The New England Patriots had a successful Week 16 even though they lost to the Buffalo Bills 24-21 on the road.
It was a close, competitive game in Buffalo during which the Patriots made meaningful progress, especially on defense. But more importantly, this loss to the Bills, combined with the Las Vegas Raiders' victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, moved the Patriots from the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft order to the No. 2 pick.
This was a huge development for the Patriots.
The 2025 draft class is likely to be headlined by just two quarterbacks -- Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders -- which means the top two picks will be the most valuable by far.