Patriots, Raiders Swap No. 1 Pick, Superstar Defender in Trade Idea

The New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders have been named in a blockbuster trade involving the No. 1 pick and a superstar defender.

Dec 31, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) in the first half against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Following Week 17 NFL action, the New England Patriots would now hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft if the season ended today. Now, fans can only hope that the Patriots don't spoil having that pick by beating the Buffalo Bills in a meaningless Week 18 matchup to end the year.

Having the No. 1 pick would give New England a ton of options. They could keep the pick and select Travis Hunter or they could trade the pick for a massive haul.

Either way, the prospects for the future would look a lot better.

With that in mind, the question would become, which teams would be interested in a massive blockbuster trade up for the No. 1 pick? One team that would be an obvious candidate would be the Las Vegas Raiders, who would love to land Shedeur Sanders to be their new franchise quarterback.

Savage Sports on X suggested a trade between the Patriots and Raiders. The trade would include the No. 1 overall pick heading to Las Vegas in exchange for Las Vegas' first-round pick in 2025, second-round pick in 2025, first-round pick in 2026, and Maxx Crosby.

New England Patriots Receive: 2025 First-Round Pick (Las Vegas), 2025 Second-Round Pick (Las Vegas), 2026 First-Round Pick (Las Vegas), Maxx Crosby

Las Vegas Raiders Receive: 2025 No. 1 Overall Pick

If the season ended today and the two teams stay where they're at in the draft order, New England would be getting the No. 8 overall pick this year. They could still land a very talented player with that selection.

However, passing up on pairing Hunter with quarterback Drake Maye would anger quite a few Patriots fans.

Crosby, who would be a huge addition for a New England team that badly needs a better pass rush, is just 27 years old. The Patriots could literally build their defense around him for years to come.

He is coming off of a season in 2024 that saw him play 12 games and end up with 45 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and five defended passes. Crosby would be a massive step in the right direction for New England.

All of that being said, the Patriots are far from guaranteed to have the No. 1 pick. They could fall down the draft order in a huge way if they knock off the Bills.

Hopefully, that doesn't end up happening and New England fans can start getting excited about a huge franchise jump one way or the other whether they trade the pick or not.

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