Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell botched a snap with 15 seconds left in what was shaping up to be a stunning Las Vegas win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The fumble by O’Connell, which came with Las Vegas in field goal range trailing 19-17, certainly didn’t help the New England Patriots.
Mac Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars could have helped New England, too. But Jacksonville, which lost quarterback Trevor Lawrence after a dirty hit, allowed the Houston Texans to convert on third-and-4 with two minutes left and ultimately lost 23-20.
If either (or both) of those results went the other way, New England’s current standing in the 2025 NFL Draft would look different. Then again, the Patriots had their own winnable game against the Indianapolis Colts, who scored a game-winning two-point conversion with 12 seconds left. A win over Indy would’ve caused New England to tumble down the board.
Instead, the Patriots currently hold the No. 4 pick in April’s draft. They had the same pick entering Week 13.
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Here’s a look at the current top 10, per Tankathon. The order is made up of overall record and strength of schedule. The lower a team’s strength of schedule and win percentage, the better their draft standing.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10, .498)
2. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10, .531)
3. New York Giants (2-10, .538)
4. New England Patriots (3-10, .461)
5. Carolina Panthers (3-9, .485)
6. New York Jets (3-9, .507)
7. Tennessee Titans (3-9, .510)
8. Cleveland Browns (3-9, .514)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8, .493)
10. New Orleans Saints (4-8, .495)
Jacksonville very well could shift on the board, though. Four of the Jaguars’ final five games come against teams — Titans (twice), Jets, Raiders — currently slated to draft inside the top 10.
New England’s schedule is about to get much more difficult after the Week 14 bye. The Patriots face the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills (twice) and Los Angeles Chargers.
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Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images