The New England Patriots might be “open for business” in the 2024 NFL draft, but they have yet to receive the offer they’re looking for to trade the No. 3 overall pick, per director of scouting and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf.
There have been plenty of speculation and reporting that it could take a king’s ransom to get them to move backwards. NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran even suggested it could take “a lot more” than three first-round draft picks.
It makes sense considering the Patriots have a serious need at quarterback, and the value of drafting a player like Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels, who both could easily be the No. 1 overall pick, is through the roof right now.
My top takeaways from Eliot Wolf pre-draft news conference:
🏈 "Unique" year at QB w/ top 6 … comfortable with any of the top QBs available at 3
🏈 Have yet to receive trade offer that qualifies as "the bag" previously referenced by Jerod Mayo
🏈 "Open for business" on trade
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 18, 2024
The Minnesota Vikings have often been a team mentioned in the trade talks considering they have the No. 11 and No. 23 draft picks, along with a clear need at quarterback.
But it’ll obviously take much more than those two picks to move up that high. One has to wonder if the Patriots would be eyeing All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson as well in that deal, which the Vikings could view as a no-go.
Unless a team like the Vikings is willing to break the bank, the Patriots could be comfortable walking away from the trade table altogether and getting their future franchise quarterback. They don’t need to trade, but they’d clearly consider it if a potential partner makes it worth their while.