Patriots Certainly Should Consider This Sort Of Hypothetical Draft Trade

If the Patriots aren’t sold on Will Campbell — or anyone else — at No. 4 in the draft, they should keep this mantra in mind: it only takes one team.

Two widely held beliefs are increasingly defining the 2025 NFL Draft. The first is that there isn’t a lot of great top-tier talent, especially at the quarterback position. The second is that what this draft lacks in premium firepower, it largely makes up for it in depth.

That’s why the Patriots are in a relatively complicated position. They have a quarterback and an improved young core. They can afford to draft the best available player, especially if that ends up being Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter. However, it looks like that won’t be the case; those two are expected to be off the board by the time the Patriots are up at No. 4.

Trading down absolutely should be an option. But finding a partner will be the tough part.

Regardless, Pro Football Focus tried to concoct a draft trade for all 32 teams, and for the Patriots, the PFF writers suggested a swap with the San Francisco 49ers.

Here’s what their proposed deal looked like:
San Francisco acquires: No. 4 pick, No. 217 pick
New England acquires: Nos. 11, 100, 160 and a 2026 third-round pick

PFF notes that the Patriots would consider this hypothetical, assuming Carter and Hunter don’t drop. That makes sense. Their ceilings are worth the investment. But if they’re not there, and especially if the Patriots don’t feel the risk is there with Campbell to bolster the offensive line, this sort of trade might be the best-case scenario for a roster that still needs to get better.

“For a roster with many holes, securing extra picks is pertinent,” Pro Football Focus writer Thomas Valentine wrote. “Depending on how the draft shakes out, New England could grab one of the top offensive linemen on their board, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan or the defensive player of their choice at Pick No. 11, all while having extra picks to bolster the roster.”

McMillan might be a bit of a risk, and the Patriots — who have failed miserably at drafting receivers for basically the last two decades — could be gun shy. But it largely is a risk-management assessment. If they don’t totally believe in someone like Campbell at No. 4, they should at least feel better about adding assets and then taking the risk at No. 11.

On top of that, there’s always the chance someone they liked and considered drafting at No. 4 falls. Perhaps Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou takes a tumble. The Patriots could even get weird and draft a tight end like Tyler Warren out of Penn State.

They could also just get that offensive line help a little later in the draft, too.

Executing this sort of deal would be more about depth than anything else, though. If the Patriots made this very exact hypothetical, it would give them six picks in the top 100, seven of the first 106 and eight in the first 160.

What do you think, Patriots fans? Do you want to stand pat at No. 4, or would you prefer this sort of trade scenario playing out? Sound off in the comments.