New England Patriots

Patriots officially clinch the No. 3 pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The Patriots will pick No. 3 overall following their loss to the Jets and Washington's loss to Dallas.

New England Patriots fans with a sign for head coach Bill Belichick in the second half. The Jets defeat the Patriots, 17-3, at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots will pick third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)

By Conor Ryan

2 minutes to read

After a disastrous 2023 season, hope sits on the horizon for the New England Patriots. Following Sunday’s loss to the Jets — and the Washington Commanders’ 38-10 loss to the Cowboys just a few hours later — the Patriots have officially clinched the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

As a result, the Patriots could be in a position to draft a blue-chip quarterback like LSU’s Jayden Daniels or a potential No. 1 wideout like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. Two other elite quarterbacks in USC’s Caleb Williams and UNC’s Drake Maye are currently projected to go with the first two picks in the draft.

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New England secured no lower than the third-overall pick as soon as it fell to the Jets, 17-3, in Sunday’s season finale at a snowy Gillette Stadium. But the Patriots still had a chance to leapfrog Washington and sit at No. 2 on the draft leaderboard if the Commanders beat the Cowboys.

New England, Washington, and the Arizona Cardinals all sit at 4-13 on the season. But the first tie-breaker to determine draft position is strength of schedule (SOS), with Washington holding the slight edge over both the Patriots and Cardinals.

The team with the weaker strength of schedule will hold the higher pick, with Washington pacing the pack with an SOS of .512. New England finished just behind the Commanders at .523, while Arizona will ultimately earn the No. 4 pick due to an SOS of .561.

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New England could still relinquish additional assets and trade up to pick No. 1 or 2 if the franchise is set on one of Williams or Maye — especially if a team like the Chicago Bears (who possess the No. 1 pick due to holding onto the Panthers’ first-round selection) is set on keeping Justin Fields at QB. 

But even if New England misses out on Williams/Maye, there will be no shortage of appealing options for the Patriots to choose from once they land on the clock on April 25. 

The most pressing question now is who will be calling the shots on that first-round pick — Bill Belichick, or another executive in Foxborough?

Here is the order for the top-10 picks in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, per Tankathon. 

1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina – 2-15)

2. Washington Commanders (4-13)

3. New England Patriots (4-13)

4. Arizona Cardinals (4-13)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-12)

6. New York Giants (6-11)

7. Tennessee Titans (6-11)

8. Atlanta Falcons (7-10)

9. Chicago Bears (7-10)

10. New York Jets (7-10)

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Conor Ryan

Sports Writer

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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