3 teams that will most likely tank in the final week of regular reason
Even though teams will never admit it, sometimes tanking becomes the best option to get a better draft pick, and teams such as the Giants, Patriots and Browns might focus on losing their final games.
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Myles Garrett (Image via IMAGO)
There’s always drama on the final day of the NFL fixtures. While the playoff picture has more or less taken shape, the teams on the lower echelons of the league still have yet to decide who will take control of the No. 1 draft pick for 2025. As many as five teams are in the mix to lay claim to the best player in the draft.
The New England Patriots, the Tennessee Titans, the Cleveland Browns, and the New York Giants currently hold the top four spots in the race for the No. 1 draft pick. It’s more than likely that these four teams will end up in the same spot unless they somehow win their final games.
All four of them are on .188 (win & loss ratio) after 16 games, but one of them must take the top spot. After the final week, the NFL will go through the win and loss stats and, more importantly, the strength of their schedule. On that basis, the Patriots (.469 SOS) hold the first pick after losing to the Los Angeles Chargers in week 17 and are on a six-game losing streak.
The Titans, who lost to fellow strugglers the Jacksonville Jaguars, are second with a .513 SOS, followed by the Browns, who find themselves at .540 after the Miami Dolphins humbled them at home on Monday. At fourth, the Giants are the surprise package of the bunch. Brian Daboll’s team started week 17 on top of the charts, but a victory over the Indianapolis Colts dropped them behind the Browns.
Teams that fell off but are still in the mix for a tank
The Patriots, Titans, Browns, and Giants may lead the pile, but that doesn’t mean these teams are the only ones in the mix for a tank. Before the week 16 game, the Las Vegas Raiders held the top pick until they picked up consecutive wins to find themselves at eighth, but they had a far harsher (.544) schedule compared to the Giants.
Then there are the New York Jets, a team that, despite fielding players like Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall, are 4-12 after getting embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Jets’ schedule strength placed them just before the Raiders at seventh with .502. However, neither of these teams will tank, or even if they lose the final game, they will still have enough draft capital to take players of interest.
The Raiders desperately need a quarterback, and the latest mock draft suggests a second-round pick (39) can land the Georgia QB Carson Beck.
As for the Jets, it depends on their own. If moving on from Rodgers is the answer, then losing the final game makes sense, but it will not improve their draft capital enough to take a quarterback in the draft unless they trade up or pull something like a Michael Penix Jr. to the Atlanta Falcons. Then again, they can’t go too high because teams above them, barring the Titans, Jaguars, and Patriots, want a quarterback.
Three teams that should tank
- Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski is barely holding on to his job because in 2023 when he had a quarterback (Joe Flacco) who could distribute well and make plays, they ended up in the playoffs. Deshaun Watson got injured early in the season and Jameis Winston provided moments of spark but nothing concrete and Dorian Thompson Robinson isn’t a starter in the NFL. Watson will be back next year as they recently restructured his contract but there’s no guarantee whether the Browns keep him beyond 2025. So drafting a new quarterback now and following the Green Bay Packers method of letting the rookie learn while sitting a year makes more sense.
The Browns play the 11-5 Baltimore Ravens on the final day and early odds favor the AFC North leaders to secure a win to clinch the division. Losing will hand them a chance to finish in either second or third depending on the Patriots who are up against the Bills.
- The New York Giants: Daboll’s Giants may have shocked the Colts but the Philadelphia Eagles are a different story. The 13-3 Eagles blew the Dallas Cowboys off on Sunday won the NFC East and are fighting for the top seed in the conference.
The Giants sent Daniel Jones packing to the Minnesota Vikings and handed the keys to Drew Lock but he is only a stopgap for a new quarterback and the fans desperately want Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders to join their team. Sanders is likely to be the first quarterback and the second overall pick held by the Titans. The Giants can offer them one second round (33) and a late-round pick in exchange or simply switch places in the draft in order to take Sanders. The reason the Titans will be willing to give up is because they are not giving up on Will Levis just yet. By trading with the Giants, they get picks to strengthen the defensive line (Mason Graham from Michigan) or star man in the backfield (Will Johnson from Michigan). - The New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo’s job may not be on the line because the owners view the current season as a rebuilding one. Rookie Drake Maye proved himself as their quarterback of the future which means they need players around him to finally see some wins coming their way. One player who can ease their headache by a lot is Travis Hunter, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Hunter won the Heisman Trophy because of his prowess on both offense (92 receptions, 1152 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns) and defense (32 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 11 pass deflections). The Patriots only need to lose against the Dolphins on the final day which will not only secure them the first pick but also help the Miami team boost their playoff chances for next season.
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Ishan Misra
(2962 Articles Published)