After falling to 2-10, Patriots jump up to No. 2 pick in NFL Draft order

FOXBORO -- The Patriots are 2-10 on the season after being shut out by the Chargers in Week 13. While all this losing is no fun to watch, it is helping the team's chances to land a top draft pick in the coming months.

That horrendous record has New England in a really good position to take an extremely talented player come April. 

The Patriots got a boost in the NFL Draft standings (you know, the loser's standings) on Sunday thanks to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-10, to improve their record to 3-10 on the year. It probably felt really good for Arizona players to win a game, but the cost of that victory is that the Cardinals fell behind the Patriots atop the draft order.

The 2-10 Patriots currently own the inside track to land the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. New England will next face the 7-5 Steelers in Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football, while the Cardinals will be on their bye in Week 14. 

Sunday's shutout loss also keeps the door slightly ajar for the Patriots to get all the way to the top of the NFL Draft standings. (Which is just a nice way of saying they could soon be sitting at the bottom of the real standings.) The Patriots aren't far behind the 1-11 Panthers, who lost to the Buccaneers on Sunday. Carolina has no incentive to tank the rest of the way since their first-round pick will head to the Chicago Bears at the end of the season.

It could get worse for the Patriots over the final five weeks of the season. But in a way, that could be better, as it could give New England the opportunity to select a quarterback like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Bo Nix, or any player they desire come draft time.

So having to sit through some awful football week after week (after week after week) may not be a complete and total loss for the Patriots. That is, assuming they actually hit on the high draft pick they'll receive as a result of this hideous season of football.