New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo admits potentially securing the No.1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will not influence his strategy for Sunday’s season finale against the Buffalo Bills.
The Patriots, sitting at 3-13, are currently in prime position to claim the top draft pick for the first time since 1993 when they selected quarterback Drew Bledsoe from Washington State.
Despite the stakes, Mayo is solely focused on ending the season on a high note and beating their long-time rivals.
Speaking in his press conference, Mayo said: “We’re 100% focused on beating the Buffalo Bills and that’s what we have to do.
Heading into Week 17, the New York Giants were favourites to land the No.1 draft pick, but their 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts shifted the race.
Now, the Patriots hold a commanding 78.1% chance of securing the top spot. Behind them are the Tennessee Titans (11.9%), Cleveland Browns (9.2%), and New York Giants (0.9%).
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The Bills, locked in as the AFC’s No.2 play-off seed, may opt to rest key players, including quarterback Josh Allen, to preserve their health for the post-season.
“It does give us options, and we’ll see where it takes us,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott added on Sunday.
“We have some guys who are hurting right now and might need some rest. But we’ll see.
“We have some guys, also, that we may want to take a look at… that just weren’t maybe ready to be active yet. So, I think that will factor in.”
Mayo acknowledged that the Patriots might limit rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s snaps to safeguard his health with the future in mind.
“I would say right now, everything is in consideration, and we’ll see how the week goes,” Mayo added.
“It’s the last game of the season and we have to look forward. It’s a journey. It’s trying to be present and win this football game, but we have to look out the front windshield and where we want to go.”
