What the NFL Draft Told Us About Mike Vrabel's Real Plan for the Patriots

The New England Patriots have been linked to one certain wide receiver for the better part of the last five months, and after the team's showing in the NFL Draft, that only led to more speculation.

New England took nine players, none of them included a wide receiver. Of course, that opened the door for more chatter about a potential trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver AJ Brown at some point this summer. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf commented on the fact that they didn't draft a wideout in any of the seven rounds.

"Yeah, that's how the board fell," Wolf said when asked about if that was just how the board fell, or if there was a concious effort to avoid the position. "There were some situations where there were some receivers that we liked that we – they just got picked in front of where we were. So, just how it fell, not a conscious decision, and I think we'll probably be pretty competitive here with the undrafted guys at that position."

No WR Draft Picks Is Eye-Opening

Obviously, Wolf toed the company line. He's not going to come out and openly express the fact that passing on wideouts means a better shot to acquire Brown. Both him and head coach Mike Vrabel been coy about bringing in the former Pro Bowler, speaking on the idea that they won't discuss any players currently on other rosters.

What Wolf did say is that the Patriots would be aggressive in the undrafted market, and that much was true. They signed four UDFAs, including Culver-Stockton's Kyle Dixon to a massive six-figure contract, and bolstered the bottom half of their depth chart.

But Brown remains right there for the taking, and it appears that's how Vrabel's offense in 2026 will be constructed. All the signs have continued to point in this direction, and the last few weeks prove it.

Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) carries his touchdown ball back to quarterback Tanner McKee (not pictured) during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

"Anything That We Can Continue To Do ... We're Going To Try To Do"

Kayshon Boutte -- the fourth-year wideout who's been thrown around a possible trade chip for Brown -- missed part of the team's voluntary offseason workouts last month. Vrabel's appreciation for Brown, who he drafted back in 2019 when he was with Tennessee, has been the topic of conversation since the NFL Combine.

It hasn't been ruled out, as the reigning AP Coach of the Year wouldn't publicly shut that door just yet. Back in March, he was asked about the possibility of reunited with Brown in New England.

"We've talked about this since last January. We're going to try to do everything we can to strengthen our roster through the draft, through free agency, multiple ways of player acquisition," Vrabel said. "So anything that we can continue to do to strengthen the roster, we're going to try to do."

Right now, Brown remains a member of the Eagles, Boutte remains a member of the Patriots and all that's been made public is pure trade speculation. Whether the deal gets made (for a future first round pick in 2027/2028, or something else gets added) or not, it's safe to assume that the Patriots are currently planning for Brown to be in Foxboro after June 1.

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