The order for the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is becoming more clear with Sunday's Week 18 games concluding and the 2022 regular season wrapping up.
In a stunning turn of events, the Houston Texans actually beat the Indianapolis Colts 32-31 on the road to squander the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Houston finished with a 3-13-1 record and will pick No. 2 overall. The top pick goes to the Chicago Bears, who fell to a league-worst 3-14 after losing 29-13 to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
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The Bears already have a young quarterback in Justin Fields, who they selected with the No. 11 pick in 2021. Will they trade the No. 1 selection to a team desperate for a franchise QB? We'll see, but it should make for a fun offseason.
What about the New England Patriots?
The Patriots missed the playoffs with a 35-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The defeat dropped the Patriots to 8-9 and a ninth-place finish in the AFC standings.
New England will have the No. 14 pick in the first round of the 2023 draft. It will be the Patriots' highest selection in Round 1 since they took Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo 10th overall in 2008.
New England Patriots
Here's the updated order of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft for non-playoff teams.
- Chicago Bears, 3-14
- Houston Texans, 3-13-1
- Arizona Cardinals, 4-13
- Indianapolis Colts, 4-12-1
- Seattle Seahawks (via Denver Broncos, 5-12)
- Detroit Lions (via L.A. Rams, 5-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders, 6-11
- Atlanta Falcons, 7-10
- Carolina Panthers, 7-10
- Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans Saints, 7-10)
- Tennessee Titans, 7-10
- Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns, 7-10)
- New York Jets, 7-10
- New England Patriots, 8-9
- Green Bay Packers, 8-9
- Washington Commanders, 8-8-1
- Pittsburgh Steelers, 9-8
- Detroit Lions, 9-8