The case for trading UP in the draft

[Boston Boxer]

Prevailing wisdom suggests the Patritos should try to trade down from #4. After all, Will Campbell now officially has t-rex arms, Graham is good but we're looking at a loaded FA class for DL, and the other guys who likely appeal to the team (Simmons, Warren, Mykel WIlliams) would be extreme reaches at the 4th pick. Why not take what we can get and load up on lottery tickets?

Well, because most lottery tickets are losers, and this draft has exactly two blue chip players and maybe 10 guys with solid 1st round grades. We know the 4th overall pick is not going to fetch nearly the value we normally expect in a draft this weak at the top. What, then, is the actual value of moving down? Significantly lower the floor of our 1st round pick for a 1 in 3 shot of landing a starter with a 3rd rounder? No, thank you.

Consider all the chatter that the Browns are looking to collect picks and move down. This is a team that needs to blow it up and start over, and they see a much more fertile QB class in 2025. Now ask, what will it take to move up from #4 to #2 in a weak draft class with no elite QB? It could cost fifty cents on the dollar. If it does, and if this team is indeed ascending as it should be, then this is the last best chance to land a transformative star.

(All this contingent of course on a successful free agency)

I would rather rely on tape rather than measurables. Campbell's arms have always been that length...its not like they shrunk all of a sudden. The tape says he is a franchise OT and has played against elite talent while at LSU. I don't see a need to trade up

 

[slash83]

How so? Seriously, how do you know?

All 3 teams in front of them are desperate for a QB, Raiders at 6 are desperate for a QB and have been reported to want to trade up for one. Reporters scouts and what not are now saying it’s becoming more and more possible 2 go in the first 3 picks.

 

[PatsfanTN]

All 3 teams in front of them are desperate for a QB, Raiders at 6 are desperate for a QB and have been reported to want to trade up for one. Reporters scouts and what not are now saying it’s becoming more and more possible 2 go in the first 3 picks.

The Titans may say, one more year with Levis. Aaron Rodgers, Sam darnold, and Kirk Cousins are out there. Why do you think those teams would just pass on them and not sign them as a bridge year? Do you have inside knowledge? Seriously how do you know? You don’t.

 

[Love The Drake]

The Titans may say, one more year with Levis. Aaron Rodgers, Sam darnold, and Kirk Cousins are out there. Why do you think those teams would just pass on them and not sign them as a bridge year? Do you have inside knowledge? Seriously how do you know? You don’t.

Every mock I see has Giants going Travis Hunter.

 

[Salsalife]

T-rex arms hurt but here is my second choice
Hollin Pierce, Rutgers. Pierce lands out our standouts list just for his size. He measured in at 6-foot-8, 341 pounds with 36-inch arms and an 88 1/4-inch wingspan. In a class that saw most of the tackles measure in smaller than expected, he's a strong outlier.

 

[PatsfanTN]

Every mock I see has Giants going Travis Hunter.

And I’m not seeing that. All of them that I see are all over the place, at least the top 4 picks.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

All 3 teams in front of them are desperate for a QB, Raiders at 6 are desperate for a QB and have been reported to want to trade up for one. Reporters scouts and what not are now saying it’s becoming more and more possible 2 go in the first 3 picks.

On the flip side, on SiriusXM this weekend, Ryan Leaf said that literally none of the scouts he spoke to had a first-round grade on any of the QBs in this draft. He did say that QBs might go in the top 10 not because they feel they are truly worth it, but because they're worried they won't be able to wait until the second round.

 

[Love The Drake]

On the flip side, on SiriusXM this weekend, Ryan Leaf said that literally none of the scouts he spoke to had a first-round grade on any of the QBs in this draft. He did say that QBs might go in the top 10 not because they feel they are truly worth it, but because they're worried they won't be able to wait until the second round.

Let’s hope in this instance Leafs inside info are as good as his NFL statistics.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Let’s hope in this instance Leafs inside info are as good as his NFL statistics.

