Image courtesy of ESPN.
Tonight will be the first big step in this new era of New England Patriots football. The Patriots need to come out of the first round with not only their franchise quarterback of the future, but also another player they could pair up with him as well.
Whether it is a tackle or a wide receiver. They should look into trading back into the first round.
Eliot Wolf and the front office need to show the Patriots fanbase that times have changed. Gone are the days of trading down, taking three guards in one day or drafting kickers and punters with middle round picks. The Patriots are going to be aggressive now. They are all in.
New England owns the 34th pick in the second round. A pick that is valuable to other teams, even teams in the first round. If there is a team in the high 20’s that doesn’t like what is on the board and is looking to add more draft capital on day two and three, they might be willing to pick up the phone if Wolf calls.
With talented receivers like Brian Thomas, A.D Mitchell, Xavier Leggette, Ricky Pearsall and Xavier Worthy all possibly still on the board, a trade up to add a playmaker would make sense.
The Patriots could also trade up for an offensive tackle. Tyler Guyton, Amarius Mims and J.C Latham could potentially be there in the 25-32 range. The Patriots have an obvious need so moving back into the first round would make total sense.
Multiple sources are reporting that the Patriots are one of the teams exploring trading back into the first round. If that is the case, Patriots fans should be excited.
Teams who I could see movin’ on up tomorrow (check back for accuracy after the fact):
Vikings, Broncos, Eagles, Chiefs, Lions, Jaguars, Colts, Patriots (back into end of first round for a WR), Bills, Texans
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 25, 2024
If the Patriots come out of night one with a franchise quarterback and an impact offensive tackle or wide receiver, the fanbase will be reinvigorated and excited again about this football team.
If times have truly changed at One Patriot Way, then the organization needs to prove it. Prove it by being aggressive tonight. Go up and get two impact players, not just one.