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If it were up to the Panthers, the Bears would be receiving nothing but coal in their stockings this year.
With Chicago owning Carolina’s first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, every loss for the Panthers is a win for the Bears. Carolina’s league-worst record has Chicago in a prime position to land the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Once the Week 15 slate is complete, the Bears will still be in the top spot. The Panthers were two games behind the Patriots and Cardinals for last place entering the week, so no matter the results, the No. 1 pick slot would not be changing hands.
However, Carolina’s win on Sunday to improve to 2-12 means Chicago is going to be sweating.
The Panthers defeated the Falcons 9-7 on a last-second field goal, giving Bryce Young and Co. their second win of the season. Not only that, but the Patriots fell to the Chiefs in Foxborough, dropping their record to 3-11.
With New England losing to Kansas City and Arizona (3-10) facing the NFC-leading San Francisco squad later Sunday, the race for the No. 1 pick is going to be tight heading into the final three weeks of the season.
MORE: Updated NFL standings, playoff picture through Week 15
Here’s an updated look at the 2024 NFL Draft order after the early Sunday slate:
NFL Draft order 2024
| Pick | Team | Record |
| 1 | Bears (from CAR) | 2-12 |
| 2 | Patriots | 3-11 |
| 3 | Cardinals | 3-10 |
| 4 | Commanders | 4-9 |
| 5 | Bears | 5-9 |
| 6 | Jets | 5-9 |
| 7 | Giants | 5-9 |
| 8 | Chargers | 5-8 |
| 9 | Titans | 5-8 |
| 10 | Falcons | 6-8 |
| 11 | Packers | 6-8 |
| 12 | Raiders | 6-8 |
| 13 | Seahawks | 6-7 |
| 14 | Rams | 6-7 |
| 15 | Broncos | 7-7 |
| 16 | Steelers | 7-7 |
| 17 | Cardinals (from HOU) | 7-6 |
| 18 | Bills | 7-6 |
| 19 | Saints | 7-7 |
| 20 | Buccaneers | 7-7 |
| 21 | Vikings | 7-7 |
| 22 | Colts | 8-6 |
| 23 | Bengals | 8-6 |
| 24 | Texans (from CLE) | 8-6 |
| 25 | Jaguars | 8-5 |
| 26 | Chiefs | 9-5 |
| 27 | Lions | 10-4 |
| 28 | Eagles | 10-3 |
| 29 | Dolphins | 10-4 |
| 30 | Cowboys | 10-3 |
| 31 | 49ers | 10-3 |
| 32 | Ravens | 10-3 |
Notes
– The Bears own the Panthers’ first-round pick as a result of the trade that sent the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to Carolina and D.J. Moore to Chicago.
– The Cardinals own the Texans’ first-round pick as part of Houston’s trade up to select Will Anderson Jr. with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft.
– The Texans own the Browns’ first-round pick as a result of the Deshaun Watson trade from 2022.
MORE: NFL mock draft with three quarterbacks in top 10
NFL Draft 2024 top prospects
The 2024 NFL Draft has a number of talented quarterbacks, and there very well could be two signal callers taken with the first two selections of the draft. USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye are the consensus top options at the position, and could be the No. 1 and No. 2 pick in the draft.
Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels are among other potential first- or second-round prospects at quarterback. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. leads a wide receiver room that is loaded. Florida State’s Keon Coleman and Washington’s Rome Odunze are also among the highly touted pass-catchers.
Offensive tackle is another position of strength in this draft class, as Penn State’s Olu Fashanu and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt are both projected to be top-10 picks.
As for the defensive side of the ball, Alabama standouts Kool-Aid McKinstry and Dallas Turner are among the top defensive prospects.
