The Patriots could be in a position to sign an impact player like Drake Maye or Marvin Harrison Jr. in April. to select.

Caleb Williams will likely be among the top three in April. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Patriots seem to be finding new ways to hit rock bottom every week during the 2023 season.

But if there’s one silver lining Patriots fans can take from a miserable 2-8 start, it’s that continued ineptitude should allow New England to draft a potential franchise star during the 2024 NFL Draft.

Sunday marked another brutal outcome for the Patriots, who fell 10-6 to the Colts in Frankfurt, Germany.

It was an ugly ending for a Patriots offense that had been lurking all year, with Mac Jones ending up on the bench for the third time in 10 games this season after throwing in a costly fourth-quarter interception in the Red zone had specified.

But Sunday’s loss abroad — coupled with a pair of wins over other NFL cellar dwellers in Week 10 — has put New England in position to secure a top-three pick next April.

With New England falling short against Indy and the Cardinals – boosted by the return of QB Kyler Murray – beating the Falcons on Sunday, New England has surpassed Arizona in the 2024 draft pick.

Here’s a look at the current draft order, according to Tankathon.

1. Chicago Bears (via 1-8 Carolina Panthers)

2. New York Giants (2-8)

3. New England Patriots (2-8)

4. Arizona Cardinals (2-8)

5. Chicago Bears (3-7)

6. Green Bay Packers (3-6)

7. Los Angeles Rams (3-6)

8. Tennessee Titans (3-6)

9. Denver Broncos (3-5)

10. Atlanta Falcons (4-6)

Although the Patriots, Giants and Cardinals are all tied with a 2-8 record, New England maintains the edge over the Cardinals due to its strong schedule. When the records are equal, the team with the lower opponent winning percentage gets the higher pick.

New England could fall to the fourth pick based on the results of the Monday Night Football meeting between the Bills and the Broncos.

While the Broncos can’t rise far to the top of the draft board with a loss, a win for Buffalo would impact the schedules of both the Patriots and Giants.

In the midst of a losing season, New England’s next game could have a lot of draft-related implications as the Patriots will take on the Giants on November 26 at MetLife Stadium.

Another loss for the Patriots against New York could put them in a potential top two pick, allowing them to select at least one blue-chip quarterback in place of USC’s Caleb Williams or UNC’s Drake Maye.