![Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) walks off the field during the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jets held off the Jaguars 32-25. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_32,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/49/01jfrv23vtkjx1d3yrf2.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) walks off the field during the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jets held off the Jaguars 32-25. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]")
Despite a tremendous start against the reigning AFC East champions, the Patriots fell flat in their Week 16 matchup and were immediately back to competing for coveted positioning in next year's draft, something many fans have been focusing on since October.
They began the day holding the third overall pick and went into their game on Sunday afternoon having slid down to sixth, a significant drop from where they had been all year. The result of their matchup with the Bills and one other afternoon game, Jaguars at Raiders, would dictate where they would be positioned after this week's lineup, which couldn't have been a better outcome after a miserable loss.
A win against Buffalo would have put them in what most would call a dead zone in the top 10, which would likely have meant a trade down would be inevitable.
But the help of old friend Mac Jones and his inability to win games for the Jaguars means the Patriots moved up to their highest first-round positioning yet. The Patriots finish Week 16 with the second pick of the first round.
Mac Jones continues to help his former team by adding another loss to the Jaguars season
The unlikely help of former first-round pick Mac Jones continues, and the Patriots are the biggest beneficiary.
Besides inevitably helping to secure the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, which led to Drake Maye becoming the next franchise quarterback, Jones is now helping his old team secure better positioning in next year's draft by leading the Jaguars to more losses, as he did on Sunday against the Raiders.
The #NEPats now hold the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/E3WudxYrqO
— Sara Marshall (@smarshxo) December 23, 2024
This means the Patriots are in a prime position to take the first non-quarterback of the class if they stick and pick. If not, they are in a great spot to trade back with a quarterback-needy team and could receive a big haul of picks and/or players in return.
That will be a desirable spot for the Patriots during a crucial offseason, specifically in reference to improving the offense around Drake Maye. He has become the main factor the team will need to consider when signing or drafting offensive talent, and that could decide what the team does with its first-round selection.