The Patriots Could Be in the Running for the No. 1 Overall Pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

It’s been a miserable season for the once proud New England Patriots, as the team sits with the worst record in the AFC — 2-10 — with five weeks left in the regular season. The only team worse than the Patriots this year is the 1-11 Carolina Panthers, meaning that Bill Belichick’s squad could be in the running for the first overall pick if things don’t go their way over the final month of the year. 

The Patriots last held the first overall pick in 1993, when they drafted quarterback Drew Bledsoe out of Washington State. For younger fans of the team, these are uncharted waters: for older fans who remember the dark days of players like Chris Singleton and Tony Eason, it’s a troubling call back to the past. 

Here’s a look at what the Patriots have to play for across the last few weeks of the year as the discussion inevitably turns to the offseason. 

Picking A Quarterback?

The Mac Jones era may have come to an unceremoniously close last weekend, when the Patriots rolled with Bailey Zappe in their 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s been a startling fall from grace for Jones, who posted an Offensive Rookie of the Year worthy campaign in 2021 — having some of the best odds to win the award at sportsbooks and Massachusetts Sports Betting Promos at the time. 

He just hasn’t been able to recapture that level of play since, though, and there’s a non zero chance that he’s already played his last game in a Patriots uniform. The Patriots have the second-worst offense in the entire NFL this season, managing just 16 touchdowns to date, and it seems clear that the quarterback of the future isn’t on New England’s roster right now. 

The good news for the Patriots is that even if they do end up picking second overall behind Carolina, there’s a good chance they’ll still have their pick of the litter when it comes to quarterbacks. That’s because the Panthers selected quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick last year. Even though Young has had an incredibly disappointing rookie season, it’s highly unlikely that the Panthers move on from him just yet. If the Panthers decide to go another direction with the presumptive first overall pick, fortifying their offensive line or defense, the Patriots could have QB1 fall right into their lap. 

Watch Out For Trades!

Even so, it’s not that simple. If the Panthers end up landing the first overall pick and don’t want a quarterback, there’s a good chance that they trade back in the first round, shopping the top slot to a team that needs a quarterback so that they can amass more draft capital. Let’s say the Patriots are in love with a quarterback like USC’s Caleb Willams or UNC’s Drake Maye in the upcoming draft. 

Even though it’ll hurt to trade a pick or two away to move up a slot to first overall, it’s in the team’s best interest to do so… before another team sweeps in and steals the pick from under their nose. A year ago, the general consensus was that Williams would be the first overall pick, but Maye’s name is starting to creep into the conversation more and more. That uncertainty makes life more difficult for the Patriots, because it’s difficult to project what the team in front of them could end up doing, making it more likely that they’ll need to cave in and swing a trade.

What’s Next For New England?

Right now, the illustrious Bill Belichick era seems all but over. Whispers are starting to pick up that Patriots owner Robert Kraft might move on from his head coach in the offseason, whether firing him outright or allowing him to leave on his own terms by retiring. 

It’s a position that seemed unthinkable just two to three years ago, but the post-Tom Brady era has hit the Patriots like a sack of bricks. Even the greatest players and coaches lose their fastball at some point, and the famous ‘Patriot Way’ doesn’t seem to carry the weight it used to. 

Rebuilds are full of uncertainty by definition, but seeing the Patriots begin a rebuild with new faces leading the charge at head coach and general manager seems almost unthinkable. The Patriots and their fans were blessed with the best run in the history of the NFL, if not all of sports, when Brady and Belichick were in their respective primes. Even if they land the first overall pick in the upcoming draft and end up hitting a home run with their selection, these are trying times for a fanbase spoiled by success.