rams (3-9)
- Philadelphia Eagles; via New Orleans Saints (4-9)
- Carolina Panthers (4-8)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8)
- Arizona Cardinals (4-8)
- Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1)
- Atlanta Falcons (5-8)
- Green Bay Packers (5-8)
- Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)
- Houston Texans; via Cleveland Browns (5-7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (5-7)
- Detroit Lions (5-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)
- New England Patriots (6-6)
- Washington Commanders (7-5-1)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
- Seattle Seahawks (7-5)
- Tennessee Titans (7-5)
- New York Jets (7-5)
- New York Giants (7-4-1)
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Miami Dolphins (8-4)FORFEITED - Denver Broncos; via San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
- Cincinnati Bengals (8-4)
- Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
- Kansas City Chiefs (9-3)
- Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
- Buffalo Bills (9-3)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-1)