Ralph Vacchiano
NFC East Reporter
The NFL has set itself up for a huge final weekend, with 20 teams still in contention for a trip to Super Bowl LVIII. It’s the most teams that have remained alive in the final week of the season in 41 years.
That’s swell for those who enjoy success. But don’t forget about the rest of the NFL — the teams who were good at being bad this season. There’s a heck of a race building up in the dark underbelly of the NFL, where eight teams have a shot at a top-five pick in next year’s draft.
That’s not a bad consolation prize for the NFL’s biggest losers, especially considering three quarterbacks have a shot at being taken in that top five.
So you can imagine at least a few GMs will be silently rooting for a loss this weekend — unless, of course, they’re about to be fired. The good news for them is that all but one of the non-elite eight will be at home for their finale, where their disgruntled fans can either boo them or not show up at all. And six of them are playing teams still in contention — games they absolutely should lose.
But anything can still happen. Well, almost anything. The Carolina Panthers have locked themselves into the top pick — or at least they would have if they hadn’t traded it away to the Chicago Bears in a deal to get Bryce Young last April. But picks two through five are still up in the air.
Here’s a look at the race towards the bottom of the barrel, based on the current order of picks:
1. Carolina Panthers (2-14)
(Pick belongs to the Chicago Bears)
This week: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
It’s no wonder Panthers owner David Tepper is throwing drinks. His terrible team would have a shot at a franchise-changing quarterback right now if they hadn’t dealt their first-round pick to the Chicago Bears last year for the chance to move up from 9 to 1 in the 2023 NFL Draft and — no shade on Bryce Young — pass on C.J. Stroud. The only drama here is wondering what…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-draft-scenarios-8-teams-have-a-shot-at-top-5-draft-pick-going-into-week-18
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Publish date : 2024-01-02 21:51:46
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