Patriots Could Shake Things Up With Massive NFL Draft Trade

The New England Patriots could shake up the NFL landscape with a massive trade in the 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
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
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The New England Patriots were routed by the Los Angeles Chargers in an embarrassing loss on Saturday, but they received some outstanding news on Sunday.

Thanks to the New York Giants defeating the Indianapolis Colts, the Patriots have jumped the Giants for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

All New England needs to do is lose to the Buffalo Bills in the season finale, and it will have clinched the top selection in April.

This puts the Pats in pole position to completely overhaul their roster during the offseason, as they can absolutely trade out of the No. 1 pick in order to accumulate a ton of draft capital.

Think about it: the Patriots don't need a quarterback. They already have Drake Maye. So, neither Shedeur Sanders nor Cam Ward are on their wish list.

But New England basically has needs everywhere else, which is why accruing as many draft picks as possible would be ideal for the Pats.

This could be a banner offseason in Foxborough.

The Patriots are loaded with cap room. They have the No. 1 pick. They also have a very intriguing young signal-caller in Maye who could entice some other playmakers to join the squad.

Of course, New England needs to handle it properly.

Yes, the idea of taking Travis Hunter is certainly tempting, but would it really be the best way for the Pats to manage their resources?

Hunter is an explosive talent, but he would not instantly solve all of the Patriots' problems. New England needs wide receivers. It needs offensive linemen. It could use another running back. It requires some defensive assistance, as well.

Other than under center, there really isn't an area where the Pats don't have a rather significant need, and they can better fill all of those holes by passing on the opportunity to select Hunter and by picking up a bunch of players instead.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.