2021 NFL Draft order: Patriots’ first-round pick position after loss to Bills

Here’s the Patriots’ first-round pick position after loss to Bills originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Week 16 of the 2020 NFL season set us up for a huge final week of the season with plenty of playoff implications. It also painted a clearer picture of what the 2021 NFL Draft order will look like.

The Jacksonville Jaguars clinched the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft with their loss to the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets’ win over the Cleveland Browns. The Miami Dolphins also worked their way up into the top 3 thanks to the lowly Houston Texans.

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But what about the New England Patriots?

Monday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills brought the Pats to 6-9 on the season heading into their regular-season finale vs. the Jets. It was the first time in 20 years New England has been swept by an AFC East opponent.

On the plus side, the humiliating defeat helped the Patriots’ 2021 draft position. Here’s a look at the updated draft order for teams not in the playoffs following Week 16 (via Tankathon).

1. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1-14

2. New York Jets, 2-13

3. Miami Dolphins (via Houston Texans, 4-11)

4. Atlanta Falcons, 4-11

5. Cincinnati Bengals, 4-10-1

6. Philadelphia Eagles, 4-10-1

7. Detroit Lions, 5-10

8. New York Giants, 5-10

9. Carolina Panthers, 5-10

10. Denver Broncos, 5-10

11. Dallas Cowboys, 6-9

12. Los Angeles Chargers, 6-9

13. Minnesota Vikings, 6-9

14. New England Patriots, 6-9

15. San Francisco 49ers, 6-9

16. Las Vegas Raiders, 7-8

17. Arizona Cardinals, 8-7

18. Indianapolis Colts, 10-5

The Patriots moved up one spot from their No. 15 slot last week. To move up to 13, they’ll have to lose in Week 17 and the Denver Broncos would need to beat the Las Vegas Raiders.

New England will finish its season vs. the Jets next Sunday.