On Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted on X.com that Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux had been traded to the New Orleans Saints for a seventh round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Schefter went on to say, “Godchaux attended high school in Plaquemine, LA, before playing at LSU. He now returns to Louisiana once the trade can be processed this week.”
For much of last summer and into training camp, the conversation around Godchaux was about his desire for a contract extension. From holding impromptu press conferences about his displeasure with the situation to having on-field conferences with his agent and then-head coach Jerod Mayo, the veteran defensive tackle became a downright distraction for a team attempting to transition to a new coaching regime for the first time in over two decades.
Eventually, Godchaux got his wish, signing a two-year extension worth $21 million, including $16.5 million in guaranteed money.
But unfortunately for New England, those guaranteed dollars did not translate into guaranteed wins, as the Patriots’ front seven was among the worst in football on their way to a 4-13 season in 2024.
Going by the numbers, Godchaux’s side of the ball ranked 22nd in overall defense, 22nd in scoring defense, 23rd in rushing defense, 25th in red zone defense, and 26th in third down defense. And if you’re more of an “eye test” kind of person, just think back to the 17-play drive Jacksonville reeled off against New England in London, or the 19-play, 80-yard drive with a two-point-conversion-to-win the Colts pulled off just before the Patriots’ late season bye week. In both instances, the ball was being run down the throat of the New England defense, showing no ability to control the line of scrimmage.
Those struggles, along with a reported shift in defensive scheme coming under new head coach Mike Vrabel, it only makes sense that the highly-paid 30-year-old be traded elsewhere for the 2025 season.
This trade comes weeks after Godchaux had reportedly been given permission to seek a trade by the Patriots - news that underscored executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf’s comments to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine, saying this year’s draft class was “really deep on the defensive line.”
With the front seven already a priority heading into draft season, this news on Godchaux could be further evidence that the team is zeroing-in on top defensive tackle prospect Mason Graham out of Michigan as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
If it’s not Graham at the top of the draft, it could also be a sign that the team will be in play for one of the many talented defensive tackles who were on display at day one of the combine later in the draft. Names like Darius Alexander from Toledo or Joshua Farmer from Florida State jump out as possible later round options for the Patriots to help fill that void on the interior of the defense.
There’s also been continued buzz around the Patriots making a run at Eagles free agent defensive tackle Milton Williams - one of the key cogs in a Philadelphia front four that dominated the Chiefs on their way to a decisive 40-22 victory in Super Bowl LIX.
Stay locked in to WEEI and WEEI.com for all the latest on the Patriots’ offseason.