Analysts Give Patriots Firm Mandate for Rest of Season

The New England Patriots may need to change their goals for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Dec 22, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots quarterack Drake Maye (10) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are 3-12 entering their Week 17 matchup at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Due to the Patriots losing last week and how the rest of the games shook out around the NFL, New England actually moved up to holding the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That is exactly where they need to finish.

Losing to the Chargers and then in Week 18 to the Buffalo Bills should be something that the franchise angles towards doing.

Yes, that means that the Patriots need to tank.

Whether they use the No. 2 pick on Travis Hunter or if they trade back for a haul of assets, New England needs to have that option. There is also a chance that if the New York Giants happen to win a game, the Patriots would move up to No. 1 overall if they lose out.

Bleacher Report agrees with the tank suggestion. They have issued a strong mandate that New England needs to "finish the tank."

"The Patriots now return home for the final two games of the season. With the Chargers and Bills making up the final two weeks of the schedule, there's a chance for a surprise win in the final week of the season. That would be ill-advised," they wrote.

"This draft class is shaping up to have two quarterbacks at the top of the draft in Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. If the Patriots can hold on to the second pick, it might present an opportunity to get a bounty of selections in a trade with a QB-desperate team," they continued. "That's probably the best-case scenario, as the Patriots have more needs than one draft pick can fix."

There would be nothing more frustrating for the Patriots' fan base than to see the team win a meaningless game late in the season and rob themselves of a chance to add an elite talent alongside Drake Maye. It would be a massive mistake for the franchise.

Bringing in Hunter would give New England the No. 1 wide receiver that the team needs for Maye. If they choose to trade down, they could add another high first round pick and plenty of other selections.

Hopefully, the Patriots end up losing their final two games and end up with at the very worst the No. 2 overall pick.

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