The New England Patriots will be on the clock in Green Bay on April 24th, and the most important draft in years will be on tap for Patriot Nation. Last year, the draft started with a bang as the Pats selected future star Drake Maye as their quarterback. After that, they smartly stayed on offense but, unfortunately, the picks haven't panned out yet.
This year's expectations are sky-high since Mike Vrabel, an experienced professional at both coaching and personnel matters, will be calling the shots. His first and most important objective has to be to shore up his woefully defective left tackle position. Failing to sign or draft any left tackles last year doomed the season before it began.
Don't expect Vrabel to replicate that disaster. If he does, he'll be looking up from the bottom of the AFC East, just as Jerod Mayo did at the end of his 2024 season. Expect Vrabel to hit left tackle hard in the draft—think two or three selections. We'll see. If not, his draft grade will reflect the missed opportunity. Meanwhile, he has other options. One option is down in New Orleans just waiting to head to the Northeast.
Trevor Penning could be the perfect trade target for Patriots
New Orleans' massive offensive tackle, Trevor Penning, could be the Patriots' next potential swing tackle—who just so happens to be a favorite since his draft year. The 6-foot-7, 325-pound Penning was drafted in the first round by the Saints in 2022.
Unfortunately, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Penning was injured during his rookie season and only played in six games. He was a presumptive left tackle—it's where he played at Northern Iowa—so he's experienced playing on an island. Last year, he emerged as a starter on the right side.
Even though he held down the starting spot, Penning was cited as a trade candidate by Pro Football Focus in January. Here's part of what they said about the issue,
"Penning doesn’t carry as much of a monetary onus as Carr, but he’s still a player whose spot on the 2025 Saints feels very much in doubt. The 2022 first-round pick simply hasn’t produced at the level that has been expected...
"With Penning struggling in his first season at right tackle, New Orleans will likely want to upgrade that slot. Moving on from Penning would be wise, if nothing but to garner some value before he hits the open market."
Penning should be on the Patriots' radar on draft day
Cap issues could push the Saints to explore trading the former first-rounder. If that happens, no team in the NFL has a more pressing need at offensive tackle than the Patriots. They don’t have a tried and true NFL-caliber left tackle on the roster. They’ll need to go heavy in the draft for at least two—but adding Penning as a complementary piece still makes sense.
Penning is big and tough, and he'll be highly motivated to prove himself to his doubters after a less-than-satisfactory first three years in the league. He's young (he'll only turn 26 next month) but experienced and is just what the doctor ordered to help bolster a tackle position that struggled in 2024.
What the asking price would be for Penning is hard to gauge. Would it be centered around draft picks, players, or both? Including players in a package for the former first-rounder makes sense. The Patriots have several players who could be included in a package, although salary conditions on a few who received recent extensions could complicate things.
The Patriots’ list of trade-available players should include wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, guard Cole Strange, and linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Anfernee Jennings. Even starters like Mike Onwenu and Kyle Dugger should be on the table. Packaging one or two of those players with a mid-round pick could be enough to catch the Saints’ attention.
Head Coach/de facto GM Mike Vrabel needs offensive tackles. He brought in a good one in 11-year veteran Morgan Moses, but he still needs to add a few more this offseason. Ideally, he’ll draft two—one in the first two rounds and another in the third to fifth range. Adding a young veteran with something to prove would complement those rookie additions perfectly. Penning fits that mold and is worth exploring in a trade.