Patriots Country

Patriots Throw Away No. 1 Pick in NFL Draft

The New England Patriots threw away a chance at the No. 1 overall pick by beating the Buffalo Bills.

Evan Massey

Dec 22, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots heac coach Jerod Mayo looks on from the sideline during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
Dec 22, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots heac coach Jerod Mayo looks on from the sideline during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots came into today's Week 18 matchup against the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills with a huge opportunity. A loss would guarantee them the No. 1 overall pick.

Unfortunately, as has been the case throughout the entire season, Jerod Mayo and company found a way to mess up a good thing.

When all was said and done, the Patriots ended up beating the Bills by a final score of 23-16, robbing themselves of the top pick.

New England fans were not happy throughout the course of the game. Just from the broadcast, the booing was clear when the Patriots would score.

What does the win mean for their draft positioning? Not only will New England not have the No. 1 overall pick, they won't even have a top-three pick. The Patriots will pick at No. 4.

It's a tough way to end a season that was tough enough already. Hopefully, New England will be able to find a good player at No. 4, even though they might miss out on the top-tier talent.

Heading into the offseason, a lot of changes need to be made. There are many positions that need a lot of work.

While the Patriots have a lot of cap space and the No. 4 pick, it will be a tall task to make the improvements necessary. However, anything could happen.

All of that being said, New England will be on the clock with the No. 4 overall pick unless something changes.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.

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