NFL, New England Patriots and National Football League Draft
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An ESPN trade proposal nets the New England Patriots a bona fide star at wide receiver in exchange for quite the haul of draft picks.
The Patriots entered the Super Bowl with only two slots undetermined in the draft order. They were either to pick 31st and 32nd, with the lower slot going to the loser and the higher reserved for the winner. As of today, the Patriots are the owners of 1 selections in next year’s draft:
If the Eagles do opt to move their star wide receiver, the Patriots are a logical trade partner. New England still lacks a true No. 1 wideout and Brown came into the league under coach Mike Vrabel. The two spent three seasons together in Tennessee and Brown developed a real respect for the way Vrabel runs a team.
The 2026 NFL free agency is just over a month away, with an NFL writer naming a former first-round pick a priority for the Patriots.
As a reminder, four teams -- Atlanta, Green Bay, Indianapolis and Jacksonville -- do not own a first-round pick in 2026 due to draft-day trades, including the Micah Parsons and Sauce Gardner deals. Here is the official 2026 NFL Draft order:
The Patriots' track record for extending first-round draft picks has not been good in recent years.