FWIW, Lance Zierlein put out a mock suggesting that Shedeur Sanders could fall to the bottom of the first, and I saw another mock suggesting the Patriots could trade with the JEST and let them draft Sanders at 4.

 

[Love The Drake]

FWIW, Lance Zierlein put out a mock suggesting that Shedeur Sanders could fall to the bottom of the first, and I saw another mock suggesting the Patriots could trade with the JEST and let them draft Sanders at 4.

Either way we are losing Hunter and Carter.
If we stay Put I’m still in on Warren or a trade down to 9 or 10 for Golden.

 

[signbabybrady]

Either way we are losing Hunter and Carter.
If we stay Put I’m still in on Warren or a trade down to 9 or 10 for Golden.

Coming away from pick 4 with an extra pick and Golden would seem disappointing. I have higher hopes.

 

[Love The Drake]

Coming away from pick 4 with an extra pick and Golden would seem disappointing. I have higher hopes.

Share with the class SBB

 

[signbabybrady]

Share with the class SBB

Nothing new still hoping for Carter or Hunter.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

The consensus after the Combine seems to be that Ward will go in the first few picks, but not Sanders. So we'd only have to move up one slot to be sure of getting a blue chip player.

If Sanders is not attractive to teams, then hard to see anyone wanting to let us trade down to say 10 - the draft is very flat from 4 through 10.

Let's see what Free Agency brings - that will likely change what we need from the draft.

 

[Triumph]

We need every pick we can get. No to moving up.

Too many holes to fill with a terrible success rate after the 2024 draft.

 

[Triumph]

The consensus after the Combine seems to be that Ward will go in the first few picks, but not Sanders. So we'd only have to move up one slot to be sure of getting a blue chip player.

If Sanders is not attractive to teams, then hard to see anyone wanting to let us trade down to say 10 - the draft is very flat from 4 through 10.

Let's see what Free Agency brings - that will likely change what we need from the draft.

The trouble with QB Sanders is Deon comes with him.

 

[goheels22002]

No. We need the draft capital for the next 3 years at least. If they go 7-10 this year, and don't have a 1st round pick in 2026, it will be a disaster.

Absolutely correct. The Patriots need to create opportunities in 2026 with any trade. Trading down the board will give them a chance to achieve what they hope to accomplish on the OL and can come with 3rd or 4th in 2026 which is the sweet spot in most drafts to find players who can contribute right away at a very reasonable cost for 3-4 years. This draft does not have any single lock to turn around a franchise - Abdul Carter comes close.

As I have said many times, an offensive lineman who can play immediately is the #1 need, and if I'm reading the draft accurately, there will be one of those guys at the #8 through #12 slot in the first round. If they can do that and get a valuable pick in 2026, that would be a win for this team that needs at least two good years in a row of draft plus free agency to contend. I also believe they can add a veteran WR and a rookie WR in the middle rounds to help Drake Maye - if the OL can pass block.

 

[Wozzy]

There’s nobody worth trading up for. I wish Joe Alt was coming out this year instead of last… but we could probably still get him at 4.

 

[goheels22002]

The trouble with QB Sanders is Deon comes with him.

It looks like Deion Sanders is staying at the University of Colorado, so he'll be focused on his players and not a hovering presence. The Patriots don't need another first round QB, but if Shadeur Sanders turns up with the Jets, it will be entertaining and make the QB group in the AFC East very interesting. Drake will have a better year with Josh McDaniels and a re-vamped OL so the mix of Josh Allen, Tua, Drake and Shadeur would make for some fun weekends.

 

[50-yard-line]

I'd be okay with trading up BACK INTO THE First Round with our second pick if there's someone they really want.

But Wolf has already shown his hand on things like this. He's of the BB trade-down and collect picks school, which was fine when you had so much talent you wanted role-players that would still be there, but really sucks when you need talent (Ladd McKonky).