First Pick Up For Grabs In NFL Week 17

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All the bad teams are playing pretty well, but their NFL Week 17 opponents are FIRE. The first pick is truly up for grabs with two games to play. Who’s the biggest loser?

Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.

 

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the race for the worst record in the league (and thus, the top pick* in the 2024 NFL Draft) is in full force. We don’t see tanking in the NFL like we do in other sports, but we know these fan bases have their eyes on the standings, even if the players playing in the games don’t care about a top five pick.

The reason there is little designed losing in the NFL is multi-pronged. For one, a single player, even the first pick in the draft, has much less impact on winning the following season than fans want to believe. Two, the players on the current team are playing for their jobs. With non-guaranteed contracts, most players cannot afford to play poorly, even if the front office would prefer they do. The same goes for coaches. Why tank for a pick you might not be around to lead because of all the losses you accumulated? 

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So, everyone in the game is likely trying to win. However, management and fans have their eyes on the long-term prize. And with only two games remaining, Carolina has a one-game edge over the rest of the league for the worst record. *Of course, as we’ve outlined, the Panthers owe their pick to Chicago, so the Bears are in line for first pick in the draft. But that lead is slim. Don’t bet on the Bears keeping that top pick, because every team in line has tough opponents upcoming in NFL Week 17.

 

NFL Week 17: First Pick Up For Grabs

 

Todd Salem: Panthers Can’t Help Themselves

In NFL Week 17, the Panthers are facing the scuffling Jacksonville Jaguars, losers of four straight games. Can Carolina make it five straight? If they do, Arizona is lined up to fall into a tie for that worst record, as the Cardinals are 12-point underdogs at Philadelphia. 

A game back of that ledge sits New England and Washington, the latter being the only team in a bigger slide than the Jags right now. New England is an 11.5-point dog at Buffalo. Washington is at home but getting a whopping 13.5, hosting San Francisco. It is hard to imagine either team even competing, let alone winning, in Week 17.

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That could give us four teams with 12 or 13 losses. That quartet has separated itself from the rest of the pack at the bottom. Tennessee, both New York clubs, the Chargers, and Chicago have played a bit too well the past month or so. No one is predicting a win necessarily, but they also all have what I would call winnable games this week. The Bears are favored in their contest; all of the others are getting less than a touchdown. It was a particularly fun story to think about Chicago getting two top picks, but that ship has sailed. It was also fun to speculate on what the two New York clubs would have done with the number one overall pick, but it isn’t possible at this point.

That leaves us just four contenders. Peaking ahead to Week 18, three of our four bottom-feeders will be facing playoff contenders. Seeding and positioning could determine how hard said teams will be trying. Perhaps it is wasteful to spend time speculating when Carolina likely loses out anyway, but Week 17 could make things interesting. We know the Panthers will be trying their darndest. Even beyond playing for jobs and pride, there is no way anyone wants to gift the number one overall draft pick to another franchise.

 

 

Dan Salem: More Losing Is Coming

I would be shocked if Carolina didn’t “win” the first pick for Chicago, because they are by far the worst team in football. Their incentive not to secure the pick for another team won’t be enough to stop the losing from continuing. The Patriots ensured they’re out of the running with a win over Denver. Now both New England and Washington are two games ahead of the Panthers with two left to play. NFL Week 17 won’t alter this dynamic, despite the favorable matchups.

I fully expect all three losers to keep on losing. But I don’t view the top draft pick as the prize it once was. A top five pick is great, assuming you use it on a position other than quarterback. Selecting a quarterback in the top ten has proven itself to be a gambling man’s folly. Half the picks fail completely, a quarter pan out, and one quarter are mediocre. The Bears are the big winners, because they don’t want a quarterback, but no matter who goes number one, the pressure will be astronomical. Failure is always lurking in the shadows.

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We fans should fully expect many more upsets over the final two weeks of the NFL regular season, I just don’t see it coming from the likes of Carolina. Perhaps the Jaguars are so far in the hole that even the Panthers can beat them. I did view Jacksonville on the same level as our Jets and Giants, despite them having a few more wins at the moment. But the likelihood of Carolina upending the Jaguars is low. The real conversation is with picks five through ten, because everyone is swapping spots like a game of musical chairs.

I’ve ignored Arizona because something tells me they aren’t worth discussing. Sure, the Cardinals will fall to Philadelphia, barring the unforeseen, but my gut says they keep Kyler Murray and load up around him. He’s a sunk cost who is now finally healthy. Expect the unexpected from Arizona. They might even trade their top five pick in the draft. For our New York teams, they too are in favorable spots. Both have quarterbacks for next season, so wins only help the teams. Let’s enjoy what football we have left, because the playoffs are something I’ve only heard about, a fantasy for other fans to experience.

 

Meet our Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor, Writer, and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s a published author, as well as an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X and Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a fantasy football and fantasy baseball Staff Writer for RotoBaller. Follow him on X or comment below for his unfiltered opinions.

NFL Week 17 Fantasy Football Photo Credits: charlotteobserver.com, patspulpit.com via Getty Images

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