How wild Week 16 impacted Pats, AFC East in 2021 NFL Draft order

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The race to the NFL's bottom took a surprise turn Sunday.

The New York Jets, who appeared destined for an 0-16 campaign, stunned the Cleveland Browns 23-16 for their second straight win, while the Jacksonville Jaguars were routed by the Chicago Bears.

The result of the Jets' sudden competence? The 1-14 Jaguars officially have secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, while New York will have to settle for No. 2 and likely miss out on star Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

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That's good news for the Patriots, whose fans can look ahead to 2021 after New England was eliminated from playoff contention last weekend. Less ideal for Pats fans is that the Miami Dolphins are looking at a potential top-five pick by way of the Houston Texans, who just lost to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals.

As for the Patriots' own pick? They'll likely land a mid-round selection -- especially if they lose to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night to drop to 6-9 -- but there's still room for some movement.

Here's the updated draft order for teams not in the playoffs after the early results from Week 16 (via Tankathon).

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1-14
  2. New York Jets, 2-13
  3. Miami Dolphins (via Houston Texans, 4-11)
  4. Atlanta Falcons, 4-11
  5. Cincinnati Bengals, 4-10-1
  6. Philadelphia Eagles, 4-10-1
  7. Detroit Lions, 5-10
  8. New York Giants, 5-10
  9. Carolina Panthers, 5-10
  10. Denver Broncos, 5-10
  11. Dallas Cowboys, 6-9
  12. Los Angeles Chargers, 6-9
  13. Minnesota Vikings, 6-9
  14. San Francisco 49ers, 6-9
  15. New England Patriots, 6-8
  16. Las Vegas Raiders, 7-8
  17. Arizona Cardinals, 8-7
  18. Indianapolis Colts, 10-5

The Raiders' improbable loss to the Dolphins on Saturday means they can vault ahead of the Patriots if New England upsets the Bills on Monday night.

If the Patriots lose Monday night, they'll move up to the No. 14 overall pick ahead of the 9ers, but they'll still be behind the Chargers and Vikings.

Of course, don't tell any of this to Bill Belichick, who reportedly is starting Cam Newton on Monday and is fully intent on finishing the season with two wins.

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