New England Patriots Trade No. 3 Pick in 7-Round Mock Draft

The New England Patriots are projected to land three first-round picks thanks to a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Vikings in a new mock draft.

Oct 21, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler (7). / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

While the New England Patriots are clearly in the market for a quarterback, coach Jerod Mayo has said all options are on the table regarding what they’ll do with the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. This includes the possibility of a trade, which has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks. 

Patriots owner Robert Kraft may wish to use this top draft pick to select their next franchise quarterback, but he has never been one to interfere with his “football people.” That is a fact that ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller expects to continue as he projects in his newest seven-round mock draft that the Patriots will trade down with the Minnesota Vikings.

“I have Minnesota sending Nos. 11 and 23, along with a 2025 first-rounder, to New England for this third pick, …” Miller writes. “The extra draft capital would allow for better roster building under exec Eliot Wolf and coach Jerod Mayo as the architects of this post-Bill Belichick team.”

Miller sees Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye as the first three quarterbacks off the board, in that order, even with the Patriots deciding to pass on both Maye and Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. So where do the Patriots go with their new picks at No. 11 and 23? 

First, they fill one of their biggest remaining needs outside of quarterback, left tackle, with the selection of Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu. While the Patriots managed to re-sign Michael Onwenu to a long-term contract, they did lose starting left tackle Trent Brown.

Oct 21, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end JT Tuimoloau (44) goes up / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA

Drafting Fashanu, the now former Nittany Lion who didn’t give up a single sack throughout his three-year college career according to Pro Football Focus, could offer the Patriots flexibility upfront. Fashanu could start at left tackle, while free agent signing Chukwuma Okorafor could play opposite of him, thus allowing Onwenu to move back inside at guard.

Then comes Miller's potential surprise projection. With the No. 23 overall pick, many would assume the Patriots would take a receiver because it is another glaring need. However, Miller has New England selecting Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean to pair with last season’s rookie Christian Gonzalez. 

“After landing Olumuyiwa Fashanu with the first of two acquired first-rounders from the mock trade, the Patriots can now get a versatile defensive back who was a certified playmaker in college,” Miller writes. “DeJean grabbed seven interceptions over the past two seasons, returning three for TDs.”

So, where are the playmakers? 

Well, Miller has the Patriots using their next two picks in the third and fourth rounds on receivers. First, he predicts Florida State’s Keon Coleman to land in Foxboro. Coleman’s 6-3 frame would give New England a bigger-bodied receiver who may lack speed - as evidenced by his disappointing 4.61 40-yard-dash time - but makes up for it in jump-ball situations.

However, the selection of Washington’s Jalen McMillan with the 68th pick may offset Coleman's speed concerns, as the former Husky ran a 4.47 at the NFL Combine. 

While the Patriots are projected to pass on a quarterback in the first round, Miller does have them taking South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler in the fourth. The former five-star quarterback out of high school never lived up to those expectations in college, but Rattler, in the opinion of many, still possesses a lot of the same upside that could reach peak potential if put in the right situation.

In this mock draft scenario, the Patriots' plan would be obvious. They will be going down the patient route of building their roster first, filling some of their biggest needs at receiver and offensive line, before finding their next franchise quarterback down the road.  In the meantime, though, they'd be sticking with Brissett as their starter and potentially giving Rattler his chance at some point.