Patriots Have Reportedly “Explored” a Trade Into Back Half of First Round

Let the draft day rumor mill churn!

With the Patriots holding the No. 3 overall pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft, they’re set up to make a major splash at the top of the first round and by (just about) all accounts are honing in on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the pick.

But what about a second splash?

ESPN’s Mike Reiss alluded to just that on Thursday morning, tweeting out that the Patriots have “explored” a trade back into the back half of round one.

 

Given that the Patriots’ top two needs behind quarterback are wide receiver and offensive tackle, some names to keep an eye on in that range include Texas’ A.D. Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, LSU’s Brian Thomas, South Carolina’s Xavier Legette, and Florida State’s Keon Coleman on the receiver side, and Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, and BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia on the tackle side.

“I think we’re ready to go,” Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf told Scott Zolak via Patriots.com on Wednesday evening. “We’re well prepared, we’ve talked to a lot of people, we’ve watched a lot of film, we have all of our information. Working the phones, dealing with the coaches. It’s been good, it’s been a good process for us.”

“It’s a deep draft at a lot of the skill positions,” he later continued, “and we feel like we can supplement our roster in a lot of ways this weekend.”

After No. 3 overall, the Patriots hold picks 34, 103, and 137 in rounds two, three, and four.

Reiss also adds that the Patriots are in “active discussions” with defensive tackle Christian Barmore on a contract extension, and that free agent acquisition K.J. Osborn has made an early impression throughout New England’s start of the offseason program.

Barmore, the 36th overall pick in 2021, tallied a career-high 8.5 sacks last season for the Patriots and with the way defensive tackles have been compensated this offseason, is in line for a hefty payday.

As for Osborn, New England signed the former Viking to a one-year, $4 million deal at the end of March. Through his first four seasons in Minnesota, the 26-year-old tallied 158 catches for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns while trying to crack a lineup of Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Adam Theilen, and Jordan Addison. Perhaps Foxborough is where he makes his leap.

Follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!