Patriots still in No. 2 draft spot after Week 14 win over Steelers

FOXBORO -- The Patriots snapped a five-game losing streak on Thursday night, and while it was nice to see the team win a game, many were worried that victory would hurt the team's draft position. But that was not the case after Sunday's game -- at least for now.

The 3-10 Patriots remain slotted in the No. 2 overall pick for the 2024 NFL Draft, behind only the Carolina Panthers. Carolina fell to 1-12 with a 28-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 

Thursday's win should pretty much close the door on any chance of New England climbing up to the No. 1 pick. But the Patriots did get a little more wiggle room in the race for the second overall pick thanks to Sunday's slate and two Monday night games that broke in their favor.

The Chicago Bears and the New York Jets both picked up their fifth wins of the season in Week 14 -- the Bears beat the Lions while the Jets beat the Texans -- to give the Patriots some separation over those teams. The New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans also won their fifth games of the season on Monday night.

But one more New England win could tank their selection. If the Patriots win another game, there's a good chance either the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders -- both of whom were on their bye over the weekend -- could leapfrog New England by season's end. 

The Pats and Cardinals are both 3-10, though New England owns the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker, sitting at .528 while the Cardinals are at .555, via Tankathon.com. The Commanders are 4-9, while the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans are both 4-8 heading into their Monday night games.

The Patriots close out the season with a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs (8-5), road tilts against the Denver Broncos (7-6) and the Buffalo Bills (6-6), and a Week 18 home game against the New York Jets (5-8).

The Cardinals host the 10-3 San Francisco 49ers in Week 15, followed by road games against the Bears (5-8) and the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) before closing the season with a home game against the Seattle Seahawks (6-7). The Commanders have road games against the L.A. Rams (6-7) and New York Jets before closing the season with home matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys (10-3). 

The Patriots should have the inside track for the No. 2 pick. While that would likely mean they miss out on USC quarterback Caleb Williams, New England would still have a shot to pick someone like quarterback like Drake Maye or receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.