The 2026 NFL Draft is finally here, and the conversation surrounding the New England Patriots is all about whether they'll take an offensive tackle or a pass rusher in the first round, with a mix of some trade talk for a wide receiver, mainly AJ Brown.
The rumors linking them to the Eagles playmaker have intensified over the past week, with NFL insiders like Adam Schefter essentially confirming that a deal is in place, but won't become official until June 1. So the assumption is that Brown will suit up for the Patriots this upcoming season.
However, given that anything can happen and even unofficial deals can fall through, there's plenty of reason for Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf to keep their options open, and now that we're hearing things are far from certain for George Pickens in Dallas, they could inquire about his availability during or after the draft.
Team ownership gave the Patriots, and other teams around the league, the green light to do so, with Stephen Jones stating that Pickens still has not signed the franchise tag and there are no plans to discuss a long-term extension, which is great news for New England and bad news for the receiver.
This is far from what they have said previously, and based on what we know from Pickens' side, things are projected to go downhill pretty fast now.
Cowboys' ownership just made George Pickens more available for trade than they have all offseason
NFL insiders have said all offseason that the Cowboys planned to franchise tag the wide receiver after making a big-time trade for him last year, and then open negotiations for an extension because they want to keep him and CeeDee Lamb paired up for a long time.
The Joneses insisted they wanted to keep Pickens with the Cowboys, but now Stephen appears to be saying the exact opposite, despite the 25-year-old making it clear that he will not attend any offseason activities, and more if an extension is not agreed upon.
This has all the signs of an eventual holdout and will likely force the Cowboys to either give him the extension or trade him to a team that will, which is where the Patriots come in.
They are looking to upgrade their receiving corps for Drake Maye, hence their interest in trading for Brown, and although that might be unofficially official, the Eagles have sent mixed messages about Brown's future. Those red flags should be enough for the front office to explore other options, and Pickens fits what they need.
Not only is he young and could grow with Maye for many years, but he's an explosive option who is a true WR1, recording one of the most impressive seasons by a receiver in 2025.
The kind of production he would bring to the Patriots' offense is undeniable, and he would finally give them a weapon that opponents have to prepare for. On top of that, he would allow Maye to use some of his best skills, like deep passes, and make things a lot easier in the red zone, which was a weakness last season.
Of course, a trade won't be cheap, and it might come at the cost of a 2027 first-round pick, but the Patriots are not going to luck into a receiver like Pickens unless they trade for him, and the list of those who are going to be available in the future is slim.
This might be their best plan of action, whether they get Brown or not. At the very least, they should get on the phone with the Cowboys to see what it would take to get a deal done.
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