Insider: Patriots Considering Major NFL Draft Trade

The New England Patriots could shake things up in the NFL Draft.

Dec 28, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots had a chance to land the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft this year, but defeating the Buffalo Bills in the season finale destroyed their chances.

Now, the Patriots will be picking fourth, which could take them out of the running for Colorado Buffaloes superstar Travis Hunter.

As a result of New England kind of being in no-man's land at No. 4, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated says that the Pats — along with the other four teams drafting in the top five — could look to trade down in April.

"I think every team in the top five will at least look at the idea of trading down, with a dearth of top-end players available (Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are, for a lot of folks, the only two real blue-chip players) and a shaky quarterback group in the class," Breer wrote. "Of course, those elements could make it tough to find teams willing to trade up."

Trading back would actually make plenty of sense for the Patriots, as they have an overwhelming amount of needs to address.

While a one of Hunter or Carter may be available when New England is on the clock, it could actually benefit the Pats to just acquire as much draft capital as possible to fill all of those holes.

Yes, both Hunter and Carter are tantalizing prospects, and there is something to be said for selecting the best player available, but neither of those two players are going to fix the Patriots overnight.

New England needs a haul, and stockpiling picks — both present and future — is one of the best ways to go about doing that.

We'll see what the Pats decide to do in a couple of months, but they certainly have a lot of options on the table.

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