I don’t know if I buy this but it is tossed out when people talk this way, I listen to a fair amount of sports talk:
Cowboys might suffer to from not getting one of the top picks, in the league they’ve probably been finishing “relatively” high, mid-table or better. Now New England has overcome drafting low but they are probably the exception to the rule.
I think this can be factor but I would not overstate it.
With all honesty, the Patriots have benefited from a weak AFC East for the last decade.