Patriots’ 1-6 Record: What it Means to 2025 NFL Draft
Owners of the NFL’s longest active losing streak, the New England Patriots have now been beaten in six straight games to drop to 1-6 on the year. While this effectively removes them from any playoff discussion, they are in prime position in the race for the first overall selection in the 2025 draft.
As one of four teams remaining with just one game in the win column, the Patriots are right in that conversation. They already took the top spot after Week 5, and following a 32-16 loss to the now 2-5 Jacksonville Jaguars have solidified themselves as frontrunners to pick first next April.
While the Patriots share their one-win status with the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, they sit atop the table due to the strength of schedule tiebreaker. The Patriots’ past and future opponents in 2024 combine for a win percentage of .460 — fourth lowest in the NFL.
For comparison, the Panthers’, Browns’ and Titans’ opponents have all won more than half of their respective games. Obviously, a lot can and will change over the remainder of the season, but the lackluster state of their division is playing into the Patriots’ hands right now.
Looking ahead at Week 8, the team of first-year head coach Jerod Mayo will take on one of their AFC East rivals. The New York Jets, themselves the current owners of the fifth overall pick due to their 2-5 record, will visit Gillette Stadium in a game that could have some ramifications further down the line.
The Jets, who have since fired head coach Robert Saleh, won the previous matchup between those teams 24-3.
