2024 NFL draft first-round order: New England Patriots in contention for top pick

A two-decade run of excellence has meant that the New England Patriots annually select in the bottom half of the first round of the NFL draft.

Times have definitely changed. The Patriots are in position to obtain the team's first top-five draft pick since 1994, when the team selected USC linebacker Willie McGinest at No. 4 overall. The Patriots are in the running for No. 1 overall pick, which the team hasn't had since 1993, when it picked Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe.

This once-proud franchise has fallen on hard times, with Sunday's forgettable, low-scoring defeat against the New York Giants as the latest proof that the glory days of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and routine Super Bowl runs are long over.

The draft order is determined by record, and uses strength of schedule as a tiebreaker (record and strength of schedule are official tiebreakers to determine the draft order). 

The final 14 first-round spots will be determined by playoff results. For now, those teams will be ordered based on playoff seed, if the season ended today.

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The 2024 NFL draft is scheduled to be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: Top seed could be changing hands soon

NFL draft first-round order

(as of Nov. 26; * denotes wild-card team and # denotes division leader)

1. Chicago Bears (from Panthers) — Carolina Panthers' record: 1-10 (strength of schedule: .537)
2. Arizona Cardinals — Record: 2-10 (.533)
3. New England Patriots — Record: 2-9 (.544)
4. Chicago Bears — Record: 3-8 (.455)
5. Washington Commanders — Record: 4-8 (.458)
6. New York Giants — Record: 4-8 (.574)
7. Tennessee Titans — Record: 4-7 (.500)
8. New York Jets — Record: 4-7 (.536)
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Record: 4-7 (.549)
10. Los Angeles Chargers — Record: 4-7 (.553)
11. Las Vegas Raiders — Record: 5-7 (.485)
12. New Orleans Saints — Record: 5-6 (.413)
13. Green Bay Packers — Record: 5-6 (.508)
14. Los Angeles Rams — Record: 5-6 (.528)
15. Cincinnati Bengals — Record: 5-6 (.552)
16. Buffalo Bills — Record: 6-6 (.474)
17. Arizona Cardinals (from Texans) — Houston Texans' record: 6-5 (.488)
18. Denver Broncos — Record: 6-5 (.516)
19. *Seattle Seahawks — Record: 6-5 (.464)
20. *Indianapolis Colts — Record: 6-5 (.484)
21. *Minnesota Vikings — Record: 6-5 (.488)
22. *Houston Texans (from Browns) — Cleveland Browns' record: 7-4 (.556)
23. *Pittsburgh Steelers — Record: 7-4 (.561)
24. *Dallas Cowboys — Record: 8-3 (.384)
25. #Atlanta Falcons — Record: 5-6 (.437)
26. #Miami Dolphins — Record: 8-3 (.419)
27. #Detroit Lions — Record: 8-3 (.447)
28. #San Francisco 49ers — Record: 8-3 (.504)
29. #Jacksonville Jaguars — Record: 8-3 (.549)
30. #Kansas City Chiefs — Record: 8-3 (.557)
31. #Baltimore Ravens — Record: 9-3 (.504)
32. #Philadelphia Eagles — Record: 10-1 (.476)

Teams without a first-round pick: Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns