Cheer up, Packers, Patriots, Bengals, and Eagles fans. Your team will get a better draft pick because of its quick exit from the playoffs.
Spots 21-24 in the 2010 Draft are made of wild card round losers, while 25-28 is made of divisional round losers and so on. In the past, regular season record determined slot. (Until you made the Super Bowl.)
So without further adieu, the losing teams from this weekend will draft in the following spots.
21. Bengals (10-6)
22. Patriots (10-6)
23. Packers (11-5)
24. Eagles (11-5)
UPDATE: For the commenters that asked, ties are broken first by strength of schedule.)
(For the top 24, check out our 2010 Draft order page.)
Combine a higher draft pick with disadvantages in free agency for the final eight teams, and this wasn’t a bad year to have a soul-crushing first-round playoff loss.