Updated 2021 NFL Draft order: Jaguars control No. 1 pick and Trevor Lawrence’s future

The New York Jets won on Sunday, which means they officially lost the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes.

New York Jets fans are used to miserable football seasons, but this year was different. If the Jets were to lose out for the entire season, they would receive the No. 1 overall pick, which means they would earn the rights to select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Unfortunately, the Jets are going to receive a lump of coal in their stockings for Christmas.

On Sunday, the Jets somehow found a way to hold on to defeat the Los Angeles Rams 23-20 and earn their very first win of the season. But it was a huge loss for those Jets fans hoping to select the once in a generation quarterback talent, as the first overall pick now belongs to the Jacksonville Jaguars, whom were blown out 40-14 by the Baltimore Ravens.

With that, here’s the current order in the 2021 NFL Draft with two weeks remaining in the season:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-13)
2. New York Jets (1-13)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1)
4. Carolina Panthers (4-10)
5. Atlanta Falcons (4-10)

How the Jaguars earned the first overall pick

Even though the Jaguars and Jets both own the same win-loss record, it’s Jacksonville who owns the rights to the top pick. The reasoning behind that is because the Jaguars hold the tiebreaker advantage, which is strength of schedule. The Jaguars hold a strength of schedule of .553, while the Jets’ strength of schedule sits at .593. So if both teams are to finish the season with the same record, the Jaguars will get the first overall pick.

Looking beyond the first and second selections, the Bengals currently hold a firm lead for the No. 3 pick as they wait to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. The Panthers lost to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night, but hold the advantage over the Atlanta Falcons due to said strength of schedule. The Falcons managed to blow a 17-0 halftime lead to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ultimately losing by 31-27.

The biggest winners of the weekend are Jaguars fans, whom hope that Trevor Lawrence will turn their luck around and hopefully lead them into AFC title contention in the very near future. But that’s only if the team loses their final two games of the season against the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, which is entirely possible.

As for Jets fans around the world, we’re so sorry and send our condolences during this difficult time. You don’t deserve this.