Patriots Trolled by Fans as Upset vs. Bills Costs NE No. 1 Pick in 2025 NFL Draft

The cost of the New England Patriots' Week 18 win was the loss of a No. 1 pick.

Joe Milton III went 22-of-29 for 241 yards with two total touchdowns on Sunday to lead the Patriots to a 23-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

A loss against the Bills' backups would have guaranteed the Patriots the top pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Tennessee Titans instead secured the rights to select first by conceding a 23-14 loss to the Houston Texans.

The Bills put out a second-tier squad led by backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in order to rest up starters including Josh Allen for the playoffs.

The Patriots responded by racking up more than 300 total yards of offense for just the seventh time this season.

The poorly-timed win left some viewers believing first-year head coach Jerod Mayo is now all but guaranteed to move on after a single season with the franchise.

The Titans will meanwhile prepare to choose the No. 1 pick for the first time since 1978.

After benching starting quarterback Will Levis this season, the Titans could take the opportunity to draft a new signal caller at the top of the draft.

The top three will be rounded out by the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, while the Patriots will have to wait until No. 4 to make their first selection.

The 2025 NFL Draft is set to take place in Green Bay this April. De facto general manager Eliot Wolf, who led the team through the 2024 draft shortly after he was hired last May, will now get his second shot at a top-five pick.

The Patriots will look to make to most of that selection to build around rookie quarterback Drake Maye, even if the loss of the No. 1 pick likely means missing out on the top available prospects.