Three Draft-Day Trades Patriots Should Make

The New England Patriots have done a great job at refurbishing their defense this offseason with multiple free agent signings. They came back around in the second wave and added Stefon Diggs on offense to give Drake Maye a reliable, proven veteran at receiver.

With the 2025 NFL Draft just weeks away, the Patriots will add even more talent to the roster, but they can do so with trades rather than just draft picks. Should they be willing to pick up the phone, here are some names they should be targeting.

WR George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers deep-ball threat is always reliable to make a difficult catch look routine. He's also been known to shoot himself in the foot with bad penalties and on-field tantrums. While that may be dissuading for some, playing for a coach like Mike Vrabel would make a ton of sense for Pickens to keep his head on straight. Plus, the Steelers just traded for DK Metcalf, who does basically the same things Pickens does, so the likelihood of the Georgia product earning an extension in Pittsburgh is slim to none. Should he be sent to New England and it work out in the Patriots' favor, the results will speak for themselves.

TE Mark Andrews

You could also put Dallas Goedert in this spot and it would make sense, but if the Patriots can get a top-end tight end to upgrade over Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, that would be a big plus. Especially for what they want to do offensively. Both Andrews and Goedert can block but are also two of the best pass-catching tight ends in football. If they can be had for a reasonable price, get it done.

WR Chris Olave

The Saints star only appeared in eight games in 2024 due to injury, but has shown that he is a threat when healthy. He had over 1,100 yards on 87 catches in 2023 and topped 1,000 yards in his rookie season, as well. To be frank, the Saints aren't going anywhere of note anytime soon. Paying Olave wouldn't make sense considering the position they are in. The Patriots should offer one of their third-round picks, as well as a fifth-round selection to send to New Orleans in exchange for the Ohio State product.