New England Patriots fans are buzzing now that the 2025 NFL draft is just a few days away. The Patriots are set to inject some new blood into their system with their stockpile of 2025 draft picks, including this year's fourth overall selection.
Even though the next few days will be focused on the incoming rookie class, the NFL draft has seen its fair share of veterans steal the show. Veteran players swapping teams via trade is a part of the draft-day experience, and the Patriots were recently linked to a rumored deal that would see them add a Pro Bowl wideout to their lineup.
Having said that, it looks like any potential deal is officially off the table.
Patriots Won't Trade for Eagles WR A.J. Brown Before Draft
Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown has recently been linked to the Patriots as a potential trade target. New England reportedly contacted Philadelphia about Brown's availability earlier this offseason, and the veteran wideout added fuel to the fire when he recently posted a video of himself with an autographed Julian Edelman jersey.
As much as Pats fans would love to see the 27-year-old WR reunited with head coach Mike Vrabel, NFL insider Adam Schefter just revealed that an offseason trade won't be happening.
"Contrary to internet speculation, the Eagles are not trading A.J. Brown," Schefter wrote on Monday. "The star wide receiver signed a three-year extension a year ago this week."
NFL draft intel: Everything we’re hearing ahead of Round 1 of Thursday night’s draft.https://t.co/7X6U85FDa4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 21, 2025
While some fans will be disappointed by Schefter's report, the Eagles not wanting to trade Brown isn't that surprising. It's hard to imagine Philadelphia wanting to trade the five-time 1,000-yard receiver before he's even played a game on his $96 million extension — especially after helping the Eagles win Super Bowl 59 just over two months ago.
With Brown no longer an option, the Patriots will focus on upgrading their current WR room. Free-agent wideouts Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins were both signed shortly after the offseason began, joining the likes of DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, and Kayshon Boutte in quarterback Drake Maye's arsenal.
Although that's far from the NFL's worst wideout unit, there's always room for improvement. Perhaps the Patriots will draft a wide receiver higher on their priority list after missing out on Brown. Or maybe the team could look elsewhere for another trade partner.
Either way, it'll be interesting to see what the Patriots' WR depth chart looks like after this week. The 2025 NFL draft will take place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI, beginning with Round 1 on Thursday night.