As the 2023 NFL regular season enters its final day, the New England Patriots find themselves in a tight competition for the top selections in the upcoming NFL Draft. Currently holding the No. 3 pick, the Patriots have a chance to move up or down the draft board depending on the outcome of their game against the New York Jets on Sunday.

With a 4-12 record, the Patriots are tied with the Washington Commanders and the Arizona Cardinals. The result of their game against the Jets could have a significant impact on their draft positioning. In the event of multiple teams finishing with identical records, the NFL has a tie-breaking procedure in place.

The first tiebreaker is the Strength of Schedule (SOS), which measures the aggregate winning percentage of a team's opponents. As of Sunday 1 p.m. ET, the Commanders' SOS of .515 is slightly better than the Patriots' SOS of .518, while the Cardinals have a higher SOS of .564.

If two teams have the same strength of schedule, division, conference, or inter-conference tiebreakers come into play. In the case of the Patriots, the inter-conference tiebreaker is relevant since all other teams vying for the No. 2 pick are from the NFC.

The tiebreaker process includes determining the lowest-ranked team within each division based on several criteria such as head-to-head matchups, win-loss records in division games, common games, and conference games. Additional factors considered include strength of victory, net points, net touchdowns, and ultimately a coin toss as the final tiebreaker.

However, this tiebreaker process does not directly apply to the Patriots this year as they are the only AFC team in contention for the No. 2 pick. Instead, they would be compared to the NFC teams to determine their draft position.

In a hypothetical scenario where the Patriots, Commanders, and New York Giants all finish with identical records and strengths of schedule, tiebreakers would be used to determine the order of selection. If the Commanders and Giants are tied, the divisional tiebreaker would give Washington the advantage due to their head-to-head victories. The inter-conference tiebreaker would then determine whether the Patriots or the Commanders pick first.

For the Patriots, the inter-conference tiebreaker would involve factors such as head-to-head matchups, win-loss records in common games, strength of victory, combined ranking in points scored and points allowed, net points, and net touchdowns. Based on their loss to Washington in Week 9, the Patriots would pick first among the tied teams.

As the regular season concludes and the playoff picture becomes clear, the final draft order will be determined, including the Patriots' position. The outcome of their game against the Jets will weigh heavily on their draft positioning, and they remain eager to secure the highest possible pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

With the draft being a crucial opportunity for teams to add talent and strengthen their roster, the Patriots are hoping for a favorable outcome on Sunday as they strive for a top selection. Only time will tell where the Patriots will ultimately land in the draft order and what impact it will have on their future success.