Report: New England Patriots Want 'Massive Haul' To Trade Down In Draft

If the New England Patriots were to trade down from No. 3 overall, it would take an offer they can't refuse to do so.

Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo (left) and owner / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Many expect the New England Patriots to draft their quarterback of the future at No. 3 overall later this month, but there are those who believe they'll go in a different direction.

Instead of using the No. 3 pick for themselves, some believe that the Patriots will opt to trade down in exchange for a huge haul of picks. A common suggestion has them trading the pick to the Minnesota Vikings, another team in need of a quarterback, while getting the No. 11 and No. 23 picks in return, as well as a 2025 first-rounder.

Apparently, even that may not be enough to convince the Patriots to move down. On the Patriots Talk Podcast, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston suggested that New England would need "a lot more" than that hypothetical offer from Minnesota to trade its prized selection.

Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo (left) and owner / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

"From what I'm hearing, it's going to take a lot more than that for the Patriots to be moved off their spot, because they as a team collectively understand the opportunity that these three quarterbacks represent at the top of the draft," Curran said.

If a team were to actually bite and give the Patriots an even greater offer, it would be up there with some of the largest draft trades in NFL history. With the way this draft class is shaping up, though, that's the price it may take to move up.

There's a very real possibility that the top four picks of the draft will all be quarterbacks, especially if the Arizona Cardinals decide to trade down from No. 4 overall. With quarterback being the most-valuable position in football, teams are more than willing to pay a premium to move up and get a top prospect, and previous draft trades prove that.

Multiple teams are rumored to have interest in trading up for a quarterback, with Minnesota being the most-prominent example. The Vikings acquired a second first-round pick from the Houston Texans last month, with many seeing that move as a stepping stone to trade up even further.

The Patriots are also in desperate need of a quarterback, which likely plays into their astronomically-high asking price. If a team actually wants to trade up with the Patriots, they'll have to make them an offer they can't refuse.