‘Expensive’ Christmas? Patriots Fall In Draft Order With Win Over Broncos

The New England Patriots Christmas Eve win over the Denver Broncos came with a heavy toll.

The New England Patriots gave their fans a nice Christmas present in the form of a 26-23 road win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

Except, it isn't as nice as it seems, at least from a certain point of view.

In regards their status in the 2024 NFL Draft, this win was an absolute disaster for New England. The Patriots have been in the running for the top pick all season, but their hopes of getting said pick are all but finished. They are now two games ahead of the Carolina Panthers with as many games to go, and even if by some miracle they are able to get back into the race, they almost certainly won't win the strength of schedule tiebreaker.

Teams picking early in the 2024 NFL Draft

That said, the top pick looked like a long shot even before this game, which helps soften the blow a bit. 

What's much more devastating is the fact that New England may have played itself out of the top three. Following Sunday's action, the Patriots now hold the No. 4 pick in April's draft, behind the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders as they lose a tiebreaker to the latter.

For a very long time now, there have been two can't-miss quarterback prospects in this draft in USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye. The Patriots have been in prime position all season to draft one of those two as their quarterback of the future, but not anymore.

Sure, there are other good quarterback prospects available, but they don't have quite the same aura as the top two.

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If the Patriots win another game, which is very possible with a home game against the New York Jets to close the season, they could find themselves picking as low as No. 7. If they go wild and win both of their remaining games, then they could even fall out of the top 10.

A win is always nice for the players and coaches that are potentially working for their jobs next season. However, those higher up in the organization and some fans looking ahead likely weren't very happy with Sunday's result.