3 Trades the Patriots Need to Make Before the NFL Draft

3. Trade out of the 3rd overall pick

If the Patriots are ultimately going to trade out of the 3rd overall pick, they need to strike before the 2024 NFL Draft. By the beginning of April, teams know their draft boards. They will have final draft meeting and spend the rest of the month planning, meeting, and strategizing -- but the board will be set.

It's also very likely that in the near future, the Patriots will know the intentions of the two teams currently in front of them in the 2024 NFL Draft order -- the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders. We all know the Bears are likely to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams, which means the Patriots only need to do enough digging to find out the direction the Commanders are going.

If the guy the Patriots want at QB is going to be gone with one of those first two picks, they have no reason to cling to the 3rd overall pick when there are expected to be a handful of teams willing to offer a king's ransom to move up.

Moving down before the 2024 NFL Draft as opposed to after it starts would allow the Patriots plenty of time to alter their strategy and how they're going to build a draft with their newfound assets. Plus, it won't look as much like a punt during the NFL Draft if they do it that way.

The Patriots need to be the aggressor here, and if they're going to move off of this spot anyway, they should get the picks in place and shake on a deal before the draft even begins.

Regardless of what other moves the Patriots make the rest of the way, they will begin the season as heavy underdogs in the AFC East. They are currently +1700 to win their division on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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