As draft day finally arrived in New England and across the NFL landscape, there continues to be buzz that the Patriots will very much consider trade options as part of the first-round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
For months there has been plenty of speculation that de facto GM Eliot Wolf and the New England collaborative would consider trading out of the No. 3 overall pick in the first round. Wolf declared as recently as last week that Patriots were “open for business.” First-year head coach Jerod Mayo indicated last month that it would take “the bag” for a deal near the top of the draft.
There had been speculation that the Vikings – who hold the No. 11 and No. 23 selection in the first round – might be a motivated option for a New England trade. But there have also been reports that the calls the Patriots have gotten for deals for No. 3 have been “laughable.”
But while there is more momentum now that Wolf and Co. will simply sit and pick at No. 3 – possibly/likely landing would-be franchise North Carolina QB Drake Maye – draft day has brought more trade buzz to New England regarding what the team might do in the back end of the first round on Thursday night.
NFL Network has included the Patriots among a handful of teams that could be in line to trade up, New England possibly looking to get back into the latter part of the first round after utilizing its pick at No. 3.
In fact, one of NFL Network’s latest mock drafts has the Patriots dealing into the No. 32 spot with the Chiefs to take South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette. Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell could also be an appealing high-end target for the Patriots to target.
New England certainly has a major need at wide receiver and a deal to add a second first-round pick to acquire a possible No. 1 option at the position is quite realistic. And with the Patriots holding the No. 34 overall pick – the second selection on day two of the draft – a move back up into the first round to target either a wide receiver – or maybe a left tackle? – would certainly make plenty of sense as Wolf, Mayo and the new regime try to jumpstart the rebuild in Foxborough.
So it looks like even if the Patriots snag Maye with the No. 3 pick as most reports/mocks now suggest, New England fans will have to remain focused on the full first round of action on Thursday night with the potential for a trade that could bring a franchise-altering double-dip of playmaking talent to the Patriots’ offense.