Patriots Predicted to Make Blockbuster Trade of Top QB Prospect

Getty A Patriots mock draft prediction has the team trading the No. 1 pick, projected to be Carson Beck.

With the way things have shaped up in training camp to date, excitement around a rejuvenation of the Patriots’ chances in the 2024 NFL season under a new coach and with a new quarterback has been tempered considerably. Training camp and the preseason has shown that the steady decline of the last three years was not a matter of bum luck or poor coaching. It was a reflection of a lack of talent on the roster, especially offensively.

The best Patriots can hope for then, is for some glimmers of hope to emerge—progress from the talented young wide receivers, maybe a promising start to the Drake Maye era, one or two of the rookie offensive lineman showing some ability—even if the record remains poor. Ultimately, it would not be a bad thing if that record was among the worst in the NFL. Maybe the worst.

At ESPN, analyst Field Yates is predicting that the Patriots will be bad enough, in fact, to be granted the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, What’s more, he has a quarterback as the top overall prospect, and has the Patriots trading away the pick to their NFC neighbors, the New York Giants.

Drake Maye Could Allow for a 2025 Draft Trade

As Yates references, the Giants inquired about a trade up with the Patriots in April, as the team was on the lookout for a quarterback to replace Daniel Jones. The Patriots rebuffed that offer (and others), but with Maye in tow, they would not do so this time around.

The Giants would take Georgia star quarterback Carson Beck, who is not exactly a consensus No. 1 but who is a good bet to wind up being the top quarterback on the board.

“The Patriots just used the No. 3 selection on Drake Maye in April, so chances are they’d be listening on trade offers if they landed the No. 1 pick next year. In this scenario, the Giants come calling for a second straight year and this time get a deal done. This projected trade would involve multiple picks, including New York’s No. 6 selection,” Yates writes.

That makes some sense, considering the presence of Maye. But the Patriots could also use the No. 1 pick to address other needs, especially if no other quarterbacks emerge as true No. 1 options. The Pats could use a top-tier edge rusher, and there appear to be three on the board: James Pearce of Tennessee, Mykel Williams of Georgia and Abdul Carter of Penn State.

Or if none of their top youngsters at the receiver position show up as a future No. 1, the Patriots could go with Missouri’s Luther Burden.

Patriots Still Have Plenty of Needs

This is all hypothetical, of course, and depends on the Patriots having the worst record in the NFL. It also depends on the Giants being relatively bad in 2024, too, because if New York plays well enough to fall out of the Top 10, there is little chance the Patriots would give up the No. 1 pick.

In the case of Yates’ mock draft, the Giants are No. 6.

While the Patriots’ biggest need entering 2024 is a left tackle, Yates does not have them addressing the issue in the 2025 draft, at least not in the first round. Instead, he projects them to take Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.

Kelvin Banks of Texas is the top tackle in the draft, though Will Campbell of LSU has a chance to be a Top 10 pick, too.

Wrote Yates: “I’d say New England is more likely to address offensive tackle than cornerback next spring, but I’m just not convinced enough on the class’ second-best left tackle in my early tape study to go that direction and pass up Johnson. To that end, LSU’s Will Campbell could certainly enter the mix, but Johnson would provide a mix of need and value. Johnson has lockdown-corner potential in the pros.”