Patriots drop to No. 7 in NFL Draft order after win over Bears

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots picked up a much-needed 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, which will certainly boost the team’s morale. But it also dropped the team in the 2025 NFL Draft order.
The Patriots started Week 10 with the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. That is not where they sit after beating the Bears on Sunday.
In improving to 3-7 on the season, the Patriots dropped six spots down to the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There is a lot of football left to play this year, and the Patriots will likely drop back down a few spots before the season ends. But there are also a lot of bad football teams in front of them in the draft order.
There are six two-win teams ahead of the Patriots, including the Miami Dolphins, whom New England will visit in Week 12.
The Patriots are now in a pack of five three-win teams, which includes the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Dallas Cowboys. New England is above each of those teams in the draft order because of their .459 strength of schedule.
The new top (bottom) team in the NFL is the 2-8 Jacksonville Jaguars, who lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 12-7, on Sunday. Former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones got his first start for the Jags in place of the injured Trevor Lawrence, and threw a pair of interceptions in the defeat. He scored a rushing touchdown for Jacksonville’s only points of the day, but was also sacked three times by the Vikings defense.
After the Jaguars, the New York Giants (2-8), Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders (all 2-7), and the 2-6 Miami Dolphins make up the draft order in front of New England. The Dolphins are in action Monday night when they play the Rams in Los Angeles.
While the Patriots would probably like to land the highest possible pick in the draft, at least they don’t have to worry about drafting a quarterback with their top pick this year. Drake Maye continues to impress on the field and grow as a leader in the locker room, so the Patriots appear set at quarterback for years to come.
The Patriots’ focus in the draft can shift to surrounding Maye will talented players on the offensive line and in the receiving corps.