Patriots News: Bill Belichick, Nick Caserio, T.J. Luther, and Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray's return to the Cardinals could make the race to the top of the NFL draft easier for the Patriots

Now that we are entering the second half of the 2023 season, there is hope from some fans that the Patriots won't win many more games in order to obtain a higher first-round draft pick. That allows them to have a broader range of players to choose from, mainly wide receiver and quarterback, two of their most needy positions needing improvement.

After their latest loss to the Commanders in Week 9, New England stayed put with the fifth overall pick, just behind the Giants, Bears, and Cardinals.

Unfortunately, those three teams are also struggling to get wins this season, and as they add more losses to their record, it makes it more difficult for the Patriots to move up the board, especially since the Bears hold two of the four picks currently ahead of them.

Since there are still eight more weeks of the season, there's plenty of time for records to improve or worsen and for the draft order to change. And now that Kyle Murray is preparing to return to the Cardinals as soon as this weekend, the Patriots chances of moving up the draft board may have just become a bit easier.

The assumption is that Murray will be a significant help to the Cardinals' chances of stacking some wins during the rest of the season. If that's the case, they could slip from the first overall pick while others move up, including the Patriots.

That would be the most favorable scenario for New England since there is a lot of improvement needed to their roster. However, it would also need to come with acceptance because they'll have to essentially lose out to get a better draft pick.

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