A two-decade run of excellence has meant that the New England Patriots annually select in the bottom half of the first round of the NFL draft.
Times have definitely changed. The Patriots are in position to obtain the team’s first top-five draft pick since 1994, when the team selected USC linebacker Willie McGinest at No. 4 overall. The Patriots are in the running for No. 1 overall pick, which the team hasn’t had since 1993, when it picked Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
This once-proud franchise has fallen on hard times, with Sunday’s forgettable, low-scoring defeat against the New York Giants as the latest proof that the glory days of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and routine Super Bowl runs are long over.
The draft order is determined by record, and uses strength of schedule as a tiebreaker (record and strength of schedule are official tiebreakers to determine the draft order).
The final 14 first-round spots will be determined by playoff results. For now, those teams will be ordered based on playoff seed, if the season ended today.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
The 2024 NFL draft is scheduled to be held in Detroit from April 25-27.
NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: Top seed could be changing hands soon
NFL draft first-round order
(as of Nov. 26; * denotes wild-card team and # denotes division leader)
- Chicago Bears (from Panthers) — Carolina Panthers’ record: 1-10 (strength of schedule: .537)
- Arizona Cardinals — Record: 2-10 (.533)
- New England Patriots — Record: 2-9 (.544)
- Chicago Bears — Record: 3-8 (.455)
- Washington Commanders — Record: 4-8 (.458)
- New York Giants — Record: 4-8 (.574)
- Tennessee Titans — Record: 4-7 (.500)
- New York Jets — Record: 4-7 (.536)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Record: 4-7 (.549)
- Los Angeles Chargers — Record: 4-7 (.553)
- Las Vegas Raiders — Record: 5-7 (.485)
- New Orleans Saints — Record: 5-6 (.413)
- Green Bay Packers — Record: 5-6 (.508)
- Los Angeles Rams — Record: 5-6 (.528)
- Cincinnati Bengals — Record: 5-6 (.552)
- Buffalo Bills — Record: 6-6 (.474)
- Arizona Cardinals (from Texans) — Houston Texans’ record: 6-5 (.488)
- Denver Broncos — Record: 6-5 (.516)
- *Seattle Seahawks — Record: 6-5 (.464)
- *Indianapolis Colts — Record: 6-5 (.484)
- *Minnesota Vikings — Record: 6-5 (.488)
- *Houston Texans (from Browns) — Cleveland Browns’ record: 7-4 (.556)
- *Pittsburgh Steelers — Record: 7-4 (.561)
- *Dallas Cowboys — Record: 8-3 (.384)
- #Atlanta Falcons — Record: 5-6 (.437)
- #Miami Dolphins — Record: 8-3 (.419)
- #Detroit Lions — Record: 8-3 (.447)
- #San Francisco 49ers — Record: 8-3 (.504)
- #Jacksonville Jaguars — Record: 8-3 (.549)
- #Kansas City Chiefs — Record: 8-3 (.557)
- #Baltimore Ravens — Record: 9-3 (.504)
- #Philadelphia Eagles — Record: 10-1 (.476)
Teams without a first-round pick: Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns
News Related-
From 'Butt Fumble' to 'Hell Mary,' Jets can't outrun own misery in another late-season collapse
-
Jets vs. Dolphins winners and losers: Tyreek Hill a big winner after Week 12 win
-
Aaron Rodgers' accelerated recovery: medical experts weigh in on the pace, risks after injury
-
Dak Prescott deserves the MVP just for being so disrespectful to the Commanders
-
NFL players decide most annoying fan bases in anonymous poll
-
49ers and Cowboys impress on Thanksgiving. Plus, Week 12 game picks and fantasy advice
-
Jets vs. Dolphins Black Friday game live updates: Score, highlights for Week 12 matchup
-
Commanders' Ron Rivera on future after blowout loss to Cowboys: 'I'm not worried about it'
-
Amazon's Black Friday game: How viewing experience unlike what NFL fans have seen before
-
Thanksgiving NFL games winners and losers: 49ers and Cowboys impress, Lions not so much
-
Former Broncos Super Bowl champion Harald Hasselbach dies at 56
-
Win at sports and life: 5 tips from an NFL Hall of Famer for parents, young athletes
-
Detroit Lions vs. the moon? How lunar phase may impact Lions' poor Thanksgiving record
-
Cowboys vs. Commanders Thanksgiving Day NFL live updates: Score, highlights and more