There are still divisional races and playoff spots to decide, but there’s another NFL race nearly as impactful for some franchises — and it has everything to do with losing.
The New York Jets appeared to be the heavy favorite entering Sunday to land the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft (and with it, likely land Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence). But then the 17-point underdog Jets went and beat the Los Angeles Rams, matching the biggest upset against the spread since 1995.
In that game, Sam Darnold — a former third overall pick — threw for 207 yards and a touchdown, and Frank Gore ran for a score.
Suddenly, the chances to land Lawrence don’t appear so good. At 1-13, New York is now tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the bottom of the NFL. The Jaguars suddenly have the inside track, according to Action Network.
Before the Jets won, they had an 82.4% chance to secure the top-overall selection. After they won, that dropped to 28.8% while Jacksonville’s chances rose to 63.8%.
ESPN also projects the Jaguars will get the first pick in the draft, according to the football power index, which simulates results 10,000 times. Those simulations resulted in Jacksonville winning — er, losing — enough to secure the top spot 74.2% of the time compared to New York’s 25.6%.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.